5th Sunday after Pentecost / June 19, 2005

Matthew 10:24-39

Rev. Gayle M. Highness

What Are You Afraid Of?

Jesus said to his disciples, among other things, “I have come to set a man against his father” and “Whoever loves father more than me is not worthy of me.” Nice reading for Father’s Day, isn’t it?

It’s a little difficult for us to hear Jesus saying things like, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

But then, in the very same reading, there are these words: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

At the same time Jesus tells his disciples that he has come to set men and women against their earthly parents, he assures them of the absolute devotion of their heavenly Father, who knows them down to every single hair on their head, and cherishes them and will not abandon them.

In this gospel reading, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the harsh reality that life as one of his followers is not going to be easy, because their devotion to God and their obedience to God’s commands will set them at odds with the world. And not just with the people they don’t like anyway, it could very well cut them off from the people they love most – their own family members.

After all, if their teacher and master is going to end up crucified by his own people, why should they expect to be treated any better?

Jesus is letting them know this ahead of time so they won’t be surprised and, especially, so they won’t be afraid. He says that three times – in verse 26, “So have no fear,” and in verse 28, “Do not fear,” and in verse 31, “So do not be afraid.”

Of course, going against the grain of popular culture isn’t anything new for those who love and follow God. The prophet Jeremiah certainly knew that. “I have become a laughingstock all day long,” he laments. “Everyone mocks me. All my close friends are watching for me to stumble.”

Nobody liked the message of judgment, violence and destruction that God gave Jeremiah to proclaim. But he couldn’t keep from proclaiming it even if he tried and, in spite of his suffering, he trusted God to vindicate him in the end. And so, in that trust he could sing praises to the Lord.

The Psalm for today reflects the same experience. “Surely, for your sake have I suffered reproach. I have become a stranger to my own kindred, an alien to my mother’s children,” the psalmist laments. And yet he trusts the Lord enough to cry out, “Save me from the mire; do not let me sink. Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind. Draw near to me and redeem me.”

The prophets and the psalmist suffered the derision of friends and enemies because of their devotion to the Lord. The disciples would likewise face persecution but, perhaps even worse, would find themselves cut off from relationships that had once been central to their lives.

There is a cost to discipleship. Grace is free, but it’s not cheap. That’s the message that Dietrich Bonhoeffer proclaimed in his writings before he was executed for standing against Hitler. There are thousands of examples of Christians who have been martyred for their faith and continue to be martyred today, not to mention those who are considered as dead by their families when they turn from Islam and other faiths to become Christian.

Compared to that kind of suffering, doesn’t it seem like we have it kind of easy in this country today? What do we have to be afraid of? Most of us come from Christian families, though some of us have faced some minor criticism for changing denominations. We might be made fun of or maybe even shunned by some if we act too religious, but we’re certainly not going to be put to death!

So maybe this lesson is not really meant for us today. Hmmmm. You see how easy it is to walk away from the message? At first, it’s hard to hear Jesus saying that he has come not to bring peace, but a sword. That doesn’t seem right. Who wants to be at odds with the rest of the world?

But, yes, we can see how that would be the case, and we can see lots of examples where Christians have been persecuted and we can admire their faith and courage and think, “Whew, I’m glad I’m not in that boat.”

But this gospel will not let us go so easily. This Word is for us today, here and now, in this very place and in our very lives, just as much as it was for the disciples to whom Jesus spoke directly.

Being a disciple of Jesus means living into and out of a relationship with God that is central to our whole identity. As Paul wrote in the letter to the Romans, “We know that our old self was crucified with Christ. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

It isn’t so much a matter of putting God FIRST in our lives, as it is acknowledging God’s presence and seeking God’s will in EVERYTHING we do.

Will that make a difference in our lives? Will living in Christ cause us to be at odds with the world? Yes, it will. Will it change us? Yes it will. Will it cause us to be ostracized and separated from family and friends? It could.

In fact, if your relationship with God is not challenging you to grow and change in some way, I would be bold enough to say there’s something wrong. Where is that point of growth where Jesus is calling you to trust and rely on God? I think the key to discovering that is in the phrase that Jesus repeated three times in today’s gospel in various ways: “Do not be afraid.”

When you think about your relationship with God, and what might be hindering it, ask yourself, “What am I afraid of?” Is there something you are afraid that God might be asking of you to give up? Is there something God is calling you to do and you are afraid it will cost you something? Is there something that you are relying on to give worth and security to your life that has taken over that central God place in your heart?

That’s where you need to go. There’s a saying that, “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” Fear is not from God. Fear drives us away from God. But when you face your fears, you will find that God is there. That’s a promise.