Into the Room of the Sick and the Dead
Mark 5:38 – They came to the house of the synagogue ruler where he saw noisy confusion and people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 – When he entered he said to them, “Why are you distressed and weeping? the child is not dead but asleep.” 30 – And they began making fun of him. But he put them all outside and he took the child’s father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was. 41 – Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.”
Earlier that day the synagogue ruler approached Jesus explaining that his daughter was near death. He asked Jesus to come and lay His hands on her so she could be healed and live. While Jesus was on His way He stopped when a sick woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years touched Him and was healed. He had felt power go out from Him and wanted to know who it was. The woman came forward and Jesus commended her for her faith, then as He continued on His way to the ruler’s house the report arrived that the little girl had died. The ones bringing the report thought death was it – no point in going any further – let someone else have a turn with Jesus. But Jesus continued on His way telling the parents: “Do not be afraid; just believe.”
When Jesus arrived at the house He found it was full of mourners. As I was reading this story I was amazed at how quickly the mourning turned to mocking as Jesus explained that the girl was not dead but asleep. This world is full of people on the outside of faith who “know it all.” They are the ones who say “What’s the point? Why keep asking God for things you’re obviously not going to get?” They go even further in their unbelief saying there is no God worth asking the impossible of and they prescribe their own solutions and rob multitudes of their money and their faith. They are the ones who mock at faithful determination to stay with God even when death is in the room. They are the ones who’ll get put outside into outer darkness when Jesus comes again and tells all His faithful ones, living and dead, to “get up!!”
Let Jesus come into our rooms of sickness and death. Let Him put out the mourners and the mockers. He will give new life, forgive sin, and answer prayers when all hope seems lost. Don’t give up on the Savior, Jesus Christ. There are many astonishing things He wants to do with our lives. Let’s keep coming to Him with our impossible requests. “Do not be afraid; just believe.”
Where two are gathered 