Rise and Have No Fear

Intro

We human beings have a lot of fear. Acrophobia is the fear of heights. Pathophobia is the fear of diseases. Porphyrophobia is the fear of the color purple. Nyctophobia is the fear of the dark. I think a lot of people have developed mysophobia, the fear of dirt and germs, over the past 3 years. It’s become increasingly difficult to operate in our modern world if you have cyberphobia - the fear of computers. You wouldn’t last long in Colorado if you had chionophobia, the fear of snow. We’re still a couple of years away from number 4 turning 13, but my wife and I may already be bordering on ephebiphobia - the fear of teenagers. And I could not be up here preaching today if I had succumbed to one of the most common fears in our society - glossophobia, the fear of public speaking.

Yes, we fear a great many things - disease, war, famine, inflation, UFOs, and the list goes on!

The apostles who accompanied Christ up the mountain in our gospel passage today - Peter, James and John - were suffering from one of the most common fears of their day, and one may be far less common in ours - theophobia, the fear of God. That’s actually been a pretty common fear throughout all of human history. It’s why angels, the messengers of God scare the living daylights out of every human they meet, and why they always greet us humans with the same salutation - “Do not fear.” Even the messengers of God inspire fear!

In the garden, before Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, they walked with the Lord. After they had violated His commandment and introduced sin into the world, they hid themselves, because they were naked and afraid. We carry that same sin in us today, and we are afraid, because that sin separates us from God, and our sin makes us naked, unrighteous.

Fear was Moses’ reaction when he beheld God in the burning bush. Fear was the reaction of the people when Moses came down from the mountain in our passage from Exodus. He had to wear a veil because the glory of God was too fearful for the people to behold!

At the end of times, every knee shall bow - in worship to our returning Messiah or in fear of their own damnation.

When we truly understand the gravity of our sin and our condemnation under the law, when confronted by the perfect righteousness of God, we cannot not be afraid - just like Peter, James, and John when they heard the voice of God. Matthew tells us that they fell on their faces and were terrified.

What is a God?

Luther defines a God as that in which we fear, love and trust above all times. Truly we do have many Gods, as we pursue many towers of Babel. But, of all the things we fear, love and trust, our God is a jealous God. Nothing should match or even come close to our fear, love and trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The same now as He ever was, and as He ever shall be.

But what does it mean to fear God? Is it the trembling, terrified posture in which Jesus inner circle find themselves in Matthew 17?

The Glory of God

Our gospel text begins with the sentence, “After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” Each of the synoptic gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke - contain an account of the Transfiguration. I find it interesting that the only gospel account whose author was present for the Transfiguration, John, does not mention it. But, each of the other gospels does speak of it, and these events made such an impression on Peter that he references it in our epistle text for today some 30 or 40 years later. One of the things that I find interesting about the Transfiguration is what both Matthew and Luke record Christ saying some days before He brought Peter, James and John up on the mountain. From Matthew 16:28 “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Similarly from Luke 9:27 “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” This is what they were going up on the mountain to see - the Glory of God, the Son of Man coming in His kingdom, the kingdom of God!

We pray, “Jesus, come quickly,” but do we have any idea what we are praying for? Yes, we do want Jesus to come quickly. Yes, we believe in the Resurrection and we believe in the vision of the Revelation, that the Lamb will triumph over the serpent. But, how do we get there? What do you fear? Do you not fear being in the presence of the most righteous God?

What did these 3 apostles see up on that mountain? They saw Moses and Elijah, and that’s impressive enough, but that is not what made them fall down, terrified. That terrified part came after what Peter said to Jesus. He didn’t say, “hey, dude,” or “yo, Jesus,” or even, “excuse me, Rabbi.” He called Jesus, “Lord.” That is the proper reverence, is it not? And he said “If you wish, I will make three tents (or tabernacles) here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” When Peter recognizes the greatness of Christ reflected in his transfigured form - His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light - Peter equates Christ, the son of God, with Moses and Elijah. This much the Father would not permit. When God the Father speaks to Peter, James and John, He says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well please; listen to Him.” In other words, don’t confuse my Son with my servants. They didn’t see God the Father. They heard His voice. And they collapsed. They fell on their faces and were terrified.

What are you afraid of? Heights, spiders, snow, confined spaces, clowns, snakes, computers, needles, disease, death, public speaking, teenagers? Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Our God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - is an awesome and powerful God. More powerful than any force or presence or person of all time. This is why the people remained behind while Moses and the elders went up on the mountain in our Old Testament text. This is why the elders only went up so far. This is why Moses told the elders, “wait here” while he went up the mountain alone. The appearance of the Lord was not just like a fire. It was like a devouring fire. If you are not afraid of the Glory of God, you should be!

Fear Not

But thanks be to God, we are not left in our fear. Adam was not left in his fear. God clothed him The children of Israel who waited for Moses to come down from the mountain were not left in their fear. Moses returned, and God was with them, even in their failings. And the apostles up on the mountain of Transfiguration were not left in their fear. Jesus’ healing did not just come in His words. He touched them! What does Jesus mean when he says, “have no fear?’ He is telling the apostles the same thing that he told the ruler of synagogue in Capernaum, Jairus, upon learning that his daughter had died. It’s why David sang, “though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil.”

When Jesus tells His disciples in Luke 12 and John 14 to not be afraid, it is often translated as “do not be anxious.” This anxiety that we feel about so many things, this is the fear that the Peter, James and John felt upon hearing the voice of God. This is not the reverence that God, your loving Father commands of us. To properly fear the Lord is not to be overcome with anxiety, but to revere and worship Him. Peter, James and John were experiencing that debilitating, destroying fear that can and has wrecked so many lives. And this is not the fear that God desires.

When Christ touches the apostles and commands them, “Rise, and have no fear,” he is not giving them advice, as a teacher or some self-help guru. He is, in all of His majesty, casting the fear out of them as He cast out demons and disease and disbelief. And you will hear Him command the same thing on the last day when you behold Him in His glory. “Rise, and have no fear.” For all of your sins, that make you naked and unrighteous before God, have been forgiven. You are clothed in His righteousness, and you truly have nothing to fear. Not disease or famine or war or even your own sinfulness. In His most Holy, Redeeming and Fearless name. Amen.