No Fear

          During the era between the Old Testament and the New Testament, Jewish religious life became much more structured than it had been earlier.  While Jerusalem would continue to be the religious center, individual towns were establishing local synagogues to provide stability and regularity in teaching and worship.  Each synagogue had its own official, or ruler, who ordered the worship and cared for the building and its contents.

            Jesus had just crossed over the Sea of Galilee.  Great crowds followed Him, and so He stayed by the seashore.  One of the rulers of the synagogues came to Him, fell at His feet and began to beg Jesus to come with him and heal his daughter.  Jesus readily and willingly followed him.   

           On their way a woman touched the hem of His robe.  Jesus stopped.  He asked who touched Him.  His disciples point out that He is surrounded by a multitude of people.  Who could know who touched Him, and did it really matter?

            It mattered to Jesus, and to some extent it mattered to the synagogue official as well.  The woman came forward and confessed, and Jesus lovingly affirmed that it was her faith that had healed her.  While this man was watching and listening to this example of faith in action, someone came from his house to inform him that his daughter has died. 

“But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official ‘Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.’” Mark 5:36

You’ve just seen faith in action, and its results.  Set aside fear and choose to believe, or go home to your house of death.  It’s your choice.

            Jesus sent the crowds away, followed the man home and healed the girl.  This father chose to set his fear aside and believe.

            Jesus offers each of us the same choice.  What are you afraid of?  Death?  Rejection?  A life out of your control?  Change? Set your fear aside and choose to believe that the God who healed a little girl and gave up His very life can conquer the death in your life and make you whole and free.

            Or don’t.  The crowd didn’t.  I wonder how many people in that pressing multitude touched Jesus that day with no result whatsoever.  You can be master of your own destiny.  You can grasp tightly to your fear and hold on to it for eternity.  God doesn’t force us to live life, but the alternative is to choose death.

            We can only imagine the life the little girl Jesus raised must have gone on to live, but we know that because her father chose to set his fear aside and believe in the healing power of Jesus she had a life to live.  It must have been amazing.  She had a great story to tell to her grandchildren!

            I understand fear. I have been through periods of my life where I was so paralyzed that it took supreme effort just to get out bed and get dressed in the morning. On less successful days, it took effort to get out of bed and get dressed in the afternoon. God took my hand and helped me up, and gave me a little push forward, and here I am today. I had to choose to trust his word. “If God is for me, who can be against me?” I had a list of people I thought were probably against me, but the point was that God was for me. So I put one foot in front of the other, and refused to let fear win.  

            God has an amazing life for you, a story you’ll be able to share, a grand adventure shared between Him and you.  Let go of fear.  Choose to believe.