Jer 20: 10-13
Ps 68: 8-10. 14. 17. 33-35 (14c)
Rom 5: 12-15
Mt 10: 26-33
If we look into the history of all organized religions, we will find that in some or other phase of their growth they have used force to spread their faith. Although it is incompatible with authentic religious principles, the social and political wisdom has managed to get upper hand to make religion an instrument of aggression. It happens also today. The human tendency is to victimize others, in order to be victors.
Christianity also has its shameful past of aggression in the name of faith. If we look into the Gospel, we find that Jesus took position with the victims, not with the victors. The teaching of Jesus is consistently non-violent in its content. Jesus opted for the down-trodden, the marginalized, and the oppressed groups of people. There has been always such oppressed classes in society in every part of the world.
But Jesus did not teach to be submissive to unjust aggression. He empowered the spirit of the victims of persecution and oppression. Victims are those who give in to fear. Fear is caused by external factors, when the inner power is weakened. “Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.” The soul is the source of courage, which cannot be put down any external agents. Once the soul is strengthened, you can daringly go forward without the fear of the enemies.
Fear is the sign of the shattered energies within us. It is the sign of a disintegrated, confused person. We experience fear, when we drift away from our spiritual centre, the wellspring of courage and confidence. But we should not forget that our spiritual centre is bolstered and sustained by our faith in God.
Jesus would lead us to this awareness of the spiritual strength. If you trust in the Father, you can resist all aggressions on you with self-abandonment, because it the heavenly Father who takes care of you. Jesus shows this with concrete examples of life. Even the small sparrows that are sold for a penny are under the surveillance of the Father. You are of more value than the sparrows. The heavenly Father will not let even the hairs of your head fall without his will. These words of Jesus are reassuring and empowering.
Trust in God will keep us in good stead even in a turbulent world. What we need to do is to turn to our spiritual centre and regenerate our energy. All those external factors, which frighten us will have no effect on us, as long us our foundation is firm.
The loss of the centre is a terrible experience that can happen in human life. The temptation to fortify the boundaries, the external securities is a sign of a weakened centre. People depend on wealth and power, followers and supporters to substitute the centre, the inner core, when it gradually become empty and dry. This betrayal of the centre has grave consequences in life. Nobody can hide behind the walls of security for long. Times will come when the emptiness will be revealed as the walls fall. Jesus warns us against these disastrous happenings, which are incumbent in the lives of those who forget the Lord of life. “Whoever denies me before world, I also will deny them before the Father who is in heaven.”
Fr Sebastian Elavathingal CMI
