We hear all about Discipleship. many will focus on specific verses from Scripture and teach all about that. Teaching is a marvelous thing to do.. but the word disciple doesn’t have anything to do with teaching. It is for us to listen. And to listen to the one who actually is teaching us. It is this right relationship between the Master and the Disciple that need be maintained.
The disciple will at times have to spread his or her wings to exercise what they are being taught. At times the Disciple might even act out against the Master and think they have a better way. This happens quite a bit. Some people get a little bit of information, think something too easy or too hard and then they fly off on their own and reject the teaching and learn no more about it.
Pathways towards Freedom
Our readings today should give us plenty of insight into learning the pathways. To learn Christianity has many paths simply because God knows what is best for us. Each of us are unique and need care individually. But like a petulant child at times we have our fingers in our ears and going “la-la-la-la-la” We hear the truth, it does not fit into what our preconceived notions of what “our” truth is… and we walk away.
Today’s first reading gives us a glimpse of this. Paul and Barnabas proclaimed the good news of Jesus to a wide range of people. Many could not understand the message being proclaimed. In particular there were some “Jews” who simply could not believe that the Messiah had come at all. Many were looking for a Earthly king, others and Earthly Prophet. None of these that rejected the good news could fathom the reality that had actually occurred.
Know your audience and times
Many of the politicians that we see today cannot fathom that their ideas and their thoughts are so far out of date and have been proven to be unable to do anything for the common good. They go along speaking on topics that may have been unsettled during the time of the VietNam war but 60 years later have no relevance to a immigrant family eating from day to day, not knowing where their next meal will come from. But these millionaire politicians claim to understand their world. They do not understand the actual Truth and constantly try to bend truth to fit their message.
It seems pretty obvious that the Gentiles seemed open to the messages that were being given by Paul, Barnabas, et al. They had no preconceived notions. These “God-fearers” had rejected the Greek and Roman religious system as foolishness. However for some it was too much. They could not understand based on their life experience how the Truth of Jesus Christ fit into their lives. From First Corinthians we hear “but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
Love will create more Disciples
But Jew and Gentile alike did understand one thing.. and it is as Jesus tells us the most important thing. Love. This is not an optional thing for the life of a Christian. Jesus did not say, ‘Love one another, if you want to’.. it was emphatic… Not only love one another, but he added
As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. Jesus says this is what you shall do and keep doing it.. don’t stop. But many have stopped, and many continue to stop.
It may do well to take a look at love. Like many things in the 21st century.. our feelings are what we pay attention to. But love is not a feeling.. it is an action. It is not some narcissistic thing that we do for ourselves…. Not by a long shot Now enough ink has been shed on the 4 types of love to waste your time here. (There actually appear to be eight Greek words for love 3 of which are found in the Bible) But for our purposes here I will stick with Agape or sacrificial love.
Agape Love
Willing the good of another is Thomas Aquinas’ definition of sacrificial love. This is just an absolutely wonderful definition. For most reading this you are married and probably for a pretty good number of years now. Amazing how our idea of love has changed over the years. Our concept of loving our spouse has definitely moved hasn’t it? This is really what we are aimed to do. I will sacrifice for Thea (my wife) as much as I can. It is really only when I am placed between Jesus and Thea that I must make a choice .. Sorry hon Jesus is probably gonna win…but I would expect the same from you.
Love is an amazingly hard thing to do, primarily with our fallen nature. But when you do it.. you know you have done right. Our Intellect and will are working together to bring the best for the person we are loving. One of the most satisfying things in the wold is when you have successfully loved someone. I know that sounds a little odd.. but how can we will the good of the other? By taking care of their needs…. not wants.. but needs. We can harken back to that wonderful Hierarchy of Needs by Abraham Maslov we all learned about.
Abraham Maslov
As it was written, this hierarchy simply looks through the humanist viewpoint.. but even in Maslov’s later yeas he began to explore deeper into the transcendence levels. Christianity far surpasses the standard needs model in that our needs are based on our desire for that Creator. And this yearning for God allows each of us to gift ourselves to others, in a much higher realm that simply utilizing talents and pursuing goals. It is the recognizing of willing the good for another that is ultimately revealed in God himself.
God loves us more than anything we can imagine or that we can do ourselves. Why is it when a loved one is sitting next to us at Church it feels so much more right than sitting together in a movie theater. Both are good, but one brings a much wider viewpoint of good and much more comfort. My apologies to all the movie theater owners out there… you just can’t compete with God..no matter how many reclining seats you put in. Thank you though for the new seats!
When you and the family are all sitting together in the same pew, one can almost feel the love between all of you. Each individual intellect and will working together for the single common desire that each of us have. That desire to be reunited with our Creator. But the reverse is true also remember the actual quote is As I have loved you, so you should love one another.
Love will keep us together
Okay I tried not to use that heading, but I must have an inner Daryl Dragon somewhere. ( For you young enough not to remember the reference.. don’t sweat it.. it is just a heading. So the command which Jesus gives us is more than just have a feeling toward all other people.. But to love each and everyone of your neighbors to the fullest extent possible. We must keep two things in mind here. Our neighbor is everyone. This lesson we learn in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The other thing we must remember is that to love everyone to the fullest extent.. is to lay down our lives for everyone.
We cannot escape that one. Jesus did that to show His love for us… If we are to love others as He loved us.. we must be willing to do the same. No.. this is not easy… This is when we have to ask for the help of that which we trust.. in God. Time and time again it is shown that God’s love is so great. We claim to be disciples. And when you look through the New Testament, no on ever said it would be easy. Our being disciples of Christ comes at a price, but one we do not have to pay.
1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, who is good,
whose love endures forever;
Jeremiah 33:11
the song of joy, the song of gladness, the song of the bridegroom, the song of the bride, the song of those bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD
: “Give thanks to the LORD
of hosts, for the LORD
is good; God’s love endures forever.”
The Disciples Come together
This concept goes on and on. Even without Scripture we can feel the love drawing us in.. We can harden our hearts against it.. but the calling is still there. One can stop going to Church but there is an emptiness that is there. One cannot fully explain it, until it is pointed out. But it is pointed out by someone who is fully in love with that person. They will the good for another.. they love as Christ loves. Generally it is not anything that shows. but occasionally one will have to sacrifice themselves for the good of one that is loved.
There are times which I must point out a deficiency or show that something that is being done is sinful or against the perfection God wants for each of us. I risk being spurned and an ugly confrontation. But it is simply in love which I make this risk. The love of my own working in concert with the love of God, showing an error. And it goes both ways. I am nowhere close to perfection yet. If I allow something to continue that is dangerous to someone physically I am culpable. How much more those spiritual tings which need to be remedied. That is the cost of love. One will be called horrible things “hater” prejudiced, etc etc.. Basically all the things you hear as arguments on the news these days. That too is a cost we are called to.
Ultimate Lover
much of the “love” we hear and see today is self-centered love. ‘I love pizza’, ‘I love it when I…’, and for somethings there is nothing wrong with this. A love of self is necessary. But When God says thou shall not kill or thou shalt not commit adultery… and then goes on to explain in fuller detail what that means.. We really should pay attention and not do those things. But yet the world will say yes do whatever you will… It shows that the world does not love you. God does though and wants you to reflect Him in all that you do and all that you say. This means at times you will not so things you want to do.. because you love Him. God is the ultimate neighbor whom we should love and reflect.
Be good Play nice Think God !
Here is the link to this weekend’s readings:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/051919.cfm