06.21.2020 Homily

The gospel. According to Saint Matthew comes from a community that is rather divided. Part of the community is Jews who've converted to Christianity. And part of the community is non Jews. Gentiles who have become Christian. And Matthew's job is to try to put these two groups together and that's not working very well. Also there's persecution that is taking place. And so very often just the disagreement within the community makes people more vulnerable to the persecution. So chapter 10 of St. Matthew's gospel is meant to address those who are expected to lead in this community that is tension. 

What Matthew does is he takes all of Jesus' sayings and that he lumps them according to categories. So the sayings that are attributed to the sermon on the Mount are gathered from various places. And these sayings that are found in the10th chapter are gathered from various places. So there are three of the three things that he wants to tell his disciples in this short passage. Number one, there is nothing that is going on that you need to be afraid of things that are spoken in the dark, proclaim them out. Things that are hidden and concealed will be revealed. You don't need to worry about the mumbling that goes on the under the table movement that takes place. And then he says, if you're going to be afraid, don't be afraid of the one who can just destroy the body, but fear the one who could not only destroy the body, but destroy the spirit. You're the one who could take the spirit away from you. You're the one who could overcome you, where you would surrender the spirit. That's the first part. 

The second part is an expression of calling them to, to hope, to have confidence. God, he says, look at the sparrows. They're worthless.  You buy two for a penny and yet not one of them falls from the heavens without your father, knowing about it. And every hair on your head is counted as insignificant as that is. Are you not worth much more than all those sparrows? I tell you everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before the father. And everyone who denies me before others, I will deny before the father, Jesus says, have hope. You're worth much more than the sparrows. You have an incredible value to God. You can trust that God will be with you. And then the last piece about affirming God before others. When there was persecution, there was this insidious thing of, of people turning each other into the authorities. There was the insidious thing where, where people would turn their back on their own neighbors. And then you would be called before the tribunal. Then you'd be asked to testify. And Jesus says, those who acknowledge me, I will acknowledge before my father in heaven. Yet, those who reject me, I will reject before my Father in heaven. 

Well, all of that can play out and I'll realize as well. These are very, very difficult times. There are so many major events and circumstances occurring that are playing in upon us that we never expected, or certainly we're not ready for. And there's a tendency to fear to lose hope You want life to go back as it was. And it never will. It never will. And Jesus says, have hope. As we pray today, we pray that those, those gifts of the spirit that Jesus encourages his disciples to accept and to live might also be the spirit that lives within us.