Proper 12B 2024

Jesus tells us: It is I, do not be afraid. OK, I’m just going to say it—easier said than done!
I mean, is being afraid really that bad? There’s a lot to be afraid about in life—-the state of the world, gun violence, the environment, the cost of food, plus our health and security, that of our children and others we love. And then those very personal fears, things we may never utter to another human being but that wake us up at night. There’s a lot to be afraid of, so being afraid isn’t necessarily the problem, is it? Is Jesus really mad when we’re afraid? I don’t thinks so—Remember what the definition of courage is…being afraid but doing it anyway.
I think it’s ok to be afraid, it’s just not ok to be paralyzed by our fear.
It’s what I wish I’d learned as a very anxious little girl—scared of any change in routines, of anything new——I wish I’d learned that the bravest people in the world aren’t unafraid—they feel the fear, acknowledge it, and then proceed to do it anyway.
So, I think Jesus gets a bum rap when we invoke his name in an effort to tell someone NOT TO BE AFRAID. After all, the act of feeling fear isn’t what stops us in our tracks, it’s not being able to find the courage to step forward and walk into the fear, knowing that we aren’t alone in it.
Take a look —Jesus doesn’t say Do Not Be Afraid, period. He says, “it is I, do not be afraid.” Until they heard his voice, the guys in the boat didn’t know what was coming toward them—-but once they heard his voice, they were no longer afraid. Once they focused on Jesus, they were not afraid.  [this is really brought home in the Matthew version of this story when Peter tries to meet Jesus halfway between the boat and Jesus….and he does it, until he realizes what he’s doing and sinks like a stone, ignoring Jesus when Jesus tells him to look only at Him, not at the fact that he is walking on water!
    Therein lies the lesson——we can do seemingly impossible things when we do them in and through faith, when we keep our eyes on our Savior and not on the danger. When we faithfully focus instead of humanly focus. We read it in our epistle for today, the letter to the Ephesians. I really like the translation used in  our Morning Prayer service:
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
We do not achieve what we achieve solely by ourselves. The peace, contentment, and joy in our lives is provided  through the one in whom we’re given more than we can ask or imagine: Jesus Christ.
My friends, what is it that you are afraid of? What is it that churns deep within you, causing you sleepless nights? Take those things and PLEASE [ZOOM service: hand them to one to Jesus—let him take them!] place them upon this altar for the one who came to save us all will pick them up and take them away for us.
Remember what he says: “It is I, do not be afraid.” Let go of that which bogs you down and let Him pick it up and throw it away, for through him much more will be accomplished than without.
Amen.