Community United Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles February 5, 2012

Isaiah 40: 28-31 Mark 1: 29 - 39

TAKE MY HAND
Evidently, nothing stayed a secret very long in Capernaum even when something compassionate but controversial was done behind closed doors. By sundown everybody knew about it, and the gospel of Mark perhaps exaggerating just a bit tells us that all of them in town were eagerly gathered outside the door of the house of Simon and Andrew. Yes, it was sundown, and that meant that the Sabbath day of rest was over and normal work for observant Jews could resume. As Jesus would discover more than once in days to come, the official guardians of Jewish purity often included healing as normal work forbidden on the Sabbath. Its difficult for us to imagine that any laws were being broken here. If there were, theres something wrong with the laws! While the restoration to health of Simons fever-plagued mother-in-law was surely cause for rejoicing in that Capernaum household, it all sounds innocent enough. What is it that Jesus actually did that brought on all this attention and throngs of desperate people flocking to the door? Here, let me take your hand, Jesus said to the bedridden and feverish woman. A fever such as hers was serious business in the impoverished and overpopulated Galilean countryside in Jesus day. Medical attention and care, when it was available at all, was primitive and scarce. Simons mother-in-law was seriously despairing and worried, and her household had plenty of reason to share that concern. Taking her hand, Jesus lifted her up, and the gospel of Mark tells us that the troublesome fever left her. What could possibly be against Gods law in that? Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me on, let me stand I am tired, I am weak, I am worn Through the storm, through the night Lead me on to the light Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. (Take My Hand, Precious Lord Lyrics by Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey; Melody by George Nelson Allen, 1932) Some of you may remember that Mahalia Jackson sang Precious Lord at Dr. Martin Luther Kings funeral. It became an anthem of the civil rights movement. As I prepared for today with you, I learned how African American gospel musician Thomas Dorsey came to write this classic that was chosen for such an important occasion. From the grief-stricken depths of

his soul, Dorsey wrote the words and melody shortly after the death of his beloved wife Nettie in childbirth and the additional crushing blow of the death of his newborn son. He movingly put words to his conviction that Jesus is present with us in our moments of deepest grief and pain. No matter the pain, Jesus is there to take us by the hand and lead us home. When the darkness appears And the night draws near And the day is past and gone At the river I stand Guide my feet, hold my hand Take my hand, precious Lord Lead me home. In a different time and place, the prophet Isaiah spoke to the deep doubt and discouragement of a people that had known brutal conquest and bitter exile in Babylon. He urged more patience in keeping a flickering flame of hope burning with his vivid assurance of a robust recovery for them in the days ahead. They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40: 31 Mighty words with the power to fuel renewed hope for a whole nation! But an individual human being wrestling with grief and despair may need something more. More often than not, you and I may require the firm warmth of an outstretched hand to raise us up and remind us in a tangible way that God in Jesus Christ is ever present with us. My eighty six year-old mother, a Parkinsons patient under the care of my younger brother in her home, had a fall between Thanksgiving and Christmas. For a week or so she resisted seeking treatment, but finally agreed it was time to go to the emergency room as pain, decreased mobility and a sense that all was not well weighed increasingly on her. The hospital decided to keep her over the weekend as tests revealed a compression fracture in her back and an accompanying infection. When the weekend was up and the infection had cleared up, the doctor announced that they couldnt keep her hospitalized any longer but that she was not yet ready to go home. The Parkinsons would present a continuing challenge to her successful healing. As for many, the answer was a stay in a convalescent hospital specializing in shortterm geriatric rehabilitation. We were fortunate to be referred to a very good one located close to home. In the weeks since that time, Ive grown to have a deep respect and admiration for the physical and occupational therapists Ive met there, and for the patience, caring and professionalism they demonstrate. Always ready with a warm and caring hand, they provide

firm support for getting up on both feet and for steadying wobbly, uncertain steps. Their good humor and patience build confidence in the patient as they gently prod him or her to push back the boundaries on what they can accomplish. They instruct and guide patients like my mother in getting in and out of bed, playing catch with a balloon, tackling steps, and learning why it is so important to more consistently rely on that walker now. They understand that raising up a person is much more than just a physical challenge. Raising up a patient is a spiritual exercise as well. As much as possible, they help a patient to make needed adjustments in order to resume the life and activities they enjoyed before they were injured. I credit these remarkable therapists and regular, attentive pastoral care for the daily progress my mother has made over almost two months now and for the hope that they all have helped her keep blazing bright. Those caring hands have made it possible for us to make plans at last to bring her back home in the next couple of days. After a hospitalized Christmas, it will be a time of celebration for us. I give thanks to God for the gifts and skill those therapists bring to their work. Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me on, let me stand I am tired, I am weak, I am worn Through the storm, through the night Lead me on to the light Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home. Politicians in our day may seek to score points over whether the poor and homeless of our time will benefit more from a handout or a hand up to raise them to dignity and self sufficiency. This is not the concern of Jesus who we well know generously offered both in his ministry. For him, extending his hand to help, to heal and to raise up were all part of the same mission. He sought to restore needy people to wholeness and a right relationship with a loving God. More than anything, that takes willing hands. When Jesus raised up Simons fever-plagued mother-in-law from her sick bed in Capernaum, the gospel of Mark used a particular word to describe that action. Its the same word used on both Good Friday and on Easter morning. Jesus is raised up to be hung on the cross at Calvary. On Easter morning, a young man robed in white and seated by the tomb announces to bewildered followers of Jesus, He is not here; her is risen. When Simons mother-in-law takes Jesus hand and is raised up from her sick bed, there is more going on than just the healing of a fever. She is also restored to her rightful place in this household. As the first active witness to what a resurrected life in Jesus looks like, she resumes her role in ministering to her guests and serving them. Like any good Jewish housewife of her day, she begins to feed people and see to their needs. The household of Simon and Andrew becomes a model for the earliest house churches of the first century addressed by letters of the apostle Paul and by Marks gospel. That

household was transformed from a hospital to a place of feasting and celebration in the space of an afternoon. It reminds us that our celebration of the Lords Supper recalls not only the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also the heavenly banquet that signifies a healed creation. Maybe all the joyous relief and celebrating ringing out from that house are why this healing attracted so much attention from the neighbors! Jesus, I hope your healing hand is ready for a bit more exercise. Theres quite a crowd of hopeful people outside the door just longing to be raised up to a healed, restored and abundant life. In line behind them are a host of Galilean towns and villages full of needy people. Maybe a brief prayer retreat would be a good idea about now. Maybe its also time for followers of Jesus to mobilize willing hands to help and serve. Precious Lord, take my hand Lead me home . . .