Wednesday, February 7, 2018 

“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Matthew 10:30)

                I’ll have a large fries and supersize it!

                There are reports that there is an ingredient in McDonald’s french fries that may be a cure for baldness. Dimethylpolysiloxane (try staying that three times fast!) which Newsweek reports is a silicone added to McDonald's fries to stop cooking oil from frothing, was used to regrow hair on mice. Now hairy mice are nice, but a few more follicles on my head would be nicer. After all, I am not giving God much of a challenge in counting what I have left up there up on my noggin.

                I’m not sure whether to eat the fries or smear on them on my scalp. Maybe both, just to cover all my bases.

                Jesus is using hyperbole in his comment that all the hairs on our head have been counted by God. I am pretty sure that God has better and far more important things to do than actually counting hairs on people’s head. Maybe God has an angel Department of Hair Counting but that too would seem rather a waste of time and effort.

                Jesus has been teaching about the difficulties that fall our way when we try to follow him in the world. Some of it is just downright nasty persecution: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves…” (Matthew 10:16)  Now, I don’t know about you, but I am not too keen on becoming a nice piece of mutton for anyone, even if I have provided a bountiful meal for the ”wolf”. I am not sure that is what Jesus meant when he challenged us to feed the hungry.  But I digress.

                This is some of the hardest teachings that Jesus leaves us with. Many of us would-be followers of Jesus don’t want to hear about the hardships, the challenges, the sacrifices, the costs of being a follower, “and you will be hated because of me.”  (10:22)

Look Jesus, I just want my comfortable pew, and prefer that the secular world like me, really like me or, at least, leave me alone. Let the world pretend that I am not here. Let it go pick on some other religion or faith group. We and the world used to get along so well. Why is everybody always pickin’ on me? I thought that my faith put me on easy street; nothing bad is supposed to happen because I am a believer.  I just want my ticket to heaven stamped and I’m outta here.

But if we are doing our Christ-like thing really, really  well  - and not, instead, being noted or  critiqued for our hypocrisy – we will be noticed for our compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, inclusiveness, love, grace and forgiveness. These can be annoying behaviours. These can be bothersome traits.  These can be meddlesome habits. When we are sticking our nose into places where Jesus’ Love needs to shine, operate and make a difference we may just get it thrown back in our faces and told to go mind our own business.

                But Love is our “business”.  Love is our politics. Love is our “science”. Love is our currency. Love is our modus operandum.  Love is our performance model. And sometimes this style of Love hurts and as Jesus himself showed is personally costly.

                But this brings us back to what all that has to do with the hairs on your or my head. Jesus is making the point that when we practice this radical, intrusive discipleship we are not alone, not doing by ourselves, not defenceless or merely sacrificial lambs. God  is very aware of the dynamics of following  Jesus and just as a sparrow does not fall to the ground without God’s awareness, so too you and I are counted as  valuable to our sacred Father. “So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.) (10:31)

                Now that is  a supersized portion!

Dale