Does Fear Rule Your Life?

23 Jan

Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
Again the crowd gathered,
making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him,
for they said, “He is out of his mind.”  (Mk 3:20-21)

Why would Jesus’ relatives and friends in the town say that He was out of His mind?  If you think about it, the answer, I believe, is rather simple:  attention.

The people of the Lord’s time knew that the less attention paid to a person, the greater the chances that there would be no repercussions.  Remember, they were living under Roman rule.  The had seen other prophets rise up among their numbers.  Those prophets were considered a threat by the people in power and they, along with their followers, were dealt with harshly, oftentimes by being put to death.

Why would Jesus want to bring attention to Himself?  And, in doing so, why would He want to bring attention to His family and friends?

That was, I believe, the thought going through many of their minds.  And if that was, indeed, their thought, the response would be very appropriate:  “He’s crazy!”

Their fear kept them from seeing who the Lord truly was.  Their fear kept them from giving themselves completely to the Lord.  Their fear made them miss out on so much.

Does your fear control you or do you control your fear?

FAITH ACTION:  In quiet contemplation, ask the Lord to show you your fears and then ask Him to increase your trust in Him so that you can calm those fears.