Young Mary was going about her day with excited distraction. Newly engaged, she looked forward to becoming Joseph’s wife. What would it be like to be married? Would Joseph like her cooking? Would he be a tidy housemate? What would their future look like? Would they have children?
With her mind full of hearts and rainbows, Mary was startled when an angel appeared before her.
“Greetings, favoured woman! The Lord is with you!”
Mary’s mouth opened in confusion. Who let this being into her room? Why was she favoured? Of course, the Lord was with her. She knew that much.
The angel began his explanation of her soon-to-be condition with the words, “Don’t be afraid, Mary.”
When Mary told him about her pregnancy, Joseph’s heart broke. The love of his life was claiming to be with child without having relations with a man. And Joseph knew he was certainly not the father. Was she covering up an affair?
As he contemplated breaking the engagement, an angel appeared in a dream. He then had his own incredulous tale of a supernatural visitor with an unbelievable message.
The angel’s first words addressed Joseph’s fear:
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.
For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.”Matthew 1: 20(NLT).
Well, if an angel of the Lord says it, it must be true! So, Joseph stifled his fear and stayed with Mary, taking her to Bethlehem with his family and friends for the census.
After the child was born, another angel appeared to a group of shepherds in a nearby field. Their wide eyes reflected the terror they felt at seeing the unexpected guest.
What were the angel’s first words? “Don’t be afraid!”
These three messengers of God all reassured the humans in the live nativity scene that they had nothing to fear. God knew His creation. He knew that humans carry fear in our hearts. Outside of fearing sudden visits from heavenly angels, some of our biggest fears include fear of failure, rejection, loneliness, change, and death.
These fears often influence our decisions and paralyze us from doing risky things. We fear the unknown. We worry we won’t have enough money to provide for our families. What if something happens to one of my children? What if my partner dies and I’m left alone?
In addition to these common fears, some people also develop phobias—these range from a fear of spiders to a fear of leaving your house. Verywellmind.com lists over 100 common phobias. We are very fearful creatures indeed.
One fear that does not appear on this list is Christougenniatikophobia. (If you can pronounce that, you deserve a prize.) Christougenniatikophobia is the fear of Christmas. According to Phobiapedia (https://phobia.fandom.com/wiki/Phobia_wiki), this phobia likely begins with childhood trauma that happened during the Christmas season. Many of the Christmas symbols and rituals can trigger fears that can lead to irritability, stress, eating disorders, or sleep problems.
At this time of year, when nearly every mall and department store displays Christmas paraphernalia, those with Christougenniatikophobia may not be able to walk past without a racing heart, rapid breathing, nausea, fainting, and/or a feeling of dread. When someone says they hate Christmas, they might have a phobia surrounding the season rather than a Scrooge mentality.
The irony comes with each angel’s message after the instruction, “Don’t be afraid.”
Let’s return to that field with the grazing sheep, who curiously look at an angelic being speaking to their shepherds. As they chew on their luscious grass, they hear the angel say:
“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour—yes,
the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke 2:10-11(NLT).
This baby—this Messiah, the Lord—was to be the Saviour of all people. What would he save them from? Fear.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4(NLT).
The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress,
protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Psalm 27:1(NLT).
For anyone who believes in Jesus, Christmas is a time of excitement, hope, and joy as we celebrate the coming of the One who drives out fear.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Valda Goudie is a teacher and author of the Tickle Me with a Crowbar! Series. If you enjoy jokes and riddles, follow her on Instagram @valdagoudie to enjoy her TUESDAY TICKLE and FRIDAY FUNNY posts.
