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C: Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
2007-08-12
Today’s readings can seem a bit scary as we hear about God’s
expectations and the metaphoric beatings the misbehaving and
unprepared servants will get. But fear is not a very good motivator
for the long run. It works quickly when the reason to fear is
obvious and present threatening us lest we be tempted to disobey.
But its power to influence behavior diminishes quickly. When what we
fear or the threat of punishment is not present or so strong, we
often return to the prohibited behavior. Being scared of when God
may show is not very influential on our actions. Though we could be
scared for a short while when we read a reading like today, soon we
think we won’t die and there’s nothing to convince us that the world
will end. The readings today are meant to get our attention but not
to be the reason we change.
Today’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews tells us “Faith is
the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not
seen.” Faith is not, therefore, based on an intellectual ascent to
some doctrine. Rather it is based on the realization and evidence
that what we believe in is in some ways already present. This is why
the reading goes on to talk about the faith of Abraham and the
letter continues with a list of other people who believed throughout
history. These are all people who did not see the fulfillment of
what they believed in but did see evidence of its presence. What
they experienced was enough for them to believe and hope for what
was promised.
And what did they believe in? Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “Do not
be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to
give you the kingdom.” Jesus doesn’t want us to be afraid, in fact
in the early church freedom from frantic anxiety was a sign of
faith. Freedom from fear comes from the realization that indeed the
Father has given us the kingdom. The kingdom of God is in our midst!
We experience it, we touch it every day of our lives. It’s the
self-giving love the one has for one’s spouse, children, and even
friends. We see it in ourselves and we see it in how others treat
us. We see it in one another as we do things together as a parish.
It’s the love that shows when we sacrifice our time, talent, and
treasure to help out the parish, individuals in our parish, and when
we reach out together to the larger community. Because we encounter
it in our everyday lives, we have reason to believe in its fullness
and fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is not something private. It is not about our
individual path to salvation. Part of our using well what God has
given us is to let it show. The more God has given us, the more our
faith in his kingdom stands up in a world struggling to believe. |
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