in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the
body, but have no power to kill the soul. Rather be afraid of him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. For only a few cents you can buy two sparrows,
yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. So do not be afraid:
you are worth much more than many sparrows. Whoever acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Whoever rejects
me before others I will reject before my Father in heaven.
Reflection:
This gospel looks toward the future at the possible fate of those who follow Jesus.
The future is not sugarcoated so as to give them a false sense of security. Rather it
is presented stark naked in front of the believers so that when the time of trials and
persecution come, they have been warned beforehand. Did Jesus’ honesty deter His
disciples? How many of them decided to leave and continue their safe but otherwise
ordinary lives? We will never know. But what we know is that a small band of men and
women disciples continued amidst extraordinary odds. They hold fast to the assurance
of Jesus that they will be taken care of despite the hatred of the world. And ultimately,
they will receive eternal life in heaven. The assurance seems thin and brittle. The disciples
must have strong faith to believe. Surprisingly, they did. Some with great difficulty. And
so today, the achievements of their faith stands. Our Church that they founded with their
faithfulness continue to this very day.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021