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Dear Friend,
Luke wrote this Gospel from what he heard from the Apostle, Paul, whom he accompanied in the
mission and, possibly, from the first disciples of Jesus. So he knew at the writing of this Gospel that Jesus is the Messiah.
Please read this Gospel to your family (9:51-62). Let them find out how the people had responded to the presence of the Messiah among them to learn from Him.
The Samaritans would not receive Him. John and James would like to call "fire from heaven" to
reduce them to ashes. But Jesus would not let them. Jesus would later tell them about a Good
Samaritan who was a good neighbor worth emulating. Jesus had to pardon the Samaritan’s
ignorance, as He would the rest of the world who knew Him not and become the object of their
mission.
Then, there was the conversation of Jesus to three would-be followers.
The first one was definite about his following Jesus. However, Jesus cautioned him with "Foxes
have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." This is the cost of being a disciple of Jesus -- no home to return to rest. No comfort, but the joy of reaching out to people.
The second one was also definite but would like to bury first his dead father. To him, Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them and proclaim the kingdom of God." Jesus here is telling the would-be follower to focus and give priority on the mission. The kingdom of God is for the living and let those who cannot come with Him take care of his father.
And the third would like to say good-bye to his family. Jesus showed how observant he was of the life in farmlands of Galilee. It had a lot of rocks that a person plowing the land had to watch out for, otherwise, he would break his plow against a rock. The would-be follower understood this to mean to pay full attention to the mission and not be distracted by but to learn from the past.
Recall how Peter, Andrew, John and James responded to the call of Jesus as related by Luke
(5:11) – they left everything and followed Jesus.
In other words, a follower of Jesus should love without any condition.
Prayer and Reflection ~
Am I definite about following Jesus? Or am I tentative?
What conditions am I setting?
What attachments can I not give up?
Am I not aware that these conditions and attachments cause my failure to truly love?
That these hinders my becoming an authentic witness of Christ's love?
Only God's grace and mercy will save me from myself!
Joe & Charito
THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA'S
ONLINE RESOURCE FOR FAMILY MINISTRIES
www.simbahayan.org
servants@simbahayan.org
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