Antidote to Fear
Several Sundays ago on my way to church while wrestling with a particularly thorny and recurring issue, I asked the Lord to speak wisdom into my heart regarding this challenge. In our bible study class we were discussing Mark 5:21-43, Jesus’ interaction with both a ruler of the Jews and a woman ill for many years.
Several Sundays ago on my way to church while wrestling with a particularly thorny and recurring issue, I asked the Lord to speak wisdom into my heart regarding this challenge. In our bible study class we were discussing Mark 5:21-43, Jesus’ interaction with both a ruler of the Jews and a woman ill for many years.
The ruler came to ask Jesus to heal his little daughter who was dying. The woman reached out and touched Jesus’ robe, believing that she would be healed. The leader of our discussion, a physician himself, asked a great question. “What do you think of Jesus’ triage of these two requests?” On the one hand the woman had been ill for years with a chronic condition, and the little girl was near death.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine the consternation of the ruler as Jesus takes the time to find and dialog with the woman. We pictured him waiting while shifting from one foot to the other, yet it appears that Jesus said nothing to him. Then word comes to the ruler that the little daughter has died and there was no longer a need for Jesus to come.
Again, at this point, you can imagine the emotions and distress of the ruler and now Jesus speaks. “Do not be afraid; just believe.” At the very moment where the circumstances strongly challenged his faith, Jesus provided just the encouragement he needed not to falter in his faith. He experienced deliverance and the miracle restoration of his daughter in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
Those words echoed deep within my heart as well, the answer to my prayer. “Do not be afraid; just believe.” How easy it is when trouble comes and fear arises to default to my own devices, my own understanding, scrambling to find a solution. Jesus’ antidote to fear is faith. And fear is faith’s enemy. Jesus' words strengthen faltering faith.
We live in a fear-producing world, so I pass on to you today Jesus’ words to me, still so relevant. Whatever the challenge, whatever the obstacle, “Do not be afraid; just believe.”
Gwynne Johnson
Gwynne Johnson currently serves on the Board of Entrust, Inc., an international education and training mission where she authored the Entrust curriculum, Developing a Discerning Heart. She recently served as Co-Chair of the training project, Christian Women in Partnership, Russia and as Senior Director of Women's Ministry at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. Gwynne has a M.A. in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She currently lives in Huntsville, Texas with her husband of 58 years, Don. She works part-time in her daughter and granddaughter's bakery "The Best Box Ever," where she gets paid in cookies.
2 Comments
Sue Bohlin
When Jesus is infuriating
–or at the very least, confusing!
I loved your class discussion of the way Jesus appeared to "take His sweet time" with the woman with a chronic condition, while the little girl was in crisis mode. The synagogue ruler must have been going NUTS inside! I wonder if he wondered, as did the disciples in the boat during the storm, "Hey! Don't You CARE??!!"
Lately I've been thinking about the loss of confidence of so many believers (and seekers, for that matter). Many lose their faith because of just this kind of situation: God appears to be taking His sweet time or worse, completely oblivious to our pain and fear, so they come to the wrong conclusion and abandon their faith.
"But God. . ." Those two such powerful words! But God's watch is never slow and His power never flags. There was so much more joy for the ruler and more glory to God when Jesus raised the little girl from the dead, than if the daddy had been able to write the script for how Jesus should arrange His schedule and release His power.
Thanks for shining a light on this anecdote from the gospels as a reminder that we can trust God's timing, even if we're infuriated, or confused, because we don't see the bigger picture.
Gwynne Johnson
You say it even better!
A view from "above" helps me..thanks Sue.