6.29.20 - Cost of Discipleship and Rewards of Helping Them

The Cost of Discipleship & The Reward for Hospitality

About the Gospel of Matthew: As you know, we are in Year A of the Lectionary, which means we are traveling through the Gospel of Matthew during Ordinary Time. Matthew is thought to have been written between 60 and 70 A.D. Matthew is also considered the most Jewish Gospel, meaning it was written from a Jewish perspective for a Jewish audience. Consequently, you will see many explanations and references in Matthew that will make perfect sense to 1st century Jews, but not necessarily to us at our first reading (which is why we do Bible Study!). Theologians break Matthew down into 5 parts, called Matthew’s Five Discourses: 1) Sermon on the Mount, 2) the Missionary Discourse (which we are just finishing in Chapter 10 today), 3) the Mystery Sermon or Parabolic Discourse, 4) the Mercy Sermon or Discourse on the Church, and 5) the Mount of Olives Sermon or Discourse on End Times.

Q: Sometimes we hear about a 5th Gospel. What do you think that might be?

A: The first four Gospels are about the life and teachings of Christ. The fifth Gospel is you and me, to the extent that we live our lives with Christ.

Todays’ Gospel reading has two parts: The Cost of Discipleship (Mt 10:37-39) and Rewards (Mt 10: 40-42). Let’s take them one at a time.

The Cost of Discipleship (Matthew 10:37-39)

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 follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Q: Whoever loves their parents or children more than me is not worthy of me. Is this hyperbole?

A: No. The answer is in the Shema and the Decalogue.

The Decalogue is the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment is “Honor your father and mother.” What could be more important than that? Answer: The First Commandment – I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other Gods before me (including family). All good Jews were taught to pray the “Shema” twice daily. It comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-9: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Note: Jesus’ statement does not exclude parents or family at all. It just says God must be first.

Finally, who is the source of love? God. If we don’t make God our first love, then our love for our families will never be what it could be, because we have detached ourselves from the eternal source.

Q: Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. What does this mean?

A: Jesus means that standing up for what you believe/the truth is going to cost us. Sometimes, the cost will be very high, just like the cost for our eternal freedom was high (the cross). But we must be willing. It is the cross that transformed suffering into love. Suffering can now have meaning if we a) seek God’s comfort and wisdom from it, or b) offer up our suffering to the Treasury of Compassion that Jesus started, and our humble offering will be converted into blessings of compassion to others in need.

Q: All of this talk about being worthy of him. Who is worthy of God?

A: Nobody. Strictly speaking, we cannot be worth of God. Only God is worthy. But, as Peter says, through Jesus’ gift to us of his divine power (grace), he makes us “partakers in the divine nature.” (2 Pet 1:4) This is the astounding truth about Gods’ grace and the purpose of the Incarnation: “The Son of God became man so that we might become God.” (St. Athanasius)

However, grace isn’t a ruling despot. We have to do our part. To live according to this grace requires us to love God above all else. And if we love God above all else, then we seek to follow his will and make him a part of our daily lives and decisions.

Q: Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will find it. What is he talking about?

A: The Bible similarly speaks of “this world,” which refers to two things about humans, one internal and one external. Internal is ego (self-absorption) and external is mammon (materialism). If you are seeking that life, you lose. If you lose that life (its control over you), then you will find the eternal reward that we all seek.

In other Gospel passages, Jesus says one must “leave self behind” if we wish to follow him. By “self,” he means the same thing as above – our selfish and materialistic selves. “Self-denial” actually means to be “Other-centered.”

Rewards (Matthew 10: 40-42)

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward.

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

If you think about it, Jesus is not only giving his Apostles the biggest task the world has ever seen, he is basically giving them a death sentence. Yes, the Holy Spirit will be given to them to inspire them to the end, but indeed all but one (John) will suffer a martyr’s death. That being said, they will change the world forever and their reward in heaven would be exponential. But this isn’t the reward being referred to in this reading.

Knowing the suffering and ridicule the disciples will go through, Jesus is telling the rest of the world that anyone who offers hospitality to his disciples will receive a reward. Jesus knew that for people of the Roman Empire to give a cup of water to a Christian would imply they were sympathetic to Christ being Savior and Son of God. He is guaranteeing blessings for all who help them.

Jesus isn’t just saying this for his twelve apostles, but for everyone who carries the word of God to others. Whoever receives his disciples with hospitality for the rest of time receives Jesus Christ himself, and will receive a reward. This means all the servants in the body of Christ, especially the successors to the apostles, which primarily includes the priests in our lives.

Think of the implications of this promise and consider putting it into action soon!

Q: Whoever receives a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. What or who is a prophet?

A: Everyone who took the Word of God to others was considered a prophet. There were many such “prophets” even in the first two centuries. However, the rise of false prophets and heresies seems to have put an end to this term being used.

Q: Whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward. Who are the “little ones”?

A: “These little ones” are Jesus’ disciples. They are called “little ones” to denote their lack of wealth, rank, learning, and whatever the world calls “great.”

Q: Why did Jesus reference “only a cup of cold water”? Does this mean if it was not cold, you are not saved? :)

A: As stated above, Jesus knew that it would be difficult for others in the Roman Empire to give anything to a Christian lest they be implicated as a sympathizer. He is guaranteeing blessings for all who help extend their hospitality to them.

2 Kings 4:8-11, 16-16

The focus of the Kings I and II is the rise and fall of the Davidic Kingdom. The Book of Kings was originally one book, a sequel to Samuel about the history of David’s successors, covering the split of Israel into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah), until the fall of both kingdoms (North to Assyria in 722BC and the South to Babylon in 587 BC). There is a strong prophetic presence in Kings: Nathan, Ahijah, Isaiah, Micah, and especially Elijah and Elisha. The dismal performance of most kings in both kingdoms is helped only by the rise of many great prophets.

Elisha and the Woman of Hospitality

One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who pressed him to dine with her. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he would stop there to dine

So she said to her husband, “I know that he is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when he comes to us he can stay there.”

One day Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight. Then he said to his servant Gehazi, “Call this Shunammite woman.” He did so, and when she stood before Elisha, he said to her, ‘You have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? Can we say a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’” She replied, “I am living among my own people.”

Later Elisha asked, “What can we do for her?” Gehazi answered, “She has no son, and her husband is old.” Elisha said, “Call her.” He did so, and when she stood at the door, Elisha promised, “This time next year you will be cradling a baby son."

Q: What is the connection between this reading and the Gospel reading?

A: The powerful blessings upon those who extend hospitality to his disciples.