Jesus’ continued instruction to the apostles is important to their mission in serving him. But this mission of service is ours, too. Being a Christian in this world, therefore, means being not only a disciple (a learner) but an apostle (one sent forth), too. Jesus’ words for the twelve are also words for us. We are called to not fear but to proclaim the love of Christ with our lives. We are called to witness our Christian faith to all people by our acts of love, forgiveness, and self giving. We are called to acknowledge Jesus before others, witnessing the joy his love has brought to our lives and Jesus’ desire to give mercy and love to all.
But our walk with Christ can easily be stifled by our fears of what others’ think. Will people see me as some “mental case” Jesus freak? Will people no longer take me seriously because Christ is at the center of my life? These fears are unimportant, and yes, some people will persecute and judge us for our faith. How we cooperate with God’s love and grace is our choice, however. Discipleship and apostleship are not forced; we are given the grace of desire but must choose to live in Christ.
This piece cast a doubt ,are sparrows really taken care of by the devine ? We all are aware of walking in the woods and we come across nests or just born birds lying dead in the path .what dues this part of the scriptures really personify or relate to?
ReplyDeletePeace, friend.
ReplyDeleteWe must be careful in applying a literal reading of Scripture. Yes, much of nature is taken care of by God through the gift of their instinctive nesting and foraging habits in nature. And yes, creatures of nature die innocently as do people. But here Jesus is speaking figuratively as he does in much of Matthew's Gospel. He seems to suggest that the 12 stop worrying about the small, finite issues in life (money, food, shelter, clothing, etc.) and instead apply themselves to the mission at hand without fear, evangelizing the world.
thanks for this reflection.. It really helps a lot...
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