Fears are real. However, they may not always be rational. Emotions can lead to false conclusions, and not just for little boys. Most fears are connected to reality in some way, but the fear of “what if” can be like a wildfire – becoming hard to control. Fears can go unresolved for lengthy periods of time, especially with health issues, or family issues that flare up, or by enduring injustices at work when coworkers or management turn against us. Fears that operate in our lives might be linked to events in our childhood – the fear of rejection, the fear of abandonment, the fear of failure, or perhaps the fear of being ridiculed and laughed at.
As a spiritual exercise, you might make a list of the fears that are currently operating in your mind and heart. That itself might be a troubling exercise. Yet most of us are probably experiencing at least one fear, if not more or even many, simultaneously. Fears may compound stress in our lives from multiple sources at the same time, especially financial fears – paying the mortgage, saving up for a wedding, helping our grown children after a divorce, financing other debts, frequent significant repairs to vehicles, repairing storm-damaged property, replacing appliances at home, medical bills, and more. My point isn’t to cause you more anxiety as you read this list but to invite you to acknowledge what’s really going on and how it affects you so that you can bring it to the Lord and let him be with you in it.
In the opening line of the Gospel passage on Sunday, Jesus says, "Fear no one….and do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” In reality, there are perhaps more pressing fears in our lives than the fear that Jesus is talking about. With anxiety and stress over immediate concerns, we may find little time or courage to face the spiritual concern that Jesus is telling us is even more important. As a friend of mine has said for years, “We neglect the important for the urgent.”
Jesus says, “Fear no one.” How does that resonate with you and the list of fears you may be dealing with as you read this reflection? When Jesus says, “fear no one” he is asking us to place these fears in the big picture of our lives – which means in the light of our eternal destiny. In this way, he is stretching our faith to keep things in perspective – spiritually – so that we can realize how important it is that we “fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” Jesus doesn’t want us to live in fear about all the things that trouble us. Rather, he wants us to be so focused on his love and mercy that it keeps us on the straight and narrow path of obedience to his word and trust in his promises.
While the fear of the “loss of heaven and the pains of hell” might seem “old Church” to some, it is the timeless word of God that should always be taken seriously. Note that Jesus simply says, “Fear no one.” Please let those words stand guard over your thoughts, feelings and desires. Yes, there are legitimate fears of all kinds, things that would be devastating were they to take place. But even in that regard we must remain fixed on the words of our Lord, “Fear no one.” Frankly, our Lord does not want us to carry the weight of the anxieties and stress we think are just a normal part of life. Our Lord wants us to surrender all worry and anxiety to him.
Then Jesus adds this, “So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Our Lord loves us deeply. We are precious in his eyes. He created us to know and receive his love. Let that soak in! And what’s more, Jesus says, “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. So, keep in mind the moment to come when Jesus himself “stands up for you” before God in heaven! However, he also says, “But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father." This is what fear does – it fails to acknowledge the Lord and his promise to take care of us. Fear causes us to forget the Lord and doubt his word.
The admonition to “fear no one” is easier said than done, but we have to continually lean into trust as there is always some new situation that can trouble us. Making daily (even hourly) acts of trust in the Lord builds up a Holy Fear of the Lord, the fear of offending him. Rather, trusting in the Lord becomes a consolation as we fix our gaze on what he has prepared for us. After you make a list of your current fears, focus, then, on surrendering them to the Lord, directing your attention instead, on faithfulness to his word, on placing trust in his loving providence and protection. Will you allow him to take care of you….or will you let fear have free reign in your life?
