Luke 8:49-56 Stop the Music and the Wailing
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: August 8, 2018 Luke 8:49-56
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
(Understanding the Text) Jairus felt someone touch his arm and looked up to see one of the friends that he had left at his house standing there. Fear filled his heart, and it was confirmed as his friend sadly informed him that it was too late for Jesus to help. Faith which had arisen when Jesus agreed to come fell to despair, but then he heard Jesus saying that it was not too late. If Jairus chose to believe, his daughter would live. Believe in what? Simply believe that Jesus could make her live. Jairus had the choice of going home without Jesus in defeat or pressing on with Jesus in an impossible mission with seemingly no chance of success. Jairus chose to continue on with Jesus.
When they reached the house, Jairus’ wife rushed out to hold him and cry. Jesus turned to James, John, and Peter indicating that they were to come with Him. He told the other disciples to keep everyone else outside. The SDA commentary says that this is the first recorded incident where the three were singled out although it would not be the last. It also suggests that maybe the room was simply too small for all twelve to enter. Another possibility that occurs to me is that their faith in Jesus distinguished them from the other disciples. They trusted that Jesus was able to do all that He said He could with no doubt. It could be that their faith helped to sustain the faith of those around them. Thus, they were the most useful of the disciples for the situation.
At the house, the mourners were already crying, some from true despair, but some were there out of obligation and probably payment and cried because it was their role rather than because they felt deeply. Flute players were playing a mournful accompaniment to the sobs and wails of the mourners. “And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him” (Mat 9:23-24). Jesus saw the grief of the true mourners and tried to give them comfort. He told them not to cry because the daughter was not dead only sleeping. Matthew says that Jesus told them to go away because the girl was not dead but sleeping. The mourners laughed in His face and would not believe. I think Jesus was speaking more for the mother whose grief still swamped any hope she may have had earlier, but as she looked into her husband’s hopeful face and Jesus’ calm assurance, she hoped also. “But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose” (Matthew 9:25). The laughter had been of scorn rather than of surprise or simple difficulty in believing, which would work against the faith necessary for the miracle that Jesus was about to perform. Thus, Jesus made everyone leave the house except for His three disciples and the two parents.
The six adults approached the bed where the little girl lay dead, and Jesus bent down and grasped her hand while telling her to get up. The disciples and Jairus and his wife watched in wonder as they saw life come back into the little girl’s dead body. In moments, her pale lifeless skin was flowing with healthy color, and she bounced up out of bed as if she had never been sick. Jairus’ wife’s joy overwhelmed her, and she didn’t know what to do with herself until she heard Jesus say to feed her daughter. That, she could do, and she hurried to the kitchen to grab something with a voice singing in her head that her daughter was healed!
(Revelation of God) In the room, Jesus turned to Jairus and quietly told him not to tell anyone that the girl had actually been raised from the dead. Let everyone assume that it had been a mistake to proclaim her dead so soon and that this had been just a normal miracle. Why? I think Jesus was protecting Jairus and his daughter. Jairus was the leader of the synagogue, an important man. For Jesus to simply heal his daughter would not be that big of a deal as Jesus was constantly healing people, but as credible witnesses to the resurrection of a dead person, Jairus’ family would have been in danger. Jesus was giving Jairus permission to protect himself and his family. Many times when Jesus told people to keep quiet it was so that His own ministry would not suffer from too many crowds and from the Sanhedrin moving before it was time, but I think in this situation, the order of silence was to protect the family that Jesus had just helped. Jesus did not want them to become targets of the Jewish leaders.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that when Jesus has promised to accomplish something, He will, even in the face of incredible odds against it. I need to step forward in faith even when I cannot see any hope. I need to prop up that hope in others until they can see the results and believe on their own. I need to work for Jesus even when the results will not be published and seen. I need to trust Jesus to be Jesus in all situations. I am so weak and full of doubts. I cannot trust You by myself. Open my heart and eyes to see that You are with me always. I believe. Help my unbelief.