They began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died.

Luke 8:40-9:6 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. ⁴¹ And there came a man named Jairus, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began to implore Him to come to his house; ⁴² for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.

⁴³ And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, ⁴⁴ came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” ⁴⁷ When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

⁴⁹ While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” ⁵⁰ But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” ⁵¹ When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. ⁵² Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” ⁵³ And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. ⁵⁴ He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Child, arise!” ⁵⁵ And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. ⁵⁶ Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

9 And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. ² And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. ³ And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. ⁴ Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. ⁵ And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶ Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

In today’s text it says:   While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore… Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.”   And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died.    It says that they knew she had died.  Earlier Jesus had said:  “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.”   What do you think then, were the people mistaken? Was she really not dead? Was it actually some sort of a comma the girl had fallen into, that Jesus said she was asleep? Jesus said do not fear, believe and she will be made well. I am not sure how much it matters whether she was in fact dead or in a comma. The miracle remains Jesus called to her and she awoke. What I believe is that those who laughed at Jesus did in fact know that the girl was dead. They knew what was in this natural, physical realm. Jesus though, referred to what was in the heavenly, spiritual realm and to what would come to be in the natural realm. 1 Corinthians 2:24 says:  The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.    They laughed because they could not discern with the spirit. They only understood what they knew by natural circumstances. What Jesus said was foolishness to them. 1 Corinthians 1:25 says:  The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.    Jesus taught us to pray saying:  Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.   It may seem foolish, in the sight of people, if we declare things on earth to be as they are in heaven. People may laugh at us, but if we will believe and if we will discern by the spirit, we can know truth and reality as God knows it.    

The text says:  When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Child, arise!” And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.     Jesus wanted to create a place where the faith of the parents to believe could increase. He didn’t want them to hear either the mourning cries or the laughing mockery of the people. He wanted them to see and believe what would be, what would happen when the reality of heaven touched the earth. That’s what happened that day, the foolishness of Jesus spiritual wisdom became the reality of the physical circumstances. Earlier, when the woman with the hemorrhage touched Jesus and was healed, she experienced the same thing. Jesus said:   “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”   There, even in the midst of the crowd, the woman was able to receive, in her physical body, the realities of heaven, by faith. Even today, many will still say all of this is foolishness because they only see with natural eyes and they only know with human wisdom. Returning to the account of the young girl, I too, couldn’t help but to laugh at what Jesus said in today’s text. Not that the girl would be made well, but rather when: He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.    How do you think that worked out?

Today’s text ends saying:  And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.   What was behind the power that Jesus gave them? It was the power of the Holy Spirit, the power to see and declare the realities of the kingdom of God. That’s what it means to preach the gospel, the good news. It is declaring that things are not as they may seem in the natural physical realm. 1 Corinthians 1:17-25 says:  Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…  Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.   We too are called, like the disciples and like Paul to preach the gospel. In Acts 1:8 Jesus says:  “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”   We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus has instructed us not that we should tell no one, but rather that we should tell everyone. Some will laugh and call us foolish because they only see what is natural and physical. For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit for the cross and for the power of the cross. Thank You for the discernment of the Spirit, that I might see, believe and declare the realities of heaven here on earth. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.