Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” (Mark 5:36)
A man named Jairus, the elected ruler of the local synagogue, sought out Jesus because his daughter was dying. Jairus believed Jesus could heal her with simply a touch of His hand, and he fell at the Lord’s feet, pleading earnestly with Jesus to come to his home and heal his daughter. Jesus readily agreed, but along the way, Jesus paused to heal a woman who had suffered from a bleeding condition for 12 years. While Jesus was still speaking to the woman who had been healed, men came from Jairus’ house and reported that his daughter was dead. The hope Jairus had for Jesus to heal his daughter had now turned into hopelessness. Or had it?
Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” To be sure, the circumstances in the life of Jairus argued against all hope. His daughter was dead. It was too late; there would be no healing for his sick daughter. So instead of a healing, Jesus provided a resurrection from the dead. Whatever Jairus was thinking after being told his daughter was dead, he still had hope that Jesus could work a miracle. He had hope in an utterly hopeless situation.
What Jesus said to Jairus then — “Don’t be afraid; just believe” — He is saying to you and me today. Whatever trial or sorrow is afflicting you, look to Jesus and fear not, because the God of Hope is at work in your life. Nothing is impossible for God, and because of God’s great love for you, hope must be our response, regardless of what we are facing. Greater is the power that is at work within us than any power that comes against us. Let that truth give you hope in any seemingly hopeless situation.
Remember, God brought water from a rock, bread from heaven, turned the Red Sea into a highway for the Israelites to walk across on dry ground, and raised Jairus’ daughter from death to life. What miracle do you need today in your life? No matter what, there is always room for hope! Don’t be afraid, Christian; just believe.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 