9th Sunday after Pentecost / Martyr Photios and Company / 1 Cor. 3.9-17; Matthew 14.22-34
F/S/HS. Brothers and sisters, I want to reflect this morning on an experience that every single one of us had from time to time in our lives—the experience of fear. What is fear? Where is fear debilitating to our life, and even a sin? Where is fear spiritually and emotionally healthy? And what can we do about the presence of fear in our lives—what tools does our Orthodox Christian faith provide towards calming our fears?
A little context as to why I’m addressing the subject of fear this morning. First is the context of fear in last week’s and this morning’s Gospel readings. It is not just we dear ones who struggle with fear; it was Jesus’ Disciples as well. Last week in our biblical narrative on our Lord’s Transfiguration, we heard the following: When Peter, James, and John heard God’s voice from the cloud overshadowing Mount Tabor, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. And Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Arise, and do not be afraid’ (Mt. 17.6-7).
The Disciples fear up on Mount Tabor, says St. Nikolai Velimirovic, is a mixture of spiritually healthy fear, and debilitating fear. Spiritually healthy because it is holy fear—fear born out of awe and reverence in the presence of God. Debilitating fear because the Disciples cave in on themselves; fear does not let them be fully present to the beauty of the Light before them.
Notice also the presence of fear in this morning’s Gospel story, about our Lord walking across the top of the water during a fierce storm to help His Disciples, who are being tossed to and fro in their boat. The narrative states that the Disciples cried out for fear at the sight of what they thought was a ghost coming across the top of the water, towards them (v. 26).
Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid, Jesus proclaims to His Disciples when He reaches the boat (v. 27). And then to test whether it truly is Jesus, Peter says: If it is You, Lord, command me to come to You on the water. Come, Jesus answers Peter. So Peter steps out of the boat and walks towards Jesus, also atop the water. But seeing the ferocity of the storm, he was afraid and began to sink. And Peter cried out with the shortest of all prayers in the entire Bible—Lord, save me (vss. 28-30).
By the way sisters and brothers, a good prayer to use ourselves in times where fear grips us—Lord, save me! A single prayerful sentence said with fervency of heart, says St. Porphyrios, is worth more than an hour long Rule of Prayer said half-heartedly!
Immediately Jesus stretches out His hand and catches Peter, chastising him: O you of little faith [Peter], why did you doubt (v. 31). In other words, why were you so afraid, Peter? Why did you not trust Me? Why did you let your fear cripple and straitjacket you?
A second context for why I’m reflecting on the subject of fear this morning. Knowing that the presence of fear was a part of both last week’s and this morning’s Gospel stories, I watched carefully over this past week for the presence of fear in my own heart, and for the presence of fear in conversations that I had throughout the week, conversations with some of you, and with others as well.
Last Tuesday I noticed the presence of fear within myself, while preparing to have a conversation with someone about a particularly dicey subject. Someone else that I met with expressed fear about their children’s emotional and spiritual well-being. Another about not being able to give birth to more children. Another about their finances. Another about traveling in an airplane. Another about their marriage, which has blown to pieces. Another about the impending death of a loved one. Another that their priest would be overly strict with them. Another about the absence of a friend with whom they can confide, and their fears that they will never find such a friend.
One of the most poignant conversations I had this last week was with someone who expressed a paralyzing fear about their salvation; that God does not love them enough to welcome them into His Kingdom—into heaven. Let me pause here dear ones and share a bit about this conversation, as this is a subject that can afflict all of us from time to time.
The beloved Disciple John in his first Epistle says that God is love (4.7-8). Everything that God does is impelled and influenced by His love for us, a benevolent and charitable love that seeks the best for His children, that seeks our salvation.
There is no fear in love, St. John says three chapters later. But perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment. But he who fears [punishment]has not been made perfect in love (1 John 4.18).
To be wracked with fear that you are going to be punished and condemned to eternal torment reveals an immature understanding of God’s love. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, says Paul to the Romans (8.1). And later in that same chapter: nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord (v. 39). In other words, the love of God drives away our fear of ultimate condemnation.
To be clear, there is some fear that is healthy—healthy spiritual fear and healthy emotional fear. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, the Apostle Paul says (Phil. 2.12). (Chant) With the fear of God and with faith draw near chants the deacon John several minutes from now, when he comes out on the ambo with the Chalice in preparation for you to Commune.
Here is a quality of fear that impels us to remain mindful and vigilant to always abide in God’s ways and God’s commandments. The Proverbs tell us that The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (9.10). Healthy spiritual fear before God manifests itself as our humility, contrition of heart, our repentance, as awe and reverence before the Holy of holies.
Healthy emotional fear warns us about impending danger, and that we should keep our distance. If someone is about to violate you, your fear to not let that violation happen is healthy fear. Fear at not letting your child be put at risk will help you to keep your child from harm’s way.
But the majority of our fears, observes our church fathers and mothers, are not healthy. Unhealthy fear block us from living life more fully, as made in the image of God. Fear turns us inward and caves us in on ourselves and begets stress and hypervigilance, with the result being that we are less capable of loving others as God has deigned us to love.
Ask yourself, says Elder Thaddaues in that wonderful book Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives; ask yourself just how often your worst case fears actually come true. And if we are honest with ourselves, he says, we have to admit that our worst case fears rarely if ever come true. And hence Elder Thaddaeus’s conclusion that fear can be very much of the evil one—that arrow of fear shot our way to wound us into paralyzing submission.
One of the most significant biblical passages on fear is from Paul’s letter to his spiritual son Timothy. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind, he tells Timothy (2 Timothy 1.17). What a phrase dear ones—a spirit of fear! A spirit of fear—what Elder Cleopa of Romania calls a spirit of timidity—this spirit of fear and timidity does not come from God! Such a spirit reveals our lack of trust in God’s forever abiding love for us.
Examine the sprinkling of scriptures throughout the Bible that speak of not being afraid, whether it be fear to be alone, of being too weak, of not being heard in our prayers, or of being destitute of physical necessities. A spirit of fear about such matters can be so debilitating brothers and sisters, if not sinful.
Be not afraid and trust in God, champions our Scriptures! Trust in God is how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced the fiery furnace, absent of fear (Daniel 3). Trust in God is how Stephen stood before his killers fearlessly (Acts 7). To trust in God is to refuse to cave in to fear. To trust in God is to adopt the phronema—the spiritual consciousness—of the Psalmist, who says with confidence: In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Ps. 56.11).
Dear ones, we are nearing the end of the Dormition Fast (this coming Wednesday), in honor of the Mother of God’s falling asleep. Ponder it! If anyone had good reason to fear, our Theotokos and Panagia, and her husband Joseph, had that reason in spades. What woman hears an angel’s voice telling her that she is going to give birth to the savior of the world, and not be afraid! What woman gets pregnant, absent a man’s contribution, and does not fear! What man—Joseph—hears that his wife’s pregnancy is the result of divine intervention, and is not afraid! What husband and wife have to flee their home and their country, to another country, because of threats to their child’s life, and not be afraid!
Yet all along their journey, Joseph and Mary trusted God; where fear reared its ugly head, they had their moment with it and pushed it away, trusting in God’s providence for their lives and the life of their Son. Such too is our main weapon against fear: to trust in God’s ways with us. In God I trust and am not afraid, prayed the Psalmist. What can man do to me? F/S/HS
