Don’t be afraid; just believe.

Mark 5:36

Jairus’ daughter was sick. He goes to Jesus for help. Jesus starts to go with him and gets interrupted. Then people come and tell him that his daughter has died, to let it go. It’s over.

Jesus’ response? “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.”

Don’t be afraid. Afraid? Afraid of what? Is fear what you would describe Jairus as feeling when he heard that his daughter had died? Grief? Shock? Fear? We might say, “I’m afraid it’s true.” Fear? It’s not how I would describe it. I’m trying to place it. Fear of the future? Fear of the unknown? What happens to our family?

Fear is defined by the dictionary as the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Fear is a belief. It’s a belief that something is bigger than God. It’s a belief that something is more true, more real than God.

We can’t believe in God and believe in fear. They are contrary beliefs.

When Adam and Eve sinned, the first expression of sin in them was fear. They were afraid and hid. They used to love God and go to Him. Now they were afraid of Him and ran and hid from Him. They ate the forbidden fruit. They took in Satan’s lies instead of feasting on God’s true word, our bread of life. We need to live by it. A life lived by the Word is a life free from fear. Where there is fear, there is a lack of either knowing or believing the truth.