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SERMON PREACHED BY THE REV’D ALLAN B. WARREN III AT THE CHURCH OF THE ADVENT, A contemporary Biblical scholar, whom I very much respect, has made the claim that the order, the command, “Do not be afraid!” is the most often repeated command in the Bible. “Do not be afraid! Have no fear!” This may be a bit too enthusiastic or overstated. I’m not sure; I haven’t counted. However, it is certainly true that again and again throughout Holy Scripture we find this injunction, “Do not be afraid.” And this is particularly true of the New Testament. Indeed, the gospel story begins with this command. The angel to Zechariah, father of John the Baptist: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son.” (Lk. 1:13) Gabriel speaking to Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Lk. 1:30,31) The life of Jesus, the story of the gospel, begins with this command: “Do not be afraid.” And the story continues with this same command. Jesus, speaking to a man who has been told that his daughter is dead: “Do not fear; only believe and she shall be well.” (Lk. 8:50) Jesus, to his disciples when they mistake him for a ghost: “Take heart, it is I. Have no fear.” (Mk. 6:50) And we hear the same command as well as the story ends or rather as it begins again. An angel to Mary Magdalene and another Mary: “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen as he said.” (Mt. 28:5,6) Jesus himself speaking to the women, only moments later: “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Mt. 28:10) And lastly, a promise to his disciples and to the Church: “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33) Do not be afraid! Good people, these angelic and holy commands are part of the meaning of this day. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Jesus Christ has broken the power of death and sin in this world. By his obedience on the Cross he has triumphed over the fear and pain which might have destroyed him. But they did not. He was obedient; he trusted in God in spite of the pain, in spite of the fear, in spite of the hateful reality of death and emptiness which threatened to engulf him. He was obedient; he trusted in God; and God raised him from the dead. He is risen; he is with us; do not be afraid! The world is a very scary place, and there are many things within the world which are causes for caution and prudence. There are many things in this life which we should avoid because they can hurt us. And so we exercise prudence and caution, and we try to avoid those things which are dangerous and can hurt us. One might call this a kind of fear, and I suppose it is. It is not, however, the fear which is addressed by the New Testament and the glad proclamation of this day. That fear is the fear of death. It is the fear of annihilation, the fear of ceasing to be, the fear of ultimate and absolute loss. It is a fear which casts a pall over life and which can paralyze and destroy. The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us that the fear of death subjects us to “lifelong bondage.” ( 2:15) St. Paul draws on the same thought when he tells the Romans, “You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.” ( 8:15) The fear of death is bondage in this life. It can paralyze us; it can disorder our lives; or both. Fearful, we search for security where there is no security – in wealth, success, fame, power. But all of these fade away. We attempt to forget our fear, to numb ourselves – with drugs, drink, sex. But we can’t forget, and the numbing only makes it worse. Fearful and fragile, we lash out at anything or anyone who seems to threaten us, because any threat – no matter how small – reminds us of the great threat – death – and of the ultimate and ever-present fear – the fear of death. We lash out and relationships are destroyed. We hurt those we love, and they hurt us back. As I said this past Good Friday, the worst thing that can happen to a person is fear. It is bondage. It is slavery. It poisons and it paralyzes life. * * * * * But, my brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. By the will of God the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. That is what this holy day celebrates. That is what this Church proclaims: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Proclaims, and more than proclaims. Christ is risen; that is what this Church knows. We are not talking here about an abnormal incident in the past, but rather about a certain fact of the present. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and he is known; he, risen, is present here and now in his Church. We know him as did his apostles in the breaking of the bread. In the Mass he comes to us and he gives himself to us and we know him. He is present to us in Scripture, speaking to all of us and speaking to each one of us through words inspired by God. He is present to us in prayer – that mystic fellowship of each human soul with its Lord. And he is present to us in difficulty, distress, and death. His is a strong hand, a wounded hand, which grasps our hand and takes us, leads us through anything which may befall us. There is no place of desolation where he has not been, even death. He knows the way, and he takes our hand and leads us through. And so there, dear Christians, is our security: Jesus, risen, who has broken the power of death and stands by our side. There, too, good people, is our freedom. The fear of death held us in bondage, made us slaves to anxiety and uncertainty and to limitation and to the ways of this world. But Jesus, risen, has broken the power of death. In Christ, death is no more than a transition and transformation. Its ultimate power is over; it is finished, once and for all. Once again, my brothers and my sisters: Do not be afraid! For Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! Amen. |