My interpretation of these events is that there were a group of people — likely relatives and close friends of Jairus and his daughter — who were waiting in the house when Christ Jesus arrived with Peter, James, John, Jairus and his daughter’s mother. It was not those who came with Jesus who laughed, but those within the house. When those mourning within the house refused the comfort of the Christ, “he put them all out.” (Luke 8:54) Despite saying “all,” I believe those that accompanied Jesus remained, as their belief and positive expectancy were not an impediment to the work he came to do.

I also think it is interesting that verse 56 says “he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.” Certainly people would see that Jairus’ daughter was alive, so I had wondered before why this command was given. Parthen’s post about the paralytic patients who were healed but then “remembered” that they were not supposed to be able to walk helped me to see that mortal mind — that “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44) — would love to argue that Jairus’ daughter should be dead. One of the many things I have learned here is that we are not supposed to converse with error, we are to handle it.

Thank you Plainfield for all that is taught here!