Following the tragic events of 9/11, our government established the Department of Homeland Security. The agency developed a color-coded threat system. The attorney general, in consultation with the assistant to the president for homeland security, assigned colors based on threat conditions. The threat level was reported to the public via various media channels: “The threat condition today is ... green (low), blue (guarded), yellow (elevated), orange (high) or red (severe).” In addition to the government websites, private sites like nationalterroralert.com popped up to explain the threat levels in great detail. There was even a 15-page document explaining what citizens should be prepared to do under each threat condition.

            Today the National Terrorism Advisory System has replaced the color-coded system with just two alerts: “Imminent Threat Alert” and “Elevated Threat Alert.” These two alerts usually contain a “sunset provision” stating when the threat alert expires.¹

            What a world we live in! We go about our daily lives, but in the back of our mind is the nagging question, “Will today be the day that everything changes?” In addition to our fears about national security, many of us fear death or the death of someone close to us, losing our jobs, losing our health (or the health of someone we love), not being loved, financial struggles, personal safety, being alone ... and the list goes on. Fear is all around us.

            But Jesus says, “Have no fear ....”

Discipleship

            Jesus wanted his followers to have no illusions about the cost of discipleship: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”² In our text today, Jesus told his disciples that they were not exempt from the things that happened to him. “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they m

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