Freedom from Fear : Liberty in Love

Archbishop Seraphim : Homily
Freedom from Fear : Liberty in Love
Saturday of the 5th Week after Pentecost
26 June, 2010
Romans 8:14-21 ; Matthew 9:9-13


Audio

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The words of the Apostle about fear are very apt. The fact is that in the world we are living completely in an atmosphere run by fear. It has always been that way since the time of the Fall. We are so used to it that we do not necessarily pay attention to it.

When we look at our relationship with each other, and how we are living in the world, we can see that underlying everything there is this undercurrent of fear. There is fear of what might happen, fear of being put out of my house, fear of not having enough to eat tomorrow, fear of who is going to love me, and many other fears by which we live. Sometimes we get thoroughly sick with these fears and become paranoiac. An interesting element of the way fear operates in us is that it turns us in on ourselves. I learned a long time ago that mental illness is very often (although not always) connected with an exaggerated paying too much attention to “me”. Everything revolves around “me, me, me” and therefore, I can talk about nothing except me : my this, my that, my rights, and so forth. We become so focussed on ourselves that there is no-one else. This is one of the characteristics of mental illness, indeed.

When our lives are driven by fear, it is a clear sign that we are not in harmony with God. The Apostle says quite clearly to us that our relationship with the Lord is not about fear. It is about liberty in love. He characterises this very well by saying that our relationship with God is such, must be such, and was created to be such that we call God “Abba” (as the Scriptures say). That word does not mean anything to the English ear. The translators, sadly enough, were too formal and say : “Father”. However, when we say “Father”, it is a formal expression which may imply a certain distance. Instead, “Abba” is a friendly, familiar word, and it actually means “Papa” or “Daddy”. When we are speaking about our relationship with the Lord, then we should use the warmest, friendliest paternal term possible, so that the very word itself can warm our hearts. Some other languages have even friendlier forms than are available in English. In today’s pericope, the Apostle is trying to help us to understand clearly that this is the nature of our relationship in love to the Lord. As much as we might call our own fathers by affectionate terms, God, our heavenly Father, merits far more affectionate terms yet. Our earthly fathers can fail us. They are human beings. They make mistakes. They fall into sin. However, God does not. He never fails us. He is always there giving us life. He is always there with His heart open to us, offering us the ability to live in this glorious freedom of His love.

The Apostle points out very clearly once again that the way of the world is that of fear. The idols that people have served are all fear-drivers. People are afraid of them. The frightened people appease them by making various sorts of sacrifices so that the so-called gods will not get angry with them and cause something bad to happen to them. This has nothing to do with God. Our God, the One true God, is not empty and fake like this. God is the Lover of human beings. As the Lover of us and of all His creation, He only wants what is good for us. He wants life and freedom for us. That is what the Apostle, in a clear way, is trying to explain to us today.

It is in the context of this liberty in love that our Saviour today calls Matthew from his tax office. As a tax collector in Judea, Matthew was despised because he was the agent of an occupying empire and his position was one of conflict and betrayal. It was also a position of self-interest. Our Saviour comes to him and says : “‘Follow Me’”. The love of the Saviour which is flooding this man (His love is always flooding us), affects him, sitting there in his office. Matthew stands up, leaves everything, and follows Him. He and the Saviour go to dinner together. The Saviour is eating with Matthew and his friends, amongst whom are included tax collectors like himself, and other persons who are considered to be sinners by the Jewish people. Such people were shunned, and there was to be no associating with them. However, our Saviour comes and eats with them. He points out that He did not come to the righteous (who may not really need the Saviour) ; but rather, He came to call those who are sick. Our Saviour has come to call those who are in need of a physician ; he has come to the sick of heart and soul, and to persons such as Matthew. He turns them about completely, so that they are changed completely.

Some people want to say that the call of Matthew and certain other of the apostles was so instantaneous because they had obviously heard our Saviour speaking before. It is entirely possible that they had heard the Saviour speaking before. However, whether they did or did not is not the point. What is pertinent is that it is the love of the Lord that overwhelms and floods and heals, and gives life and fills with joy. The love of the Lord is not inexorable, but it is compelling. Matthew and the other apostles, and all those who have been called (and who are still being called), are responding to precisely the same characteristic. The characteristic is the love of the Lord which touches our hearts, which melts our hearts, which fills our hearts with joy, which lightens our hearts, which takes away the burdens and chains of fear, which releases us from all these things and brings true life and true liberty, as described by the Apostle.

The same love and liberty are given to you and to me. The same healing of our hearts and souls is given to you and to me by the Saviour today, and every day. Let us, who are in harmony and in love with the same Saviour who loves us, give glory to Him in everything. Let us ask Him to send to us afresh the Grace of the Holy Spirit so that we can follow Him much better yet, and allow Him to overcome the fears that besiege us. May we keep living in freedom, glorifying His all-holy and majestic Name : the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages.