Would you invite someone to a task by saying how terrible it’s going to be for them? “It’s a dangerous and difficult job, and people are going to hate you for doing it. They will do all kinds of hurtful things to you. They will even kill you.” Um. I’ll pass on that.
This is what Jesus has just said to his Apostles as he sent them out “as sheep in the midst of wolves” to preach the Gospel. Full disclosure. But in today’s Gospel he is telling them that, even though it truly is a difficult task and they will be opposed and even killed (things that naturally cause fear!), they need not be afraid. But the reasons Jesus gives are not the reasons we might expect.
Jesus does not say that everything will be alright, or that the Apostles will only be threatened but not suffer, or that they will be saved from death at the last moment and defeat every enemy. Surely, Jesus is capable of those things. But those are the images of myths and superheroes, but not the images of the Gospel.
On the contrary, Jesus points to the full reality of being an intentional Christian: the cross of opposition, humiliation, and suffering. The cross demands courage, perseverance, and faithfulness, which are possible when we see the purpose and the goal. So Jesus draws the Apostles toward the antidote to fear: an “eternal perspective,” helping them to see things in full cosmic scale, reminding them that there is so much MORE to reality than we normally consider. He reminds them that ultimately, the spiritual takes precedence over the physical, we must seek the Kingdom first, knowing that our value is exponentially greater than we understand. We are loved and cared for in every detail (the very hairs of our head are numbered!) by the Creator who is also our tender Father, so we need not fear anything but sin.
There is always evil and stupidity in the world, and often this is the noisiest and loudest and gets the most attention. But all the weakness and darkness that lies below the surface of the flashy noise will be revealed in the end, like the “man behind the curtain” projecting “the great and powerful Oz,” and we will see that it is nothing.
On the other hand, the steady and subtle movements of the Spirit of God within us and around us are where our attention should be, as it is this Spirit Who empowers us with every grace and virtue and adorns us with spiritual gifts, so that we are prepared for the eternal Wedding Feast. When we know the radiance for which we are created, we fear nothing on this earth. When our treasure is in Heaven and our eyes are fixed on the Heart of God, we will persevere through every difficulty until we are finally safe at Home.
¿Invitarías a alguien a hacer algo presentándolo como algo terrible para ellos? “Es un trabajo peligroso y difícil, y la gente te va a odiar por hacerlo. Te harán todo tipo de cosas hirientes. Incluso te matarán”. Um…. no gracias.
Esto es lo que acaba de decir Jesús a sus Apóstoles cuando los envió “como ovejas en medio de los lobos” a predicar el Evangelio. La divulgación completa. Pero en el Evangelio de hoy les está diciendo que, aunque verdaderamente es una tarea difícil y se les opondrán e incluso los matarán (¡cosas que naturalmente causan miedo!), no deben tener miedo. Pero las razones que da Jesús no son las razones que podríamos esperar.
Jesús no dice que todo va a estar bien, o que los Apóstoles sólo van a ser amenazados pero no van a sufrir, o que van a ser salvados de la muerte en el último momento y vencerán a todos los enemigos. Seguramente, Jesús es capaz de esas cosas. Pero son imágenes de mitos y superhéroes, no del Evangelio.
Por el contrario, Jesús señala la plena realidad de ser un cristiano intencional: la cruz de la oposición, la humillación y el sufrimiento. La cruz exige valor, perseverancia y fidelidad, lo cuales son posibles cuando vemos el propósito y la meta. Así que Jesús atrae a los Apóstoles hacia el antídoto contra el miedo: una “perspectiva eterna”, ayudándoles a ver las cosas en su escala cósmica completa, recordándoles que hay mucho MÁS en la realidad de lo que normalmente consideramos. Les recuerda que en última instancia, lo espiritual tiene prioridad sobre lo físico, debemos buscar primero el Reino, sabiendo que nuestro valor es exponencialmente mayor de lo que entendemos. Somos amados y cuidados en cada detalle (¡los mismos cabellos de nuestra cabeza están contados!) por el Creador, quien también es nuestro Padre tierno, por lo que no debemos temer nada, menos el pecado.
Siempre hay maldad y estupidez en el mundo y, a menudo, esto es lo más escandaloso y ruidoso y recibe la mayor atención. Pero toda la debilidad y la oscuridad que yace debajo de la superficie de la bulla se revelará al final, como el “hombre detrás de la cortina” que proyecta “el gran y poderoso Oz” , y veremos que no es nada.
Por otro lado, nuestra atención debe estar en los movimientos constantes y sutiles del Espíritu de Dios dentro de nosotros y alrededor de nosotros, ya que es este Espíritu quien nos fortaleza con toda gracia y virtud y nos adorna con dones espirituales, para que podamos ser preparados para la eterna Fiesta de Bodas. Cuando reconozcamos el resplandor para que fuimos creados, no tenemos nada que temer en esta tierra. Cuando nuestro tesoro esté en el Cielo y nuestros ojos estén fijados en el Corazón de Dios, vamos a perseverar a pesar de cualquier dificultad hasta que finalmente estemos seguros en nuestro hogar celestial.
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and four grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com
Feature Image Credit: Joshua Earle, unsplash.com/photos/Dwheufds6kQ
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