Neville Goddard on Mark 5:39

Executive Summary

In the provided material, Neville Goddard does not offer a direct interpretation of Mark 5:39 but instead presents it within the biblical narrative of Jairus's daughter. The story highlights Jesus's instruction to "Be not afraid, only believe," followed by his declaration that the girl is not dead but only sleeping. This statement is met with mockery, prompting Jesus to shut the door on the doubters before entering the room where the girl lay.

Key Concepts

• The re-framing of a seemingly irreversible condition ('dead') into a temporary one ('sleepeth').
• The immediate negative reaction of the crowd (doubt and mockery) to a claim that contradicts sensory evidence.
• The deliberate act of excluding the doubters ('closing the doors') before the desired outcome is experienced.

Detailed Explanation

The source material presents the story of Jairus's daughter to illustrate a principle in action. Upon hearing the news that the girl is dead, Jesus's first instruction is, "Be not afraid, only believe." This sets the stage for operating from a state of faith rather than fear or acceptance of external facts.

When he arrives, Jesus confronts the weeping and wailing crowd by challenging their perception of reality. He asks them why they are making a commotion and declares, "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." This statement directly contradicts the accepted fact of the situation, proposing an entirely different state for the girl.

The crowd, representing the outer world of doubt and reason, immediately mocks and laughs at him. Their reaction signifies the resistance one faces from the senses and from others when assuming something contrary to evidence. In response, Jesus does not argue or try to convince them. Instead, he closes the doors against the mocking crowd, physically and symbolically shutting out all opposition and disbelief. Only those who are with him in faith—his disciples and the child's parents—are permitted to enter the room with him.

Important Quotes

Be not afraid, only believe.

— Thinking Fourth-Dimensionally

The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

— Thinking Fourth-Dimensionally

Related Concepts

The act of "closing the doors against the mocking crowd" is analogous to the core Neville Goddard teaching of shutting out the contrary evidence of the senses. The mocking crowd represents the internal and external voices of doubt that must be ignored to successfully maintain the assumption of the wish fulfilled. By taking only his followers inside, Jesus demonstrates the principle of entering a state of consciousness with only the thoughts and feelings that support the desired reality.

Common Misunderstandings

The provided source material does not address common misunderstandings of this verse; it only presents the biblical narrative without further commentary.

Practical Applications

The source material presents this story but does not explicitly detail a practical application for the student based on this specific verse.

Frequently Asked Questions

According to the narrative Neville presents, what does Jesus say about the girl's condition?

He states, "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth."

How did the crowd react to Jesus's statement?

They mocked and laughed at him.

What did Jesus do in response to the crowd's mockery?

He closed the doors against the mocking crowd, taking only the girl's parents and his disciples with him into the room.