A Pastor’s Thoughts: The Bible Says ‘Fear Not’ (but how?)

I was just thinking the other day about how many times the phrase “don’t be afraid” is used in the Bible. It shows up often in the Gospels like when at the Immaculate Conception, the angel told Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Luke 1:30) Or around that same time when the angel told Joseph, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” (Matthew 1:20) 

Or in Luke chapter 8 when the daughter of the synagogue leader died and Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.” (Luke 8:50) Then Jesus raised her from the dead.

In Matthew 10 Jesus was “encouraging” His followers by saying, “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves,” (10:16) reminding them that they would be persecuted for following Him. 

There are all kinds of things we can be fearful of in this world.  Many things we should fear. When I lived in Wyoming, not too far from Yellowstone, I read a book that chronicled all the ways you could die in Yellowstone; like drowning, being mauled by animals, falling from cliffs, freezing to death, or being scalded to death. 

And it’s not only in the wild places of the land where you find fear inducing things. Food security and affordable housing are real issues for many people right here in our area. They may not kill you as quickly as a bear or a hot spring, but they are stressors that threaten one’s health and well being that build over time to cause panic.

So, how can Jesus tell us, “Don’t be afraid” when we live in a world of scary things?  How can we live more by faith and less by fear?  It sounds weird, but it’s by fearing God! 

Yes, like I mentioned earlier, Jesus said that when we follow Him with our lives, we’re like sheep among wolves; He understood the fearful things and situations we would face. But He went on in that passage to add, “Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:28-31)

Fearing God is the recognition that His power is greater than all the other dangers and hardships we will face in this life. How do I know His power is greater?  One more “Don’t be afraid” passage – in Matthew 28:4-6 a group of women were going to the tomb of Jesus after He was crucified. They encountered the men who were supposed to be guarding the tomb and found them “so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.” Then they saw an angel who told them, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Jesus has power even over death!

Fearing God means that we are more concerned about going against Him than we are afraid of the risks we encounter here and now. But the difference in the fear is that it leads us to trust knowing that God’s great power is united with great love for you and me.  He made us and wants to guide and care for us and lead us to an eternity with Him.  Fearing God is coupled with trusting God, which motivates us to follow God. 

In John 16:33 Jesus told His followers, “You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”