Author: Gary Witcher
Company: none

Fear Not - Interpersonal, Political

	Jesus came to ease our fear.  As we noted last time, He came to ease our fear of physical problems, whether they be related to finances, health or natural disasters.  The Lord also came to ease our fear of things which result from our interaction with other people, including persecution or political problems.
	"Therefore do not fear them," Jesus says of His enemies  in Matthew 10:26-31, "for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.  What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear {whispered} in {your} ear, proclaim upon the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a cent?  And {yet} not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows."
	Jesus does not  try to deceive His disciples.  He does not promise that they will go through life without persecution.   But He does want them to understand that they should not fear persecution.   Persecution will not destroy us.  It is giving in to persecution which threatens our souls.
	"By faith he left Egypt," Hebrews 11:27 says of Moses, "not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen."
	Moses provides a good example of what Jesus wants.  When faced with giving in to persecution or doing what is right, Moses chooses to obey God.
	"Let your character be free from the love of money," Hebrews 13:5,6 urges, "being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,' so that we confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.  What shall man do to me?'"
	Persecution takes many forms.  Sometimes it involves temptation to turn our backs on what is right.  If we don't go along with the crowd, we may suffer financially.  But, in the end, what can humans do to us?
	The church in Smyrna faced this kind of persecution.  Like many Christians of the first century, they were required to burn incense to the Caesar.  If they refused, they were persecuted and sometimes killed.  At the very least, they lost their privilege of having jobs or conducting business.  They could not even buy food for their families.  Should they have given in to the persecution?
	"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna," Jesus communicates to this congregation in Revelation 2:8-11, "write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: 'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  Do not fear what you are about to suffer.  Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.'"
	"Fear not!" Jesus tells these Christians.  Those who endure and are faithful to the end will receive the crown of life.
	The Jews of the first century were especially concerned about the Roman government.  As a result, they were mistakenly looking for a militant Messiah to lead them to victory.  Jesus has to explain that they don't need to fear the government.  They need to concentrate, instead, on a spiritual kingdom.
	"On the next day," John 12:12-16 records of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem, "the great multitude who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and {began} to cry out, 'Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.'  And Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 'Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey's colt.' These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him." 
	We sometimes fear various things which the government might do.  It seems as though governments sometimes have problems understanding that Christians are the best citizens.  There seems to be a tendency to want to penalize people for their faith.  But Christians don't really need to fear what the government might do. Governments are simply civil organizations with certain jobs to carry out. First of all, Christians should not be engaged in activities which run counter to the government.  As long as the government does not expect us to do something which is contrary to what God wants, we should be willing to comply.
	"'Tell us therefore, what do You think?'" Jesus's enemies test Him in Matthew 22:17-21.  "'Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?'  But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, 'Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?  Show Me the coin {used} for the poll-tax.'  And they brought Him a denarius.  And He said to them, 'Whose likeness and inscription is this?' They said to Him, 'Caesar's.' Then He said to them, 'Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's.'" 
	"Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities," Paul instructs in Romans 13:1-4.  "For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.  Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.  For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil."
	We should also remember that governments have no power beyond what God allows them to have.  Jesus reminds Pilot of this before the crucifixion.
	"'We have a law,'" the Jews tell Pilate in John 19:7-11, "'and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out {to be} the Son of God.'  When Pilate therefore heard this statement, he was the more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again, and said to Jesus, 'Where are You from?' But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to Him, 'You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?'  Jesus answered, 'You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me up to you has {the} greater sin.'" 
	Jesus tells us, "Fear not physical problems."  And He instructs us, "Fear not social problems."
	But, just as Jesus does not promise that we will not have problems with finances, health or natural disasters, He does not claim that we will be free from persecution.  In fact, He promises that persecution will follow those who follow Him.  We should always keep in mind, though, that persecution puts us in good company.  No one has been more persecuted than Jesus.  Perhaps this is what provides the greatest strength in facing social problems without fear.  
	"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness," Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:10-12, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when {men} cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.  Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
	"If the world hates you," the Master notes in John 15:18, "you know that it has hated Me before {it hated} you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me."
	Jesus wants to liberate us from our fear.  All we have to do is obey the truth, and we will be set free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.lockman.org)