Have you ever been part of a large crowd, maybe at a sporting event or a concert? Possibly you’ve been to a parade or a political rally and been part of a large crowd.  Being in these crowds can remind us that there are many others who share our interests or our concerns, it reminds us that we are part of something bigger than just ourselves.  No matter what, crowds gather for a reason.  We’ve seen just this past week.  Crowds of people marching through the streets in Iran , assembling at risk to their safety that their voices may be heard as they cry out for democracy and liberty.  Thursday evening on the newscasts you could see crowds gathering to mourn just minutes after Michael Jackson’s death was announced.  These crowds gather for a reason, they gather in the name of something that seems important.  

We just heard about the crowds following Jesus.  As he walks along the shore the people see Jesus and begin to surround him.  His presence attracted attention, attention I’m not sure he always wanted.  Emerging from the crowd is a man called Jairus.  He is a benefactor of the synagogue and a prominent man in the community.  He is a man who has done the right things, who finds himself at Jesus‘ feet pleading for help .  Jesus acknowledges this important man who is at his feet, and he and the disciples set out to Jairus’ house to attend to his gravely ill daughter.  

In the midst of their mission comes an interruption. A woman who had suffered for twelve years seeks Jesus out in the midst of the crowd.  The doctors could do no more for her; her condition meant that she was cut off from the rest of society.  She was penniless; she was desperate for healing. If Jairus was in the top strata of this crowd, this woman was near the bottom.   

            “If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.”

As she reached out from the midst of the crowd and touched his cloak, she was healed. 

Jesus, knowing this has happened stops.  He asks for the woman to present herself.  The disciples seem annoyed with this delay, after all they had a dying daughter to attend to. 

            “You see this crowd, and you want to know who touched you?” 

The crowd pressed in on them all, many people had likely touched Jesus as they made their way down the road.  Only one person, however, reached out in faith. Only one person in the crowd as they pressed in was healed. She had faith that only touching Jesus‘ cloak from behind would heal her.  She had faith in Jesus.  And in that faith she comes forward and finds herself at Jesus feet, and there she tells the whole truth.  Jesus acknowledges her great faith for the entire crowd.  Her faith has made her well.   Through this interruption, a life is changed, a woman is restored.

But this interruption also brings complication, for the message arrives that Jairus’ daughter has died.  “Don’t bother, the teacher” the people tell Jairus, “it’s too late.”

We aren’t told how exactly Jairus reacts to this tragic news, but the news of the death does not stop Jesus.  Jesus gives words of encouragement to Jairus as they face what seems to be a hopeless situation.  “Do not fear; have faith”. 

As they arrive at the home there are even fewer reasons for hope.  The mourners are here, wailing in the midst of the confusion.  Even when Jesus gives them hopeful news, they react with laughter.  Jesus sends this crowd away taking only Peter, James, John, and the parents in to see the girl.  At his command, she gets up.  All those in the room were astonished, but Jesus commands them that they should tell no one about this, this healing must remain a secret.   

Many times in the Gospel of Mark Jesus asks that his miracles be kept secret.  He preaches in parables so that everyone does not understand.  It seems strange.  Why would Jesus want to keep his deeds and his identity secret?  Well, the most important question posed in the Gospel of Mark is Jesus‘question to his disciples “who do you say that I am?”  Mark’s Gospel centers on how people respond to Jesus.  The people around Jesus, the disciples, the crowds, the religious leaders, the Roman authorities none of them know exactly what to make of Jesus.  Throughout the Gospel we see people responding to Jesus, answering with their words and deeds the question, “Who do you say that I am?”  

Both Jairus and the woman with the flow of blood responded in faith.  Their responses were different in many respects, but both still respond in faith. For us the question of Jesus’ identity is not resolved by his teaching, or his miracles, the question is resolved by the empty tomb.   

In the empty tomb Jesus is revealed once and for all as the Son of God.  Since this has been revealed we don’t need to keep Jesus a secret anymore.  Keeping Jesus a secret is not a commandment. Now it is time to tell the world about Jesus, and that means even our friends, neighbors, and coworkers.   

Lutherans, at least in this time and this part of the world are shy about telling. 

We Lutherans have many strengths. From the very beginning we have been a movement within the Church concerned with theology, and the impact of theology on the life of faithful people; we think about God a lot.  This theology is expressed in what we do: our liturgy, our hymns, our social ministry.  We’re still reluctant to speak up, to spread the good news in our words and not just in our deeds, but we shouldn’t be.  We shouldn’t be reluctant to speak of the Gospel because our own theology tells us that faith comes through hearing.  So that we might obtain this faith “the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted.”  In the sermon we preach the Gospel that the Holy Spirit might create faith in the hearers.  While those of us in the pulpit have the duty to proclaim the Gospel, that does not preclude all the baptized from telling the power of the Gospel in their own lives. 

Tell the story of your faith.  There are as many stories as there are Christians.  Some of us are like the woman with the flow of blood, suffering and enduring much in life, until in faith, we see Jesus, and his presence brings hope and new life.  Some of us are like Jairus, and there were times when circumstances were grim and we needed Jesus’ help and encouragement in faith.    

No matter how your story of faith may be written, share it with those around you.  Pray for opportunities to share, and ask that God give you the words you need.  Invite others to hear, and bear witness to the Gospel with your words and your life.

Tell your story, but only tell your story of faith because it points to God’s story, the story of God’s faithfulness. It is the story of death’s defeat, and new life and new creation in Christ.  Keep on witnessing to God’s story, in your story, stories like the woman’s when she touched Christ’s cloak, stories like the daughter, when at Christ’s command she got up, and was no longer dead.

As we tell this story of God’s love and faithfulness, revealed for all in Christ’s cross and empty tomb, as we tell our own story of faith and how it bears witness to God’s story what might happen?  Might the crowds start to gather?  As you drive in to church some Sunday morning will you see the people of York coming out of their homes, getting into their cars, crowding the sidewalks all because of this person called Jesus?  Crowds always gather for a reason, and I can think of no better reason than Jesus Christ our Lord.