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I have come to believe that while God does take care of the lowly and God does take care of each of us, to fail to work with God by doing the work of Jesus to care for others is a form of denying Christ.  I even feel that to dismiss the suffering of others with the statement that “God will take care of it” is to take the Lord’s name in vain.  I believe that God is all powerful.  But I am also hearing that I need to seek to serve him constantly by proclaiming Christ’s love for others in the midst of all life’s challenges.  I am not afraid to say that.  In fact, I am afraid for my soul if I don’t.

Genesis 49:29-32; 50:15-26a
Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7

M atthew 10:24-33 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master; (25) it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Be-el'zebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. (26) "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. (27) What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. (28) And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (29) Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. (30) But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. (31) Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (32) So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; (33) but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Meditation by Barbara Dilly (Creighton)

G od takes care of us. The Old Testament story of Jacob is reassuring.  God will provide for us and our children, we should have no fear. In response, says the Psalmist, we should proclaim all the wondrous deeds of God to all the nations.  The Lord is strong and he will take care of the lowly. It sounds good, simple. If only it were. 
           
It isn’t that simple. Jesus always challenges us. In the Gospel lesson for today, Jesus also tells us that we should not be afraid of anything that can kill our bodies but not our souls. He reminds us how much our heavenly Father values us and cares for us. But Jesus does tell us that we should be afraid of the evil one that can destroy both our bodies and our souls in hell. 
           
How can we protect ourselves from this danger to our souls?  Jesus tells us that we are to proclaim his teachings with great confidence. But if we deny Jesus, we are in grave danger.  What does this mean for our daily lives? I had an experience a week ago that helps me make sense of this serious challenge. I was having lunch with some older extended family members who get together each summer to catch up on family news. This time the conversation turned to current events. I am usually fairly quiet at these gatherings.  Because I am the only person with a university education and I am the youngest person in the group (I have no grandchildren), my views are quite different than those of most folks present.  And, as a cultural anthropologist, I learn a lot from just listening to people.  So this group of middle-class retired and senior citizens of rural Iowa always intrigues me. 
           
Rather than cute anecdotes regarding grandchildren, the heated topics of discussion for the day were the ordination of gay people, immigration, globalization, corrupt politicians, a stagnant economy and global warming.  Clearly the people present were feeling very threatened by changes in their world and a loss of local authority over moral norms.  But they were not looking to Jesus for answers.  Instead, they were looking for ways to invoke God’s judgments on others.  Instead of worrying about how they could proclaim Jesus’ life and teaching in the world, they were looking to condemn the souls of others.  And instead of looking to Jesus for answers on how to address global environmental issues, they dismissed these concerns as the political agendas of people seeking new opportunities for profit.  When I raised the question regarding the human suffering in the world as a result of our lack of action in these matters, their answer was that “God will take care of it.” 
           
I was deeply saddened by these conversations.  I have come to believe that while God does take care of the lowly and God does take care of each of us, to fail to work with God by doing the work of Jesus to care for others is a form of denying Christ. I even feel that to dismiss the suffering of others with the statement that “God will take care of it” is to take the Lord’s name in vain. I am thankful that a big part of my education has been spiritual.  I have a Ph.D. in social science and I understand issues regarding sexuality, immigration, globalization, politics, economics, and environmentalism. 

But I have also studied Ignatian spirituality and have regular conversations with the Jesuits about these issues.  And I am a careful listener to the sermons preached by my Lutheran pastor each Sunday.  They are always calls to action.  I believe that God is all powerful.  But I am also hearing that I need to seek to serve him constantly by proclaiming Christ’s love for others in the midst of all life’s challenges. I am not afraid to say that.  In fact, I am afraid for my soul if I don’t. Last week I didn’t say enough and I am still troubled by that. Today I pray for our souls and that we will all be given more confidence to proclaim Christ in the very real circumstances of our troubled world. # # #

GOD BLESS US ALL!

O Theos Na Mas Evlogisi!
PRAY as if everything depended on HIM. ACT as if everything depended on YOU. – Bobot Apit

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