Have No Fear

Our gospel reading for today is a continuation of last week’s reading. There, if you remember. Jesus sent the disciples out to proclaim, “The kingdom of God is near.” While Matthew is recounting an event in the oral tradition from the disciples, he did so in order to reassure his community that despite their suffering God will not abandon them. Yet, Matthew seems to choose some strange texts to assure us of God’s continual presence in our lives. 

First, he is using the example of a slave. An example that does not sit well with us. Slavery is wrong, has always been wrong. So why would Jesus – God’s son – use slavery as an example and why would Matthew use it as well? In part it may be that slavery was common in the Roman empire and was generally accepted as the way life. That still does not make it right. Yet there may be a hidden message here on Matthew’s part at least. We know that many of the early Christians were slaves. Might Matthew be telling them that despite their situation they are still God’s people and that God is watching out for them and they should not fear their owner? 

Secondly, we also tend to expect a disciple to actually go farther than his or her teacher. Yet here we find Jesus saying it is good if they become like their teacher. Here the answer is wrapped up in who the teacher is. Jesus is calling us to be like him. It is impossible to be better. Jesus’ message is to love others as God loves us. To be equal to our teacher would be to give our lives so that others may see Jesus.  Even to go as far as to caring for the unthankful, helping the selfish, and loving the unlovable.

Jesus then tells us that we are not to fear those who can kill the body. The only one to fear is God. Remember Luther’s Small Catechism? “We are to fear, love, and trust God above all things.” Fearing God is not cowering in a corner somewhere. It is  recognizing that our lives are God’s. Knowing that there is nothing else to fear. So we can answer God’s call to proclaim the message of love. If we look to our text from Jeremiah we see the prophet complaining to God that he had enticed (more accurately seduced) him and he was unable to resist. Therefore he had become a laughingstock. People were making fun of him and had given him a nick-name “terror is all around.” Even his friends were looking for an opportunity to take revenge on him. He certainly feared God above all things.

Yes, answering God’s call is not an easy thing. That is why it is described as picking up your cross and following Jesus. That may explain why Matthew continues with this strange text about Jesus bringing strife and division to the world. It may not actually mean what many have thought. To see this we first note that part of this text is a quotation from Micah 7:6 which declares that in the final judgment many close relationships will be divided between those saved and those condemned. Which implies that Jesus is talking about how he will save the world, neither by bringing war or peace but by dying upon the cross. What a teacher to be like. 

Pray that God will seduce you by the saving work of Jesus. Answer your call as Jeremiah and the disciples did theirs – with no fear. Give your whole life to God. That is what Jesus did for you.