08/12/2026
Do we fear for the souls of our children? Does the strength of their faith as it is opposed by all the sin and evil in this world worry us? No matter who we are, the love we have for our children brings us concern for their salvation. Given this, if one of our children died and Jesus miraculously healed them, what would our immediate reaction be? Wouldn’t it be to fall at His feet in gratitude, and then to tell everyone about what He had just done to make believers of them! Wouldn’t it be to shout to the world that this man Jesus Christ was a miracle worker, and to tell them that He was the Messiah? Well, what if He told us to keep that amazing miracle and revelation to ourselves… how hard would that be?
“While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, "Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more." But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well."
But taking her by the hand he called, saying, "Child, arise." And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.”
Luke 8:49-50, 54-56 ESV
This story is so rich, deep, and intricate...
1. a man of great spiritual prominence comes to Jesus seeking healing for his daughter.
2. He then falls at the feet of Jesus, not because of his faith or belief, but out of desperation and fear for his daughter’s life... hope.
3. At this point news comes that his daughter has just died, and seeking a healing is pointless.
4. Jesus doesn’t let Him mourn, but tells him that she is just asleep and that if he believes she will be made well.
5. Jesus only takes three of His apostles and the two parents into the house with Him to see the girl.
6. Jesus goes to her and despite this man’s friends and family laughing at Him, because they believe her to be dead and beyond help, He takes her hand and says “arise” and she opens her eyes.
7. Her parents are told to feed her... because she has now been returned to full health.
8. The parents are amazed.
9. Jesus instructs them to tell no one what has occurred.
Each of these nine points is a sermon unto itself, this is truly a deep and amazing lesson, but today let’s talk briefly about one of the most unusual aspects of it... point 9. Jesus tells these parents not to talk about this miracle despite the fact that the entire crowd outside had heard all that had been said prior to them entering the house with Jesus. Now they will leave the house, and the daughter is not only alive, but restored to full health, yet no one will talk about what happened there. Not only that but just a couple of days ago this same man, Jesus, had cast a demon out of a naked fellow who lived in a graveyard, and told him to tell everyone about what had been done for him! What’s going on here? What’s the difference? Why the secrecy?
“The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”
Luke 8:38-39 ESV
So, what is the difference? What is it about these two miracles that makes one worthy of revealing to everyone, and the other to be kept secret? Now, I don’t claim to know the mind of God, so I can’t say with any absolute certainty... but perhaps it was the ruler of the Synagogue’s spiritual position within the synagogue, maybe it was to protect the daughter, then again perhaps it was to peak the curiosity of the crowd, or to remove the spiritual fear of demons from people in the other case. Any of these sounds plausible, but there is one word here that is obviously missing between these two accounts... “believe!”
“But Jesus on hearing this answered him, "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well."”
Luke 8:50 ESV
There was no requirement of belief given before the demon was cast from the man in the graveyard, but it was a requirement for the healing of the twelve year old daughter... not her belief, but the father’s. So, what happened in the house that no one outside could see? Well, we can only conjecture that this ruler of the Synagogue became a believer in not only the power that Jesus possessed as a healer, because he already believed that or he would never have come to Jesus in the first place, but that he became a believer in who Jesus truly was. This particular belief took great faith, and could cost him his job or maybe his life. Believing had to occur before his daughter could be healed. So we come full circle and ask ourselves again…why the secrecy?
Faith is different from belief... faith is the belief in things unseen, but belief is the real manifestation of those things hoped for in faith... it takes us from the unseen to the seen, from hope to reality.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1 ESV
So, this father had made the leap of faith inside that house, where the eyes of those who visited the Synagogue could not see, and added a new dimension to his belief... not just his belief in God and the hope that Jesus was a healer, but belief in Jesus as the Messiah. Revealing this change in his belief would have been detrimental to his position in the Synagogue, and it might have also negated the need for faith in the crowd outside. Jesus understood the power of this moment, and its ramifications in the real world.
Modern day State secrets have a time limit set on their requirement of secrecy. If you know the secret codes of the United States you are not allowed to speak of them for a certain number of years. If you are involved in a clandestine operation you are not allowed to speak of it until the harm of revealing what transpired has passed. This is very similar to what was occurring when Jesus told these parents not to speak of what had happened. It couldn’t be revealed until it would no longer hurt this ruler, or negate the need for real faith in those surrounding that house.
Once I open my hand and show you a pebble that I have hidden there, then you no longer need faith in my claim that it is there, because you now believe it... you have seen it. The crowd needed to make the same transition the ruler did... their faith had to become their personal belief. Sometimes the fear of losing something is the motivation or the catalyst that drives us to faith, and then to belief. For some their faith is enough, but for others it requires that they believe. Is your faith strong enough that it takes on many of the attributes of belief without experiencing reality? Do you move mountains with a mustard seed of faith, or do you need to see that seed as a miracle first?
“Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."”
John 20:29 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for leading me to faith in you, and your Son Jesus Christ, and help me Holy Father in my unbelief. Make my faith strong enough that it becomes as if it were belief... and yet doesn’t require that I place my hand into the side of Jesus like Thomas did. Strengthen my faith Lord, protect me from doubt, and let my seeing you with the eyes of my heart be enough. Let my faith that you reside within me be sufficient, and let me believe this without reservation, or need for a miracle. But, if it should become necessary Lord, then show me as many miracles as it takes to seal my belief in you. Shore up my lack of faith by whatever means is necessary so that I will believe in you with all my heart, soul, and mind. Do not let me falter Father when you can heal, cast our demons, raise the dead, or show me some other amazing and real manifestation of your power... to salvage my faith and belief. You are my God, the foundation of all I am, and the source of my hope... my belief. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who is my Lord and God who leads me in my faith, and blessed is your Son Jesus who holds the pebble of my belief in the palm of His hand.
“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
John 20:27-29 ESV
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Rich Forbes