SUNDAY, TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Wis 9: 13-18 Ps 90 Phlm 9-10,12-17 Lk 14: 25-33
MATHETES
More than two thousand years have passed since the resurrection of Jesus Christ and still humanity is conflated with Jesus and Christ. In our normal conversation we used Jesus and Christ in the same breath as if Christ is Jesus’s last name. The Prologue in John’s Gospel, Colossians 1 and Ephesians 1, state with absolute clarity that Christ existed from all eternity and Jesus existed just within the bounds of time. In fact the Gospel of John, is all about the Christ [But these are written that you may believe, that Jesus is the Messiah (Christ), the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (Jn 20:31)]. St Paul encounters this Christ on his way to Damascus.
In the synoptics, i.e., Matthew, Mark and Luke, it is mostly about Jesus who existed in time. This Word-made-flesh as revealed to us in John 1, cannot be dispensed with! We are familiar with how events unfolded when Jesus walked on this earth and large crowds followed him, however He expects of us to head towards a different level of following Him. His invitation is discipleship. The Greek word used for a disciple is mathetes which is a derivation of Mathano from the root ‘math,’ indicating ‘thought accompanied by endeavour’. In other words, a disciple is a person who learns from another by instruction, whether formal or informal. Discipleship also includes the idea of one who intentionally learns by inquiry and observation and thus mathetes is more than merely a pupil.
Jesus of Nazareth, who existed in time is a perfect archetype of human journey i.e., from his conception in Bethlehem, ordinary life of 30 years like most of us to his trial, betrayal, death and resurrection. Jesus’ command, “Follow me,” appears more than ten times in the gospel which proves its importance.
Jesus asks his would-be-followers to consider the cost of following Him at three different levels:
Close Family Ties: If the values of the kingdom you desire to embrace stands in stark contrast to your close family ties, then whom would you chose? Are you ready to leave your close family and follow him?
Worldly values: If one believes that life is all about earning money, building a house, and surrounding oneself with comforts, then—according to the mystics—one has truly gained nothing. Jesus does not call us to destitution, but He does call us to examine our values. When worldly ambitions stand in contrast to the values of His Kingdom, whom will we choose? Jesus presses the question even further: once you have made the decision to follow Him, are you prepared to see it through to the end? St. Paul, at the close of his ministry, could say with confidence, “I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” Can we make the same claim, or will we abandon Him halfway when the cost of discipleship becomes real?
War between Spirit & Flesh: This refers to the ongoing battle between the kingship of Jesus and the deception of Satan. Once we step away from worldly values, we are called to a higher way of life—one that requires us to be fully equipped with what St. Paul calls “the armour of God.” As disciples, we must remain constantly united to the true Vine, Christ Himself. The moment we allow disconnection, we step outside the shelter of God’s protection, leaving ourselves vulnerable to the enemy’s snares.
Jesus of Nazareth, who followed the will of his Father while on earth was crucified, died, buried, but rose from the dead. This Jesus is the Christ, who has sent us His Holy Spirit so that we are not left orphans in our journey of discipleship. This Resurrected Christ is presented as a “Forgiving Victim.” Before the disciples who hide in a closed room, Christ presents himself. This Christ who was betrayed by his close ones, speaks not questioning the betrayal, but proclaims “Shalom” or the “Peace of the Sabath”, “As the father has sent me, I am sending you” and he breathes the Holy Spirit upon them. Then he shows his disciples the wounds of his hands and his side warning them of the cost of discipleship. This is the new beginning for just as Yahweh breathed life into Adam, Jesus Christ breathes into the cold heart of Human beings; if only we welcome the life he offers us!
Response: O Lord, you have been our refuge,
from generation to generation.
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