Fear: by Bill Throne

I used to fly Navy jets off aircraft carriers for a living. I have about 300 take-offs and landings, about 100 of those in the darkness of night and a few after midnight.  For many of those flights, I had the chance to experience fear up close and personal.  I can remember one night when my knees would not stop knocking together.  That cartoon thing is real.

ride into the danger zone

Change is scary too. There are lots of things that cause anxiety, but “change” seems to be high on the list.  Maybe right behind flying off a pitching deck in the dark.  Moving from one phase of life to the other is a significant change, and it does bring anxiety.  Maybe that word ‘anxiety’ is a nice way to express the fear that we feel when we go off to college, get our first job, move to a new city, or buy a house. 

I hear the words of Jesus from Mark 5:36 in my head sometimes:  “Don’t be afraid, just believe.”  I wonder to myself, is fear sinful?  Could fear be an antonym for faith?  I am about to do something completely outside my comfort zone.  Can I be fearful?

In the Bible, there seems to be many ‘types’ of fear. Some seem natural and normal.  Let me give a few examples:

1.    Jesus seems to be anxious, maybe even fearful of going to the cross.  He remains steadfastly faithful at the same time. 

2.    Peter seems to be afraid in Luke 5:8 when Jesus orchestrates the miraculous catch of fish. I suppose that reflected in the exclamation point at the end of Simons’ confession:  “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell to his knees and said, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man!”  Maybe his fear of judgment leads him to greater faith.

There is a third example, which I like because it helps me better understand both fear and Jesus, John 6: 16-21.   You might be familiar with the story:  the disciples are out on the lake, Jesus remains on shore. The wind is blowing, and the waters are growing rough.  It would seem very natural to be afraid at this point, even as experienced fishermen.  Now Jesus approaches them, walking on water.  I am not sure what they were thinking.  I doubt Jesus had prepared them for this specific moment.  In any case, the Bible says they were terrified.  No doubt:  Late at night, rough seas, strong wind, Jesus walking (not swimming, not surfing…) on the water.

How does Jesus deal with their fear? The NIV relates Jesus’ response with “It is I, don’t be afraid.”  The original Greek translation is a little more emphatic on Jesus’s self-identification. It reads “I AM; not fear ye.” In John’s gospel, Jesus self-identifies with God through the use of this title:  “I am.” It is one of God’s names, used first in the Old Testament by God in sending Moses back to Egypt to deliver Israel.  It is a definite, end-of-discussion, statement of fact:  Exodus 3:14 “I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM sent me to you.’”  Depending on the context, this sounds a little fear-inducing.  But I believe Jesus is using it for another purpose:  to instill faith in the disciples.  The fear they faced was natural in light of the circumstances, but Jesus wanted them to take faith in the fact that He, the “I AM” was with them.  I doubt this eliminated the fear, but Jesus intended to give them courage in the face of their fear.

For you, as you face your fear, how do you respond?  Acknowledge that your fear is ‘normal.’ Be courageous and take to heart the words of Jesus to the disciples in the boat:  “I AM; not fear ye.”  As a faithful disciple, God is with you.  Jesus is with you. 

-BILL THRONE, HAMPTON ROADS, VA