Liberty's Library

Originally written December 4, 2004


Love vs. Fear

Just a few days ago, the American culture entered into a season of giving. We’ve begun a period of good will and charity. Outward expressions of love abound at this time of year like none other. Of course I’m referring to the Christmas holiday: A time of peace on earth.

However, now there is another very different emotional expression that hits a similar peak, depression and fear: the fear of being alone during the holidays and the depression that comes when those fears are realized.

Love and fear: two polar opposites. Several times in the scriptures we read of a situation where love is matched up against fear. If love were to win out, it would affect the outcome one way while fear would affect the outcome in the reverse. Let’s look at three.

Read Matthew 14:23-30 (Peter walks on water)
Peter let fear get the better of him…Fear – 1, Love – 0.
FEAR PARALYZES US.

Read Matthew 25:24-26, 30 (The Wicked Servant)
The servant let fear blind him…Fear – 2, Love – 0.
FEAR IS SELFISH.

But the best example of love overcoming personal fear is the story of the crucifixion. During communion I usually think about His physical suffering and pain but I don’t usually focus on His mental anguish or His human fears. The conflict between human fears and His Godly love is described in Matthew 26:36ff.

Read Matthew 26:36-37 (Jesus in Gethsemane)
In verse 38, Christ, the Creator of the universe and the Messiah of Prophecy, admits His fear. So now the stage is set and His love slowly battles His fears and the dread of the terrible pain He must suffer. Love struggles against fear in the garden.

If Jesus lets fear win, John 10:18 and John 19:11 tell us that he had the power to remain off of the cross. If Jesus allows love to win, He had the power to lay down His life for us (Matt. 26:39). The internal conflict was so agonizing, says Luke 22:44, that He sweat great drops of blood: A rare yet well-documented medical condition called “hematohidrosis” .

As he prayed in the garden, He was comforted by His Father and by an angel; while the apostles whom Jesus labeled His friends in John 15:15 and His only source of human comfort, slept. But John (one of those who slept) later says in I John 4:18 that “perfect love casts out fear”; so Love won in that garden and Jesus went to the cross so that mankind’s fears can be replaced by faith, hope and love and the greatest of these is love.


The wicked servant learned that fear is selfish. Peter learned that fear paralyses.
Jesus taught us that love is selfless. Christ demonstrated to us that love enables.