Sorrow to laughter...in a weird way.

Day 55

OT Reading: Numbers 11-13

NT Reading: Mark 5:21-43

People reading the story of Jarius' daughter for the first time are commonly surprised by the reaction of the crowd. As Jesus walks up on the crowd we see that people are crying and wailing loudly (Mark 5:38). But then they all laugh when Jesus says that the child is not dead, but asleep (Mark 5:40). The question is, are these people bipolar or what's going on? It'd be unlikely for those mourning over the death of a 12-year old girl to chuckle at someone's suggestion that she's just asleep. Sure, I would have understood if someone tried to punch Jesus in the face...but breaking out in laughter? What is going on here?

Well what we see from history is that in Jesus' day it was not uncommon for people of means to hire professional mourners...yes seriously. These people would cry and wail during funerals to display the sorrow of the family. In fact it is kind of humorous to think (though there is some validity to the thought) that a pay scale may have been established for how much a professional mourner might do. Perhaps $10 per hour to stand around looking sorrowful, $20 per hour to weep aloud, $30 will get you loud wailing and full tears, $50 will ensure the whole town hears the crying. Understanding this helps make sense of what happened. It's likely that those laughing were not really the family or close friends and neighbors but instead were paid to be there.

But while we're on the topic...if you happen to need a little extra *UMPH* at your next sorrowful experience...why not give me a call? I've got competitive rates, can double as the officiant, and promise not to burst into laughing while in character. Just something to think about.