The Great Fear Trap

Surely one of the great prophetic speeches of all times was that of Martin Luther King Junior on 3 April 1968. He began by recalling a moment several years earlier, when he was almost killed by a crazed woman’s failed stabbing attempt. The blade just missed penetrating his aorta which would have been almost certainly fatal.
At the end of the speech he finished with these words:

‘Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountain top. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you.But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the Promised land. And I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. ‘

The next day, Dr Martin Luther King Jr was shot dead by an assassin’s bullet.

I am struck this morning by just five words of King: ‘I’m not fearing any man.’
Fear is such a powerful beast isn’t it? When I was a youngster I would spend time on the farm where we first lived as new arrivals in Australia. Occasionally I would walk with my friend Ian and check his rabbit traps. Ian was always joyous at any success where I was less than thrilled. I have never liked traps.

I love the words from the Transfiguration story where Jesus gobsmacked disciples were cowering in fear at this new experience. Jesus’ spoke strongly to his disciples: ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’

Taken seriously, the Christian walk is one of new horizons along with more than its share of traps. There will always be fear filled people who do not hold a Christian view who will mock us and take any opportunity to trap, criticise and belittle.

There will be ‘moderate’ Christians, who prefer a sanitized, easy faith who will raise their eyebrows at your zeal. And of course there is our greatest fear filled enemy; the one who greets us every morning in the bathroom mirror.

There are a whole bunch of ‘fear not’s’ in the Scriptures. We should take strength from this. It means there were as many fearful followers in Jesus’ time as there are today and those men and women did a fair job!?

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:18,19

Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. 1 Peter 3:14,15

I always like God’s word to a new leader in Joshua following an amazing time in Israel’s history: ‘As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.’ I may lack the confidence of a Martin King Junior, but I do believe that Jesus is still calling us to get up and not be afraid.