1 Sunday, February 5, 2012 Pastor Dena Williams Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey El Paso,

Texas The Holy Gospel according to the community of St. Mark in the 1st Chapter Glory to you, O Lord The 1st story: As soon as Jesus and his followers left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. Jesus came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. En cuanto Jess y sus seguidores dejaron la sinagoga, ellos entraron a la casa de Simn y Andrs, con Santiago y Juan. La suegra de Simn estaba enferma con una fiebre muy fuerte y tan pronto Jess entro le dijeron lo que estaba pasando. The 2nd story: That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And Jesus cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. Esa noche al meterse el sol le trajeron a un endemoniado y todo la ciudad se reunin en la puerta. Jess sano a muchas personas con varias enfermedades y saco muchos demonios. Jess no permita que los demonios hablaran, porque ellos saban quin era El. The 3rd story: In the morning, while it was still very dark,

2 Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." Jesus answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came to do." En la maana cuando todava estaba oscuro Jess se levanto y se fue a un lugar desrtico y all se puso a orar. Simn y sus compaeros fueron a buscarlo. Cuando lo encontraron le dijeron Todos te estn buscando The 4th story: And Jesus went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. Cuarta historia: Y Jess fue por toda Galilea proclamando el mensaje en las sinagogas y echando demonios. The Gospel of the Lord / El Evangelio del Seor Praise to you, O Christ Healed to Serve / Curados para servir Four stories in our Gospel reading today. Four stories-lets begin with the fourth. Jesus goes to the whole region of Galilee, preaching and casting out demons. Wow! What a powerful preacher! Hay cuatro historias en el evangelio de hoy. Empecemos por la cuarta. Jesus va por toda la region de Galilea, predicando y sacando demonios. Wow! El era un predicador increible!

3 Story Three Jesus rises before the sun, to go away, by himself, for a time of prayer. Wow! What a faithful prophet! Tercera historia Jess se levanta antes que salga el sol para ir a orar a un lugar apartado. Wow! Un lindo profeta! Story Two Jesus heals every single sick person in the whole town of Capernaum! He works late into the night, turning away no one, showing compassion for all, subduing and silencing demons. Wow! What a loving healer! Segunda historia Jesus sana a personas que estn muy enfemas en toda la region de Capernaum! El trabaja hasta muy tarde en la noche atendiendo a la gente. El no manda a nadie a su casa sin atenderlo, mustra compasion por todosordenando y callando a los demonios. Wow! El es un sanador amoroso! Story Number One Hmm . . . story number one. What a simple story! Why on earth Mark, in the midst of all this teaching, preaching, praying, and healing, why include this insignificant event? Who cares? Who cares that some old woman is sick with a fever? Not only is she just some old woman, but shes a mother-in-law for goodness sake!

Primera historia Hmmprimera historia. Una historia simple. Por qu Marcos en medio de toda la enseansa, la predicacion, la oracion y las sanciones incluye esta historia tan insinificante? A quin le importa? A quin le importa que la viejita tenga fiebre? No es simplemente una viejita sino la suegra de Simon Qu les parece? Who cares? Well, apparently, Jesus does. The prophet, the healer, the preacher cares, cares deeply. Cares enough that he goes into the hot and smelly sick room, he goes to her where she is lying ill on the bed, burning up with fever, Jesus goes to her, takes her hand in his, and lifts her up. A quin le importa? Bueno, parece que a Jesus si le importo. Este profeta, sanador y predicador se preocupa profundamente. A El le importa tanto que va hasta el cuato que quizas estaba hediondo y caliente. EL va hasta done ella esta acostada ardiendo en fiebre. Jesus se le acerca, le agarra la mano y la levanta. No ordinary man, this Jesus, but one who preaches and teaches and prays and heals, heals the crowds, but also has the compassion, takes the time to raise up some sick old woman, someones mother-in-law. Jesus lifts her up. Jesus no es un hombre comun y corriente. Este hobre predica, ensea, ora y sana a las multitudes.

5 Pero tambin tiene compasion de la gente, tiene tiempo de sanar a una mujer enferma, a la suegra de alguien. Jesus la pone en alto. There are times in each of our lives when we need the healing touch of Jesus. Hay momentos en la vida de cada uno de nosotros cuando necesitamos el toque sanador de Jesucristo. Perhaps there is grief over the death of a loved one, grief that refuses to ease with time. Quizas estas en duelo por la muerte de un ser querido, tienes una pena que no se quiere ir. Maybe there is brokenness in a relationship that causes pain, pain that haunts our days and nights. Quizas hay relaciones rotas que causan dolor, un dolor que no se quiere ir. There may be powerful memories of trauma, memories that sneak, unbidden, into our minds and spirits, memories that rob us of joy. Quizas hay traumas en tu vida, recuerdos que vuelven y que se audean de nuestras mentes y nuestro Espritu, recuerdos que nos roban la alegria. Or maybe we struggle with illness disease that causes pain and weakness, or the disease of addiction that causes us to hurt deeply, not only ourselves, but the very ones we claim to love the mostour families. Quizas luchas con una enfermedad, o una adiccion que no solo nos causa dolor a nosotros mnsmos, sino a aquellos a quienes amamos mas. Nuestra familia.

6 Or perhaps we are afraid, afraid for ourselves and our loved ones. O quizas estamos con miedo, miedo por nosotros y por nuestros seres queridos. Grief, brokenness, memories of trauma, disease, addiction, fear: all of these are places in our lives where we need the healing touch of Jesus. We need for God to heal the wounds, cover the scars, ease the pain, wash away the sorrow, take away the fear. Pena, recuerdos de trauma, enfermedad, adiccion, temor. Todos estos sentimientos son lugares en nuestra vidas donde necesitamos el toqur sanador de Jesucristo. Necesitamos a Dios para sanar nuetras heridas, cubrir nuestras cicatrices, alivianar nuestra pena, quitar la pena, y quitar nuestros miedos. We need the courage to look at our wounds and scars, to ask for the healing touch of Jesus, Necesitamos la fortaleza para mirar nuetras heridas y cicatrices y pedir el toque sanador fe jesucristo. We need for our Jesus to heal the wounds and cover the scars in our lives. Necesitamos que Jesus sane nuestras heridas y cubra las cicatrices de nuestras vidas. There is good news. There is the news that, in spite of our wounds and scars, we are all perfect and beautiful in Gods eyes. How is that possible? How does that happen? How can we who are scarred and wounded, how can we ever appear perfect and beautiful to anyone,

7 least of all, to God? It happens this way. Jesus touches us and heals us, healing our wounds, covering our scars and we are made perfect and beautiful in Gods sight. We are healed, by the grace of God, we are healed. There is still more good news. Hay buenas noticias. Que aunque tengamos heridas y cicatrices ante los ojos de Dios somos perfectos y hermosos. Cmo es esto posible? Cmo podemos aparecer perfectos y hermosos para alguien, y mas an a Dios? Pasa de esta forma: Jesus nos toca y nos sana. Sana nuestras heridas, cubre nuestras cicatrices, somos hechos perfectos y hermosos ante los ojos de Dios. Somos sanados por la gracia de Dios. Pero, Aun hay ms buenas noticias. God does not place any conditions on our healing. Jesus did not place any conditions on Simons mother-in-law or all the sick of the city of Capernaum. He did not say, I will only heal you if . . . He did not say, now if you want to stay healed you must . . . So God does not say to us, I will only heal you if . . . God does not say, now if you want to stay healed you must . . . Jesus healing of the people, Gods healing of us, is unconditional, free, without cost. Why, then, are we healed? Dios no pone ninguna condicion en nuestra sanacion. Jesus no puso ninguna condicion a la suegra de Simon o a los enfermos de Capernaum. Jesus no dijo: Solo sanare si tu . Dios no dice: Si deseas seguir sano tienes que La sanacion que Dios nos da es incondicional, gratis, sin costo.

8 Por qu entonces somos sanados? Here it is the answer to our question of the writer of the Gospel of Mark. Why did you include this simple little story about someones mother-in-law in your Gospel? Who cares that some old woman was healed? Here it is He lifted her up. Then the fever left her. And . . . she began to serve! La respuesta a nuestra pregunta del por que el escritor del evangelio de Marcos incluye una historia tan simple sobre la suegra de alguien? A quin le importa que la mujer haya sino sanada? Aqu est. El la levanto y la fiebre se fue de ella. Y . . . ella empezo a servir! Jesus says to us, I heal your wounds. I cover your scars. I forgive you. I make you beautiful in the eyes of God. Jesus nod dice hoy, Yo curo tus heridas, cubro tus cicatrices, te perdono y hago todas las cosas hermosas ante los ojos de Dios. Allexa Fernanda is baptized today. She is washed in the water, and then, just before she can drown, God lifts her up, lifts her out of the water, beautifully clean, forgiven, healed and called! Allexa Fernanda sera bautizada hoy. Ella va a ser lavada por el agua y antes que se ahogue Dios la levantara, la levantara fuera del agua y saldra hermosa, limpia, perdonada, curada y llamada. And so Jesus says to each of us in our baptism: I heal you. I lift you up. I call you to serve! Amen

9 Y Jesus nos dice en nuestro bautismo: Yo te sano, yo te levanto y te llamo para servirme Amen