Fear and Respect

A glance out the airplane window is a reminder of the great God
who cares for us!

Scripture:

Luke 12:4   “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. ⁵ But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. ⁷ But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Observation:

The language shifts. Jesus had been speaking warnings to the scribes and Pharisees, but suddenly he turned toward his disciples, whom he addressed as friends. He wanted to teach them about healthy fear and respect. The Pharisees would be able to kill his body, but they would be able to do nothing more. God’s view and perspective on the world was much larger than anything that they could have imagined. There would be those in the world who would seek to kill these disciples, but this was not what they were to fear. 

Jesus told them that genuine fear or respect ought to be reserved for God. Yes, there was to be a reverent fear of God — a healthy fear because of God’s great power. Then, Jesus illustrated God’s care and attention to detail. Even the small sparrows, those that were sold in the market to the poorest of people were remembered in God’s sight. They were not saved from being eaten — but they were remembered by God. This is not a promise of divine protection, but a promise of divine care. God even counts the hairs on your head and the disciples were of much greater value to God than the sparrow. 

Neale tells us, “The cost of discipleship has been dramatically increased in the narrative, and readers will be aware of the gravity of their own commitment of loyalty to Jesus” (NBBC, 94). Fear would result from persecution and identification with the mission of Jesus Christ. But hypocrisy was not worth the eternal price, and the scribes and Pharisees were not to be emulated. Rather, a healthy fear of God and a recognition of the eternal consequences and care of God would be vital to living out the mission in the days ahead. 

Application:

These days there are plenty of ways to try and “kill” the body. We are tempted to “kill’ one another through our words. Careless posting on social media may not have just immediate, but long-term consequences. Cancel culture is another way of “killing” someone off. It doesn’t have to happen physically, but virtually can be almost as effective — or can it? 

This warning to the disciples is very timely. We are not to fear those who can cancel us from social media, or other platforms. If we believe that our influence is merely in a virtual world, we are probably failing in the real world. Our ultimate authority in life is God, and it is God whom we are to fear and respect. Everything else is simply temporal. 

While there are people in this world who may act like they love and care for us, that love and care can disappear in a big hurry when we don’t continually respond in the way that they want. The people of the world are not to be the plumb line by which we measure our behavior. We have already been provided the measure through the life of Christ and the word of God. If there is anything to fear, it is God himself! 

The reminder of God’s care is vitally important. It’s also important to understand that we are not promised a smooth journey through life. Whether the sparrow, or the bald head — neither was considered perfection, and yet, God cared for them both. God sees what we are going through, loves us, and will care for us through eternity. Don’t give in to the temptation to only live for this moment in history, for there is much more to come. Don’t fear those who can cancel us today, but live for the one who will care for us eternally. Yes, we may be afraid, but we continue to trust in God. 

Prayer:

Lord, there are always the momentary temptations of this world. May your presence lead me to keeping my eyes on you. There are times of fear, but may I not succumb to those fears, but faithfully live every day for you. Amen.