Luke 8:56Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Our Lord conveniently waited until the death of the girl, that the miracle of her resurrection might be made public. For which reason also He goes slower, and speaks longer with the woman, that the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue may expire, and messengers come to tell Him. As it is said, While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying unto him, Thy daughter is dead.

When He was about to raise the dead He put all out, as teaching us to be free from vain-glory, and to do nothing for show, for when any one ought to perform miracles, he must not be in the midst of a great many, but alone and apart from the other. As it follows, And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John. Now these only He permitted to enter as the Heads of His disciples, and able to conceal the miracle. For He did not wish to be revealed to many before His time, perhaps on account of the envy of the Jews. So also when any one envies us, we ought not to make known to him our righteousness, lest we give him an occasion of greater envy.

But since Matthew states the ruler of the synagogue to have told our Lord that his daughter was not on the point of death but quite dead, and Luke and Mark say, that she was not yet dead, nay, even go so far as to say that there came some afterwards, who told her death; we must examine, lest they should seem to be at variance. And we must understand that for the sake of brevity, Matthew chose rather to say, that our Lord was asked to do what it is obvious He did, namely, to raise the dead. For our Lord needs not the words of the father concerning his daughter, but what is more important, his wishes.

Our Lord requires faith from those who invoke Him, not because He needs the assistance of others, (for He is both the Lord and Giver of faith,) but not to seem to bestow His gifts according to His acceptance of persons, He shews that He favours those who believe, lest they should receive benefits without faith, and lose them by unbelief. For when He bestows a favour, He wishes it to last, and when He heals, the cure to remain undisturbed.

But still also were the servants of the ruler incredulous with regard to the resurrection, which Jesus had foretold in the Law, fulfilled in the Gospel; therefore say they, Do not trouble him; (Ps. 16.) as if it were impossible for Him to raise the dead.

This is expressed in that passage without any oversight.

He next charges the parents, astonished at the miracle, and almost crying out, not to publish abroad what was done. As it follows, And her parents were astonished; but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done; shewing that He is the Giver of good things, but not covetous of glory, and that He gives the whole, receiving nothing. But he who seeks after the glory of his works has indeed shewn forth something, but receives something.

But mystically, when the woman was cured of the issue of blood, word is brought that the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue is dead; because while the Church was cleansed from the stain of its sins, the Synagogue was forthwith destroyed by unbelief and envy; by unbelief indeed, in that it refused to believe in Christ; by envy, in that it was grieved that the Church had believed.

O wondrous miracle! The resurrection of the dead stands as the supreme miracle, one that eclipses every other. When the soul departs from the body, all blood and vital force come to a halt; every bodily part and organ in all creatures loses its essential energies, and the configuration of the body undergoes transformation: destruction and subsequent decay ensue. The soul is fashioned by the Creator within humanity, as stated: ‘who builds the spirit of man in him’ (Zech. 12:1), and when separated from the body, cannot re-enter it: ‘as the spirit will pass in him, and will not be, and will not know his place’ (Ps. 102:16). The singular, sovereign power of the Most High can, at its discretion, alter the unchangeable natural laws it established.

As soon as the Lord spoke these words, a messenger arrived to inform Jairus that his daughter had passed away. Jesus reassured him, saying, Do not fear, but trust that I can resurrect her. Upon arriving at the house, He found it filled with turmoil. Such a scene could have posed a threat to faith. The Lord declared that the girl was merely sleeping, which led them to mock Him. He sent them away and, left alone with the parents and a few disciples, took the girl by the hand, calling out, ‘Young girl, get up.’ Instantly, she arose, and her astonished parents received the instruction to remain quiet. This request for silence was motivated by the potential threat from the Pharisees and the unpredictable behavior of the crowd.

Only those capable of grasping this profound mystery could truly witness its revelation, not the paid mourners who mocked Jesus, nor the passive, spectacle-seeking crowd. This is why He chose to take with Him only three of His twelve apostles: Peter, John, and James, whom He honored during His transfiguration and at prayer in Gethsemane. The Lord permitted an exception solely for the parents of the deceased. When Jesus approached the girl who had passed away, He took her hand and declared, "Virgin, I say to you, arise." His command was sufficient, and the girl came back to life. At His bidding, the soul of the deceased reunited with her body; however, it was not in the state in which she left it—no longer ravaged by illness, weary and spent, but restored to full vitality.

The parents were filled with amazement, yet Christ gently instructed them to provide her with something to eat. He typically emphasized that they should remain silent regarding the event that had transpired, for those who have received significant blessings from God ought to cherish them with deep gratitude and hold them as a sacred secret in their hearts. Nevertheless, the news of this remarkable occurrence "spread throughout all that land" (Matthew 9:26).

The Lord's return from the region of the Gerasenes, Jairus's plea for help, the healing of the woman suffering from bleeding, and the resurrection of Jairus's daughter are all detailed in the Gospel of Luke, which closely parallels Mark’s narrative (Mark 5:21-43). Matthew provides a more concise version of these occurrences, though the fundamental elements remain consistent (Matthew 9:18-26). For further clarification, refer to the notes on the cited passages in Matthew and Mark. When the Gospels mention that ‘the people received Him,’ it indicates that they welcomed Him with joy and affection.

The healing of the woman afflicted with bleeding was instrumental in uplifting Jairus, reinforcing his faith in the Lord’s miraculous abilities. While Jesus was still offering His final words of comfort to her, word arrived from the ruler of the synagogue’s household bearing tragic news: Your daughter has passed away; what further action is needed from the Master? “Christ desired for them to be fully aware of the girl’s death, so that they would have no doubts about her resurrection later” (St John Chrysostom). Upon hearing of her demise, the Lord addressed the father: “Do not fear, but have faith, and she will be made whole” (St. Athanasius of Alexandria).