Matthew 9:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Since He was destined to face death Himself, He prepared His followers to be steadfast and composed in the face of mortality, assuring them that after His resurrection, death would merely be a dream. The people in the house ridiculed Him; yet He remained unfazed by their disbelief in the miracle He was about to perform and did not chastise those who laughed, for their mocking only served to highlight the state of the maiden.

By referring to death as a dream, the Lord bolstered the faith of the father of the departed girl, for in the midst of the grief and clear finality, that faith could easily diminish. Thus, the Giver of Life chooses to avoid the dreadful term, "she is dead," and substitutes it with the softer expression, "she sleeps." While demonstrating His sacred humility, which prompts Him to keep His wondrous deeds from public scrutiny whenever possible, this term, holding a dual significance, veils the miracle He is about to enact from the onlookers. "And for this humility, and this tender consolation offered to the grieving parents, the Divine Comforter faces mockery: AND THEY LAUGHED AT HIM. This demonstrates the arrogance of a faithless mind! What they fail to comprehend, they mock. Consequently, they are unworthy of witnessing the marvels of God's might. However, it is understandable that the hired mourners and musicians quickly shifted from false tears to overt ridicule. Yet such scoffing serves as a testament to the miracle: the young girl's death was universally acknowledged, and no one could claim she merely suffered a fainting spell or seizure," remarks Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow. Jesus instructed that everyone be dismissed. "He did not take offense," observes St. Chrysostom, "at their disbelief regarding the miracle He was about to perform, nor did He rebuke those who laughed, allowing their scornful responses, as well as their instruments and noise, to affirm the girl's death. As human beings often doubt miracles already accomplished, the Lord preemptively protects them from disbelief through their own declarations. Similarly, those present at Lazarus's resurrection were shielded from doubt; He subsequently inquired, 'Where have they laid him?' so that those responding, 'Go and see,' and 'he has been dead for four days' (John 11:34-39), could no longer doubt that He had raised the dead," comments Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. "If only three of the Apostles were found worthy to witness the profound secret of the Resurrection, it is even more inappropriate to share the sacred act, the miracle, with those who dared to mock the Miracle Worker."

This silence was intended to protect them from the scrutiny of the Pharisees and the impulsive reactions of the crowd. It is through these private circumstances that one understands why the Lord sometimes revealed His identity publicly while at other times chose to remain concealed; He instructed silence here, yet publicly proclaimed the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, and when in Gennesaret, He commanded that His works be shared widely.

Luke explicitly mentions that when Jesus commanded, “Maiden, arise!” her spirit returned, indicating it had been separated from her body for a time.

In the room where the girl lay, Christ chose to bring only her parents and His disciples Peter, James, and John, who were previously privileged to witness other significant moments in His ministry. Yet, even these witnesses of the miracle were instructed by the Lord not to reveal what had occurred (as seen in Mark and Luke). This instruction stemmed from a concern that hastily sharing such a profound miracle could generate unrestrained excitement and a carnal zeal among the people in favor of Jesus, while simultaneously inciting animosity among the scribes and Pharisees. Furthermore, this command held personal significance for Jairus; a period of quiet reflection amid the public excitement might cultivate a deeper faith in Jesus, which seemed essential for him given his prior inability to be moved by previous miraculous events, such as the healing of the demon-possessed man in the synagogue he officiated (Mk. 1:21) or the healing of the paralytic (Matt. 9:1). His faith, while vibrant, still required strengthening.

Despite the directive given to those who witnessed the miracle, the news of it spread throughout the region (as referenced in Matthew). After Jesus left Jairus' home, all the relatives and mourners who had seen the girl alive could not help but share the news. However, because her parents—the primary witnesses—observed a deep silence, the dissemination of this remarkable event unfolded gradually, lacking the immediacy and potency that would have resulted from firsthand testimonies, and consequently had a more muted impact on those who heard it.

Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead" (John 11:11-14). Moreover, the death of Jairus' daughter was so evident to those at the house, who were gathered for her burial, that upon hearing Jesus, they ridiculed Him, fully aware that she had passed away (Luke 8:53). The miracle deniers view Jesus Christ as an ordinary figure; yet, how can they trust His assertion that the girl was merely asleep? He made that statement without having seen her and, according to their beliefs, without knowledge of whether she was indeed dead or just in a faint. Thus, in denying the omnipotence of Jesus Christ, they inadvertently acknowledge His all-knowing nature. The inconsistency in their reasoning undermines their doubts about the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. Furthermore, though this was the first resurrection performed by Jesus, it was not the only one. Upon arriving at the house, Jesus instructed everyone to leave. This was to reveal to them a profound mystery that had eluded understanding until His arrival; through the resurrection of one individual, He illustrated that if He, Jesus Christ, speaks of a future resurrection for all who have died to face judgment, then such a resurrection is indeed possible with God, and it will occur. Thus, He demonstrated that while physical death is temporary, the essence of humanity is immortal.