Fearless Faith
Jarius’ only daughter was dead. A messenger had just arrived to share the sad news. Those words shatter even the strongest of hearts. Yet, Jesus looked at this devastated father and stopped him in his tracks. “Do not fear, only believe, and she will be well.” (verse 50) Fear is the enemy of faith. It distracts us and convinces us to try something else. Throughout scripture, God tells His people to not fear. Joshua 1:9 records God saying, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” God’s will cannot be thwarted. Wouldn’t it be nice if He sent us a memo outlining that will? If I knew exactly what He had planned, I could easily walk in faith, but would that be faith at all? Jesus asked Jarius to do something very hard. He asked him to trust in the impossible.
Both Jarius and the unnamed woman with the issue of blood received their greatest desires. The fact that these two healings are intermingled serves to show us the individuality of our God. There are similarities about their conditions. Jarius’ daughter had already brought him twelve years of joy while the woman had suffered with bleeding for twelve years. The girl was pronounced dead while the woman was treated as if she were dead by her friends and family. Still, their healings came very differently. The woman had only to touch Jesus’ clothes. Jarius was asked to walk in faith with the weight of death on his shoulders. Jesus did not treat them exactly the same. Nor did he treat Jarius as he had the centurion who asked for healing of his servant while not requiring Jesus to visit his home. God knows exactly where we are. He knows our struggles and our fears. He knows what it will take to overcome the obstacles blocking our ability to truly believe. Because his greatest concern is our heart, he will not stop at what is convenient. He presses us to move on until our faith has become sight; until our heart honestly understands the lesson. We can see that through the one thing which was the same in all these instances: God allowed their desperation to be complete before He took away their trial.
Faith is more than a back-up plan. It needs to be a way of life for us. We are not truly trusting in God if we are busy making our own plans in the background. This is a tricky subject. Many people believe that means they should never go to a doctor or accept help which is offered, but what if God’s healing comes through their hands? Again, faith boils down to a heart issue. Do we believe God can perform miracles? Do we understand that those miracles are always different? Jesus showed us the variation in his miracles even within today’s reading. Seeking out a physician’s help is not evidence of a lack of faith. Believing God no longer heals and therefore a doctor must be relied upon is. Believing that God gives the ability to heal to doctors retains our faith in God, as does praying for and trusting in a miracle. Are you open to the many varied ways in which God can move on your behalf? No matter what form the healing comes in, never forget who set things in motion. Give the glory where the glory is due. God still does miracles. Do we live as if we expect them?
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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