Saturday, December 7, 2019

Luke 8:49-56

49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.” 50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” 53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Commentary
Now as Jesus was still speaking to the woman, someone came from the ruler of the synagogues house telling him that his daughter had just died so that he needs no longer “trouble” the Teacher; that is ask Jesus to come and heal her, which must have been utterly devastating for the man to hear, knowing that Jesus was so close to his home before she had died (vs. 49). Having then heard the man’s words, and seen the rulers now despondent face, Jesus now says to him, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” vs. 50 In Jesus’ Words then there is hope, hope and a promise that that man desperately needed to hear at that time. Therefore, Jesus went to mans house as He originally intended. and when He came into the house, He permitted no one to enter with Him except Peter, James and John and the little girls’ parents (vs. 51). The little girl’s healing then was not going to be a public witness as His healing the woman’s flow of blood was, this something that needed to be done privately and respectfully, considering her parents devastated state at that time. Now all gathered there were weeping and mourning for her, but when Jesus said to them, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” They ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead (vs. 52-53). Which raises a question, why did Jesus say she was sleeping when she was dead? It may have been that He did so, so as not to overtly arouse the people there? For if it was known there that Jesus was fully capable of raising their deceased loved ones from the dead what then would’ve happened? For Jesus was already being swamped by the people wherever He went with them wanting Him to heal them or their loved ones of this or that. In all likelihood if He started doing that openly and on a larger scale, they would’ve wanted to make Him their King then and now, and that would’ve only thwarted His God given purpose and destiny with the Cross. For it was much too early to have a widespread report about Jesus raising people from the dead, for His own Crucifixion and Resurrection from the dead was still far off. Therefore, when Jesus put them all outside; that is those who ridiculed Him; He took her by the hand and said to her, “Little girl, arise.” (vs. 54) Now as soon as Jesus spoke that word to the little girl her spirit returned to her, (indicating that she had been dead), and when she arose, Jesus told them that she should be given something to eat (Vs. 55). Now her parents when they saw this were utterly astonished at what had just occurred. It is then that Jesus charges them to tell no one; something He would not have done if she had been only “sleeping” or in comatose, or unconscious state. Jesus’ then in raising this little girl from the dead, and thus restoring her to life, was not as a witness for Himself, but for her and her parents sake.

Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson

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