Saturday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time (Year II)
Isaiah 6:1-8 | Psalm 92:1-2,5 | Matthew 10:24-33
The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. (Matthew 10:24-25)
This passage really needs to be read in the context of yesterday’s Gospel, then we would come to understand that Jesus is actually warning his disciples about the persecutions that would be visited upon them. His message is basically this: I will be persecuted unto death, so as my disciples, you cannot expect to be above such sufferings. Instead, focus on becoming more like me, loving and forgiving, healing and welcoming, accepting all the troubles ahead – that is what I ask of you.
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Taken out of context, though, we have a different yet equally interesting interpretation: an admonition to teachers concerned about students “usurping their position”. It can be hard for instructors to recognize and encourage brilliant yet unconventional thinking in their charges; I’ve personally been on the receiving end of a few put-downs during my schooling years, and I don’t think I was that smart.
Instead, teachers are called to form their students without fear or favor, passing on to in the young ones their own love for their chosen focus. Math, physics, geopolitics; whatever the subject, a good teacher understands that their students have their own life-path to take, and is therefore willing to teach them everything he can, not holding back for fear of being surpassed.
Similarly, when sharing our faith with others, we should not fear the risk of being “shown up”, of having our faith in God put to the test by enquirers. They’re not “superior” for being able to ask questions that leave us flummoxed; they’re just coming from a different life experience. The single mother still recovering from a bitter divorce, the rich trader feeling an unaccustomed emptiness in his life, the young convict still in prison and worried about life after his release; all of them have unique concerns and viewpoints that need to be addressed before they would be willing to consider a closer relationship with God.
We may not have all the answers, but I’m sure an honest admission thereof, a friendly sharing of what we do know, and a joint exploration of the unknowns in a Spirit of love and understanding, would be a good show of faith and a more convincing invitation to Christ than thumping the Bible…or their heads.