FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE (FEAR)

HOMILY FOR THE 12^TH SUNDAY OF THE ORDINARY TIME OF THE YEAR, A

 

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

Do not be afraid, you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace, you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood (Isaiah 54:4).

There was a criminal who had committed a crime. He was sent to the king for his punishment. The king told him he had a choice of two punishments. He should choose either to be hung by a rope or take what is behind the big, dark, scary, iron door. The criminal quickly decided on the rope. As the noose was being slipped on him, he turned to the king and asked: by the way, out of curiosity, what is behind that door? The king laughed and said: you know, it is funny, I offer everyone the same choice, and nearly everyone picks the rope. So, said the criminal: tell me, what is behind the door? I mean, obviously, I won’t tell anyone, he said, pointing to the noose around his neck. The king paused then answered: freedom, but it seems most people are so afraid of the unknown that they immediately take the rope. Fear strangulates. Out of fear, we fail to explore challenges. Out of fear, we choose what we are familiar with. Out of fear, we even miss opportunities of liberty, of progress, and of prosperity. No one wants to take risk again. We prefer an already-made and familiar venture. The Christian life, we must say is filled with ups and downs. It is a life that has new risk as the days go by. Persecutions abound; trials are present, but the man who follows the instructions of Jesus will always find peace and will grow out of the fears of the present. Conquer your fears, and by so doing you win.

Three times in the Gospel (Matt. 10:26-33) passage, Jesus bids us not to be afraid. He encourages us not to despair when we face persecutions as Christians. The first is in verse 26. The second is in verse 28, and the third is in verse 31.

In the first commandment not to fear, we are told to fear no man, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed. Men referred to here are those who persecute you. This simply means that the truth will triumph in the final analysis. There are some persecutors who come to us in disguise, portraying themselves as healers where they are actually killers. For those that way, time will come when their true character will be made known by God. On that day, the testimony of the Christian will be vindicated, and the persecution will be seen to have been but light and momentary troubles in comparison to eternal glory that will be ours (cf. 2 Cor 4:17). So, any Christian who fears men and what they are likely to say or do because of their belief are engaging on an unholy fear. That fear in itself is sinful. We are not to fear the damage of our character and reputation by men. Only god knows the deepest intents of our hearts. God is going to restore our reputation. Thus, do not harbour such an unholy fear.

Another side of this fear is when the Christian becomes afraid to speak with boldness the Christian message. What I say to you in the dark, say it in the light. We have the duty to speak out what Jesus has told us to say, and not to keep quiet for fear. The Christian witness must know no fear because he/she is aware that the judgments of eternity will correct the judgment of time. We must listen with reverence and speak with courage the message we have heard from Christ. Again, this is an unholy fear; a fear that is in itself sinful.

The second commandment not to fear is this: do not fear men who can only kill the body. Men may have power to kill but their power is so limited. In that purported power is powerlessness. No man has the power to touch our souls; none has the power to send us out of heaven; none has the power to take away eternal life from us; none has the power still to convince God not to love us. Who can separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:35)? Fearing men can lead to a loss of peace, a loss of the sense of commitment, and a loss of purpose. This is an unholy fear, and it is in itself sinful. When we fear, we tend to lose the strength and power God has given to us to overcome. We demonstrate faithlessness. The remedy to keep us from this unholy fear is God. God is to be feared. God can destroy us, both body and soul. The destruction of the soul comes from God not from man; it is God’s power alone. This is a holy fear. However, our fear is not that God will punish us, but that we may grieve his love.  

The third commandment not to fear is based on the certainty of the detailed love of God. If God cares for sparrows, surely, he will care for men. Therefore, there is no need to fear. Cast all your anxieties before him, for he cares for you (1 Pet 5:7). We should move with the courage that we are surrounded always by the love of God. Our times are forever in God’s hands. He will never abandon us. If this is so, of whom shall we be afraid? No one.

The renowned motivational writer, Zig Ziglar is popularly known to have said: fear has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run and Face Everything And Rise. From my estimation, forgetting everything and running is an unholy type of fear. Christ warns us against such, which includes being afraid of any person, any situation and anything, and being fearful in the face of that death which can only take away our bodies. We are advised to avoid such fears because they make us stunted in our pursuit of the love of God. When defined in terms of its brain connection, fear is a chain reaction in the brain that starts with a stressful stimulus and ends with the release of chemicals that cause a racing heart, fast breathing and energized muscles. Fear can cause heart attacks and breathing problems. You will do yourself a great good and take care of the person God desires you to be by not being afraid.

When defined in terms of psycho-somatic influence, fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger. It is induced by perceived danger or threat which causes a change in metabolic and organ functions and ultimately a change in behaviour, such as fleeing, hiding, or freezing from perceived traumatic events. With fear, one ceases to be courageous, becomes timid, and grows unable to proclaim Jesus as the Lord. The Lord enjoins those with fearful hearts in Isaiah 35:4: be strong and do not fear for your God will come; he will come with vengeance, with divine retribution he will come to save you. And in Joshua 1:9, these words resound: have I not commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. When you are attacked for the sake of righteousness, you should learn to repeat the words of Jeremiah in the First Reading (Jer. 20:10-13): but the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore, my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. In Psalm 23: 4, even though I walk in the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me. In Psalm 34:4, I sought the Lord and he delivered me from all my fears. In Psalm 27:1 the lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The lord is the stronghold of my life, before whom shall I be afraid? In Ps.118:6, the Lord is with me, I will not be afraid; what else can mere mortals do to me? No one can convict us for Jesus has ransomed us. The Second Reading (Rom. 5:12-15) makes it vivid that the grace and the free gift we have as God’s children is given through the one man, Jesus the Christ.

Embracing Jesus is an assured tactic of removing the unholy fears from us. It is when we have succeeded in removing the unholy fears from our existence and allowing the holy fears to guide us that we can be assured happiness. In Psalm 115:11, those who fear the Lord are admonished to put their trust in Him. There is no need trusting in the person you fail to fear. The fear we have for God is the lovely respect that we give him and to allow his will be done in our lives.  Remember, blessed are those who fear the Lord (Ps. 112:1). With these words, I wish you a blessed week ahead. God bless you.