Misericordias Domini Saturday - Devotion in Exile

Lection for Misericordias Domini - Saturday 
Exodus 40:17-38     Luke 8:40-56

In our text, we have an account of Jesus healing a little girl.  Did you pay attention to it?  I want you to listen again to just a portion of that lesson, the interaction between Jesus and the people gathered When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. (vv. 51-53)

They laughed at Jesus? Why? Simply put, they did not believe in Him. They could not believe what he was saying because they knew that she was dead, and death is the ultimate end of all things.

After a certain amount of time, even with today’s medical advance, there is no coming back from death. When it comes, death is the one thing that cannot be reversed.

Those gathered that day laughed at Jesus. They knew the truth: once death claims a person, that’s all she wrote. There is no escaping death. “Asleep? HAHAHAHA!”

Why is there death? Adam brought death into the world through his sin, and so all die. Paul wrote that the wages of sin is death. (Rom. 6:23) If our eyes are open, we can see sins ravages wherever we look. We see sinfulness and the consequences of sin all around us. We see death and the panic death brings in Brown county and meat packing plants because of COVID-19

It is amazing that before this outbreak we lived in a dying world. Evolution embraces death, calls it a part of natural selection – the strong survive – and so death is seen as a good thing. 

Death is a violation of God’s will. Christ comes to remove the consequences of sin with His death upon the cross and His glorious resurrection. So, do you believe evolution, that death is a part of God’s plan, and thereby laugh at Jesus?

Yes, death is all around us. Death in a virus scares mankind, look at the effort made to avoid even getting the virus.

But are we really afraid of death? It only bothers us when it is – possibly personal.

For the most part, we’ve become desensitized to death. Unborn children are murdered in their mother’s wombs. Death has become so prevalent and accepted in our society that we even talk about “death with dignity.” It really is nothing more than a glorious sounding phrase to hide the fact that someone is choosing to end their life – let us call it what it is – suicide. If a family member takes measures to end the life of their loved one, it is still murder.

Of course, there are those who are terrified of death because they see it as nothing more than the end. After death, there is nothing. It is finished. 

It is into this world that Christ comes. “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” He is telling, “I am the Lord of life. All life has its beginning with me.”

How is it that you laugh at Jesus?  How is your unbelief expressed?

How many loved ones have you seen depart this life? While it is good to remember them, how many of you have a hard time letting go? Do you believe that you will spend eternity with them? Do you believe that it was not “good bye”, but, “Until we meet again?” And the meeting again takes place when we gather around the Table of the Lord here – even as they gather around the Table of the Lord there?

On that day in our text, Christ brought life to those gathered that day. They laughed at His words, but He displayed His power over death by commanding Jairus’ daughter to get up. Notice He didn’t say to her, “come alive” or “live”, simply “Child, arise!” She was still alive, only sleeping.

It was on the Friday called Good where they mocked Jesus and laughed at Him again. As He languished on the cross, His life ebbing from Him, they made fun of Him. They watched Him die.

Three days later, Christ showed that He was the Lord of Life by rising from the dead. He showed Himself alive to His disciples and to hundreds of others, that there might be witnesses - that you also might hear of Him as the Lord of Life.

Christ brings life. With a touch and just a word, the little girl arises and walks around. Here is evidence of renewed life.

Christ still brings life. People laugh. They laugh in their attitude toward the simple means by which Christ gives life.

Even in the church laugh, “It’s just water!” With this water is the Word of life! Christ unites us to His death and His life. It is a miracle which begins faith and grants you a new life each day.

People laugh at simple words. How can just that word of forgiveness grant life?  Because it is Christ’s command. Where there is forgiveness of sins, there is life and salvation. Christ’s command to forgive sins grants that marvelous gift of a renewed and eternal life.

People laugh, they mock that Christ could unite His body with simple bread and sacramentally join His very blood to nothing more than ordinary wine. They claim there is no miraculous forgiveness of sins, and certainly no bestowing of life and salvation. To them, it is just a meal to remember Jesus.

Christ gives His very life in this precious meal. By His Word, His body and blood are distributed and given to all who commune. It is this meal which forgives the sin of doubting and strengthens the faith to believe that indeed life is granted in that precious gift.

Dear friends in Christ, Christ, the very Lord of life, uses simple things to grant great gifts. It is these means by which Christ gives His life to you and removes all doubts. The laughter that would rise in our throats is stilled and forgiven by the very One who gave life to the daughter of the synagogue ruler, Jairus.  His life overcomes our death, His gifts of life - in water, word and meal - create and build us up in living faith.

Now we can laugh with joy, for we have hope and expectation. As Christ raised this young girl from death, showing Himself as the Lord of Life, so He comes to you and raises you from death, your sins conquered and defeated in His death, and gives you His life. Even as He is risen from the dead, you too live a new life.

Let us pray:      We beg you Lord of life to give us the joy of life eternal, strengthened faith, that we may laugh in the face of death, knowing that true life is ours now and forevermore. Amen.