In the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30, the one talent man is called “wicked and lazy” (vs 26) because he did nothing with the talent he was given. It is not the case that he was rebuked because he did something bad, he just did nothing at all. The only excuse that the one talent man could offer was, “I was afraid”. Fear is a natural emotion and oftentimes a very useful one. Fear can help us to avoid trouble, injury, or even death. Fear becomes a problem for the Christian when it keeps us from doing things that we should. In John 9:1-34 the parents of the man born blind are afraid to answer the Jews, so they tell them, “...He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” (vs 21). In verse 22 we see “His parents said these things because they feared the Jews…” Even the apostle Peter gave in to fear on occasion. “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.” (Galatians 2:11-12). Christians need to prepare themselves to stand out from the crowd. If we are the kind of Christians we should be, we will be different. In John 15:18-19 Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” It is natural to feel a certain amount of fear when we are singled out because of our faith. We are all uncomfortable speaking out against the crowd. Being different makes us uneasy. But we cannot allow our fear to keep us from doing what is right. In Luke 12:4-5 Jesus said, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”