Word to the Wise
Monday, May 13, 2013 - 7th Week of Easter - Mon
[Acts 19:1-8 and John 16:29-33]"Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alon
The gospels make no attempt to disguise the fact that the disciples who accompanied Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemani ran away in terror when the guards and mob arrived to arrest Jesus. Peter put up a show of force that injured one servant of the High Priest, but Jesus healed that man and Peter stood aside and then, later on, denied knowing Jesus! Such potentially embarrassing facts about major figures in the story of Jesus are really amazing when one thinks about it! Earlier in the evening of the Last Supper (ch. 13) after washing the feet of the disciples, Jesus warned Peter about his future denial. Now Jesus warns them all that that they will prove to be fearful and cowardly. Perhaps this was written to make the contrast between pre-Pentecost and post-Pentecost disciples more remarkable! I don't know. I think, however, there is a warning there for us as well.
When I received the sacrament of Confirmation may years ago as a grade school student, the theology of that sacrament focused on a militant image of "soldiers for Christ." Our task would be to defend the faith against all comers! The bishop even gave us a light tap on the face to remind us of that possibility and duty! How many of us know the depth of our "courage of convictions?" When secular consumerism shows its head and tries make our faith seem "irrelevant to our lifestyles and needs at this time," do we even "defend" ourselves, let alone the faith itself. Or do we simply separate ourselves from "church" but still claim to be "religious" or "spiritual" and keep our beliefs private? This may seem a bit harsh but it is all too common in our American and the European scene. There are plenty of modern martyrs to remind us that our faith should not become a museum piece in our lives. Remembering the fear of the apostles should not blind us to the fact that most of them later met death as martyrs. We will be fearful of what our beliefs may cause others to think, but perhaps we can take advantage of that Holy Spirit we have received and stand up for what we believe! AMEN