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Discipleship









Discipleship
Mt 10: 37 – 42
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Introduction

Today’s Gospel defines for us what a disciple of Jesus is. A disciple is one who loves the Lord above everything else. Such love urges a disciple to follow the Lord and eventually serve him.

Gospel

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Reflection

            Today’s Gospel is about discipleship. In quite a radical way, this reading   answers the question of who is a real disciple of the Lord. First, according to our reading, there is a loving relationship between Jesus and his followers. This loving relationship is something similar to the bonds of love we experience in a family. It is not surprising therefore that Jesus uses the bonds that exist in the family as examples to describe the kind of relationship that exists between himself and his disciples. But although discipleship may be a similar relationship with that of the family, family bonds do not surpass the relationship that exists between a disciple and Jesus. The disciple’s relationship with the Lord far exceeds the relationship a disciple has with his loved ones.

Discipleship then can be defined as a relationship like the one we experience in the family where we feel loved and accepted. At the same time, discipleship far surpasses these family bonds, because our love for family members cannot be more than the love we have for God. The phrase “ more than me” repeated twice in verse 37 makes this relationship clear: our love for God cannot take a back seat and remain secondary. Our love for the Lord is what drives us into discipleship. Without the primacy of this relationship in a disciple’s life, following Jesus becomes burdensome and a tedious daily struggle.

A disciple’s life is one of intense love for the Savior. Without such love and without such intensity, one cannot embrace the predictable consequences of one’s decision of following Jesus. The decision and choice to follow Jesus opens up a life of self-denial for the disciple. A life of self-denial presupposes that one is no longer pre-occupied with concerns about oneself but rather with the exigencies of the kingdom of God. It is in this sense that the disciple “ loses his life” for the Lord’s sake and in a way obliterates his ego for the sake of the kingdom.

But while the disciple loses his life and sacrifices personal interests for the sake of following Jesus, he surprisingly finds this life again. He finds it in the people to whom he is sent. The people who accept any disciple of Jesus are welcomed not because of the disciple but because of Jesus who sent him. The transformation of a disciple from one who follows the Lord to one whom people accept as the Lord’s representative is one of the most incredible transformations and metamorphosis one can imagine.  To represent Jesus, to be Jesus in the midst of his people, to speak for and in behalf of Jesus is one of the most incredible tasks one can assume in one’s lifetime. This is perhaps a disciple’s reward. Representing Jesus in a world wanting to know him presents one of the greatest challenges a disciple may have to face. But it also offers one of the greatest consolations in life to see Jesus living in and through you. The end goal of discipleship is for a disciple to become like his master, to evolve into the person you love, follow and serve. In the writings of St. Paul, however, discipleship doesn’t end in becoming like Christ, it eventually becomes a mystical experience of Christ himself, living in union with the Lord, where a disciple can finally claim” it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

Today’s Gospel once more wants us to reflect on our status as disciples of Jesus. It inquires from us how deep is our love for the Lord and our commitment to follow him. Lastly, as the Lord’s followers, we are also asked to reflect on our task of representing him and bringing him in the midst of the world that desires to know him. Let us ask the Lord this grace of loving, following and serving him in our life.

Prayer

Jesus, may I love you above everything else and above everyone else so I may faithfully follow you where you lead me, now and forever. Amen.



“… and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. “  - Gal 2: 20

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