Making Heads or Tails of It

6.28.20 Gospel (MT 10: 37-42

My initial impression of this reading is that when speaking to his apostles, Jesus is saying, “You had better give me all your attention or else.”  I imagine myself sitting with the apostles, trying to understand what I just heard and how is was said.  Did I hear Jesus right? To be received by God, I need to love Him more than my mother & father.  But from my earliest memories, mama & papa is all I really know.  And what is this all about?  “If I find my life here on earth, I risk losing it in the afterlife.”  This is one of those readings that I have trouble wrapping my arms around.  righteousness

I believe that one must put this passage in a historical context.  Look what was happening then.  The four sects of Judaism were at odds with one another.  Then comes along this Jesus from Galilee who speaks differently and who easily convinced me to follow him, leaving everything behind.  I trust him and believe he is a prophet and possibly even the messiah, but to love my parents any less does not seem reasonable. What he says and how he says it touches me.  He exudes confidence, knowledge, and integrity. But I wrestle with his demands

.

Perhaps I forgot the scripture relating to the scribe who approached Jesus asking, What’s the greatest commandment of all?”  Jesus replied, “You shall the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength.” And secondly, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Over two-thousand years have passed since the first Pentecost and we continue to interpret & understand the messages of Christ. I tend to over analyze many things & it appears that way with this scripture. One of the renown Alcoholics Anonymous’ motto’s that applies today is “Keep it Simple Stupid (KISS).” As harsh as this may sound, it appears I need to consider this motto as I try to make “heads or tails” of this passage.  What about yourself, dear brother?  Do you also feed the fire of confusion and constant pursuit, to know it all?  This is not the urging of God, but rather the evil one who looks to disrupt, perplex & misdirect us from a God who cares little about a correct or incorrect answer & more about making ourselves available to his presence.  Pray for peace. 

The Pilgrim.

Fear Factor

Fear Factor was an American stunt/dare game show that aired on NBC from 2001 to 2006. The show was recently renewed, giving viewers the chance to conquer their fears. Fear Factor helps contestants confront their fears while being pushed beyond their comfort zone.

It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to be fearful at times. Being scared means you’re about to do something really brave or really stupid. Let’s go back in time and review our life. We were probably afraid to ask our high school crush to the big dance. How about buying a home? Walking into a job interview for that dream job. We have all experienced fear. How do we conquer our fear? Simply, by placing our trust in God.

In today’s Gospel reading by Matthew(10:26-33) Jesus said to the twelve apostles: “Fear No One...everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before the Heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my Heavenly Father.” Wow, that line in the gospel stood out during my reflection. Fear No One? I had one thought, What about fearing God? We have all feared God and that’s a good thing. The fear of God is a gift of the Holy Spirit. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind. We need the Holy Spirit in our lives so that we can acknowledge God’s plan for us.

In the end of Fear Factor, the winner walks away with the prize of $25,000. The contestants have conquered their fear of heights,fire,water and animals. Life is like a game, but the prize is heaven. We need to be focused on our Heavenly Father and accept his plan for our life. I personally know that I can be fearful of letting God be in control, but we see in the biblical verse Galatians 4:7 “I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God.” It is my prayer that we can let go of fear and let God come closer to our hearts.

Come Holy Spirit, pray for us!

Bernard of Clairvaux

What's for Dinner?

In this weeks gospel Jesus states that he is  the “living bread and whoever eats this bread will live forever.” When he said this he was speaking to a  group of Jews, his opposition. They were  all filled with questions. Some were filled with rage. They wondered how this young man could be the “living bread”. What did Jesus mean by “living bread” 

Well, when I read this passage I imagined hearing that term “living bread” for the firs time and being confused too. Fortunately, today I think I have a better understanding of what Jesus saying. I truly believe that Jesus was telling the Jews that he was the truth and the way to eternal life.  He was their way to salvation. Jesus was saying that eternal life was available if you can believe and accept him through faith. 

 I prefer to keep my faith and my belief in Jesus very simple.  Either you live your life like you  believe or you don’t.  Lately, I have found myself swaying back in forth between the two all too often.  In my head I struggle but not in my heart though.   In my heart and yours too, I’m sure Jesus holds a special place.  That place is where nothing or no one else can reside.   Now, in my head is where I run into  trouble. In my head I believe in the salvation that Jesus offers but, not consistently. Most days, I wake up marching through my day as a soldier fighting to bring people towards Christ. Yet, by night fall I drag myself  to sleep exhausted by life’s challenges sometimes forgetting to even say  thank you to the lord for all the blessings that I have. This is my challenge.  I know how to believe and I know, that I know, that I know, Jesus is the way and the truth. Yet, I forget in the moments when I need to remember the most. The moments when I look at a problem and forget to see the lord working his plan. I must admit that with the way the world is these days... I find that I see more problems than Christ all too often.  Yet, I know in my heart Christ is at work. 

This is the exact reason why the bread of life is needed for me and you. It sustains you when you’re hungry for Christ  or when you have a stomach full of life’s challenges. Jesus has come to bring salvation and that salvation has nothing to do with whether or not you or  I is  a good follower.  We just have to follow.  Some days good and some days... terrible.  That doesn’t matter. Just as long as we follow.  That’s the bread life. That's what's on the menu all you have to do is ask for it.

-Anonymous

For God so loved the world…

This is probably the most famous quote from the Bible, among Christians and non-Christians alike. Why? Because God giving His son to die is the most profound occurrence in the history of history.

Think of the idea of giving one’s only child to die to save others. What an unthinkable sacrifice.

Our current circumstances are overwhelming, with the abhorrent deaths of many people of color due to racial hatred. But the deaths of these cherished souls must not be in vain. I do not know the mind of God, and I do not believe that God causes or allows people to die to teach us lessons. Nonetheless, because these tragedies have occurred, we must commit ourselves to examining the causes and doing our part to eliminate those causes.

Those who have died are sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, dear friends. And they are brothers and sisters to us all. Their deaths must mean something to us, and we must be devoted to making the world a better place in their honor. We must do all we can to prevent such tragic deaths, and any ill treatment based on racial animus, in the future.

In a similar way, we must allow Jesus’ death to mean something to us, and we must be devoted to making the world a better place in His honor.

                The Older Brother