July 1, Ordinary 13B (Mark 5:21-43)
The woman's presence in a crowd is an act of civil disobedience.
After each visit to a physician she returned to an alienating home, because the very problems that required the loving touch of a person also prevented it. Twelve years of this comes to a reinvigorating halt when she reaches for Jesus’ garment. One rebellious reach puts an end to 12 years of alienation and loss. The story pivots on the power of this act of social defiance and righteous discontent.
The woman’s status as unclean alienates her physically from family and friends. Other people need to avoid contact with her body, her used clothing, and the places where she sits and sleeps. Yet here she is, part of a crowd of people pressing in on Jesus. Her presence is an act of civil disobedience.
She has expended her life savings on doctors. Now her story bears out that it is costlier to follow rigid rules than to prioritize the hunger of the spirit. Scores of people miss God because of the blinding mechanics of religion. Yet faith—a complex praxis of life—transcends religion. Following religious proscriptions more strictly would have cost this woman healing.
