Twenty-Ninth Of Year B
October 2006
We, today, are the very same as the Apostles.
There was this group of twelve mature men who had spent at least a year in the company of Jesus. They were worldly wise and ranged from business men like Peter, James and John who owned their own fishing boats and had men working for them to Matthew a taxman and Simon the Zealot. Zealots were revolutionaries opposing the Roman Empire (today they would be called terrorists).
Nevertheless they completely missed the point of Jesus' teaching and example. Today's gospel illustrates this very clearly.
The kernel of Jesus' words and deeds is about becoming a different kind of person - a person whose joy is to be of service to others.
As I said in the beginning, we are the same as the Apostles.
We miss the point of Jesus’ teaching and example. We even go out of our way to miss the point.
We happily get involved in all sorts of religious exercises and functions that involve the giving of our time and energy. Yet we keep circling around and avoiding direct contact with the kernel of Christianity. We keep avoiding becoming a different kind of person to what we are.
Like the Apostles we are quite happy to do a lot of good things (which is admirable) but we manage to do this without becoming really good people. I can forgive someone and yet not be a truly forgiving person at heart.
I can tolerate a troublesome neighbour and yet not be a truly tolerant person at heart. I can love another person or other people and yet avoid being a truly loving person at heart.
I can give generously on occasion and, yet, not be a truly generous person at heart.
But do not let all this depress you. Despite being constantly in the company of Jesus for so long the Twelve Apostles were the very same. It was only when they received the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost that they began to understand what Jesus was talking about.
Jesus did not love them less for this. It never occurred to Jesus to dismiss some or all of them and to try again with others who might do better. Understanding my true condition brings humility and humility opens the door to my heart and allows the Holy Spirit to enter and change me. This change can happen no matter what age I am.