Don't Be Afraid! Just Believe!

II. YOUR FAITH WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED

When they got to Jairus’ house, the mourners were already there. It was the custom in those days to hire mourners who would weep and wail. Together with members of the family, who mourned in all earnestness, there was quite a commotion. Jesus said to them, "WHY ALL THIS COMMOTION AND WAILING? THE CHILD IS NOT DEAD BUT ASLEEP." Perhaps it was the professional mourners who laughed in Jesus’ face. And can we learn from what Jesus did not do? In the face of such open mockery and unbelief, he did not turn and leave. Nor did he rail against them. He just calmly excused all of them from the house while he took the child’s mother and father and his three disciples, Peter, James, and John, into the little girl’s room. Now he would demonstrate for this man whose faith was stretched to the breaking point that he was indeed "God with skin on" - the Messiah come in the flesh. "HE TOOK HER BY THE HAND AND SAID TO HER, ’TALITHA KOUM!’ (WHICH MEANS, ’LITTLE GIRL, I SAY TO YOU, GET UP!’). IMMEDIATELY THE GIRL STOOD UP AND WALKED AROUND (SHE WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD). AT THIS THEY WERE COMPLETELY ASTONISHED." The translation doesn’t do justice to the reaction of this little girl’s parents. Literally, the Greek says that they were ecstatic with ecstasy. They were beyond joy and happiness.

Can you imagine how they felt? Perhaps not. But someday we will. Because in a way, we have also been asked to make this leap of faith. We stand by the graves of our loved ones - a father, a mother, a son or daughter, a husband or a wife. And Jesus says to us, "Don’t be afraid. Just believe. He’s only sleeping."

Can we make this leap of faith? In a recent article in the Northwestern Lutheran, a woman describes her feelings at the death of her father. "As we watch the casket go into the ground, I feel almost nothing. That isn’t my Father in there. It’s just some mannequin dressed up in Dad’s new suit, bought only last month. I make myself touch his cheek - that soft, talcum-smelling skin crinkled from years of smiling - and I shudder at the plastic feel of it. That’s not something God made anymore; its chemicals and funeral-parlor artistry. It is not my dad. When he left, he took the essence of his body with him. My mind understands this, but my heart yearns to talk to him again. I wish I could share musings, jokes, and puzzles..." Can we look at the lifeless body of our loved one and believe Jesus’ words, "He’s only sleeping"?

We can. We must. Because our God with skin on proved his power over death. He raised Jairus’ daughter. And the young man of Nain. And Lazarus. But most importantly, he himself rose from the dead. And the disciples touched the Risen Savior - our exalted Savior, our eternal God with skin on.

Therefore, we too will be ecstatic with ecstasy someday. We will rise from the dead. We will witness the resurrection of our loved ones. We will leave the troubles and sorrows of this world behind and be eternally with our God with skin on - our Savior, Jesus.

Jesus says to us this morning, and in our times of trouble and sorrow, "Don’t be afraid. Just believe." God give each of us faith and hope and joy in our Risen Lord and Savior. Amen.