Be afraid of that One

Many of us are afraid of many things.

We are afraid of losing our jobs.

We are afraid of losing our homes.

We are afraid of terrorists.

We are afraid of certain kinds of people.

In today’s Gospel (Luke 12:1-7), Christ the Lord says this:

Be afraid of the One
Who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you,
be afraid of that One.

"That One", of course, is God (even though we are really the ones who bring Gehenna upon ourselves).

Yet, God is also infinitely merciful and loves us more than anything.

Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.

Thus we can confidently ask God for forgiveness through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, echoing the words of today’s Psalm (32:1b-2, 5, 11):

I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.