Do Not Be Afraid. Only Believe.

"Do not be afraid, only believe." 

What is going on in your life right now that you are afraid of? What looks so big and insurmountable that you feel overwhelmed? Where is it in your life that you feel utterly alone? Where do you feel like your lost in the middle of the wilderness with no direction or compass to bring you back home? 

In Mark 5, Jesus ministry is fully alive. He is approached by Jairus about his daughter who is gravely ill. In Mark it says "he throws himself at Jesus' feet". Sounds like a desperate plea doesn't it? Where in your life do you want to just throw yourself at His feet and beg for healing? While He and his disciples are enroute the woman with the bleeding disorder is crawling on her belly to get to Jesus. She is taking a huge risk being "unclean" in society. Have you felt like her? Have you spent so much on doctors or counselors or temporary substitutes to fill your void and this is your last ditch effort? When have you felt unclean? This woman remembered the promise of the messiah who would come and heal all disease and by faith reached out to touch the tassels on his garment. 

And Jesus felt the power leaving him...friends, He sees you. He hears you when you call. He knows your feeling of desperation. His heart breaks with yours. He knows what a leap of faith it is just to reach out when you've been so beat down for so long. 
He acknowledges her. He asks who touched him and bravely, the woman steps forward and for the first time in so long, she is seen. Her pain is seen. Her heart is seen. 

During all this, Jairus's servants come and say don't worry about bothering the teacher any further, your daughter is dead. First of all, as if Jesus sees us as "bothering" him. Let's just all get over that right now. Second of all, Jesus answers by identifying with Jairus broken heart, you see he sees him too. "Do not be afraid, only believe." Jesus doesn't say "and" believe, he says "only" believe. 

Friends that's the answer. Only believe. How many times do the circumstances look so bleak and you feel so burdened there's no way for you to believe and yet that's exactly what he asks us to do.

He resurrects this little girl's life and the first thing he asks them to do is feed her of course, because Jesus is real. He doesn't ask for formal prayer or even thanks, he tells them to feed her.

So, what in your life needs to be brought back to life? What do you believe is so far gone that you think there's no point in bothering the teacher? What does he want to not only resurrect but then also feed in your life. It's time we take Jesus at His word. Let us all not be afraid but choose today to only believe.