Capernaum

CAPERNAUM

The Lamb of God, victorious over
Demonic forces which had reigned supreme
In one poor life in Gergesenes land
And who, becalmed, and in his rightful mind
Began a life restored from ugly twists
And turns, and giving praise to Yahweh God
For his deliverance from Satan’s grip;
To western shore of Galilean Sea
Did Christ and his disciples now set foot
On dry land where a crowd were waiting in
Anticipation of His ministry
Of preaching, healing, miracles which now
Did mark His time on earth to bring good news
Of Heaven’s kingdom, now did there approach
A man named Jairus who, on seeing Christ
Fell at His feet and pleaded earnestly
With words befitting of a father’s love
Unto the Lamb of God did speak these words:
“Rabbi, to you I beg and plead to come
Unto my house wherein my daughter lies
For she is close to death, her life it hangs
By merest thread. Please come and place your hand
Upon her so that she will not taste death
But be raised up and healed, and live again.”
Without reply but with actions that spoke
Of acquiescence Christ, the Lamb of God
With his disciples went with Jairus for
To reinstate life slowly ebbing from
One innocent and lowly life held in
The grip of death or so it would seem to
All those who had witnessed this sad demise.
Now on their way the crowds that followed them
Began to overtake and press around
Him who for the sake of that poor soul went
To free her from the darkness of death’s night.
Within that crowd there came unto the Lamb
Of God a woman who herself had need
Of healing like so many others in
That same crowd but whose ailment would cause Him
And others to be ritually unclean
If He or they were touched by her own hand
For constant bleeding discharge was her lot
Incurable, for by Mosaic Law
No-one dare touch her lest they should become
Like her, unclean, no medicine prescribed
By doctors could cure her, even when all
Her money spent on hopeful elixirs
Was wasted with all hope dashed to the ground.
Worse was her condition, a hopeless case
Or so it seemed, for now an act of faith
By that same woman would now supersede
And be her salvation from twelve long years
Of slavery, a ritual outcast.
Her faith-filled thoughts would bring their due reward
For in her mind within did lay these words:
“If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.”
With hand outstretched she reached and touched the hem
Of His garment and, like a flowing stream,
His power divine swept over her and healed
Her discharge, freed was she from her prison
Of ritual uncleanness and from those
Who in past years could find no cure for her
Now past condition, worsening year on year.
In sensing power leaving Him, Jesus
Stopped in his tracks and turning to the crowd
Asked them: “Who touched my clothes?” All that came back
In response from the crowd was denial
Of such an act, even the disciples said:
“Master, why do you ask who has touched you?
Surely you know the crowds are pressing round
And about you, yet you ask such a thing.”
How their poor minds could only see what they
In their perception, saw as obvious
But which pointed to blindness spiritual,
Such was the distance between them and He
In spiritual awareness and power.
And in reply, the Lamb of God did say:
“Someone touched me. For I know that power
Has gone out from me. It is not the crowds
Who have no need of healing, otherwise
They too specifically would have touched
My garment.” With those words He looked around
To see who had committed such an act
When finally the woman, knowing that
No hiding from the truth would serve her, came
Unto the Lamb of God with trembling fear
And fell at His feet, saying unto Him:
“Rabbi, I have followed you where you go
And among many crowds to hear you preach
Of Heaven’s Kingdom which you say is now
Within our grasp. I have seen you perform
Such mighty acts not seen since ages past
Which in our scriptures are recorded thus.
I saw the meagre loaves and fishes turned
Into a banquet with enough to spare,
I saw you heal all manner of sickness
And those imprisoned by deformity.
I witnessed demons being driven out
And sanity restored to those poor souls
Held in the grip of Satan’s tortuous hand.
From afar off at Nain I saw you raise
The young man from the sleep of death to life
And to his mother did you give him back
To bring her out of destitution’s grasp
And life of bitter loneliness and grief.
Now for myself I have spent all I have
On cures to heal my wretched uncleanness.
Outcast was I until by act of faith,
Which grew in me by what I had witnessed
In your authoritative ministry,
I dared to touch your garment, knowing that
I would be healed and freed from my prison.
Forgive my actions, I now realise
Their consequences which would now make you
As unclean as I once was, now have I
Passed on to you my wretched unclean state
As laid down in the Law of Moses which
I hear each Sabbath near our synagogue.
My only hope is that my reaching out
In faith would nullify all uncleanness
On my part and my now infecting you
By my actions. I can but only hope
That I have not disturbed your mission to
The daughter whom you seek to bring release
From her dark prison of the sleep of death
And raise her up to human life once more.
This is the truth, this only can I speak,
And if I have found favour in your eyes
Then let me go. Have mercy on me Lord.”
The woman kneeling still and with soft tears
Now falling to the ground was now removed
From all the other persons who followed
The Lamb of God for they, disturbed by what
Had been said by the woman and of their
Proximity to her and suspicion
As to whether they now found themselves as
Unclean as she once was kept their distance
From her and by their actions made a space
In which the Lamb of God could minister
Unto her needs, so said He unto her:
“Daughter, fear not, your actions they do speak
In volumes which the Law of Moses could
In all its mystery and clarity
Never equate to acts of faith such as
Has been performed by you to bring release
From your perpetual prison. It has brought
Healing and wholeness to your state once thought
As permanent to make you outcast from
Those around you who, unable to help,
And fearful in their own minds of their close
Proximity to you lest they should feel
Themselves as unclean, some have profited
From all your means of living day by day.
From me has come the power to heal and cleanse
No law can touch the healing power that I
Hold from within me, it does supersede
All legal constraints, for now close at hand
To those who with accepting hearts and minds,
Heaven’s bright kingdom opens up its gates
To welcome those who believe that I have
Come to make all things new, so now I say
To you, daughter, in peace now go and be
Freed from your suffering, your faith has healed
You from your hapless state. Go now in peace.”
No longer fearful, and with health restored,
The woman raised herself and looking at
The eyes of Him who spoke so tenderly
And lovingly to her once troubled soul,
With thankful heart embraced Him and then went
Back to her place within the crowd who now
Having marvelled at faith and the rewards
Which come without limit from faithful acts
Accepted her and in so doing they
Performed an act of faith by which Yahweh
Could bring to them the Kingdom of Heaven
To reign within their hearts and so receive
Rewards unlimited from Yahweh’s hand
The fruits of faithfulness, service and love.
From faith’s reward now came a sterner test
To interrupt the words the Lamb of God
Had spoken to the woman, harbinger
Of tidings ill, borne on the lips of those
Who came from Jairus’ house and told him thus:
“Master, grave news bring we to tell you that
Your daughter, once the spring of life, is dead.
There is no need to trouble the Teacher
Any more now, for death has left its mark
Upon the soul of one so innocent.
Now it is time to mourn your dreadful loss
For which we render consolation true.”
The Lamb of God within His own heart knew
He must his mission fulfil, ignoring
The words just spoken, unto Jairus said:
“Be not afraid, be strong and just believe.
Have faith akin to the woman who touched
The hem of my garments as to reach out
In faith to be healed of her illness and
Walk in the freedom that true faith imparts.”
Words so firmly yet so gently spoken,
Full of compassion, strong enough to keep
Away those thoughts contrary to true faith
That would the mind of Jairus then invade
And block the path to faith. The Lamb of God
Forbade the crowd to follow him into
The house wherein the child now lying was,
Jairus, disciples Peter, James and John
From the procession only were to come
Into the house, the peace of which was now
Disturbed by wailing, crying and lament
Which marked the passing of a loved one who
Had passed from earthly passage to the grave.
Over this mass hysteria the Lamb
Of God asserted true authority
And to the mourners spoke to them, saying:
“Why make you such commotion in this way?
Why all this wailing sore and crying deep?
Disturb you not the child for she does sleep
The sleep of death, she has not passed into
The gates of Sheol, now may Yahweh be
In all things glorified. Be gone with you!”
The mourners in their sham now turned on Him
And at Him laughed, their laughter mixed with scorn
Which testified to their unworthiness
To witness how the Lamb of God would bring
Glory to Yahweh and restore the child
Who, lifeless on the bed, lay undisturbed.
Turned out were they, to wait with silent mouths
And learn the lesson of true faith and what
It brings to those who practice it within
Their hearts and minds in mortal, earthly life.
Then entered Jesus into that same room
Where she lay sleeping in the bower of death,
Followed by Jairus and his wife and the
Disciples to be the first to witness
The resurrection power of Yahweh God
Through Jesus, Lamb of God. He took her hand
In readiness to exercise the power
To bring her back, and he remained untouched
By ritual uncleanness in spite of
What was laid down in the Law of Moses
Which earlier was shown to be surpassed
By faith of the woman who dared to touch
The hem of His garment. All now stood still
In silence and expectancy of what
They hoped would come to pass. The Lamb of God
Still holding the girl’s hand, said unto her:
“Talitha koum!” (“Little girl, unto you
I say, arise!”). A moment’s pause, from which
Soft breathing came to her, and eyes began
To move then slowly open as if she
Had woken from a sleep beset with dreams.
Now seeing the reality that stood
Before her, she got up and walked around
As if to come to terms with what she saw,
And came to her father and her mother
Embracing them with love and happiness.
Astonished were they, and with grateful hearts
Embraced they her and lauded Yahweh thanks
For what He had now given back to them.
The Lamb of God, his mission accomplished
Spoke unto her parents, saying to them:
“Prepare food for her, she will need her strength
To return to her and to make complete
Her recovery and that she may lead
A life in praise of Yahweh God for all
That He has done for her. I charge you now
In strict obedience not to tell a soul
About what you have witnessed here today.
You know the truth, but there would be those who
Would, in their foolishness and ignorance,
Try to explain away what happened here
And try to twist your minds in the same way.
Robbed would Yahweh God be of the glory
Due unto His name and his honour just.
Be not guilty of speaking, let the time
Come when it will be right and just to speak
Of what you witnessed here. Do as I say.”
We may assume that those orders were kept
Until due time in which the miracle
Could be made known, as we the Gospel read
And in our hearts give Yahweh thanks and praise
For this and all the works of wonder that
He has performed for all His people so
That they His Gospel message might believe
And walk the way of everlasting life.