Hosea 2:16-18, 21-22 / Matthew 9:18-26
It is said that laughter is the best medicine.
Indeed, there are emotional and physical benefits of having a good laugh.
But of course, it depends on what we are laughing at.
When we are able to laugh at our own mistakes and foolishness, then we are not being too hard on ourselves.
When we see the lighter side of ourselves, it certainly benefits us emotionally and physically.
But when we laugh at others because we think that what they are doing and thinking is ridiculous and foolish, it might be better to hold on first to that laughter.
In the gospel, when Jesus saw the crowd making a commotion about the little girl’s death, He told them to get out, and He said that the little girl is not dead but only asleep.
The crowd laughed at Him, but then later, they were certainly not laughing when they saw the little girl alive and well.
The lesson that we can learn from this gospel account is that it is better to be cautious than to be presumptuous.
There are many things that we don’t understand as well as ignorant about how God can do what we think is impossible.
Let us laugh at our own foolishness and ignorance, and that would be the best medicine for ourselves.