Mark 5:21-43 Blunt Talk - by Don Neuendorf
While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
Ouch. That's against everything I've learned about making "notifications." Did you know that there are instructions available for how to break bad news? The police officers who show up at your door to tell you, "There's been an accident..." have received training in making notifications. The military officers and chaplains who come to break bad news have gotten the same training.
They all learned that you never just plop the news out there. First you tell the story. You let it out a bit at a time. It may only take 2 or 3 or 4 sentences, but you never, never, ever give the bad news in the first sentence.
How-Not-To-Do-It example #1... "Your daughter is dead."
So what does Jesus do? He breaks the rules too!...
"Don't be afraid; just believe."
You're supposed to give people something to hang on - some reason to believe it will be OK. If you're going to try something, you don't want to get peoples' hopes up. Here's a handy list of things you're NOT supposed to tell people:
- I know how you feel.
- Everything will be OK.
- Don't worry.
- My cousin went through the same thing...
- Just have faith.
Instead, you are supposed to say (if you really must say something), "I'll be right here with you."
Funny, Jesus doesn't bother. Modern counselors would instruct you to remember that this is not about you - it's about the person who is grieving. But Jesus says it's all about him. Just believe in him. Just keep your eye on him. Just follow him. Just remain connected to him. Just trust him.
As Walter Brennan used to say on an old TV western, "No brag, just fact."