Bible
Study: Jeremiah 15, 10 to 21 and Matthew 13, 44 to 46.
In yesterday’s
reflection, I honestly admit I was rather too blunt. I never intended to say that
donating huge sums of money in the church is wrong. Harvest is also a time of
thanksgiving where we come to give the best of what we have to God in
appreciation for what he has done for us throughout the year. My emphasis was to
drive home three points; the need for us to focus more on the harvest that
would occur at the end of the time; that people should be treated equally in
the church whether rich or poor and to point out that our position in heaven
will not be determined by the size of our donations.
One thing I know
is that anyone committed to the truth predisposes himself or herself to attacks
both from within and without. This was exactly the case with the Prophet Jeremiah.
As we read in today’s first reading, God himself is saying to Jeremiah: “They
will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you
to save you and deliver you.”
Our greatest
obstacle in speaking and living out the truth is FEAR. Before anyone is able to
say white is white and black is black, he or she must first be ready to face
the consequences, and in fact, be willing to die; that is, to let go of
everything.
In today’s
Gospel passage, Jesus uses two parables to teach us how to overcome fear. A man
found a treasure hidden in a field, covers it up again, then in joy, he sells
everything he has to buy that field. Again a merchant searching for fine pearls
sees one of great value, he sells everything he has to buy that one pearl.
In other
words, Jesus is saying that everything I have, all the money in all my bank
accounts, all my possessions, my car, my books, my clothes, my career, my
family, my friends, in fact, everything I consider to be of value for which I consider
my life meaningful, for which I would fight to defend and secure, everything
important to me is of NO VALUE compared to my faith.
In fact, everything
I own, I should consider them sold off already and given away for the sake of
my faith. In this way, I am no longer afraid because people can only threaten me
with taking away the very things which I have already given away. It is like after
having sold your car, the buyer tells you to keep using it, then one day,
people threaten to take the car away from you? Would you have a sleepless night
over losing a car that is no longer yours?
Think about
this: it is my attachment to possessions that creates fear in me. The fear that
I may lose my possessions or lose my job or lose my money or lose even my life
or my popularity becomes like a trap Satan uses to prevent me from doing what
is right. I find myself ignoring my conscience, reaching compromises here and
there and giving in to sins I could ordinarily avoid if I was not so attached.
Do I really
value my faith? Why do I treat it as something that is not as important as
other things in life? Why am I consumed with the pursuit of things which I know
I will not take with me when I die? Why is God number two in my priorities? How
come my greatest fear is not losing my relationship with God but losing these
other things which will not even last forever?
Until I really
let go and let God, I am not fully mature as a Christian and truth will always be
scarce in my lips.
Let us Pray:
Lord God, help me to let go and
to prepare very well for harvest time. Amen
Good
morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless
you.
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