2 Corinthians 8: 7-end Mark 5: 21-end

You are sat on a chair in the middle of a hall. Around you, in a ring, are other young people sitting there as quiet as mice. You are blindfolded and an object is placed under the seat of the chair. In the silence the leader points to one youngster and they begin their journey of stealth. The object – to remove the object from under your chair without you pointing to where you think that the nominated youngster happens to be. Your ears are finely tuned to the slightest noise. It can be made harder by either one of the ring of youngsters coughing, or by the nominated one creating a diversion.

In Mark’s gospel we read of a similar technique, one of diversion. One of the synagogue leaders, Jairus, fought his way through the crowd and approached Jesus. He was on a mission. His daughter was seriously ill. Could Jesus come and lay his hands on her to make her well? All this happened whilst Jesus was surrounded by a crowd.

On the edge of the crowd was a woman who had been ill for many years. Her aim was to just touch the cloak of Jesus for in doing so she would be healed. Here was the perfect opportunity. She had a diversion presented to her on a plate. The crowd were so engaged with the synagogue leaders’ call on Jesus that they would not notice her working through the crowd towards Jesus. She was also quite probably well known for her illness which had made her unclean, and one to be avoided, least you also became unclean. But she failed in her mission to remain undetected. For Jesus was aware that someone, this woman, had touched his cloak. The diversion had provided her with the ideal method to approach Jesus. It had enabled her to come to Jesus but the game was up when she touched him.

There are times in life when we seek some form of diversion in order to shoot forward from one condition to a more favouring set of conditions. The diversion may be one of our own construing or it may be the result of series of conditions all meeting together to make a perfect chute for us to slip along.

I am reminded of a diversion that had been applied to the roads in the part of Scotland that Gill and I were traveling along. A road accident had closed the road ahead of us. Together with other travellers we started the diversion with heavy hearts for it was 100 extra miles to add to our journey.

Life is like that. Opportunities pop up as we travel our path. Due to the misfortunes of one we may find ourselves propelled forward much to our own advantage. It could also be the case that by us causing a diversion of our own making we move forward.

Diversions have been contrived and used all through history. From in times of war when one side attempts to mislead the enemy into thinking a tactic to be employed is in fact coming from a different direction, to a serious game of chess where a playing piece is sacrificed in order thar an advantage can be gained in your own strategy enabling you to win the game.

Jesus was not fooled by the diversion, accidentally happening as it was, enabling the sick woman to be healed. The sick child was also restored to good health even though Jesus had to fight through a crowd and ‘clear the decks’ before he could reach her. Here we learn that Jesus cannot be fooled. We may try to ‘sneak up’ behind him to try to gain an advantage but Jesus will know that we are there. We may be some distance from Jesus, too far away , we think, for him to act, but act he will. Jesus will not leave us at the side. He will call out to us, reach out to us, hold us.

Collect for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity

Almighty and everlasting God,

by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified:

hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,

that in their vocation and ministry

they may serve you in holiness and truth

to the glory of your name;

through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.