As Saturday fell, and Sunday rose, so did the first Sunday of Advent … the Sunday of Hope.
It is interesting that the Christmas story, though one of hope, has fear woven through the human experience of heaven’s story.
The angels who came down and spoke to Mary, Zachariah, Joseph and the shepherds in the watching their flocks were aware that their presence, and the message that they were delivering, would cause fear in the hearts of the recipients:
To Zechariah:
“Don’t be afraid, Zechariah!” Luke 1:13
To Mary:
“Mary don’t be afraid …” Luke 1:30
To Joseph:
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid … “ Matthew 1:20
To the shepherds:
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.”” Luke 2:10
It is said that in the Old and New Testaments there are as many exhortations to
DO NOT FEAR
as there are days in a calendar year.
Fear is a reality in our lives … we know it, God knows it.
The Bible doe not exhort, (“communicate emphatically, urging one to do something” Google search) us to not fear, because it is the exception, but because it is the norm.
God, in his wisdom and understanding, knows that we will be anxious, that we will fear in our lives. He knows that we struggle to trust our futures into his hands. He knows us so well!
The message of the Christmas story is not:
fear not, for everything is about to get easier
The Christmas message is:
life is fearful, but you don’t have to walk it alone, for God is with you always.
itsawonderfilledlife 