When we are with Jesus, let us not be afraid.

These days, autumn work is at its peak. A good gardener is careful not to spoil the harvest he has grown. We see that he inspects the fruit so that one rotten apple is not the cause and that he will infect the entire box in a few weeks. We can observe something similar in today’s gospel.

The Lord Jesus, as a caring farmer, after harsh words of warning and warning to the Pharisees and scribes, instructs His disciples how to behave in the world. In particular, it warns them of the contagion that has already led many to falls and misfortune and is hypocrisy, which he likens to leaven.

The term yeast was meant in the days of the Lord Jesus’ ministry of everything that could infect another thing. For example, an infected apple could also be a passion, a disordered inclination that, when it got out of control, when something was neglected, threatened to destroy a beautiful work, or cause significant damage.

When the Lord Jesus tells them to protect the leaven of the Pharisees, that is, hypocrisy, it is clear that the Lord Jesus disagreed with their actions and would have wished his apostles to avoid it. Although the behavior of the Pharisees was outwardly attractive, despite praying and fasting, they were respected and callteacherscher,” but in, side the Lord Jesus saw their shallowness, inconsistency, superficiality. – they thought. Differently, they acted. They pretended to be godliness and made themselves better than they were.
Even the apostles could have succumbed to that danger, which is not what the Lord Jesus wanted. His teachings are the teachings of love. Can we imagine hypocritical love? After all, this is not to the benefit of it!

Love is associated with sincerity; therefore, what is inside lets it manifest itself externally. We can also say this. What is hidden cannot be hidden forever. Everything will come to the surface once. Pretense is just a matter of time before it manifests or breaks out intfantasticng damage. Therefore, it is better to be careful at the beginning. The gardener inspects the apple. A person should choose a friend slowly.

The Lord Jesus does not promise anyone paradise on earth. Thus, the journey to Jesus is not without difficulties. Yes, there will be fear and crisis, perhaps even persecution, oppression, … death. The Lord Jesus, as God, knows this. Therefore, he encourages us to fearlessness: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the flesh, and then they have nothing left to do!” (Lk 12:4). He says this very seriously. The body is not everything!
And he goes on to say, “I will show you whom to fear: Fear him who, when he kills, has the power to plunge into hell! Yes, I say to you: Fear it!” (Lk 12:5).
These words speak of the death of the soul. A Christian should be afraid to commit a knowingly and voluntarily grave sin!

In the history of the Church, we can find many lessons from the lives of Christians. Malice and violence reigned. Christians were forced to sacrifice to idols, roman emperors, so they preferred to die in the teeth of animals. How many, because of their beliefs, died even in this century during the revolution in Mexico in the 30s? What about Stalinist purges or Hitler’s death camps? Let’s remember the 50s and 60s with us!
However, the Lord Jesus gives a unique assurance of His will when He says, “But ye also have all the hair on your head counted” (Lk 12:7). If we are well aware of this, we know that nothing happens without God knowing. God, in the person of Christ, assures the faithful that He will reward even such a trifle for him as one hair that will be plucked for him.

Do you feel, brothers and sisters, how the Lord Jesus wants to strengthen us with these words? Without his will, not a single hair will be lost from our heads. Our mission is to proclaim the joyful message of the Gospel. That means no secrecy. Let us be zealous, albeit careful. Yes, we will encounter difficulties and resentment; it will seem to us that the thing is lost when we see the innocent die for Christ when the prisons are full of confessors of Christ, but let us realize that the Church has already survived all this.

After the death of one martyr, three new confessors arrived. The grain dies off and brings the cob. One thirty times the harvest, another even a hundredfold. And into how to echo the words of Christ sound: “And behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world” (Mt 28:19-20). Let us have courage!

It is lovely when we feel this way and are convinced that it is beautiful when we do something for Christ, even if it costs sacrifices. We know from history and present that young people, in particular, are courageous, fearless, persistent, and willing to make even the most difficult sacrifices.

We remember the French Jesuits Isaac Jogues, John de Brébeuf, and their companions. They became victims of savages among the Canadian Indians of the Huron tribe. They were killed out of hatred when they told them about love. They died, but their deaths were not in vain; after all, Canada today is a believer.

We can see that they were a good leaven. They overpowered the wrong yeast. It was not easy. They went through a hard school, but they were not afraid because they felt reinforcement in the words of Christ: “Fear not, you are more valuable than many sparrows!” (Lk 12:7).

Autumn, just peaking, can also alert us to the autumn of our lives. We know that it can be even at sixteen or thirty. Therefore, we must beware of evil leaven and be the excellent leaven that enriches and strengthens.

Like a gardener, let’s look not at the apple but at our words and thoughts and evaluate our acquaintances. Is everything ok? Are we not in danger of betrayal or hypocrisy?