Eighth Sunday after Trinity
“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.””
Summary
Do not be afraid. Both of our readings today start with these words. What is it that we should not be afraid of?
In Genesis 15:1-6 Abraham is afraid that he will die childless and that a slave will be his heir. In Luke 12:32-40 the disciples are afraid of many things, of persecution, of loss of community, of lacking food and clothing and the necessary things of life.
In each case the real fear is lack of a future: Abraham’s name will not pass into the next generation; the disciples may not survive this generation.
Abraham is assured that he will have a son, the disciples are assured that they will be given what they need but more than this they are not to be afraid because God will give them God’s very self: “for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”.
The problem is that we can only receive the kingdom, all that God desires to give us, if we stop chasing after all the things that we are afraid we may lose or will never have. No matter how hard we try, none of us can assure our future, not through family or status or possessions. But God can and will if only we can stop living in fear.
FIRST READING
Genesis 15:1-6
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord, and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
GOSPEL
Luke 12.32-40
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night or near dawn and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
“But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
