To be bold and Daring...

In our first reading, we heard the beginnings of the building of the second temple in Jerusalem following the defeat of the Babylonians. It is the temple that will have great impact to Jesus because it will be the kind of Judaism that will shape his ministry and eventual death. The rise of the temple was supposed to proclaim the truth about God to the ends of the world, beginning from Jerusalem, the the temple itself. However, the Israelites, with the Pharisaic nature of the Second temple, hoarded the revelation. It is what our Gospel portrays to us in the concealing of the light. In a way, Israel contained the light to itself instead of sharing it to the world. Israel contained the light, and it also rejected the truth which is, who is Christ.

Why did God let Israelites conceal this light? Well as we know God, he had the history of hardening hearts in order to drive a point. The hardening of the heart of the Pharaoh in Moses’ story, Sihon King of Heshbon (Deut 2:30), the Pharisees; Almost every time God wants to drive a point, he hardens hearts; and after everything he will demonstrate his faithfulness. He will let his light be seen. The Gospel today clearly speaks about recognising the light, it speaks of boldness and courage. Imagine if the Israelites did recognise Christ, we would have been a less-divided world.

Honesty is the best policy. It really is, because it is value connected to the truth. Honesty is the direct attitude of the truth. It concretises the truth in human relationships. The opposite of honesty is lying.

Do you know what is the direct attitude of lying? How lying is directly concretised? FEAR. We lie because we are afraid of the truth. We lie because we are afraid of the consequences of the truth. We lie to others about our weaknesses because we are afraid to be judged, we are afraid to be confronted, and yes, we are afraid to be corrected.

Brothers and sisters, we are invited to always live in the light, live upright and God-fearing lives, minding of our responsibilities, and to be bold and steadfast in speaking about the truth that the truth may come to light. To be Christians is to be honest, to be bold and steadfast.

Let us pray that God will wipe all confessions and fears and that he will forever be our courage and hope.