Unexpected Allies on the Journey

This Sunday’s readings highlight the fact that our spiritual journeys will present unforeseen challenges, but unexpected sources of encouragement and support also happen along the way.

In the first reading (Jer 38:4-6, 8-10) King Zedekiah, gives in to the demands of his officials and allows them to throw the prophet Jeremiah into a cistern, where he sinks into the mud and will surely die. Just when things seem hopeless, help arrives in the form of Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian eunuch who, likely having faced his own share of exclusion and hardship, organizes a dramatic rescue that saves Jeremiah.

In the second reading (Heb 12:1-4) the author imagines a stadium race where the spectators are a great cloud of heavenly witnesses – heroes of faith – who cheer on their fellow earth-bound Christians as they run the race of life, keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus.

In the Gospel (Lk 12:49-53), Jesus tells his disciples “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” He warns how divisive his teachings can be, even reaching into the intimacy of family life. Yet, the fiery outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost is also part and parcel of the faith journey.

We see how help can come from unlikely individuals, and that even family tensions can lead to deeper growth.  Ultimately, it’s about how adversity and support, sometimes from unexpected places, shape and strengthen our faith journey.

1. Can you recall a time when support came to you from an unexpected source during a tough moment in your life?

2. Who are the “cloud of witnesses” in your own life that are cheering you on in your faith journey?

3. Can you think of a moment when a difficult or divisive conversation actually led you to a deeper understanding of your own beliefs?