Do Not Be Afraid

He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

The apostles were told after the accounts of witnessing that Jesus is alive, to go out into the world and proclaim the Gospel. Which they did, as todays first reading also tells us they continued to encounter problems from the Sanhedrin, for a healing of a man to boot. It wasn't just that, they thought they stopped the people from leaving. They were loosing their control over the people. Isn't that what Jesus came to do in the first place, to free us from bondage. When people are stopped from growing in faith what happens to them. They sin, they die a horrible death. Why? For what purpose did the Sanhedrin want to stop the people from growing. I hope not because of money lost due to lack of people to contribute to their way of life. Or is it the fact that they are so set in their ways that they do not want to change.

The apostles too had hardened hearts for they did not recognize Jesus when he appeared to them, were they too, set in their ways and afraid of change? But finally they opened their eyes, to go out to proclaim the Gospel. How hardened are we to change? Little do we realize we change constantly, just as we change our furniture or clothes, or our hair styles. We pierce our bodies, tattoo them, mold and shape them by cosmetic surgery. If we are willing to go to those lengths to change ourselves, exterior selves, why not go the whole gamut and change the interior self too.