Luke 8:46-51
The woman who touched him did not want to be noticed; she wanted to hide, but when she couldn’t, she fell at Jesus’ feet trembling in fear. She had been healed of her bleeding. Her years of uncleanness, her isolation, needed Jesus’ touch as well. She needed restoration as well as healing.
While Jesus is ministering to her, Jairus, whose home he was going to, is told that his daughter has died. His emotions were in turmoil; he had left his house to find Jesus, the only one who could save her, and while on his way back with him this woman stops Jesus, taking precious time and dooming his daughter. Anger, hopelessness and fear were about to overcome Jairus.
“Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.”
“Don’t be afraid.” How could he not be afraid; he just received the worse possible news, “Your daughter is dead.” He had gone from hope to despair. Now it was too late. However, there is never a “Too late” with Jesus; it’s just another occasion for faith to prove itself. In the middle of his turmoil and grief, Jesus tells him not to be afraid!… to have faith!… and to expect her to be healed!
In the middle Jairus’ despair, Jesus speaks hope. The antithesis of fear is always faith. Fear constricts hope, while faith releases hope. Fear destroys hope, while faith gives birth to hope.
Jesus’ words met the resistance of the crowd: the voice of unbelief. They knew death, and as far as that was concerned, when death came, there was no hope—there had never been hope when it came to death. But Jesus was never influenced by the crowd. What they called hopeless he called “Sleep.” When he spoke life, life returned. Until God declares something “death,” it is “sleep.”
How often have we declared something finished, that God had not declared finished? The world may see and call something “dead,” “hopeless”, “impossible” where God is working out his purposes. When we hear the words that replace hope with despair, we are listening to unbelief. There is always a greater purpose if we keep in tune with Jesus; “Don’t be afraid, just have faith and it will be done.”
Let us not tire or give up on that which others declare, “Its over.”