13th Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 28, 2026
To be a disciple is to identify with Jesus, and to do what Jesus did for others.
GOSPEL
Matthew 10:37-42
Jesus said to his apostles: “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.""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 a righteous man 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 the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
REFLECTIONS ON THE GOSPEL
First Impressions by Jude Siciliano, OP
When we see someone we have not seen for a while, we often ask, “What’s new?” As we approach today’s Gospel, one we have heard many times, Jesus is asking something new of us – or perhaps something deeper. His words are challenging. He asks us to love him more than father, mother, son, or daughter. Is he serious! Even more, he asks us to take up our cross and lose our life in order to find it. He is not speaking only to new disciples; he is addressing those who have been following him for a long time – like many of us gathered for prayer today. His question to us today may not be new, but it remains very much in the present tense: “After all these years, am I still first in your life?” Most of us have been coming to church for many years. Have we gradually settled in, allowing comfort, routines, opinions, possessions, or even family concerns to take the central place that belongs to Christ? Then there is the uncomfortable question Jesus puts before us: Are we still willing to carry our cross? The cross may no longer be dramatic persecution. It may be putting everything aside to care for a spouse or a dependent adult child; forgiving old hurts or remaining faithful when prayer seems lifeless. Jesus is asking whether we will continue walking with him even when discipleship is costly. And in his name, as his disciples, are we still open to the stranger and the needy? The Gospel passage ends not with heroic deeds but with simple acts of hospitality – a welcome and a cup of cold water. We are reminded that holiness is often found in ordinary kindness and generosity. Here is another question for us older disciples: Do we trust Jesus enough to let go as we grow older, experience losses, face health challenges, grieve loved ones, and eventually surrender our own lives? Jesus says that those who lose their life for his sake will find it. He invites us to place our future in God's hands. For the regular churchgoer, this Gospel is not a call to do more things but to renew our first love – Jesus. He is asking us to trust him and follow him wherever he leads. Hearing his words anew today, I want to ask myself: What currently occupies my heart more than my relationship with Christ? And as I look ahead to the coming week, to whom can I show Christ's love through a simple act of welcome or kindness? This Gospel is not addressed only to new disciples, nor is discipleship something we accomplished years ago. Rather, being Jesus' disciple is a choice we must make again each day. Even though we have been following him for a long time, he continues to say, “Follow me.” When Jesus says, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it,” it sounds like a contradiction. But he is speaking about two different ways of living. The person who tries to “find” life by making self-preservation, comfort, security, success, reputation, or personal advantage the highest goal will eventually discover that such a life is too small. In trying to save oneself at all costs, one can lose what matters most: a relationship with God, love for others, and the deeper purpose for which God created us.By contrast, the person who “loses” life for Christ's sake is willing to place faithfulness above self-interest. This does not usually mean physical martyrdom. For most Christians, it means daily acts of self-giving: forgiving when it is difficult, serving without recognition, speaking the truth when it is unpopular, remaining faithful to commitments, caring for the vulnerable, and following Christ even when it costs something. Jesus is teaching a paradox: life becomes fullest when it is given away in love. The more tightly we cling to ourselves, the less alive we become. The more we entrust ourselves to God and spend ourselves for others, the more we discover the life God intends for us. The saints discovered the truth of Jesus' words. They did not become less themselves by giving their lives to Christ; they became more fully themselves. In God's kingdom, the path to life is not grasping but giving; not holding on but trusting; not self-centeredness but love. Jesus is not asking us to hate life. He is inviting us to stop making ourselves the center of life. When we lose ourselves in love for God and neighbor, we finally find the life we have been searching for all along. What does St. Paul mean when he tells the Roman community that those “who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death”? For Paul, baptism unites us with the saving events of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. We die to our old way of life, dominated by sin, selfishness, and separation from God. Through baptism we are buried with Christ, symbolizing the end of our old existence. With Christ we rise to a new life, already sharing in the power of his resurrection. The power of sin no longer has the final claim on us. As Paul says, we are to “think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.” This does not mean Christians never sin again, but that our fundamental identity has been changed. Baptism is not simply something that happened years ago at the font. It is a way of life. Every day Christians are called to die to whatever diminishes life – resentment, greed, pride, and indifference – and to rise to a new way of living marked by faith, hope, love, mercy, and service. Perhaps Paul is asking us the same question Jesus asks in today's Gospel: Are you following me only when it costs little and is convenient? Or are you willing to die to self so that Christ may live more fully in you? The Christian life is not merely about believing certain truths; it is about participating in Christ's death and resurrection every day. In losing ourselves for his sake, we discover the new life that God has been offering us from the beginning.
Justice Bulletin Board Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC
“Justice and judgment are the foundation of your throne; love and loyalty march before you.”—Psalm 89:15
I have been reflecting on three words recently: Compassion, Conscience, and Courage. As we celebrate “liberty and justice for all” this 4th of July, it is fitting we consider them. When I studied civics in school, it was taught that with each of our freedoms comes duties and responsibilities. One of the major Social Teachings of the Church repeats this: we have duties and responsibilities to one another, to our families, and to the larger society. Freedom does not give us the license (liberty of action or thought) to do or say anything we please. Tempering the exercise of freedom with compassion, conscience, and courage will yield a more just life. On compassion, our late Pope Francis writes: “Compassion is to endure with the other, to suffer with the other, to draw near to the one who is suffering. A word, a caress, but given from the heart; this is compassion” (2/8/17). Our freedom must always have a loving, empathic concern for others and their freedom. On conscience, the Vatican II document, Gaudium et Spes (16), states: “Deep within their consciences, men and women discover a law which they have not laid upon themselves and which they must obey. Its voice, ever calling them to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, tells them inwardly at the right moment: do this, shun that. For they have in their hearts a law inscribed by God. Their dignity rests in observing this law, and by it they will be judged. . .By conscience, in a wonderful way, that law is made known which is fulfilled in the love of God and of one’s neighbor.” Exercising our freedom means thoughtful examination and balancing others’ freedom with ours. Finally, on exercising courage when compassionate, Pope Leo offers this: “Compassion,” Pope Leo stresses, “takes form through concrete actions,” because in order to help someone, “you cannot stay at a distance.” To be compassionate, you have to get involved and be prepared to “even get dirty, perhaps take risks.” (5/2025 General Audience). And that takes courage. Without courage, we will not step out of our personal box in order to help create a more just, free world. Truly acting with compassion, conscience, and courage will manifest God’s justice and judgment and form our lives as ones of love and loyalty in freedom before the One who created us.
Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.
From today’s 2nd Kings reading: One day Elisha come to Shunem where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.
Reflection: During the first part of our celebration today we, like the Shunemite woman welcomed God’s Word into our “home” – we made room for it in our hearts. As Scripture reminds us, the Word blossoms there with a promise of new life. God sends prophetic people to speak the Word to us, but remember, prophetic people don’t always fit into official categories; they aren’t always bearing an institutional stamp of approval. Yet, God often comes to us in the other and through people who are strangers.
So, we ask ourselves:
Who comes bearing the Word of God to me?
Do they comfort, or challenge me with their message?
The Five Discourses in the Gospel of Matthew
In Christianity, the term Five Discourses of Matthew refers to five specific discourses by Jesus within the Gospel of Matthew. These five discourses are, according to some scholars, meant to reflect/recall the first five books of the Jewish Scriptures. The five discourses are listed as the following: the Sermon on the Mount, the Mission Discourse, the Parabolic Discourse, the Discourse on the Church, and the Discourse on End Times. Each of the discourses has a shorter parallel in the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of Luke.
Structure:
The first discourse — Matthew: 5-7
The first discourse (Matthew 5–7) is called the Sermon on the Mount and is one of the best known and most quoted parts of the New Testament.[6] It includes the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer and the Golden Rule. To most believers in Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount contains the central tenets of Christian discipleship.[6] The Beatitudes are a key element of this sermon, and are often expressed as a set of blessings. Jesus presents the Beatitudes as a list of those he considered "blessed," or "fortunate," (due to his arrival and their subsequent invitation into the "Kingdom of Heaven"), as opposed to Ben Sira's list of "blessed" peoples (Ben Sira 25:7-11). The Beatitudes work as a welcoming statement to this group of people, and as an introduction to the sermon.[7][8]
The second discourse — Matthew 10
The second discourse in Matthew 10 provides instructions to the Twelve Apostles and is sometimes called the Mission Discourse or the Missionary Discourse[5] or the Little Commission in contrast to the Great Commission. This discourse is directed to the twelve apostles who are named in Matthew 10:2-3. In the discourse Jesus advises them how to travel from city to city, carry no belongings and to preach only to Israelite communities. He tells them to be wary of opposition, but have no fear for they will be told what to say to defend themselves when needed: "For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.", as also stated similarly in Luke 12:12.[9]
The third discourse — Matthew 13
The third discourse in Matthew 13 (verses 1-52) provides several parables for the Kingdom of Heaven and is often called the Parabolic Discourse.[5] The first part of this discourse, in Matthew 13:1-35 takes place outside when Jesus leaves a house and sits near the Lake to address the disciples as well as the multitudes of people who have gathered to hear him.[10] This part includes the parables of the Sower, the Tares, the Mustard Seed and the Leaven. In the second part Jesus goes back inside the house and addresses the disciples. This part includes the parables of the Hidden Treasure, the Pearl and Drawing in the Net.[10]
The fourth discourse — Matthew 18
The fourth discourse in Matthew 18 is often called the Discourse on the Church.[5] It includes the parables of The Lost Sheep and The Unforgiving Servant which also refer to the Kingdom of Heaven. The general theme of the discourse is the anticipation of a future community of followers, and the role of his apostles in leading it.[11][12] Addressing his apostles in 18:18, Jesus states: "what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven", see also Binding and loosing. This power is first given to Peter in chapter 16 after Peter confesses that Jesus is the "son of the living God". In addition to the powers of binding and loosing, Peter is given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and is sometimes considered the "rock" on which Christ built his Church. The discourse emphasizes the importance of humility and self-sacrifice as the high virtues within the anticipated community. It teaches that in the Kingdom of God, it is childlike humility that matters, not social prominence and clout.[11][12]
The fifth discourse — Matthew 23, Matthew 24, and Matthew 25
Although assessments of its scope vary, the final discourse can be taken to include Matthew 23, 24, and 25. Matthew 24 is usually called the Olivet Discourse, because it was given on the Mount of Olives; it is also referred to as the Discourse on the End Times.[5] The discourse corresponds to Mark 13 and Luke 21 and is mostly about judgment and the expected conduct of the followers of Jesus, and the need for vigilance by the followers in view of the coming judgment.[14] The discourse is prompted by a question the disciples ask about the "end of the age" (end times or end of this world and beginning of the world to come),[15] and receives the longest response provided by Jesus in the New Testament.[16] The discourse is generally viewed as referring both to the coming destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, as well as the End Times and Second Coming of Christ, but the many scholarly opinions about the overlap of these two issues, and exactly which verses refer to which event remain divided and complex.
Some thoughts on today's scripture from Sacred Space, a service of the Irish Jesuits
Jesus would probably have taught the fifth commandment - Honour thy father and thy mother - in the synagogue. But sometimes when God tries to come into my heart it is cluttered with people and things that I love dearly. I will talk to Jesus about this.
A cup of cold water’ - a simple example of kindness. Can I learn anything from this?
If Jesus sometimes uses shocking words, it is to jolt us into realising what he is about. He does not endorse armed conflict, but he warns that we have to struggle to put him first, even before family ties. Divisions will occur according as people are forced to decide for him or against him. I pray that he gives me the courage I need to stand with him despite losing things I hold dear.
While Jesus warns us about the cost of discipleship, he also promises that even the small efforts we make in following him will have their reward. He knows my weakness, so he asks me to take baby steps – even to give a cup of water to someone.
The words of Jesus will be a scandal, a stumbling block, to us if we try to understand them on their own. As we keep our eyes on Jesus and see the fullness of his sacred heart, his personality and vision, we understand how he is inviting us to take good care. Help me now, Jesus, to receive your word that saves me and not focus on what might trip me up.
A sense of gratitude and appreciation for friends and families is a blessing; I take time to reflect on the blessing I am to them and ask for the strength I need to let God work fully in me; I ask for wisdom to know when to speak and how best to witness in their presence.
Today’s readings contains some of what are called the hard sayings of Jesus: choosing to follow him means some hard choices in life, some involving our closest relationships. In the depth of my heart I know this is true, and I look back at when I paid a high price to follow Jesus and his values, and at other times when I was not brave enough to do so. I pray for a generous and strong spirit.
Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. Finding and losing my life: can anything be more important for me than this? The experience of the pandemic makes this very clear. Yet I realise there are many levels of finding and losing one’s life. I ask for the grace to know how to lose my life for the sake of Jesus.
A ‘prophet’, in the Bible, is not principally someone who can foresee the future; rather a prophet is someone who is sent to proclaim God’s message to the people. Inevitably, this will sometimes lead to confrontation : the prophet is not sent simply to confirm people in the life-choices they have made.
Jesus himself warned his disciples that “if they have persecuted me, they will persecute you” – and he condemned the hostility that led people to kill the prophets in the past.
Here he warns his disciples that if they give sincere witness to the way of life he is proposing, this could sometimes mean putting their life in danger. It could also mean setting family members against one another. (We recall some family members pointing out that Saint Thomas More was risking mortal danger, by making a stand in conscience against the king).
When he appeared to Saul (later Paul) as he was rounding-up Christians, Jesus said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”. But in the same way whenever we welcome a disciple and his message, Jesus can say, “Anyone who welcomes you, welcomes me”.
This gospel consists of a number of sayings by Jesus on discipleship. He does not directly intend these tensions and divisions in family life, but he wants us to put God first and accept the consequences. The different ways in which the Gospel is welcomed or rejected brings its own pain.
‘…whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones’ has eternal significance. This truth highlights the dignity of each and every human being, no matter how lowly or insignificant they are. Lord, help me to see your face in my neighbour, and especially the poor and the needy, and to respond accordingly.
These hard words of Jesus can only be understood in the light of our life experience, the times we had to face the dramatic choices Jesus speaks of. We know there are moments when stark choices need to be made to ensure we can still call ourselves disciples of Jesus, moments when we wield the sword of division or separation.
Do I want to save my life or to lose it? Am I ready to lose it, or do I cling on for fear of losing it? This is perhaps the basic condition for discipleship, and no moralistic or perfect obedience to any law or system of rules can replace it. I ask insistently for the grace of real interior freedom and for courage to be true to myself and to my calling.
Jesus is speaking about the cost of discipleship and puts before the twelve the challenge of taking up the Cross as a condition of following him. The litany of references to welcoming suggests that it is often through the small things we do – such as giving a cup of water to somebody in need of it, that we can build the kingdom of God.
Perhaps I sometimes consider the cross as something that weighs me down or as an symbol for the difficulties of modern day life which I can experience. Lord, help me to remember that you carry the cross with me during all of my struggles.
Lord, I pray for the grace to go forward in faith with you by recognising your face in the poor, the suffering, the needy and reaching out to them with the same unconditional love that you love me.
Being a follower of Jesus is not only about proclaiming and announcing the word: it is necessary also to receive the word graciously. I pray for the generosity I need to be able both to give freely and to receive fully the word of God. I ask God for the humility to listen, to notice, to hear and to receive God’s word.
This gospel consists of a number of sayings by Jesus on discipleship. He does not directly intend these tensions and divisions in family life, but he wants us to put God first and accept the consequences. The different ways in which the Gospel is welcomed or rejected brings its own pain.
‘…a cup of cold water to one of these little ones’ has eternal significance. This truth highlights the dignity of each and every human being, no matter how lowly or insignificant they are. Lord, help me to see your face in my neighbour, and especially the poor and the needy, and to respond accordingly. When did I last buy a beggar a cup of coffee?
If Jesus sometimes uses shocking words, it is to jolt us into realising what he is about. He does not endorse armed conflict, but he warns that we have to struggle to put him first, before family ties. Divisions will occur according as people are forced to decide for him or against him. I pray that he give me the courage I need to stand with him despite losing things I hold dear.
While Jesus warns us about the cost of discipleship, he also promises that even the small efforts we make in following him will have their reward. He knows my weakness, so he asks me to take baby steps – even to give a cup of water to someone.
Isn’t it strange that we save our life by losing it? As if we lost all our money by saving it. It’s only when energies go into the good of others, rather than just for our own good that we can preserve and enhance our life. The self-centred person is the one who is caught up in controlling and preserving all for the self. Jesus is the opposite – he makes the best of himself for the betterment of others. Prayer helps this to happen for all of us.
These are phrases of Jesus put together as part of what discipleship means. The priority of our relationship with him means not putting anything above him. All is enjoyed and experienced within our relationship with him. This may mean losing treasured bonds and taking up the difficulty of the cross.
The Gospel of Jesus is not only about a way of life founded on love and mercy, but above all about the person of Jesus himself. Today he claims a special place in our lives, more important than our dearest ones. Being a disciple is not a marginal aspect of my life, it is central. I ask for the grace to be a real disciple of Jesus, capable of taking up my cross and following him.
At the same time, Jesus assures us that even the smallest gesture of mercy to those in need will not go unnoticed. Let me reflect on the many such gestures that fill my life.
Jesus is stating his message at its starkest: should I have to choose between the claims of God and those of my household, then God comes first. We do not go looking for this sort of confrontation, and pray that it may never come to this. But you, Lord, have first claim on my life.
We are rarely asked for a cup of water. But the rewards promised by Jesus extend beyond individual almsgiving to those who work for others in a thousand hidden ways, for instance maintaining a city water system, or caring for public hygiene, as civil servants, plumbers, engineers, scientists, street-cleaners or parents of families. We live in a more complex society, but the same care and generosity are found in all walks of life, wherever people devote themselves to the service of others.
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunities I have to serve others. Please continue to provide me with opportunities to serve others in whatever ways I can.
beyond individual almsgiving to those who work for others in a thousand hidden ways, for instance maintaining a city water system, or caring for public hygiene, as civil servants, plumbers, engineers, scientists, street-cleaners or parents of families. We live in a more complex society, but the same care and generosity are found in all walks of life, wherever people devote themselves to the service of others.
Matthew Chapter 10 — Full Discourse
Chapter 10 of Matthew is the entire second discourse of Jesus of which today’s Gospel is a part. It sometimes helps to see the context of the Sunday reading.
The Mission of the Twelve
1 Then he summoned his twelve disciples* and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. 2 The names of the twelve apostles* are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; 4Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
The Commissioning of the Twelve.
5 Jesus sent out these twelve* after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. 9 Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; 10 no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. 12 As you enter a house, wish it peace. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.* 14Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. 15 Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Coming Persecutions
16j “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. 17* But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. 19 When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. 20 For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end* will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!
Courage Under Persecution
26p “Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.
27 What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.30 Even all the hairs of your head are counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32* Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.
Jesus: A Cause of Division.
34t “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. 35 For I have come to set a man ‘against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s enemies will be those of his household.’
The Conditions of Discipleship
37 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; 38 and whoever does not take up his cross* and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39* Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40“Whoever receives you receives me,* and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41* 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. 42And 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.”
Notes on Matthew 10:
* [10:1–11:1] After an introductory narrative (Mt 10:1–4), this chapter covers the second of the 5 major discourses of Matthew’s gospel. (see separate sheet for the five major discourses in Matthew) this second discourse deals with the mission now to be undertaken by the disciples (Mt 10:5–15), but the perspective broadens and includes the missionary activity of the church between the time of the resurrection and the Parousia (second coming).
* [10:1] His twelve disciples: although, unlike Mark (Mk 3:13–14) and Luke (Lk 6:12–16), Matthew has no story of Jesus’ choosing the Twelve, he assumes that the group is known to the reader. The earliest New Testament text to speak of it is 1 Cor 15:5. The number probably is meant to recall the twelve tribes of Israel and implies Jesus’ authority to call all Israel into the kingdom. While Luke (Lk 6:13) and probably Mark (Mk 4:10, 34) distinguish between the Twelve and a larger group also termed disciples, Matthew tends to identify the disciples and the Twelve. Authority…every illness: activities the same as those of Jesus; see Mt 4:23; Mt 9:35; 10:8. The Twelve also share in his proclamation of the kingdom (Mt 10:7). But although he teaches (Mt 4:23; 7:28; 9:35), they do not. Their commission to teach comes only after Jesus’ resurrection, after they have been fully instructed by him (Mt 28:20).
* [10:2–4] Here, for the only time in Matthew, the Twelve are designated apostles. The word “apostle” means “one who is sent,” and therefore fits the situation here described. In the Pauline letters, the place where the term occurs most frequently in the New Testament, it means primarily one who has seen the risen Lord and has been commissioned to proclaim the resurrection. With slight variants in Luke and Acts, the names of those who belong to this group are the same in the four lists given in the New Testament (see note on Mt 9:9). Cananean: this represents an Aramaic word meaning “zealot.” The meaning of that designation is unclear (see note on Lk 6:15).
* [10:5–6] Like Jesus (Mt 15:24), the Twelve are sent only to Israel. This saying may reflect an original Jewish Christian refusal of the mission to the Gentiles, but for Matthew it expresses rather the limitation that Jesus himself observed during his ministry.
* [10:8–11] The Twelve have received their own call and mission through God’s gift, and the benefits they confer are likewise to be given freely. They are not to take with them money, provisions, or unnecessary clothing; their lodging and food will be provided by those who receive them.
* [10:13] The greeting of peace is conceived of not merely as a salutation but as an effective word. If it finds no worthy recipient, it will return to the speaker.
* [10:14] Shake the dust from your feet: this gesture indicates a complete disassociation from such unbelievers.
* [10:17] The persecutions attendant upon the post-resurrection mission now begin to be spoken of. Here Matthew brings into the discourse sayings found in Mk 13 which deals with events preceding the parousia.
* [10:21] See Mi 7:6 which is cited in Mt 10:35, 36.
* [10:22] To the end: the original meaning was probably “until the parousia.” But it is not likely that Matthew expected no missionary disciples to suffer death before then, since he envisages the martyrdom of other Christians (Mt 10:21). For him, the end is probably that of the individual’s life (see Mt 10:28).
* [10:23] Before the Son of Man comes: since the coming of the Son of Man at the end of the age had not taken place when this gospel was written, much less during the mission of the Twelve during Jesus’ ministry, Matthew cannot have meant the coming to refer to the parousia. It is difficult to know what he understood it to be: perhaps the “proleptic parousia” of Mt 28:16–20, or the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, viewed as a coming of Jesus in judgment on unbelieving Israel.
* [10:25] Beelzebul: see Mt 9:34 for the charge linking Jesus with “the prince of demons,” who is named Beelzebul in Mt 12:24. The meaning of the name is uncertain; possibly, “lord of the house.”
* [10:26] The concealed and secret coming of the kingdom is to be proclaimed by them, and no fear must be allowed to deter them from that proclamation.
* [10:32–33] In the Q parallel (Lk 12:8–9), the Son of Man will acknowledge those who have acknowledged Jesus, and those who deny him will be denied (by the Son of Man) before the angels of God at the judgment. Here Jesus and the Son of Man are identified, and the acknowledgment or denial will be before his heavenly Father.
* [10:38] The first mention of the cross in Matthew, explicitly that of the disciple, but implicitly that of Jesus (and follow after me). Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment used by the Romans for offenders who were not Roman citizens.
* [10:39] One who denies Jesus in order to save one’s earthly life will be condemned to everlasting destruction; loss of earthly life for Jesus’ sake will be rewarded by everlasting life in the kingdom.
* [10:40–42] All who receive the disciples of Jesus receive him, and God who sent him, and will be rewarded accordingly.
* [10:41] A prophet: one who speaks in the name of God; here, the Christian prophets who proclaim the gospel. Righteous man: since righteousness is demanded of all the disciples, it is difficult to take the righteous man of this verse and one of these little ones (Mt 10:42) as indicating different groups within the followers of Jesus. Probably all three designations are used here of Christian missionaries as such.
Cross references to other scriptural texts:
a. [10:1–4] Mk 3:14–19; Lk 6:13–16; Acts 1:13.
b. [10:5–15] Mk 6:7–13; Lk 9:1–6.
c. [10:6] 15:24.
d. [10:7] 3:2; 4:17.
e. [10:9–10] Mk 6:8–9; Lk 9:3; 10:4.
f. [10:10] Lk 10:7; 1 Cor 9:14; 1 Tm 5:18.
g. [10:11–15] Mk 6:10–11; Lk 9:4–5; 10:5–12.
h. [10:14] Acts 13:51; 18:6.
i. [10:15] 11:24; Gn 19:1–29; Jude 7.
j. [10:16] Lk 10:3.
k. [10:17–22] Mk 13:9–13; Lk 21:12–19.
l. [10:17] Acts 5:40.
m. [10:19] Ex 4:11–12; Jer 1:6–10; Lk 12:11–12.
n. [10:21–22] 24:9, 13.
o. [10:24–25] Lk 6:40; Jn 13:16; 15:20.
p. [10:26–33] Lk 12:2–9.
q. [10:26] Mk 4:22; Lk 8:17; 1 Tm 5:25.
r. [10:28] Jas 4:12.
s. [10:33] Mk 8:38; Lk 9:26; 2 Tm 2:12; Rev 3:5.
t. [10:34–35] Lk 12:51–53.
u. [10:37–39] 16:24–25; Lk 14:26–27.
v. [10:39] Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; Jn 12:25.
w. [10:40] Lk 10:16; Jn 12:44; 13:20.
x. [10:42] 25:40; Mk 9:41.
ENCOUNTER CHRIST REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS
Preparation for the Session
Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. (1-2 minutes of silence)
Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. (1-2 minutes of silence)
Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)
Opening Prayer
Lord, being disciple is demanding and fulfilling. Help me to receive your word graciously and openly, to give freely and receive fully, when needed. I ask for the humility to listen, to hear, to notice, and to respond to those requests of me as disciple.
Companions for the Journey
Adapted from a commentary in 2014 by Alice McDermott
We all like to be rewarded for our efforts. Gold stars on our school papers as children. Praise from parents and teachers as we get older. Money as payment for our expenditure of our time and talents in our work. Perhaps being recognized publicly with a plaque or round of applause for our community service. We all appreciate recognition and benefits from our actions. Jesus is promising a reward for those who welcome prophets and righteous persons to the community, and for those who offer small kindnesses to the vulnerable in their midst. That reward is participation in the kingdom of God, which has both a present and a future component. This text comes after Jesus' promise that those who lose their life for his sake will find it (Mt. 10:39). It's an answer to the question, "What is our reward for risking the loss of our lives as we know them for you?" Or, as Simon Peter so pragmatically puts it, "Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?" His question and Jesus' answer show up three times in almost exactly the same wording in Matthew 19:27, Mark 10:28, and Luke 18:28. In Matthew 10:42, Jesus refers to "the reward of the righteous." It appears to be a bountiful compensation for the sacrifices we have made in this life, one that has both a worldly and eternal life component (Mt. 19:29; Mk. 10:29-30; Lk. 18:29-30). What are those addressed by this text going to be rewarded for? Since Jesus sends his disciples to act on his behalf, those who receive them also receive Jesus (10:40a). And in receiving Jesus they also receive God, the one who sent him. Underlying this saying is the shaliach conception of ancient Jewish law, according to which a man's duly authorized messenger "is as the man himself." (Hare, Interpretation Commentary on Matthew, 118) The one sent out represents the one who sent him, so that to receive a disciple of Christ is to receive Christ and to receive Christ is to receive God. (Argyle, Cambridge Commentary on Matthew, 83-4) Participation in the kingdom of God is the reward of the righteous person. It is not wholly extrinsic like the gold stars and the round of applause. The righteousness Jesus is talking about in Matthew carries with it an intrinsic reward, one that is an integral part of the action of welcome and kindness. Such righteous acts participate in and point us toward God, toward the Kingdom which is now and not yet. Those who receive the disciples also receive the same benefits or reward they receive, the blessing of participation in the kingdom of God as outlined by Jesus by way of Matthew in the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:3-10). The Beatitudes have a future, but also a present reference. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake—all participate in the present in the blessings of divine presence, comfort, wisdom, forgiveness, which are the realities of the reign of God now and forever.
Living the Good News
What action can you take in the next week as a response to today's reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow.
Reflection Questions:
Have I ever been in relationship that was so all-consuming that I lost myself in the process?
To what/whom am I attached so firmly that it interferes with my relationship God or with others in my life?
Has there been an attachment to a person, a habit, a conviction or a principle that has estranged me from others or my own self?
Jesus does not advocate armed conflict, but divisions might occur when people are forced to decide between the words of Jesus and the words of those we love. When could there be a conflict between our love for another and our love for God?
Are there times, however, when I alienate people I love by rendering an opinion that is unjust or too harsh?
Have I ever assumed I was saying something for someone’s else’s good, but it was really for my personal satisfaction that I spoke?
How do I discern between my opinion/prejudices and God’s?
Have I ever received opposition for my beliefs from someone I loved?
What did I do?
Have I ever suffered the rupture of a relationship because of my relationship with Jesus?
Do I truly see myself as a disciple of Jesus?
What is the cost to me for being a disciple?
What is the difference between adherence to a moralistic law or system of rules and the interior freedom that comes for knowing God’s will and doing it?
Am I ever motivated in my actions by the hope of a later reward or is my motivation rooted in a desire to be closer to Jesus right now?
What, exactly, is my relationship with God, my relationship with my fellow disciples, my relationship with the desperate?
What is my role of “welcoming others” that I see in this reading?
Do I think of being disciple as a large dramatic gesture/choice, or can I look at my small efforts to help others and myself as discipleship?
When did I last buy a poor person a cup of coffee?
Do I expect happiness, or at least a cessation of anxiety or unhappiness as a result of doing God’s will?
What does it mean, in the lives of us ordinary saints, to “lose one’s life”?
Closing Prayer
Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.
I ask for grace to be a true disciple, Lord, and to remember that you always have the first claim my life. Always. When I am overwhelmed b;y my personal cares and the cares of the world, help me to be aware of your comforting presence in my life. Guide me always to do your holy will, knowing that your strength will carry me through.
For the Week Ahead
Weekly Memorization — Taken from the gospel for today's session: Whoever receives you receives me. Whoever gives only a cup of water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely jnot lose his reward.
Meditations
A meditation in the Dominican style/asking questions: Participation in the Kingdom of God is the reward of the person who is a true disciple. What follows are some quotes from thinkers who seem to have taken seriously the message of Jesus in this passage. They are talking about giving one's life away for some purpose beyond oneself that, paradoxically, results in a gain. As Christians we would call that the reward of the righteous. Which of the following do you agree with? Did any surprise you? Examine your motivations for doing God’s will and making the sacrifices required of that commitment.
The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it—John Ruskin
Happiness is a virtue, not its reward—Baruch Spinoza
If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed—Albert Einstein
Love seeks one thing only: the good of the one loved. It leaves all the other secondary effects to take care of themselves.
Love, therefore, is its own reward—Thomas Merton
A meditation in the Franciscan style/action: We are rarely asked for a cup of water. We live in a more complex society, but the same care and generosity to which Jesus calls us in verse 42 to are found in all walks of life. There are those who work for clean healthy water in a thousand hidden ways, for instance maintaining a city water system, or caring for public hygiene, as civil servants, plumbers, activists, engineers, scientists, and street cleaners. Wherever people devote themselves to the service of others by caring for the environment, by creating safe and good schools, by working toward affordable healthcare and affordable housing for everyone somehow, by making our governmental systems, local and national, ensure safety for all, we are, in effect, giving someone who needs it a drink of water. So verse 42 is a metaphor for doing things for others in the name of Jesus. And the rewards promised by Jesus are entrance into the Kingdom of God. Our first job, then, is to be aware of the opportunities and desperate needs that are out there. But we need to go further. Undeterred by the sheer enormity of the task, we must start somewhere. . Do I look for the grand gestures instead of offering a simple “cup of water”? How does giving someone a cup of water play out in practical terms: is it a hug, or a listening ear, or giving someone a ride, or giving a small donation to an agency like CRS? Do I believe that each act of mercy, no matter how insignificant, can make a difference that really matters? Mother Teresa said that we are not called to do great things, we are called to do small things with great love. We need to go beyond studying the issues to actually help in in some small way to alleviate the thirst for water, for food, for justice, for safety. What can I do? What can I do this week?
Poetic Reflection:
We turn to a tried-and-true reflection written by Thomas Centollela, a former Stegner fellow. He encourages us to do even more than the minimum of giving a cup of water to “one of these little ones”. How can you love more, require less? What does it mean to love without regard for form? How can you live “further in”?”
At Big Rec
A few hours spent in the dry rooms of the dying.
Then the walk home, and the sudden rain
comes hard, and you want it coming hard,
you want it hitting you in the forehead
like anointment, blessing all the days
that otherwise would be dismissed
as business as usual. Now you’re ready
to lean on the rail above the empty diamonds
where, in summer, the ballplayers wait patiently
for one true moment more alive than all the rest.
Now you’re ready for the ancient religion of dogs,
that unleashed romp through the wildness, responding
To no one’s liturgy but the field’s and the rain’s.
You’ve come this far, but you need to live further in.
You need to slip into the blind man for a while,
tap along with his cane past the market stalls
and take in, as if they were abandoned,
the little blue crabs which within an hour will be eaten.
You have to become large enough to accommodate
all the small lives that otherwise would be forgotten.
You have to raise yourself to the power of ten.
Love more, require less, love without regard
For form. You have to live further in.
