While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.  But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

–Luke 8:49-56 (TNIV)

Here we see a preview of coming attractions. Jesus came to give dead people life. We are all dead in our sin, even though our bodies ostensibly have life. But one day these mortal bodies of ours will die. Before that happens, we are all confronted with a choice. Will we take Jesus at his word, that he came to give us life and give it abundantly, or will we laugh at him? Think carefully about this. This really is a matter of life and death.

Like to these is the saying of God to Moses: “Lo, I have set you in a cleft of the rock, and you shall see my back parts.” That rock which is Christ is therefore not completely closed but has clefts. But the cleft of the rock is he who reveals God to men and makes him known to them; for “no one knows the Father, save the Son.” So no one sees the back parts of God–that is to say, the things that are come to pass in the latter time–unless he be placed in the cleft of the rock, that is to say, when he is taught them by Christ’s own revealing.

–Origen, Commentary on the Song of Songs 3.15.

Thus, the obedient and responsive soul gives itself over to the virtuous life. This life is freedom itself, on the one hand, from the chains of this life, separating itself from the slavery of base and empty pursuits. On the other hand, this soul devotes itself to faith and the life of God alone, because it sees clearly that where there is faith, reverence and a blameless life, there is present the power of Christ, there is flight from all evil and from death which robs us of life. For shameful things do not have in themselves sufficient power to compete with the power of the Lord. It is their nature to develop from disobedience to his commands. This was experienced in ancient times by the first man, but now it is experienced by all of us when we imitate Adam’s disobedience through stubborn choice.

–Gregory of Nyssa, On the Christian Mode of Life

And at the same time, though I am silent, I can make known to those ignorant brothers of mine the meaning of our holy religion, and of the Christian spirit, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, not by preaching, but by example and charity to all.

–Charles de Foucauld, Meditations of a Hermit