After a bunch of teaching, Jesus tells The Twelve that He will soon leave (die a horrible death) and that they will soon undergo some problems (persecution because they know Him). And right before He prays a beautiful prayer over them, He says, “Take heart. I have overcome the world.”
We often drive through today’s passage in our sleep. We read the account of one of Jesus’s top five miracles and we yawn. We’ve heard sermons on it, listened to radio broadcasts dissecting it, even underlined or highlighted portions of it in our Bibles. This miracle is so familiar it’s even a part of the English language lexicon. We hear one or two idioms from it in political speeches, sports color commentary, and song lyrics.
Many times I’ve read this Psalm and become frustrated. It starts with a call and response. Every phrase the leader utters is chorused by all of the people saying, “For His mercy endures forever.” It’s like walking on a college campus on game day and seeing fans wearing the same color as you. You can almost whisper “Go Dawgs” or “Roll Tide” and get a loud chorus of responses.
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:13–17 ESV, emphasis added Peter has been one of my favorite Bible characters since I performed in an original musical about his life. At 12, I didn’t understand deeply what the writers of the musical did—that he was a screw up. Great intentions but poor delivery. Huge bravado...
Don’t lose heart. I love that phrase even more than “Do not be afraid.” Even though angel warriors don’t show up with this message, it hits home. Think about these phrases. Don’t lose your head. We don’t want to end up like John the Baptist or Goliath, so we don’t take this one seriously. We don’t want to go crazy and act nuts even though we do sometimes. The idea that we would act crazy in a situation is preposterous to us. We won’t lose our heads. Don’t lose your life. We don’t put our lives in danger. There are few hills we’re willing to die on. We don’t want to pull a George Bailey even though we may talk about it. We would love to have the opportunity to be heroic in some way, but we most often miss the everyday heroics—offering our table to a pregnant woman in a crowded lunch restaurant, doing more at...
Fear is the major issue I face as a divorced guy. I’ve heard for years that there are 365 “fear not” passages in the Bible. I’m going to look at as many as I can—hopefully all of them—to give counsel to my own soul. Click on the word Fear at the top of the page to read all of the articles on the topic. What do you do when you feel fear? I’ve tried many things over the years. I “sit” in my fear and let myself feel it. Experts say that the physiological effects of an emotion last no longer than 90 seconds. If one doesn’t feel the emotion, it can come back to bat over and over again I call a friend who knows my story and is willing to walk with me through the struggles. It helps to talk. I quote a Scripture out loud or I sing a song out loud. This technique has proved the most helpful. Then there’s the other thing I do: imagine all of...