Just Ignore Them

Just Ignore Them

Read: Mark 5:21-43

“Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”

Mark 5:39

“Humble yourself, and cease to care what men think.”

—A. W. Tozer

IN WORD Jesus, always the master of circumstances and never mastered by them, offers a seemingly ludicrous assessment of the situation. The girl isn’t actually dead. She’s just asleep. Perhaps it sounded well-intentioned but naive. Perhaps it was welcome evidence that this pesky, know-it-all miracle worker was finally wrong about something. Perhaps it was considered a feeble, face-saving excuse from a guy who was late for an important appointment. Whatever the reason, the crowds laughed. They had been weeping and wailing, apparently inconsolably, but they stopped to laugh. The world always has time to interrupt its wailing in order to ridicule those who will not wallow with them in their distress. Simple solutions are always considered irrelevant and inconsequential—even when they’re true.

This doesn’t mean that pain is unimportant to Jesus. He weeps with us when we grieve (John 11:35). But He doesn’t let the pain become bigger than the Comforter. He doesn’t let our suffering overrule His provision. And He doesn’t let death have victory over life. And when death laughs . . . well, He simply must prove a point.

IN DEED Is your faith realistic? It shouldn’t be—not by the world’s standards, anyway. It should be completely in line with the will and the ways of God, but should not conform to the world’s expectations, even when the laughing begins. Whatever conforms to the will and the ways of God is target practice for the skeptics—especially if miracles are involved. Don’t be intimidated. The laughing has no impact on the truth of Jesus’ power. Just as He ignored the report from Jairus’ men (v. 36), He ignores the ridicule of an unbelieving crowd. We should, too. Faith knows things they don’t know. God’s reality is higher than human expectations—always. Raise your expectations to reflect His reality.