The Fear of Man Brings a Snare
“The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” -Proverbs 29:25
As I mentioned in a previous post, Amy Carmichael was walking home from church, and saw an old lady carrying a heavy burden and in need of help. Amy stopped and helped her, yet many other of her church members stopped and stared, or avoided her altogether—for the old woman’s appearance was haggard and messy. At this, Amy began to feel a bit ashamed and embarrassed for doing a good deed.
Yet just then, Amy heard a voice speaking to her the words of Scripture:
“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.” -1 Corinthians 3:12-14
From that day onward, Amy Carmichael would be a changed person, and she no longer lived under the fear of man. She was convinced that the only one worth pleasing was God, and it didn’t matter what anyone else thought.
Amy’s story comes in stark contrast to that of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. For the religious rulers of the day had seemingly no backbone, and they were always living in continual fear of what others might think of them outwardly; they said long prayers—not because of a trust in God, but because of a fear of men: they wanted to be seen of them; they gave tithes and made it very obvious when they did it so that everyone knew how “generous” they were; when they fasted, they made their faces look uncomfortable so everyone would see what a “sacrifice” they were making for God; yet it was all for show. Everything that the Pharisees did was out of a fear of man.
Even if one of the Pharisees had been interested in Jesus’ teachings, they dared not show it openly, but would come to Him in secret. “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night. . .” (John 3:1-2).
And when they saw that Jesus was teaching things that absolutely opposed their way of life, they became angry. Ironic, that the supposed most religious people of the day—the ones that were supposed to be the closest to God—became so angry at the very Son of God coming to earth, that they wanted to kill Him!
And while it is not good that they crucified Him, we see in their reluctance and hesitation to do so even further evidence of their “fear of men.”
“And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.” -Matthew 21:45-46
Lessons for us today
While Jesus was the Son of God, and in every way good, it ought to be noticed that independent of this fact, the Pharisees were paralyzed from taking action against Him simply because they were afraid of what other people would think.
Likewise, we can easily become paralyzed into inactivity from a fear of man—having a fear that people might think we are too holy, too righteous, or too extreme if we take a stand against sin or uncleanness. As the Proverb says, “The fear of man bringeth a snare. . .” (Proverbs 29:25). And so instead of offend man, we offend God, and commit a sin.
We ought to remember who has given us life: God. We ought to remember who has given us salvation: God. We ought to remember who will stand judge at that last and final day: it is none other than God. Man’s views, and his opinions, are of no weight or importance in a Christian’s life, but God’s will is of utmost importance. What folly it is to please men that we do not even like and at the same time offend the enthroned King of Heaven: whom we claim to love and serve!
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” -Galatians 1:10
Related posts:
Leave a Reply