Oct: Thoughts from Huw

Dear Friend

Do not be afraid

In Matthew’s Gospel 10:26-33  when Jesus sent the apostles out to proclaim his teaching openly and to witness to him before the world, he knew they were fearful. And had good reason to be fearful, knowing that they would have to face hardship and persecution. So, not once but three times he said to them, ‘Do not be afraid’.

It is normal and natural that courage will sometimes fail us and that we will be afraid. Fear is not necessarily a bad thing. Fear sometimes has a protective function, warning us of the presence of danger. In this case, fear is a grace. Nevertheless, fear can be a handicap. It can paralyse a person, turning a person into a coward.

Jesus knew that the apostles were afraid. He understood their fears and took them seriously. When he said to them ‘Do not be afraid’ he was addressing their fears and trying to allay them. He was trying to give them courage. He was trying to move them beyond fear, knowing that fear could make them so timid as to be unable to fulfil their mission.

When we look at the prophet Jeremiah in 20:10-13, he lived in constant threats to his life. Yet in spite of everything, he remained faithful to his calling. He said, ‘The Lord is on my side’.

The Lord is at our sides too. And while at times we will grow fearful, we mustn’t allow our fears to cripple us. As people of faith, we believe that God will give us the strength to cope with whatever comes. The greatest freedom of all is freedom from fear.

At Wesley, let us put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is at our side and in the words of the old hymn that my Sunday School teacher would often sing:

I come to the garden alone…

And he walks with me

And he talks with me

And he tells me I am his own

And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known

With good wishes

Huw