Luke 8:49-50 (NIV) 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.”
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
In any other circumstance, the words, “Your daughter is dead” would signal the end of all hope. Jairus knew and trusted that Jesus could heal any disease that was brought to Him. He had come to fetch Jesus back to his house in the hope that He would get there before the life had gone out of his daughter. But once she died, he figured that there was no hope left for a healing.
Jesus watched Jairus’ whole frame sag in despair as he heard the news. But Jesus knew that, at least as far as He was concerned, death was not the end of hope. Death did not put the insuperable barrier in front of Jesus that it might have put in front of others. Just a few weeks earlier, He had called back to life the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), and this situation was no more challenging than that one had been.
Jesu’s words to Jairus were carefully chosen: “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” Don’t let doubt squash out your faith. You came to Me believing that I can help, and I still can. Keep hold of your faith, your belief in Me. The opportunity for healing has not passed yet, because I am going with you.
In all of this, Jesus was listening to the Father, and the Father was telling Him to keep moving forward in this mission. There was much more that He wanted to do. So, with Jesus’ hand on his shoulder, a very troubled and confused Jairus started again toward home, holding tightly to both his faith in Jesus, and the ray of hope that He was holding out.
Father, how easy it is to lose hope when news comes in that says that things aren’t going as we had hoped. But in those times, we, as Your people, need to turn again to You, and listen to what You have to say. How often we have given up halfway there, because of a change in the situation, when the whole time You were saying, “Don’t be afraid; just believe!” But we didn’t listen to You, because we had heard “the news.” Lord, help me to always listen intently to You, both before I make my plans, and as I work to accomplish them. Let Your word always be the last word, so that I not only stay in step with You, but so that I never lose hope while You are still working. Amen.