Jairus’ daughter has died. But Jesus has told him to not give in to fear and to ‘keep on believing’.
And Jesus also reduced the number of people around Jairus to three disciples: Peter, James, and John.
When they arrive at Jairus’ house, the commotion inside is loud and chaotic. People are wailing and mourning the death of the young girl.
As they should.
But Jesus comes in and gives them a different perspective on what is going on. He says the girl isn’t dead, she’s just asleep.
Well, they know better. Some of them were there when she died. Others have seen her dead body. They know better than this man who just walked in the house.
And they let him know it. They laughed at him. They jeered. They probably called him a few special words. Crazy. Delusional. Deceiver.
Jesus’ response was to kick them all out.
Again, he removes the naysayers. The doubters. The unbelievers.
What do you do when what you see and what Jesus says don’t line up?
When He says keep on believing and you have absolute evidence that there is no reason to?
When everything in your life, in your mind, in your heart says there is no hope, but Jesus continues to whisper hope to your spirit?
What do you do with that?
That’s a difficult but glorious place to be. And what you do there is critical. I believe what Jesus did in this story was an important lesson for us when we face these faith-building situations.
Jesus removed all sources of influence that didn’t line up with how He saw the situation.
He removed words of death when He said there was life.
He removed words of defeat when He said there was hope.
He removed words of doubt when He said ‘keep on believing’.
Who and what are in your house and in your life that are challenging what Jesus says about you? About your identity? About your future? About your children? About your marriage? About your finances? About your ministry? About His unfathomable love for you?
If you continually listen to mourning about a situation Jesus says isn’t dead yet, how will you have the faith to ‘keep on believing’?
38 They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He looked [with understanding] at the uproar and commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing [in mourning]. 39 When He had gone in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is sleeping.” 40 They began laughing at Him [because they knew the child was dead]. But He made them all go outside . . . .
– Mark 5:38-40a (AMP)