Be Not Afraid

Jesus Christ is risen! He who Is Light Eternal, who burst forth from the darkness of the tomb two thousand and 25 years ago on that quiet, beautiful morning of the third day after his death on the cross, is as real, present, and effective in this moment, in this time in history, as he was then. That Resurrection moment will burst forth again for all who have died in Christ on the Last Day. We need never again be afraid of death, for in his death and Resurrection, he has opened the way to life eternal to us. We have a full-bodied future that will last forever. This is our faith. This is the reason for our Christian joy.

The phrase “Do not be afraid” appears roughly 70 times in the scriptures. This idea is also expressed in various ways like: “Fear not!”, or “Have no fear!”, or “Do not be afraid!”, or “Be not afraid!”. In all of its variations, it is expressed up to as many as 365 times throughout the entirety of the Scriptures. It is a steady and recurrent theme in and through both Testaments. Should we not, then, pay attention to it? Should we not spend considerable time contemplating that phrase until we can see that it is an expression of the wisdom of God? What does it tell us about God’s nature? What does it reveal about his love for us? Does it not say something of his faithfulness toward us?

On the other hand, we also see phrases like, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). What is meant by this ‘fear’ of God? It is not about being afraid of God in the negative sense. It is about coming to know God for who God is, and who we are with him. It is about the very natural and humble realization that God is God and we are not. This respect and awe motivate us to see our limitations, and to seek his guidance in all things. This humble attitude of holy ‘fear’, this awe and respect for God, liberates us from our slavery to the tyrant of our ego. With this attitude, our hearts can be opened to the truth and the wisdom revealed in God’s commandments. We can begin to see that they are not the capricious demands of an oppressive God, that they are not limitations to our freedom, but rather that they are the means to our liberation. We can come to recognize that they reveal God’s wisdom to us.

In reality, it is the fear of death that paralyzes us or drives us all too often to sin in countless ways. It is this negative kind of fear, the fear of pain, of rejection, of reprisals, of punishment, of being found out, of not having enough, or of not being accepted by the so-called ‘important people’, that cause us to go against our nature, to lie, to manipulate, to coerce, and to do many more things too foul to be recounted here; the kinds of things that we see reported in the daily news headlines. This fear is the source of all of our woes. It is the opposite of the fear of the Lord that leads to wisdom.

Here is the reason why the believing Christian can trust God when he says to us, “Do not be afraid.” “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”.(Jn. 3:16). And here is the proof: Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, willingly, selflessly, died for us on the cross even while we were amid our sin, proving that his love is greater than sin. With his Resurrection, he destroyed death once and for all, forever, and he opened the door to eternal life for all those who believe in him. We have reason for our faith, for our hope. We have reason to love as fearlessly as he loved, never again to fear the powers of this world, who, for all of their bluster, power, and violence, can do nothing to destroy the love of God and our hope for eternal life. Death is not the end, but a new birth for those who seek the wisdom that comes from a holy reverence for the Lord of Life.