Reverend Raymond Osborne, Pastor

Please Note That Most Messages Follow
The Revised Common Lectionary

“Something Beautiful”
St. Mark 5:21-43

This morning you and I are stepping out in faith to face unknown territories. You don’t know me and I don’t know you, but we both know God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and it is through that commonality that we shall serve together, side by side, to provide a ministry to this community of faith that will cause lives to be radically transformed into the image of Jesus Christ.

(Begin to Sing Softly)
“Something beautiful, something good.
All my confusion He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife,
But He made something beautiful of my life.”

One of the things that you will soon learn about my family and myself is that music is a very important part of our lives. In fact last weekend my lovely wife Stephanie and I sung for a youth benefit for the church we just left to come here. On one particular number by Michael W. Smith, “Jesus is the Answer,” my children, Seth and Paige even got in on the action.

Often times as I read the Scriptures there are songs that come to the forefront of my mind. As I read this morning’s Gospel lesson that little chorus I just sung kept repeating itself in my head almost to ad nauseam. Mark allows us to share in a wonderfully liberating event in the life of a woman who is sick, and in the lives of a family whose young daughter had just died.

First we encounter Jairus, an apparent leader in the Jewish faith, coming to Jesus not as a high-ranking official of the synagogue, but as a desperate, helpless, father filled with heart-wrenching pain, pleading for the life of his little girl. As a parent I can identify with Jairus, not by experience, and I hope I never do, but as a father who loves his children dearly. In the midst of what had to be the most difficult and painful time not only of his life, but also of his journey of faith, Jairus, a Jew in the 1st century went to Jesus another 1st century Jew for help. Mark tells us that not only did Jesus go but also a crowd followed him.

As they were walking along Mark introduces us to a woman whom unlike Jairus, we don’t know her name. She is often referred to as “the woman with the issue of blood.” The reason for that lies in the culture of the times. In that day the religious leaders would have pronounced this woman “unclean.” Having thus been declared “unclean” her life was basically useless, purposeless, and in societal eyes – of no value. She has tried everything she knows to rid herself of her condition, i.e. going to doctors, home remedies, everything. Yet nothing worked, nothing helped. She comes to Jesus much as Jairus has, hopeless, helpless, filled with heart-wrenching pain, her life completely devastated. In her weakened condition she knows she will never be able to push her way through the crowd, so with every ounce of strength she lunches forward stretching out her hand and it happens! In that momentous display of faith, she touches His garment and she is healed!

Can’t you just hear her on her way home?

(Begin to Sing Softly)
“Something beautiful, something good.
All my confusion He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife,
But He made something beautiful of my life.”

The best is yet to come! As they continued on their journey a messenger comes to bring word to Jairus that it’s too late, his daughter has died. I can feel Jairus’ heart fall into his sandals can’t you? Jesus looks Jairus in his tear-filled eyes and basically says, “It’s going to be okay. Just trust me, hang in there with me, it’s all going to be okay.” Jesus turned to the crowd, “You stay here. Jairus, Peter, James, John – you come with me.”

They arrived at the house and all the friends and neighbors and the professional wailers had gathered to morn with a heart-sickened mother the death of her daughter. Jesus looked at Jairus’ wife and said, “Come with us.” As they walked into the bedroom, John closed the door behind them keeping the crowd outside. This was a very special time, a very personal time. Jesus walked over to the bed, took the little girl’s hand, and said, “Talitha Kaum,” she sat up, stood up, Jesus hugs her hands her over to Mom and Dad, and says, “Feed her.”

Can’t you hear this family?

(Begin to Sing Softly)
“Something beautiful, something good.
All my confusion He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife,
But He made something beautiful of my life.”

As you and I begin our journey together this morning, hear me when I say, I am convinced that the life of a 1st century Jew named Jesus, can still have a profound effect on the life of a 21st century people.

Life isn’t easy and I want to let you in on a little secret, it’s not going to be getting any easier. As time goes by multitudinous complexities seem to spring up. Rocks on the pathway of life that causes us to fall and hurt ourselves. Someone once said that there’s a heartache waiting around every corner. What do we do? How do we react when our lives are devastated by circumstances beyond our control?

I only offer one suggestion, “Jesus is the Answer.”

(Sing with Life!)
“Jesus is the answer for the world today
Above Him there’s no other,
Jesus is the way!” (Repeat and Repeat)

This is the message for us today! Jesus can take our lives, no matter how messed up they may be, no matter how broken they are, and He, He alone can put our lives back together and radically transform them into something beautiful.

Pray with me,

Lord Jesus, thank you for your life-changing power. Take our lives as we offer them to you and turn our lives into something beautiful, even more beautiful than they already are. Radically transform us Lord Jesus, Amen.

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