Jean Baptiste Marie Pierre: The Adoration of the Shepherds
John reminds us that the one sure antidote against fear is love.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (NASB)
John tells us that the power of love overcomes the power of evil, always.
There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment. (GNT)
John reminds us that all love that emanates from God has the power to heal and transform.
God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s.There is no room in love for fear.Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (MSG)
John tells us that as we grow in love and in Christ, we no longer are a harbor of fear.
Today, as we reflect on our fears, we might ask ourselves, “In this new year, how might we make ourselves ready to grow in love?”
Although Christmastide has closed, we continue to reflect on the confidence God’s words bring to us, “There is no room in love for fear”.
Peter knows that the newness of the kingdom is more than the world can bear. Peter also knows that the faithful in this kingdom will experience trials. And so Peter animates Jesus’ followers, both his contemporaries and those of every age.
But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear theirintimidation, and do not be troubled,butsanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. (NASB)
Peter tells us that the terror of persecution becomes joy when we remember that the power of Christ.
But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, how happy you are!Do not be afraid of anyone, and do not worry.But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you,but do it with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will become ashamed of what they say. (GNT)
Peter reminds us that we are not alone, and that we need not seek revenge.
If with heart and soul you’re doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you’re still better off.Don’t give the opposition a second thought.Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God. (MSG)
Peter tells us that when we follow Christ, we are assured of redemption, healing and transformation.
Today, as we remember the gift that Jesus is to the world, we might ask ourselves, “Are we willing to live in such a way that the world knows we place our hope in Christ?”
Although Christmastide has closed, we continue to reflect on the hope God’s words bring to us, “Do not fear, do not be troubled, do not give the opposition a second thought”.
Philippe de Champaigne: The Adoration of the Shepherds
Paul is arrested and held as a prisoner for his faith in the risen Christ. As he journeys to Rome, he undergoes a number of trials, and it is into this environment, when fear might take over, that Paul is visited by a messenger from God.
For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me saying, “Donotbeafraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you”. (NASB)
Paul tells us that when we experience darkness and anxiety, God does not desert us.
For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship came to me and said, “Don’t be afraid, Paul! You must stand before the Emperor. And God in his goodness to you has spared the lives of all those who are sailing with you”. (GNT)
Paul reminds us that when great power overtakes us, the risen Christ brings us the courage to resist corruption.
“Last night God’s angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, saying to me, ‘Don’t give up, Paul. You’re going to stand before Caesar yet—and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.’ So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what he told me. But we’re going to shipwreck on some island or other.” (MSG)
Ludolph Backhuysen: Paul’s Shipwreck
Paul says that a life lived in Christ will never be smooth; and he tells us that when shipwrecks occur in our lives – as they always will – Christ will make the impossible possible.
Today, as we consider the courage of the shepherds who followed the star to the Bethlehem stable, we might ask ourselves, “What risks are we willing to take as we resist easy comfort? And what shipwrecks are we willing to experience as we follow the bright star of Christ?”
Although Christmastide has closed, we continue to reflect on the renewingpower of God’s words to us, “Don’tgive up. Do not be afraid”.
We enter a new year, a time of replenishment and restoration. We look for a new message of transformed hope. A new sign of renovating freedom. We await a new pronouncement of the words we need to hear: Do not be afraid.
And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do notbeafraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; (NASB)
Saul, the persecutor of early Christ-followers, encounters the risen Christ and learned that his fears have no meaning in this kingdom of Jesus. He now believes the words: Do not be afraid.
One night Paul had a vision in which the Lord said to him, “Do not be afraid, but keep on speaking and do not give up. (GNT)
Saul the persecutor, blind for a time, trusts God’s plan as he shares the Good News that Christ’s new coming brings new hope and new meaning.
One night the Master spoke to Paul in a dream: “Keep it up, and don’t let anyone intimidate or silence you. No matter what happens, I’m with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you. You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city.” That was all he needed to stick it out. He stayed another year and a half, faithfully teaching the Word of God to the Corinthians. (MSG)
Saul the persecutor becomes Paul the Apostle, sharing the Good News that hope is alive, rebirth and transformation are possible, and fear is only for those who refuse to believe.
Centuries after Paul shares his news with anyone who will listen, he tells each of us that there is no reason for fear or division.
Today, as we reflect on the journey the magi make to worship the new king, we might ask ourselves, “What journey we are willing to make? And what are we willing to put aside in this new year as a sign that we refuse to surrender to fear?”
Although Christmastide has closed, we continue to reflect on the transformative power of God’s words to us, “Do not be afraid”.
Today is the traditional close of the Twelve Days of Christmas, a day when many cultures celebrate the arrival of the three magi in Bethlehem. In some countries, children place hay-filled shoes outside their front doors to feed the camels of the kings as they pass by on their journey to the Messiah. In the morning, children find that the camels have eaten the hay and the kings have left presents behind in thanks.
The official name of this celebration is Epiphany, a word coming from the Greek word meaning “to reveal”. Our Merriman Webster English definitions are: a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something, an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking, an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure, a revealing scene or moment, an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being. Today, on this traditional close of Christmas – a day when God surprises us with the revelation of Jesus’ divinity – we might put aside our fears to understand the full impact of this gift.
Sandro Botticelli: The Adoration of the Magi
In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Psalm 56 is one we might keep close to hand in 2017 as our personal and public lives unfold. The psalmist speaks to God – just as we might – to tell God that foes trample and oppress him; enemies lie in wait while the mighty and proud dominate his world. The psalmist’s words are distorted; adversaries lurk; opponents plot to end his life. Wickedness, anger, tears, and wanderings. The psalmist records the offenses of a lifetime but rather than despair, he gives his worries to God. Like the psalmist we might place our own woes in our shoes beyond the door as if they were stalks of hay or straw, trusting that the king of kings will exchange them for the promise of restoration.
Yourvows are bindingupon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. For you have delivered my soul from death, indeed my feet from stumbling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
Today, as we reflect on the psalmist’s words, we ask ourselves, “How do we best prepare to enter the land of the living?”
Quentin Metsys: The Adoration of the Magi
Throughout Christmastide, we have reflected on the many times and the many ways the Living God assures us that we need not be afraid. Let us keep God’s wisdom always in our hearts and minds as our refuge and rock. Let us keep the centering presence of Christ always as our beginning and our end. And let us keep the healing indwelling of the Spirit as our homing guide.
When we explore other versions of these verses, we begin to understand how we might practice placing our fears in the restorative hands of the eternal, Living God.
Do not be afraid.We need to hear these words. We need to share these words. We need to use these words every day.
The angel of the Lord speaks to the high priest Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, assuring his that the Living God was making the impossible possible in their lives.
But the angel said to him, “Donotbeafraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. (Luke 1:13)
The angel of the Lord speaks to the girl Mary, the mother of Jesus, assuring her that the Living God was entering her life in a special way.
The angel said to her, “Donotbeafraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. (Luke 1:30)
The angel of the Lord speaks to shepherds who guard their flocks on the night of Jesus’ birth, assuring them that a newness has just entered into a weary world.
But the angel said to them, “Donotbeafraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. (Luke 2:10)
Jesus speaks to Jairus, a synagogue leader, assuring him that his daughter is alive and has not died.
But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “Donot beafraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” (Luke 8:50)
Jesus speaks to the people, assuring them that the darkness of the world can be dissipated by the light of truth and peace.
“I say to you, my friends, donotbeafraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. (Luke 12:4)
Jesus speaks to his followers, assuring them that the evil of the world is transformed by love.
Donotbeafraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)
Anton Raphael Mengs: Dream of Saint Joseph
Lifetimes after these verses are recorded, we remind ourselves that the impossible is possible with God. All harm becomes goodness through God. Darkness becomes light. Despair becomes home. Doubt becomes faith. Evil becomes love. And for all of these reasons, we need not fear.
Today we might ask, “How do we live in order to remember that we need not be afraid? How do we live in such a way that we demonstrate our understanding that God is everywhere and lives in us? And how do we share this Good News in our thoughts words and deeds?
In Matthew 1:19, An angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. To learn why, visit: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/why-did-joseph-plan-to-divorce-mary
Throughout Christmastide, we continue to remember God’s words, “Do not be afraid”.
The prophet Jeremiah reminds us that we need not be afraid even in the long and wearying times of violence and war.
“Donotbeafraidof [the nations], for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 1:8)
“For behold, I will save you from afar and your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return and will be quiet and at ease, and no one will make himafraid”. (Jeremiah 30:10)
“Donotbeafraidof the king of Babylon, whom you are now fearing; donotbeafraid of him,” declares the Lord, “for I am with you to save you and deliver you from his hand”. (Jeremiah 42:11)
“Now so that your heart doesnotgrow faint, and you are notafraid at the report that will be heard in the land – for the report will come one year, and after that another report in another year, and violence will be in the land with ruler against ruler”. (Jeremiah 51:46)
Centuries after Jeremiah gives us these words, God continues to be our deliverer, our savior, and our ruler against the kings and powers that threaten our very existence. God tells us, through Jeremiah, that we cannot fear the atrocities we witness and we cannot cower in the face of annihilating forces that wipe out peoples and cultures for God continues to walk and live among us. The child Jesus is the new ruler who governs us for more than an earthly time of war. The child Jesus invites us into a new, inverted, eternal kingdom where the marginalized are the center of the universe.
Today we might ask, “Where do we put the fear that takes hold of us when we witness chaos and carnage? How do we calm our anxiety when we experience outrageous acts against nature and the peoples created by God? When we listen to the voice of Jeremiah, we find that our fears dwindle, and we remember that God’s promise is already with us leading, guiding, saving.
Throughout Christmastide, we continue to reflect on the many ways God says to us, “Do not fear. I am here with you always”.
The prophet Isaiah tells us a number of times that we need not fear the circumstances of our lives.
God says, “O My people who dwell in Zion, donotfear the Assyrian who strikes you with the rod and lifts up his staff against you, the way Egypt did”. (Isaiah 10:24)
“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and notbe afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2)
Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘Do notbeafraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me’.” (Isaiah 37:6)
God says, “Donotfear, for I am with you; Donot anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”. (Isaiah 41:10)
God says, “Do not tremble and donotbeafraid; have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none”. (Isaiah 44:8)
Millennia later God continues to be our rock and our refuge, our strength and our song. God sends us prophets whom we may heed or ignore. And God continues to breath and live among us.
Today we might ask, “Whom do we follow and why?” When we listen to the voice of Isaiah, we have a new opportunity to listen to God. We have a new opportunity to give thanks that the Messiah Isaiah foretold is here. The Lord is born. And this Lord is one with us.
Throughout Christmastide, we continue to explore the number of ways God says to us, “Do not fear. I am with you always”.
We know the story of Moses saving his people and leading them to freedom by crossing through the Red Sea that parts for the Hebrews. This miraculous passage has been celebrated and retold endlessly; and for good reason. God loves the faithful so deeply that nature bends to his will; and God still performs miracles for us today. When we lose heart we might remind ourselves of the words Moses spoke to his people: “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you’re never going to see them again.
Hugo Van der Goes: Adoration of the Shepherds
Centuries later God perseveres in watching over those who follow the voice that calls them to unity and peace; and God sends a sign that The LORD walks among us. If only we might take note.
Where are the seas we need parted today so that we might continue our journey to freedom? What are the signs we look for and miss, even though they are in our field of vision? Whose voice do we follow when we are lost or distressed?
Today we might ask, “What or who is it we fear, and why?” When we spend time with this old, familiar story, a new understanding presents itself. Let us open our eyes and ears and hearts so that we might better understand.
Throughout Christmastide, we continue to explore the number of ways God says to us, “Do not be afraid”.
The Noontimes 
