Fear Not

We are focusing on Epiphany so the entire week will use Matthew 2: 1-12 for the scripture lesson

One of the most common pieces of counsel given in Scripture is to fear not. It shows up in phrases like “be not afraid” or “fear not” or “be courageous.” One of my favorite bible verses is Isaiah 43: 1-7. In those verses, the reader is told not to be afraid, in verses one and five. This passage is reassurance that whatever trials you face, God is always there and will take care of you. There is no need to be afraid. 

While this counsel to be not afraid provides comfort, I think there is another reason for us to tamp down our fear and trust God. Fear is a powerful emotion, and it can be a dangerous emotion. Fear isn’t inherently violent, but fear can drive us to irrational actions, often violent ones, to protect ourselves and our sense of control when we feel threatened. Herod in the Epiphany story is an example of how fear can drive our choices. 

Herod the Great was undoubtedly surprised when the Magi showed up seeking the location of the child born king of the Jews. Last Herod had heard, he was still king, a title given to him by the Roman Senate. If there was a new king, what would happen to him? Herod, by most historical records, was disliked if not downright despised by his Jewish subjects. They resented his alignment with and loyalty to Rome while taxing the Jewish people and disregarding Jewish priests in favor of outsiders from Babylonia and Alexandria. He was known to be tyrannical and brutal in his reign, often eliminating threats to his power in any way necessary.  So when Matthew tells us in 2:3 that Herod was “frightened” (NRSVUE), we could see that the story is taking a dark turn. That verse also says that all of Jerusalem was frightened as well. My guess is that they had seen how Herod acted when feeling threatened. They dreaded what that fear could lead Herod to do.

While Herod has the reputation as a cruel leader, he isn’t the only one who can make harmful choices out of fear. We are all at risk of letting fear get the best of us and leading us to making harmful choices too. Fear has a way of exposing our deepest brokenness, leading us to our most base instinct. Fear can warp risk assessment, leading to lashing out. We are all at risk of making harmful choices out of fear. 

Criminologist Scott A. Bonn studies violent crime. In his work, he has found that violent actions are mostly associated with the emotion of anger. However, he goes deeper into this emotions-violence connection and argues that anger is a secondary emotion from the primary emotion of fear. In countless interviews with violent criminals, he found that violent adult behavior could be traced to unresolved fears they experienced as children.

Maybe scripture’s counsel to “be not afraid” is meant for reassurance for us in hard times. Maybe it is also good counsel so that we do no harm. At the heart of each interpretation of that counsel is that we can trust God. 

Prayer
God, I place my fears into Your hands, the worries I carry and the things I can’t control. Fill my heart with trust where fear once lived, and help me walk forward in peace and love of others. Amen.

Rev. Dana Ezell