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Matthew 9:23-26
Jesus has now arrived at the (synagogue/NIV) ruler’s house and has found that the mourners and flute players are conducting what we would refer to as the funeral ceremony. These are people who would come into the house of the deceased and conduct an atmosphere suited for one who has died. Jesus sees these people and runs them out of the house as He did not come to see a funeral but to heal one who is “sleeping” as Jesus refers to her in Matthew 9:24, NKJV). After Jesus sent the crowd outside of the house (who may or may not have been believers), He then took the girl by the hand, and she got up (Matthew 9:25), indicating that the girl was now alive and well. The power of Jesus, simply by touching the girl, has healed her. Just as the woman who simply touched His clothing on the way, there was also healed.
This is an example of the divine power of Jesus to heal.
I want to make note of one other thing in this passage of Matthew 9:23-26 that will reach into all of our lives as we strive to live for God and bring glory to Him through our salvation in Christ Jesus: In Matthew 9:24 is another very important thing that happens to Jesus that happens to us as well; when Jesus made the statement that the girl was not dead but sleeping, the next sentence is, “And they ridiculed Him.” The NIV states, “But they laughed at him.” Sound familiar? As Christians in striving to live our lives for Christ Jesus, we will be ridiculed; we will be laughed at for being a Christian. Jesus states in John 15:20 (ESV), “Remember the word that I said to you; ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” Jesus was laughed at, spit on, hit, stabbed with a spear, hung on a cross to die, and accused of blasphemy by people who had no idea that He was the only one to have an intimate relationship with His Father God that is so far beyond our mortal minds to comprehend the hurt that He must have felt in His heart and mind to be accused of something that He was the only One to know anything about – yet He took it for us so that He could make the way for us to be redeemed and set free from sin to a right relationship with the One true God that we, yes we, are the ones who blasphemed. I think it is a small thing to stand up for Jesus and our Father God in heaven…and be laughed at; a small price to pay for following the One who set us free from sin for eternity. Praise be to God from whom all blessings flow!
Dear LORD,
Jesus came to set the world free from sin (John 3:16-17), and to show us a new way in which we no longer have to strive to prove ourselves to You and hope to be found righteous when we know that we are a sinful people. Jesus came to provide forgiveness for all who will put their faith in Him – He paid our price for sin for us when He died sinless on the cross. Please open our hearts and minds to the saving power of Jesus that we too would stand tall in the face of persecution for our Savior who gave it all so that we may live – in Christ! In Jesus name I pray, amen.