FEAR OR HOPE?

Jesus’ teaching did not ignore the realities in the world around Him—or in the world around us. He warned His followers that the world was damaged and that war, disasters, and tragedy would be an ongoing part of our collective human experience.

As part of this world, His followers should not expect their lives to be smooth. Rather, at times, their lives will be more difficult precisely because they follow Him (see Luke 21:12). The history of our world throughout the 2,000 years since this sermon has proved Jesus’ insight and the reality that He brought to His teaching. Jesus taught His followers that they had two choices as to how they would respond to the fearful and frightening things in their lives and experiences. As difficult as it might be, it is simply a matter of choosing to live in fear or in hope. Jesus warned that, whether by choice or habit, some people’s thinking would come to be dominated by fear. He warned that fearfulness would become more prevalent as His return drew nearer. “People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world” (Luke 21:26). Indeed, pervasive fear would be a sign of the age in its own right.

But other people—and Jesus pressed this for His followers—would choose to live with hope, even when it might seem their world was falling apart.

As difficult as these various circumstances might be and as fragile as human life so often seems, rather than seeing them as a cause for alarm or panic, followers of Jesus were urged toward assurance and even a sense of eager anticipation.

We are not to revel in the misery of the world as some grim vindication, but we are to lift our eyes to the Source of our hope and trust His presence and promises for resilience, rescue, and restoration.