As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not be afraid; only believe. … Then he came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue. … When he came in, he said to them, Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping. And they ridiculed him.
Mark 5:36.38-40.
Jairus did not reproach the Lord Jesus despite the apparent frustration of his hope. The Lord told him not to be afraid, but to believe. He has the right advice for every occasion. After encouraging Jairus He emboldened him to trust. How often do we read in the Bible, “Fear not!” These words apply to us, too. Do they affect us? A stranger might tell a child repeatedly not to be afraid, whereas the parents need only say so once. The child trusts its parents. Do we trust God with similar confidence?
Jesus told Jairus to believe. Had he then no faith? Indeed, but the Lord wanted to strengthen his faith. Jairus believed that Jesus could heal, Yet he was to experience the Lord’s power to raise the dead to life.
They reached the house. There lay the child, dead as all could see. But the Lord said, “The child is not dead, but sleeping.” Their reaction was to ridicule Him, “knowing that she was dead” (Luke 8:53). They could tell the difference; no-one could fool them. There are many today who are very sure of themselves: “Miracles just don’t happen.” or “With death all is over.” They make fun of those who still believe in God and Jesus Christ. Then they mocked, but the miracle happened nevertheless: the dead girl came to life again.
Image: By Unknown author – Scan from Grabar, Die Kunst des frühen Christentums, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8080658