But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe. (Mark 5:36 ESV)
I put on sunscreen before I mow the lawn. I take Benedryl before I mow the lawn. I charge up my ancient MP3 player before I mow the lawn. I fill the mowers gas tank before I mow the lawn. I check the edge of the blades before I mow the lawn. I move storm-blown branches before I mow the lawn.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
And the primary preventer of fear is belief. When I believe that gravity is functioning, I don’t fear the stairs. When I believe my insulin is un-expired, I don’t fear donuts. When I believe dinner is ready, I don’t fear hunger. Belief prevents fear.
On the heels of a faith-displaying woman who believed Jesus enough to touch Him, Jesus meets a Jewish leader. His daughter is severely sick. And while we aren’t sure how much he fears the disease, he is about to face mankind’s greatest fear. News of his daughter’s death arrives.
And I expect he is going to be reaching for hope. Is the news true? Is his daughter really dead? He turns for home, ready to walk the miles in fear.
And Jesus offers him the best fear-preventer. Jesus tells the leader to believe, and not fear.
Jesus doesn’t say, “She’s already back alive!” He doesn’t promise that everything will be ok. He doesn’t say anything about true medicine, the power of Christ’s hem or hand, foreknowledge, or even His Divinity. He simply says, “believe.”
It’s a question of attitude. It’s a question of expectation. It’s a question of choosing God or God’s enemies.
The man chooses belief. So much belief that he doesn’t even go with Jesus to see what happens. Because he doesn’t need to see. He believes.
I believe (see what I did there?) that the man believed in the Biblical sense, and not just the way the world uses the word. The synagogue leader did not believe, ‘that his daughter would live.’ He did not believe, ‘that Jesus was about to raise his daughter from the dead.’ He did not believe, ‘that Jesus would do what the leader needed.’
He believed. This is a believe in Christ’s Kingship. This is a belief that Christ was the Messiah. This is a belief that is a saving belief. A belief that whatever Jesus would do would be the right, good, glorious thing!
He believed in Jesus, He believed Jesus, He believed.
And his reason for fear left him.
Believe and fear not.