“I tell you,
everyone who acknowledges me before others
the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
But whoever denies me before others
will be denied before the angels of God.
Americans are probably familiar with famous statements like: "Give me liberty or give me death;" "I regret that I have but one life to give for my country;" and "My country, right or wrong!"
The speakers -- Patrick Henry, Nathan Hale, and Stephen Decatur and Carl Schurz -- had learned their loyalty to the country from the Lord's demand upon his disciples. They expressed the spirit of the Enlightenment which transfered loyalty to God and king to country and state.
In the twentieth century, when the "state" was everyone, and "total war" demanded universal, unquestioning obedience, God, king, country, and state became a single man. Men like Adolph Hitler, Josef Stalin, Mao Tse Dung, Benito Mussolini, Pol Pot, and Ho Chi Minh were given total freedom to do as they pleased. Their whims and wishes were commands; and even brilliant generals like Generalfeldmarschall Rommel obeyed ignorant civilians like Hitler. That sycophant spirit still searches for idols who are less worthy than the One God.
In today's Gospel the Lord spells out the loyalty we must give to him. Anyone who denies him, regardless of the circumstances, will be denied by God. They will be like the foolish virgins who pleaded, "Lord, Lord, open for us!" and will hear, "I do not know you. Get away from here!"
However, someone might object that no man is trustworthy and Jesus was a man. ("He's just a man, and I have had so many men before, in very many ways.") As Proverbs 20:6 says, "Many say, “My loyal friend, but who can find someone worthy of trust?" And Jeremiah 17:5 -- "Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who makes flesh his strength."
However Jesus has proven his trustworthiness by his death on a cross. An act which was immediately followed by an unprecedented sign of God's approval -- the Resurrection from the dead. Jesus proves his trustworthiness also by giving us his Spirit as he ascended into heaven. In that spirit we are given the mysterious freedom which is obedience. Only those who know the Lord understand such joyous liberty.
We are now guided by the Spirit of the One who is God and Man! He has proven his worthiness by his constant care for us despite our sins; and despite the wreckage we make of our lives. Many, given the same experiences but deprived of faith, despise any notion of God. They have not found the energizing, healing, restorative power of faith, hope, and love. Despairing of God in any form -- human, divine, or diabolical -- they live with neither purpose nor hope.
Because we acknowledge Jesus before others even at the cost of our own lives, the Son of Man acknowledges us before the angels of God.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.