Do Not Fear, Only Believe | Mark 5:21-43
Have you ever heard of the surrender cobra? According to the slang dictionary, a surrender cobra is found at sporting events with hands-atop-head pose made by fans when their team’s loss seems all but inevitable. It’s what sports fans do when their team is getting beat so bad or a play in the game changes the game so that their team is probably going to lose. It is a moment of total deflation, helplessness, and hopelessness where the only answer is a miracle.
The next two miracle stories in Mark are also found in Matthew and Luke. This section of miracles has taught us that Jesus has power over everything, everywhere. He has power over disasters, demons, disease, and death. The purpose of this section is not just for us to believe in miracles but to ultimately trust in Jesus. In these two miracles, Jesus is both commending and calling for faith in what seems to be the most impossible of situations. In these stories, we learn what real Biblical faith looks like: Faith is believing in Jesus when you are helpless and trusting when things seem hopeless.