SCRIPTURE READINGS TODAY, WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014 Scripture today: Genesis 41: 55-57; 42:5-7.17-24; Psalm 32; Matthew 10: 1-7 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. (Matthew 10: 1-7) REFLECTIONS ON LOVE FOR JESUS Love for Jesus In the Gospel of St Matthew, soon after the commencement of his public ministry in chapter 4, our Lord calls four of his principal disciples, Peter and Andrew his brother, and James and John his brother. They immediately left their nets and followed him (4: 18-22). Our Lord then went about all of Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the summary of his teaching is given in the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7). Then there follow various healings, more teaching especially on faith Fr. Ted Tyler(8:10-12) and discipleship (8:19-26), encounters with demons (8: 28-34), followed by further teachings and miracles (chapter 9). During this narrative we notice various references to his “disciples” who listen to his teaching, as at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (5:1), who follow him, or express the desire to do so (8:21), and who accompany him in his work (8:25; 9:10-11; 9:14; 9:19). One special example of the “disciples” is the call of Matthew (9:9). At one point Christ gazes at “the crowds” and says to “his disciples” that they should pray to the Lord of the harvest that he send forth labourers into his harvest (9:37-38). That remark alone shows that “the disciples” will do more than accompany the Master and learn his teaching. They will share in his very work. So it is that in our passage today (Matthew 10: 1-7) our Lord takes a new step. We read that “calling forth the twelve disciples” he gave them certain powers (10:1). These were the Twelve, and they were deputed to act in his name, doing what they had seen him doing — casting out demons, healing all kinds of sickness (10:1), and preaching the news of the kingdom of heaven (10:7). The names of the “twelve apostles” (10:2) are given — five have been introduced already, including Matthew. Doubtless the others were well-known to the infant Church, and in the list there was, as is to be expected, the sad name of Judas Iscariot, “who also betrayed him” (10:4). These twelve disciples, we read, Jesus sent forth to do what he had been doing, and Judas was among them. There is no reason to doubt that Judas showed the same promise as they. Perhaps he even had a certain edge on many of them, for we know he was entrusted with the money. There must have been many such sorties sent forth by Christ, with Judas being ever a part of it. He would have healed by invoking the name of Jesus. He would have driven out demons by calling on the same name. He would have repeated the message he had heard uttered by the Master. He would have returned, like the others, to tell Jesus in his turn how things had got on, with Jesus gazing into his soul. We also know that things began to change in the heart of Judas — how soon, we cannot know. However, in his Gospel account of the public announcement of the holy Eucharist in the synagogue of Capernaum, St John tells us that many of Christ’s disciples were profoundly disaffected. They turned away from our Lord as a result of what he had said and taught — it was too much, as far as they were concerned, this business of eating his flesh and drinking his blood. It was abundantly clear that Jesus meant what he said. He was not just playing with words, or using them in some symbolic fashion. Now, the interesting thing here is that John tells us that when our Lord turned to the Twelve and received a full profession of faith by Simon Peter, he stated that one of them, one of those he had chosen, was “a devil” — and he was referring to Judas (John 6: 70-71). Judas too, in his heart of hearts, had abandoned our Lord and was hostile to him — only secretly. Something had been failing to this point, and with Christ’s doctrine on the Eucharist, he fell away. Yet — and this also is interesting — he continued to be part of our Lord’s company and presumably continued to participate in the mission, the sorties, the ministry of the Twelve. Christ did not expose him and turn him out. He did not even have a quiet word with him and suggest he go. His friendship and call had been given. It would not be withdrawn. What did Judas do in his mission with the others? After the raising of Lazarus from the dead, when Mary the sister of Martha poured costly ointment over the feet of Jesus, Judas criticised the action (John 12:4-6). One wonders whether privately he had criticised Christ in other contexts too. One wonders with what spirit he spoke of Jesus, and the slant he gave to the message of the Twelve, for his heart was far from him. How could he have spoken of Jesus with faith and love? Every baptized person is called to a personal friendship with Jesus and to a share in his mission. We are called to be his representatives before others in the situation and calling that is ours. But how can we possibly speak of Jesus with fruit and effect, if our hearts are not with him? It is impossible. The foundation of our calling as Christians is a personal love for Jesus Christ and full faith in his person and teaching. This depends on our life of prayer, our daily conversation with Jesus Christ. This was lacking in Judas as time went on. He began well, and ended so very sadly. The same can happen with us, if we do not take care. Let us take care, then! Let us stay close to Jesus Christ day by day by our daily prayer and our worthy reception of the Sacraments. (E.J.Tyler)
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 16:03:42 +0000
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