Do Not Be Afraid!

Do Not Be Afraid!

Jesus said to the Twelve:
"Fear no one.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father."

~ Matthew 10: 26-33

Reflections:

What things in this world, of which you worry about and yet unable to do anything about it?

In fact without an iota of doubt, we all worry and most especially about situations we cannot change, for instance, life and death, health and sickness, true happiness and sorrows, accidents, natural disasters, other kinds of calamities. What about one’s fate during a trip, whether it’s on land, air or sea? Then, what about the worries about tomorrow, that has not even come, let alone the today that is not yet over?

In a split of seconds, our destiny can be changed by circumstances beyond our control and these are the reality of our life here on earth.

These circumstances are causes of untold anxieties, leading to fear and lack of trust in God’s divine providential cares and plans for our lives. Nevertheless, in this Gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ is reassuring us of his ever present timely help, if only we can cultivate the habit of trusting, hoping and having faith in our Lord and our God.

What are the challenges that you are facing today?

Are you experiencing difficulties in your family, marriage or with bringing up your children the right way?

Are you going through unfulfilled dreams and aspirations in your career?

Are you about to compromise your faith in God, because, in your mind time is no longer on your side?

Are you experiencing barrenness in your life?

Are you being rejected, insulted and even suffering other forms of persecutions because of your faith in God?

Are you about to give up, because the burden is too much for you to handle?

Well, you are not alone!

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior is our compass and role model in dealing with the challenges of life and until we recognize this hidden secret, life on earth shall remain unbearable to us.

So, how do I emulate Jesus Christ, you may ask?

The prophet Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 20: 10-13), expresses his lamentation, when the almighty God told him to proclaim that only in God can we find the truth and love and prosperity and security we so much desires. His own people beat him up, rejected him and threaten to kill him for speaking the truth!

Jeremiah did not give up, instead, he was able to find courage and consolation in the Almighty and as a result moved by the power of God, he was able to say:

“But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion:

my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph.”

Saint Paul addressing the Romans (Romans 5: 12-15), emphasize the significance of the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ in contrast with the disobedience of Adam! The later brought sin and death, whereas the obedience of Jesus Christ restored salvation to humanity! Therefore in order for us to emulate our Lord Jesus Christ we must be obedient to the law of God which is love.

Given the exponential manifestations of man inhumanity to man; killings, terrorism and other forms of hate crimes, stealing, corruption and inimical favoritism, the senseless wars, ethnic cleansing, and racism and chronic and acute intolerance, we may despair and begin to doubt whether our God really cares.

However, the reality is simply the truth and the truth is our God truly cares and love us so much that even the Sparrows that our God would not allow to fall to the grounds without his knowledge is worth nothing  more than us!

Actions:

We must act in reciprocation to the unimaginable and infinite love that God has for us!

No matter what you may be going through right now, the challenge to the Christian and lover of God is to turn to hope, rather than despair, faith, rather than doubt and above all turn to love rather than hatred.

Let us allow the love of God to transform our hearts today, so that we may continue to enjoy his divine mercy and grace, and trust that his divine providential cares and plans are enough to lead us through the darkness of this world, and bring us into the light of his goodness and ultimately into life everlasting.

Whenever we are faced with fears, anxieties and doubt, let us turn to Jesus Christ and experience the power of his crucifixion and recognize the fact that, if our God did not hesitate to offer his Only Begotten Son as the sacrificial lamb that brought us salvation, the Almighty will never hesitate to help us through our challenges and nor will our God forsake or abandon us.

Do not fear!

And so do not be afraid; for you are worth more than many sparrows indeed!

Amen!

Prayer:  Psalm 69

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.
I pray to you, O LORD,
for the time of your favor, O God!
In your great kindness answer me
with your constant help.
Answer me, O LORD, for bounteous is your kindness;
in your great mercy turn toward me.

R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Peter Odeh @FocusInLove 6/25/2017.

Ref: Matthew 10: 26-33, Jeremiah 20: 10-13, Romans 10: 26-33