Mark 5:30 (Matt 9:19-22; Luke 8:43-48)

Murph Chapel, Valinda, CA

Submitted to AME Church

2009

Health Care Reform

Mark 5:30  (Matt 9:19-22; Luke 8:43-48)

Who touched my garments?

There is this story we are all familiar with.......a woman makes her way through a crowd and touches the garment of Jesus and she is healed.

Now as often as we have heard this story I truly wonder how many believe it? 

Can you be healed      when       Jesus does …...

Nothing???

There is no action taken by Jesus towards the woman …... none.

So how was she healed.

Did the clothe heal her?

Was it the proximity to Jesus?

Was it her?

I want you to think on those questions while we look at a healing question of concern today.

On November 4^th 2008 history was made.  Senator Barrack (Barry ) Hussein Obama was elected as President of the United States of America, the only African American to attain that office in 232 years.

He has been catching hell since then.

You said you would do this and that, how come you are not done yet.

His critics are many and loud.

Shout loudly from television, radio and print.

As President-Elect Obama,    everyday the news was full of why had'nt he walked on water yet.

As President the news was still about what he has not accomplished yet.

After all he said he would, how come that boy is so slow.

There were many disappointed in Jesus.  He came, he taught, he preached he healed but he had not done any thing                    yet.

When was Jesus going to raise his army.   He had thousands of people following him.

When was Jesus going to throw down the Roman government and make Israel rise to glory and power.

When Jesus, when?

When President Obama, when?

The comparison here between Jesus and President Obama is circumstantial.

What is the same           now and then            is how people act.

We know everyone should be in movies or on stage.

We all know how to act.

We act out.

We act up.

We act badly.

We act against them.

As We act for us.

But most importantly we always act in our own self-interest.

The woman in the crowd

She was acting out of self interest.

What is in it for me?

The news would have us believe that a large majority of people, mostly white.

Like 99 point nine, nine, nine, nine and more are shown acting out at town halls

and so on out of self interest. 

The major question to be answered by health car legislation is will

more than forty seven million

people    be given access to healthcare?

Is that a number to large for the average person to grab on to?

What is really surprising is that so many of the people calling the health care legislation Obama-care

actually call themselves Christians.     Followers of Jesus.

I don't know where Jesus is going but the path behind him is empty

How               can you be a follower of Jesus 

           when you do not love your neighbor.

Jesus was interested in feeding the poor,

clothing the naked,

you help the spiritually sick by fighting wickedness and oppression

You see that was that lady in the crowd surrounding Jesus.

She was there strictly for self interest.

I bet you never thought of her in that way.

She was not there for anyone but herself

and like nine of the ten lepers it was not reported that she said         Thank You.    

But being a proper lady I am sure she did.

Or maybe not. 

She was shocked to be healed,

amazed that her problem was  gone,

and totally speechless that she was no longer an outcast.

Other than those 40 million plus who might be grateful for healthcare,

those who are now protesting might see benefit in lowered insurance rates,

of not having to worry about coverage on preexisting conditions,

or drugs not covered by that insurance

or any of the multitude of of sins committed by the companies that now exist.

But Jesus said,

Some one did touch me;

for I perceived that power had gone forth from me.

Jesus could feel a transference of energy,

healing energy that moved out of his body. 

I am sure that for a small part of a part of a second Jesus was puzzled as to what had happened.

Then awareness kicked in and he knew.

It took far longer for him to pose the question than it did for him to know what happened.

The issue before us now in this day is we don't know?

We have a leader who may have been touched by God.

Will the reconciliation rule allow Democrats to bypass Republicans,

will we get an option to make the insurance companies

 stop charging so much

stop denying people care

and the other horrible things they do.

While Paul told us that Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

We have a healthcare bill that we hope has substance.

We have hope that we will see healthcare reform in our life time.

…..............thy faith hath made thee whole Jesus said

We know that faith works,

We know that faith can make us whole.

We don't know nor can we count on what people will do.

It does not matter if your on a boat in the storms of life

Or in your are watching the parade of life pass you by

Jesus is near.

Even if you do not know it

Jesus is near

You may think Jesus is asleep

You may think Jesus is not paying any attention to you

Jesus is aware

Jesus does care

You are tasked by Jesus to love your neighbor

You have to reach out join with others who follow Jesus

So 47 million parade watchers can reach out and touch his garment

Jesus has the power

All you need to do is to let it flow through you

touch some one by mail, email, telephone, any way you can

make Jesus real to some one who does not have faith

Your faith can not only heal you

Your faith can heal millions

You only have to reach out