Have No Fear!

Scripture Reflection for the Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (September 6, 2015)

Scripture Readings:
Isaiah 35:4-7a
Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
James 2:1-5
Mark 7:31-37

While reading the first words in the gospel “Say to those whose hearts are frightened, be strong, fear not, here is your God”, these words immediately spoke to my heart and soul. These words brought back memories while reassuring me that everything was going to be okay. The Gospel say’s to me that we should put our faith and trust into the Lord. We should have no fear and instead, persevere, have strength and know that our Lord is coming with vindication to save us. When our Lord comes we will be free! No longer will we be blind, deaf, nor will the lame be leap. Our tongues will come alive, rejoice and finally be able to sing. The waters will cover the desert, the burning sands will become pools, and the dry ground will immediately convert to springs of water. Praise God! When Jesus went to the district of the Decapolis, the people in the area brought him a man whom was deaf and unable to speak. The people urged Christ to lay hands on the man so that he may experience healing and be free. When Jesus took the man aside, he placed his finger into his ear and then looked up to Heaven and said “Ephphatha (be opened)”. Just like that, the man was immediately healed. He was no longer in bondage. At last, he was no longer deaf and was now able to speak. Because of the strong faith that was displayed from this man and the people in the area, the man that was once known as being deaf and unable to speak was healed and now free (Mark 7:31-35).

The Gospel also reminds me of a recent time in my life when I experienced fear. I fell down for a while, but I got up again. When I got up I began to pray and have faith that the Lord would help me and remain by my side. I am certain that it was my faith in God that got me through that difficult time.

Unfortunately in life, there will be times when we experience sadness, fear, or disappointment. These feelings can often lead us to feeling alone and discouraged. We may even convince ourselves that there is no hope or solution to our problem. In this Gospel, it is important for us to hear that our God will always remain with us through life’s journeys. We should not be weary and get off of track. Instead we should have courage and know that God will forever be our light at the end of life’s tunnels.

An issue that is often faced in our society is judgment. There are times when people are negatively judged on several things such as their appearance, social class, and race. In the readings of James 2:1-5, the Scripture says to me that we should all unite as brothers and sisters of Christ and treat each other equally with respect. The Scripture goes on to say "Did not God choose those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? (James 2:5)

Judgment has affected us all at one point in life. You may have been judged because you didn’t have the trendiest gym shoes, or you may have been on the other side and passed judgment on others because you felt superior while wearing the latest fashion trends. The road may be long and bumpy but with faith and effort we can work hard to eliminate negative and unnecessary judgments every day. In the passage James 2:8 we are reminded that if we can love our neighbors as we love ourselves,” we are doing well.

Image: Get the Balance Right by Marquette LaForest. Found on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.