FOR SUNDAY 07.14
“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
MATTHEW 10, 24-33 (NIV)
A passage from the tenth chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew is one that turns our thinking upside down. Jesus reminds us that "the disciple is not above the master, nor the servant above his lord." In a world where many people chase after recognition, power, sex, and money, these words sound almost like heresy. But perhaps that's the point? Maybe Jesus intentionally disrupts our established norms to help us see something deeper?
Let's be honest with ourselves: how many times do we avoid saying "I don't know," "I'm sorry," "I made a mistake," or "I need help"? How often do we, instead of admitting to an error, prefer to pretend that everything is fine? Our pride, our fear of judgment, our desire to be seen as "perfect" – all of this is the opposite of what Jesus teaches us.
Jesus, our Master, was not afraid of his accusers. His courage in proclaiming the truth, even at the cost of his life, challenges us. And we? Can we be as brave in our daily relationships? Do we have the courage to say "sorry" to our loved ones, children, spouses, colleagues?
Sometimes we think that admitting a mistake is a sign of weakness. But true weakness lies in hiding the truth, in building a false image of ourselves. Jesus teaches us that authenticity and truth are keys to a fuller life. He tells us: "Do not be afraid of those who can kill only your body but cannot touch your soul." Courage in admitting mistakes, courage in speaking the truth – that is true strength.
In family relationships, this truth is even more crucial. How often do we try to be "perfect" parents, "perfect" partners, instead of simply being ourselves? How often do our children learn pretense from us, rather than authenticity? Wouldn't it be better to show them that mistakes are part of life, and that apologizing and asking for help are signs of strength, not weakness?
Christ says: "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight." Let us not be afraid to speak the truth, let us not be afraid to be ourselves. This may mean confrontation, it may mean rejection, but it also means freedom. The freedom to be authentic and the freedom to be true.
Jesus promises that anyone who acknowledges Him before men will be acknowledged before the Father in Heaven. But do we truly understand this promise? Do we really believe that authenticity and truth are the path to God's grace? Or are we still stuck in the illusion that we must be "perfect" in the eyes of others to earn God's love?
Look at the sparrows Jesus speaks of. They seem to have no particular value, yet God cares for each of them. Are we not more valuable to Him? God knows us better than we know ourselves, knows our mistakes, our weaknesses, and yet loves us unconditionally.
It's worth considering how our lives would look if we truly believed in this love. If we stopped hiding behind masks, stopped pretending to be someone we are not. If we dared to speak the truth, even if it means admitting mistakes, apologizing, or asking for help.
Isn't it liberating? Isn't it truly living in accordance with the Gospel and with ourselves? Perhaps the greatest challenge for us is precisely this courage to be authentic, true. Perhaps this is the most difficult, but also the most beautiful call that Jesus places before you?
May this Gospel inspire us to live boldly in truth. May it remind us that our worth does not depend on how others see us, but on how God sees us. And He knows us better than we know ourselves and loves us unconditionally in both sunny and cloudy days.
May God bless us all.
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