Word to the Wise
Tuesday, July 23, 2024 - Tuesday in the 16th Week in Ordinary Time
[Mic 7:14-15, 18-20 and Matt 12:46-50]"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, sister, and mother." [Matthew]
The Gospel According to Matthew omits the setting for Jesus' statement above. Jesus' relatives came looking for him because they thought he was "out of his mind." [Mark 3:21] In the culture of Jesus' time, the order of loyalty began with family, then clan, then tribe. The Gospel According to Mark was emphasizing the rejection of Jesus. In today's gospel scripture from Matthew, the emphasis is on the importance of discipleship and the conditions for it. Discipleship means putting Jesus above all else. This latter demand can present very difficult pastoral challenges.
In my years of campus ministry, I have received an occasional call from anxious parents because a particular "Christian" group on campus seems to have "brainwashed" their son or daughter and encouraged the student to cut off communication, especially during a summer "experience." There are instances when parents hire someone to "de-program" their son or daughter! In other circumstances, the opposite may occur when the student joins the Catholic communion and the parents cut off communication. Jesus warns that discipleship can result in family discord [Matt. 10:34-39] but when this happens it is always a tragedy.
True discipleship does mean an ordering of priorities that can compete with the cultural and political world we live in. But the emphasis should be on living Jesus' teachings in such a way that people will be attracted positively. When discipleship results in fear and conflict, the whole purpose of salvation is turned upside down. AMEN