Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
I was excited. It was my first day at the Seminary, day one of the four-year road to becoming a pastor. All day, I had talked, discussed, and translated with other pastors-in-training. All of us were filled with the excitement of ministry and the confidence that only first year students can have.
That afternoon, my classmates and I were in an orientation session for what was being called field work, graduate-school level shadowing of a pastor in various ministry settings. Professor William explained that each quarter we rotate to a different ministry setting. A third of us would be shadowing chaplains, a third would be sent to congregations conducting evangelism programs, and the other third sent to inner-city ministries at homeless shelters, half-way houses, and, literally, on the streets.
Chaplains in nursing homes, hospitals and prisons, Professor William said, need to be prepared to help answer faith-and-life questions like why is God making me sick, or is God mad at me, or can I be forgiven for what I did, or what happens when we die. He told us to watch and learn because a large part of pastoral ministry is visiting members and families in those places. “Remember,” he said with an excited tone, “you’ll bring the presence of Christ and His Word to those people in a time of crisis.”
His tone was contagious; we were excited. That sounded interesting – getting to talk to people with real questions in that place where faith and life intersect and sometimes crash together. The prison thing sounded a little spooky, but hey – that’s what guards are for, right? And some of us had never seen death before or sat with someone who was just diagnosed with a terminal illness – those made us a little uncomfortable, kinda curious how to do that kind of thing, but, still, we were excited.
Those of you heading into evangelism programs, he said, will meet a variety of people, some who really are curious about who God is, why Jesus had to die, or even what makes Christianity different from every other religion in the world. Others, he said, will be ugly and rude. You’ll have doors slammed in your faces, you’ll be laughed at and called ugly names. You might have great conversations like Paul at Athens and clearly speak of Jesus; other times all you can do is walk away and go to the house next door, knock on the door, and try again. “But,” he said as his voice rose, “like the shepherd who rejoices over one sheep who is returned to the flock, you will prayerfully keep searching to bring that one soul back to Christ.”
Ok, so the excitement faded a little and we became a bit nervous. Most of us had never had that experience of person-to-person faith discussions outside of controlled settings like workshops and classrooms. We had never had a door slammed in our face, or laughed at for being a Christian. But we were smart, educated, and Biblically literate – we could figure it out, and besides, we were going in pairs so we could tag-team if need be.
“And then,” he said, “there are those of you who will be going to the inner city of St. Louis. If you’ve never been to a major city before” – and there were plenty of us who had not been exposed to what real inner city looks like – “not every church has a manicured lawn and fresh paint, and you will realize how vast and broad and unique the body of Christ really is.” His voice dropped a half-octave. “What does it look like to be the church in a place where gangs, drugs, and drive-by’s terrorize God’s people. How do you preach love, mercy and compassion in a place often ruled by hate, revenge, and anger and where languages, skin color, and nationality divide and separate. He paused for a few seconds, then added, “I advise you to wear your clerical collar, wear no jewelry but your wedding ring, and only have your drivers license on you – no wallet, no cash, no cards. You might get hassled or mugged, but we’ve never had a student seriously hurt before.”
You could have heard a pin drop. Reality hit like an ice bucket challenge. Watching people die in hospitals? Doors slammed in our faces? Robbery? Drive-bys? Gangs? Mugging? Speaking for myself, I hadn’t bargained for any of those things. Is this what ministry involves, what discipleship entails, what it means in real flesh and blood – emphasis on blood – flesh and blood terms to follow Jesus?
Now, I tell you this story knowing that chances are that you will not serve as a chaplain in a hospital or prison. You may never sit in DeLeon plaza with a sign, “Ask me about Jesus.” You might never experience praying with Christian refugees from Syria or worship in a church with bullet-scarred walls in a metropolitan inner city. But it is tempting to let those same fears that gripped my mind and heart in that seminary classroom cross our minds and allow satan to suck away our joy, our excitement and our desire to share the Good News of Jesus.
We say we don’t want to offend our coworker. In reality we don’t want to risk a visit with HR. We say we don’t want to seem holier than thou to a classmate. Truthfully, we’re worried of what classmates may say about us behind our backs. We say we don’t want to embarrass our friend who doesn’t go to church. Actually, we’re concerned a friend might be embarrassed by us. We say we don’t want to talk about Biblically divisive issues with our adult children. Truth be told, we’re afraid our kids will stop visiting us because we’re “too religious.” We’re so afraid of saying “Christ alone” that we instead surrender to the fears, the worries, the seemingly insurmountable worldly message that’s around us and we play the part of the three monkeys: say nothing, hear nothing, see nothing.
That evening in Seik Hall, Professor William cleared his throat. He was standing, Bible in his hands. “Gentlemen,” he said, “Have no fear.” Then he read from Matthew’s Gospel:
“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:26-33)
“I want you to notice three things,” Professor William said that September evening. “Jesus says, ‘have no fear,’ ‘do not be afraid,’ and ‘fear not.’ That must be pretty important, huh?” he said. “Have no fear of those who oppose you because they aren’t opposing you but God. Do not fear those who might hurt your body. The worst thing that can happen to you is they take your life, but that will not destroy your relationship with the Father. Fear not, for you are of greater worth than many sparrows. If God shows concern for sparrows, two purchased for a half-hour’s work, seemingly so unimportant that He knows if one falls to the earth, then how much greater is His love for His children. Do not fear, for Christ has already won you the eternal victory, delivered to you in your Baptism. He has gone ahead; you follow. Do not fear.”
“Have no fear… Do not fear… Fear not…” Those are Jesus’ words to His disciples as they were entering the world, and those words – echoed down through the centuries – still ring in the ears of the body of Christ as we live in the world today. Everyone knows the Great Commission, right? “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all things I have commanded you.” We remember Jesus promise that He will be with us to the end of the age. But do you know why that Commission is so great? Do you know why that blessing is able to be given? It’s the sentence prior: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Because all authority is His, He tells us to have no fear, to not fear, to fear not. And because all authority is His, we will have no fear, we will not fear, we will fear not as we live in this world, confessing the name of Jesus with those around us.
And, if fear sneaks it’s subversive way into your heart and mind, repent. If you surrender and, instead of speaking out you hush up, repent. If you turn the other way instead of standing boldly for the name of Jesus, repent. Repent of your fear and turn in faith to Jesus and confess your fears to Him. He endured the terror of the cross for you. He takes the burden of your guilt and your shame from you so you are able to live in freedom and are able to confess Christ again.
Does this mean we won’t have difficulties, that we won’t face evil because we are disciples of Jesus? No; it does not. What Jesus’ thrice-repeated “do not fear” means is this: when – and please note, I said when, not if – when difficulties, or persecution, or prosecution, or even martyrdom comes, are always and fully under the Father’s divine, loving, Baptismally-drenched care. He is with us whether we are stand, suffering in front of family who rejects, friends who mock, employers who threaten, governments who punish, or even at death’s door. Know this: in those moments, God has not and will not abandon you. He abandoned His Son, Jesus, at the cross so that He would never have to abandon you in your moment of greatest need.
It doesn’t seem to make sense – that if God is faithful and present in His Word and through His servants, why is that message rejected? It’s the irony of God’s love: He offers it freely and He will coerce no one. The gift can be received in faith and rejected in denial. Rest assured, even in those moments of rejection God is at work in you, for you and through you. The Father has not, and He will not, overlook His little ones who suffer. Even that suffering, God uses for the glory of His name. He will strengthen you through the power of the Holy Spirit. And, on the Last Day, the Truth will be made perfectly clear and no longer hidden, and then their opposition to the Gospel will be made known.
So, my friends, “Have no fear… Do not fear… Fear not…” When given the opportunity, speak boldly and truthfully in the name of Jesus. I leave you with the words of Professor William – well, actually, they’re not his words at all. They belong to Someone else.
“Have no fear… Do not fear… Fear not…”
In the name of Jesus. Amen.,
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