In Mark 5 Jesus raises a dead girl;
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders,named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.
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35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Overhearing[c] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her,“Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5:21-43
A number of things stand out about this passage;
Jesus clearly has a different perception of “reality”.
In this instance Jesus knows that death is not irreversible, although in our human “reality” experience tells us “normality” says it is.
How often do we mistake “normality” for “reality”?
When Jesus corrects “normality” with His “reality” the crowds laugh in His face.
In Genesis 17 when God tells Abraham he will be the Father of nations and his wife Sarah will be the Mother of nations, his response was;
“he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
He was faced with the challenge of God’s “reality” being different than our “normality”.
But… notice neither time does disbelief and laughing in the face of faith in the unseen affect the outcome … in this instance though, Jesus sends the crowds away.
Perhaps if He was from Manchester Jesus would have told the crowds to “jog on!”
Once they have gone Jesus sets His reality into motion.
He takes the girl by the hand and tells her to get up.
Perhaps faith in God’s unseen reality comes not only from active cultivation but telling disbelief to “jog on!”
Similarly perhaps voices of others disbelief ring loudly in our ears laughing in the face of faith? Perhaps it is time to tell them to “jog on!”?
And in this way may we know His “reality” as our “normality”!!