Question:
I'm wondering what's the point of fear from God's perspective. Clearly it impacts safety and keeps us alive around danger but what about that lingering psychological fear about something I know is likely coming but can't change. Doesn't Jesus say ' do not be afraid' like a command? How do we actually do that action 'do not be afraid,' when we are feeling afraid? Is it something we receive from God? What does a life without fear look like when we're in a scary situation?
Response:
Jesus mostly says “do not be afraid” to people in situations that were scary and who needed reassurance. For example, he comforts the disciples on the mount of transfiguration when he takes on a dazzling appearance (Matthew 17:7), he comforts the synagogue ruler when he hears his daughter is dead (Mark 5:36), he comforts the disciples when he comes to them walking on water (Matthew 14:27) and he comforts the disciples when he appears to them after his resurrection (Matthew 28:10). In all these instances, the people involved were facing frightening situations and needed reassurance that things were okay even though they did not appear to be so. Jesus tells Simon not to be afraid when Jesus calls him to be his disciple but this also is in response to an extraordinary situation, when the fishing nets, empty all night, were suddenly filled to breaking (Luke 5:10).
In Luke 12:4 Jesus tells his disciples “do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.” In this case, fear probably means being so affected that you give in to your tormenters rather than staying faithful to God. God is the one with ultimate power so he is the one you should fear and obey.
Finally, Jesus instructs his disciples, at the last supper: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). This word comes at the end of a long discourse on Christ’s impending departure. Naturally the disciples were fearful of him leaving and Jesus took pains to reassure them that he was not abandoning them: he would return for them, he knew the Father and would show him to them, he would listen to and answer the disciples’ prayers, Jesus and the Father would indwell them and Jesus would send the Holy Spirit to be with them and to teach them while he (Jesus) was physically absent. After telling them all this wonderful news, Jesus tells them “Peace I leave with you, peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The disciples did not have to fear that Jesus would leave them “orphans”, all alone with none to help.
Christ does not instruct them to not ever be afraid under any circumstances but that they should not be afraid about his departure. Life is hard and scary but what makes it truly terrible is the prospect of bearing its sorrows alone. Jesus reassures his followers that they are not alone; they are not being abandoned. Christ will suffer abandonment on their behalf so that they never have to.
So how does this apply in our lives today? We too have the assurance that Christ has not left us alone but is with us and has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and that Christ will return for us and bring us to himself. We are not alone. Terrible things may happen to us that make us fearful but we can face them knowing we are not alone and that whatever this world throws at us is only temporary and not worth staking our lives on.
It is natural to fear things that we know will be painful and I don’t believe Jesus meant we would not or should not experience fear. Pain, loss, and disappointment are all hard to bear and we dread them. But our fears can be mitigated by the knowledge that we are not alone and that “this too shall pass.” What we must do is to soak in his word, learning and reminding ourselves of his promises to be with us and to return for us so that our fears do not overwhelm and that we may find something to be thankful for even in the midst of them.
I'm wondering what's the point of fear from God's perspective. Clearly it impacts safety and keeps us alive around danger but what about that lingering psychological fear about something I know is likely coming but can't change. Doesn't Jesus say ' do not be afraid' like a command? How do we actually do that action 'do not be afraid,' when we are feeling afraid? Is it something we receive from God? What does a life without fear look like when we're in a scary situation?
Response:
Jesus mostly says “do not be afraid” to people in situations that were scary and who needed reassurance. For example, he comforts the disciples on the mount of transfiguration when he takes on a dazzling appearance (Matthew 17:7), he comforts the synagogue ruler when he hears his daughter is dead (Mark 5:36), he comforts the disciples when he comes to them walking on water (Matthew 14:27) and he comforts the disciples when he appears to them after his resurrection (Matthew 28:10). In all these instances, the people involved were facing frightening situations and needed reassurance that things were okay even though they did not appear to be so. Jesus tells Simon not to be afraid when Jesus calls him to be his disciple but this also is in response to an extraordinary situation, when the fishing nets, empty all night, were suddenly filled to breaking (Luke 5:10).
In Luke 12:4 Jesus tells his disciples “do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.” In this case, fear probably means being so affected that you give in to your tormenters rather than staying faithful to God. God is the one with ultimate power so he is the one you should fear and obey.
Finally, Jesus instructs his disciples, at the last supper: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). This word comes at the end of a long discourse on Christ’s impending departure. Naturally the disciples were fearful of him leaving and Jesus took pains to reassure them that he was not abandoning them: he would return for them, he knew the Father and would show him to them, he would listen to and answer the disciples’ prayers, Jesus and the Father would indwell them and Jesus would send the Holy Spirit to be with them and to teach them while he (Jesus) was physically absent. After telling them all this wonderful news, Jesus tells them “Peace I leave with you, peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” The disciples did not have to fear that Jesus would leave them “orphans”, all alone with none to help.
Christ does not instruct them to not ever be afraid under any circumstances but that they should not be afraid about his departure. Life is hard and scary but what makes it truly terrible is the prospect of bearing its sorrows alone. Jesus reassures his followers that they are not alone; they are not being abandoned. Christ will suffer abandonment on their behalf so that they never have to.
So how does this apply in our lives today? We too have the assurance that Christ has not left us alone but is with us and has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and that Christ will return for us and bring us to himself. We are not alone. Terrible things may happen to us that make us fearful but we can face them knowing we are not alone and that whatever this world throws at us is only temporary and not worth staking our lives on.
It is natural to fear things that we know will be painful and I don’t believe Jesus meant we would not or should not experience fear. Pain, loss, and disappointment are all hard to bear and we dread them. But our fears can be mitigated by the knowledge that we are not alone and that “this too shall pass.” What we must do is to soak in his word, learning and reminding ourselves of his promises to be with us and to return for us so that our fears do not overwhelm and that we may find something to be thankful for even in the midst of them.
