Luke chapter 8

vs 45

Everyone denied it, in the way that crowds do things as one person - they mutter and mumble, and shake their heads, lots of them feeling guilty as if they had done it, one person who has actually done it wondering if they can hide.

vs 46

It wasn't just people touching him - someone tried to use his power. And it worked, because the power went out of him.

vs 47

Well, the cat's out of the bag. Not only does she have to admit to it in front of Jesus, but also in front of all this crowd of people. She has to tell the whole story, too! So her plan to go unnoticed didn't work at all.

vs 48

Jesus assures her that her faith has healed her, rather than the mystic powers of his robe. He calls her a comfortable, affectionate, familial name. And he sends her off in peace.

vs 49

Not a happy ending for everyone. While Jesus was faffing around with nameless woman, the mighty Jairus' daughter was dying. Now she's dead. His mates tell him to stop bothering Jesus - no matter how good a prophet he is, he's not going to bring a child back to life. Only Elijah could do something like that. Yes, there is precedent.

vs 50

Jesus won't have a bar of that attitude. Hadn't he just told the woman, in front of everyone, that her faith had been what healed her? I mean sure, Jesus still had to be there. Faith alone isn't enough. But Jesus still has a measure. And he's applying it the same way to the woman and to Jairus.

vs 51

It wasn't really the disciple's business, I guess, but they get let in because their master wants them there, and if he's going to bring your little girl back to life, you give him some room to move. He obviously thought it was important for them to see, and for the parents, but not for anyone else.

vs 52

I guess he stuck his head out the door to do that. While the practice of wailing and mourning in the middle east can strike us as moving, I think when you see it constantly you just get bored of it.

vs 53

Let us never think that ancient people were so dumb that they couldn't tell if someone was dead. There might be something to that, especially in the Elijah story (is that CPR Elijah is using?) but Jesus doesn't do anything to the girl except ask her to get up, so even if she wasn't dead, she certainly wasn't just sleeping.

vs 54

If you've ever tried this on a dead person, or indeed on someone whose illness makes you think they are dead, you will find it probably doesn't work.

vs 55

When Jesus does it, though, it does work. This is no less miraculous than someone being healed by touching his cloak. Explain that one medically.

vs 56

So she was alive, but no one outside that room was to know how it happened. That way, everyone will attribute it to a miracle from God, I guess. And not come dragging their corpses to Jesus.