We are often encouraged to live with courage and confidence. But there are situations when courage becomes a task and confidence evaporates. There is nothing as horrible as one living in the midst of adversaries whose only pleasure is in bringing harm and antagonism. In such a situation, one’s life is always precarious. Fear is inevitable. But despite all these, the Bible encourages us not to be afraid, as God is ever with us even when He seems momentarily absent and even when our adversaries seem to be in triumph. We hear this repeatedly in the readings of this twelfth Sunday of the liturgical year.
Uncertainty in the Face of Opposition
The personality of the Prophet Jeremiah looms large in the first reading of today from Jer 20:10-13. Jeremiah is conventionally regarded as the weeping prophet, as his life is characterized by hard experiences of condemnation of sin, opposition, and persecution. He often describes himself as a man of contention. His very call contains within it all the elements of a life of contention: “See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer 1:10). It is difficult to be called and commissioned with this type of job description and still lead a tranquil life. His vocation, which is God’s ordained plan for him, involves a life of opposition and loneliness. In 20:7-8, he complains to God about this near miserable life: “O Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I must cry out, I must shout, ‘Violence and destruction!’ For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.”
Opponents and Betrayers
The first reading of this Sunday is a continuation of this remonstration with God in which Jeremiah sums up his experience of hardship and opposition: “I hear the whisperings of many: ‘Terror on every side! Denounce! let us denounce him!’ All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail and take our vengeance on him’ (20:10). Jeremiah finds himself in the midst of opponents and betrayers. Even those he thought would defend him are all on their watch for his downfall. This is a typical life experience. We often have such people around us. It is an experience that easily makes one to lose balance and orientation as nothing seems certain anymore. Mistrust sets in and relationships are destroyed. Fear of the unknown becomes the order of the day as one sees only darkness and terror everywhere. Many suffer terrible vocation or life crises at such moments.
Having Confidence in God in Such Terrible Moments
Moments of crisis are moments of trial. One’s faith is seriously tested in such moments, especially the experience of opposition and betrayal. One without faith wallows in fear and depression. But the person of faith moves on with the feeling of being protected by a higher power. This is what makes Jeremiah keep moving. He abandons his fate in God’s hand, knowing that one with God is a majority. In the same way, Jesus encourages his followers in the Gospel of today from Matt 10:26-33 never to be afraid of those who kill the body but have no power over the soul. He lets them know that God ever cares for them however insignificant they may consider themselves. Even, every hair in their heads is already counted. This is a powerful way of demonstrating that God cares for all His creatures, even to the minutest details.
Most of our fears emanate from our insufficient trust in God’s provident care. This is a result of the weakness of our wills. Despite this, God still loves us to the extent that He has sent His Son to die for us so that through Him we may achieve that which we cannot achieve by our own power. So, we as children of God have really nothing to fear since Jesus is ever there for us. Living with confidence means trusting in the supreme, divine power that guides our life and protects us.
