But immediately Jesus spoke to [the disciples] and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27 nrsv)

There was one mantra that I heard repeatedly through the voice of my father growing up: “Son, the opposite of faith is fear. God gives us the faith to overcome our fear.” As a young boy, my father’s words gave me immediate courage and helped me to take physical and spiritual risks even though I was by nature timid and cautious. As a teenager, I began to appreciate the deeper theological implications of my father’s shared faith. One that sticks out is the fact that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear.

If you were to read through all four Gospels, you would discover that there are some 125 imperatives issued from Christ to his listeners (often the disciples). Of these, 21 (a significant percentage) urge us “do not be afraid” or “fear not” or “be of good courage” or “take heart” or “be of good cheer.” In essence, this imperative is the same reinforced message that came to me through the voice of my father. The second most common command to love God and the neighbor appears on only eight occasions.

If repetition is any indicator (and I do believe it is), Jesus takes our fears seriously—visible, invisible, real, imagined, and exaggerated. The one statement he made more than any other was this: do not be afraid. Tucked within that tender imperative is a powerful promise that Jesus Christ is trustworthy and trust in him enables us to conquer our fears.

Let us pray…
Lord Jesus, may your words ring deeply into our eardrums and hearts: “Do not be afraid.” Help us to be bold and courageous as we serve you and our neighbors today. Amen

Contributed by Pastor Dan
Monday January 23, 2012
Liturgical Year B: Week 9
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading:
Third Sunday after Epiphany