My Child, Get Up!
(Luke 8:49-56)

Living in the world, we experience various kinds of grief, among which losing loved ones I believe is the greatest sorrow. Today’s passage is concerned with the story where Jesus raised up the only daughter of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. When we meet extremely unbearable grief, we should go to the Lord. This is because Jesus Christ is the only one who can heal and comfort pain and grief we experience in the world

1. Grief for the loss of a loved one
Jairus was the head of the synagogue of Judaism. In society he was the respected ruler and in the home he may have lived a happy life as a father with lovely only daughter. One day, however, in his peaceful life came a sudden sadness. His most beloved daughter came down with a fatal disease. All people are frustrated, facing the problem of death. This is because no one can solve the problem of death. However even in the place of death, do not give up. This is because once you go only to the Lord, He who overcame death will change the place of death into that of life.

2. Jesus Christ, the absolute hope
Jesus is the one who transformed the absolute despair of humans into absolute hope. All we have to do is to come unto the Lord with absolute faith, fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ, the absolute hope. After hearing the news of death of the daughter of Jairus, the word Jesus said to Jairus was, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Whatever desperate situation you are in, you should go to the Lord with faith. Then the Lord will change absolute despair into absolute hope.

3. Miracles Jesus performs
While all the people were wailing and mourning for her, Jesus told to the daughter of Jairus, “My child, get up!” Then an amazing miracle happened. It was that at once the daughter of Jairus stood up from death. If Jesus says a word, miracle happens. A place of death will become that of life; a place of despair, hope; a place of grief, joy and praise. Therefore we should go to the Lord from our place of death, despair and grief. Then the Lord will perform amazing miracles for us.

Even today, Jesus is saying to us, “My child, get up!” Are you in the place of extreme grief? Go to the Lord, the absolute hope. Listen to the voice of the Lord towards us, which says, “Get up!” in a deathlike situation. And experience the amazing power of the Lord, who raises the dead.