GOSPEL, Matthew (8:18-22)

Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

Would-Be Followers of Jesus

¹⁸ Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. ¹⁹ A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ²¹ Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” ²² But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

The Gospel of the Lord

 

REFLECTION

Christ’s messages are derived from the signs. The Word and the bread lead and encourage us to follow the teachings of Christ. He tells us, I am the way.

Following him comes at a price as we read in (Matthew 8:18-22). He calls whomever he wants and when he wants. Being erudite, like the scribe and being able to read and understand Holy Scripture is not enough to follow Jesus. The most important thing is to be able and willing to suffer total abandonment in the hands of God. Jesus’ answer: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head,” indicates the total denial of self in favour of the Kingdom of God.

To the disciple who asks him: Let me first go and bury my father, Jesus says to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Indicates the break with all the traditions of the past. To accompany Jesus is to follow the one who is the resurrection and the life, to follow him in knowledge and in a life totally turned toward the Kingdom.

In order to follow Christ, it is not enough to accept his teaching; it presupposes participation in his life and communion in his destiny of suffering and joy. The radical nature of Jesus’ language in both interactions in this Gospel serve to emphasize the urgency of the Kingdom and are a basic reference for the invitation to follow him.

Two encounters and the same answer: To continue fighting resolutely for Christ with Christ and in Christ.

 

PRAYER

Allow us, Lord Jesus, to walk by your side, so we will not lose our step, as we get closer towards Your final paschal objective, and strengthen us with the fire of your Spirit that will destroy our fears, reservations and selfishness. Amen.