3 February 2017 - whom then shall i fear?

 [ Today's Readings ]

The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
Do we do things we regret? Isn't it often for the sake of appearances that we over-promise ourselves? Maybe we're afraid and trying to mask that fear with the adulation of others. Maybe we don't truly believe that we are safe and loved. When what we do stems from confidence in God it manifests as brotherly love and hospitality, care for prisoners, for the ill-treated, and respect and honor for marriage as God designed it. When what we do stems from fear that is where violence and terror begin to creep into the world. Jesus constantly reminds us that in him we need not fear.
Let your life be free from love of money
but be content with what you have,
for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you.
Thus we may say with confidence:

The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.
What can anyone do to me?

These three lines are in particular are good to speak out loud. They are good to speak especially in times of fear and doubt. They prove that the fear is a lie and that our trust in God is the deeper truth.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

This is important, because when the LORD needs to correct us we often fear that it means we are not loved. Perhaps this is part of Herod's issue with John.

John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

But as we recently saw, God corrects and disciplines us exactly because he loves us. There is nothing to fear in his discipline. Trusting in him we can open ourselves to his will for us more and more so that he can transform us into the people he wants us to be.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
even then will I trust.