The Fear/Faith Struggle

6th Sunday after Pentecost, 7/1/18
Mark 5:21-24a, 35-43


The Fear/Faith Struggle
I. It’s our daily experience.
II. But the outcome is eternal life.


I’m going to assume that, since you’re here in worship this morning, your Christian faith means a great deal to you. In fact, I hope and pray your faith is your most precious possession.

With that being the case, it pains us when the Christian faith gets a bad rap. We cringe at the things some Christian groups say and do. That’s because the Christian faith and sinful behavior are incompatible. For instance, there’s no room for hate or prejudice in the Christian faith. Here’s another: People who claim to be Christian and yet fall into heinous, public sins do serious damage to the name of Christ both among non-Christians and Christians alike. I pray that the Lord will always guard and protect us from such shameful sins.

But it isn’t simply public sinful behavior that is at odds with our Christian faith. So are some of our thoughts and feelings. Just the way we’re feeling at a particular moment can be contrary to our Lord’s will and his encouragement for our lives.

And one of those is that our lives are often filled with fears. Let’s be honest. Our fears in life begin the moment we’re aware of our surroundings and they last until we’ve lost awareness of the same. We’re fearful people.

Even as Christians. Do you see the irony in that reality? We’re Christians who trust in our almighty Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who rules over all things for our good and yet we live with daily fears. In our lives fear and faith live side-by-side, and the two are in constant conflict.

But that’s nothing new. We see it in today’s gospel in the life of a man named Jairus. Mark doesn’t tell us that fear consumed him on this day in his life, but how could it not? He must have felt fear, because later Jesus encouraged him, “Don’t be afraid.” And yet in the fact that he made the effort to seek Jesus out we see his faith. Fear. Faith. That was the struggle of Jairus. It’s our struggle, too. In fact, at times our fears may drive us to hopelessness. But our Lord Jesus calls us to look to him and just believe. Let’s consider that very encouragement as we view the fear/faith struggle. As we do, know that with the Lord Jesus on our side, we come out on top.

Part I.

Fears. We all have them. About all sorts of things. Especially serious things…like cancer.

And yet Larry Burkett is the author of a book entitled, Nothing to Fear: the Key to Cancer Survival. I haven’t read his book. Maybe a few of you have. But I do know that a few of you are cancer survivors. So tell me. Was it anything to fear? Contrary to the book’s title, I’m sure it was.

In this morning’s text from Mark 5 we meet a man named Jairus whose daughter was seriously ill. Was her illness due to an infection? Did she have some form of adolescent cancer? Mark doesn’t tell us. Apparently the Holy Spirit who inspired these words didn’t think it was important, no matter how much we might like to know. Suffice to say, she was deathly ill and her father and other loved ones knew it. Do you think they were afraid? Bet on it. I’d like to think Jairus would have told Larry Burkett, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But Jairus hadn’t fully succumbed to fear. While his fear didn’t paralyze him, it’s apparent he waited. How long had his daughter been sick? A few days? A couple weeks? We don’t know. But we don’t get the impression that the minute she fell ill, he rushed to Jesus. Perhaps, like we would have done, Jairus initially felt she’d get better over time. So he waited to approach Jesus.

But eventually his fears moved him to seek Jesus out. Mark tells it like this: “Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.’” Jesus didn’t waste any time. Mark tells us that Jesus went with him.

But Jairus had waited too long to seek Jesus’ help. Imagine his inner turmoil as he sees some familiar men approaching. He screams silently, “Are they bringing good news or bad? Please, let it be good!” But then his hopes are crushed as he hears this death sentence, “Your daughter is dead.” And then he hears their hopeless advice, “Why bother the teacher anymore?” These men—relatives or friends—had thrown in the towel. They urged Jairus to do the same and begin his grieving process. Jairus had pinned his hopes on Jesus. Now those hopes were dashed. He had waged the fear/faith struggle and was overcome.

But then he heard these words of Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” Was Jairus even listening at this point? If he was, did Jesus’ words upset him? Jairus had struggled a long time with his fears. His greatest fears had been realized and what did Jesus tell him? “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” Was Jesus kidding? Is that all he could say? Did he really mean it?

Indeed he did. And he still does. That’s because Jesus knows our fears and yet he asks us to hold to him in faith.

The fear/faith struggle. It’s our daily experience.

Do you know how Jairus felt? I’m sure you do. Jesus knew, too. He also knows how you struggle with your fears. And what does he say? “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” But don’t those words sound hollow when we’re drowning in fear? In fact, in times of serious distress they can even sound cruel. We want to scream back at Jesus, “Don’t tell me how to feel or react. Just do something!!”

And to that demand, Jesus replies, “I already did. I did ‘something’ for you at Calvary’s cross and I guaranteed it at my empty tomb. I paid the price for you. I made you my own. Your times are in my hands and they always will be. I know exactly what’s happening and why, and I know exactly how things turn out. So, whether your fears are about your life or someone else’s, I want you to stop being afraid and just trust me.” And then he adds, “By the way…I’ve never broken a single promise. And I never will.” One of those promises is reflected in Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me” (Ps. 23:4). Just as Jesus was standing next to Jairus on this day, so he is standing with each of us in our fear/faith struggle. We struggle every day and he is with us every day.

Part II.

I have a confession to make: I withheld some information regarding Larry Burkett’s book, Nothing to Fear: The Key to Cancer Survival. Mr. Burkett survived cancer but soon afterwards died from a heart condition. And yet Larry lives, because he died as a Christian. His book states, “As good as modern medicine is, it is not the ultimate answer. It will let you down. Trusting God is the answer. He will never let you down.”

Burkett didn’t die hopeless; he died hope-FULL. His hope was in the Lord Jesus.

The very one who stood by the side of Jairus. That Jesus had convinced Jairus of his almighty power. How did Jairus know that?

Prior to this event, Jesus had shown his power over the forces of nature. We heard about it in last Sunday’s Gospel. With his word, Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee and, in doing so, calmed the fears of his disciples.

Prior to that, Jesus had displayed his power over Satan as he performed a number of exorcisms. Every time Jesus was confronted with a demon, the demon realized he was no match for the Son of God.

And prior to that, Mark records that Jesus performed one healing miracle after another. While Jesus was in the town of Capernaum, Mark tells, “The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases” (1:34).

And on this day, Jesus was confronted with the enemy known as Death. But Jesus was completely unaffected. He shows it in this statement to the crowd of mourners, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” For the Lord of life, death is but a sleep. And he wakes the 12-year-old from death as easily as a mother wakes her sleeping child. “He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum! Little girl, I say to you, get up!” Immediately the girl stood up and walked around.”

As amazing as that miracle was, the purpose of that miracle was not to make this life a heaven on earth for Jairus or his daughter. Living in a sinful world as they did, I can only imagine that all too soon the euphoria over this miracle waned, and sin and its effects reared their ugly heads once again. Fears crept into their lives. So, what was the point of Jesus raising this little girl?

To convince her, her father, the crowd of mourners, family, friends, and relatives, that Jesus is the way to eternal life. Jesus came to this earth to win eternal life for us. He did not come to erase the fear/faith struggle. He came to strengthen us for it and, ultimately, to give us the victory.

To that end, every time we succumb to our fears, every time we doubt or even deny the word of Jesus, he remains with us to forgive us and to renew us. By raising this girl to life, Jesus demonstrated his power over death, a power he put on eternal display when he raised himself from the dead. And in his resurrection lies our eternal hope, even in what appear to be hopeless situations. Eternal life is ours no matter what happens in the here and now. In fact, on the Last Day Jesus will raise us from the dead and glorify our bodies to live with him eternally.

The fear/faith struggle continues for now. But the outcome is eternal life. There’s your hope in hopeless times. Amen.