This blog is based on references in the Bible to fear. God wills that we “BE NOT AFRAID”. Many theologians state that the eighth deadly sin is fear. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. By “the power of the Holy Spirit” we can be witnesses and “communicators” of a new and redeemed humanity “even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7 8). This blog is dedicated to Mary the Mother of God.
Third Sunday after Pentecost (11 th S. Ord. Time) ST. ANTHONY 2 Kings, Chapter 6, Verse 16 Elisha answered, “Do not be AFRAID ....
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Sunday,August 20, 2017
11TH
SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST(20th
S. in Ord. Time)
May God bless us, and may all the
ends of the earth fear him!
Job, Chapter 41, Verse 7
When
he rises up, the gods are afraid; when he crashes down, they fall back.
·Job splutters a mere two verses in
response to God's line of questioning. Wouldn't you be a little freaked out,
too?
·And then…God cuts him off. He's
known to be an interrupter.
·This time, he has some important
news: Job is not guilty or innocent, just powerless. Job has been condemning
God to justify himself, and that is just plain uncool.
·And now for
something completely different!
·God describes the Leviathan and the
process of defeating it. Huh? Don't worry—just check out our "Symbolism" section for some explanation.[1]
Back in the day, sea monsters were huge opponents of the god(s). They had
different names and took on different forms (Rahab,
the sea dragon, and the Leviathan), but they all played the same role. It was like
passing the bar, but for ancient gods—you have no street cred unless you take
on this dragon. In the Book of Job, God shows up late in the game to say his
piece about divine power. And how does he do it? Well, he describes his power
in terms of defeating the sea dragon. In fact, Job is one of the only places in
the Bible where we get a long, healthy description of what this thing looked
like, and, by all accounts, it was epic. Picture the scariest, biggest sea
monster you can. Oh, and it breathes fire. Not enough for you? How about this?
Its "sneezes flash forth light/ and its eyes are like the eyelids of
dawn./ From its mouth go flaming torches;/ sparks of fire leap out"
(41:18-19). But wait, there's more: "terror dances before it" and
"its heart is as hard as stone" (41:22, 24). Hmmm…what could take on
this kind of sea beast? A storm god, perhaps? And that's just what God is. But
why does God spend his time talking about this thing? Maybe because this sea
monster embodies untamed, natural chaos; it's malevolent, evil, and totally
destructive. God is basically telling Job, "Look, man. I am the only thing
standing between you and this vast, powerful creature that wants only your
destruction. Choose me. Seriously." [Other places in the text where Nessy
pokes his head out of the water are 3:8, 7:12, 9:8, 9:13, 26:12-13, and 26:41.]
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost[3]
This week focus on daily dying to our sins and rising to new life in Christ.
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