Delivered from the Fear of Death

In today’s first reading, Hebrews 2: 14-18, St. Paul speaks about  our intimacy with one another and God’s intimacy with us. “Since the children share in blood and Flesh, Jesus likewise shared in them, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the Devil, and free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life.”  What does Paul mean by “through fear of death has been subject to slavery all their life”?  Perhaps we will come to an understanding of that statement by reflecting on Jesus’ life.  Because Jesus did not fear death, He did not coil from doing His Father’s will.  He revealed the imminence of the Kingdom—the Kingdom of heaven is in your midst—through his actions: healing the sick, casting out demons, forgiving sins, making the deaf to hear and the blind to see, feeding the multitudes, calming the sea and so much more.  Jesus was not afraid even though his actions and words ultimately led to His death. Had he been afraid, He would have hidden from the scribes and Pharisees, kept quiet so as not to arouse their anger and jealousy.  In spite of the risks, Jesus fulfilled His mission here on earth to make the Father known and to destroy the Devil.  Mary, His mother, also risked her life as did the apostles.  

Dying is always a part of rising to new life, to the life of grace, goodness,  and righteousness, to engaging in acts of kindness ,  justice and reconciliation.  To do good means dying to our fear of taking risks. Dying means  moving outside of our comfort zones.  We may see a child being bullied or a co-worker berating another employee or the boss, do we leave our comfort zone and take action on behalf of the other person.  Dying may mean coming home at night and helping one’s spouse with tutoring/mentoring/ guiding/ helping a child with his/her homework instead of hiding behind the newspaper in one’s easy chair.  Dying may mean doing an errand for another person at the end of a busy day or it may be as simple as getting up from the table to do the dishes after the evening meal.

What does dying mean for you/for me? Are you/am I willing to leave a comfort zone to be a life-giving presence to others?  Or do we resist dying  and, instead,  cling to that which is easier to do, which,  in some case that is nothing at all?