- Most of today’s texts talk about not being afraid
- but first I want us to note how much fear is part of the Christmas story
- in fact, according to the gospel accounts, each of the major characters is instructed by an angel to not be afraid
- Stories:
- to Zechariah: “Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.”
- to Joseph: “Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
- to Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.”
- to the shepherds: “Then the angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.”
- For a devotional exercise this week, you might try reading through the various Christmas narratives and imagine all the things that the participants might have been afraid of
- what would happen to Joseph’s reputation and career if he took Mary as his wife?
- how would Mary (or the baby) survive a long hard journey while 9 mos. pregnant?
- what does it feel like to be both the cause and the target of a dictator’s brutal massacre of children?
- what future might await refugees fleeing into Egypt?
- In English, the word fear carries the sense of
- anxiety caused by the sense of impending danger
- something bad might happen
- the ancient roots of the word suggest:
- Like the characters in the story, we may not have to look far for our own anticipations of danger
- at some point, we all face death, either our own, or someone we love
- and with that comes the fear of what we may have to endure before that death actually comes
- e.g. My father is turning 80
- we were excited when he remarried after Mom died 10 yrs ago
- we certainly felt the relief of seeing him in a sustaining relationship again
- and Dad’s remarkably energetic, even for his age
- but reality is still there – lying in wait, ready to ambush at the right moment
- Dad had knee surgery several weeks ago
- he’s making a good recovery
- but it’s almost impossible to avoid the sense of impending
- this is the shape of things to come
- the possibility of what might happen
- Linda’s latest email update included the comment:
- “I am getting to appreciate more what it is like to have to care for those more dependent on you”
- Sum:
- to the degree that the future holds much
- that is potentially bad and
- over which we have no control
- so it holds the potential for fear
- What will I do? What will become of me? of us?
- What will happen to my children? Will I ever have children?
- What about next year? Or next week? Or tomorrow?
- What message will be waiting on the phone or email when I get home?
- Of all the myriad possibilities, what particular calamity lies in wait for me?
- In Hebrew – Fear and Awe are the same word
- “fear not” and “fear the Lord”
- Indeed, the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” – Prov. 1:7
- It’s not so much fear that’s the problem, as the question of what we fear
- The texts are unequivocal
- do not fear those other things – fear the Lord
- do not give them your awe / do not let them have power over you
- they have no power over you
- because someone much greater does have power over you
- God is so much more potentially fearful, so awesome
- that a true sense of this awe / reverence puts the others in perspective
- Jesus says: (Luke 12:4-7)
- ”I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
- But hold on! This is the Awesome One
- What’s all that stuff about sparrows and the hairs on our heads?
- The Power of Presence
- Here’s the wonder
- (pause)
- the same biblical texts that speak of God’s power over us,
- also emphasize God’s presence with us
- the angels inspiring such terror are those proclaiming God’s coming
- Emmanuel – God with us
- “fear not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy”
- not just “don’t be afraid of us angels”
- but “don’t be afraid – God is here now”
- Which brings us back to Zephaniah’s amazing song of joy and hope:
- Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you,
he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall fear disaster no more….
- Every night when I put our daughters to bed – I have to stay there for awhile
- I don’t have to do anything: sing, or talk
- I just have to be there – my presence calms the fear
- I’m not sure how much I could actually do to ward off any of the truly terrible dangers that might come – but that’s not ultimately the point
- for one thing, there are plenty of smaller dangers that are much more immediate
- the fears that capture our imaginations
- the small things that, in their absence, loom so much larger than they really are
- monsters in the corner, things that go bump in the night, the darkness all around
- but what of the big ones?
- the anxieties about tomorrow, the consequences of what was done today
- what will happen to grandpa? will auntie be OK? when will I see my friend again?
- I may not have the power to defeat these foes, or these fears
- but I have no doubt that my presence helps to alleviate them
- that finally, one of the most powerful destroyers of fear is a realization that we are not alone
- we have not been abandoned
- our future is intimately bound up with someone who is much larger than we are
- If fear is about what is
- out there, unknown, not yet
- Then God
- comes close
, becomes known, here and now
- And through Zephaniah speaks words of hope, and freedom from fear
- tender words of gathering, and caring, lifting up and celebrating
- The Lord your God is in your midst
he will renew you in his love
he will rejoice over you with gladness
- but also strong words of salvation:
- I will deal with all your oppressors
I will save the lame and gather the outcast
I will remove disaster from you
I will bring you home
- Powerful words: Fear not … I am with you
- “The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
- you shall fear disaster no more”
- “Fear not, for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people”
- ”Rejoice … again I will say, Rejoice. … The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything
- but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”
- Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to you
- Fear not!
- Amen
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