Son of Man: The Fear

I have this weird job whereby I have a relationship (sometimes close, sometimes relatively superficial) with thousands of my neighbors. As a pastor, I hear folks’ stories and prayer concerns and am invited into their lives in a unique way. And you know what I think the biggest problem is for people in our community? FEAR. If work is going badly today, fear is at the root. If your relationships are worrying you today, fear is the source. Fear causes ulcers, drives addiction, poisons our relationships. But what, ultimately, are we afraid of? We don’t like discomfort, but we also know that nothing in life comes without a cost and as we grow and mature, we become more willing to do something uncomfortable now for future gain. For example, we’ll workoutor go to the dentist or have the hard conversation if we believe those things will get us a good outcome. What we’re ultimately afraid of is not difficulty. What we’re ultimately afraid of is that in the end, things won’t be okay. You’d face chemotherapy courageously if you were certain you’d be cancer-free at the end of it. It’s the possibility that things might NOT work out that causes you to fear. I’m convinced that same thought—how can I be sure that things will be okay?—is at the root of the fears that you and I live with on a daily basis. Fear is the enemy of our souls. It robs our days of joy and our nights of peace. So, what can we do about it? In Mark 4, there is the famous story of Jesus calming the storm and confronting the disciples’ fear. What does this story teach us about fear and faith? (Hint: the answer isn’t “Jesus will make sure you don’t have any problems, as long as you pray about it.”) Preacher: Andrew Forrest Scripture: Mark 4:35-41