Luke 8:40-56

Sleeping

In John 11 we read that Lazarus was sick. After Jesus heard that His good friend was sick He waited around a while and then told His disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep.” The disciples didn’t get it until Jesus finally said, “Lazarus is dead.”

When Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house they had already been informed some time earlier that Jairus’ daughter had died. But Jesus said, “She is not dead but asleep.”

According to the Bible physical death is only sleep and not really anything to fear. However, there is a second death and we are warned to fear that. The second death involves separation from God. Some people might not think too much of that but that is only because they don’t really think much at all. To be separated from God, really completely and ultimately, separated from God means at the very least being separated from all that God is.

This means existence totally separated from: all Hope, for He is the God is all hope; all Light, for God is light; all Joy, for in His presence is the fullness of joy; all Love, for God is love... and that is just getting started on the things we know not even considering that there are so many things we don’t know.

Ah, but physical death? That is simply a matter of hearing the voice. The voice that says, “My child, get up!”