Jesus told His disciples (and us) that the most important thing we
can do is to have fidelity and faith toward God. (Luke 12:1-7) It doesn’t
matter what else life brings. What matters is the state of our soul. He
reassures us that as God cares about the sparrow, how much more He cares about
us, His children. Jesus says that we’re
worth more than a million sparrows. He knows us. He loves us. He shows fidelity
and faithfulness to us. That’s a reassurance we all need. That is a reassurance
we can relax into. That’s a reassurance that leads to an authentic life in the
Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of Heaven is one of perfect transparency. Jesus says
clearly that there is nothing concealed.
This is important to remember because it’s a call to a holistic
life. There’s nothing we do out of the sight of others that will remain hidden.
No matter how private our actions, they affect the Kingdom of Heaven and are
seen in full light there. We cannot spend our public lives praying and our
private lives sinning. Those sins will come out - they cannot remain hidden
because they are known to God.
These include some of the most minor things - little things we might
say about our friends, family, relatives, or neighbors. It’s the little things,
those little thoughts that are probably the source of the greatest trial and
turmoil. As Jesus also tells us - what comes out of our mouths is a sign of
what is within us. (Matthew 15:10) It is not the outside that requires
cleaning, but the inside. And perhaps it is helpful to remember that nothing
goes unnoticed. Perhaps that’s a good reminder in the course of the day -
neither the ill nor the good is unseen and eventually all will be seen by all. Perhaps then, we would not want them to see
the little things we fill our time with. Better to think first and avoid them
entirely if they would not redound to our credit and to the good of the Body of
Christ.
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