Do Not Fear, Only Believe

Mark 5:21-43 21  And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22  Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23  and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24  And he went with him. 
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25  And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26  and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27  She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28  For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29  And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30  And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31  And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32  And he looked around to see who had done it. 33  But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34  And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” 
35  While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36  But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37  And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38  They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39  And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40  And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41  Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42  And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43  And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.  

In Mark 5 Jesus continues to reveal to His disciples the secret of the kingdom of God.  After crossing the sea of Galilee to set free a demon possessed man in the country of Gerasenes, He returns by boat and a large crowd again forms around Him as soon as He arrives.  Jesus’ reputation had grown so that it was becoming increasingly difficult to go about because of the crowds that followed Him hoping to see some exciting new thing!  But most people were following Him for the wrong reasons.  But the disciples by this time were beginning to understand the reality of the Kingdom of God which was unknown by Old Testament prophets.  As Jesus spoke to them and walked with them and performed miracles the Kingdom of God was manifest in their presence.  Here Jesus reveals the Kingdom of God not through a terrible storm being silenced or a person possessed with about 2,000 demons set free, but through a girl who was about to die and a woman with a serious blood issue who could not be healed no matter where she looked for help.  All of these incidents were situations where a great problem existed.
As Jesus was on His way to the house of Jairus, whose daughter was on her deathbed, a woman touched the garments of Jesus and she was healed.  The Holy Spirit had shown her that if she even touched His garments she would be healed and she obeyed and was healed.  This was a secret to everyone except Jesus and the woman who had been healed.  So Jesus stops at this point to help the disciples further understand the Kingdom of God.  As Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” the disciples must have been amazed to see the woman come forward.  How could this be?  All kinds of people were touching Him as He passed through the large crowd pressing in around Him and yet the Kingdom of God had been somehow manifest in this single touch of His garments!  This Kingdom is not of this world.  The secret Kingdom of God had been revealed in a large crowd through this single act.  
And yet while she had been healed Jairus’ daughter had died.  The joy over the healed woman turned to mourning for the dead twelve year old girl but this did not trouble Jesus.  He was not done teaching them about the Kingdom of God.  There is no darkness in His Kingdom.  Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house and let those who were mourning know that the girl was asleep.  He spoke in a spiritual sense and then heals her in secret with just a few of the disciples present and warns them not to tell anyone to attract a crowd.  He performed this miracle to help them to understand the Kingdom of God- not to bring greater attention to Himself.  He could have brought out the body of the young girl and healed her in the presence of all but this would not have revealed the Kingdom of God to those who saw but only a miracle.  His purpose in teaching was far greater.  You see the contrast in the healings.  The woman with the blood issue was healed in the midst of a great crowd and yet as her issue was an internal one it was done in secret and nobody knew and yet with the young girl she was raised from the dead in private away from the crowds for the healing was external and very visible.  Why is this the case?  Because only the true believer will see the Kingdom of God.
John 3:3  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 
To those who belong to God, we will see His Kingdom manifest in our presence as Jesus Christ forces back the darkness here upon the earth and redeems those He intends to save.  This is what occurred as Jesus taught His disciples.  He will teach us in the same manner as He prepares us for His perfect future eternal Kingdom which He will reveal when He returns to this earth one day soon.  To those who do not belong to God, who will not repent and believe in Jesus Christ, they will not see His Kingdom manifest in their presence even if they happen to see a miracle of God.  They are blind to spiritual things and are deceived.  They are lost and know nothing of the love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.
But at this point Jesus does not reveal to His disciples the suffering that awaits Him.  He is revealing the Kingdom of God to them in the most basic manner.  They were not yet ready to know of the sacrifice that all in His Kingdom will face before we enter into that future glory.  
If only we all understood the Kingdom of God we would not fear but would believe.  Do you believe and know of what I am speaking of or are you oblivious to what only God can do?
Pastor Murray Hack