Facing Our Fears

The Second Sunday in Lent
February 23-24, 2013
Luke 13:31-35

“Facing Our Fears”

There’s a whole lot of fear in our nation and in our particular area right now. The deadline for sequestration looms on the horizon with a March 1 deadline. As we all know, if our elected leaders take no action, there will be mandatory, one-day-a-week unpaid furloughs for one million federal workers. That amounts to a 20% pay cut, and that will have a huge impact on individuals, families, businesses and communities. That’s a whole lot of fear, but what are you afraid of? Loss of income or job? Loss of health? Loss of a loved one? Loss of mobility or independence? We can be afraid of many different things in life, and some of our fears may depend on where we’re at in life. Our fears can be rather age-specific. For example, when we’re small being afraid of the dark is very real. One of my childhood memories is waking up in the middle of the night to one of my sisters calling out in the dark: “Have to go to the bathroom.” Because she was afraid of the dark, she wouldn’t budge until somebody got up and switched on the hall light so she could jump out of bed and head to the bathroom. And until somebody switched on the light, the call of “Have to go to the bathroom” would get louder and more urgent, until there would be sort of a grand finale that pretty much woke everyone up in the house. And even before the fear of the dark is the fear of being left alone – separation anxiety. For little ones, as well as their moms and dads, this can be a real edgy time. But in truth, maybe fear of the dark and fear of being left alone are really always there within us. Nobody wants to walk down a dark hallway or alley all alone. And that fear of abandonment, of being left alone, is something that is deeply imprinted on us all. So what are you afraid of? That is the question before us today as we continue our Lenten preaching series for weekend worship: “Facing the Cross.” As we face the cross during these Lenten days, we also face certain areas in our lives which are not always in alignment with the cross of Christ. We come to terms with these areas through the cross of Christ, who came to give his life on the cross for us so that we might one day see him face-to-face. Today as we face the cross, the theme for this message is “Facing Our Fears.” May the Lord’s rich and abundant blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word for Jesus’ sake.

Today’s Old Testament lesson (Jeremiah 26:8-15) and Gospel lesson (Luke 13:31-35) both point to fear of death – and maybe that’s where all of our fears sort of come together. Fear of death and dying is very real, and can exert a powerful hold on people. The interesting thing from today’s Scripture lessons is that neither the prophet Jeremiah nor the Lord Jesus is afraid of death. Jeremiah is rebuked for doing what the Lord had called him to do; namely, speak God’s Word of truth to people who do not want to hear it. Jeremiah prophesied that Jerusalem and the temple there would be destroyed because of the people’s stubborn refusal to repent of their evil deeds. They were ready to kill the messenger – literally. Jeremiah was the messenger of the Lord and they wanted to put him to death. Even after they threatened him like this, he did not cave in under the pressure. That’s one tough dude! “Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears” (Jeremiah 26:15). As Jesus sets his face to go up to Jerusalem, he is warned - unbelievably, by some of the Pharisees!: “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you!” (Luke 13:31). One of the most powerful rulers in the land wants Jesus dead. So what does Jesus do? What would we do? Does Jesus turn tail and run in fear? Does he go off into hiding somewhere? No, Jesus calmly replies that his ministry of casting out demons and performing cures must and will continue. Neither Herod’s threats nor Jesus’ personal safety nor any other thing will get in the way of God’s kingdom as it come into our fearful and hurting world. Jesus hints at his own resurrection when he says: “… and the third day I finish my course” (Luke 13:32). Even in Lent – especially in Lent – we look ahead to Easter.

If there is one fear that the Lord Jesus gives voice to, it is that people will turn away from the salvation he has come to bring. Perhaps fear is not the right word here; it’s more like deep sorrow, grief, and heartache. The very people Jesus was sent to save reject him. How that must have hurt! This is what Jesus speaks of: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Behold, your house is forsaken” (Luke 13:34-35a). Within the animal world, it is unheard of that baby chicks would not listen and respond to the voice of their mother hen as she clucks to them, calling them under the shelter of her wings. As Jesus points out, they listen and respond to their mother’s voice better than God’s people do in listening and responding to the voice of their Maker and Redeemer. What was true then is still true today. The heart of Christ our Savior grieves for those who turn away from his heart of love, who refuse to accept the joy of salvation he came to bring.

Facing our fears can be a pretty daunting task. Deep-set fear can immobilize and paralyze us. Of all the fears we face in this life, and they are many, perhaps those mentioned at the outset of this sermon sum them up: to be abandoned and left alone in the dark. This is why Jesus came into our fear-filled world: to bring light into our darkness, to be the Light of the world so that whoever follows him “will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). And in bringing light to our darkness, Jesus also assures us that he will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). We have this sure hope and confidence that God will never forsake his children because Jesus himself, the Son of God, was forsaken by the Father in our behalf. On that Friday afternoon outside of Jerusalem, suspended between heaven and earth on the cross, bearing the crushing burden of the sins of the whole world, Jesus cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; see Psalm 22:1). Jesus felt that awful fear of being abandoned and forsaken by the Father in darkness, something we will never know, all because of what God in Christ has done for us.

Facing our fears is never easy, but as we face the cross of Christ, we find forgiveness, strength, peace, and grace to help in time of need – all of which help us to face our fears. Through Word and Sacrament, our crucified and risen Savior comes to us and assures us that he is with us always, even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved” (Philippians 4:1). Amen.