Luke 12:22-34 (also Hebrews 11:1-16 and Genesis
15:1-6)
August 11th, 2019
“Fear and Faith”
Our readings all go together very well today. They all concern the dual polarity of fear
and faith. Anxiety, on the one hand,
worry about tomorrow. Dread of the
unknown and expectation of the worst.
And on the other hand, the assurance of things unseen – and not just any
old things, but the good and gracious promises of God, and ultimately in Jesus
Christ. A hope for the future and a
confidence in the grace of God. Let’s
look further at the contrast between fear and faith.
In our Old Testament reading, you have Abram, not even
Abraham yet. And God makes a covenant, a
deal with him, a promise to him. But his
first words are, “Fear not, Abram…” Now,
Abram might argue he had plenty to fear.
His greatest fear, it seems, was to die without an heir. As it stood, a stranger, a man named Eliezer
of Damascus, a servant of his household, was the closest thing he had to a son
and heir. And at Abram’s advancing age,
(as good as dead, Hebrews calls him) it seemed ever less likely that he’d have
a son of his own, and ever more certain that he would die without one.
God takes away that fear, promises Abram a son – and
more! Offspring like the stars of the
sky. A son of your very own and more
descendants than you can number. And
Abram believed this promise of God. He
trusted that word he had received, that it was true. And that faith, God counted to him as
righteousness. Fear and faith. Abram knew both.
Then you have this beautiful passage from Hebrews 11 –
sometimes called the Bible’s “parade of faith”.
One after another, Hebrews highlights the Old Testament saints who
believed in things they hadn’t seen, things to come, of which they’d been
promised. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and
Sarah, Isaac and Jacob…. They all died without having seen the fulfilment, at
least the final fulfillment of the promises they’d been given. Sure, they saw some of them. Noah saw the flood and deliverance God
provided. Abraham and Sarah did have
their son. But they all looked forward
to a heavenly hope, a far off country, their true home and place of
citizenship. And they died in a faith
that looked forward to that unseen reality.
And then you get to Jesus in our Gospel reading. He tells us not to be anxious, not to worry,
and he says, “fear not, little flock”.
And it’s not the fire-and-brimstone kind of condemnation Jesus sometimes
dishes out. It’s not the harshest word
of law from our Savior’s lips. But it is
convicting, nonetheless. For you and I
do fear, worry, and all of that.
And you may say, “Oh, pastor, but there’s a fine line
between a well-founded concern, and a worry.
I’m not anxious about tomorrow, I’m just being a wise planner, a good
steward.” And maybe that’s true at
times. But I also know sinners. And I know how easy it is for us to cross
that fine line in any situation, and let our thoughts slip into fear.
Your fears and worries may be different from the next
guy. Your anxiety may be more or less
focused. You might be worried about
things that aren’t that likely to happen, or things that will almost certainly
happen. And maybe not, here in America,
whether you will eat or have clothes tomorrow – but isn’t it interesting that
for us who have so much – we still find things to worry about?
Maybe your worries have to do with relationships –
will I ever find that special someone?
Will so-and-so be disappointed with me?
How will I fit in, or will I fit in to this group or that?
I know many of us worry about our children and
grandchildren. Will they do well in
school, at work, in life? Will they be
happy and successful? Or maybe a real
worry – will they keep the faith? Or if
they’ve fallen away, will they ever come back?
Or are you worried about an elderly parent, and how to take care of
them?
We worry about money and things – will I have enough for
retirement? Will I make ends meet this
week? How do I get a better job?
Maybe you worry about climate change. Or are you worried about politics? Or that you’ll be the next victim of a mass
shooting? Or that Christians who are being ever more marginalized will someday
even be persecuted in our land?
Maybe you even worry about your church, and what the
future holds for Messiah. Will our
school grow and thrive? Will we attract
new members? Will we all be able to get
along?
Some of these things may be very real, very likely,
and very much capable of bringing harm to us or the people we love. But Jesus reminds us: the worry won’t change it. And all the worry in the world can’t even add
a single day to our lives.
So to all of this, Jesus says, “Fear not, little
flock…” And while his words are convicting, they are also comforting. While he chides us for our fears and worries,
he is also pointing us away from them, and to something far better than fear –
faith. A trust and assurance in the One
who has good things in store for you. A
confidence in a future that unfolds well, because it finds his promises
fulfilled.
Faith, the assurance of things hoped for and the
certainty of things unseen – and our faith, my friends, is in Christ. Such faith will never disappoint.
By faith, we know that the same God who made this
world in 6 days will bring it to its conclusion, and that a new heaven and a
new earth will be waiting for us to live with him there.
By faith, we know that the Jesus Christ who died in
our place, also shattered the grave for us.
And that faith steals all the fear from death and grave for us. We will rise again, bodily, at the last
trumpet.
By faith, we know that God’s word, which is cast like
seed, will grow and thrive when and where he wills. And that no human power, but the Holy Spirit
calls the church, gathers the church, and grows the church through that word.
By faith, we know our sins are forgiven. That when the minister says it, announces it,
proclaims the absolution, it’s just as good and real as if Jesus Christ himself
was standing there. Because that’s what
Jesus’ own word teaches us.
By faith, we know that this bread and wine is no mere
bread and wine, but combined with Christ’s word of promise, it is his very own body
and blood. And by faith in this words,
“for the forgiveness of sins” we know that’s just what it brings us –
forgiveness of sins.
By faith, we know that we’ve been buried with Christ
in baptism, and also raised with him to new life. That the Old Adam in us, who still rears his
ugly head in this fallen flesh – that he no longer has the upper hand. The New Creation in us is the one that
counts. We live, and we will live, in
Christ.
By faith, we trust the God who clothes the lilies of
the field and feeds the birds of the air will not neglect us who are worth so
much more. By faith we seek first his
kingdom, and then watch in amazement as he adds all these other blessings on
top of it.
All of this is ours.
Not in fear, but by faith.
Jesus Christ, by the power of his Holy Spirit, working
in the word – written and read, taught and proclaimed, moves us from fear to
faith. He gives us so many reasons not
to worry, and so many more reasons to trust and believe. So fear not, little flock. Let tomorrow do it’s own worrying. Instead, have faith. Trust the One who holds your future
secure.
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