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DON’T BE AFRAID; JUST BELIEVE

Luke 8:40-56

Key Verse: 8:50,

“Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.’”

In the previous Bible passage, Jesus asked a demon-possessed man, “What is your name?” He answered, “Legion” because many demons had gone into him. He thought that he was his own man, never realizing that so many demons had already gone into him. He had a care free life style – lazy, irresponsible and rebellious – shouting all night near the tomb. So many demons made him proud, crazy and busy with doing what only he wanted to do.  So many demons never allowed him to think about what his name means and who he is before God. But when God asked him his name, it was his first time he thought about his true identity before God. And he came to the self-realization that he was not his own man, but a demon possessed man. In this way, Jesus healed a demon-possessed man by studying the Bible study with him. Let us pray that we may have personal Bible study with many campus students who are too busy to think about their true identity before God.

In today’s Bible passage, Jesus encounters two very different people. One is Jairus and the other is a woman with a chronic bleeding problem. Their way of approaching Jesus seems quite different, but they share a common factor. It is their personal faith in Jesus. Jesus saw their personal faith in coming to him and strengthened their faith by blessing them. Again, through today’s passage, let us see how Jesus viewed the woman’s act of touching him so meaningful and what it means when Jesus said to Jairus, “just believe” in the midst of a seemingly impossible situation. Let us learn how Jesus builds up and strengthens “just believe” faith in God.  

I.                   Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, comes to Jesus by faith

After healing a demon possessed man, Jesus was asked to leave the town by the people. Jesus had no time to have some rest with his disciples. He and his disciples had to return to the western side of the Sea, in Galilee. A large crowd of people were waiting for Jesus. Out of the many people who were waiting for Jesus, there was a man named Jairus. Who was Jairus? Look at verses 41-42a. “Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying." Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. Jesus had been rejected by the rulers of the synagogue. Once there was a man born blind who was excommunicated from the Jewish community because he did not deny Jesus who healed his blindness on the Sabbath. Whoever acknowledged Jesus was in danger of being excommunicated from Jewish society. Jairus was a ruler of a synagogue, and had to be well respected man in the community, for to become a ruler does not happen lightly or randomly. Jairus was a man of prestige and influence. And he was a politician in his community. He should have been aware about the political implications of going to Jesus. However, in spite of such hostile political pressure, Jairus decided to come to Jesus because he was in a desperate situation; his only daughter was dying.

Jarius was a happy man, not because of his political power and prestige, but because of his beautiful daughter! On my birthday, my first son John Jr sent a text message, saying “Happy birthday Daddy!” My second son Joel did not say anything to me on my birthday. I could not find him, even when I tried to invite him to dinner on my birthday. Contrary to all my sons, my cute niece Heesung Choy prepared a birthday card and cake for me and said, “Happy Birthday Uncle!” Rebecca Shin, Hannah and Daeun Kwak wrote a heart moving birthday card for me, saying, “Uncle, thank you for taking care of me..” Wow! Having sweet daughters is indeed a great joy! Certainly, Jairus' 12 years old daughter was the source of joy and comfort in his busy and hard life. After a long day's work, dealing with many complaints and synagogue business matters, he came home. As soon as he walked through the door, his daughter would shout, "Daddy!" She would run to him, swing her arms around his neck, and kiss him. He would say, "How's my sweetheart? Then he would think to himself, "What a blessed man I am to receive butterfly kisses from my daughter every day!" But one day, she did not greet him. Instead, he found her sick and almost dying. Then he heard news that, "Jesus, the preacher-healer from Nazareth is in town." In desperation, Jairus went to Jesus, believing that Jesus could make her well. Jairus came to Jesus. His love for his daughter blinded him to the political consequences of going to Jesus. He believed that Jesus could heal his lovely daughter. He publically fell at Jesus’ feet. He came humbly, putting aside all his prestige. He pleaded with Jesus to come to his house and heal his dying daughter. He was a politician second, and a father first.

Look at verse 42b. “As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.” Upon Jairus’ pleading, Jesus saw his faith and agreed to visit his house. It is Jairus’ personal faith, not his political or social position as a ruler of the synagogue that motivated Jesus to visit his house. His personal faith in Jesus was not strong enough at that moment. But Jesus built up Jarius’ personal faith in Jesus step by step enough to have “just believing” faith in the promise of Jesus.

II.                A woman with a chronic bleeding problem comes to Jesus by faith.

First, a woman’s just touching faith in Jesus. On his way to the house of Jairus, what happened? Look at verses 43-44. "And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped." This woman was different from Jairus in many ways. She was a nameless woman; Jairus was a well-known, prominent man in the community. Jairus came with an urgent life-and-death emergerncy situation involving his daughter; this woman came with her own chronic, 12-year medical problem. Jairus was a man of wealth; this woman was poor, having spent all she had on doctors who couldn't heal her. Jairus came openly with a bold plea in public; this woman came secretly, too embarrassed to reveal her unclean, bleeding problem. In a way, her coming to Jesus was a bit superstitious, for she thought that by touching Jesus she could be healed. Despite the differences, there was one important similarity that Jairus and the woman shared: they both came to Jesus with a serious problem, believing Jesus could help them. Both came to Jesus by their personal faith in Jesus. And they were right. Jesus helped them. Jesus accepted their faith in him. Jesus accepts all who come to him in faith. John 6:37 says, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." We learn to come to Jesus with our sin problems. Perhaps your sin problem is most urgent. Perhaps it is chronic, and you've nearly lost hope. Whether our sin problem is urgent or chronic, we can come to Jesus. No one should wait until they get sicker. Our sickness is bad enough already. The hymn song says, "Turn from your sin, let the Savior come in, and come just as you are." Jesus is ready to help whoever comes to him by faith as they are now. Even if our faith is not strong enough, Jesus is ready to build up our faith enough to have “just believing faith” or “the resurrection faith” in Jesus. Jesus strengthens our personal faith, and we can win the victory in this world. “Faith is the victory!”

Second, "Daughter, your faith has healed you." Many people were crowding and pressing against Jesus. Suddenly Jesus stopped and asked, "Who touched me?" All the people denied it, "Uh, not me, man." "Master," Peter said, "the people are crowding and pressing against you." It meant, "What do you mean, 'Who touched me?' A lot of people have nearly crushed you!" Of course, as Peter said, so many people touched Jesus. But their touches were meaningless. Out of so many touches from so many people in a crowd, why was her touch in Jesus meaningful enough that Jesus was looking for the person who touched him even on his urgent way to Jairus’ house? It is because she came to Jesus with her specific problem and faith that he could heal him. And it is because Jesus wants to build up her personal faith stronger and bless her faith more. So, Jesus did not allow the woman to make a secret getaway. He repeated, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me." The power was not in the woman's touch. The power came from Jesus. It's like she got plugged in to the power source. Are you plugged in to Jesus? He is the vine; we are the branches. Apart from him, we can do nothing. Without Jesus, our battery is running out.

Look at verses 47. “Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.” The woman could see that she could not go unnoticed. She came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. From this verse, we see how Jesus helped her to grow in her personal faith in Jesus. Jesus helped her not to hide her personal faith in her closet. Jesus helped her to reveal her personal faith in coming to Jesus with her chronic problem before God and others. It was her personal testimony of faith in Jesus. In this way, she confirmed Jesus' healing in her life. Why did he insist that the woman come forward? Romans 1:21 says, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” By sharing her testimony in public, she gave credit and glory to Jesus for what he had done. When she gave thanks to God, Jesus was not embarrassed to show the crowd that he blessed a bleeding, unclean woman. Jesus took her uncleanness gladly upon himself. Actually, the holiness in Jesus overtook all her uncleanness and healed her.

Can you testify to his saving, healing grace in your life? Jesus wants us to share our testimony of his power and love in our lives. When we share what the Lord has done for us, we bring him thanks and praise and glory. Not only this, our faith in him is also strengthened. Romans 10:9-10 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

What happened after the woman shared her testimony? Verse 48 says, "Then Jesus said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'" Jesus called her "daughter." It means that she was promoted to a “Princess” of the Kingdom of God. Did you know that she is the only recorded individual that Jesus called "daughter" in the gospels? Jesus loved her like his own child. He loved her as much as Jairus loved his own dying daughter. Jesus recognized her faith in him and pronounced her healing: "your faith has healed you." Here, Jesus not only accepted her as his own daughter, but also made clear that it was her faith that healed her. In this way, Jesus built up her personal faith in Jesus. Lastly, Jesus blessed her to go in peace. What an unexpected blessing from Jesus upon her when she came forward and gave the glory to God through sharing her testimony before others! The peace of God stays in our heart as long as we live by faith in Jesus. Jesus gives peace to trembling hearts and troubled souls who come to him and who reach out to him in faith.

Here we can note the distinction that Luke makes between this woman and the crowd of people. Many people bumped into Jesus. They were hanging out with Jesus. But Luke does not mention any of them being healed except this woman with a chronic bleeding problem. Luke is telling us not to be those who just hang around Jesus as curious spectators, but to come to Jesus with faith and a pure desire to be healed and cleansed of our sins. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." May each one of us reach out and touch Jesus in sincere and earnest prayer and be healed. May we each have a testimony of his grace to keep sharing with others.

III.             Jesus builds up Jairus’ personal faith by telling him “Just believe.”

First, Jesus said, "Don't be afraid; just believe." While this woman was sharing her testimony with the crowd, we can only imagine that Jairus was getting more and more nervous, anxious and impatient to get to his house a.s.a.p. ("Hurry up and finish your testimony, woman!" Come on, I know you think that sometimes in a testimony sharing meeting.) To Jesus, this woman was a precious daughter who needed to share her testimony for others to hear. But to Jairus, he could only think about his daughter's urgent situation. Then some very unfortunate news came.

Look at verse 49. "While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. 'Your daughter is dead,' he said. 'Don't bother the teacher any more.'" The news hit Jairus hard: "Your daughter is dead." Then the messenger gave his own recommendation: "Don't bother the teacher any more." It meant, "It's too late. I'm so sorry. It's over." Here, the messenger told Jairus to leave Jesus alone and just come and make funeral arrangements. The messenger was destroying hope and faith in Jairus' heart. He was not speaking for God, but planting fear in Jairus. This is how the devil usually speaks to people, planting doubt and causing one to lose heart.

Jesus heard the same news. But his words to Jairus were quite different. Let's read verse 50. "Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, 'Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." First, Jesus said, "Don't be afraid." Jesus knew that fear was threatening to invade Jairus' heart. Fear of what? Perhaps it was fear of his own loss, or fear that he couldn't cope with this tragedy. Maybe he was afraid of his daughter's eternal destiny. Especially, he was afraid of death itself. One of the devil's most effective strategies is to plant this kind of fear in people. Hebrews 2:15 says that the devil holds people in slavery by their fear of death. Fear is the enemy of faith and trust in God. Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid." It meant, "Don't lose hope. Don't give up. Don't listen to that message. Listen to me." Jesus also said, "Just believe." To "just believe" means to keep on trusting Jesus. Jesus wants us to keep our hope and faith in him. Hebrews 11:1 includes hope in the definition of faith. It reads, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see." Jesus also said to Jairus, "and she will be healed." This is Jesus' specific promise to Jairus. Jesus promised Jairus, "she will be healed." It meant, "Don't worry. I'm in control." Jesus helped one man Jairus to have “just believe” faith in the midst of impossible situation since Jairus came to Jesus by faith from the beginning. Jesus never gives up whoever comes to him by faith. It did not matter to Jesus that many doubt or became sorrowful. It is a really matter to Jesus that whoever comes to him by faith must listen to what Jesus promises and to what Jesus says.

Please put yourself in Jairus' place for a moment. How could Jairus listen to Jesus and accept Jesus' words when he had just heard the tragic news that his daughter had died? Actually, Jairus had a choice whom he would listen to. Jairus chose to listen to Jesus and accept Jesus' words, rather than the factual words of reality which came through the news messenger. This may seem like he was denying reality and holding an unrealistic hope or expectation. But consider faith in God. We cannot see God with our eyes. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Who hopes for what he already has? We each exercise choices every day. Jairus decided to listen to Jesus and to keep trusting him. The one who trusts in Jesus will never be put to shame and will never be disappointed. Fear comes from listening people’s unbelieving words or negative factual analysis or unbelieving common sense. But faith comes from listening to Jesus’ personal promises. There are many very great and precious promises in the Bible. Are you believing any promise or word of Jesus? I'm not talking about your own wishful thinking or dream or idea. I mean a promise from Jesus in the Bible for you. Faith is not merely wishful thinking. Faith is believing God's promises that he has given us in the Bible.

It was May, 1990, about 6 month later after I got a good job in Hyundai Economic Research that God called me to be a missionary for pioneering New Jersey campuses. I was a father of two sons - John Park Jr, three and half year old, and Joel Park, two and half year old. They were all babies. Upon God’s calling me to be a missionary, I decided to listen to his calling so that I offered all my inheritance of $10,000 from my father to God and came to America only with M. Grace Park, leaving my two sons, John Park Jr to my mother in law and Joel Park, to my mother in Korea. Upon arriving in JFK, God led me to New York UBF and I stayed there in the basement of New York UBF about 6 months from May, 1990 to October, 1990. However, M. Grace Park stayed in New Jersey with other mission coworkers. In October, 1990, God called me to be in Chicago UBF for another 14 month to receive the basic training to be a missionary. So I stayed in the basement of guest house at Chicago UBF over 14 months. It was by God’s grace that I stayed in Chicago and received spiritual training under Dr. Samuel Lee. But it was very difficult for me as a young man of 30 years old who had a master degree in Economics to work hard only in the field of giving ride to some else, cleaning bathroom, answering phone call, joining construction works, separating from my family members. After coming back from Chicago to New Jersey, I had to build up the work of God with first priority. So what I had done was the same things what I did in Chicago such as giving a ride to women nurses, finding a job for them, cleaning centers, answering phones and moving the center here and there. In this way, when I became 38 years old, I asked to myself with Matthew 6:33 which says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Did I really seek God’s kingdom first in my life of mission? At that moment, God blessed me to listen to his word of promise in my life and enabled me to say “Yes.” It is my testimony of faith about how God, Almighty, saved me from my worries of living in this foreign land and gave me a great victory for his world salvation purpose when I chose to listen to Jesus. Faith is your personal choice of listening to the promise of Jesus in your life.

So what happened next after Jesus' words to Jairus? Jairus led Jesus to his house. Obviously, he took Jesus' word rather than the messenger's advice. Jesus went in to the house with Peter, John and James, and the child's parents. There were also many people wailing and mourning for the dead girl. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." The mourners and wailers in Jairus' house laughed when they heard Jesus' words. One moment they were crying and the next they were laughing. They laughed because they knew she was dead. Look at verse 54. "But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" Jesus called the healed bleeding woman, "daughter." Jesus called this young girl, "My child." She too was precious to Jesus. Jesus commanded her, "Get up!" When Jesus said, "Get up!" her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. With one command of Jesus, the girl's spirit returned to her body and she was alive again! Jesus is the Lord of life and the God of hope.

In today's passage we learned to come to Jesus as we are. Let's hold on to Jesus' promise and experience his power and love. Let's give thanks and glory to Jesus and share with others his grace to us--what he has done for us personally. Let's overcome all attacks of fear with his promises. Jesus says to us, "Don't be afraid; just believe."