Jesus is still talking to the woman who had been healed from her bleeding when people from Jarius’ house came to tell him not to bother Jesus any more. It was too late. They had given it their best shot, but it had come to an end. Jarius’ daughter was dead. There were no more options. Let the funeral begin. People are already at the house starting the grieving process.
Jesus overhears, or ignores those people who are saying “it’s over”. His word is to Jarius. It is the same word said over and over throughout Jesus’ life. “Don’t be afraid”.
Jesus, Peter, James, and John proceed to the house alone. The crowds are not there. He informs the mourners at the house that the little girl is sleeping. They start to laugh and make fun of him. If he wasn’t thought of as a crazy prophet before then, he sure is now. Jesus is willing to suffer ridicule to protect a family.
To the amazement of all, the little girl was raised from the dead.
Jesus cautioned the family not to say what had happened. Jesus not only gave the gift of life and hope to a family that thought it was over. He also allowed the family to stay out of the “freak show”. When Jesus told the crowd that the little girl was only sleeping, he allowed them to laugh at him. When the little girl was up and about and the family wasn’t saying anything the crowd could doubt the original diagnosis of death. This was only a healing, and there had been a lot of them. Why waste time on a little girl that doesn’t know how to explain it anyway. The spotlight would turn towards others more energetic and articulate that could explain the feeling of healing power, and a little girl could live her life out of the limelight.
Jesus was willing to be thought the fool to give the gift of life to a family, and allow a little girl to just be a little girl.
Prayer: Let me understand the depths of your love, and what you are willing to do to heal me and save my life.
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