From: Matthew 10:34-11:1
Jesus’ Instructions to the Apostles (Continuation)
[40] He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him
who sent Me. [41] He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall re-
ceive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is
a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. [42] And whoever gives
to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple,
truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
The Mission of John the Baptist. Jesus’ Reply
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Commentary:
34-37. Our Lord has not come to bring a false and earthly peace — the sort of
tranquility the self-seeking person yearns for; He wants us to struggle against
our own passions and against sin and its effects. The sword He equips us with
for this struggle is, in the words of Scripture, “the sword of the Spirit which is
the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17), “lively and active, sharper than any two-
edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow,
and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
The word of God in fact leads to these divisions mentioned here. It can lead,
even within families, to those who embrace the faith being regarded as enemies
by relatives who resist the word of truth. This is why our Lord goes on (verse 37)
to say that nothing should come between Him and His disciple—not even father,
mother, son or daughter: any and every obstacle (cf. Matthew 5:29-30) must be
avoided.
Obviously these words of Jesus do not set up any opposition between the first
and fourth commandments (love for God above all things and love for one’s par-
ents): He is simply indicating the order of priorities. We should love God with all
our strength (cf. Matthew 22:37), and make a serious effort to be saints; and we
should also love and respect—in theory and in practice—the parents God has gi-
ven us; they have generously cooperated with the creative power of God in brin-
ging us into the world and there is so much that we owe them. But love for our
parents should not come before love of God; usually there is no reason why
these two loves should clash, but if that should happen, we should be quite clear
in our mind and in heart about what Jesus says here. He has in fact given us an
example to follow on this point: “How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know
that I must be in My Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49) — His reply when, as a youth,
Mary and Joseph found Him in the Temple of Jerusalem after a long search. This
event in our Lord’s life is a guideline for every Christian — parent or child. Children
should learn from it that their affection for their parents should never come before
their love for God, particularly when our Creator asks us to follow Him in a way
which implies special self-giving on our part; parents should take the lesson that
their children belong to God in the first place, and therefore He has a right to do
with them what He wishes, even if this involves sacrifice, even heroic sacrifice.
This teaching of our Lord asks us to be generous and to let God have His way.
In fact, however, God never lets Himself be outdone in generosity. Jesus has
promised a hundredfold gain, even in this life, and later on eternal life (cf. Mat-
thew 19:29), to those who readily respond to His will.
38-39. The teaching contained in the preceding verses is summed up in these
two succinct sentences. Following Christ, doing what He asks, means risking
this present life to gain eternal life.
“People who are constantly concerned with themselves, who act above all for
their own satisfaction, endanger their eternal salvation and cannot avoid being
unhappy even in this life. Only if a person forgets himself and gives himself to
God and to others, in marriage as well as in any other aspect of life, can he be
happy on this earth, with a happiness that is a preparation for, and a foretaste
of, the joy of Heaven” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 24). Clearly,
Christian life is based on self-denial: there is no Christianity without the Cross.
40. To encourage the Apostles and to persuade others to receive them, our
Lord affirms that there is an intimate solidarity, or even a kind of identity, be-
tween Himself and His disciples. God in Christ, Christ in the Apostles: this is
the bridge between Heaven and earth (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23).
41-42. A prophet’s mission is not essentially one of announcing future events;
his main role is that of communicating the word of God (cf. Jeremiah 11:2; Isai-
ah 1:2). The righteous man, the just man, is he who obeys the Law of God and
follows His paths (cf. Genesis 6:9; Isaiah 3:10). Here Jesus tells us that every-
one who humbly listens to and welcomes prophets and righteous men, recogni-
zing God in them, will receive the reward of a prophet and a righteous man. The
very fact of generously receiving God’s friends will gain one the reward that they
obtain. Similarly, if we should see God in the least of His disciples (verse 42),
even if they do not seem very important, they are important, because they are
envoys of God and of His Son. That is why he who gives them a glass of cold
water — an alms, or any small service—will receive a reward, for he has shown
generosity to our Lord Himself (cf. Matthew 25:40).
1. In chapters 11 and 12 the Gospel records the obduracy of the Jewish leaders
toward Jesus, despite hearing His teaching (chapter 5-7) and seeing the miracles
which bear witness to the divine nature of His person and His doctrine (chapters
8 and 9).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
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First reading |
Isaiah 1:10-17 © |
Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the command of our God,
you people of Gomorrah.
‘What are your endless sacrifices to me?
says the Lord.
I am sick of holocausts of rams
and the fat of calves.
The blood of bulls and of goats revolts me.
When you come to present yourselves before me,
who asked you to trample over my courts?
Bring me your worthless offerings no more,
the smoke of them fills me with disgust.
New Moons, sabbaths, assemblies--
I cannot endure festival and solemnity.
Your New Moons and your pilgrimages
I hate with all my soul.
They lie heavy on me,
I am tired of bearing them.
When you stretch out your hands
I turn my eyes away.
You may multiply your prayers,
I shall not listen.
Your hands are covered with blood,
wash, make yourselves clean.
‘Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do good,
search for justice,
help the oppressed,
be just to the orphan,
plead for the widow.’
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Psalm |
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Psalm 49:8-9,16-17,21,23 © |
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
‘I find no fault with your sacrifices,
your offerings are always before me.
I do not ask more bullocks from your farms,
nor goats from among your herds.
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
‘But how can you recite my commandments
and take my covenant on your lips,
you who despise my law
and throw my words to the winds,
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
‘You do this, and should I keep silence?
Do you think that I am like you?
A sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me
and I will show God’s salvation to the upright.’
I will show God’s salvation to the upright.
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Gospel Acclamation |
cf.Ac16:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
|
Or |
Mt5:10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy those who are persecuted
in the cause of right,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
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Gospel |
|
Matthew 10:34-11:1 © |
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.
‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.
‘Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.
‘Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.
‘If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’
When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.