Have No Fear

Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

A major part of the Hebrew Scriptures is devoted to the messages of the classical prophets. There are four major classical prophets and a dozen minor classical prophets. The term “classical” refers to whether or not the prophet left behind a written record of his prophecy. The early history books of the Hebrew Scriptures also contain memoirs of important prophets in Israel’s history, but because these prophets (Elijah, Elisha, Nathan, and Samuel among them) did not leave a written record of their activity during the time they served as a prophet, we only know of them through the writings of third parties.

Each prophet points toward the time when the Messiah will be sent by God to the children of Israel. If we think of each of the prophets as a mirror, we can find a likeness of that Messiah, Jesus Christ, reflected in their writings. For instance, Isaiah, who wrote before, during, and after the Babylonian captivity, reflects on the question of how God will keep the promise that a son of King David will reign on the throne of Israel for the rest of eternity. The question is answered by Jesus, frequently called the Son of David by his contemporaries and who now reigns as the King of the entire universe.

It is the prophet Jeremiah, from whom we hear today, that prefigures or prophesies the fate of Jesus when he comes into the world. Like Jesus, Jeremiah was constantly harassed by the elders of Israel because he did not shy away from calling out the treachery to which they subjected him, nor did he hold back in his prophecies about the coming destruction of Israel and its capital, Jerusalem, at the hands of the Kingdom of Assyria. To put it mildly, such prophecies upset people to whom the kings and his courtiers had been lying. As we listen to his words today, we recognize that he was simply telling them what their fate would be if they did not return to the obedience that God asked of them through the covenant of Sinai. Several attempts were made on Jeremiah’s life. Indeed, like the martyrs of the Christian era, Jeremiah eventually met his death at the hands of his persecutors. It is this prophet who stands above all the others in foretelling how Jesus will meet his death. It is also the prophet Jeremiah who figures most prominently in the prayer and the teachings of Jesus. Although he had no way of knowing how God will resolve the death of Jesus, Jeremiah still refers to God as his champion and the one who will avenge his death.

The Gospel today is a record of how Jesus instructed the apostles before he sent them out, two buy two, to preach the nearness of the Kingdom of God. Jesus knows that they will be tested, and, although they will all return to him safely, they too will meet their deaths at the hands of their persecutors. Jesus tells them not to be afraid, and he gives them four reasons why they should not be afraid.

First, he tells them that at the end of time, all things will be revealed to the light that has come into the world. He is that light, and he is sending them to proclaim that light to all the lost children of Israel. At the end of time, their deeds will be revealed to all who accept the light into their lives. Second, he assures them that while their enemies might be able to kill their bodies, they will never be able to kill their souls. Third, Jesus reminds them that they are precious in the eyes of the Lord and that not a hair on their heads has not been counted by the Father in heaven. Finally, Jesus assures them that all those, including themselves, who confess their faith in the Lord Jesus, will be acknowledged by him when they come before their God. Their enemies on the other hand, who have denied faith in the Lord Jesus, will be denied by him.

While these four reasons are given to the apostles, they also apply to us. The secrets of our faith and the lack of faith on the part of others will all be revealed by the light who is Jesus Christ. All those who die at the hands of their persecutors will live forever in heaven. The church today still holds that all those who are martyrs to the faith are counted among the Saints in heaven. Just recently our Holy Father, Pope Francis, enrolled the Orthodox Christians who were beheaded by ISIS in the roll of the martyrs. While we often think of the martyrs as being men and women of the early years of the church, there were more martyrs killed during the twentieth century than in all of the centuries before them. They are among the men and women who are precious in the eyes of the Lord. Finally, we have been assured that if we place our faith in Jesus, Jesus will speak up for us when we come before God for judgment. Indeed, like the apostles, we have nothing to fear.

There is no question that being a follower of Jesus may cost us dearly in this world and that our faith may be ridiculed by much of society; however, we can look forward to the fact that Jesus has promised us mansions (!) which he has gone ahead of us to prepare. Let us cling to our faith in the Lord Jesus for the Kingdom of Heaven will be ours.