Do not be afraid any longer, only believe

Mark 5:35-37 (NASB)

While He was still speaking, they came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”

The synagogue official’s name was Jairus (Mark 5:22).   He approached Jesus who had just crossed the Sea of Galilee and was standing on the seashore of Capernaum.  Capernaum was Jesus’ home location during His ministry after He left his hometown of Nazareth (Matt 4:13).  Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet and begged Jesus to heal his daughter was at the point of death.  While Jesus was healing the woman with the hemorrhage problem because of her faith (Mark 5:25-34) Jairus was told that his daughter had died.  Jesus overheard this news and then said to Jairus not to be afraid any longer, but to believe.  Jesus then went to Jairus home, said to the little girl, “Little girl, I say to you, arise” and she did.

We all have significant fears in our lives and have experienced many times when we have felt real fear.  What have been your experiences of fear?  Have you ever experienced the feeling or sensed/heard the words of Jesus, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe?”   Oh, indeed, it takes deep seated faith to (1) remember these words of Jesus when we are experiencing fear and (2) truly believing them.  The Polish leader, Lech Walesa, is quoted as saying, “Deep faith eliminates fear”.  Do you have this kind of deep faith that can always replace your fear(s)?   

I’ve heard that there are 365 verses, one for each day of the year (minus leap year) that contains the phrase “do not be afraid” or “fear not”, but that’s not true.  You can look up several websites (e.g. http://wordnuggets.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/how-many-times-does-the-bible-say-fear-not/) where people have found not more than 100 times this phase is used in the Bible.  Yet, as several pointed out, even if there was only one “do not be afraid” verse spoken by Jesus, would that not be enough?

Jesus’ words about replacing fear with faith are similar to Paul’s famous words in Philippians 4:6 “Do not worry about anything, but pray about everything……”  In Matthew 6:25b, 27, and 30b Jesus also spoke bluntly about fear and faith---“…….do not be worried about your life……and who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?.......You of little faith!”.

Someone once said that “fear & anxiety is based on not knowing what’s next...faith is based on knowing the One who does!”  The Bible is very clear that if you believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ, you are not to fear or worry about anything.  You are to have faith and put your trust in the Lord and let Him take care of whatever is causing you to fear and worry.  If you candidly know that you fear and worry excessively, you do not have sufficient faith.  You deepen your faith by getting more serious about knowing your bible and incorporating its promises about faith deep within your heart and soul.  You know what you need to do. 

“Feed your fears and your faith will starve. Feed your faith, and your fears will.”—Max Lucado