Who to fear

Jesus doesn't promise his disciples that nothing will happen to them. People can kill you, he says. But their power has a limit. They can touch the body, but not the soul, the core of who you are.

Then he names the one you should fear: God. That sounds stern, but the thought sets you free. People don't have the last word on your life. God does. In the Bible, the fear of God is deep awe at who he is. That awe puts the fear of people in its place.