Out Our Way: The power of faith

Acts 5:21-43

Out our way, one of the things you learn as you gain confidence in the saddle is that your horse has a sixth sense and can feel what you are thinking even before you try to tell him what you want. Goliath, after our years together, barely needed the reins but almost senseed what I wanted before I was even conscious of it. Though neck reined trained, it seemed that even before I began to move the reins he already knew what I was after and responded. But he also knew when I was nervous, concerned or scared.

Sometime after our run-in with the lion, we were up in the Bear Paws at a friend's place whre lions had been prowling of late - and I was somewhat nervous, even though it was broad daylight and fairly open country. Goliath picked up on that and was nervous too. But then I bought my .45 and had it loaded and on my hip the next time out - and I almost dared a lion to bother me. Fortunately none did - but Goliath picked up on my confidence and was as relaxed as I was. It is one of the tings I have always found remarkable about horses - that sixth sense.

I thought of that as I was reading the above text from Mark - the two stories of faith and healing that are interwined in the Gospel. The firt story is that of the synagogue official named Jairus, whose daughter was dying. In desperation he came running to Jesus for help and Jesus agreed to come with him. But on the way, surrounded by a great crowd pushing and shoving, a chronically ill woman reached out to touch his robe because she believed so strongly in Jesus' power that she believed just touching the robe would heal her - and she was right.

Jesus felt the power of her faith though it is unlikely he could have felt the light touch on his robe. And he stopped and said, " Who touched me?" His disciples and the crowd were, to say the least, amazed at this.

"You see the crowd packed like sardines all around you and ask, 'Who touched me?' Who didn't?" But Jesus knew - that while many may have brushed against him, only one had deliberately sought the contact by faith. And when the woman came forward to confess that she had touched him, He did not scold but praised her - for hers was the touch of faith.

Later, when Jesus told the parents to have faith, that their daughter would live again, many scoffed. But Jesus ignored them and in faith touched the child and said, "Little girl - get up." And she did. His was also the touch of faith.

I have shared the story before of Bruce Rigdon, a Presbyterian minister who was in Cairo after the six day war in 1967. After the terrible defeat of the Egyptians, a woman was seen atop a Christian cathederal in the city making the sign of the cross. The problem was that there was no way to get up on the roof - and yet she appeared daily for several days and then vanished. No explanation could be found despite inquiries by the authorities. Only the Coptic - Egyptian Orthodox Christian - priests were unconcerned.

 "It is Mary, the mother of Jesus," they said. "Because we cannot go to Jerusalem for Easter, she has come here to bless us." As you can imagine, the Presbyterian minister, who was also a full professor at McCormick Sminary in Chicago, dismissed this as sheer nonsense. "We don't believe in such things anymore," he told the Metropolitan of the Cathederal.

"Ah, but we do!" the Bishop replied, " and that is why these things still happen here in our country but not in yours."

I have often thought of that and wondered how many miracles and opportunities God has offered us that we have rejected because we have no faith. That woman with the chronic disease - and Jairus, whose daughter was dying - may have had doubts as well. But they overcame them and were willing to ask. I wonder how much more effective I would be as a pastor and servant of God if I were willing to have a bit more faith and trust in God?

Goliath has taught me there is a connection between us I do not understand and I cannot explain, but the reality is it is there. Maybe Christ would like to teach us all the same lesson as well.

John Bruington

First Presbyterian Church