Jesus' Power Over Death

Facts:

      "My little daughter lieth at the point of death."

      "Thy daughter is dead."

      "Entereth in where the damsel was lying."

Faith:

      "Lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed."

      "And she shall live."

      "Be not afraid; only believe."

Facts frequently flail faith. Facts often weaken and overwhelm faith. Why? Well, because they are facts! After all, who or what can argue with facts?

Poor Jairus. "My little daughter is at death's door." He could see the stark fact for himself, and could not change it. But neither could he accept it as the final fact. With bold faith he told the Lord, "Please come. Just touch her and both life and health will return to her." This wasn't mind over matter, but faith over fact.

Poor Jairus. "Your daughter is dead." Boom! Some facts just have a certain finality to them. This is one of them. But praise the Lord, One accompanies Jairus who does not accept this finality. Furthermore, this Person immediately intervenes with some fact-defying, faith-bolstering, comfort-inducing words for Jairus: "Be not afraid, only believe." Why didn't Jesus wait for Jairus to express himself? I believe the answer lies in the fact that Jesus knows the heart of everyone. It would appear that the Lord saw fact, fear and feeling flooding into Jairus, and before faith could be quenched, spoke assurance.

Poor Jairus. The last time he had seen his daughter, she was alive; nigh-to-death sick, but still alive. Now, there she lies; no longer nigh to death, just plain dead. What a difference. But there is an even greater difference--the Lord is here now! So Jairus just stands there with his wife and his faith. And the inevitable happens.

Blessed Jairus!

Back to the question: Who or what can argue with facts? Jesus! Faith! They not only argue with the facts, they are undeterred by them.

Does this mean that Jesus and faith change the facts? Not necessarily. What it does mean is that Jesus and faith enable us to live in a different dimension of reality. Jairus could convincingly see the fact of his daughter's dead body, but his faith in Jesus enabled him to go by a different reality (a "real" fact!). That reality was that she would soon be both alive and well again.

What do you live by--facts, fear or faith? In essence Jesus told Jairus to not fear, to not be distracted by the facts as he saw them, but rather, to believe. I believe He speaks the same message to us.

I wonder how practical we can make this. I wish I could know the facts and fears that assail your faith. My not knowing doesn't really matter at this point. You know; He knows. Stick close to Him and trust Him to "argue" with your facts and fears.

But that's not all.

Three. Five. I'm sure that doesn't make sense, yet. Don't forget lesson three. Remember five (friends whose mutual faith strengthened each other). Find faithful friends of faith!

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