They Laughed at Him
When Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
When I was reading this story, the fact that they laughed at Him echoed to me. After Jesus raised the girl from the dead, nobody was laughing because they were frozen in amazement. I can just imagine Jesus walking in and telling them that she’s not dead but merely asleep. Immediately a roar of laughter erupts. He just continues on with what He was planning to do before the laughter; he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. He was unmoved by their laughter. He can raise someone from the dead and give them new life!
This makes me think of our own lives. How many times have you claimed something in the Name and Power of Jesus, and people laughed at you? On a personal level, how many times have you said you were going to do or try something and people laughed at you? Laughter echoes the unbelief within the heart. Many times people laugh because they don’t know what else to do. Sometimes people want to cry, but they laugh instead. Laughter helps us “do something” when we don’t know what else to do. People may also laugh because they feel extremely uncomfortable. I’m sure that the people in the room thought Jesus was delusional – after all, the girl was dead! If I had a loved one who died and someone walked in and said, “They aren’t dead, but asleep.” I would probably stand there in silence and say, “Okay……” and then I would wait for them to do something odd and I would be prepared to run for my life! The difference between “just anyone” walking in and claiming that the dead is not dead and Jesus Christ doing it is Jesus Christ actually has the power and authority to do it!
I just bet that the unbelievers of Jesus laughed at what He said, but if there was even just one believer in the room who had witnessed prior miracles, I bet they stood there silently wanting to giggle a little bit because they knew what was coming: Jesus would do what He said He would do. The believer was excited to sit and watch the crowd’s unbelief turn to amazement.
Let us not join the laughter of this world, but let us long for and wait for the miracles of our Savior. Let us expect and wait for Him to show up and raise our belief in Him to new levels!
And let us speak of His miracles, and join others in prayer for deliverance because we are not of those who don’t believe, but are of those who believe and are saved.
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.