No Game Fear

Our middle son played high school football.  That may be giving him too much credit.  He went out for the team.  He had never played competitive ball before his sophomore year and the coach said it clearly showed.  One night the coach put him in on the receiving team.  He was to be one of the two receivers.  He looked up at the ball and he looked ahead at the 200 pound linemen breathing in his face and said to the other receiver, “It’s yours.”  At that moment he knew he was happy to be on the team and on the bench.  He said it was a moment of fear.  No one in the stands felt that fear.  None of the cheerleaders felt that fear.  Only the man on the spot felt that fear. 

The words “fear” or “afraid” are used frequently in the New Testament.  They are often used of the people who encountered Jesus.  The One whose message was “fear not” was surrounded by disciples and others who feared a lot.  Sometimes we sit and read the texts and say, “why did they always fear?”  The answer is pretty simple.  They were on the spot and we are not.  They saw major miracles and the power of God displayed right in their face.  To them it was very personal.

In our lives we often encounter things that make us afraid. Those same things make others question our soundness of mind or faith.  Why?  Because they are personal.  Fear is present and real for us, but it is abstract or unrelated to their experience.  Nobody is jumping on the sympathy wagon because it means nothing to them.  But there is One who is right there with us feeling our pain and fear. That is the other Receiver.  Jesus Christ received our sin and our punishment and our rejection by the Father when He hung on that cross.  He knows exactly what it feels like for us and He speaks softly, “Fear not.”  As He did at the cross He will still do today, He will catch the ball for us.  We are facing nothing alone and as we run down the field to victory, we are doing it by following in His train, not leading the way.  Running in His train we find no fear and that is just how He would have it to be.

O Christ the Mighty Victor He, who took the cross of sin for me

Who faces down each foe I meet, with grace from heaven’s mercy seat

Who stills each fear and calms each dread, says, “Get behind, I’ll go ahead”

And with compassion feels the pain, I feel when e’er I fear again

He holds me tight in every doubt; Praise God He’ll never be cast out

And when the game for me is o’er, He’ll take me home forever more. 

 

 

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