Fearless Discipleship

The readings this Sunday invite our reflection on the challenges of discipleship. In the first reading, Jeremiah models how one negotiates the risks of doing God’s work. His lament testifies to those plotting against him, who denounce his message and cruelly spy on him, ready to defame him for any missteps. Yet his trust in God enables him to move beyond these threats, proclaiming, “The Lord is with me like a mighty champion” (Jer 20:11). Such fearless trust and dependence upon God set the stage for a deeper understanding of this Sunday’s other readings.

Similar to last Sunday, the second reading and others on the Sundays to come feature Paul’s letter to the Romans. He sets forth a contrast between Adam and Christ and the choice for believers.  Unlike Jeremiah, Adam represents a rejection of dependence upon God in times of trouble, while Christ represents the opposite. Steadfast dependence on the Almighty, especially for a follower of Jesus, not only becomes an expression of radical trust and faith but also serves as witness to the salvation made possible by Christ. Such confident dependence upon God enables us to move beyond all fear and anxieties. 

Finally, in the Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus urges his disciples three times to be unafraid. As he continues the missionary discourse begun in last week’s Gospel passage, Jesus now warns his disciples about the opposition they will encounter, an opposition that can dissuade them from carrying out his mission. These hostilities not only can destroy the body, but they can also do far worse; they can destroy the soul, which can discourage and eventually cut off one’s will and desire to follow Jesus.

Indeed, for the disciples and for anyone deciding to follow Jesus the consequences can be disheartening and even worrisome. We risk embarking upon the struggle for justice in a world that seems to oppose such a goal. Our love of those who are often deemed unworthy may raise questions or suspicions about such a concern. Informed by our Catholic social teaching, our positions on such matters as war, immigration, race, and the poor may result in social alienation. Commitment to endeavors of discipleship when the outcome remains unknown, when the task is grander than we can ever accomplish, or when consequences are personally costly does conjure worry and fear. Jesus assures us that what is unknown will be revealed. Those who pose any risk of physical harm to us cannot harm our souls. 

We have but two choices, to trust in God or to succumb to the temptation of fear. Fear has the power to destroy hope before adversity and, thus, prevent one from acting. It riddles us with anxiety and promises a false safety if we shut out the world and the problems surrounding us.  Most significantly, fear curtails our life with God, the only one worthy of our complete trust. Jesus uses an extreme, and perhaps humorous, illustration to rupture the anxiety of the disciples, noting that confidence in God’s care, even in the midst of adversity, is unassailable. Not only does God’s care extend to the likes of one as small as a sparrow, but that same  divine attention and concern for us even extends to knowing the number of hairs on our heads. It is not difficult to imagine Jesus offering a knowing and comforting smile as he offers further assurance, “Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Mt 10:31).

Different from our own era, living a truly Christ-like life in the first century had real consequences for these disciples.  It required a public kind of allegiance and a lifestyle that was out of step with the demands of the Roman world. The values that Jesus professed required a counter-cultural way of living.  His relationships were all inclusive. His capacity to embrace those who were deemed unworthy remained unlimited. Finally, Jesus’ fidelity to live out his own teachings cost him his life.  As today’s reading suggests, the disciples needed him to dispel their fears in order to follow him. They, too, would face persecution, rejection, and even loss of life.  

Today, many of us who claim to be Christian do not encounter such consequences for our beliefs.  Yet, there may be a negative drawback for those of us who live in a free society and never have had our faith tested by violence or even the threat of death. There may be a temptation to succumb to an easy conflation of or symbiosis between the values Jesus espoused and our own cultural ways of living. Injustice remains rampant in our world. In some places, Christian minorities do suffer persecution, exclusion, and alienation.  In solidarity with those who endure such consequences, may our lives fearlessly convey a clear public message of who we follow and what values we espouse. Once again, Jesus assures both his disciples and us: “So do not be afraid. . . . Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father” (Mt 10:32-33).