Have No Fear
A Sermon of
The Rev. Dr. David A. Killian, Rector
All Saints Parish
Brookline, Massachusetts
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Father’s Day
June 19, 2005
Text: Matthew 10:16-33
I
I don’t know if any of you are golfers, but I would like to begin with a golfing story. Moses, Jesus, and an old man went golfing (so the story goes). Moses walked up to the first tee, took a hefty swing and his ball went straight into the water hazard. Whereupon, Moses parted the waters and the ball rolled back onto the fairway, then toward the green, and stopped only four inches from the cup.
Then Jesus teed off. His ball went straight to the water hazard, but skipped across the top of the water, onto the fairway, then toward the green, and stopped only two inches from the cup.
Next, the old man teed off and the ball went off crooked. It hit a tree and bounced to the ground. A squirrel picked it up and ran with it all the way to the green. An eagle swooped down, picked up the squirrel, flew high into a thunderstorm and was struck by lightning, causing it to drop the squirrel. Then, the squirrel dropped the ball, which bounced off the shell of a turtle and rolled into the cup: a hole-in-one. Whereupon Jesus said, "Nice shot, Dad!"
That joke is in honor of Father’s Day. I send my warmest greetings to the fathers who are with us today.
If you’ve ever played golf, you know how it important it is to relax your swing and your grip. Don’t strain, don’t push too hard, let the club carry the ball. And, if you happen to hit your ball into the woods or into a sand trap, take your time, keep cool, don’t worry, because worry is not going to help you to hit the ball any better. And, a good golfer also has to be fearless; if there is a huge oak tree blocking your way or water hazard, do not fear, use your ingenuity and boldly hit the ball as best you can.
II
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells his disciples that they will face tough times "like sheep in the midst of wolves." People will flog you and drag you before governors and kings. Even your brother or family members may betray you and you will be persecuted. "Have no fear of them," Jesus says. "Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows."
Although Jesus tells us not to fear, fear plays a major role in people's lives. All of us have fears. After September 11, we worry about terrorist attacks. Some worry about social security and fear whether they will have enough money when they retire. Others worry about an aging parent or a sick friends. Parents worry about their children. Children worry if they are going to pass their final exams. College graduates worry about whether they will get a decent job. Every one of us has fears and worries. Healthy fear is normal; it keeps us from taking foolish risks, so we don’t run across the traffic on the Mass Pike -- or for that matter, Beacon Street. When Jesus says, "Have no fear....Do not be afraid," I think he is telling us not to become paralyzed by our fears, not to let fear sabotage us from achieving our full potential, not to stifle our identify as children of God. Don’t let fear cripple you, keep you imprisoned, rob you of confidence and destroy your self-esteem. If you are to become a disciple, you must be liberated from the fears that keep you trapped.
III
Who are our role models in overcoming fear? They can be teachers, co-workers, friends, or parents -- anyone who has overcome the fear that holds one down. One such role model for me is my father. When he was in his mid 40s my dad faced a major decision, which became a turning point for him and our whole family. He and mother were living in Independence, Wisconsin, population 1,004. They had three children and were happy enough, but there were very few job opportunities in that small town and my dad felt they he would never be able to earn enough money there to support his family. So he took a job 250 miles away in Milwaukee working in a factory five days a week. He drove back to Independence each weekend. This was before the interstate was built, so he drove on two lane roads often clogged with traffic. My dad made this 500 mile round trip every weekend for over year.
He and mother hesitated on moving away from this little town because this is where they grew up. Their families and friends were there; these were the people they knew and loved. This was familiar and comfortable. They didn’t want to give it up. They feared what it would be like to uproot their family and move. After talking it over for many months, dad found a place to rent for our family and in the summer of 1951 they moved. It was a momentous decision for them and for us children too. I realize now that many families move and that many of you went through similar experiences of being uprooted and replanted. You also had to overcome your fears and move forward.
Psychologist Daniel Levinson, in his book The Seasons of a Man’s Life, says that a man between age 40-45 looks at his life and reassesses what he has done to that point. If he is dissatisfied with what he is doing or where he is going, he will want to make changes. But he is afraid of the future, fearful of making a mistake, reluctant to disrupt the old routine, apprehensive to give up the familiar and comfortable.
At age 43, my father was fearful of leaving the small town in which he was raised and which had provided identity, community, and belonging. But he and my mother moved their family to a new city where he got a job that gave him a good income and better opportunities to raise their children. As difficult as that decision was, he knew it was right. He overcame his fears and in doing so he not only gained a victory for himself, he benefited his entire family.
Jesus calls us to overcome our fears. It will not be easy. We may feel like sheep among wolves. It may mean leaving family and the familiar. Or we may continuing living in the same neighborhood, working the same job, but changing our attitude and behavior. What we fear most often is giving up self-destructive behaviors and self-defeating attitudes that keep us from becoming the persons God is calling us to be. Yes, we have many fears. Yet Jesus assures us of God’s love and care. God will be with you as you take the next step.
What are your fears today? What is the next step that God is calling you to take? It may be to break a destructive habit, to free yourself to become the person God wants you to be. Take heart, be of good courage. Christ was with my dad in one of the biggest decisions of his life, and Christ will be with you too.
Amen.