Jesus Restores Life

View this email in your browser

Many Faces of Wisdom

Wisdom in the Gospels
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5) 

 

Wisdom that Astounds and Offends

Mark 5:35-43 New International Version

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[a] 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.


For Reflection

I could write endlessly about the spiritual meaning of this story and it indeed may be wise and astounding. But what if the truth lies in the literal explanation?
 

Jesus overcame death. 
1 Corinthians 15:55
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
1 Corinthians 15:56
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

In two consecutive verses, death is treated as a nonentity and metaphor.


Perhaps death is not the ending of life but instead the extension of life. God breathed life into us. When we die, our bodies return to the earth from which they came. Our life, however, is not subject to death. Our bodies are the vessels for life on this plane. But life began before our physical forms.  Could it not continue after our bodies have expired?

This notion does not nullify the sanctity of human life but instead sanctifies it. Can anyone deny the return to God represented by the Resurrection of Christ? Could it be that at death, we, too, continue to live in the presence of our creator?

Pray

Pray prayers of praise and thanksgiving to God, who has shown us the truth of our lives in the gift of God's Son, Jesus. 


Forward to a friend