For immortality God created man
Thirteenth Sunday - Year B
Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24; 2 Corinthian 8:7,9,13-15; Mark 5:21-43
According to a Christian legend, God showed the angels a vision of man and of Christ and called them to serve humans (Hebrews 1:14) and worship Christ (Heb. 1:6). However, Lucifer, the angel of light, said that he would neither serve nor worship and thus he became the leader of a rebellion. And so it was pride that transformed angels into demons.
“For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity”. (Wisdom 2:23). Out of love God created man and wanted him for Himself. It is this unique love between God and human beings that makes the devil jealous and so he tries all sorts of schemes to destroy that relationship of love: “by the envy of the devil, death entered the world” (Wisdom 2:24).
The message of the first reading is taken up in the gospel. Two women created for immortality are on the threshold of death. One was constantly losing blood - the source of life, and the other one - a little girl - died before the coming of Christ. The jealous devil seems to have triumphed. And yet, the Good News is that faith in Jesus has undone the fruit of the devil’s envy. "Daughter, your faith has saved you" (Mark 5:34); "Don't be afraid, just have faith" (Mark 5:36). By destroying death Jesus Christ has recovered for us the gift of immortality.
Unfortunately, in the modern world faith in immortality seems to be disappearing. Like the mourners at the house of Jairus, we laugh at the message of the Church proclaiming that life does not end but changes. Jesus captures this truth beautifully: "The child is not dead, but asleep" (Mark 5:39). The first Christians looked at death in a similar way. ‘Falling asleep’ is used as a metaphor for death by St. Paul (1 Thess. 4:13). And as we awake from sleep so we shall be awakened from death when Christ comes down from heaven in glory ((1 Thess. 4:15-17). “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” (Mark 5:41).
For twelve years the woman was afflicted by her sickness and she spent all her property trying to get healed. Today’s Gospel is a challenge to our growing confidence in medical science and technology. What doctors could not do was achieved by a genuine act of faith: “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured" (Mark 5:28). Saint Paul sheds a light on this challenge: “Jesus Christ, though he was rich, for your sake he became poor so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). Money cannot buy life, it cannot save. Paradoxically, it is the poverty of Christ that truly enriches us, saving us from death and giving us the grace of salvation.
“I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me"(Ps. 30:2). With the words of this psalm, we praise God for witnessing today to His great acts of mercy. And we are grateful for the wonderful gifts of life, health, and immortality. "Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Tim. 1:10).