Breath of the Spirit

RVC’s Weekly Spiritual Essay

June 19, 2005: TWELFTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Readings

Jeremiah 20:10-13

Romans 5:12-15

Matthew 10:26-33

How do we find out what God wants us to do?

Christians answer this question in two basic ways. Those denominations which, through the centuries, have developed a rigid authority structure, will fall back on that structure to surface God’s will for them. “The person whom God has put in charge will tell me what God wants me to do.” Other denominations fall back on Scripture. They continually search their sacred writings, looking for God’s will in God’s word. “I do it because the Bible tells me to do it.”

Actually the Bible itself offers a different way to discover what God wants us to do. In both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, we accomplish this by first surfacing then listening to the prophets in our midst. Our biblical writers presume these “consciences of the people” are essential to uncover the path God wishes us to travel. For instance, at the beginning of chapter 14 of I Corinthians, Paul tells his community, “Pursue love, but strive eagerly for the spiritual gifts, above all that you may prophesy . . . the one who prophesies speaks to human beings for their building up, encouragement, and solace.”

Hearing today’s Jeremiah passage it’s easy to understand why we’d rather fall back on Scripture or an authority structure to find out God’s will. As Hans Walter Wolff always reminded us, Prophets tell us the future implications of our present actions.” Because we prefer to ignore those painful implications, we attack the prophet.

Jeremiah complains to Yahweh, “I hear the whispering 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.’”

Matthew’s Jesus tell us one reason why prophets are so hated. “Nothing is concealed,” he states, “that will not be revealed, no secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”

Prophets expose what we’d rather not have exposed. They bring to light what can only exist successfully in darkness. No one enjoys such exposure, not even prophets.

We know from today’s Romans pericope that, because of sin’s pervasiveness, we’ll always have to deal with concealment, yet Paul’s convinced that the good with which God gifted us through Jesus, is infinitely more powerful that the evil which Adam brought us. “For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many.”

To surface good and expose evil will always cost prophets big time.

That’s why we should return to today’s gospel and listen carefully to Jesus’ supportive words. “Fear no one . . . 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 Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? . . . Do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Jesus can’t be more emphatic or more consoling at the same time. Only fear stops us from being the people he wishes us to be, from exposing the evil which stops us from discovering the worth which the historical Jesus was convinced all of us possess.

In contrast to Jeremiah’s experience, Jesus expects us to support the prophets among us, helping them overcome the fear which makes them hesitate to prophesy. According to our sacred authors, we can’t become God’s people without their ministry.