Brief Background:

Saints Cyril and Methodius were two brothers from Thessalonica (modern-day Greece) in the 9th century who became great missionaries to the Slavic peoples of Central Europe. Saint Cyril (c. 826–869) was a monk and gifted scholar, while his older brother, Saint Methodius (c. 815–885), later became a bishop. Because they grew up in a region surrounded by Slavic communities, they knew the Slavic language, which uniquely prepared them for their mission. In 863, they were sent to Great Moravia to preach the Gospel. Recognizing that the people could better receive the faith in their own language, they created the Glagolitic alphabet (which later developed into the Cyrillic alphabet) and translated Scripture and parts of the liturgy into Slavonic. At a time when many believed worship should only be in Latin, Greek, or Hebrew, they defended the use of the local language, insisting that the Gospel is meant for every culture. Cyril died in Rome as a monk, while Methodius continued the mission as a bishop, enduring opposition and even imprisonment for his work. Today they are honored as the “Apostles to the Slavs” and are patrons of Europe, missionaries, and those who work to bring the faith into different cultures and languages.

REFLECTION:

Everyone has insecurities. Every single one of us. The question is not whether we have them — the question is what we do with them. We can face them honestly, or we can submit to them and slowly let them take over our decisions.

In today’s reading, Jeroboam reveals his insecurity in a simple but powerful sentence: “If the people go back to Jerusalem…” That one thought exposes his fear. He is afraid of losing influence. Afraid of losing loyalty. Afraid of losing control.

And instead of bringing that fear to God, he lets it guide him.

Jeroboam had received a promise from the Lord. God had entrusted him with leadership. But fear began to speak louder than faith. So he reshaped worship. He built golden calves. He established alternative shrines. He kept religious language, but detached it from obedience. On the outside it looked spiritual. On the inside it was driven by insecurity.

His sin did not begin with open rebellion. It began with fear.

That is what makes this passage so relevant for us. We may not build physical idols, but insecurity can still distort our worship. When we fear rejection, we compromise our values. When we fear losing control, we manipulate outcomes. When we fear uncertainty, we grasp for what feels safer instead of trusting God’s promise.

Fear becomes subtle. It disguises itself as wisdom. It sounds practical. It even feels responsible. But if fear becomes our primary voice, it slowly reshapes our trust in God.

The tragedy of Jeroboam is not that he felt insecure. That is human. The tragedy is that he allowed insecurity to lead him rather than faith. Scripture tells us that even after warning signs and opportunities to turn back, he did not change. Fear hardened into habit.

This reading invites us to examine our own hearts. Where does insecurity quietly influence our choices? Where are we trying to secure something God has already promised to hold?

Faith says, “God will provide.” Fear says, “I must secure this myself.”



Insecurity can either become a doorway to deeper trust, or the beginning of distortion. The choice is ours.