CONNECTING POINT: Fear to Faith, Part I

During the short three-year earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, news quickly spread across the Middle East region about His message and miracles. Crowds were drawn to Him on most occasions, either in the streets or synagogues. Listeners were receptive to His teachings, others were on the fence, and, of course, some blatantly rejected Jesus. Luke records Christ’s Parable of the Sower in Chapter 8, reflecting this truth about receiving or rejecting Jesus. In this context, four powerful miracles occur, displaying Christ’s authority.

Specific miracles are recorded in the four “Gospels” Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John 37. Others occurred that were not written down but nonetheless are significant (John 21:25). Miracles performed by Jesus were never intended for show; they served a purpose: to identify Him as the Messiah sent from God.

The four significant events in Luke 8 include the calming of the raging sea, the setting free of a man possessed by demons, the bringing back to life of a dead girl, and the healing of a woman with a long-term health condition, all because of Jesus. A common denominator in each of these situations is fear.

Consider the following:

One: fear of the unknown. A nasty storm hit as Jesus and the disciples journeyed across the sea of Galilee. It was a terrifying experience even for experienced fishermen understanding such conditions. After Jesus calmed the storm, he asked his disciples, “Where is your faith?" In fear and amazement, they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him." (vs. 25). The very disciples of Jesus were learning to move from fear to faith.

Two: fear of evil. When it comes to demonic activity, there is some fascination and fear associated with any such circumstance. Rather than getting off on “rabbit trails,” I believe we are better served to learn from the principles established in the Bible and not the nuances. For an extensive amount of time this man from Gerasenes was tormented, others in that region saw the depths of this anguish and evil. Matthew’s account is the shortest summary, Luke adds a bit more detail, and Mark goes into greater detail, all corroborating the event. In Mark 5:5, “he would cry out and cut himself with stones,” literally translates to “hack” at his body. Due to the storm, some scholars believe that the course of the boat was altered, and the plans of God were unfolding for much greater reasons. Including the healing of this man and what it would meanfor the cause of Christ. Jesus only visited the area twice, the center of Hellenic Roman culture, which strongly opposed the Jews. After the man was healed, locals watched as he sat at the feet of Jesus in a normal state, dressed and free of the past. Their response is shocking “because they were overcome with fear” (vs. 37). Jesus kindly proceeded to leave, and the healed man wanted to follow Christ, but Jesus had a better idea. “‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” (vs. 39). For this man, fear ruled his life, then Jesus came along, and faith transformed him.

In Mark 6:53-56, Jesus and the disciples return to Gerasenes, however, this time they are greeted by large crowds of people carrying their sick family and friends seeking healing. One man’s testimony led to Jesus transforming the lives of so many more. That’s the power of faith over fear.