Jesus is the good Teacher.  He invites us to be his disciples.

Jesus is resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem with his disciples.  There, he will suffer greatly and die on the cross.  The specter of a violent death does not make him turn back.

Much less does the lack of hospitality on the part of the Samaritans stop Jesus. He does not overreact. He is unlike James and John.  Both suggest the destruction of the Samaritans.  He corrects the two, as every good teacher would do.

The Teacher exemplifies the way to cope with rejection.  He teaches at the same time that those who wish to come after him will have to be peacemakers, true children of the common Father of all.  Genuine disciples rise above petty ethnic, cultural or religious considerations.

Jesus makes clear, too, that to follow him means not to mistake true security for the comfort that earthly goods afford.  Disciples cannot be as foolish as that greedy rich man who says to himself, “Rest, eat, drink and be merry!”

God made human beings for something much bigger than just physical comfort.  He made us for himself.  Authentic disciples know and confess that human hearts are restless and insecure until they rest in God and enjoy his peace and justice.

All discipleship depends, of course, on Jesus.  From him comes the invitation, “Follow me.”  They do not choose him, but rather he chooses them so that they may bear fruit. Without the Teacher, the disciples can do nothing.  The humble acknowledgment that God “alone is the author of every good thing” (SV.EN VII:305) is key to discerning true disciples from impostors.

The good thing is that Jesus invites all, as the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard teaches.  He does not settle for the petty calculations of “people who imagine a God devoted to carefully noting the sins and merits of human beings, to someday give back to each one exactly according to what he deserves (José Antonio Pagola).  The worked hours, many or few, do not matter to Jesus.  Everything is due to his generosity, and not to our works.

Disciples mistrust their own works.  They put their complete trust in Jesus’ generosity.  The same generosity impels them to follow him to the end.  So, they leave everything in order to live with him in freedom.  They recognize the absolute claim he has on them.  They work with him with resolve in bringing the Good News to the poor, in furthering the kingdom of God and his righteousness, in revealing the authentic face of God, whose “distinctive feature is mercy” (SV.EN XI:328).

Lord Jesus, feed us with your word and bread, or else the journey will be long for us.

June 26, 2016
13^th Sunday in O.T. (C)
1 Kgs 19, 16b. 19-21; Gal 5, 1. 13-18; Lk 9, 51-62