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FEAR IS NOT AN EXCUSE
By Carl McMurray
A few years
ago I listened to a lesson on fear and the power of love where the speaker
illustrated his point with his own child. It seems that he was greeting folks
coming into worship one day when one of the visitors leaned over and spoke to
his young son. The youngster promptly ducked his head and hid behind his mother
as young ones do sometimes. Dad excused himself momentarily and took his son
into a nearby classroom to explain to him about 1 Corinthians 13:5; love does
not “act unbecomingly” or love is “not rude.” Jesus wants us to love people,
especially these visitors, he explained to his young son, not be rude to them.
When an adult speaks to you, he continued, the loving and polite thing to do is
to smile, shake hands, and speak back in a friendly way.
Frankly, I was amazed. This young teacher was training his son early in right
actions toward others. Where I and many others would have passed off the
behavior as just immature and bashful (fearful!), this young man had hit exactly
on the principle Jesus taught in Matthew 25:14-30. Fear is not an excuse.
In Matthew 25
three servants are given stewardship of the Master’s money, “each according to
their ability”. One is given five talents (a weight of gold or silver, i.e. a
sum of money), another two talents, and yet another one talent. You know the
parable. The one given five talents made five more. The one given two talents
made two more. And what of the one given one talent? Verse 25 says he buried it
to keep it safe and gave it back to the Master untouched and unused. He
explained that it was because he was afraid, and we immediately understand how
he felt.
We understand that fear paralyzes, it freezes us into immobility. We understand
that fear panics. It makes us do things (like digging holes and burying talents)
that we wouldn’t do if we thought about it in another situation. We understand
that fear IS a sign of immaturity, like a young boy burying his head in his
mother’s skirts. So we shake our heads and we understand this servant, just as
we smile and excuse the youngster who hides behind his mother, and WE MISS THE
POINT. Jesus was teaching that fear is not an excuse. The Master did not excuse
the servant because of his fear, he labeled him. Jesus said that this servant
was “wicked and lazy”. He was wicked because he didn’t do the will of the
Master, and he was lazy because he didn’t do anything, and fear was no excuse.
Fear is no excuse for not greeting and thus showing love to those who visit our
worship services. Fear is no excuse for failing to show hospitality. A man
actively pursues his career and shows a talent for leadership, or decision
making, or teaching, or accounting, or sales. Then he comes to church and sits
quietly, refusing opportunities to get involved or learn new ways to serve. When
pressed, he might laugh it off and talk about his fears. Jesus isn’t laughing,
and fear is not an excuse.
You see, love overcomes fear. It casts out fear, 1 John 4:18. To admit to fear
keeping us from doing what we know is right is to admit to a lack of love. We
are like the disciples who sat next to Jesus in a boat tossed by the storm, and
we are fearful. Jesus said they lacked faith, fear was not an excuse for them.
Do we get motivation, and love’s power, and even love’s definition in four
different Greek words so that we can turn into wicked, lazy servants who allow
fear to overcome our love? In 2 Timothy 1:7 the apostle says it is power, and
love, and discipline that we have been given, not the fearful spirit of
timidity.
Let me encourage you to look to Christ and what He wants of you for your
motivation and do not focus on your own fears or how you may feel about
something. Look for and use your talents, for this is how you love God and His
son. Fear is not an excuse.
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