Thought for 28 March

Matthew 10:28,32,3

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill you.  They can only kill your body; by they cannot touch your soul.  Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven.  But if anyone denies me here on earth,

I will deny that person before my Father in heaven’. I don’t know if it’s just a part of getting older, but I find the number of times I have had to put on my black tie increasing, and not just for myself, but also for those with whom I frequently come into contact.  The first verse in today’s reading (and, yet again, it’s from Matthew 10) should stop and make us think.  It should also strengthen our faith and enable us to bring some degree of comfort and assurance to any of our friends or relatives that are currently grieving or finding it difficult to cope with the loss of a loved one.  At Christian funerals, we hear that death is just the end of the journey through this life and that the next journey now begins.  The words in verse 28 clarify this in that we are all made up of two parts, our body and our soul.  Death means the death of our body, but the soul lives on.  It is only God who can allow or disallow our soul to live on.  This should bring comfort to believers and a serious concern for non-believers. 

In today’s society, special occasions like weddings, funerals and baptisms which in the past were almost always conducted in a place of worship are being overtaken by secular alternatives.  In the past year, there have been no baptisms in my church, but I remember when I was young that we had baptisms and sometimes, multiple baptisms almost every month.  I heard only yesterday that there is one local undertaker who even offers to conduct the funeral service himself (as part of ‘the funeral package’) although he has never trained as a minister.  Maybe due to current financial pressures, many couples are just living together and don’t regard marriage as a necessity.  Other couples who do get married might go abroad or have a humanist conduct a marriage ceremony in the same hotel where the reception will later be held.  Many have no regard for the Christian blessing that would constitute part of these ceremonies in days past. 

With this persistent move towards secularism, we need to ask ourselves: ‘is this just a natural progression or development, or is there something greater pushing society in this direction’?  If it is a force that is making God less relevant in people’s lives, how can it possibly be a healthy direction for our children and our children’s children and who, or what may be behind it, driving it?  With believers being the minority in our society, it can mean that more folks around us will question the choice that we have made.  Let us be confident in that choice and be prepared to defend it whenever we require to do so, and let us not be shy about telling others. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, please give us the strength and courage to always proclaim your name before others. Help us to never deny you or be ashamed of our faith, even in the face of adversity. May our words and actions always reflect your love and truth. And if we ever falter, please forgive us and guide us back to you. We pray that you will never deny us before your Father in heaven. Amen.