12th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
What worries you the most as a disciple of Christ today? What are you scared of or what is your greatest fear as a Catholic Christian? In today’s gospel reading from the gospel of Saint Matthew chapter 10, verses 26 to 33, Jesus prepares His disciples to face the dangers and trials ahead of them when He leaves them, by telling them, “Fear no one 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.” With these words, Jesus informs them that it will not be an easy road for them as His disciples when He is gone, because they will undergo many challenges, suffering and persecution.
My dear friends in Christ, it is a well known fact that we as human beings are scared of something, but remember what fear is. Fear is a creation and product of our own imagination and a choice, but danger is very real. That is why what scares you as an individual, is different from what scares me. With this in mind, Jesus emphasizes what kind of fear He was talking about, which is, the fear a christian feels when it is time to proclaim and live out the gospel of Christ as His disciple.
Today’s gospel reading is addressed to us who profess our faith and belief in God here in the church, but are afraid to live out that faith and belief in God outside the church because we are scared or worried about the challenges or trials that might come our way. We are afraid to witness to Christ in our world today because of what people might say to us. We are afraid to proclaim the gospel of Christ in our world today because we are scared of the criticisms that might come our way. We are afraid to courageously speak out for Christ in the world today, because we are worried about people’s reactions!
Fear not and be afraid of no one said Jesus in the gospel reading, because fear cripples our relationship with God, making it impossible for us to be holy, to follow Christ, and to proclaim Him to the world. Fear also makes it difficult for us to go out and live out the gospel of Christ.
So how can we conquer our fears? We can conquer our fears by acknowledging God before others in the world. Acknowledging God before others means having God be the center of our lives, by detaching ourselves from the world, then attaching ourselves to Him and totally relying on Him.
Hence, fear not and be afraid of no one my brothers and sisters, because whoever acknowledges Jesus before others, He will acknowledge before His heavenly Father. But whoever denies Jesus before others, He will deny before His heavenly Father. So courageous go out into the world, proclaim and live out the gospel of Christ.
