comment
As humans, our gaze only extends as far as the material world around us. Our senses can only inform us about the immediate and sensory surroundings. In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds his listeners that the perspective of God is immensely greater than what the human senses can take in. God sees into the deep crevices of space and through the eons of time. God’s comprehension is unfathomable for human minds. It can be easy to feel like our immediate concerns are of the utmost importance, but Christ redirects our attentions to concerns that—while beyond our current gaze—are of even greater significance: the moral jeopardy that our souls are in. When Christ states “fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell,” he does so because the peril of this danger is not evident to us yet. But we need to heed it.
Yet, while there is evil lurking that can ravage our souls, there is also a kingdom that awaits us in God’s reality.