Imagine Jairus’s frustration (Luke 8v40-56). His daughter aged 12 was dying. He has only one solution left – it’s Jesus. He falls at Jesus’s feet and pleads with him to come to his daughter. Jesus agrees, but on the way the traffic is horrendous as so many people try to see Jesus – and then Jesus is distracted (at least in his eyes) by a woman who has just been healed on touching his cloak. While Jesus is talking with her, someone tells Jairus, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher any more”. Imagine the emotion welling up in Jairus, imagine the “if onlys”, imagine what he now believed to be true about his future. Jesus sees this, identifies with him and says to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe and she will be made well.”From there, Luke moves the story straight to the scene at the house and Jesus’s call to the girl to get up. But let’s pause on the road … Jairus’s greatest fear in this story is that his daughter would die. He is desperate to avoid that outcome, but his greatest fear is realised. Despite his greatest fear being realised, Jesus calls him to have faith and trust him.

What is our greatest fear? The truth is that even if or when our greatest fear actually happens, Jesus is greater. Even in that worst event, Jesus’s call is still to faith rather than fear – because he is able to bring good (in Jairus’s case bringing his daughter back to life). In effect Jesus is saying, “Trust me, I can sort this, even though it seems beyond sorting to you.” It is the same as the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when threatened with the fiery furnace, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to rescue us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods…” Daniel 3v17-18.

May the Lord enable us to be people of faith in Him whatever our situation,

With love and blessing,

Roland