Luke 8:52 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.”

NIV: Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. 'Stop wailing,' Jesus said. 'She is not dead but asleep.'

NASB: Now they were all weeping and mourning for her; but He said, 'Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.'

CSB: Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But he said, "Stop crying, because she is not dead but asleep."

NLT: The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, 'Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.'

KJV: And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.

NKJV: Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.”

A synagogue leader has asked Jesus to come and raise to life his only daughter (Luke 8:40–42, 49–51). As Jesus, Peter, James, and John enter the home, they are met with mourners, wailing and weeping and playing flutes (Matthew 9:23; Mark 5:38). These are not loving family members, distraught because a child has died. They are professional mourners hired to create an appropriate ambiance of sorrow. This was a common practice in that era, much as modern families might hire a funeral home to display the body at a wake.

Jesus deflects. "Sleeping" is a euphemism for death (1 Thessalonians 5:10). Jews believed that the spirit of a person hovered over the body for a few days and could return. Jesus frames the situation to indicate things are not as terrible as they're making it out to be.

Horribly, the mourners laugh at him because they know the girl is dead (Luke 8:53). Jesus told the girl's father to have faith, and he believes as much as he can (Luke 8:50; Matthew 9:18). The mourners, however, show their true colors. They respect neither Jesus nor the dead. It's just a job. Since Jesus intends to raise the girl from the dead they're no longer needed, so He dismisses them (Mark 5:40).

This passage may give us pause to consider our own reactions to death. Our entertainment is filled with violence to the point we can become bored of it. In some cases, death is even presented as humorous. The Bible says otherwise. God did not create humans to experience death. When Jesus returns, He will defeat every enemy that rises against Him, and "the last enemy to be destroyed is death" (1 Corinthians 15:26). Those who deal with death every day know it is an enemy. It is nothing to be mocked.

Luke 8:40–56 records the third and fourth examples of Jesus providing salvation from worldly hardships—this time, illness, shame, and death. Jairus begs Jesus to come heal his daughter. Along the way, a chronically ill woman touches Jesus' robe. Jesus stops, blesses her faith, and calls her "daughter." He then raises the young girl from the dead. Jairus and the woman both show their faith through their diligence and boldness to procure Jesus' healing power. Next, Jesus will imbue His disciples with His power to continue His work. These stories are also found in Matthew 9:18–26 and Mark 5:21–43.

Luke 8 includes portions of three sections of Jesus' Galilean Ministry. The women who support Jesus' ministry bridge the faithful outcasts of chapter 7 to the sower who spreads the news of God's kingdom (Luke 8:1–3). Luke 8:4–18 includes the parables of the sower and the lamp under the jar. These illustrate the importance of hearing Jesus' message with a mind to believe and obey. Luke 8:19–56 presents different faith reactions when Jesus' life, power, and authority elicit questions about His identity.

This passage continues Luke's pattern in the account of Jesus' Galilean ministry: alternating calls to discipleship with stories that describe the discipleship He expects. In Luke 6:17, Jesus transitioned from calling and training the Twelve to a more general call; in Luke 7, Jesus interacted specifically with those with less privilege in society. Chapter 8 reveals how people react when Jesus reveals who He is, mostly through miracles. In Luke 9:18–50, Jesus returns to intense discipleship of the Twelve to give them courage and faith, preparing them for the journey to Jerusalem and what they will witness there.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.