Do We Believe?

John 16: 29-33

"Do you really believe?" Jesus asks this penetrating question to his first followers who have all said they know it all and are willing to die for him.  Yet, these same men of bravado will soon run in fear, hiding from the fate that Jesus himself freely accepts.  It is easy for us to judge them as we read these accounts from the comfort of our air conditioned churches.  It is much harder to realize that we are no different than they are.

Consider how often we give ourselves over to ideologies, to political parties and candidates who promise to promote the interests of religion by using campaigns of fear to compel such adherence.  Consider how often we give ourselves over to law firms, PR firms, and fundraising consultants to craft our message and to obtain the monies we think will secure us in our possessions and power in the world.  Consider how much of our faith life is based on fear and so little on love.

Jesus tells us that we can only find peace in him, for he himself found peace in the Father, even in his agony and death.  Jesus never gave in to fear, and he never approached us with a message of fear.  To the contrary, Jesus always exhorted us to not be afraid, and he always commanded us to love.  To truly believe is to love, not fear.