From Fearful to Courageous

This is the sermon I preached today, 6/2120 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church's Drive-In Service. If you would like to see the video of the sermon, it is here. The gospel text is Matthew 10:24-39. 

Have no fear, little flock; have no fear, little flock,

For the Father has chosen to give you the kingdom;

Have no fear little flock (ELW 764). YouTube link

Jesus says, “have no fear of them.” Who are the “them?” They are the religious leaders of the time that accused Jesus of healing and performing miracles by the power of the devil. They were the ones who persecuted Jesus and arranged for his crucifixion. Jesus is saying, “If they do this to me, they’ll do it to you.”

At the time, the disciples didn’t really get what the future would hold. Do any of us? A year ago, could we have imagined months of quarantine or shortages of household supplies like toilet paper? Could we have imagined race riots like we had in the 1960s? “Have no fear of them.”

Jesus is preparing his disciples for life when he is crucified, risen, and ascended. The truth will come out. Nothing will be hidden. By the same token, the disciples are to tell the world all Jesus taught them. “²⁷What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops” (v. 27).

Jesus tells the disciples, “Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul” (v.28). Are you kidding us, Jesus? To be unafraid of death, a painful one at that, which is what most early followers of Jesus suffered, is asking a lot.

Who is the one who “can destroy both soul and body in hell?” (v. 29). Is it the devil? We might think so, but the One with the ultimate power over life and death is God. And to a certain degree, it could be us as well. We often entertain destructive behaviors in our lives that lead to death.

Frequently in the Hebrew scriptures, love and fear of God are intertwined. Proverbs is full of references to fearing God:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (1:7).

then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God (2.5).

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil (3.7).

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil (8:13).

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight (9:10) are but a few.

Jesus says, “Do not be afraid”—God cares for even the least. Sparrows were among the cheapest birds in the market in Matthew’s time, a dime a dozen in modern parlance. And yet, God knows when one falls to the ground. Nothing escapes God’s eyes. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be some that fall. God notices everything-- the happy, the sad, the confident times and yes, the fearful ones as well.

Yes, the hairs on our head are all counted, and yes, we are worth more to God than many sparrows.  But the life of faith is also arduous. The life of faith is also risky.  The life of faith does not guarantee us health, wealth, prosperity, or safety.  The life of faith is sacrificial at its heart… (Debie Thomas, journeywithjesus.net)

Where does that leave us? A few decades ago, I could have sworn we were done with racism. Now, look at us. God is calling the church to lead the way in God’s love for everyone.

It’s time for another song, this time a contemporary one called “Courageous,” by Casting Crowns. This is what God is saying to his church, to us:

We were made to be courageous
We were made to lead the way
We could be the generation
That finally breaks the chains
We were made to be courageous
We were made to be courageous

YouTube

Amen!

picture