Do not be afraid, only believe

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler, ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’  Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, ‘Don’t be afraid, just believe.’ Mark 5: 35 – 36

Jairus, the local synagogue ruler, came to Jesus to plead earnestly with him to come and heal his daughter who was dying. A large crowd had gathered around Jesus, many of them hoping for a miracle no doubt, but Jairus was the one who got Jesus’ attention and he agreed to go and heal his daughter.

However on the way, Jesus encountered another person desperate for a miracle; the woman with the issue of blood. She had been sick for 12 years and ‘suffered much under the care of many doctors’ and ‘had spent all she had’. She had only got worse not better and with faith similar to Jairus she too stretched forth her hand to touch Jesus’ clothes believing that if she did so she would be healed – and she was healed. However Jesus knew that faith had drawn the power for a miracle from him and was not going to let the moment pass until he knew who had touched him. The disciples were amazed as there were crowds all around Jesus touching him but no one except the woman had drawn the ‘healing virtue’ from him. Once the woman was identified, Jesus confirmed the miracle and commended her faith and sent her away in peace.

We can imagine Jairus may have been fretting about this delay and imagine his disappointment and dismay when some men came and told him to stop bothering the teacher as his daughter had died.  Their lack of faith contrasted sharply with Jairus’ faith and immediately Jesus said to him, ‘Don’t be afraid. Only believe,’ or in the Amplified, ‘Do not be seized with fear and struck with alarm; only keep on believing.’ Jesus did not want him to lose faith and lose the miracle but to keep on believing which he obviously did as Jesus raised his daughter from the dead after clearing the house of the unbelieving professional mourners.

The interesting thing is that both Jairus and the woman pressed through the crowd to get their miracle. I don’t know about you but I think too often diffidence holds us back or false modesty that says I am no more worthy than anyone else so why should I have a miracle when they may not. Jesus however commends bold faith because his resources are not short and everyone with bold faith can have a miracle. There is no rationing on miracles!

Secondly I believe Jesus would encourage us not to give up when difficult circumstances that fly in the face of our miracle occur but to fear not and keep on believing.  Today if you are trusting God for healing for yourself or a friend, or for the salvation of a family member or friend or a breakthrough in a circumstance at home or work, press through the crowd with a faith-filled heart and plead with Jesus. If difficult circumstances arise, do not give in to fear but with renewed faith declare that God is my healer (Exodus 15:26), God wants all to be saved (II Peter 3:9) and God is the God of the impossible (Matthew 19:26). Our faith will be rewarded if we do not give up.