Be not afraid
In my New Testament Gospel study this week for the Church of Jesus Christ's recommended curriculum that we discuss every Sunday, we have been reading many accounts of Christ and His healing, loving and administering to all people during his ministry. We read the story of the man who came to Christ as his child was dying. While going to the home of this man to heal his daughter, a woman with an issue of blood that has left her ostracized from the Jewish community reaches through throngs of people to simply touch the hem of Christ, for she knows that even just that will heal her. When she does, she instantly feels the issue leave her body: she is healed. Her faith truly was able to be "made whole" (Mark 5:28). Christ feels virtue leave Him and turns to find her. She has believed in Him so much, there was no way He could not heal her of her infirmity. I cannot imagine having this kind of faith, that only touching Him, looking to Him, believing COMPLETELY in Him could save me from the infirmity I am facing, but I know that each of us can have this.
As they continue to walk to the man's house after this encounter, one of his servants comes out to him to explain that the child has passed away, that they have no need for the Master to come and heal. Christ then tells the man: "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36).
As I read this, my eyes welled with tears (this has happened more times than I can count over the last several weeks when reading of the personal, pure work Christ did on earth). I had never thought about why He may have told that grieving father to not be afraid. He would be afraid of losing his daughter, but why? Because he loved her. Because he had known her since the moment she came into the world. Who in this world isn't completely and totally afraid of losing one of their children? I think that he was telling him not to be afraid because how can someone expect to survive the loss of a child? In the very moments after being told their child has died, how can someone think that they will ever function normally, live normally again? How could you not be afraid of the person you would be for the rest of your time on earth after your child died? How could anybody not fear living a life where their child is not? As I thought of this, my heart swelled. Christ knew exactly how that man felt. That man may have fallen to the ground, or he may have been about to do so. He may have become entirely numb. He may not have even heard what Christ said to him. But we know that he followed him into a house where those mourning the loss then turned to Christ and mocked Him to scorn for saying that she was just sleeping. He stood by his wife as Christ had everyone but those two parents stand in the room with their still child's body. And he was there and witnessed Christ asking his daughter to arise. He was probably terrified during every moment, until that girl opeened her eyes and looked at them, until he went to fetch her the food Christ mentioned she would need.
Christ knew that there was so much to fear from this loss, and He took that away from that man. He told him to not fear, but to have faith and believe in His power. He obviously did that.
Not all death will be taken back in this life. Not many people will rise again when their hearts stop beating and their lungs stop rising and falling. But we will all live again, because of the man who raised a 12-year-old girl and took the fear from a father's heart. He who healed the woman from a single touch can heal us all—and He will. He does. And more than healing, He will also help us rise to live again, even after mortal death.
As they continue to walk to the man's house after this encounter, one of his servants comes out to him to explain that the child has passed away, that they have no need for the Master to come and heal. Christ then tells the man: "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36).
As I read this, my eyes welled with tears (this has happened more times than I can count over the last several weeks when reading of the personal, pure work Christ did on earth). I had never thought about why He may have told that grieving father to not be afraid. He would be afraid of losing his daughter, but why? Because he loved her. Because he had known her since the moment she came into the world. Who in this world isn't completely and totally afraid of losing one of their children? I think that he was telling him not to be afraid because how can someone expect to survive the loss of a child? In the very moments after being told their child has died, how can someone think that they will ever function normally, live normally again? How could you not be afraid of the person you would be for the rest of your time on earth after your child died? How could anybody not fear living a life where their child is not? As I thought of this, my heart swelled. Christ knew exactly how that man felt. That man may have fallen to the ground, or he may have been about to do so. He may have become entirely numb. He may not have even heard what Christ said to him. But we know that he followed him into a house where those mourning the loss then turned to Christ and mocked Him to scorn for saying that she was just sleeping. He stood by his wife as Christ had everyone but those two parents stand in the room with their still child's body. And he was there and witnessed Christ asking his daughter to arise. He was probably terrified during every moment, until that girl opeened her eyes and looked at them, until he went to fetch her the food Christ mentioned she would need.
Christ knew that there was so much to fear from this loss, and He took that away from that man. He told him to not fear, but to have faith and believe in His power. He obviously did that.
Not all death will be taken back in this life. Not many people will rise again when their hearts stop beating and their lungs stop rising and falling. But we will all live again, because of the man who raised a 12-year-old girl and took the fear from a father's heart. He who healed the woman from a single touch can heal us all—and He will. He does. And more than healing, He will also help us rise to live again, even after mortal death.
Comments
Post a Comment