27th Sunday of Ordinary Time/ “Servant or Disciple?”
27th Sunday of Ordinary Time/ “Servant or Disciple?”
Following Jesus is a challenge. Often it can be discouraging. If we get tired of trying to spread the gospel, we are probably like the apostle Timothy. In our second reading Timothy had to be reminded by St. Paul why he had become a disciple of Jesus.
Timothy is told to stir into flame the gift you have been given. All of us have sat around a campfire on a fall night. Maybe the fire starts to die down. We can add more wood to the fire to get it to blaze up again. Or, we can use a stick to stir up the coals. When we do, we find that the flames kick up again. The fuel for the fire is still present, but the fire has settled too much. Oxygen is needed.
St. Paul uses that image to inspire Timothy. He tells Timothy that he is suffering from spiritual amnesia. You have forgotten the gift he says. “You need to stir into flame the gift you have been given.” What is the gift? Faith is the gift.
The apostles feel the same discouragement as they minister with Jesus. What is their request? We hear it in the first line of the gospel today. “Increase our faith.” Somehow the apostles felt like they were losing enthusiasm. Certainly, it makes all the difference in the world if we have faith when we are undertaking some task in service of the Gospel.
A story is told of a banquet that was scheduled for a charitable group. The meal was to celebrate all the good work that was being done by the charity. The leadership of the organization wanted to do something special for their generous volunteers, so it was decided to bring in a famous actor to do some dramatic readings. The actor was so talented he could recite texts from memory. People could just call out what they wanted the actor to say. Some asked for inspirational poems. Others, great speeches like the Gettysburg Address, or MacArthur’s farewell address to Congress. The actor new them all by heart.
At the end of the evening the actor said I will do just one more. An old woman on a walker sitting close by said, “I would like to hear the 23rd Psalm.” The actor complied. He spoke with such dramatic flair, that the crowd applauded loudly for him. He then surprised the old woman. He said, “Now you do it.” The lady was surprised, but she stood up to speak. In a cracked nervous voice, she began. With each verse her voice became stronger as well as more emotional. At the end of the recitation there was no applause, but just silence. Some sniffles were also heard as many in the audience began to weep. All agreed that it was the most moving part of the performance.
As the actor was leaving a man asked him why his recitation of the 23rd psalm didn’t seem to move people in the same way as the woman’s had. He said, “I know the psalm by heart. She knows the Shepherd in her heart.”
Jesus speaks of the difference between servants and disciples in the Gospel. The difference is something we should look at if we are losing our enthusiasm for Christian living. A servant is a person who expects some reward for what they are doing. We have a lot of people who serve the church but have questionable motivations. Some may engage in tasks for pay. Others might serve the church because they want recognition. Jesus would say that is what servants are like.
But why does a disciple do ministry in the church. Disciples of Jesus serve the world because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Such people may never be paid or thanked, but it doesn’t dampen their enthusiasm because they know the master in an intimate way. True disciples love Jesus. The love causes them to put Jesus’ needs above any other need. Faith is the driving force in their lives.
As we come here to Mass today what is our reason? How do we articulate it? If we say it is because we always have come to Mass that is not much of a reason. If we say we are here because we don’t want to commit a sin, that is not a very inspiring reason. But if we say I am here because I want to know Jesus ever more personally-that is inspiring reason. True faith in a loving, life giving God is what can inspire us to go out and serve the world.
Please Note: rough draft-grammar may not be perfect!