FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
OUR THEME FOR 2020
(Part 62)
TRUE AND FALSE PROPHETS
August 3, 2020
Today’s readings:
Jeremiah 28:1-17
Psalm 119:29,43,79,80,95,102
Matthew 14:22-36
In life, there will be winds and waves that will buffet our lives. This is true for our house as well as for the barque that is the Church. “Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.” (Mt 14:24). As we already know, it is then important that we build our house on the Rock that is Christ. We do so by listening to and acting on his words.
Jesus’ words contain God’s commands. Psalm 119 provides many descriptions of how God’s law is crucial in our lives. We take a look at a few of them.
- God’s law gives us the truth, which keeps us from being deceived. “Lead me from the way of deceit; favor me with your law.” (Ps 119:29). Today there are unprecedented assaults on the truth. The good has become bad and the bad has become good. There are different perceptions of the truth even among clerics. Many continue to be deceived.
- God’s law gives us hope. “Do not take the word of truth from my mouth, for in your judgments is my hope.” (Ps 119:43). With deep darkness and great evil in the world, and now with a pandemic, there is much helplessness and hopelessness. But we need just stand on God’s words and be assured of His constant presence and help.
- God’s law provides guidance. “Let those who fear you turn to me, those who acknowledge your testimonies.” (Ps 119:79). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is wisdom not according to the world but according to the Lord. God is always there to guide us with His word.
- God’s law keeps us in the right place, in our place of dignity as children of God. “May I be wholehearted toward your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.” (Ps 119:80). No matter what is happening, no matter how much we are demeaned in our faith, we cling wholeheartedly to God’s words, which assures us of our dignity as His children.
- God’s law assures us in the face of savage assaults from evil persons. “The wicked hope to destroy me, but I seek to understand your testimonies.” (Ps 119:95). Understanding and standing on God’s words, we are able to withstand assaults of the enemy, and endure to the end.
- God’s law keeps us steadfastly on the right track. “From your judgments I do not turn, for you have instructed me.” (Ps 119:102). In the midst of confusion in the world and even in our Church, we find truth and consolation in God’s words, which keep us always on the right path.
Now it is crucial for us to know Jesus’ words and God’s laws, to keep us in the way of the Lord. But such personal knowledge and formation is also crucial because there are among us today false prophets,1 including among the ordained Church leaders. Many among God’s flock who do not know better are being deceived. Such was the case with the prophet Hananiah, who was rebuked by the prophet Jeremiah. “Listen to this, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, and you have led this people to rely on deception.” (Jer 28:15).
Hananiah had prophesied that Judah would be liberated from captivity in Babylon within two years, and the Israelites would be restored in peace to their land. Such was not God’s intent, as it would happen only 70 years later. Today peoples look to be free, for personal well-being, and for peace. Even Christians today look to such, and unfortunately are affirmed by false prophets.
- People, looking to sexual liberation, seek to be free from all moral restraints. There are clerics who have affirmed them, including living LGBT lifestyles.
- Many look to the well-being of the poor, but in the process impose on developing nations to accept aspects of reproductive health as part of the package, which means contraceptives and abortion. There are those in our Church that collaborate in such social work and turn a blind eye to the issues of morality.
- There are those who seek peace in the world, and in this, there are those in our Church who seek accommodation with world religions and even atheistic governments. But they only accomplish the watering down of the missionary thrust of our Church, and the further violent suppression of religion, as in China.
Now God’s law, as we have seen from the psalm above, is crucial for our lives, and Jesus’ words are powerful. We see this in the incident of the walking on the water. Peter had told Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” (Mt 14:28). Jesus responded with only one word, “Come.” (Mt 14:29a). Then “Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.” (Mt 14:29b). Peter walked on water! He listened to Jesus and acted on his words, and he walked on water as if he were walking on rock!
“But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened” (Mt 14:30a). How many times have we put our faith in Jesus, only to falter when the winds and waves buffet us? How many times have we striven to build our house on rock but find ourselves beginning to sink, as if on sand? But if we have listened to and acted on Jesus’ words, then we are grounding our house on the Rock that is Christ. We must have absolute faith and never doubt the words of Jesus. Let our Lord never have cause to tell us, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 14:31b).
Jesus established his Church, the barque of Peter. “Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side” (Mt 14:22). That barque will be tossed about by the waves of affliction, oppression and persecution. It may seem at times as if Jesus is absent, not there to protect us from such assaults. But indeed he is always with us, until the end of the age. And Jesus always assures us, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Mt 14:27).
Jesus, the Rock on which we are built, will help us weather the storms. We need simply keep faith. “After they got into the boat, the wind died down.” (Mt 14:32).
1 A sign of the end times is that “many false prophets will arise and deceive many” (Mt 24:11).