We as Christians desire Christ as Lord and not fear as lord. We can loudly say ‘I am afraid’ or we can loudly deny we are afraid. Either way may be a sign that the fear of death is dominating our lives. But the person of faith does not allow fear to dominate (have lordship) but makes decisions based on wisdom in order to serve God and neighbor.
Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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| Orthodox icon of St. Peter, Apostle |
St.
Peter writes, ‘Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in
your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.’
I
want to talk tonight about two things that the pagans feared which Christians
are not to fear. The two things are suffering and death.
Peter
is writing to communities that are in danger of, or are already, having to
suffer for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. We do not know
whether the suffering is social ostracism, or governmental sanction, or
pressure to recant, or torture, or the threat of death. But St. Peter reminds
the Christians to whom he writes that they are not to fear what the pagans
fear, that is, suffering.
If
our highest good is the avoidance of suffering, then we will do everything
possible to avoid it. But if our highest good is to sanctify Christ as Lord, we
will endure anything, even suffering, to be able to do that. Christians should
not seek out suffering. But they should be ready to endure suffering if it
should come. Peter reminds those to whom he writes that Christ also suffered,
and suffered unjustly, for our sake. We, who bear the name of Christ, are
called to follow him into suffering for the sake of his name. In the Gospels,
Jesus calls that ‘taking up his cross and following him.’
We
normally think of suffering as physical pain. In the book Discipleship, Dietrich
Bonhoeffer defines suffering for the name of Christ, or bearing the cross. The
first Christ-suffering he says that everyone has to experience is ‘the call
which summons us away from our attachments to the world… The call of Christ and
baptism leads Christians into a daily struggle against sin and Satan. Thus,
each day, with its temptations by the flesh and the world, brings Jesus
Christ’s suffering anew to his disciples.’
We
live in a world of things, people, experiences. Christians delight in food,
drink, art, music, nature, sport. We are not to reject every thing or
experience because it is ‘worldly.’ But Christians are to hold lightly to the
things of this world. We can and should suffer their loss if keeping them would
keep us from being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
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| Dietrich Bonhoeffer |
Bonhoeffer
goes on to say that none of us can be spared from a second suffering and
indignity. In his words, he says that Christians ‘become bearers of sin and
guilt for all people,’ and that by the power of Christ’s suffering we can
overcome the sins we must bear by forgiving them. Suffering the sins of others
is not easy. It is also not easy to know in what way to speak up for self and
others while still bearing with and forgiving other’s sins. It leads us into
struggle, doubt, and effort. But those who are called into Jesus’ fellowship
are also called to forgive sins as he did. We forgive because he could and did
forgive.
Losing
our attachments to worldly things and bearing with the sins of others – these
are Christ-sufferings to which we are called. We are baptized in the Triune
Name and our life is to be a pattern of the Resurrected One’s life, he who
saved us and redeemed us. We need not fear this suffering for Christ’s name,
for St. Peter reminds us that if we suffer for doing what is right, we are
blessed. That blessing will become fully evident when the kingdom comes, but we
may well receive evidence in this life as well.
We
go back to St. Peter’s writing, ‘Do not fear what they fear.’ We said that the
pagans feared suffering. But they also feared death. We, as Christians are not
to fear death.
Make
no mistake, we are not to seek death. We are also to order our lives so
that we may live and serve God. We have responsibilities to others and we seek
to preserve our lives so that we may keep the joy of those relationships and
continue to serve each other in them.
But
we need to be clear about our relationship to death. Death is the enemy, but
Christ has overcome the enemy and made it the gateway to eternal life.
Therefore, we need not be afraid of death. It has been defeated by Christ and
has lost its sting.
Therefore,
when we are thinking about the coronavirus, for example, we are not to think in
terms of an overwhelming fear of death. Everyone has a survival instinct which
may play out in a feeling of fear. But we who are Christians are not to be
controlled by that fear.
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| A Florida clergyman wears a mask in the early days of the pandemic |
But
that does not mean that we take no precautions. Instead, we want to be wise.
We want to make our decisions in terms of wisdom, not fear, with the
desire to love and protect others. With regard to the present pandemic, it is wise
for us to maintain social distancing, to wear a mask, to not go out if we are
at special risk, and things of that nature. We need not be afraid of death, but
we wisely desire life, and seek to preserve it, so that we may enjoy and serve
God.
Those
who take no precautions may trumpet loudly that they are not afraid. But I wonder.
They may make a show of being brave, but they may be suppressing their feelings
of fear, not acknowledging them and dealing with them as wise and faithful
human beings.
We
as Christians desire Christ as Lord and not fear as lord. We can loudly say ‘I
am afraid’ or we can loudly deny we are afraid. Either way may be a sign that
the fear of death is dominating our lives. But the person of faith does not
allow fear to dominate (have lordship) but makes decisions based on wisdom in
order to serve God and neighbor.
Whatever
decisions we make may be decried as timid by some and imprudent by others. But
being criticized for decisions we make in faith may well be part of that Christ-suffering
to which we are called.
‘Do
not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated’ says St. Peter. We fear not
suffering, for Christ suffered, and we fear not death, for Christ died and was
raised. We ask the Holy Spirit that he might make us wise and loving, that in
every thought, word and deed we may sanctify Christ as Lord.
