Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
Fear is a normal human response, and can be good or bad, depending on the circumstances. Without fear, we would not live long. It is fear that prevents us from placing ourselves in dangerous situations. Fear of the consequences of reckless driving, for instance, preserves us from traffic accidents. Fear of sickness prompts us to wash our hands frequently. Fear of mockery keeps us from wearing ridiculous clothing (there are glaring exceptions to this). So fear has a valuable role to play in our lives. But fear can also become our worst enemy, if that fear is misplaced. And that is what the Lord Jesus is referring to in the ‘Fear not’ of our text today.
Earlier in the chapter, in verse 4, the Lord Jesus tells his listeners not to fear those who can kill the body. Fear of death is a huge thing; death is referred to as the king of terrors (Job 18:14), and the drive to avoid death is the strongest of all human instincts. But we are told in 1 Corinthians 15 that the sting of death is sin, and sin was defeated at Calvary, so that sting is removed for the believer.
Our chapter earlier also speaks of being anxious about appearing before leaders (verse 11), that is, fear of public shame. The fear of man certainly brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25), but the Lord Jesus has assured us that our boldness for Him before men is recognized by His Father. Someone has wisely said that it is better to stand for God and be judged by men than to stand with men and be judged by God.
Our chapter also speaks of the fear of not having enough to feed and clothe ourselves and our families (verse 22). To this, the Lord Jesus reminds His own that the Father Who can feed the ravens and clothe the lilies will surely take care of His own children.
But there is another fear referred to in our text, the fear of not receiving the kingdom. Is the Lord Jesus here referring to any fears of ours that we might not reach Heaven? Possibly. But if we are truly His, if we have trusted in Him for our salvation, we have nothing to fear in that regard. In fact, as our text declares, giving to us the kingdom will give our Heavenly Father great pleasure. It will thrill His heart to see those who have been redeemed arrive in glory and finally experience the freedom from sin and all of its effects. The wonders of Heaven, so far beyond our powers to even imagine here, will give God great delight to unfold for all of eternity.
We can forget about all of our fears, because we are part of the little flock that has received rich promises from our Lord. -Jim MacIntosh