Psalm 111
Preaching
A Journey Through the Psalms: Reflections for Worried Hearts and Troubled Times
Preaching the Psalms Cycles A, B, C
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (v. 10). "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). These two powerful statements reveal for us the inadequacies of the translation process of the English language. These two juxtaposing passages reveal only a tiny fraction of the contradictions and conflicts found within our holy Word. No wonder people have trouble reading and understanding.
The fear of God mentioned in this psalm is not the same fear that is cast out by love. A more appropriate translation of this fear might be to understand it as awe. So it is then that "awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." That works. Awe, you see, includes a healthy bit of fear but it is more than that. Awe is that realization that someone or something is so far beyond us that all we can do is stop and quietly stare with mouths open in respectful silence. Awe blends fear with admiration and respect. It is the total admission that someone or something is superior to us. And yes, when it comes to God, awe is the beginning of wisdom.
The fear that casts out love, on the other hand, is different. The Greek root for this is phobos. Our English word, "phobia," comes from here. This is the kind of fear that renders people impotent and paralyzed. It is the kind of fear nurtured and fed by entities interested in controlling people. German writer Bertolt Brecht once remarked, "Magic fear puts the world at your command!" When people are scared, they will submit to a great deal if they think it will keep them safe. All one needs to do is to look at the history of this nation over the past few years to find confirmation of this.
Different from awe, this fear is not helpful and does need to be cast away from us. Perfect love, or agape, is the answer. Love engendered and nourished in the context of Christian community can, and does, banish this fear. In a community that understands the need to create a safe place for peoples' spirits, emotions, and bodies, fear will dissipate. In a community rooted in the Holy Spirit and leaning into God's healing grace, fear will fade into the holy qualities of trust, Spirit-led affection, and hope. And it's funny that all of this begins really with that first kind of fear -- or awe -- that leads to wisdom. Full circle. Full hope. Fullness of God's presence.
The fear of God mentioned in this psalm is not the same fear that is cast out by love. A more appropriate translation of this fear might be to understand it as awe. So it is then that "awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." That works. Awe, you see, includes a healthy bit of fear but it is more than that. Awe is that realization that someone or something is so far beyond us that all we can do is stop and quietly stare with mouths open in respectful silence. Awe blends fear with admiration and respect. It is the total admission that someone or something is superior to us. And yes, when it comes to God, awe is the beginning of wisdom.
The fear that casts out love, on the other hand, is different. The Greek root for this is phobos. Our English word, "phobia," comes from here. This is the kind of fear that renders people impotent and paralyzed. It is the kind of fear nurtured and fed by entities interested in controlling people. German writer Bertolt Brecht once remarked, "Magic fear puts the world at your command!" When people are scared, they will submit to a great deal if they think it will keep them safe. All one needs to do is to look at the history of this nation over the past few years to find confirmation of this.
Different from awe, this fear is not helpful and does need to be cast away from us. Perfect love, or agape, is the answer. Love engendered and nourished in the context of Christian community can, and does, banish this fear. In a community that understands the need to create a safe place for peoples' spirits, emotions, and bodies, fear will dissipate. In a community rooted in the Holy Spirit and leaning into God's healing grace, fear will fade into the holy qualities of trust, Spirit-led affection, and hope. And it's funny that all of this begins really with that first kind of fear -- or awe -- that leads to wisdom. Full circle. Full hope. Fullness of God's presence.
