Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
When I was in 6th grade, I found myself in a new school. I didn’t know anyone, and the class bully found me to be an easy target. I noticed he never bothered me when I was around the biggest kid in the class, Brian, who towered over everyone else. So, I made sure I got to know Brian, and we became pretty good friends.
In today’s first reading, Paul promises that, as children of God, we are not destined for wrath, but for salvation. God’s authority circles around us, guarding us from real destruction. It is this very authority that Jesus demonstrates in the gospel- by teaching and driving out the demon, Jesus shows all present that he’s in charge. The biggest guy on the playground is right next to us, keeping the devil away.
Now, this doesn’t mean we won’t have bad days. If that were true, Paul wouldn’t feel the need to tell the Thessalonians to keep encouraging one another. For reasons I’ve never understood, bad things do happen to good people. But they need not surprise us. Paul and the church warn us that being believers will not shield us from bad things, and our faith may even result in our persecution. But we know it’s coming, and we know God wants to give us salvation, so we don’t have anything to worry about. It’s like the little prick of a needle at the doctor’s office- we know it will pass.
Are you afraid of something bad happening in the future? Don’t worry, it will happen! But God has us destined to live together with Him, whether we are “awake” or “asleep.” Amen!
Chris Nieport