Advent 4A | December 19, 2004
Matthew 1:18-25
Angels in the Bible often announce their arrival with the words, "Do not be afraid." This leads some of us to conclude that whatever angels look like, it must be frightful.
The angel in Joseph's dream also says to him, "Do not be afraid," but in this case, the problem is not the fearsome appearance of the angel. In Matthew 1, the angel is not allaying Joseph's fears about seeing an angel, but rather about marrying a pregnant woman. "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit" (1:20).
As the gospel continues, Jesus will have more to say about fear and courage. The words, "Do not be afraid," are spoken at least five more times in the gospel of Matthew, and four of those times they are on the lips of Jesus. He speaks these words to the disciples during a storm (14:27), to Peter, James and John during the Transfiguration (17:7) and to the women outside the empty tomb (28:10). To the disciples he is about to send out to teach, preach and heal, he says, "Have no fear" of those who have called the master of the house Beelzebul and will surely also malign those of his household (10:25). "Do not be afraid," Jesus says, reminding those he is sending out of the One whose eye is on the sparrow. "You are of more value than many sparrows" (10:31).
Matthew 1:18-25 proclaims several gifts, any one of which could be the center of an Advent sermon filled with hope and joy: "she will bear a son...he will save his people from their sins... you will call him Emmanuel, God with us." Alongside all these—alongside the gift of a baby who bears the very presence of God to humanity is another gift, a gift that the one who is God with us will keep offering throughout his ministry: freedom from fear.
The people who will whisper behind your back cannot hurt you, Joseph. Do not be afraid.
The storm tossing your boat, O disciples, will be stilled by the one who walks toward you. Do not be afraid.
To those sent out in Jesus' name: the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is greater than your visions of being tongue-tied when you attempt to give an account of the hope that is within you. It is greater too than the experience of being ridiculed when you manage to offer such an account. Do not be afraid.
Do not be afraid even of death, or of a world turned upside down by resurrection. The risen Lord keeps saying what he said before, "Do not be afraid." God is with us, and "God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but rather that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:17). God is with us for good.
Bumping around in the back of a cluttered mind are the words "Behold I am doing a new thing." Joseph is about to be apart of a new thing and like many of us needs to hear do not be afraid. New things, new ways of being and doing can be scary. I am not that far into this new adventure in my life, being a pastor, that I still need to hear do not be afraid as I step into the pulpit to preach, or enter the room of sick neighbor.
Posted by: Terry | December 16, 2004 at 10:56 AM
What strikes me about our first and gospel lessons is the way in which "Immanuel, God with us" is both promise and threat. Brueggemann says that the call for us who experience this type of "Immanuel" is to be dazzled. I find country music star Darryl Worley's most recent song "Awful, Beautiful Life" a wonderful commentary on what it means to be dazzled by Immanuel in the midst of real, every day life.
Posted by: Bill Uetricht | December 17, 2004 at 01:27 PM
as a child i lived in what i could only explain as a haunted house.A place where an evil, vile, corrupt being resided, it taunted and played with my young mind. At the time i did`nt understand what was going on but through the darkness of evil and fear now and then i`d see a light, feel a helping hand.I felt compeled to pray to god praying the our father, the light got brighter and stronger through time warding off the darkness.But it was hard and just when i was at my weakest about to give up i heard a voice, calming and still it said to me, JOHN DO NOT BE AFRAID.I was filled with an overwelming sence of love, peace and knowing,as these feelings filled me i fell to sleep just about hearing the voice saying remember this is not a dream.That was about thirty years ago, i`ve been looking for an explaination ever since. I`ve always felt different since then like im suppose to pass on a message, what i don`t know.I found your page by chance and read the words do not be afraid are the words of an angel i cryed, it took me so long to confirm that i was truly privliged on that night I feel i`ve wasted a moment ignored the honer and it`s meaning, please can you advise.
Posted by: john mc connellogue | January 04, 2005 at 11:57 PM