Our lesson today comes from Mark 5:21-43, where Jesus heals two very different people: a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years, and the daughter of a religious leader whom He raised back to life. This passage illustrates the relationship between fear and faith. We see it in the devoted father, whose faith is tested when fear begins to take hold, and in the desperate woman, who pushes past her fear to trust in the power of Jesus.
Transcript
It is so good to be with you again today. We are honored to be here and consider it a privilege to look into the Word of God with you. We believe Jesus was fully human and fully God. This is not something we can easily explain or understand, but His life shows He was God. Who else could control the weather, and who else holds power over all spiritual forces? Today, we will look at two examples of Jesus healing people: one in which he heals a person after 12 years of illness, and the other in which he brings a person back to life.
Our title is “Don’t Be Afraid, Just Believe.” Think about the relationship between fear and faith. Is it possible to have both? Let’s go now to Mark chapter 5, and J Mark will read the last part of this chapter as we begin today’s lesson.
As we resume our study in Mark’s Gospel, we come to the account of Jairus’ daughter being raised from death and the healing of the woman who had a chronic hemorrhage. There are valuable lessons about faith and fear we can learn as we meditate on this Scripture. In the last several scenes of Mark’s Gospel, we’ve seen themes of fear and faith in Jesus’ control over nature, over demons, and now over sickness and death.
Listen carefully now as I read Mark 5:21-43.
21 Now, when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.
22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet
23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”
24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but instead grew worse.
27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.
28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
29 Immediately, the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
32 And He looked around to see who had done this thing.
33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell before Him and told Him the whole truth.
34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.
38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw [g]a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.
39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those with Him, and entered where the child was lying.
41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
42 Immediately, the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.
43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
In this text, the comparison of faith and fear is clearly illustrated. As we examine these illustrations, we will gain a deeper understanding of Jesus’ words, “Don’t be Afraid, Just Believe.”
The First ILLUSTRATION (of the comparison between faith and fear) is,
A Devoted Father
Mark and Luke identify Jairus (JY-RUS) as a ruler of the synagogue. He was most likely prosperous and well-respected in the community. But not everything about his life was ideal. His precious little girl is dying. Jairus sought out Jesus as his only hope. This is his first visible expression of faith; he believed Jesus could help.
He came to Jesus and fell at His feet. This is an act of worship, of surrender, of acknowledging one’s inferiority in the presence of a superior. This is highly unusual for a religious leader of the Jews. He begs Him to come to his house and heal his daughter.
By virtue of his position and wealth, Jairus could have called the best physician in the area. But this little girl’s life was slipping away rapidly. She needed help, and she needed it NOW! So, in response to Jairus’ request, Jesus immediately turns His steps toward his house.
Jairus’s response illustrates faith that ultimately brings wholeness. However, as we follow the narrative, fear enters the picture, and his faith begins to waver.
As Jesus heads toward Jairus’ house, He is thronged by the multitude. That detail leads us to the following illustration of the relationship between faith and fear.
The Next ILLUSTRATION is,
A Desperate Woman
The text reveals a woman with an acute physical need. She has battled a chronic hemorrhage for 12 years. She has spent all her money on doctors, and no one can heal her. She did not get better; she only got worse.
According to the Mosaic law, her discharge made her unclean. She could not live in a house with other people because everything she touched in daily life became unclean. Through no fault of her own, she was relegated to a life of suffering.
She believed that if she could touch Jesus’ garments, she would be healed. And in the crowd, she saw her chance. But her faith in Jesus overcame her fear and propelled her forward.
Timidly, she reaches out and touches the border of Jesus’ garment. And immediately her hemorrhaging stopped! Her faith had healed her. The crowd didn’t see what she did, but Jesus knew. He asked, “Who touched my clothes?” The disciples said, “Master, the crowd is so dense around you, how can you ask, ‘Who touched me?” But Jesus knew that power had been released through Him. He knew that the touch was intentional!
The woman realized that Jesus knew, and she came forward, trembling in fear, and fell at His feet. In front of that whole multitude, she humbled herself and stated plainly the reason why she had touched Jesus and how she was instantly healed.
But I believe her healing wasn’t complete until Jesus spoke the words of verse 34. He said, “Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.” I believe that if she had been able to disappear in the crowd, she would have missed out on this wholeness.
This woman pushed past her fear, believed in the power of Jesus, and was rewarded with complete healing.
The Final ILLUSTRATION is,
A Doubting Father
While Jesus is still speaking to the woman, someone from Jairus’ house came and whispered to him, “Your daughter is now dead. Do not disturb the Master anymore.” Imagine the impact of those words. His hopes, so high at finding Jesus so quickly, are now dashed.
But Jesus overheard the messenger, and He spoke to Jairus words of comfort. “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she shall be made whole. ”Despite what now seems to be a hopeless situation, Jesus invites Jairus to exercise faith in Him. Even as Jairus’ faith wavers, he continues toward the house with Jesus.
That Jairus’ faith was weak is evidenced by his passivity in the face of this message from home. It seems that his fear paralyzed him. In his mind, all was lost; his little daughter was dead.
As they arrive at the crowded house, Jesus, the girl’s parents, and Jesus’ inner circle are the only ones permitted to enter with Him. Jesus offers the mourners the opportunity to exercise faith. “Why are you weeping? She is not dead but is sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him scornfully. Anyone could see that the girl was dead.
Putting everyone else outside the room where the girl lay, Jesus took her by the hand and said, “Little girl, arise.” At His command, her spirit returned to her body, and she got up from the bed where she had been lying. Presenting the girl to her astonished parents, he told them to give her something to eat and forbade them from telling anyone else what had happened in that inner room.
Have you discovered the freedom that comes from replacing fear with faith? True faith agrees with God about your sin and His singular provision for your salvation. Without that first step, you’ll never be whole, and you’ll never be free from fear.
Have you realized the hand of God in your life? Maybe you entered a difficult period of life with great faith in Jesus’ power. But like Jairus, it’s not turning out the way you expected. Are you doubting God’s promises and questioning His love for you? Are you fearful of the future?
Jesus knew the delay in visiting Jairus’ house would result in the girl’s death, but raising her from death was just as easy as raising her from sickness. And Jesus knows what will bring the most glory to Him through your situation. His desire for you and me is complete wholeness. Jesus can make you and me whole even if the problem we’re in isn’t resolved in the way we prefer.
So let me urge you today, whatever situation you find yourself in, to surrender to the loving hands of Jesus and accept His invitation, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”
Thank you, J Mark, for this thought-provoking lesson on fear and faith. I like how each time fear was present, Jesus set it aside. When the woman was trembling and fearful, he healed her and told her to go in peace. Right after that, Jesus told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid,” because he knew Jairus was afraid. For both of them, faith was needed to overcome the fear. So many times, this is precisely the battle we face. Will we trust Him or be fearful of the many things that could go wrong? I remind you of our title, Don’t be Afraid, Just Believe.
If you have any questions about today’s lesson or if you would like to contact us, please let us know. You can reach us by email or the internet. Our email address is [email protected], and our website is heraldsofhope.org. There, go to the “partner” tab at the top. Under this tab, you will see “contact us”; from there, you can message us directly. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thanks again for being with us today on Hope for Today. We look forward to being with you next time. I will close with a popular Old Testament verse. It shows clearly the correlation between faith and fear. Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
