July 16, 2018 Monday, 15th Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Is 1:10-17
Gospel: Mt 10:34–11:1
Jesus said to his apostles, “Do not think that I have come to establish peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father and daughter against her mother; a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Each one will have as enemies those of one’s own family.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take up his cross and come after me is not worthy of me. One who wants to benefit from his life will lose it; one who loses his life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me. The one who welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet; the one who welcomes a just man because he is a just man will receive the reward of a just man. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is a disciple of mine, I assure you, he will not go unrewarded.”
When Jesus had finished giving his twelve disciples these instructions, he went on from there to teach and to proclaim his message in their towns.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
The nature of the kingdom Jesus wanted to establish on earth was manifest in the kind of demands he was making. We have seen how radical he was in his determination to pull down unhealthy social structures. Consider for example what he said in today’s Gospel. “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword”, he said. “For I have come to set a man against his father and daughter against her mother; a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Each one will have as enemies those of one’s own family.” His listeners, didn’t hear this the first time, for Jesus was apparently quoting from this Old Testament passage: “For the son dishonors his father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law, and a man’s enemies are those of his household”. (Micah 7:6).
It is not hard for us to understand why Jesus had to sound radical. Because his teachings were diametrically opposed to worldly values, his followers were likely to experience alienation from worldly people. Moreover, the kingdom he was proclaiming was too important to accommodate compromises. The nice thing with Jesus was that at the outset he already warned people not to expect peace in following him.
As serious followers of Jesus, are we ready for the serious implications if discipleship? – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
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