Gospel of 22 September 2020
Tuesday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 8:19-21
'My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God'
The mother and the brothers of Jesus came looking for him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.’ But he said in answer, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’
Reflexion
Here’s a familiar story found in all three synoptic gospels. It is worth comparing and contrasting this passage with the parallel passages in Matthew and particularly in Mark. There is a tiny but not so insignificant difference between them. Here the family of the Lord are praised; in Mark they are sidelined.
The special place of the mother and brothers of our Lord are given recognition by His audience, they are accorded a certain privileged priority over ordinary followers. But our Lord emphasises that their special position is not due to biological ties but rather to two important attributes of a follower. A follower of Christ must be ready to hear the Word of God and put it into practice.
Some Christians may be skilled in knowing the Word of God, they studiously read it, delve into its profound depths but come no where closer to the Lord because they do not put into practice what they hear.
Whereas, some believe that they are doing the work of God, they are putting their faith into action, but choose to be ignorant of the Word of God. They substitute God’s Word for their own personal ideology and end up building their own kingdom, instead of God’s.
The key to being a follower of Christ is to be found in Mary, the Blessed Mother of Jesus and the Church. She not only exemplifies the Christian disciple by her attentiveness to the Word, but translates that Word into a lived response to God. The climax of this is to be found at the Incarnation. She heard the Word of God announced to her by the angel, she accepted it willingly, and that very Word took flesh in her womb. In a way, Mary’s example is unique. She heard the Word but she alone can claim to have given birth to it, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.
But how does this passage speak to us? With one sentence the Lord reveals that every human being can become a member of His family. Closeness to Jesus does not depend on social standing or academic achievement or affluence or blood ties. You do not need to do mental gymnastics nor perform great feats of self-sacrificial heroism. Rather, it depends instead on hearing the Word and putting it into practice. Simple yet challenging.