This Sunday will be the 46th Anniversary of the riots at New York City’s Stonewall Inn that was “a turnaround” for the LGBTQ community. It began our modern day efforts to attain civil rights for our community.
One of the definitions of “a turnaround” is “a complete change from a bad situation to a good situation, from one way of thinking to an opposite way of thinking.” As we anticipate the ruling from the Supreme Court on marriage equality, I can’t help but think that just 11 years ago, same sex marriage ballot measures were used as a sure fire way to win elections and deny marriage equality. I fully anticipate the Supreme Court to rule in favor of marriage equality; and if it does, it will undoubtedly be a historic “Miracle Turnaround” on this issue and it will have all happened in just 11 years.
The gospel lesson Sunday tells about an even quicker “miracle turnaround.” This one only took the time from when Jesus heard of the death of Jarius’ daughter to Him getting to Jarius’ house and saying to the little girl “Talitha Koum” or “Little girl, get up!” On another occasion Jesus doesn’t even wait to get to where the person needing (A Roman Officer’s servant) the “miracle turnaround” was. (Note: The word used in the original Greek for servant is ambiguous. In recent years, this word has been interpreted by some scholars to indicate that the young man in this story was the Roman Officer’s male lover.) The bottom line however, is that in response to the Roman Officer’s faith, Jesus, on the spot, immediately creates “a miracle turnaround” in the life of this young man. When the Roman Officer returned home, he found the young man completely healed and raised from the dead.
If God can do this for Jarius’ daughter and the Roman Officer’s servant, I’m confident Jesus can create “a miracle turnaround” in your life and mine, no matter what is needed. I think too often we overthink the miracles of Jesus. Perhaps the real message of these miracles is simply that God is still speaking in 2015 and God is still creating “miracle turnarounds” even for us and our situations today in the face of that which seems impossible!
Jesus, Himself, often said that the “miracle turnarounds” attributed to Him were actually simply in response to people’s faith. I pray the miracle of Jarius’ daughter will help you to have the faith that “a miracle turnaround” is likewise possible in your life and your situation, no matter how impossible it might seem right now!
Remember the words used by an unknown poet who wrote:
When nothing on which we can lean remains, When strongholds crumble to dust,
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns, Then that’s the time we should trust.
We should trust in Jesus’ “miracle turnaround” ability for us and our lives!
On this Sunday of the 46th Anniversary that began “a turnaround” in the march for civil right for the LGBTQ community, and hopefully “a miracle turnaround” for marriage equality becoming a reality, join us for worship at Covenant. I’ll be preaching about “A Miracle Turnaround – Jarius’ Daughter” from Mark 5:21-34, 34-43 (NIV).
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