True Freedom Comes From Overcoming Fear

When Jesus gave his disciples counsel on the way to live their lives, his desire was to set them free and to live lives free of fear and anxiety. One example of this was when Jesus instructed his disciples not to fear men, but rather to fear God (Luke 12:4-13). When considering Jesus’ teaching here it is important to remember what Jesus meant by the word “fear”. While Scripture on numerous occasions instructs us to “fear the Lord” and “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”, Jesus also commanded his disciples to stop being afraid in times when they encountered angels or God. Obviously, Jesus was not contradicting himself, but rather using the term “fear/afraid” in two different senses. On the numerous occasions when Jesus instructed his disciples not to be afraid; he referred to their being stricken with terror. Jesus doesn’t not want us to be terrified when we are in God’s presence, his presence or the presence of an angel. Jesus has revealed himself as our friend, being terrified of him is completely inappropriate.

However, when Jesus instructed his disciples not to fear men and to fear God, he meant fear not in the sense of terror, but rather in the sense of being concerned about what men or God think; other words we might use are “respect” or “honor”. In Luke 12 Jesus told his disciples not to fear men, because their power is limited. They can only kill the body. In contrast Jesus instructed them to fear God for this reason. God had the power to impact their existence after death, as well as caring for them in life, even the very hairs on their head were numbered. Jesus gives to us a very practical way of living, we are to pay attention to the one who truly cares about us, rather than those whose care for us is inconsistent and often tainted by their own interests.

Jesus continued to address the disciples’ heart, by addressing how they live their lives. If they confess Jesus before men, then Jesus, the Son of Man, will confess them before the angels of God. However, if they deny him, then they will be denied as well. This response is the practical result of what Jesus said before, fear drives our behavior. As before fear is this case is not a terror related fear, but a caring what another person will think. Ironically, we do not know what another person will think in a given situation, we may think we know based on past experience, but we do not know for certain. If we fear men, then our behavior will be impacted by that fear. Our fear motivates us to act in a way that we believe will put in us a favorable light in that person’s eyes. That means our life will always be controlled by our opinion or belief what another person will think when we say or do a certain thing. In other words we have now given the power to control us to other people. That is in effect a self-imposed slavery to another’s opinion and a pretty miserable way to live. However if we fear God, knowing at the same time that we may look foolish or simple or possibly even offend men, then we reveal that our hearts are aligned toward God and we truly care more about God than we care about the opinions of other men. The benefit of following Jesus’ approach to life is that first we know what God will think and do when we live that way, because Jesus tells us, along with experiencing his promise to care of us. Second we don’t have to live in fear of what other men may or may not do, which greatly reduces our anxiety and correspondingly increases the level of peace we experience.

True Christianity

On one occasion, Jesus pointed out to his disciples that only those to whom the Son revealed himself would know him and the Father, not necessarily the wise and intelligent, but to childlike people. Then he blessed his disciples, because great people, prophets and kings, desired to see what they were currently seeing. Jesus’ point is that we do not get to him through wisdom, intelligence, study or education. He is not seen through our reason, but through revelation, because he is more than a philosophy or a topic of study, he is to be revealed and known through experience and life lived together.

What Jesus says here makes me think of what I’ve been reading in “A History of Christianity” by Latourette, when he stated that Christianity was influenced by Platonic and Neoplatonic thought. Beginning in the 4th century Christianity officially became doctrinal during Constantine’s calling of the Council of Nicea. In Constantine, Christianity passed from the Age of Catholic Christianity to the Age of the Christian Empire. Constantine’s intent was to unify Christians, but the result was further division and to set Christianity on a course of doctrinal truth being the standard for the Christian faith. The emphasis on doctrine required individuals to study to know the doctrine and perhaps the reasons behind it as the primary way of following Jesus. Many Christians at that time, possibly even including Constantine, did not value or appreciate the intellectual exercise of the theological debate regarding Jesus’ deity leading up to the Council of Nicea, rather as in the words of one who had suffered for his faith in the persecutions reminded the debaters that “Christ did not teach us dialectics, art, or vain subtleties, but simple-mindedness, which is preserved by faith and good-works.” (Latourette, v. 1, page 154). What this faithful and unnamed Christian declared resembles what Jesus declared to his disciples. Too often, we have let our culture, particularly the intellectualism of our culture define what it means to be a Christian. Christianity is following a person who is alive and able to guide us and teach us how to live. He, in the person of the Holy Spirit, does not tend to teach us formal lessons, or give us a systematic approach to the Christian faith and life, but he addresses how we should respond in any given situation, resulting in the good-works mentioned by that Christian follower of the 4th century.

“Jesus told them that their good example would give glory to their Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16), and by expressing love for their enemies, they would reveal themselves to be sons of their Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44-45). Practicing righteousness without regard to being honored by people would produce acknowledgment from their Father in heaven (Matthew 6:1, 4). Praying in solitude would cause their Father in heaven to recognize them (Matthew 6:6, 8). Refusal to forgive would remove their Father’s forgiveness of them (Matthew 6:15; 11:25)”(Outrageous Prayer, page 23) https://www.amazon.com/Outrageous-Prayer-Praying-Jesus-Prayed-ebook/dp/B09RW88FZC

Freedom That No One Can Take Away

When Jesus declared to the 70 that they should not rejoice in their authority over evil spirits, he pointed out an important spiritual truth. We tend to equate our self-worth and value with what we can do or accomplish. The 70 had done great things with the authority that Jesus had given to them, even so Jesus warned them not to rejoice in that, but rather to rejoice in their connection with heaven. When we rejoice in the things that we can accomplish, we actually enslave ourselves to our abilities, which with time can diminish and we can feel that we have nothing to offer. When Jesus instructs us to rejoice in our relationship with heaven, he is once again setting us free, because no matter what abilities we have in any particular season of life, we will always have reason to rejoice because we will remain connected to heaven. Jesus’ words also sets us free from the enslavement of others’ evaluation of our accomplishments. When others praise us for a job well-done, we should not put too much stock in their words, even though they are very nice to hear. On the other hand, we should not take it to heart when others criticize what we have done, even though those words might be hard to hear. Why is that? Opinions and evaluations of us and our accomplishments come and go, but they are not the basis of who we are or the value that we offer. If we stay focused and value what Jesus says about us, then we will live freely indeed.

Jesus said that he had come to set the captives free, while we may not think of Jesus’ words to the 70 in that light, when we take them to heart, we experience a new level of freedom from our own and others expectations of us.

One of the disciples came to Jesus and issued a command, “teach us to pray.” One thing that we learn from Jesus’ model prayer is that he commanded them to pray in a bold manner. Such a prayer indicates the intimacy a believer has with Father, because one does not typically speak in such a direct manner unless there exists a very close relationship. (Outrageous Prayer, page 4) https://www.amazon.com/Outrageous-Prayer-Praying-Jesus-Prayed- ebook/dp/B09RW88FZC

The Superiority of Jesus’ Leadership

In Luke 10, we read an account of Jesus sending 70 of his followers out ahead of him to do two things: to proclaim the nearness of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He sent 35 teams of 2 out to the cities and villages to which he would come later. Previously, Jesus had asked his disciples who the people said he was. They responded with two answers, either John the Baptist, raised from the dead, or one of the great prophets. However, in this action of sending these 35 teams, Jesus demonstrated that he was greater than even the greatest of prophets, proving he was not one of them, but someone greater.

These teams were like heralds, as John the Baptist was a herald to all of Israel, who proclaimed both the nearness of the God’s Kingdom, fulfilling Isaiah 61:1 by proclaiming good news and healing up the brokenhearted. These messengers/heralds both did what John did, but even what John the Baptist did not do. They both proclaimed the Kingdom, which John did, but they also healed the sick, which we have no record of John doing. In this sense, this was an even greater sign than John’s ministry, because it wasn’t just one person ministering, but 70. What Jesus did, his heralds did also. The prophets of old, like Elijah and Elisha raised the dead and healed the sick, but they had no authority to delegate that authority to others. This was a great sign of Jesus’ power and authority, because he delegated his authority to heal to others, something that neither John nor the prophets did. In this way, he demonstrated that truly he was someone greater than John the Baptist or the great prophets of old.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, when his enemies thought that they would never have to deal with Jesus again, his followers went out and transformed the world. First they transformed the Roman Empire, which for three hundred years tried to eliminate all Christians. Then after the western Roman Empire perished, Jesus’ followers went out and transformed the very same kingdoms that had conquered Rome. These kingdoms could conquer Rome, but they could not resist Jesus. Today we live with esteemed values such as equality, compassion, benevolence and forgiveness, when in Jesus’ day they were identified as signs of weakness and viewed negatively. These values did not originate from some enlightenment philosopher, but with Jesus and were communicated to the world through Jesus’ followers. Jesus’ leadership and influence are so great today that the vast majority of people living in the western world assume the values that he taught to be true and by there very lives demonstrate and prove his relevance today. Jesus not only changed people, he has and continues to transform nations and cultures. He was and is so vastly superior to any leader or prophet, that there is no comparison.

Love Your Enemies

In Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, he recorded Jesus’ teaching to his disciples regarding how we are to act toward those who oppose us. Jesus said some surprising things that often go counter to how we understand self-preservation. Surprisingly, Jesus tells us to love and act kindly toward those whom we consider our enemies. We are not to oppose those who seek to take advantage of us, counsel that appears to be childish, naive and foolish. Yet, this is what Jesus said. I believe it is important for us to understand the wisdom of following Jesus’ counsel, because Jesus’ objective is different and higher than ours. Our objective often is self-preservation; we desire to protect ourselves, our possessions and our loved ones. Jesus desires for us to communicate the kindness of God toward others.

Actually, Jesus taught a principle that Paul summarized in Ephesians 4:32, we are to be kind and compassionate to one another as our Father is compassionate toward us. However, here Jesus was speaking about doing that toward those who are our enemies and those who mistreat us. Although Jesus didn’t elaborate in Luke 6, I believe Paul helps us understand what Jesus is getting at in Ephesians 6. In that passage, Paul explained that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities. In other words, those whom we consider our enemies, the ones to whom Jesus referred are not our enemies, but deceived by our true enemies, those to whom Paul referred to as powers and principalities. When we are kind to those who mistreat, we defeat the lies that they have believed and reveal to them God’s true nature. Jesus is teaching us to see others and act towards them as God sees them (and us). In so doing, we reveal to them how God sees them through our kindness towards them. To do so we too must overcome a lie we have believed that we must protect ourselves, our possessions and our loved ones in order to accomplish what Jesus instructs us in this passage. Jesus promises to take care of us, which includes protecting us, so that we are freed to actually love and care for those who mistreat us. 

There Is Always More To Learn

Luke as did the other gospel writers recorded the episode where four men brought a paralytic to Jesus, but could not enter into the house because of the crowd around him. Not to be deterred, they went upon the roof and lowered the paralytic before Jesus. Seeing the men’s faith, Jesus declared to the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. The scribes and Pharisees heard what Jesus said and immediately concluded that what Jesus said was blasphemy, because only God can forgive sins and Jesus was obviously a man. Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked them why they had concluded such a thing. He asked them which was easier, to declare a man’s sins forgiven or tell the man to pick up his stretcher and walk. Jesus then, speaking to those who had accused him of blasphemy, told them that in order for them to know that he had authority on earth to forgive sins, he told the paralytic to pick up his stretcher and go to his home. The man immediately did so and went home praising God.

I find it interesting to consider the religious experts in this account. Rather than believe what Jesus said to them and demonstrated by powerfully healing the paralytic with a command, they chose to follow their own interpretation of God. It occurs to me how easy it is for us to call something heretical because it doesn’t align with our own interpretation of God or Jesus, rather than digging deeper and re-examining our own understanding that may not be wrong, but could very well be inadequate. No matter where we are in our journey with Jesus there is always more of God’s revelation to grasp. I have found that the Holy Spirit often teaches me through those with whom I initially disagree, because their words can stretch me and help me understand aspects about God that I had never considered before. I am learning to carefully consider ideas that I may not agree with to discover that I may have something to learn from them, rather than immediately rejecting the idea as heretical.

Jesus Available To All

At the time of Jesus’ birth, outside Bethlehem an angel announced Jesus’ birth to shepherds. The angel declared to them that their Savior, the Christ/Messiah had been born. They would have a sign of a child lying in a feeding trough, wrapped in swaddling clothes. This sign to the shepherds enabled them to find Jesus, because how many babies would be lying in a feeding trough? The shepherds’ arrival also would have confirmed to Mary and Joseph the identity of Jesus, who had been revealed to them and Elizabeth, but now was being revealed to others, even strangers to them.

The fact that Mary and Joseph were outside with the livestock would have made it easier for the shepherds to find them. Under normal circumstances a child is born in privacy in a home or shelter. Had that been the case the shepherds would have had to find the exact house and room where Jesus was, which would have been much more difficult than locating the livestock in a village, which were probably placed in one location. Having located the livestock, finding a child sleeping in a feeding trough, a very unusual occurrence, would have been much more doable. All was outside and accessible to them. Even in Jesus’ birth, we see that Jesus was not hidden away, but accessible to all who sought him. What was likely a great inconvenience to Mary and Joseph, possibly even a disappointment that Jesus was not born at home in Nazareth or at least in a house, turned out to be a blessing to those who were seeking to honor him. In those difficult circumstances for Mary and Joseph, Jesus was accessible for others to find and worship. This was the purpose of Jesus’ coming, that he would be available to anyone who sought him out. What was true then is still true today.

How do you view God?

How we view God will impact our life and how we live our our life. I found it interesting to look at Mary’s, the mother of Jesus, perspective on who God was to her. She made a famous proclamation after hearing the news that she would give birth to the Son of God. In her proclamation called “The Magnificat”, she revealed her view and beliefs about God. She identified God as Lord, implying that she was submitted to him. Following that introductory statement, she called God her savior, revealing that she believed she was in need of a savior. Having identified who God was to her, she acknowledged that he was personally aware of her situation and his care for her and her future. Because of his care for her, she understood that future generations would consider her to be blessed. In fact, since the first century, Mary has been admired and honored by each generation of Christians, because of her belief in the angel’s word that she would be part of something that had never happened before and for some was unbelievable.

As Mary understood God’s care for her life, she also recognized his activity in human affairs. While exalting the humble, God brings down those who are proud. Mary herself is a prime example of one who was humble, but whom God lifted up and has honored throughout history. She never should have been remembered; she wasn’t rich; she wasn’t powerful, nevertheless her memory has been and continues to be honored.

If we view God in ways similar to how Mary viewed God, we will reap benefits from that understanding. We will see his hand in the blessings of our life, while at the same time take comfort in his presence during the trials of life. However, if we take a negative view of God, or deny his existence all together, we will reap the consequences of anxiety over our future and loneliness in the present. We will feel to the need to constantly look over our shoulder to make sure no one is taking advantage of us. Peace and joy will flee from us and be only temporary companions until the next difficulty faces us.

So, let me ask you what is your view of God?

How Shall We Live?

John makes an interesting statement in 1 John 2:15-17. He says that we are not to love the world, because if you do God’s love is not in you. Everything related to the world that we see is passing away, but the one who does God’s will lives forever. John’s statement seems pretty straight forward, but then compare what John wrote here to John 3:16, where he wrote that God loved the world so much that he sent his Son so that whoever believes in him/Jesus will never perish. In 1 John 2:15, John said not to love the world, but in John 3:16 he said that God loved the world and demonstrated it by sending Jesus. John used the same word for “love” and the same word for “world” in both passages. In one he declared that God loved the world, the same world he told his readers not to love. How do we reconcile this inconsistency? John is speaking to two different types of love, even though he is using the same exact words.

The difference is in his explanation. In 1 John 2, John addresses a type of love that desires to receive something. In this case John mentions the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life. John is warning us to avoid thinking that the purpose of life is found in the world. Jesus put it differently, that we are to be in the world but not of the world. The world and what it offers does not define who we are, because we are of another kingdom. Peter refers to us as strangers and aliens in this land. One of the biggest challenges that I face living in United States is the lie that I fit in; that this is my nation and my home, just because I was born here and grew up here. I never thought about it until we lived in Italy. When we first went to Italy, we had to get a visa from the Italian consulate in Chicago. When we got to Italy, we had to report to the Questura, the police station in Florence to apply for a Permesso di Soggiorno, Sojourners Permit. That gave us permission to reside in Italy for 1 year. Each year we had to renew that permit, in whatever city we were living in. For the entire time we lived in Italy, we were recognized as foreigners living in a foreign country. We were “stranieri”, foreigners. This was one of the most difficult things of living in Italy, the daily knowledge that we didn’t fit in, we were constantly viewed as outsiders.

The biggest challenge when we returned to this country in 2000, was feeling like we were home, when we really weren’t. We were no longer outsiders in the same way that we felt in Italy, but I should have felt that way. It is very much like living a lie. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are very much like a foreigner living in a foreign land, even though you know the culture, you know the language, you know the history and you don’t speak with an accent. Even though you may carry a passport, you and I are what Peter called strangers living in a foreign country. That is the meaning of the words Peter used to describe the people to whom he was writing in 1 Peter. This is why John instructs his readers that we are not to love the world by desiring the things of this world. If we feel comfortable in this world, then there is something amiss.

So why did John write that God loved the world, when he tells us not to? Well, God loved and loves the world not to receive anything from the world. He has no desire to receive what this world offers or to fit in this world. God loves this world because he desires to transform it. This is also how you and I are to live, this is the type of life that God calls us to live. We are to live differently, even though we look like Americans, we are still to be different, because we desire and live for things from heaven and not earth.

Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

We live life dealing with many questions that require our answer, however the most important question is one that some may never consider, or conclude that it is irrelevant. It is a question that Jesus posed to his disciples. “Who do you say that I am?” Our response to that question will not only impact how we live our life on earth, but also how we live life through eternity.

The disciples’ response to Jesus was that he was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, while most people saw Jesus as a prophet and some believed him to be a fraud. The disciples formed their response based on observing what Jesus said and did in their presence. We are not able to to do that, however we do form our opinion using what we can read of Jesus in the Gospels. We can also use what others say about their experience of Jesus. As we experience Jesus ourselves, we can grow in our own understanding of Jesus, so that we can also answer for ourselves the same question Jesus posed to his disciples.

The gospel writers portrayed different points of view of Jesus. For example each Gospel begins presenting a complementary view of Jesus. Matthew began with Jesus’ genealogy, demonstrating his Jewish heritage through King David, then he wrote of Jesus’ birth through Joseph’s, Mary’s husband’s, perspective. Mark didn’t refer to Jesus’ birth at all. Rather he began with Jesus’ herald, John the Baptist, who proclaimed and testified that Jesus was the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Luke gave a different perspective, he combined the stories of John the Baptist’s birth with Jesus’ birth. The final gospel writer John took a completely different approach and introduced Jesus from a Kingdom of God perspective, revealing him as the one through whom all creation came into existence. Through the Gospels we get four different pictures of who Jesus was and is. He was both human and divine, but each one presents him as mankind’s savior through whom fear and death were defeated and the doorway to eternal life.

Since the first century countless writers, teachers and philosophers have expounded on who they think Jesus was. So many and so diverse are these opinions that we can become confused. However, in determining the truth on a matter there is wisdom in giving considerable weight to the eye-witness accounts that we have available and then go from there. So what is your response to who Jesus is and what path are you going to choose to arrive at that response?