Reflections from The Rev'd Dr Deborah Broome

Do not be afraid

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

                                                           Luke 12:32-44

I have a hunch that most of us hear the stuff about selling our possessions, giving alms, seeking treasure, and tune out, because we think that this doesn’t, can’t, or shouldn’t apply to us. But a lot depends on who we think we are. Are we those who aren’t sure where our next meal, or next power bill, is coming from – or are we those who are comfortably off? If it’s the latter, the instruction to finance our charitable giving by selling possessions can seem challenging. Jesus’ disciples would have known the commandment about giving alms – would they have thought this was going too far? On the other hand if “we” who are hearing this are those without much money, then the thought that others in our community could help provide for us – what one commentator calls “the subversive economy of the kingdom” – is a comforting one.

But maybe that’s the wrong place to begin. Maybe we should start where Jesus does, with him telling us not to be afraid. Everyone is afraid of something (some of us just manage to mask it more than others). Some of us are afraid of getting things wrong, looking stupid, failing at things. Some of us are afraid of not having enough – enough success, or enough wisdom, or enough of the good things in life. And some are afraid of not having enough of the basic things, like food and drink and clothes and being able to put petrol in the car. What are you afraid of?

Jesus starts with our fears: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He’s acknowledging we’re prey to all sorts of fears and insecurities, but he doesn’t try to reassure us that “it’s not going to be as bad as you think” – instead he assures us of God’s love. Poet Michael Leunig reminds us, “There are only two feelings. Love and fear.”  What lies behind most negative human emotions is fear. Fear of what might happen to us, or fear of not being able to cope with that, fear of the unknown or fear of what we might lose if change comes, fear of hurting others or being hurt ourselves. Fear can also make us selfish, wanting to hang onto things for ourselves, unwilling to put ourselves out for the benefit of someone else.

So Jesus assures us of God’s love. God isn’t just vaguely hoping we’ll do all right. God is like a generous parent who delights in inviting God’s children into the kingdom of heaven, wants that kingdom to flourish in the lives of Jesus’ followers. That promise, that certainty of God’s love, can help us to live a life free from fear. Because the life that God wants for us is the sort of abundant life that’s filled with authentic community, with relationships characterised by joy and peace, and patience and kindness and all the other fruit of the Spirit. A life that’s filled abundantly with God’s love, because love is incompatible with fear. 

Once we’ve got rid of the fear, then we can start to think about the treasure. Because if we’re still fearful, then we’re likely to find our treasure in things that speak to those fears – things like acquiring new assets, comforting ourselves with more possessions or hanging tenaciously on to those we’ve got, trying to settle our fears of not having enough or not being enough. Once we’ve got rid of the fear, “sell your possessions and give alms” starts to make sense, because it speaks of a life where we’re concerned more about others than about ourselves. Once we’ve found our security in the amazing generosity of God, we’re able to be generous ourselves.  Once we’ve experienced God’s love, and known God’s pleasure in giving us the kingdom, we’re able to share that love and that kingdom with others.