Do not be afraid

***If you don't already know the story of Jairus' daughter, read the commentary below or read Mark 5:35-43 then come back and finish my post:***

                        MARK 5:35-43  Jesus heals Jairus' daughter     
While Jesus is still talking, someone comes with the news that Jairus' daughter is dead (v.35). This person also accuses Jesus of not caring, otherwise, He would have hurried to help the girl and here He is just talking. He implies that they should not fool with this Jesus. Jesus heard what was said but didn’t pay any attention to it. He told Jairus not to be afraid, but to trust Him as everything would be OK (v. 36). 

He took only His inner circle of Peter, James and John and when they arrived at Jairus’ house they found the place in an uproar with hired professional mourners (vv. 37-38. These mourners with loud voices gathered around the dead body beating their breasts, tearing their hair and ripping their garments. Also it was the custom to eat eggs dipped in ashes and salt.  

When Jesus walked into this uproar He rebuked the mourners and told them the girl was not dead but just sleeping (v. 39).  They laughed at Him because they thought His hope was foolish (v. 40).  They failed to realize that what looks completely impossible with men is possible with God.  After this Jesus sent the people out of the house and took the girl's father and mother into the room where the girl was.  He took the girl by the hand, called her by name and everyone was surprised as she got up and started walking around (vv. 41-42).  

The text seems to suggests that the bearers of “Bad News” will always come, but the author of “Good News” is always in control. Jesus hears and ignores what others are saying. He has the last word. He is the author and finisher of our faith.  


I've met a handful of people in my life that I could call INSPIRING.  One of those people was Grayson Belvin... just a laid-back guy who played the guitar, related well with people - and who was willing to let God use those things in him to make a difference. 

Grayson was one of the leaders at Crosstalk, the college ministry I was a part of at Texas State.  And Grayson managed to inspire me AND a room full of other students like me most Wednesday nights at 8pm in the Alkek teaching theater by simply sharing what he had been meditating on in his own life.  His message usually included some sort of reference to a book he'd been reading or a devotional he was walking through... and the more entertaining parts of his message usually consisted of a story or anecdote straight from his real life (i.e. the fact that for years he was regularly stopped or questioned by police and security officers in stores and other random places because he "just has the face of someone that looks like they're on drugs"...)

On one such night, Grayson talked about the story from Mark 5:35-43.  As someone who grew up in Sunday school I knew the story well but this time it was made real and finally struck my heart.  Grayson walked us through the desperation of a dad about to lose his young daughter; the hopeful sense of relief that dad might have felt when he received the 'okay' that Jesus had agreed to come to his house; and the devastating blow it must have been to only then receive word that they were too late.  He titled the message "Face the Father" and talked about the importance of us placing all our trust in Jesus and not on what we could see or fear.

That night when the service ended, I felt urgently COMPELLED to skip my usual after-service chatting and instead head immediately to the Music building on campus.  The Music building housed lots of private practice rooms, each with a piano - a favorite spot of mine on campus and one I visited often.  

But this time a practice room wouldn't do so I just happened to try the upstairs concert hall - complete with red velvet stadium seating and two grand pianos on stage - which just HAPPENED to be UNLOCKED!  So over the next couple hours, I sat all by myself in that beautiful hall as the song below just came flowing out...  It sounded so different from anything I'd ever written before - this was truly one of those moments where I was just a vessel who got to let God speak through me.     

Thanks to Grayson for opening the Bible and sharing a story I'd read and heard so many times before in a real and different way.  And thanks to God who is always worthy of our trust and who takes away the need to fear.   
Click here to listen: "Do not be afraid"