Wednesday: Jairus’s Daughter
The resurrections prior to Jesus’ own death and resurrection were not limited to any specific ethnic group or social class. Moses was perhaps the greatest human leader of God’s people ever (Deuteronomy 34:10-12). By contrast, the poor Phoenician widow was not even an Israelite (1 Kings 17:9). The Shunammite woman was prominent in her community (2 Kings 4:8). The widow of Nain had only one son, upon whom she was probably dependent (Luke 7:12). In contrast, Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue, probably in Capernaum (Mark 5:22). Regardless of their different cultural backgrounds or social status, all of them were blessed by God’s life-giving power.
Read Mark 5:21-24, Mark 5:35-43. What can we learn about death from Christ’s words, “The child is not dead, but sleeping”? (Mark 5:39, NKJV).
Image © Kim Justinen at Goodsalt.com
Jairus’s 12-year-old daughter was lying deathly sick at home. So, he went to Jesus and begged Him to come to his home and lay His healing hands on her. But before they could get there, someone already brought the sad news, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” (Mark 5:35, NKJV). Then Jesus said to the grieving father, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36, NRSV). Indeed, all the father could do was trust totally in God’s intervention.
Arriving at the house, Jesus said to those who gathered there, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping” (Mark 5:39, NRSV). They ridiculed Him because 1. they knew that she was dead, and 2. they did not grasp the meaning of His words. “The comforting metaphor by which ‘sleep’ stands for ‘death’ seems to have been Christ’s favorite way of referring to this experience ([Matthew 9:24; Luke 8:52;] see on John 11:11-15). Death is a sleep, but it is a deep sleep from which only the great Life-giver can awaken one, for He alone has the keys to the tomb (see Revelation 1:18; cf. John 3:16; Romans 6:23).” — The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 609.
After the resurrection of this girl, those who saw it were “overcome with amazement” (Mark 5:42, NRSV). No wonder. For now death is final, absolute, and seemingly irreversible. To have seen something like this with their own eyes surely must have been an amazing, life-changing experience.
| Jesus’ words, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36, NRSV), are still meaningful for us today. How can we learn to do that, even amid fearful situations, which are the most important times to keep believing? |
(22)
Obviously, the resurrection of Jarius's daughter brought joy and happiness to her family and the event would have certainly raised the awareness that Jesus was a life-giver. What we are not told is what happened afterward. I am not going to speculate simply because we are not told.
I raise the issue because the choices surrounding life and death today are much more complex. In my youth, I read a very interesting book on medical ethics. It raised the issue of euthanasia. It tackled the argument that euthanasia was effectively playing God with people's lives. The authors made the point that in modern medicine we are effectively keeping people alive for much longer than would happen if we let nature take its course. As an example, without the use of insulin most diabetics would die. Yet we administer insulin, thus keeping them alive - effectively resurrecting them. The authors argued that keeping people alive using our modern knowledge and technology was just as much, "playing God" as euthanasia.
The book was written over 50 years ago and interestingly, some of the predictions about the consequences of keeping people alive have come true, and are going to compound even more with our modern skills and technology. And ethically, keeping people alive has far more ongoing consequences than euthanising people who have essentially reached the end of their lives.
I don't want to get carried away with the ethics of our modern technological world. I think we do need to discuss it but its outside the scope of this week's lesson. I do want to come back to the lesson study at hand and ask the question; What was the purpose of the resurrections listed in this week's lesson. Was it to show that our God is bigger, better and more powerful than the "god pretenders"? Or, is there something more to it than just power?
And we need to ask the question of ourselves when we pray for miracles today. Are we guilty of trying to demonstrate that our God is better than theirs?
Extending life whether by miracle or medicine comes with consequences. It entails more, much more than just the event itself.
Interesting thought. Something to ponder.
Spot on !
Psalm 90:10
We can‘t deny that medicine has advanced enormously in the last years, saving lives and enabling people to live longer. Lately even by the use of AI, 3D-printing and Health wearables and so on.
In Silicon Valley, cryonicists even freeze bodies at a rate of 200.000 Dollars until eventually the necessary medical technology arrives.
Life is precious.
8 years ago my son was diagnosed at a young age with HCC- liver cancer with the tumor being as huge as his liver itself. Although this was his death sentence, yet he underwent surgery, leaving him half a year hospitalized, striving between life and death and another half year with surgical treatments.
Did I ask God for a miracle back then? No. I just trusted Him with the outcome, knowing He is a life saver and life taker. I spent as much time at my son‘s bedside to give him love and compassion, who was preparing himself for the resurrection at the second coming of Jesus.
Now 8 years have passed and I thank God almost daily for healing my son and making a real miracle happen.
Amina – thank you for providing a glimps into your personal life. I can only imagine what an incredible experience it must have been for you and your son to go on this journey together. I am very happy with you that you and your son prevailed under these trying circumstances - still loving God, still trusting Him, still reaching out to Him in prayer and praise. 😊
Things to point out:
1. Death = deep sleep = God can awake one from it!
2. Resurrection is something that God wishes for everyone! It could mean the beginning of something new, a new life! 3. Perhaps we should "resurrect" every day by the power of Jesus, while dying to ourselves.