FEAR NOT LITTLE FLOCK
Rev. Jimmy Only - 8/8/10
32Fear not, little flock, for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 35Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 39But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. (Luke 12:32-40, NRSV)
Last week our family enjoyed a wonderful visit with my parents down in Tennessee. One highlight of the trip was spending a few days with Chase and Jennifer Peeples in Missouri. (Chase served as our Associate Minister from late September 2001 until January 2007.) During our visit Chase and I recalled the tumultuous summer of 2001. Our then Minister, Rev. Maurice Fetty, retired in June. Our long-time Associate Minister, Rev. Tom Lamont, announced his retirement in July, and our brand new Associate Minister resigned and left town after only a few weeks. Not only was our staff in major flux, but that summer I had six funerals including one for a 3-year-old boy and one for a 31-year-old woman. In the midst of all the stress and craziness that summer, I came across part of a verse, just four words spoken by Jesus, that helped me catch my breath and regain my perspectiveFear not, little flock (Luke 12:32a).
In this portion of Luke chapter 12, Jesus had been teaching his disciples about the Kingdom of God and encouraging them not to be anxious about the details of earthly existence. Then he spoke these words, recorded only in the Gospel of Luke: Fear not, little flock, for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom (12:32).
This same phrase, Fear not or Do not be afraid, occurs earlier in Luke in connection with three important announcements. In the first occurrence, the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah, tells him not to be afraid, and announces that his wife, Elizabeth, will bear a son, John the Baptist (1:13). In the second occurrence, Gabriel appears to Mary, tells her not to be afraid, and announces that she will give birth to Jesus (1:30). In the third occurrence, the angel appears to the shepherds on Christmas Eve and announces the birth of the newborn king. The words translated from Greek as Do not be afraid, are in the present tense and could also be translated, Do not continue to be afraid (Brian P. Stoffregen, crossmarks.com). When something unexpected or unfortunate happens our first feelings may well be fearthis is only natural. But with Gods help we can summon the courage to face our fears and eventually move beyond them.
Lets face it, God is always up to something. If we have eyes to see we will notice that even in the worst situation the possibility for a new birth, a new beginning exists. Fear causes us to look at ourselves, our inadequacies, our human impossibilities and assume the worst. On the contrary, faith allows us to look beyond ourselves to see the grace of God at work opening new doors, inspiring a new hope.
Jesus never taught us that there is nothing in life to fear. On the contrary, it is precisely because he knew that there is plenty to make us quake in our boots that he said, Fear not. We are not called to be in denial about the evil and sadness that run rampant in our world. We are not called to stick our heads in the sand and hope it will go away, because it wont. We are called to face lifes obstacle course with courage because our ever-gracious God goes with us every step of the way.
Jesus said, Fear not, little flock, to a group of people who had plenty to fear. The disciples surely felt like a little flock of sheep: vulnerable, defenseless in the face of wolves or thieves. Sheep are utterly dependent upon the good will of their shepherd for food, water, and protection. And they are apt to wander off in unsafe directions if their shepherd does not keep an eye on them.
As much as it pains us to admit it, we are like sheep, vulnerable and ultimately dependent on something or someone greater than ourselves. While we do a better job at providing for ourselves than the rest of the animal kingdom, when it comes right down to it, our lives are tenuous and fragile. We live in a world that is armed to the teeth. Social upheaval and political unrest are commonplace. Our once booming economy sputters along uninspired. And every time we go in for a medical checkup were on pins and needles until all the tests assure us were healthy, unless the tests say otherwise. Its no secret that there is plenty to fear in life, because when it gets right down to it, there is so much that we cannot control.
A few moments before Jesus told his little flock to fear not, he told them: Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put onWhich of you by being anxious can add an inch to the length of your lifeInstead, seek Gods Kingdom, and all these things shall be yours as well (Luke 12:22, 25, 31). The cure for anxiety is found only in looking beyond our temporal world and realizing that in the big scheme of things, very little in life really matters. What matters most is seeking Gods Kingdom, pursuing the kind of life Christ led where kindness, forgiveness, and love permeate our lives. Let us remember when we hear about the latest health scare, outbreaks of violence, or the threat of environmental doom, that our security rests on none of these things. Our ultimate security rests on God alone.
You know me well enough to know that I am not calling for an attitude of hands-off complacency. On the contrary, when we realize what really matters in life we are freed from the burden of filling our days with that which can never satisfy. We are free to unclench our worried fists and reach out in gracious love to our hurting and broken world. Jesus said, Fear not, little flock, for it is Gods good pleasure to give you the kingdom. It is Gods desire to give us that which is most important, that which can never fade or rust or become obsoletethe Kingdom of God.
It is interesting that verse 32 presents God as the giver and the very next verse commands the disciples to be givers as well (Ibid.). This mandate about everyday living reminds us that the Kingdom of God is not a place but a way of life. When Gods priorities become our priorities and we live accordingly, we show ourselves to be citizens of Gods Kingdom. Living Gods way can transform a disparate group of individuals into a compassionate, self-giving community of faith. This happens on many levels starting with individual lives, then to our families and those who are like family to us, then to our church, our town, and our world at large. Our good will becomes like ripples in a pond that go on and on.
So whether our lives are relatively stable right now or going through major transitions, we need not fear for we are not going it alone. God accompanies us step by step and whispers in our ears, Fear not little flock, for I am always with you. Walk on little flock for I will take every step with you. Be not afraid little flock for something amazing is being born in your midstthe very Kingdom of God. AMEN.
Written by Rev. Jimmy Only
August 8, 2010
The Congregational Church of Manhasset, New York (UCC)
PASTORAL PRAYER
Eternal God, ever present, ever merciful, ever gracious, we acknowledge the power of your Spirit to calm our fears. When the problems of life overwhelm us, when the tragedies of our world seek to drown us, open our eyes to your outstretched hand in friend and stranger. Open our eyes to the possibility of something good coming out of something bad, of something new coming out of something old. Open our ears to hear your Spirit whispering, Fear not.
We thank you, O God, for wave tossed seas sparkling in sunshine, for barefoot children reveling in play, and for the blossoming beauty of friendships new and old. Through Jesus Christ our dear Friend and Savior we pray. AMEN.
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A Laughing Matter - Rev. Lori C Burgess 06/18/10
Serving and Sitting - Rev. Jimmy Only - 7/25/10
Consumed - Rev. Lori C Burgess - 8/1/10
Fear Not Little Flock - Rev. Jimmy Only - 8/8/10
