Most of the angels in the Bible greet humans by saying “Be Not Afraid.”  These are hard words to hear  — especially in our world where there seem to be new things to be afraid of nearly every day.    Easter has something to teach us about living without being controlled by our fears. That’s the theme I explore in this sermon for March 23, 2008.

Do Not Be Afraid

Jeremiah 31:1-6  Matthew 28:1-10 

The angel of the Lord said it to Zechariah: “Do not be afraid, for your prayer is heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.” [Luke 1:13]

The angel Gabriel said it to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” [Luke 1:30]

The angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and said it: “Be not afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: …” [Luke 2:10]

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and said it: “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 …” [Matt 1:20]

Now, an angel of the Lord, who has just rolled back the stone says it: “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised as he said.” [Matthew 28:5-6]

And Jesus, the Risen Christ, says it once more: “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” [Matthew 28:10].

Do not be afraid. Those are welcome words to us, living in twenty-first century anxieties. We are, to be honest, often afraid. The world around us is a frightening place; it has probably always been a frightening place, but we are especially aware of our own fears: illness or injury, financial ruin, natural disaster, accidents, and terrorism. The world within us is also a frightening place: we are afraid of losing our loved ones, failing to meet our aspirations, disappointing our families, losing our jobs, and having our shortcomings and foibles revealed to others.

The author Madeleine L’Engle used to joke that since angels often begin by saying “Do not be afraid,” they must be especially fearsome creatures. But the truth is that this phrase does not so much describe angels as it describes humans. We are the ones who are afraid; we are the ones who need to be reassured.

But something quite different is going on with the words spoken by the angel who is guarding the tomb. To begin with, this one is the exception: he is really frightening looking– coming in an earthquake, and appearing like lightning. More importantly, though, he is telling the disciples – and telling us – not to be afraid when we discover that Jesus is missing.

In spite of the spate of current books about atheism, most of us are frightened when we discover that God – even God in human form – is missing. We want the universe to be orderly; we want someone to be in charge. We want to turn to God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – when we need answers or want comfort or seek forgiveness. We want to know that God is there, even if we are not very actively engaged in a relationship with God.

It is profoundly disturbing to think that God is not there. Christians in the contemplative tradition tell us that most faithful people have this experience at some time in their life: the absence of God. Sometimes this is called the “dark night of the soul.” When it happens, we feel as though we have been deserted, as though we are alone in the world. People who walk through this dark night, even when they have returned to the light of faith, cannot tell us very much about how they got back. Their efforts to reconnect with God were unsuccessful for a time: prayers were not answered, the presence of the Holy Spirit was not felt; the sense of community was muted or absent.. The lost sense of God’s presence does return, but not with angel fanfare. Instead, it gently reinserts itself into life, with small moments of holiness and brief glimpses of the divine.

Faced with the emptiness of a dark night of the soul, we are grateful for the angel’s words: “Do not be afraid.”

But the next time we hear these words, they come from Jesus, and now they are puzzling. Why should we be afraid when what we are longing for returns? Why should we be anxious when the light returns and the dark night is banished? Why should we hesitate when our deepest desire is being fulfilled – when the one we love and follow has returned to us?

The answer comes in the oldest and most basic of Christian statements of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Pay attention to the verb tenses: has died, is risen, will come again. Time changed forever on Easter morning; that is the great mystery of Easter. Jesus is no longer a human being, living in a particular time and a particular place; he no longer dwells in the past tense The Risen Christ lives in all times and in all places. and promises to be with us into the future.

In that moment on Easter morning, following Jesus means suddenly means something altogether new – both for first century disciples and for us. What were wise teachings, sharp insights, and miraculous works of healing by an itinerant preacher are now sacred imperatives for how we live our lives. We can no longer ignore the sick or the hungry in our midst; we are obligated to heal them and feed them. We can no longer turn our faces away from prisoners and captives; we are obligated to visit them and to work for justice on their behalf. We can longer nurse grudges or plan revenge; we are obligated to offer mercy, just as God has been merciful to us. We can no longer recite the prayer of our Savior without the obligation of yearning for – and working for – God’s kingdom to come to life on earth, as it is in heaven.

Now that we are Easter people, now that we know that Christ is risen and walks with us, we are quite reasonably frightened by the obligations of Christian discipleship. Now that we know that compassion is more powerful than hate, that courage is more powerful than fear, and that love is more powerful than death – now that we know all of this, we have no place to hide.

And that is precisely when Jesus meets us and greets us with the words we most need to hear – Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid of what you are being asked to do. Do not be afraid of being my people. Do not be afraid to share the good news with others. Do not be afraid to show compassion and courage and love, even in the face of hate and danger and death. Do not be afraid.

For Christ is risen; he is risen indeed. Alleluia. Amen.