Pentecost 5 A
Matthew 10:24-33
Do Not Be Afraid
06/23/02
During his years as premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev denounced many of the policies and atrocities of Joseph Stalin. Once, as he censured Stalin in a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a shout from a heckler in the audience. "You were one of Stalin’s colleagues. Why didn’t you stop him?" "Who said that?" roared Khrushchev. An agonizing silence followed as nobody in the room dared move a muscle. Then Khrushchev replied quietly, "Now you know why." The point was well taken.
Fear is a powerful motivating factor. It can render people unmovable. It can lead them to do irrational things. People wonder why Elizabeth Smart’s sister didn’t alert her parents when her sister was abducted; but we’re learning now that she actually did. She got up to tell her parents, but saw the kidnapper still in the house and ran back to her bed. She was undoubtedly frozen in terror, frightened into inaction. Fear can control our every thought, our every action; even as we try to live out our life of faith.
And I’m not talking about a fear of losing our lives. Jesus’ disciples – they obviously had a legitimate fear of this happening. It was not at all uncommon that those espousing faith in Christ would be dragged out of town, beaten, stoned and left for dead. Stephen and Paul are but two examples of this in the Scripture. There are some today who are living under the same threats. Just two weeks ago we heard how a missionary lost his life and his wife nearly lost hers after they had been held captive for over a year in the Philippians. Those threats aren’t nearly as relevant for us in the relatively safe and free environment of America. Nevertheless there are still fears that grip us and stop us short of living out our Christian faith and our commitments to live for Christ.
We fear the crowds. Here in Matthew we see several examples of such fear with the Pharisees, the chief priest and elders of the people. In chapter 21, for instance, it’s clear that they want to arrest Jesus, but they fail to take action because “they’re afraid of the crowds” (21:26). We say, “Good, they were on the wrong side anyway.” But the truth is we who have the truth of God’s word, and the assurances and promises of God, and know that we are His children still bow to public pressure. We waffle on issues like abortion and assisted suicide. We close our eyes to the growing problem of sexual immorality in our nation. We talk privately about the growing depravity on TV and our movie screens, but then pay good money so that we can see it like everyone else. We fear the crowds.
And we fear for our relationships with our children as well. Our kids are growing up with these same pressures, and we’re afraid to put our foot down. We don’t want to be seen by them as too oppressive or out of touch, and as a result we miss an opportunity to teach them that such values are of importance to our Christian walk and that the world need not have such a sway on their thinking. We fear that we’ll lose their love if we do this, but we end up losing their respect and our position of authority that enables us to be the mentors and providers that we’ve been called to be.
Funny, we fear that too; our providing that is. We noted last week the very real threat that faces us as a people in the U.S.. We know that terrorist will strike at us again, and who’s to know. The next time we or our loved one could be in the line of fire. Financially it’s a hard time as well. Some are struggling to make ends meet. Others are facing layoffs. And some of you, though ok yourselves, are watching investments which you had hoped to pass along to your families diminish in the wake of rising health care costs and vanishing stock returns.
In the wake of that our church is facing its own struggles. Giving is down as you can see in the bulletin, driving a fair amount of this parish to yet another fear as we’ve used up what we can borrow and have been forced to dip into a quickly depleting “housing” fund to make ends meet. So much potential, so many opportunities to reach out in Christ’s love, to share the life changing word of God; but we’re afraid to act. We’re fearful of stepping up to the plate, fearful that we’ll fail, fearful that we’ll be wasting our time, fearful that our community and our schools and our congregations are just going to fold up in the future anyway.
We’re fearful, but our Lord assures us here today we need not be afraid. If we want to fear something our God would accommodate us. “Do not be afraid of those who ill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul an body in hell.” Here’s something to really fear. Take note of the fact that God has some very clear expectations of us. Take note that we’re responsible when we fail. Pay attention to the fact that He holds the authority and power to judge us and our behavior. If you want something to fear, remember that he holds not only the present, but also eternity in His hands; but we need not be afraid.
Indeed, Jesus bids us not to be afraid; not afraid because nothing happens apart from our God knowing. Which might provoke an immediate response like, “What do you mean, ‘Don’t be afraid. That only adds to my concern. He knows what we’re going through, but seemingly does nothing. Worse yet, he knows all the things I’ve covered up in my life, and maybe that explains why this is happening now. After all Proverbs 28:13 does say, “What sins you cover, God will uncover,” even as Jesus seems to imply in the text. ‘There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed.’ It seems to me that there is much of which to be afraid.”
And the concern is natural, except for the truth of who He would make us to be. The Proverb does read, “What sins you cover, God will uncover,” but it also goes on to say that “what sins you are willing to uncover God will cover.” He would bid us this day to admit our fears, to acknowledge how they’ve controlled our actions at times for the worse, how they’ve eroded our trust in Him. He would bid us today to confess, yet not to expose us, but to make us whole; not to imprison us, but to make us free; not to sicken us in grief and further worry, but to set us free. He would set us free from the sin and the guilt and the worry because He is our Father and He would see us as His children, members of His household, His most important possession in all the world.
The examples of the sparrow and the hairs on our heads are powerful. In comparison to most matters, sparrow are cheap and insignificant. They’re “a dime a dozen” or as Jesus says “2 for a penny.” Most would have one hit a windshield and not think twice about it. There’s plenty where that one came, maybe even too many. The world’s scales won’t be tipped by their loss. But that’s not God’s thinking. He cares for all his creatures we’re told and not a one falls to the ground without the Father’s notice.
The same goes for our hairs. Every day we lose hairs in a comb or brush. Some of us lose them a bit more easily than others. No one stops to count them; most of the time we don’t even notice them until we clean out our brush or wipe out the shower or tub. Yet every one of them has a number in the mind of God.
And the point is obvious. If God takes notice of all these little things, how much more does he take notice of all that is happening with you? How much more does God care about your well being? So “don’t be afraid.” You’re worth infinitesimally more; more because he’s done something to rescue me and you. (Not for the sparrow. He’s done nothing to rescue my hairs, but He has for me.)
24"A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub,[3] how much more the members of his household!” Those words can kind of come across like, “Jesus went through it, so will you. Get over it. Buck it up. Be a man. ”
But I see much more. It is true. Jesus is being very up front. Life as a follower of Christ in this world is not easy one. It wasn’t easy for Jesus. We can expect the same as one of His disciples. But therein we’re also reminded of the very important and comforting truth that we’re not going anywhere that the master hasn’t gone before, where He hasn’t already cleared the way. He’s faced the challenges to his reputation. He knows the struggles that come from family members and loved one questioning his teaching and direction in life. He knows the kinds of pressures that people and authorities can exercise to try to sway your positions and to turn public opinion against you. He knows what it’s like to be in want, to lose everything you own, your family, your friends, your livelihood and even your very life in this world. He’s been there.
But unlike us, He didn’t fail. He didn’t fail that he might bear away the times we did on the cross and rise in victory over our sin’s death that believing in him we might be filled with hope. We have the joyous and certain hope that He lives, our Savior, who is able to sympathize with our struggles, with our fears, having faced them himself. That’s the promising word we hear in Hebrews. “…We have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,[1] Jesus the Son of God… a high priest who is not unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. 16(so that we can) …approach the throne of grace with confidence, receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” He’s gone before and cleared the way, victoriously facing and overcoming the same that he might dispense forgiving mercy, but also pouring out His new life giving grace in the Spirit and strengthen us with new resolve to live for him again.
Martin Niemoeller experienced it. One of Hitler’s least favorite people, Rev. Niemoeller was placed in prison and summoned to a special court. He was suddenly afraid. He had no idea what to expect! But according to Francis Gay, as he was taken along the seemingly endless corridor to the courtroom, he heard a low voice quoting in the Latin version, used by the German Roman Catholic Church, a verse from the Book of Proverbs: "Nomen Domini Turris fortissimo." It was the voice of his jailer speaking in words that understandably only the two of them were meant to understand. ~"The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteousness runneth into it, and it is safe." They were words that dispelled Niemoeller’s fears and renewed his confidence in God."
Don’t be afraid. That’s what our Lord is up to in His Word today again. Beelzebub – Lord of the manure pile. That’s how some have rendered that word, and it’s rather appropriate. For that’s exactly how some look on us and the word. They deem God’s Word and the hope we have in Christ as a waste – a waste of time and effort and those of us who bring as being “full of it”, and I think you know, full of what.
But we know who will rule in the end, the victory already secured on the cross and guaranteed with an empty grave. We know that the word that is whispered out of fear in many places today will triumph and be proclaimed in confidence from the rooftops. We know that it is the one true hope and life-giving message we have to share with those for whom we care. We know that it is the one provision and protection that we can give to our loved ones that no one can steal away. We know that while we are deemed “full of it” today, even by some we love, they may one day thank us for the blood, sweat and tears we shed to fill them with it too as we rule together with our Lord over all. For life in this world will be lost, one way or another; but nothing can take the life that would already be ours through faith in Christ Jesus in the world to come. Amen!
