And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. A couple of years ago Marilynne Robinson published an essay titled “Fear.” In this essay she succinctly stated her thesis on the opening page by saying, “First, contemporary America is full of fear. And second, fear is not a Christian habit of mind.” Similarly, the memory verse this week also reminds us that fear, at least so long as it is directed toward temporary afflictions, is not a Christian habit of mind. Jesus very pointedly says, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” I recently had the opportunity to talk in the lower elementary chapel about fear. I asked the students of what types of things are they afraid? As expected, I got a wide range of answers covering everything from darkness to storms. Some of the students’ fears were reasonable and some were completely irrational. Nonetheless, it was clear that all the students had fears. Adults really aren’t that different. Like the kindergartners, we have both reasonable and irrational fears and we allow these fears to occasionally consume our thinking and govern our actions. Like Marilynne Robinson pointed out, “This is not a Christian habit of mind.” This week’s verse gives us some boundaries for thinking about fear. On the one hand, we should not fear any temporary affliction. However, on the other hand, we must fear the one who has the authority give eternal punishment. It is not appropriate for Christians to fear temporary afflictions because fear is a rejection of God’s good creation, a denial of his sovereignty, and failure to understand his blessing. Some of our most unreasonable fears are frequently related to God’s creation. Some people fear spiders, snakes, bats, or most significantly, people who are different than themselves. The subjects of all of these fears are parts of God’s creation. Rather than allowing fear to govern our thinking about these things, we should seek a deeper level of understanding. As we understand God’s creation more deeply, we find we have less to fear. This is especially true about people who are different than us. We should always seek to understand and love others before we judge, condemn, or fear them. However, not all fear of temporary affliction is as irrational as those listed above. Some people fear the effects of sin in this world. This could be criminal behavior, cruelty, or even destructive forces of nature (Rom 8:19-23). In regard to these more reasonable fears, the Christian frame of mind should trust in God’s sovereignty and remember his promised blessings. We can trust that God is working all things together for the good of those who love him (Rom 8:28), and remember that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor 4:17). The destructive forces of sin are real and powerful in the world. Nonetheless, they are incomparable to the power and blessings of God. This truth is why Jesus reminds his disciples not to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. In the second half of this verse Jesus teaches his disciples what type of fear is appropriate. Rather than to fear creation or sin and its effects, Jesus teaches his disciples that there is an appropriate fear of God. Only God has authority to punish eternally. All other fears are ultimately unfounded. By having an appropriate fear in God, we begin to understand everything else in creation rightly. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov 1:7). This week in your discussions with the students ask them about their fears. Help them to understand the categories of fear and to learn to trust the goodness of God’s creation, the greatness of God’s power, and the blessings of faith. These three truths drive out all fear.
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AuthorAs principal of Midway Covenant Christian School, I've designed this blog to give insight and guidance to our school family. ArchivesCategories |