And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
This verse belongs to the healing of Jairus' daughter, told also in Matthew 9:18-31 and Mark 5:21-43, beginning with Jesus' return from healing the demoniacs at Gadara. Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue by name who fell at Jesus' feet and besought Him greatly to come and lay hands on his little daughter, that she might be healed and live. She lay at the point of death and had been given up to die by the most learned physicians.
Jesus at once went with the stricken father toward his home, to the surprise of the disciples at ready compliance with the request of the haughty ruler. Though the distance was short their progress was very slow because the people pressed on every side eager to see the great Teacher. The anxious father urged his way through fear of being too late, while Jesus stopped to minister to the wants of the people in their spiritual darkness and physical maladies.
The mourners and others present laughed Jesus to scorn and rejected His statement that the girl was sleeping, because they knew that she was dead. Their certainty rested on what they had seen: they had seen her in the embrace of death, had seen her die, and had seen her lifeless, pulseless, and unconscious body. Their scorn and certainty about her death contrasted with and did not prevent Jesus' authority to restore her to life, which they did not know He would do. Their reaction confirmed how certain they were of her death before He restored her to life.
Her raising shows that Christ can restore the dead to life. It points to the time when His voice will call the dead in Christ from their tombs to immortal life to be with the Lord. In the wider account of Luke 8:49-56, Christ's reminding her parents after the raising that she must have something to eat shows His careful attention to little things even while the great work of redemption weighed upon Him. It shows His notice of the most simple things in life, and His regard for the necessities of the humblest of His servants. Christians called to cooperate with Christ for the salvation of souls must follow His example of faithful, conscientious attention to little things, which is the secret of success in every line of Christian effort and influence.
This verse belongs to the healing of Jairus' daughter, told also in Matthew 9:18-31 and Mark 5:21-43, beginning with Jesus' return from healing the demoniacs at Gadara. Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue by name who fell at Jesus' feet and besought Him greatly to come and lay hands on his little daughter, that she might be healed and live. She lay at the point of death and had been given up to die by the most learned physicians.
Jesus at once went with the stricken father toward his home, to the surprise of the disciples at ready compliance with the request of the haughty ruler. Though the distance was short their progress was very slow because the people pressed on every side eager to see the great Teacher. The anxious father urged his way through fear of being too late, while Jesus stopped to minister to the wants of the people in their spiritual darkness and physical maladies.
The mourners and others present laughed Jesus to scorn and rejected His statement that the girl was sleeping, because they knew that she was dead. Their certainty rested on what they had seen: they had seen her in the embrace of death, had seen her die, and had seen her lifeless, pulseless, and unconscious body. Their scorn and certainty about her death contrasted with and did not prevent Jesus' authority to restore her to life, which they did not know He would do. Their reaction confirmed how certain they were of her death before He restored her to life.
Her raising shows that Christ can restore the dead to life. It points to the time when His voice will call the dead in Christ from their tombs to immortal life to be with the Lord. In the wider account of Luke 8:49-56, Christ's reminding her parents after the raising that she must have something to eat shows His careful attention to little things even while the great work of redemption weighed upon Him. It shows His notice of the most simple things in life, and His regard for the necessities of the humblest of His servants. Christians called to cooperate with Christ for the salvation of souls must follow His example of faithful, conscientious attention to little things, which is the secret of success in every line of Christian effort and influence.