And they laughed him to scorn. But he having put them all out, taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
και κατεγελων αυτου ο δε εκβαλων παντας παραλαμβανει τον πατερα του παιδιου και την μητερα και τους μετ αυτου και εισπορευεται οπου ην το παιδιον ανακειμενον
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
When He declared, "The maiden is not dead, but asleep," they mocked Him; this was allowed so that they could not later claim she was merely unconscious, minimizing the miracle of His raising her. Rather, their own laughter serves as a witness against them, highlighting their disbelief when He affirmed that she was merely asleep, thereby demonstrating His power to revive one who was truly deceased.
As soon as the Lord uttered these words, news reached Jairus that his daughter had passed away. However, Jesus reassures him, urging him not to fear but to have faith in His ability to bring her back to life. When He arrives at the house, chaos reigns within. Such a scene could threaten one’s faith. The Lord declares that the girl is merely sleeping, prompting laughter from those present. He sends them all away and, with only the child's parents and a few disciples remaining, He takes her by the hand and calls out, "The girl arise," and she is restored to life. The astonished parents are instructed to keep silent about this miracle. The reason for this command was the potential backlash from the Pharisees and the unpredictable reactions of the crowd.
It is through these private, transient situations that we can understand why the Lord sometimes chose to reveal Himself publicly or concealed His identity; here, He instructed silence, yet He openly proclaimed the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, and when He was on the other shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, He commanded that His deeds be shared widely.
Mourning is reserved for the dead, yet Jairus' daughter is on the brink of resurrection; her situation does not warrant tears. "Do not weep," Jesus declares, "she is not dead, but sleeping" (Luke 8:52). Those who reject miracles interpret these words literally, suggesting that Jairus' daughter merely fainted and was thus awakened rather than resurrected. However, Jesus’ statement—she is not dead, but asleep—cannot be understood in a literal sense. He referred to Lazarus in a similar manner, saying, "Lazarus, our friend, has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him up." His disciples replied, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover…" Yet Jesus spoke plainly, "Lazarus is dead" (John 11:11-14).
The death of Jairus' daughter was evident to those present at the house, who had been invited to the burial. When they heard Jesus' words, they mocked Him, fully aware that she had indeed died (Luke 8:53). Those who doubt miracles regard Jesus Christ as an ordinary individual, yet they struggle with the notion that He professed the girl was merely sleeping. After all, He made this assertion without seeing her, seemingly unaware of her true state. In doing so, they simultaneously question His divine power while recognizing His knowledge. This inconsistency undermines their claims against the validity of Jairus' daughter's resurrection.
Additionally, this resurrection was not the only instance performed by Jesus. Upon reaching the house, He commanded everyone to leave. It was essential that a profound mystery, which had eluded human comprehension until Christ's arrival, be unveiled. This was to visually demonstrate that should Jesus Christ speak of the eventual resurrection of all who have died for judgment, such a resurrection is attainable for God. Consequently, it confirms that death is merely temporary, while in essence, humanity is immortal. Only those capable of grasping such a significant mystery were permitted to witness this event; the professional mourners who ridiculed Him and the curious crowd were not deemed worthy. Therefore, He took with Him only three of His twelve disciples—Peter, John, and James—who were granted honor during the Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane, as well as the parents of the departed girl.
Initially, He commanded the noisy lamentations to stop; however, when His statement that "the maiden is not dead but sleeping" was met with scorn, He expelled the hired mourners in righteous anger. Once calm was reestablished, He brought the maiden's parents and the three selected apostles with Him as He entered the chamber where the oppressive stillness of death prevailed.
The healing of the woman suffering from a hemorrhage served to uplift Jairus and bolster his faith in the Lord's miraculous power. While Jesus was offering His final words of encouragement to her, news arrived from the ruler of the synagogue’s household, bearing the sorrowful announcement: Thy daughter is dead; what further moves the Master? ‘Christ intended for them to be assured of the girl’s death, so that their faith in her resurrection would be unshakable’ (St John Chrysostom). Upon receiving the tidings of her death, the Lord spoke to the father: ‘Do not be afraid, but believe, and she will be saved’ (St. Athanasius of Alexandria).
‘He does not require faith out of necessity, for He is the Lord and the Source of faith, but He desires to demonstrate that He does not succumb to requests insincerely; rather, He attends to those who possess belief’ (St. Athanasius of Alexandria). Arriving at the home, He encountered a scene of great turmoil, witnessing the hired mourners, hearing weeping and lamentations all around. Why do you weep? - The death of the young girl was acknowledged by all, and ‘no one could claim that she had merely suffered a grievous episode or had fainted’ (Blessed Theophylact), which led those present to deride the Lord’s words. He then instructed them to leave, allowing only three of His closest disciples—Peter, James, and John—along with the girl’s parents, to remain as witnesses to the forthcoming miracle. Entering the room where the deceased laid, He took her by the hand and commanded, ‘Talitha, kumi,’ which means maiden, arise! The girl arose, stood up, and began to walk. To affirm the reality of the resurrection and dispel any notion of it being a mere illusion, He instructed her to eat. This remarkable miracle astonished her parents and disciples. However, the Lord instructed them to keep the miracle a secret, as He had previously done (Matt. 8:4), out of humility and a desire to safeguard God’s work from idle speculation and human gossip, as well as to prevent inciting the ire of adversaries or fueling fanciful notions about the kingdom of the Messiah. Despite this strict command to remain silent about the event, word of the miracle spread throughout the region.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 25 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS