Fr. Eugene Lobo, SJ –
Thirteenth Sunday of the year July 02, 2023
2 Kings 4, 8-11 14-16; Romans 6, 3-4 8-11; Matthew 10 37-42
God invites every person to be close to him, to trust him and love him. From the beginning God called human persons to be with him for he is the creator for he has made every human person in his own image and likeness and desires to have constant contact with him. He invites everyone to a close personal relationship with him and when they do wrong and go astray; he invites them to a spirit of repentance to make them live a life worthy of him. He wants everyone to observe his commands and be close to him in obedience and self-sacrifice. God speaks to us in many ways, particularly through the word of God. The Sunday scriptural readings provide useful background. This leads us to better understand the word of God and link it with our daily activities of life in a meaningful way. In the Gospel of today Jesus invites his disciples to a great sacrifice even death itself for Christ. All of today’s readings remind us that we become fully alive through the generous giving of ourselves.
In the first reading the wealthy and pious woman did nothing remarkable in offering hospitality to Prophet Elisha when he occasionally passed that way. A piece of floor space, a mat, some food and friendship she offered and later asked her husband to build a little hut for the prophet on the roof of the house. In Biblical times hospitality was considered an important virtue. This was especially true when extended to someone doing God’s work. The reverence was extended to the office and not necessarily to the person. The woman’s kindness in making special arrangement to the Prophet was in reality kindness to God. The prophet felt the need of rewarding her for her generosity she now receives a reward beyond all proportions. She was longing to have a son and in the name of God, the prophet promises the reward she wishes to have.
The foundation of Jesus’ request for commitment is recalled in today’s section of St Paul’s letter to the Romans. Christians in a world of sin must live out their Baptism. In Paul’s time Baptism was by immersion. This symbolized dying to sin so as to rise and live a new life that Christ intended: a life of liberation from the power of sin and death. This involves incorporation into Christ and into his Body, the church. Thus a new creation takes place whereby we begin a lifelong process of dying to sin and becoming alive for God with the new life of the Gospel. Understanding the idea of Baptism in Peter’s letter we are also being anointed with oil making us part of the Royal Priesthood of Christ. Therefore we have to be true to Christ’s calling in Baptism to die to sin and to be born again in Christ.
Today’s Gospel is the conclusion of the instructions and consolations that we have heard Jesus offering to his disciples during the past few weeks. In this passage, Jesus summarizes both the costs of discipleship and its rewards. A disciple is one who knows his master well, has fully understood his life and now puts it into practice. This disciple gives his whole hearted submission and puts into practice the word of his master. Here again our understanding of the Gospel is strengthened by considering the context in which it was written and the perspective of Matthew’s audience. The conditions of discipleship outlined in Matthew’s Gospel may appear harsh. Yet they underline for us a truth—choosing anything with one’s whole heart has consequences.
In the first part of today’s Gospel Jesus tells his representatives, his delegates the Apostles and those who succeed them that they must be prepared to undergo great sacrifices and even be ready to die if they are called on to doing so for Christ. Even though they had very vague idea then of what Jesus meant, when the time came they remembered his words and gladly suffered imprisonment, hardships and finally martyrdom for Christ. This show how the resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit transformed them from worldly weak persons into fearless heroes who were ready give themselves wholly for him. They had become convinced that Jesus was the Son of God who had come into the world to bring all people to their heavenly reward. In the second part Jesus promises similar reward but with a difference. It will be greater reward in the world to come.
In today’s Gospel we admire the total honesty of Jesus as he speaks to his disciples. He speaks paradoxically of being alive as involving such a degree of generous commitment to him as to be willing to let go of even those things we hold dearest in our life: our reputation, our physical well-being, and even our family ties if necessary. Sometimes one has to choose between one’s closest ties on this earth and loyalty to Jesus. Those who would try to compromise as a way of keeping peace soon discover that keeping peace is not the same as having peace. Expressing his honesty Jesus tells us that whoever does not take up his cross and follow after him is not worthy of him. The people of Galilee to whom Jesus was speaking knew very well what a cross was. When the Roman General Varus had crushed a revolt in Galilee, he had two thousand Jews crucified there and had the crosses placed by the road sides as a lesson to others. We may ask the question what it means to be alive and what kind of life we obtain by carrying the cross. Jesus tells us that it is the only kind of life worth living. People who seek only themselves bring themselves to ruin. On the other hand those who bring themselves to nothing for the sake of Jesus and give themselves to others discover who they are.
Matthew also outlines the reward of hospitality offered to Jesus’ followers. In today’s Gospel, Jesus explains the difficulties of discipleship, yet reveals that those who welcome the disciples have also welcomed him. Today’s Gospel also highlights for us the importance of hospitality in the Christian life. To welcome another in Jesus’ name is to extend hospitality to Jesus himself. Jesus will surely reward the person for this generous act. We have many opportunities in our daily life to reach out to others, to be a welcoming presence and a sign of God’s love. In the Christian era all those who cooperate even in a little way, will also be rewarded. The reward may not come to them in this life, but if not it will be all the greater; it will be in the next life.
To be one with Jesus means to be a follower of Jesus or becoming his disciple. A disciple is one who knows the master well, has shared his life with him, who accepts his word and teachings and assists in spreading the doctrines with devotion. A Christian disciple is a person who accepts and assists in the spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ. Christian discipleship is the process by which disciples grow in the Lord Jesus Christ and are equipped by the Holy Spirit, who resides in our hearts, to overcome the pressures and trials of this present life and become more and more Christ like. This process requires believers to respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to examine their thoughts, words and actions and compare them with the Word of God.
The word disciple or discipleship commonly elicits a mental connotation of the followers of Christ in the Gospels. This connection is fitting because the root of the word disciple comes from the Latin “discipulus,” which means pupil or follower; one who accepts and follows a given doctrine or teacher”. Total union and familiarity with the master is essential. Today as we carry the message home, let us remember our Lord’s words to us: he who receives or gives hospitality and help to a prophet will have the reward of a prophet. He who helps those who are preaching and teaching the message of salvation, the good news of Christ, at home or abroad, will himself share the reward of these preachers and teachers.
A certain woman given much to piety had a dream. She was told that Jesus himself would come to her and she must prepare herself and wait for him. She got up very early, cleaned the house, kept things ready for the guest including a meal and waited for the Lord. As she was standing there with expectation a beggar woman came asking for food. The woman was annoyed and chased her out saying I am waiting for an important guest and come another day and I will help you. Then her neighbour came to her and asked for some urgent help and she refused saying she was busy as she was waiting for an important guest. Then a school boy came to her asking for some help as he was not able to get the necessary books and she refused. The day went on. Several people turned up at the gate for help or request of some kind or other and Jesus did not come. Sadly she went to sleep that night and she had a dream. In her dream the Lord came again and she began to complain to him telling how he had let her down. Jesus told her, “My friend, I came to you several times and you refused to recognize me. I was the beggar woman who was hungry, I was the neighbour who needed the help, and I was the boy who needed support.”
It happened that once a family left their place for a vacation, the entire set up of friends wishing them the farewell. After the parents with their little child left the place there was a storm and the message was received that they were caught in the storm and the car was damaged. After some time there was no message and hence a search party was arranged early in the morning and after nearly twelve hours of search the party found them half buried in snow. It certainly would seem a heroic story of a family. The mother was sitting in the car wearing her own coat and that of her husband to keep herself and the baby warm. But in the cold he was frozen to death. The mother kept huddling that child in that bitter cold and shielding it with her arms and they had become numb without circulation and later had to be amputated. The child was totally secure in the warmth of both its parents.