Real Presence

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.

When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” (Matthew 10:16-23)

If we are going to be like sheep in the midst of wolves and simple as doves, and then be handed over to our deaths, then perhaps we should think again.  I’d rather be like a mountain lion bettering my ability deal with those wolves, provide it was one against one and not one against a pack.  I’d rather be like a raptor – perhaps an eagle – rather than a dove-like easy prey for the wolves.  Shrewd as a serpent might be wise, although I’ve never heard of a shrewd snake, except perhaps for those huge Burmese pythons evading capture in the Everglades they have invaded.

Nevertheless, these passages from Matthew remind us that when we are in the minority with our religious or political views – even within our families – hate can arise even among loved ones.  We humans are passionate creatures and often intolerant of the other opinion or long-held, opposite stance.

Followers of Jesus knew those within their own households would fear reprisals from the authorities if their brother or child put them in danger due to Jesus’ teaching and commandments.  Children rising up against their parents to put them to death was one consequence of following Jesus.

Today we have no such worries.  Death is not a consequence of following Jesus.  However, being ostracized is a likely result if by loving our neighbor as ourselves means we love those who are LGBTQ or of another race, for example.  If we are persecuted in our town for our beliefs, we cannot flee to another.  Social media "packs of wolves" follow us everywhere, and it’s the location where we may be handed over to the crowd for condemnation and scapegoating.

The Son of Man already has come, and it’s up to all of us to recognize his presence and rise up against those who do him harm by supporting violence and promoting hatred and division.  He has come through our Eucharist. His Real Presence is in our midst.  Those of us to whom he is really present should act accordingly.  

Deacon David Pierce