God did not make death,Commentators tell us that this book was written to Jews living under Hellenistic rule--thus, under the influence of its philosophy. It is in response to an old question that is still new: How do we retain our identity if the important people have different traditions and practices?
and he does not delight in the death of the living.
For he created all things so that they might exist;
the generative forces of the world are wholesome,
and there is no destructive poison in them,
and the dominion of Hades is not on earth.
For righteousness is immortal.
God created us for incorruption,
and made us in the image of his own eternity,
but through the devil's envy death entered the world
and those who belong to his company experience it.
Part of the answer is in today's lesson: Remember what is really important to God. God intends for us and for everything to be good. We don't always do what God intends. And when we don't we--or someone--will suffer the consequences.
This text is an interesting companion to this week's gospel lesson about the two healings. Surely, the compilers of the lectionary didn't want us to think that either the daughter or the hemorrhaging woman deserved her situation. I would rather conclude that we are supposed to focus on the call to faithfulness--that shown by the woman willing to approach Jesus and Jairus, the father of the dying girl.
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