12 Sunday of Ordinary Time. A June 21, 2020
Fr. Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
Video of 8am Mass: https://youtu.be/Mh55zEHBIF8
“Fear no one!” This man has just told his Apostles that they will be slandered, persecuted, and hated. He said that brothers will have their own brothers killed and that there will even be children who have their own parents put to death. And then this man, this Jesus has the gall to say, “fear no one.” Can you imagine if your own son or daughter were to have you executed? Would the command, the advice to “not be afraid” really be of any comfort to you? Wouldn’t it sound a little crazy?
But we are the ones who are crazy! What Jesus says is perfectly rational and reasonable – far more reasonable than worrying about our reputation or our life. Yes, it really is more reasonable… if what Jesus says is true. If we truly have an immortal soul, if there actually is a hell, then Jesus’ command is as logical and reasonable as refusing to eat poison. Why be afraid of mutinous children or scheming brothers if they can only hurt a body that will die anyway? Why worry about 80 or 90 years on earth when there is eternity to consider?
“Fear no one” except of course the one who can “destroy your soul in Gehenna.” An exception! Who is it? Who has so much power? Should I be afraid of the devil? No! Do not fear Satan or his demons. They are powerless unless we give them power. Yes, demons can hurt us and tempt us, but they cannot conquer and destroy our souls unless we let them. Those wicked creatures, those fallen spirits clearly fall under Christ’s command “fear no one.” So, who is the exception? Who is the one we should fear? God himself. The only one worthy of fear, the only one able to destroy us is the all-powerful God who created us.
And that is good news! The very instant that Jesus reminds us of God’s supreme power to save or damn us, he points to the reality of God’s love, to his provident care for us. Saying that the only person we fear is God is like saying the only person you should be afraid of is your best friend. Yet, it’s even better than that, because even our closest friends and dearest family members can betray us, but God will not. Actually, the only thing that God cannot do is to be unfaithful, to betray. Paul says so in his letter to Timothy: God cannot be unfaithful because it contradicts his very nature and his identity (cf. 2 Tim 2:13).
Jesus says to fear the God who cannot betray you and then says, “do not be afraid; you are worth more” then birds, or money, or anything else! The only one worth fearing is the one who loves you more than you can possibly imagine. In the face of such love, we are not afraid of his cruelty or of his persecution. No, to fear God ultimately means that we are afraid of our ability to betray him. Scripture tells us several times that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. Fear of the Lord is reverence for him, it is filial devotion, it is a fear of betraying the one who loves us.
So, fear no one! Fear the one who can cast you into Gehenna, into hell. But, do not be afraid because no one faces that destruction on accident. Christ tells us what to avoid and what to do. “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.”
Acknowledge Christ before others, it’s that simple. Simple, but not always easy. It’s not just a verbal or mental exercise. St. James tells us that devils also believe God exists, but they are still damned (Jas 2:19). St. Paul writes that people profess to know God, but in their works they deny him (Tit 1:16).
Enough of the abstract, let’s be concrete. Acknowledging Christ means preaching the Gospel to others. There are many people, even in Acadiana who truly don’t know anything more than the name Jesus. Find them; start by trying to understand them and asking questions. Gently lead the conversation to Jesus. Or better yet, start with acts of service and kindness. Tutoring a child who struggles in school, doing chores for a disabled neighbor, visiting the lonely, shopping for someone at risk for COVID. Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Jesus.
What about denying Christ? All sin is a denial of Christ in some way. We deny Christ by quietly going along with evil too. Letting political loyalty move you to vicious slander or attacks on “the other side” – a denial of Christ. Quietly going along with inappropriate jokes or videos – a denial of Christ. Going to a gay wedding to avoid controversy – a denial of Christ. Skipping mass or daily prayer because I don’t want to interrupt time with family and friends – a denial of Christ.
We can deny Christ by ignoring Church teachings that we don’t like; things like care for the environment, social justice, respect for life, openness to children. We can deny Christ by trying to make Mass all about our personal preferences instead of making a sincere effort to worship God in the way he’s told us to worship him.
Now, concrete reminders and examples can help our examination of conscience, but it’s not the place to start. Rather, we start with an encounter with Christ. If some of these examples of denying Christ convict you, if some of them seem impossible, then take another look at how you’ve encountered Christ. Beg him for a deeper relationship. Look to the Church’s guidance for growing closer to Christ. This teaching begins with Jesus commissioning the Apostles to proclaim him and his kingdom. Start there. Only focusing on avoiding sin becomes heavy and tiresome, but boldly acknowledging Christ gives life and freedom. If you focus on proclaiming Christ, then avoiding sin makes sense as part of a greater whole.
So, proclaim Christ and his kingdom! The persecutions will happen on their own, don’t go looking for them. In the end, the truth will come out – what is secret will be known. And the only truth that matters will be this: do you know… really know Jesus Christ? Do you proclaim him in every part of your life? When it comes time to suffer for the faith – and that time comes for us all – when it is time, what do you fear? Mere human beings, who may or may not love you? Or the one, true, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient God who numbers the hair on your head, loving you even to the point of death, death on a cross?