"Be Not Afraid"
'Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." Matthew 14:27
“Jesus and Peter on the Water”, by Gustave Brion, Wikimedia Commons
I would like to take this opportunity to expand upon a previous post.
The original column resonated with many readers during these challenging times. But as Jesus says in Matt. 24:6: "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed." I think it is more important than ever to heed the words of our Lord to:
Be not afraid!
It is “the final hour”
Whether or not the end of the world is near, St. Paul tells us that “the time has grown short,” and that “this world in its present form is passing away” (1 Cor. 7:29, 7:31). St. John adds that we are living in the “final hour,” that the “antichrist” is on his way, and that even now “many anti-Christs” have appeared (cf., 1 John 2:18).
At the same time, the Church teaches that we have been living in this “last hour” since the time of the Ascension of Our Lord (CCC 670).
And so, as a people of hope and joy in these challenging times, Jesus Himself calls us to live the “final hour” in the bright light of His glorious return upon the clouds at the end of time, rather than in the shadow of any real (or imagined) apocalypse (Lk. 21:28).
“Be not afraid!”
Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid. (Matt. 14:27)
Jesus calls us to “Be not afraid!” His words echo and resonate with a whole series of passages in the Bible where God speaks to His people through the angels and prophets, telling them to have no fear, but to take courage, to be strong and to strive “to be at peace” (cf., Dan. 10:19).
In the Book of Genesis, God says to Jacob:
Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt; for I will make of you a great nation there (Genesis 46:3).
The Archangel Gabriel says to Mary: “Do not be afraid” (Lk. 1:30). And in the Gospel of Matthew the angel says to Joseph “Do not be afraid!” (1:20).
During His earthly ministry Jesus uses these or similar words on many occasions, as He calls the first disciples (Lk. 5:10) and instructs them (Matt. 10:28), during the last supper (Jn. 14:1), and within the context of His Resurrection appearances (Matt. 28:10).
And Jesus continues to call His disciples in today’s post-modern world: to move from fear to faith and courage, from doubt to trust in God, from confusion to clarity, from sadness to joy, from worry and distress to peace and tranquility.
Ultimately, amid whatever circumstances we find ourselves, Jesus wants us to experience peace of mind, the peace that He alone can give us through the power of prayer and the grace of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus says:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. (Jn. 14:27)
Yes, there will be upheavals, there will be wars and rumours of war, nation will rise against nation. But be at peace. And do not fall prey to false prophecy (cf., Matthew 24:4-8). Rather, as St. Paul exhorts the faithful in his Letter to the Philippians: do not worry, rejoice, pray about everything, giving thanks to God and asking Him for what you need (Phil. 4:4-6).
Photo by Mike Labrum, Unsplash
“Stay Awake!”
So it is that Jesus cautions the faithful to “stay awake” (Matt. 24:22), “at all times” (Lk. 21:36). He calls us to be “alert” and always “on guard” (Mk. 13:33), to be “dressed for service” and to “have your lamps lit” for no one knows the hour when the Master will return (Lk. 12:35).
In his First Letter, St. Peter instructs his early Christian audience to “be alert” and of “sober mind,” for the devil is “prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Here is the state of the person who lives in a prayerful spirit of vigilance, alertness, sobriety, attentiveness to the presence of God and to the workings of the Holy Spirit at all times.
Within Eastern Orthodox Christian spirituality this idea of watchfulness (from the Greek “nepsis” or “nipsis”) emerges as a very important one. Constant prayer, fasting and a spirit of asceticism are so important as we strive “to cast off” our old, sinful self, to be purified and “renewed in spirit,” and so to “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24).
Pray, be at peace, do not be discouraged, be strong, be kind to the poor, do the good works of the Gospel, pay attention to the process of your ongoing spiritual growth and formation, “Consecrate yourselves” to God and strive to “be holy,” for God is Holy (Lev 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16). In this way we can live our daily life during this final hour in the light of, rather than in the shadow of the “end of the world.”
Bearing Courageous Witness
Finally, trusting in God, and hoping in the power of the Holy Spirit to renew all things, let our focus be upon bearing courageous witness to the Gospel proclaimed by His Son Jesus Christ. Like the sentinel (or “watchman”) spoken of by Isaiah (cf., Isa. 21:6), or the prophet Ezekiel who is commissioned by God to be a watchman, let us announce God’s salvation to the world, proclaiming His living Word to all people (Ezek. 33:7, 3:17).
Like the watchman waiting for daybreak in Psalm 130:6, let us announce joyfully and courageously the arrival of that “new dawn,” the “new heaven and earth” described in great detail by St. John in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 21).
In our post-modern, post-truth, post-human era let us aspire to “climb the mountain of the Lord” (Psalm 23:3), as we proclaim courageously the greatness of the human person created in the image and likeness of God. For we are called to holiness and to a freedom from sin and death, which at the same time, is a freedom for new life in the Spirit (Rom. 8:2-4).
Despite the many technological advances of the age, many signs speak to us of a profound emptiness at the heart of postmodern culture. Jesus Christ is not “fake news,” humans are not “hackable animals,” and no, human free will is not “over.”
From the lofty watchtower of their Spirit-inspired perspective, the prophets remind us that Satan’s “time is short” (Rev. 12:12), that empires fall, and with them their altars, along with the images of their false gods.
In this final hour, as one world comes to an end and the Everlasting City of God looms ever larger upon the horizon of the Spirit, the voices of the prophets inspire us to:
Put on the new self, which is being renewed continuously in knowledge according to the image of its Creator (Colossians 3:10).
In this way, we can begin to recover the divine image within: humanity’s highest self—the goal and end for which we were created.
Like the sentinels, let us by our words and example inspire others to live the life of holiness to which we are called, giving brave witness against the spirit of antichrist (1 Jn. 4:3). So that in this way, we can discover that new beginning which is already taking shape amid the world’s chaos: to be transfigured in Christ, and so to become even now a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand (Isa. 41:10).
Do not be afraid to draw closer to the mystery of God, and to the great transformation to which we are called in Christ.
Do not be afraid of the demands that will be made of you as you progress in the spiritual life.
Do not be afraid of other people, about what they say, about what they do. For if “God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).
Do not be afraid of the future.
For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future with hope (Jer. 29:11).
Thank you for reading Revelation 21:5. This post is public so feel free to share it.
Thank you for these comforting words in these times of trouble in the world now.