“And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,”
And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion. The professional mourners with their flutes and the commotion of the death-crowd communicate that the death was considered established — the mourning process had begun. In the ancient world, professional mourners were hired immediately upon death; their presence indicates the family and community considered the girl definitively dead. The noisy crowd's presence is the public announcement of finality that Jesus is about to reverse.
Church Fathers on Matthew 9:23
After the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, follows the raising of the dead; 'And when Jesus was come into the ruler’s house.'
We may suppose that He proceeded slowly, and spake longer to the woman whom He had healed, that He might suffer the maid to die, and thus an evident miracle of restoring to life might be wrought. In the case of Lazarus also He waited till the third day.
For by the ancient custom minstrels were engaged to make lamentation for the dead.
Read all 17 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a reflection on this verse
No reflections on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!