Don't Be Afraid; Just Believe – By Eliezer Gonzalez

Don’t Be Afraid; Just Believe – by Eliezer Gonzalez

Sep 12, 2015 3056

You might know that Jesus threw people out of the temple twice, but did you know that he once threw people out of someone’s private house as well?

Jesus was on his way to heal the twelve year-old daughter of Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. Together with Jesus was a crowd of people.

On the way, messengers met them to tell Jesus not to bother, because the little girl had died. But Jesus said to Jairus,

Don’t be afraid; just believe. – Mark 5:36.

Jairus believed.

Jesus went on to Jairus’ house, taking only a few people with him. When he arrived, he found the mourners causing a huge commotion with their crying and their wailing. Back then, it was the custom to make lots of noise when you were mourning; people used to hire professional mourners, so that the sadness of the occasion could be amplified by many decibels.

Now look at how Jesus confronts death. He has already told us not to be afraid, but to believe. If we believe, there is nothing that we should fear. And now Jesus goes into the house, and he says,

What’s all this commotion and crying about? The child isn’t dead. She’s only sleeping. – Mark 5:39, CEB.

The first thing that Jesus says is that there is no need for fear because he is in the house. And then Jesus speaks the truth about death. Jesus refuses to acknowledge the finality of natural death in his presence for those who believe. He calls death a sleep. Just as we wake from sleep, so too we will wake from death in his presence.

They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. – Luke 8:53, CEB.

They thought they knew more about death than Jesus did. They knew the girl was dead, and so they laughed at him. They didn’t just smile quietly to themselves; not at all. The Greek word used for “laugh” here means to “deride.” The King James Versions translates this as “they laughed him to scorn.” They openly mocked the apparent stupidity of Christ.

This was just a foretaste of the time when Christ would confront death personally on behalf of the whole world, and the crowd would laugh him to scorn on Calvary’s hill. They thought he was helpless and defeated in the face of death. How wrong they were! Because by dying, Christ defeated death, on that great victory Sunday, Christ would himself rise from the grave as our assurance that he has destroyed death forever for those who believe.

But that day was not yet. Now he was in Jairus’ house.

What happens next is startling. You would have thought that Jesus would have shown some sensitivity and tact, considering the recent bereavement. But no. The Common English Bible is correct in its translation of what happened next:

They laughed at him, but he threw them all out. – Mark 5:40a, CEB.

The Greek word use for “throw” implies haste, and even force.

I am sure that Jesus was angry. He was angry at the utter sadness of death. He was angry at the pain. And he was angry at the unbelief of these people who sought to steal Jairus’ fragile faith from his heart with their mocking.

So Jesus threw them out!

This is what will happen to all mockers, they will all be “thrown out.”

But more importantly, Jesus did not want their laughter and mocking to ruin the wondrously beautiful moment that would come after he said the words,

“Talitha koum,” which means, “Young woman, get up.” – Mark 5:41.

That’s when the real party began. It was a much quieter party, but so much more joyful, as a father and a mother received their daughter back to life again.

Don’t ruin the wonderful moments that Christ has in store for you through unbelief.

Don’t be afraid; just believe.

– Eliezer Gonzalez