Reading
for Pentecost 3A:
Mt. 9:9-13
June 5, 2005
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Jesus said to the Pharisees: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I am here to invite outsiders, not to coddle insiders.” {Mt. 9}
* Yellow fever is a viral disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes and results in fever, bleeding, and jaundice. It can be fatal! In August 1878, yellow fever invaded the city of Memphis for the third time in ten years. By the end of the month, the disease had become epidemic and a quarantine was ordered. 30,000 citizens had fled in terror while 20,000 more remained to face the plague. When the worst was over, 90% of the population had contracted yellow fever and more than 5000 people had died.
Into this time of panic, flight, and death, many brave Christians came forth as volunteers to assist the sick and dying, despite the terrible risk to their own lives. Among the notable heroes were the Anglican sisters of St. Mary's in Memphis and other sisters from St. Margaret's house in Boston. Amid the sweltering heat and scenes of indescribable horror, men and women of God gave relief to the sick, comfort to the dying, and homes to the many orphaned children. Several of these workers died and become known as "The Martyrs of Memphis." [*Information from Lesser Feasts and Fasts]
Throughout history, Christians were known for their powers of healing and their willingness to sacrifice their lives in the service of the sick. Until the end of the 19th century, most nurses were religious sisters and most hospitals were run by Christian Institutions. This is no surprise given that Jesus' main focus in ministry was to teach, proclaim the good news, and especially to heal the sick. In his healing ministry, Jesus healed ignorance, bad behavior, physical/emotional/and spiritual illnesses, delusional perceptions, bad theology, and broken relationships. In our promise to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior, we too are called to follow in his footsteps as agents of healing and compassion in this broken world of ours.
The word to heal comes from the Greek word, therapeuo. Our English word therapy comes from this Greek word. Therapeuo actually means to assist or to serve. By taking the time and the interest in assisting and serving others, many people are given hope, relieved of their pain, cured of their symptoms, comforted in their distress, supported in their dying, and shown incredible compassion in their time of greatest need.
The miracle of healing has little to do with the reversal of natural law but has a lot to do with the miracle of love; a selfless love which witnesses to the kingdom of God operating among us. This miracle of love comes from a very deep spiritual place. Today we are honoring those who have dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy, training to be miracle workers of love. Stephen Ministry is lay ministry of healing, caring, serving, and listening. It reflects the characteristics of mercy, patience, and love. It is a pearl of grace operating in our community of St. Jude the Apostle; the saint of desperate causes, the crucible of hope.
Jesus' ministry can be summed up as a ministry of love. It doesn't get much more complex than that. Chapter Nine of the gospel of Matthew (from which we read a small part today) describes many acts of love brought about through the healing ministry of Jesus. This chapter describes the healing of a paralyzed man (both of his sins and his inability to walk); the healing of a woman who bled for 12 years and thus was excluded from society; the healing of two blind men; and the healing of a young girl who was supposedly dead. In today's reading, Jesus begins to heal the brokenness of tax collectors and other social outcasts who were rejected by society. He begins this process of healing by simply inviting them to dinner and taking the time to extend God's love.
In this story, Jesus does not perform any great miracles, does not seem to reverse laws of nature, and does not even seem to use his special gift of healing. He simply serves those in need by treating them with dignity, showing them mercy, and inviting them to live in the sphere of God's rule. By these simple acts of compassion and gracious sacrifice of time, he showers the miracle of love upon those who have great psychological and social needs.
Jesus said: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." Do you ever wonder why the Church seems to grow in leaps and bounds, especially in areas of the world where people are in great need? My hunch is, that these people know that they have a great need for the God of love that has been shown to us through Christ. And what I mean by this is, they have a great need to love, to be loved, and to experience the power of love through servants of love. The greatest miracle available to any of us, is not the reversal of natural laws, but the experience of unconditional love.
Today, in Silicon Valley, people have been blessed with incredible riches and talents. In the midst of all these blessings, some do not realize their need for God. Perhaps they have found a substitute for love in things, travel, professions, or entertainment. Perhaps they are so busy earning money, keeping up their houses, and taking care of children, that they do not feel the need to develop and strengthen their relationship with the God of love. Oftentimes in our busy lives, religious practices of prayer and bible study, attendance at Sunday worship, and reaching out to others in community, become secondary priorities. Evangelism (which is simply spreading the gospel of love shown to us by Jesus) becomes something to be feared or sometime that is on the rector's agenda but does not seem important at the moment. In the busyness of our lives, we become preoccupied and we forget that the only thing that really matters in this world of ours, is love.
But then, life comes crashing down upon us and we experience the disappointments and challenges that are part and parcel of the human condition. Pain (whether physical, psychological, or spiritual) is often the result. And in these times of transition, we look outside ourselves, hoping & longing for a healing touch of grace. Whether it is a divorce, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a serious illness, a disappointment with a child or a spouse, existential anxiety, or facing the prospect of death, what we crave for is mercy and love. In times like these, we begin to value the unconditional path of love that Jesus showed to us. At times like these, we need to turn to servants of love and healing as embodied by our Stephen Ministers.
Stephen ministers are lay people who have been selected from Christian communities of faith. They are commissioned to be agents of love, healing, and mercy, by listening to the pain and struggles of those going through difficult times. Although they have been trained for many months, they are not psychologists or professional medical care givers. They are simply people of faith, who believe in the healing power of the Holy Spirit, and have committed their time and talent in being a patient listener in a hurried world, a healer of divisions, and a comforter to those in need. If you have a need for a Stephen Minister caregiver, or if you would like to be a Stephen Minister in order to share the love of Christ to someone in transition, let us know.
Our vision is: "Saint Jude's is a spiritual oasis where lives are transformed." Through our many healing ministries of pastoral care, outreach, prayer chain, Lay Eucharistic visitors, and Stephen Ministers, we are developing a community of love where healing and transformation not only become possible but are at the foundation of who we are as the people of God.
"O God from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them." [Collect of the Day, BCP 229]
| Updated 6/11/05 |
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