Sunday, August 22, 1999
Sunday, August 22, 1999
But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."
Well, the townspeople went wild with excitement. After deciding who they thought was the
bravest, toughest man in town, they went to tell him about the bet. Of course, having everyone
choose him as the toughest, bravest man in town made it impossible for the guy to resist the
challenge. So he went to the saloon where all the folks bet that he could hold his hand against the
glass without jerking it back when the rattlesnake struck.
After all bets were taken, the huckster tore the blanket off to reveal the biggest, most menacing,
evil-eyed reptile ever seen by man. Annoyed by the light and noise, the snake coiled to strike, his
rattles buzzing nervously.
The toughest, bravest man broke out in a cold sweat. But prodded by the collective expectation
of the townspeople, he moved his hand toward the glass.
The snake coiled even tighter. The rattler buzzed its lethal warning.
Slowly the man inched his hand toward the glass and finally touched it. As he did, the snake
struck with fury. And reflexively, the toughest, bravest man jerked his hand away. A stunned
silence fell over the saloon. No one could believe it. The man looked around in anguish and
humiliation, then stormed from the saloon. The huckster collected his money and left town before
the defeated man had a chance to collect his courage and come after him. Then the huckster
moved on to the next town to repeat the scene and, once again, win the bet. He almost always
won.
Why? Because no matter how big and brave and tough the frontiersmen were, the threat of that
striking reptile through the invisible glass was a fearsome thing. The only thing between them and
certain death was a thin pane of glass. The huckster knew it would hold; they did not trust it. The
huckster knew there was nothing to fear except fear itself, and he played on that fear to make his
living.
Fear is a terrible thing, but Jesus can calm our fears.
Ronald Newhouse, Texas, USA
(Matthew 14:27
NRSV)
Fear is a terrible thing, isn't it? Max Anders in his book THE GOOD LIFE tells about watching a
television program when he was a kid in which a huckster went from town to town with a huge
rattlesnake in a glass cage. The man would cover the glass with a blanket and take it into a saloon.
There he would tell the people what was under the blanket in the cage and would bet that the
toughest, bravest man in town would not be able to hold his hand against the glass without jerking
it back when the rattlesnake struck.
Prayer: Loving God, take away the fears that keep me from faithfully serving you. Amen.
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