Putting Out The Mockers, Luke 8:53-54

"And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And He put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise."

     In this passage of scripture there are two stories that happen simultaneously. First there is the story of Jairus, the ruler of a synagogue whose daughter lay ill and dying. Secondly is the story of a woman who had spent her life savings looking for a cure for her issue of bleeding, but came to find no healing except in Jesus. Jairus had petitioned Jesus to come and heal his daughter. But while on His way to do so, this woman who had had an issue of blood for 12 years came and touched the robe of Jesus and became well.
     Jesus could have kept on going, knowing that the woman had been healed, in order that He did not lose any time in getting to the sick girl He had set out to heal. But He did not. He stopped and waited until the one who had touched Him confessed, then He blessed her and sent her on her way. While Jesus was saying these things to the woman, one from Jaiurs' house came and informed him that his daughter had died and to thus not bother Jesus any longer. Jesus overheard this statement. He was not alarmed or taken back, though, but instead simply said, "Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole." Things were all going according to God's timing.
     When Jesus arrived on the scene at Jairus' house, He found mourners and people grieving and wailing. When He told them, "Weep not; she is not dead, but sleeping," meaning that her death was not something irreversable and permanent, they laughed at Him and mocked Him. Thus He, knowing what miraculous thing He was about to do, put out the mockers and those who did not believe, and allowed only those whom it directly affected and those who believed to be there.

     Many times in our own lives Jesus wants to do a miraculous work, but when we share it, we are mocked or laughed at, ridiculed or teased. Then we become discouraged and are no longer excited or expectant about what God is doing in our lives. We must remember though, Jesus put out the mockers before He did a work.
     We can't allow those who mock the work of God to influence our attitudes about God's work. His ways are higher than our ways, far past our finding out, and even if He were to tell us what He is going to do we would probably not believe it anyhow. It is important that we not allow our conception of God limit what we think He can or can't do, what He will or will not do, because only He knows what He can and will do.
     It has been said that God does not work in a box. I think many times He does just what we're not expecting just to remind us that He is far above and beyond our wildest imaginations. This is why He tells us not to lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)! How can we trust in what we can see and find out, thinking that we have figured out what God is doing in our lives, when He clearly tells us that there's no way we can fully comprehend what He is doing in our lives? It's a little presumptuous, to say the least.

     But still Jesus does His work in our lives. He casts out the mockers and performs His miracles. The word translated "put them all out" in the Greek implies a firm and forceful removing of something. He did not just say, "Okay guys, if you're going to make fun of Me, you're going to have to leave." He forcefully removed them! Our doubt in His ability and willingness to work is an afront to God. If we simply believe (put confidence and trust in, thinking to be true), He will work. It is our faith that makes us whole, as Jesus said to the woman with the issue of blood.
     Do not let those who mock the will and plan of God affect you. Set your eyes on Jesus, and take that step of faith. Don't heed the advise of the doubter, but instead move forward, believe, and let Jesus work a miracle of grace and mercy in your own life. Fear not: believe only, and you shall be made whole.