Psalm 130
Today's Psalm
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice!
Now at our border, tears are daily poured by those who have no choice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
Oh, hear the voices of the children, and their parents' lamentations!
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
Do we, O Lord, know just how blessed are we by this great land?
But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.
For by your love and care alone, O God, have we been reared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
I will not give up the fight, or throw in the towel just to cope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.
I stand with those who cry to you, for in your love for them is my warning, your love for them is my warning.
O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem.
O America, hope in the Lord! For in our treatment of those whom God loves is our esteem.
It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
And our greatness will spring from all our sympathies.
Scott L. Barton
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Mark 5:21–43
Ilya Repin: Raising of Jairus' Daughter (1871)
Russian Museum, St. Petersburg
When Jairus and the Woman Heard
When Jairus and the woman heard
Of Jesus, there was nothing that deterred
Them both from bowing low before the one
Who'd heal where they had come undone.
Who knows where else they'd gone to find
Not only healing, nor just peace of mind,
But someone with the kind of love that saves,
Not that which just attention craves.
This little girl just twelve years old,
This woman, who, for twelve years unconsoled,
This girl, though dead, the Lord not loathe to touch,
This one who touched, and risked so much;
These two reborn, both at twelve years,
Reveal propriety is far less dear
To God than we, called like the Twelve, surmise;
Great grace is always such surprise!
Scott L. Barton
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”
So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
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