Do not be afraid only believe!
Mark 5:35-36 (NLT) 35While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus’s home with the message, "Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now. 36But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, "Don’t be afraid. Just trust me."
Now let's get right to the point. How many believe this? Mary and I were talking about this other day. How many Christians truly believe these simple words. In this case Jarius had come to Jesus to ask Him to heal his daughter. We know that Jarius had waited until almost the last minute. Why do you ask? Jarius was the leader of the local Synagogue. Jarius was not just another follower of Jesus he was a leading Jew in the area. As the leader of the synagogue he represented those that were plotting to kill Jesus. He knew what would happen to him if he went to Jesus and asked for help. Jarius had been praying and supplicating to God to heal his daughter. You know he had to be doing everything he knew yet nothing was working. He watched his lovely child slip further and further from him into death. But, he knew if he went to Jesus for help his career in the Jewish leadership was over. He knew that it would not take long for the whole area to know that the leader of their synagogue was with Jesus. By the time Jarius came to Jesus he was at the end of his rope and knew if something did not happen fast his daughter would die. Mark 5:22-23 (NLT) 22A leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came and fell down before him, pleading with him to heal his little daughter. "She is about to die, he said in desperation. "Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live. We see from above that Jarius bowed before Jesus and begged that He would come and heal her. Jarius now had committed himself all the way. Not only was he with Jesus, but asked Jesus to come to his house and heal his daughter. Jesus knew what it took for this man to go against everything he had ever believed. Jesus knew what the man had risked to come. Jesus also knew the mans thoughts when his servants came and told him, his daughter was dead. For the fleeting moment before Jesus spoke Jarius had to be thinking that he had lost it all. Not only had he lost his daughter but he had lost his position in the Synagogue and his ability to support his remaining family. At that moment he must have felt he waited too long to come to Jesus and now had lost it all. But Jesus understood all that, He also knew that Jarius did not need a lengthy explanation of how God works. No! all he needed was Jesus' simple and comforting words. "Don’t be afraid. Just trust me. This my friends is where the rubber meets the road.
We all know the rest of the story, It had a great ending. Jarius's daughter was raised from the dead. The family was restored and most likely Jarius became one of the Jews that preached the truth about the Messiah. He was still the leader of the local Synagogue, but now he was preaching the living Messiah not the coming Messiah. But you see Jarius had to do what Jesus said or things could have turned out completely different. Jarius had to keep his eyes on Jesus or things could have turn out completely different. How many times in your lives have you been up against a wall. When you could not find a way out. When all you could feel was death and destruction? You see that was how Jarius felt at the moment when those word were uttered. "Your daughter is dead." But Jarius looked into those lovely eyes of compassion and heard the words "Don’t be afraid. Just trust me. and he did!
My question to you my friends is do you believe? I have seen in my life many miracles occur because I was able to believe that every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God is good and profitable. You see my friends I firmly believe that part of the problem with the church today is that we do not believe every word of the Bible. A great atheist once said that the reason he was an atheist was " If Christians truly believed every word in the Bible and the words of Jesus they would never rest until they had told everyone the gospel of salvation, because they would not want anyone to go to hell." But because he saw so many "Christians" happily living their lives with no urgency to preach the gospel he concluded, they themselves must not believe it.
I ask you my friends what would happen today in this dark world if every professing Christian simply believed every word in the Bible? What would happen if every Christian simply believed Jesus words "Don’t be afraid. Just trust me. The time grows short , soon we will stand before the Lord and He will ask us what we did with that talent He gave us. What will your answer be? Look Lord you gave me one talent and I gained many more? Or Look Lord I took your one talent and hid it in church so I would not lose it. Where will you be my friend? God expects us to use the talents He has given us.
God Bless
Pastor A. J.
