Life Talk

The story of the raising of Jairus’ daughter is one of the well-loved miracles of Jesus because it involves a child. We all know that death is part of life, but when a child dies, it seems worse and we think of the child as not having a chance to live fully.

Today, a ruler has found Jesus and life-talk comes from his lips. He tells Jesus that his daughter has just died, and he wants Jesus to come and put your hand on her, and she will live. Matthew 9: 18b.  Jesus hears this distraught father and goes with him.  As Jesus enters the house of this father, He is greeted with the noise of the crowd.  The scene is perfect, just right, as the flute players and mourners all live out the perfect truth of death-talk.  All who are in the place of death – death talk, death tears, death music, death mourning - and all who are coming, have all come to pay their respects, to mourn, to give condolences and other such good, compassionate talk. The noise, the talk in the house is indicative of death.

Cast your eyes on the father. He knows that his daughter is dead for he tells this fact to Jesus.  But he tells Jesus so that Jesus will come and take her from her present state of death and raise her to her previous state of life. Ponder this again!  One father has seen his daughter die before his very eyes.  He does not remain in that death place, and pick up the death-talk.  No! He leaves it all and goes to find the Rabbi called Jesus, the One person he knows, is not just able to help, but the One person who can give her life again.

He finds Jesus, not to come and counsel the bereaved, because of this untimely death.

He finds Jesus, not to come as some sort of bereavement counsellor, to comfort and console his family and the other people.

He finds Jesus, not to come and commiserate with them in this sad time of grief.

No!  This father finds Jesus for one specific reason.  He finds Jesus to come and give his daughter life again.  Jesus hears, makes a detour as it were and goes with this distraught father, to where the dead girl is.   

As Jesus enters the father’s house, He does three things.

He Clears the house.  Even before Jesus meets the dead body, He has to clear the house of all the people with their talk and actions of death. Our Lord’s first work is to change an atmosphere of death to an atmosphere of life. When He tells the flute players and the noisy crowd to, go away, Jesus is saying that the very death atmosphere, has to be changed.

With His own Presence, He brings life. 

He Clarifies the situation. Jesus says openly to them all that the girl is not dead.   Think about it. Jesus is not part of the household and He wasn’t there to know any details. Can you hear the crowd’s talk? This Man just walks in and rudely chases us away.  Without even seeing the dead child, He takes over, talking to us in authoritative voice that she is not dead. Is this Jewish Rabbi for real?  He is clarifying what He has not even seen with His own eyes. The people laugh at Jesus, brushing off His talk of life. Jesus makes it clear to them that life, not death reigns in the house. 

With His own Person, He bears life.   

He Claims reason for her present state. The girl is not dead but asleep.  Now, they laugh at Jesus to His face. They laugh Him to scorn.  Sleeping?  The girl is dead and He comes on the scene, not even knowing the details, not even knowing the child, not even going into the room to see her, but stands, sending us away, saying there is no death. Our actions, our talk, our behaviour, everything is respectfully right and proper for the dead. If she were just sleeping, would we all be here, mourning and grieving?  If she were just sleeping, would we have turned this place into the perfect place of mourning?  No, we do not believe this Rabbi.  He is a joker to be laughed at. Jesus makes the bold claim that life is present in sleep, not death.

With His own Power, He bestows life.  

Holy, Risen Jesus, You who are the Life, forgive me for all the times, even this now time, when, in Your Presence, my manner manifests death responses and not life responses. My talk is death-talk for I prefer to follow the crowd than to listen to You. Holy Spirit, grant me life to know You and live You. Amen!