Do Not Be Afraid, Just Have Faith
Homiletic Annotations for Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time — February 4, 2025
By Abba Jimmy (Theoloscience)
Brothers and sisters, today, the Gospel places us in a moment of crisis and apparent hopelessness. Let us imagine the scene: Jairus, the head of the synagogue, a man of respect and authority, sets aside his status and runs anxiously to Jesus because his daughter is dying. He believes that if the Master arrives in time, He can save her. But suddenly, the worst news arrives:
“Your daughter has died. Why do you keep bothering the Master?”
We can imagine the blow to Jairus’ heart. How many times have we felt that there is nothing left to do? Perhaps in a fractured marriage, in an irreversible medical diagnosis, in a divided family, in an addiction that suffocates us. The voice of the world tells us the same thing that was said to Jairus: “There is no point in continuing to believe. Stop bothering God.”
But here comes divine intervention. Jesus, — with the calm of One who has power over life and death, speaks words that will change history:
“Do not be afraid, just have faith.” (Mk 5:36)
Faith is the Door to the Impossible
What Jesus says to Jairus, He says to us. Faith is not just a nice feeling or a theory; it is the key that opens the door to the impossible. It is the power that can move mountains, as Jesus Himself told us:
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. nothing will be impossible for you.” (Mt 17:20)
But today’s Gospel gives us another testimony: the woman with the hemorrhage. For twelve years, this woman suffered from an illness that made her impure according to the Law. She had spent all her money on doctors, but instead of improving, she got worse. Twelve years of suffering, shame, and exclusion. Imagine the desperation she must have felt, the isolation she endured. Until one day, she says to herself:
“If I just touch His cloak, I will be healed.” (Mk 5:28)
And so it happens. As soon as she touches Jesus, the illness disappears. Why? Because her faith led her to act. It is not a passive faith but one that takes risks, fights, and touches God.
And here is something wonderful: Jesus stops to attend to this woman on His way to Jairus’ house. What does this mean? That our faith can stop God. That when a heart approaches Him with confidence, Jesus does not pass by.
What Truly Binds Us: Sin
Now, we cannot ignore the warning from the first reading. In Hebrews, we are told:
“Let us throw off everything that hinders us, especially the sin which so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Heb 12:1)
Because often, what paralyzes us is a difficult situation and the sin to which we have grown accustomed. We may have allowed hopelessness to overcome us. Or perhaps we have fallen into lukewarmness, in a state of spiritual complacency and indifference, believing that our lives can no longer change. But sin is not the end of the story.
Christ Himself, who suffered to the point of shedding His blood, conquered sin and death. As Hebrews 12:2 says:
“Let us fix our gaze on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”
And He calls us to do the same. Not with our strength, but with faith. Faith that He can make all things new. Faith that He can raise what we thought was lost.
Conclusion: Listen to the Right Voice
Brothers and sisters, in this story, there were two voices:
- The voice of the world said to Jairus: “Your daughter is dead; do not bother the Master anymore.”
- The voice of Jesus, who told him: “Do not be afraid, just have faith.”
Every day in our lives, there are also two voices. One that tells us: “There is no more hope.” And another, the voice of God, that tells us: “Trust in Me. Touch Me with your faith. Do not be afraid.”
So today, I ask you: Which of these voices will you listen to?
God can do what science cannot. He can restore what the world believes is lost. He can stop for you, as He did for the woman with the hemorrhage. He can take your hand and lift you, as He did with Jairus’ daughter.
Today, I invite you to approach Jesus with faith, touch Him with your prayer, and allow Him to transform what seems dead in your life.
Because when God enters history, death retreats, hope is reborn, and life shines again.
Amen.
