The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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It’s not the shepherd’s fault that this sheep wandered off. But he’s the one who pays the price.
This shepherd travels over mountains, through valleys, thickets and woods, looking for his lost sheep.
Wandering alone into the woods was risky, certainly as night fell. There could’ve been thieves, robbers, or other creatures lurking in the darkness, waiting to pounce on him.
Still, this shepherd risks his life in order to save another.
That’s the goodness of God, who freely offers himself for us, who’ve wandered off into the darkness for one reason or another.
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Notice what happens when the shepherd finds his sheep: a common practice would’ve been to break its legs in order to prevent it from wandering off again.
But this shepherd just picks his sheep up, puts it on his shoulders, and gives it a free ride home.
The sheep isn’t punished for wandering off; it’s embraced when found.
Its dignity remains intact.
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Similarly, there isn’t anything God won’t do in order to seek us out.
And when he finds us, the Lord doesn’t punish us for wandering off; he doesn’t break our legs. He puts us on his shoulders, offering us a free ride home, back to the Church, where we belong.
Our dignity remains intact.
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Whenever we feel lost or need to be found, simply call on the Lord until you feel his embrace.
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Image credits: (1) embracedbyGod.org (2) Pinterest (3) Million Minutes
As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief.
When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes,” he said. When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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“And they were overwhelmed with grief.”
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Jesus has just told his disciples – once again – the greatest news ever told. “The Son of Man…will be raised on the third day!”
Why, then, are they “overwhelmed with grief?” Where’s the bad news in that???
The disciples seemed to have missed all that Jesus told them; they focused on what he said before the promise of the resurrection. Prior to being raised, Jesus must be killed.
That’s what caused their grief.
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Often, we have similar reactions when faced with bad news or grief.
We lose our job; we’re rejected from our top college; a relationship ends; a loved one returns to the Lord.
Bad things happen and, like the disciples, we sit and wonder why Jesus would allow it. Fear and disappointment fill our hearts to the point that we stop believing there’s life – or good things – to come.
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Jesus wasn’t blind to the disciples’ disappointment or lack of faith. But he continued moving towards Jerusalem – towards his cross – anyways, because he hoped that after witnessing his resurrection that they would come to believe.
It wasn’t easy. Jesus had to appear to them for “forty days and forty nights” in order to transform their hearts, lifting them out of the valley of disbelief and grief.
But eventually, they came back to life. Then the disciples went off to change the world.
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Perhaps we can all learn from their story. When we feel “overwhelmed by grief,” remember that there is life beyond that moment, even if we cannot see it.
Faith is trusting that God is with us – and will always bring us from darkness into light.
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Image credits: (1) Looking Beyond Competition, LinkedIn (2) Christ Carrying the Cross, Giorgione and Titian, Prado (3) Pure in Heart America
Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, the master will put the servant in charge of all his property. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish the servant severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating shall be beaten only lightly. Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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“Students, please take out two sheets of paper and a sharpened pencil. Begin answering the questions on the board. You’ll have thirty minutes to complete your work.”
“Yes, this is a pop quiz.”
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In high school, those five alarming words – this is a pop quiz– made my stomach drop. It felt like some of my teachers just loved to torture us.
Anyone who didn’t do the previous night’s readings or who fell asleep during yesterday’s math lesson was doomed to fail.
As an achiever who tried earning good grades, being caught off guard or unprepared was the worst feeling ever.
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In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to, “Be like servants who await their master’s return.”
Like a high school teacher announcing a pop quiz, we simply don’t know when he’s coming back. It’s best to be ready.
But is the Lord’s return something we should fear? Or is it something we should welcome?
I suppose a large part of our answer depends upon our image of God. So who is God to me?
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Is God like a distant father figure? Maybe a stickler for rules who holds me accountable for every little misstep?
Or is God my shepherd, my intimate friend, who loves me in spite of my failings?
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Part of Luke’s motivation for writing his Gospel is to help shape our view of God. In particular, Luke is writing to the second generation of Christians who, like us, didn’t have direct contact with Jesus.
Their elders expected the Lord to return immediately, but since Jesus didn’t, some left the faith and became morally lax.
God became a distant figure; someone they’d deal with at the end of their lives – if he’s there at all. It’s a temptation that people still fall into today.
Frankly, most people aren’t concerned with the second coming of Jesus. They’re more worried about their grocery list or what’s next on Netflix.
Yet at the same time, Americans have become increasingly fragile, even obsessed over the truth of our own mortality. Think of random shootings that happen with increasing frequency across the country; floods like those in Kentucky; or wildfires out West.
Even though the chance of being caught in such a nightmare is minimal, it’s strong enough to put fear in our bones. We’re captivated by it on the nightly news.
The truth is, we know our end is somewhere on the horizon, but many treat it like something they’ll deal with tomorrow.
If God’s there, we’ll deal with him then.
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But Jesus says to, “Be like servants who await their master’s return.” So, what does it mean to be ready? Being at peace with God – and at peace with one another.
This is why I try examining my own conscience at the end of each night, asking myself questions like: Where did I encounter the Lord today? How kind was I to my neighbor? Did I grow in love?
It’s a simple way to stay accountable – to stay ready.
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“Students, please take out two sheets of paper and a sharpened pencil. Begin answering the questions on the board. Yes, this is a pop quiz.”
Just as I cannot borrow another student’s work, I cannot borrow another person’s relationship with God.
I have my own – and you have yours.
The beauty is, however, that there’s no competition. Everyone has the opportunity to enter into the kingdom.
So, if the Lord were returning tonight, then what might you do to put your affairs in order?
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First, you might resolve all conflict; forgive wrongdoings; offer apologies where needed; and go to confession. Maybe you’d tell others you love them; thank those who’ve been good to you; and hug a friend.
“Blessed are those servants,” Jesus says, “whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.”
Even if the Lord doesn’t return tonight, doing these things tidy up our spirit, showing the Lord how seriously we take our faith; that we’re ready to embrace him whenever he comes.
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Pop quiz?
No worries.
I’m ready.
Are you?
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Image credits: (1) David Jeremiah Blog (2) ETS Dental (3) Christianity.com
