FEBRUARY 14, 2023
“While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:35-36)
The report that Jarius had brought to Jesus about his daughter when he had first implored Him was that she was at the point of death. It was a hopeless situation, but Jarius had come with hope in Christ. He had seen Jesus and had asked him earnestly to save his daughter. Jesus did not turn him away, but agreed to go with him. The response of Jesus in immediately going with him would have been a great sense of relief if you could imagine. Not only did the Lord hear his plea, but He agreed to go. With what this man has heard about Jesus, it would’ve been a great relief when he had seen that Jesus heard his plea and immediately agreed to go with him. A spark of hope was ignited when Jesus began to walk with him.
But that hope was confronted whenever some had come from Jarius’ house and had told him, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” Immediately, this report attacked the hope that the man had. He had hoped that his daughter would be healed. Jesus responded by agreeing to go with him and he had known that Jesus had healed many. But now the report is that his daughter is dead and, therefore, he shouldn’t bother Jesus any longer. While there was some hope for him for his daughter because she was alive, the report comes back and declares loudly that there is no hope because she is now dead.
But this was not simply an affront to the hope he had in his daughter being healed, this was an attack on Christ. Jesus had agreed to go and to heal his daughter. While the man had hope that his daughter would be healed, he came to Jesus as his only hope for her being healed. But the report comes and takes his eyes off of Jesus. The enemy comes and fixes the eyes of Jarius upon the hopeless situation. “She is dead!” The weight of this situation for man, in whom all things are impossible, was of the greatest weight. You could imagine the thoughts that could’ve been lifted up in his mind. “Only if Jesus did not take His time to heal that lady, He would’ve been able to heal my daughter,” or maybe, “In taking his time, Jesus had forgotten me and my daughter.” The thoughts that waged war against Christ could have been many in this situation, for this report that was brought from Jarius’ house was a direct affront against Christ. It sought to remove the eyes of the man off of Christ and to fix them upon the hopeless situation.
But now, we must look keenly upon the response of Jesus. He declared unto the man, “Do not fear. Only believe.” So gently, Jesus takes the eyes of the man off of the hopeless situation and fixes his eyes back upon his only hope. He takes his eyes off of the report and causes him to hear the word of God. What is impossible with man is possible with God and it is God Incarnate who stands before him. He came to Christ and Jesus had agreed to go with him to heal his daughter. What God promises to do, He will do. Regardless of how bleak the situation is, the Lord is faithful to His promises. His promises are not dependent upon the situation, but are founded upon His own will. So, He tells the man to not fear, only believe.
Although the report comes back to us from our own house, and we hear those weighty words, “She is dead, why bother the teacher any longer?” the word of God triumphs over our current situation. Even as it is written of Abraham: “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” (Romans 4:19-20) Although our bodies are as good as dead, the promises of God are yes and amen! Jesus rose from the grave and we rose with Him. The Son was condemned and He has made us righteous. The Son died and He has given us everlasting life. He was made to be sin on that cross and He has made us sons of God in His ascension.
The deceiver always comes and seeks to fix our eyes upon hopelessness, but the Spirit of God always reminds us of our eternal hope in Christ. The deceiver comes and seeks to take our eyes off of Christ, but the Spirit of God always comes bearing witness of Christ. Those who come to Jesus, He never turns away. All who call upon His name shall be saved. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. Let us keenly fix our eyes upon Jesus Christ and not the reports that come our way. Let us not look to what is seen, but let us look to what is seen only by our eyes of faith!
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