Sermonette: Fear and faith

There is much for Americans to be fearful about these days; economic concerns, gun violence, the threat of terrorism, global pandemics, loss of faith in our government, the growing negative impact of AI and worldwide armed conflict to name a few. Some blame the media for overstating the danger we are in. Some blame the government and politicians. And some don’t feel the need to blame anyone because they believe all the fear is unwarranted. Wherever one falls on the spectrum of belief and blame, it is safe to say that we indeed are living in a culture of fear in America today. So, what are we as Christians to do? Where are we to turn for wisdom? In this writing we look to the Gospel of Mark.

Fear is an ongoing theme in Mark’s gospel. The disciples are afraid when Jesus stills the storm and when he walks on water. They are afraid to ask Jesus clarifying questions about his impending death and resurrection. Despite following Jesus, the crowd in chapter 10 was afraid. At the transfiguration, there was fear and trembling. And as the kingdom of God breaks into this world throughout Mark's gospel, the Pharisees and chief priests respond with growing fear.

As we look closer at the nature of fear in today’s world and in the time of Jesus, we will find that God speaks to us through Mark’s perspective, with both challenge and comfort. Mark tells us who Jesus is from the very first line of his gospel, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God.” Mark makes clear that the story that is about to unfold is about the son of God and assures readers that despite its twists and turns, despite fear being ever present, this is indeed good news. Throughout his gospel, Mark presents Jesus as the one who breaks through fear and danger and creates something new. Mark’s Jesus is on the move bringing life-giving possibility to places and spaces where death and fear seem to have won.

In chapter 5, there are two healing stories sandwiched together, the story of the hemorrhaging woman and of Jairus’s daughter. The story begins with Jairus, one of the leaders of the synagogue. He comes to Jesus and falls at his feet to beg Jesus to heal his daughter who is at the point of death. One need not use much imagination to feel Jairus’ fear. His encounter with Jesus is interrupted by a woman who touches Jesus’ cloak. The Scripture tells us she had endured much under the care of physicians, with no relief. She hears about Jesus and some measure of hope is restored. And upon touching Jesus’ cloak she is healed. Jesus is suddenly aware that power has gone out from his body and recognizes that he has been touched by a person of faith. She comes before Jesus to reveal herself in fear and trembling, falls before him and tells him the whole truth. Jesus’ response is, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”

Despite her fear, this woman took action. She made her way to Jesus, she revealed herself to him and she told him her truth. In the midst of her fear, she had faith. Fear and faith, we see, are both elements of a life lived in faith, and Jesus’ provision and power are not dependent on an absence of fear. Like this woman we are called to step into and through our fear to seek Jesus. This is what faith looks like: trusting in the midst, and leaning into hope despite fear. And this Jesus comes and breaks through fear and illness with life.

The Scripture then returns us to Jairus and his gravely ill daughter, who is now dead. We are not told what Jairus was thinking or feeling during Jesus’ exchange with the hemorrhaging woman. But it is not hard to imagine that he was experiencing much fear, and likely frustration and anger too, at having been interrupted in his plea for his daughter’s life. Upon hearing the news of his daughter’s death, Jesus says to Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe.” They proceed to Jairus’ house where Jesus commands the little girl to get up. She immediately does; she is not dead, but alive.

In this story of Jairus and in the walking on water story in chapter 6 of Mark’s gospel, Jesus says to people who are clearly afraid, “Do not fear.” Does Jesus really expect them not to be afraid? Does God expect us to never fear? The answer to this important question is found in Mark chapter 4.

After he calms the storm, Jesus challenges the disciples, asking, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” We often hear this as an admonition from Jesus, as if he is saying to them, “Shame on you” but this would be a misread. We must note that here, as well as in the story of the hemorrhaging woman, fear and faith are both present. Jesus' challenge to Jairus and the disciples is to believe beyond fear, to look at their fear and to rest again in faith.

The writer of the Gospel of Mark understands human nature. He seems to know that fear and trembling come with being human, perhaps especially in the midst of moving into the unknown. Fear has the power to paralyze us, but it can also be the catalyst that turns us toward Jesus, that asks us to step out in faith, trusting that God is present and wants to help us work it out. The bleeding woman entered into Jesus' presence despite her fear. Jairus, the leader of the synagogue, pursued Jesus against the advice of his elders. Jesus calls out to us in the midst of our fear, challenging us to keep moving, to fight the overwhelming compulsion to hide or run.

We see throughout Mark’s gospel that fear mixes with faith, trust and hope to move people to action. Faith, according to Mark, does not refer to believing the right information about Jesus; faith looks instead like deep trust or even determined desperation. We see this in both the hemorrhaging woman and Jairus, the synagogue leader. From the poor and powerless to the rich and powerful, fear is a shared experience. But fear is also a challenge to us to leap into, grasp onto, the hope that faith in Jesus brings.