Do Not Be Afraid

Tradition and Wisdom
Teaching and Learning:
Facing Life Without Worry

Matthew 10:24-31

The Message

 ^24-25"A student doesn't get a better desk than her teacher. A laborer doesn't make more money than his boss. Be content—pleased, even—when you, my students, my harvest hands, get the same treatment I get. If they call me, the Master, 'Dungface,' what can the workers expect?
 ^26-27"Don't be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don't hesitate to go public now.
 ²⁸"Don't be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.

Forget About Yourself

 ^29-31"What's the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.

For Reflection

Fear, Satan's strongest weapon! 

As I write today, the sex abuse scandal at Pennsylvania State University is still unfolding.  Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant football coach has been accused of sexually abusing eight boys over a 15-year period through a charity he founded for at-risk youth.  Joe Paterno, one of the most renown college football coaches and the president of the university have been fired.  The school’s Athletic Director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, vice president for finance and business, have also been charged with perjury and failing to notify authorities about the abuse.

Acting out of fear of the consequences, those that covered up the sexual perversion of one of the coaches and emeritus faculty member now suffer humiliation, and criminal charges.  They knew and said and did little to end coach Sandusky's exploitation.  In doing so they enabled  long term systematic sexual abuse of young at-risk boys, institutionalized and cloaked by Pennsylvania State University.

They responded to what was at stake -- millions of dollars in revenue from alumni, supporters of the football program and the revenue from the business of football.  At colleges and universities all over our nation out of control athletic programs have traded our sanctuaries of learning for enormously rich athletic programs.

Out of fear, we turn a blind eye to amoral, immoral, unethical and illegal behavior.  For the greater good of the university they trampled the greater good of saving hundreds of young boys from sexploitation.  Rather than being an example of strength of moral conviction they became, out of fear, an example of the most un-Godly behavior.  Of all places where justice and love should have been commonplace, greed and self-worship reigned.

 ^26-27"Don't be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don't hesitate to go public now."

Pray
prayers for forgiveness. Pray for the reconciliation of this tragedy.  Pray that  people of influence choose to act boldly against fear and wear a cloak of righteousness. Pray that you will not be corrupted by the tyranny of fear.