Proclaim God’s Love
In our Gospel reading for Sunday (Matthew 10:26-33), Jesus says to His disciples: “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 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.”
What are we to proclaim out in the open? In our second reading (Romans 5:12-15), St. Paul writes about the sin of Adam: “Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all…inasmuch as all sinned.” And then St. Paul writes about Jesus: “But the gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christ overflow for the many.”
We are to proclaim everywhere we go the love of God in Jesus Christ. And it does seem that we would be proclaiming that truth in the darkness. But we are called to help bring the light of Christ into that darkness. Isn’t it strange that it can be so controversial to proclaim God’s love and mercy toward the world, especially toward those many presume to be outside of God’s love? How can we presume to limit God’s love? The gift is not like the transgression! Thanks be to God!
At the end of our Gospel reading, Jesus says, “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.” Some may take this as a license to condemn others. But Jesus didn’t tell us that our vocation is to deny others before God. He told us to acknowledge Him before others.
So, we can follow the trends of hate and fear, or we can be bold in declaring God’s love. We can spend a lot of energy trying to figure out those whom we consider beyond redemption, or we can welcome and love those we encounter. To speak for love and mercy and inclusion and work for justice and peace may be unpopular among some, and politically naïve to others, but Jesus tells us not to be afraid.
May God grant us the grace and the courage to proclaim God’s love to all the world.
I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.
In Christ,
Phil, CP
