Laugh or Cry

Seeing death in light of Jesus’ resurrection

06/27/2021

Mk 5:21-24, 35b-43 Jesus crossed again in the boat to the other side of the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.” While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. At that they were utterly astounded.

Sometimes when you go through a really hard time, people say, “Laugh or cry.” For all of you who are going through a hard time, here is a little humor to help you laugh rather than cry. A priest, an alcoholic and an engineer are sentenced to death by the guillotine. The priest steps up and the executioner asks, “Would you like to die face up or face down?” The priest answers, “I want to face up to the heavens.” The executioner says, “Okay,” and he releases the blade, which comes down swiftly, but stops suddenly only an inch from the priest’s neck. Given the miracle, the priest is allowed to go free.

The alcoholic steps forward and is asked which direction he wants to face. He answers, “I want to face up, too, to remember the glorious drinking days.” Again, the executioner releases the sharp blade, which comes down but stops suddenly just one inch from the man’s neck. Another miracle, and the alcoholic is also released. The engineer comes forward and is asked which way he wants to face. He scratches his head and says, “Face up, I guess.” Just as the executioner is about to release the blade, the engineer shouts: “Wait! Wait! I found the problem!” As they say, “laugh or cry.”

In the gospel today, Jesus also faces a very serious situation, namely, death, but he does not take it too seriously. Why not? Jesus wants us to understand there is something even more serious (and more powerful) than death, and that is faith. When Jairus, the synagogue official, receives news that his sick daughter has died, Jesus assures him: “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” In other words, faith in Jesus will prove to be stronger than death. And Jairus believes.

But when Jesus declares to the people mourning that the little girl is only asleep, they ridicule him. They thought he was telling a bad joke about something as serious as death. When Jesus raises the little girl back to life, though, he shows how faith is stronger than death. How so? Well, because people of faith will enjoy eternal life, and by comparison, death is almost a joke. St. Paul virtually taunts death in 1 Co 15:55, saying: “Where, or death, is your sting? Where, o death, is your victory?” When we face the frightening prospect of death, faith helps us to laugh rather than cry.

This past week death really hit us hard with a one-two punch and pulled out all the stops. You have heard, of course, of the devastating collapse of the condominium in Florida that has killed 9 people so far, leaving over 150 missing. It is hard to believe such a collapse could occur with all the engineering and expertise we have at hand today. We need an engineer to shout, “Wait! Wait! I found the problem!” And we certainly weep with those who have lost loved ones; those who have felt the full force of the fear that death awakens in us.

Much closer to home, our parish is mourning the deaths of the Drushal family: Jill, Charles and 10 year-old Renate, who would have been in 5th grade this coming year. Our neighbors to the south in Greenwood are also grieving the loss of Aaron and Landry Gamble. Aaron Gamble was the new principal of Greenwood High School. The funeral for the Drushal family will be Monday morning, with three caskets lined up in the middle aisle. I must say that death has really out-done himself this time.

Today Jesus’ words to Jairus are directed to each of us in a special way: “Do not be afraid; just have faith” and “Why all this commotion and weeping. They are not dead but asleep.” We are still numb from the shock and sadness, and we may be tempted to ridicule Jesus like those mourners in Jairus’ house. Jesus words about "the little girl being asleep" strikes a stinging cord when we think about little Renate. But I want to share with you another example, an example of remarkable faith.

On Wednesday afternoon, after the Gamble funeral in Greenwood, Aaron Gamble’s parents, Jay and Rhonda, who are devout Catholics, stopped by I.C. for a brief visit. They knew the Drushals attended I.C. and they sat in my office and told me they felt very sorry for the Drushal family’s loss. And they asked me to convey their condolences to them. Instead of focusing on their own pain and grief, they thought of others, especially the Drushals.

I was deeply humbled and moved by their gesture. As I listened to them speaking slowly, softly and with serene faith in Jesus, tears welled up in my eyes. I answered, “I would be honored to do that.” Jay and Rhonda Gamble embody what Jesus meant when he said, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” They would not have ridiculed Jesus when he said, “They are not dead, but only asleep,” because they are looking forward to the resurrection of their son and grandson.

People sometimes says, “Laugh or cry” when life gets especially hard. And maybe they mean more than they realize. Death dealt our community two great blows last week and we are still reeling from them. Being people of faith, though, we know there is something stronger than death, namely, faith in Jesus. And when we put our full faith in Jesus, the “resurrection and the life,” death almost becomes a bad joke.

Praised be Jesus Christ!