Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 94

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

 

 

The story is told of the boy who said, “I would never commit suicide. My Dad would kill me if I did.” He may have his chronology out of whack, but his reasoning is sound. The lad has a good relationship to his father, who does not presume to be a pal to his son.

On this Fathers’ Day the Gospel reminds us to fear Our Father in Heaven, who “can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”

Jesus insists that, in God’s eyes, “…you are worth more than many sparrows!” If Christians think that should be obvious, it is not for many people. Exploited, manipulated, bullied, conned, with their integrity violated sexually, physically, intellectually, and spiritually, millions of people cannot believe in mercy. If God created this world, they say, he obviously has no respect for human life or human dignity.

But, despite what the Bible and the churches say, God did not create this world. Our world today has been recreated from the ground up by humanity. It does not reflect the image and likeness of the One whom Jesus adores. Our water, air, and earth are polluted by human garbage; our cities fit the needs of industry and commerce. Our governments reflect the struggle for dominance and power among the elite. Our systems serve the purposes and beliefs of those who control their levers. They do not reckon on One who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

Our faith teaches us to fear good and not evil. This fear is like the electrician’s respect for “hot” wires. They don’t avoid electricity; they don’t think it’s evil although it can instantly punish a foolish misstep. The use and guidance of electricity has made work easier for billions of people, prolonging their lives and offering them leisure opportunities. But electricity demands respect.

Every human being should be treated with the same kind of respect. The husband who takes his wife for granted should soon regret his mistake; the child who presumes the parent is there to serve invites rebuke. Loves teaches us to fear neglecting, insulting, and hurting one another. If we practice respect for electricity and for other people, how much more should we respect the One who gives his Only Begotten Son for our salvation!

Holy Fear is entirely different in that we freely take it upon ourselves. We prefer it to indifference toward others; we should never consider coercing or imposing on others. It has other names – reverence, piety, awe, respect – but I like the word fear. Who can forget Frodo’s cowering before the gentle Gandolf when the hobbit foolishly suggested the wizard should take the Ring of Power? He was suddenly terrified of the friendly old man he’d known since childhood.

The Bible describes moments when holy fear overwhelms us. First there are theophanies, when the Lord appears to Moses, the seventy elders, or the disciples of Jesus. And there are ominous warnings that comes with violating God’s command. Are these not the anguished master’s cry to the apprentice electrician, “Be careful, for God’s sake?” With choice comes consequences and foolishness invites dire consequences. The One whose eye is upon the sparrow does not want to see his beloved wasted.

Today we face serious penalties as the gap between wealth and poverty has increased exponentially since the end of World War II. The Pax Americana has been unevenly distributed, even in America. The gap often appears as the divide between “blacks” and “whites.” But it’s there between men and women, single adults and families with children, and various religious groups.

But these are distractions, the real peril is vast power in the hands of an unworthy few, who are a fraction of one percent of the population. Social unrest, looting, police brutality and assaults upon the police are only symptoms of the real danger. The threat is real, the punishment will be catastrophic.

“Be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” The great American preacher Oswald Chamber said it best: ““The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”

As we move past the Covid epidemic and address the deeper issues of our society, the Fear of the Lord will guide us in the singular path of Justice and Mercy.