On holiday in Karnataka, India some 25 years ago, my dad and I discovered a cave entrance up on the cliff side. For some inexplicable reason known only to both of us, we decided that a nighttime exploration would be a great adventure. So off we headed with our torches into the dark bowels of this tunnel. As a youngster, heading into dark, underground uncharted territory was quite scary stuff. However, rightly or wrongly I wasn’t afraid because my dad was up front leading the way.
The main reason that the twelve apostles were not to be afraid was because they were following in the experience of Jesus. They had already been told in the Sermon on the Mount that they could expect opposition and persecution because that’s what Jesus faced. You cannot expect to be treated differently to the one you serve and follow. Again this is a New Testament theme. Peter teaches the recipients of his first letter how to suffer on the basis that Christ suffered on their behalf.
We don’t suffer in order to earn Christ’s love and affection. We suffer because we are already loved and called by him. Suffering is a reminder that this life we now have in Christ is radically different to the life that the world offers.
We do not need to fear the world around us because we can cling to Christ. I hope that through this we are learning not to fear in other ways.
There will be opposition to the Gospel, sometimes direct and obvious, sometimes in some parts of the world physical. Here in the UK it is often more subtle and the fear is that we will lose status, friendship and even work. Jesus calls us to count the cost and to see that the Gospel is worth the cost as we seek to help those we love come to faith in Christ.
Please pray for all those who have died recently:
Thomas Mani (87), George Kakkassery (75) Thomas Chummar (81) P V Varghese Punnackapadavil (88)
Commemorate the Death Anniversaries of Our Loved Ones:
Prof.Baby Varghese Menacherry (61)2001.
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