By Rev. Fr. Daniel Tetteh Tackie
Theme: Fear not for you are precious in God’s Sight
There is no person in this world without some manner of trouble. Trouble appears to crush one man now, but afterwards another. There are many troubles ranging from what one may invite for himself or herself unknowingly to the loss and failure, criticism and rejection that may never happen. Nearly, all our troubles can be summed up in one word: FEAR. However, with the support of the Lord, even if the worst happens, we will not be destroyed for the Lord will give us the strength to bear it.
In the First Reading of today’s liturgy, we have a “good-guy/bad-guy” arrangement. To understand more clearly our reading, it is helpful to read the disturbing prophesy Jeremiah is announcing in the previous chapter. In brief, the prophet, who feels God seduced him, is told to go out of town with some elders and announce the terrible tidings about their future. He tells them all exactly why God is going to send them all into captivity, because they have been profaning the temple with false-god worship.
What we hear today are verses which follow Jeremiah’s being imprisoned and beaten for speaking the Word of God. So to compound his troubles, Jeremiah tells the Temple Priest and police guard, they too are going to not only be banished into captivity in a foreign land, but die there and be buried there. This is a triple curse. Jeremiah believes what the Lord has given him to say and what we hear is a lament and a boast of faith. First, we hear how all are waiting to catch him for not observing certain practices. They would like to catch him saying one thing and yet doing something else.
Jeremiah’s spirit revives as he sings a song of trust, joy and a little hint of revengefulness. He makes a boast of great trust in the God who has seduced him and this gives him strength to stay faithful to his calling. However, if one were to read the verses beyond those of our First Reading, one might hear him again cursing the day his mother gave birth to him . Our spirits do not stay as high as they can reach at times. Jeremiah, for all his curses and woes, kept calling Israel to be faithful even when he did not feel too faithful himself.
Like Jeremiah, Jesus in today’s Gospel is telling it like it has to be told. In the very presence of the religious elders who are in an unholy alliance with the dominating Roman imperial powers, Jesus is telling His Disciples not to be afraid of any power, Roman or religious, who can harm the body. As for those who can harm the soul, be very afraid of that power.
Jesus is asking His disciples to be of good courage and speak louder when the forces demand silence. Jesus is preparing His Disciples for the mission of moving from the private to the public, from “whispering” to “proclaiming”, from the “dark” to the “light”. The power of Rome eventually would suppress Jesus, Peter and Paul, but His Word would have to be acknowledged before all and Jesus promises to acknowledge the proclaiming prophets at the final judgment.
We must never forget that by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we were made righteous in the eyes of God through faith and the Sacrament of Baptism. Through the Sacrament of Confession, our righteousness is maintained throughout our Christian life. When we walk our faith with Jesus, in Jesus and through Jesus, in the eyes of God, we are more valuable than two sparrows. Every hair of our heads are counted. We are able to affirm with confidence, “I will not stumble for the Lord is with me.” The Lord is our strength. He knows the hearts of all, the dark secrets of those who plot against us. One day, everything will be uncovered and the truth will be known to all. Our only fear should be the fear of the Lord and the eternal dishonour that awaits those who turn away from the Lord because of their fear of men. Fear not men; fear God!
Today’s Christian will not be physically, persecuted for showing faith in Christ and His Gospel, but when she or he lives according to this teaching, they will be swimming against the tide of a materialistic culture and will not find the going easy. Jesus warns that being a Christian will cost sacrifice and suffering. We are bound to face opposition from a World that does not gladly submit to the Word of God, that makes so many demands on human nature. But there is real satisfaction, too, in standing up for the truth of things. In the centre of their souls, prophetic people have the happiness of working with the Lord, who is the ultimate truth on whom we all depend.
Though the presence of sin in the world and its resistance to God’s work will make it difficult for us to help God in spreading His Kingdom on earth, God will not allow sin to overpower us. All we need to do is remember the words of the song Courage my brother and do the right.
Courage, my brother, do not stumble. Though your path be dark as night
There’s a star that will guide the humble. Trust in God and do the right.
Though persecution will come as we zealously do God’s will, with the attitude of perseverance, we shall overcome. May the Spirit of Jesus empower us to stand firm in moments of persecution. Amen.
