The predominant theme of this week's lesson (Lesson 11: More Lessons in Discipleship) appears to be fear. Is it wrong to fear? Is it wrong to feel afraid? Is fear sin? Can fear be sin? Is there such a thing has healthy and good fear? What are some ways in which fear might have positive results? Negative ones? These are some questions that rose in my mind while going through this week's lesson.
What might be the fundamental reason behind all fear? Is it perhaps the observation that things are out of control and that no one is really able to control them? From a strictly human perspective, when things go terribly out of control, when circumstances are beyond our abilities and means to bring under reasonable control, isn't it true that fear is often the result? When tragedy strikes, when finances are difficult, when our lives appear threatened, isn't the tendency to look at ourselves and then realize that there's nothing we can do? And then we panic.
What about if we look at God? What do we see? Do we see a god that is asleep at the wheel (like what the disciples saw in Jesus during the earlier storm)? Do we see a god that is limited (like what the disciples thought about Jesus prior to the calming of the earlier storm)? Do we see a god that is absent (like what the disciples might have thought about Jesus during the later storm)? Do we see a god that is angry, capricious, punitive, vengeful (like many skeptics who look at the Old Testament God, or perhaps the disciples after they realized -- after the calming of the earlier storm -- that Jesus was in fact the very same Old Testament God)? If we have an inadequate picture of God, we will tend to not fully trust Him (or at all), and thus once again end up looking back at ourselves to try to control the cause of our fears.
Or maybe we start out trusting in God when fear strikes, but like Peter when walking on the water, after a little while take our eyes off God and become overwhelmed by the environment and look at ourselves once again. And like Peter, we end up giving in to fear and begin to sink.
Or perhaps like most of the Jewish rulers (and probably most of the people) during Jesus' ministry, we want to see some signs because we think signs will convince us that God is trustworthy. Fear is most often a result of visible and tangible problems. Do we think that if we see visible and tangible proofs of God's existence that we will no longer fear? The gospel accounts claim otherwise. Even in the presence of God and His signs, those who chose to base their beliefs on their senses would never be satisfied. They would never let go of their desire to control things on their own.
I performed a search in the New Testament on the use of the word "fear." I discovered that in nearly all instances of Jesus using this word, it is basically in the phrase, "Fear not," or "Don't fear." In the March/April 2008 issue of Discipleship Journal, there is an article, "What's Wrong With a Little Worry" by Jerry Bridges. In the opening paragraph he writes that in the New Testament, 27 Christian character traits are taught. The most numerous is love, followed by humility. The third most frequently taught trait is trust in God, occurring at least 13 times.
I think that the emotion of fear itself is morally neutral. It is a signal, similar to pain, that something is amiss. I believe that how we act on that signal determines whether fear results in sin or not. If we act by looking away from God and instead to ourselves, when we fail to keep our trust in God, that's when fear becomes sin. After all, sin ultimately is a separation from God. Fear, when it comes down to it, is the temptation to believe that God cannot be trusted; that He wants less than the best for us; that preservation of the things of this world, including our possessions, our families, and even our own lives are more desirable than living with God.
I just have a couple of other comments in regards to this week's lesson.
In Tuesday's lesson the following paragraph appears:
“What a contrast between the Bread of Life and the leaven of the Sadducees and the Pharisees, and yet how easy to get them confused. All disciples of Christ need to be aware that belief, or following traditions, or defending the faith are not always the same as being a disciple of Christ. How easy, once we get established, even comfortable, in what we believe, or in how we worship, or in how we practice our faith, to let these things become ends in and of themselves, instead of a means to an end. That end, of course, is to be a faithful disciple of Christ, doing His will and revealing His love and His character to the world.” (emphasis and italics supplied)
I think this is a fairly bold statement. But is it enough? Is it enough to be just aware, or should disciples go further? Should disciples question and challenge beliefs, traditions, faith assumptions, etc.? Should disciples experiment in ways that run counter to accepted norms? Are there some things that are off-limits to questions and challenges? If so, how does one make a determination where that line is?
Thursday's lesson brings up the issue of what to do about claims made by atheists and agnostics. The assumptions are that disciples ought to witness to those who reject god, and that those who reject god (small 'g' is intentional) are likely lost.
If the atheist's or agnostic's only view of god is such that it results in a conclusion that he cannot be trusted, isn't rejection a more honest response than attempting to hold on to a belief in such a god? If this god is seen as vengeful, capricious, hateful, etc. shouldn't such a god be rejected? If an honest and thoughtful search through the Bible results in a person coming to such a conclusion, would the true God condemn them for rejecting a false god?
Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." (NIV, John 14:6-7) What could Jesus have meant by "I am?" Did He mean the physical person of Himself as Jesus? Or did He mean something much broader? Could Jesus' words be understood (especially in the context of John 13-17) as follows?
I am love, self-sacrificing love. My love made and showed the way to God; My love revealed what is really true about God; My love gives real life to anyone who seeks it. No one comes to the Father except through My love. If you seek this kind of love, you will come to know and trust the Father. When you reveal this kind of love to the world, they will see Me as I really am, and that in turn will reveal to them the kind of God that the Father really is.
If supposing this above restatement of John 14:6-7 is true (and at this point in my thoughts, I do believe that is true), how might this affect how we witness, how we conduct evangelism, how we relate to the so-called Outsiders to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
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