Fear Not, Only Believe….

Lk.8:50, ‘ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.’

Jairus, a ruler of synagogue approached Jesus, our Lord, and besought Him to come to his house to heal her one and only 12 years old daughter, who was sick and approaching death. As Jesus went, people thronged Him, in such a manner that He was unable to make it fast. A woman, with a bleeding issue was one among that crowd. She touched the border of His garment with faith and was healed. Jesus stopped to make this known to the crowd for His glory sake. All this took the much precious time of Jairus, who as a father was longing for her dying daughter to receive the healing touch of the Lord.

His waiting with patience is worth taking note of, for every second of life of her daughter was too precious.  Any parent in his place would have intervened and made noise. The woman’s issue was not as urgent as his, for his daughter was on the verge of death. But his deep trust in the Lord is manifested in his patient waiting. One’s silent and patient waiting manifests one’s deep trust in the Lord, no matter how serious and urgent the issue might be.

Lk.8:49, “While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the ^[r]Teacher.” The patient wait of Jairus might have seemed in vain. Had Jesus come fast, his daughter would have survived ! The urgency of the situation was not given importance by God. Such thoughts could have bombarded the heart and mind of Jairus. The one who informed Jairus saying ‘do not trouble the teacher’ meant in other words that things had gone beyond the reach of the teacher, our Lord. The world around often keeps a deadline of our waiting time with their own wisdom, declaring that ‘now nothing can be done’….’its too late’. And if one has a wavering faith, he or she soon has the tendency to believe what the world around believes and forget what the Lord said.

Lk.8:50, ‘ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.’ The matter was still in His hands. Even before Jairus could say a word on hearing this terrible news, He said ‘do not be afraid; only believe’. We ought to learn here that from the time we hand over our issues to our Lord’s hands with complete faith, everything involved in the process of manifestation of answers from heaven, even the seeming delays, all are in His complete and perfect control. Surely the Lord knew that the girl would be declared ‘dead’ by the world even before Jairus approached the Lord, for not a single hair falls from our head without His knowledge.

Lk.8:52-53, “Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” ⁵³ And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.” Here we see two attitudes. Those who wept and mourned did so on the basis of their knowledge. They knew that she was dead. On the other hand, Jesus said ‘she is not dead, but sleeping.’ He said so on the basis of perception of what would happen soon. For both, the daughter of Jairus was then in a still condition, unable to move or respond. One said that she was ‘dead’ while the Lord said that she was ‘sleeping’.

Many have issues in their lives in this ‘still’ status. It has been in same situation with no progress or movement for days, months or even years. The world around says ‘ do not trouble the Lord any more’ for its over. What does our heart say about it ? Is it dead or sleeping ? If dead, one has no expectation or hope. Its gone and over for ever. But if its sleeping, there is hope that it will arise or awake.

Jairus is seen being silent in these scenes. Surely he hoped in the words of the Lord. His eyes were fixed on Him who assured him. He did not know what would happen next, but his eyes never left the Lord’s face. His heart was again and again pondering on His Words, “Do not fear; Only believe.’ These Words destroyed all the boundaries and dead ends. These Words gave him hope. 

Lk.8:54-55, ‘But He ^[u]put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” ⁵⁵ Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.’

The Lord put all of them who mourned and ridiculed at His Words out of the room where the daughter of Jairus lay. Its important to put out of our hearts all those words and thoughts of the world around who mock the faith and hope the Lord has instilled in us. Let us not try to please the world by accommodating their words in our lives. Either faith or hopelessness can abide. Both cannot abide together. The fight between carnal thoughts and spirit lead thoughts continues in every God’s child’s life. Hence, feeding spiritual person more with His Word is important to overcome the carnal thoughts fed by the world around.

The Lord took her by the hand, saying, ‘little girl, arise’. Then her spirit returned. Indeed she was dead as the world said, as her spirit had returned. It returned because it had departed from her. But Jesus  spoke with faith that she is sleeping. She arose as a sleeping person arises. If the Lord has told us, ‘do not fear; only believe’, our seemingly dead issues are not dead. They are sleeping. And as we pray and wait in faith, in His perfect time, we will see them arise out of sleeping mode, full of life and strength.

 Lk.8:56, “And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.’

Though Jairus might have believed, he and his wife were astonished when it really happened. The things that the Lord does astonishes lives, for His glory.  He is merciful, compassionate and faithful. He never walks past our prayers and tears. Though He has His own ways and time to answer us, let us never give up hope. All our issues are still in His mighty hands. 

GOD bless us all.