“The following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” Acts 23:11
The tears slowly streamed down his face creating a mixture of muddied anguish upon the rough-hewn prison floor. How had it come to this? He was promised an audience before kings yet every time he proclaimed the good news of Jesus he was either beaten, stoned, rejected, or thrown in jail. He knew clearly what Jesus had asked him to do, yet in moments like this he couldn’t quite fathom how he had become such a failure in executing it. Yes, in moments like this, as he sat alone in this cold damp cell, he felt more alone than ever before. Where were his brothers in Christ that he had left scattered all over the known kingdom? Where were the other disciples? He was alone, he was confused, and he felt his hope slipping away like a small stone drifting down into the depths of despair. But as his thoughts, emotions, and spirit followed the path of that small stone, taking him ever deeper, he heard this simple word voiced from beside him… tharseó…take courage!
That particular Greek word, tharseó, means to gather your courageous, or to be comforted and encouraged. And interestingly, that particular Greek word is used only 5 times in the entire New Testament. And all five times the Lord Jesus Christ is the one issuing it. And all five times Jesus issues it to ones in need of holy encouragement, divine inspiration, and spiritual motivation. You see, when Paul felt at his lowest, when Paul felt his journey had been forever halted due to the bars that confined him, the great preacher, the great missionary, being just a man, needed help. As he sat in that lonely cage, effectively removed from the world in which he was sent to preach, he felt a confused failure to be denied departure from his specific imprisonment. But folks, we often beg Jesus to deliver us out of our problematic circumstances, when He instead wants to meet us right in them. And so, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, met Paul right where he was…in the middle of a Roman prison.
So what of the other four uses of this word from Jesus? The Lord sees a paralyzed man lying on a mat, bitter and depressed in his seemingly hopeless uncurable state. Yet Jesus sees his physical situation differently than the rest of the world. Jesus instead chooses to see his great spiritual faith in believing that Jesus alone can allow Him to walk. And thus Jesus tells him “tharseó (take courage), your sins are forgiven, rise up, take your mat, and go home.” (Matthew 9:18) A woman, for 12 years braced in the agony and hopelessness of her diseased body, presses in on Jesus in a busy crowd telling herself that if she can only touch the tassels upon the corner of His robe, she will be healed. As Jesus senses her great faith-fueled touch, He turns and utters to her, “tharseó (take courage) my daughter, your faith has healed you.” (Matthew 9:20-22) As the disciples were being tossed about by an angry sea, fearing for their very lives, Jesus walks to them upon the water and issues these words into their souls, “tharseó (take courage), it is I, do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:22-27) And the night before the Savior of the world was to be bitterly tortured and hung upon a cross to die for sins not his own, He encouraged His soon to be scattered and fearful disciples with these words, “In the world you will have tribulation; but tharseó (take courage), I have overcome the world.” Folks, 5 times Jesus utters the word tharseó. And in those 5 times we see the Lord meeting the fearful, the hopeless, the downtrodden, the lame, and the sick right where they were…in the middle of their woe.
Wherever you are at today, whether it be in the throes of sickness or disease, in the bondage of depression or anxiety, in the struggle of seeing your marriage strained to breaking, bound in the shackles of addiction, or maybe even in the seemingly hopeless bonds of prideful sin, Jesus is ready to meet you where you are at and utter this same word... tharseó. But in order to hear His voice, you must first believe. For you see, in each of these five instances there first came faith in Christ. Faith that Jesus was who He said He was, could do what He said He could do, and was willing to do it. Faithful belief was first issued and Jesus graciously answered. Folks, it isn’t simply good enough to reside in your sorrow, fear, and anxiety, you must truly believe with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength…that Jesus is enough to rescue you from all.
I pray today that you not isolate yourself in your problems, barring Jesus from entering into your situation. I pray that instead you open your heart as it grieves, suffers, or undergoes the disappointments of this world. Open your heart to the fact that Jesus can heal all hurt, rectify all pain, and cover all sin. And as He does, He is willing to meet you in your moment with one word…tharseó.
Take courage and be of good cheer fellow brother or sister, Jesus is right beside you.
Bendiciones a ustedes ~ Dan
“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them.” Psalm 145:18-19
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