Friday Gospel Recharge
A Reflection on Matthew 16: 24-28
(Friday Week 18, Year A of the Liturgical Calendar, 2023)
Challenges of Discipleship in the Modern World
The
word disciple comes from the Latin word ‘discipulus’. Its basic meaning is that
of discipline. We all know too well what it feels like to be disciplined in a
task or skill set. It comes with study, preparation and hard work. Without discipline
of some skill, trade, or even the body against its appetite for food, drink and
sex then really you haven’t mastered what you had set out to acquire.
In this Gospel passage, Jesus says to his disciples that if they wish to follow after him, then they ought to say no to their own ambitions, aspirations and carry their crosses too. However, not all ambitions are subject to renouncement, since people desire to be religious, priests, married or remain single in the world and these particular lifestyles are good and something which we are all called to consider. However, what Jesus has in mind here is the denial of our pursuit of worldly things and seek what our Heavenly Father intends for us, which is total obedience to the will of the Father. Total obedience to the Father’s will is what Jesus accomplished with his own life and death on the cross, and total obedience is required to all those who so desire to live to know love and serve their God.
Disciplining oneself to the total will of God requires the discipline of discernment, effort and perseverance. Effort and perseverance are pretty self-explanatory, since every work task requires these two elements to master anything. However, discernment is also important in the part of the discipline of discipleship because we have competing forces here for our soul. God wants us and the devil wants to conquer us also. To figure out what God wants from us requires discernment therefore because while God informs our hearts that wily bastard seeks to distract us from the data God gives us or distort it with false realities.
God’s will while it is not too demanding on the mind, body and soul, since he asks us to love one another as he has loved us, our weak bodies and societal influences can sway us to direct our wills on ungodly things such as those things which is the opposite of love, which might be to speak uncharitably about others, lie, neglect the need of a neighbour who we are capable of helping, or even lay with our neighbours spouse or any man or woman for that matter outside the covenant of marriage. You see, the influence of the flesh and the world is so enticing we can at times say no to God and say yes to a falsely perceived good, which are some of those things mentioned earlier. We can fall prey to the ungodly for many reasons but one that has been drawn to my attention is that our weak bodies and societal influences inform us that we might just miss out on something good if we constantly direct our attention and will on God’s plan.
Also in this Gospel, Jesus tells us that it’s not what we possess but what we have done that merits eternal life. Even having possession of the whole world will not save man from being judged unfavourably. It’s not all the gold medals nor accolades that wins God’s heart, but our effort in taking the knee and washing the feet of those whom God loves. This point is pertinent because God wants us to be aware that being on top of the world or dominating others is not a condition of discipleship nor something he takes favour in. Discipleship entails something much more than having loads of possessions, it means to have less for ourselves in this life and take up our crosses and follow The way of Calvary and be crucified for Jesus sake. When we bear our crosses, we not only avoid domination of others but instead stand beside our neighbour and relate with them.
Think of the Story of Adam and Eve. It is from Adams rib that the woman is made from. In other words, the woman is neither beneath nor above man but is equal to him. Adam had to lose something apart of himself so that that wonderful creature the woman can also have life and share all that is good about it. The sacrifice of Adams rib for the sake of woman is an indication that from the beginning and in our DNA we were made to be disciples of each other.
Let’s remember too that Jesus who from the beginning was arrayed in majesty humbled himself and became not just a man, but a Nazarene, a nobody, and served others, a hopeful reminder for those who have their hearts set on silver and gold to reconsider their priorities.
So, when the time comes for his second return, Jesus will judge us accordingly to charity and our contribution to building up God’s kingdom on earth. Jesus’s return is a helpful reminder to us that in the presence of God we will be judged, that we ought to lose it all at the time of his second coming which is drawing near.
In
summing up, let’s consider our priorities. Is Jesus number or are we attached
to worldly pleasures and possessions of all kinds of goods and rarely use them
for the benefit of others and the kingdom? The choice is real - our reward for
eternity by denying ourselves now or enjoying the pleasures of this world and
not nurturing our soul and therefore losing our reward?
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