Jesus said to his disciples, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
- St. Luke 12:32-34
When our Lord Jesus Christ says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” it is confirmation that we have indeed been given the kingdom; that is, everything we need to live a fruitful life in this world, and to have eternal life as our inheritance.
Jesus tells us that for those who really try to live in accordance with the great gift of the kingdom, it will be like a servant whom the master finds awake when he comes – in fact, the master himself will serve the servants.
But for those who are unfaithful – for those who ignore or minimize the great gift of faith which has been given to us, who don’t present it clearly to others, who give a less than Christian example, who lead others astray by what they say or don’t say – Jesus tells us that they’re like a wicked servant who abuses the other servants and who stuffs himself with the master’s food and gets drunk on his wine, completely unaware that the master is at the door and will demand a reckoning.
It is a great opportunity which is ours when we know the Lord Jesus. It is the opportunity not only to have the life-giving truth as our own, but also to be able to pass it on to others who are searching for the one, true and Living God. And with the opportunity comes a responsibility. If we hear error, we must make every effort to correct it. If we see Christ abused or misrepresented, we must come to His defense. If we hear moral teaching being maligned or twisted, we must be quick to state the truth clearly.
Our Lord tells us: “Fear not, little flock…” We are Christ’s flock, called to live faithfully, to speak clearly, and to act boldly, all for the building up of His kingdom.
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Engraving: "Christ Teaching His Disciples"
by Gustave Doré (1832-1883)