Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Hey there, special ones.

It was bright sunshine earlier. Now clouds are impairing the brightness.

Among other things I may need to rescue our kitten who is about 30 feet up in a cedar tree…yelling for help because she can’t seem to figure out how to undo what she has done. In that sense, I guess we’re surrounded with humans in the same predicament.

Later, I may do some special cutting to a 40-foot log that a guy wants to shape into a mast for his sailboat. Should be interesting.

May your day be blessed. Love, Dad/Ray

It was definitely not good news that the messengers from Jairus’ house presented while Jesus and Jairus were enroute. They said to Jairus, “Your daughter is dead.” Period. End of the line. Painful finality. She’s gone. Many would have expected Jesus to say something like, “Oh well—I guess we’re too late. Sorry.” But He didn’t. In this case He persevered and carried on to the house where the girl lay hopelessly DEAD. He encouraged Jairus with some revolutionary good news. At least it was good advice. And it’s good advice for us too—whether we are facing death—or even facing life. He said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

This is one of three instances in the record of Jesus’ ministry that He revealed His Divine power over death. He raised the widow’s son at Nain. He later raised Lazarus. And here He raises this 12-year-old girl. It is noteworthy that He raised them all the same way: He spoke to them. Life was imparted by the Word of Jesus. If it is true that God breathed into the first man the breath of life so that this lump of crafted matter became a living soul, the miracle of transforming a dead body into a living one should come as no surprise. For the Transcendent One, what we regard as miraculous is normative. So to this young girl Jesus simply and tenderly said, “Little girl, get up.” No loud prolonged praying. No ceremonial gyrations. She simply became animated by the authority of that word. Life was restored.

In the spiritual sense, no one needs to accept being DEAD—dead “in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). That’s the glory of the Gospel. We need only come to Jesus and be responsive to His Word. He is the way, the truth, and the what?—the LIFE! Say it again: LIFE.