As with most stories in scripture, we can often see what appears to be evident in its teaching yet know there is also something more profound for us to find. In today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is dealing with human fear. If we surveyed 100 people, what would be their primary fear? Studies point to the fear of death. In speaking to this reality, Jesus tells us that we shouldn’t worry about that but of a far greater “fear.” Our reflection verse says that the fear of God, in its healthy sense, is what we should fear. This is basically love’s fear of not living with the proper reverence and respect before the one we love, namely, fear of violating love’s moral boundaries. But that is not fear of hellfire, as we commonly understand this. Bishop Robert Barron writes that fear is the antithesis of faith and a sign that something is wrong with our love. We aren’t afraid of what we love and what truly loves us. In First John, we read, “Let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love…There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.” When I am in love with God and fearing him above all things, I am rooted in a power that transcends space and time, a power that governs the universe in its entirety, a power that is greater than life and death. Bishop Barron goes on to note that when we are in love with God and when we are “fearing” him above all things, we are then rooted in a power that transcends space and time, a power that governs the universe in its entirety, a power that is greater than life and death. “Do not be afraid,” because we have nothing to fear from anything or anybody here below.