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What can happen when we follow Jesus? Radical transformation.

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Gospel: Matthew 9: 9-13

As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There was no one the Jews hated more in society than tax collectors. They were commonly known for being thieves, extorting exuberant amounts of money from citizens, even the poor. 

The Jews had only one king – God – so paying taxes to the Romans was a type of infringement on God’s right as their sovereign king.

In fact, in Jewish law, tax collectors were forbidden from entering the synagogue; they were thrown into the same ritual lot as unclean animals, robbers, and murderers. 

In a word, they were considered scum.

Yet it’s the tax collector, Matthew, whom Jesus invites in today’s Gospel to become his Apostle. This becomes one of the greatest examples of the Lord’s ability to see profoundly into the human heart, weighing not only what a person is, but also what they can become.

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For the next three years, Matthew will learn how to leave himself and his desires behind in order to follow Jesus. After the resurrection, he will set East to share the Gospel to the far edges of the known world – as far as Ethiopia, where traditionally he was martyred.

Matthew will leave behind his Gospel as a written testament to the transformation that Jesus causes – not only to a single human heart, but also to the world at large.

Each of us has been affected – changed – by the life and testimony of Matthew.

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He teaches us that following Christ can involve leaving worldly comforts behind in exchange for adventure.

Following Christ will make us shed our ego, putting on a new self.

Following Christ leads to a future unwritten – unknown to the human heart – but paved step by step in the Spirit.

“Can you leave yourself behind and follow me?” the Lord asks, not only to Matthew, but to each of us today.

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Image credits: (1) To follow Jesus, we must change our lives profoundly, National Catholic Reporter (2) The Calling of St. Matthew, Caravaggio (3) Whitehall Church of Christ

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Learning from the martyrs.

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Gospel: Luke 7: 31-35

Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?
What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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From the moment of the resurrection onward, various governments have tried stomping out Christianity from their culture and society, beginning with the Roman Empire.

Some purges have killed tens of thousands of Christians at a time – men, women, even children.

In fact, more Christians were killed in the 20th century than all previous centuries combined!

But, mysteriously, the Church continues to grow. In fact, it’s grown by one-million percent since the calling of the Twelve Apostles.

And all of them, with the exception of Judas and John (who died in exile), we’re martyred.

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Today we remember the 10,000 Catholics who were martyred in Korea from the 17th century onward, including Saint Andrew Kim Taegon and his companions.

For centuries, Christians were persecuted by the Korean government because of their teaching on baptism – the idea that all are equal in Christ, a radical shift away from the traditional class-based system that bound the Korean culture and society together.

Although there was a strong push to eradicate the Christian faith, mysteriously the Church continued to grow.

In fact, it remains active in Korea – and in most parts around the world – today.

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So, what can the example of the martyrs say to us?

While we don’t actively seek to suffer for our faith, there is an incredible power that is released when we do. 

Sometimes we need to speak out; stand up; profess our faith in some way for the sake of Jesus.

“Be not afraid,” the Lord says. Anytime we bear witness to Jesus, the Church will mysteriously grow.

How might we bear witness to Him today?

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Image credits: (1) The Persecuted (2) Catholic Truth Society, Korean Martyrs (3) The King’s Corner, WordPress.com

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Why did Jesus raise a boy from the dead?

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Gospel: Luke 7: 11-17

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst,”
and “God has visited his people.”
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Most miracles Jesus performs are for a stranger’s good. He grants a blind man his sight; heals a leper’s wounds; forgives someone their sins. These miracles are frequently in response to a person’s faith.

But today’s miracle – bringing a dead son back to life – is different. 

It was far more personal for Jesus; it struck a particular chord in his heart. Jesus must’ve seen his own body tucked inside that coffin … and the inexhaustible grief of Mary, his mother, buried in that widowed mother’s face.

Soon enough, Jesus knows, he will be the one being carried in procession to a grave.

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Thus, this miracle is not only for the sake of the boy and his mother, but also for the consolation of Mary. As the Gospel tells us, when Jesus saw this boy’s mother, “he was moved with pity for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’”

Stepping forward, he touches the coffin, and says, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”

Suddenly, everyone’s grief is turned into astounding joy.

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How we wish the Lord would be moved with pity at the sight of every funeral procession, certainly ones for children.

But keep in mind, this miracle was performed before the resurrection; before Jesus conquered death forever; before the gates of heaven were opened to humanity.

Christians are called to be forward thinking; to celebrate not just a return to physical life, but also the promise of eternal life. As Saint Paul says, “Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death, is your sting?”

May the same Spirit who brought Jesus to life raise us all again.

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Image credits: (1) Messages of Christ, The Widow of Nain, YouTube (2) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (3) The Gospel Coalition