“DO NOT BE AFRAID”
Matthew 28:10
April 19, 2014
Westmount Park United Church
All of Jesus’ disciples had good reason to be afraid. Their close friend and leader had been arrested and cruelly executed, and there was no telling who might be next. It was out of fear that the men had all fled when Jesus was seized in Gethsemane. It was out of fear that Peter swore he did not know Jesus. It was even dangerous for the women to come to the tomb two days after Jesus’ death. They could not be sure what the temple authorities or the Roman soldiers might do to harass them. They couldn’t even trust their friends for fear that there might be another traitor in their midst. The movement which Jesus had begun had been stopped in its tracks. Jesus himself had been silenced by death and the rest of his followers were halted by fear. Jesus’ disciples could not possibly continue his ministry because they were utterly devastated by the fear which gripped their souls.
What the resurrected Christ did for that dispirited band of men and women was to drive away their fear. According to Matthew’s gospel the first words he spoke to the women who had come to his tomb was, “Do not be afraid.” [Matthew 28:10] Those women had also just heard that same message from the angel at the tomb, “You must not be afraid.” [Matthew 28:5]
The message of the first Easter is the message of every Easter. Do not be afraid. Fear is debilitating. When we live in fear we withdraw from the world around us, not daring to risk any sort of adventuresome engagement for fear that those in whom we place our trust will betray us. Our news media keep repeating the message almost daily that you cannot trust anyone or have confidence in anyone’s honesty or integrity. The Charbonneau Commission keeps reinforcing that message again and again. If there are no moral imperatives guiding anyone’s behaviour then we are reduced to living in fear of those around us who, if not actually threatening physical harm, are bent on causing us financial ruin. And we can’t even count on young people, our children, to be free from guile or even brutal cruelty.
The world in which Jesus lived certainly had its share of senseless brutality, a brutality and a cruelty to which Jesus himself fell victim. The reaction of Jesus’ friends and followers to his cruel and senseless death was to retreat in fear, and they would have remained a defeated and fearful group of people were it not for the transforming, life giving power of resurrection that swept through them. Yes, life can be senseless and fickle, often even cruel and violent, but when Jesus conquered senseless, cruel death with resurrection he defeated any and all reasons we might have to live in fear. No matter what deep tragedy might be inflicted upon us, no affliction, however severe it might be, can ever have the final word in our lives. The final word which a scientific view of the universe gives us is entropy, the ultimate dark death of everything that is. But the final word which echoes from the heavens at Easter is that death has been swallowed up in the victory of resurrection. The Easter message is that there is absolutely nothing to fear because we are safe with God.
Christ has been raised from the dead, and he comes now to wherever we might be hiding, not daring to venture forth, or to risk, or to take chances, and says to us, “Do not be afraid.” We do not need to live in debilitating and crippling fear, even though the future is disturbingly uncertain, even though we seem trapped in dead end situations with no way out, even though we are dragged down by chronic unemployment, or recurring illness, or unsolvable family problems. No matter what befalls we do not need to be afraid, for the God of resurrection is with us. Because we know that the final word is not death but resurrection we can continue to live with trust and forbearance and love towards all of our neighbours, even when our neighbours are not particularly trustworthy or loveable. Because Jesus has overcome the worst possible evil in this world, breaking its power on the cross and rising victorious over sin and death, we do not need to cower in fear of what might happen to us.
We will hear the story next week of how Jesus came to the place where the disciples were in hiding behind locked doors in fear and trembling, and blessed them with assurances of peace and faith and hope. Those disciples were hiding because Jesus’ death had proved that they had very good reason to be afraid. At the cross they had come face to face with the stark reality that in this world there is no justice and there is no reason to live in hope. So all one can do is retreat to whatever island of security one can find. Lock the doors securely night and day, don’t trust any strangers, and be wary even of your friends. That sort of somber bitter advise is the accepted wisdom of our times, for it is in keeping with the hard realities with which we must live. Mary Magdalene lived with those same hard realities, realities which had become sharpened and made brutally clear in the death by crucifixion of her dearest friend Jesus. Sunday morning she came to the tomb, still gripped by fear of those who had the power to arrest and execute innocent people. Those fears would have continued to rule her for the rest of her days, but her life took a radical and unexpected turn on the first Easter morning. Instead of having the lifeless form of Jesus’ dead body to remind her of how fearful and uncertain life can be she was lifted up out of her fear and despair by resurrection power.
On the first Easter Jesus said to Mary, “Do not be afraid.” He has the same sort of message in John’s gospel where he says, “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33] Because Jesus has overcome the worst that can happen to anyone in this life we need not walk in fear but can live with openness and trust and daring. There is nothing to be afraid of because we live with the risen Christ throughout this life and beyond it we will share in his victory over death itself.
Our brief reading from the letter to the Colossians says, “You have been raised to life with Christ.” [Colossians 3:1] The gospel of John has the same message where it says, “Because I live you will live also.” [John 14:19] Because Jesus has overcome death we need have no fear of life. Because we live in the presence of the risen Christ there is nothing that can drive us back from hope into fear. We have been raised to life with Christ therefore we will not fear.