Gospel: Luke 12: 1-7
Jesus continually tells his disciples not to be afraid throughout the Gospels. We human beings continually live in fear and find various ways to hide our insecurities. We erect elaborate defense mechanisms to hide our true selves from others. We spend lots of money on security systems to protect ourselves and our stuff. We get more stuff to protect the stuff we have, and we have all this stuff to prop up our egos and find security in things that ultimately do not satisfy and only bring us more insecurity.
When Jesus sent out his disciples on mission, the packing list was minimal, so much so it was practically nonexistent. If we have no possessions, if we are reliant on the hospitality of others and on God's providence, what fears can we have? We would have no fear of being robbed for we have little and what we do have no one really wants. And our lives our in God's hands entirely; if we die, we return to the God who loves us and provides for us.
We fear poverty and a lack of stuff because then we have to face our self, to be alone and undistracted with our self and with God. This reality frightens us more than anything else, which is why we fear death. But this is why we are continually reminded that God is love, for if God is love what fear would we have? Only the realization that our self lacks love and trust in this loving God. But if we get rid of even this self, then there is God alone, the God of love where no fear exists.
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