Our Holy Father and Wonderworker Tychon of Amathus (408-50)
Apostles’ Fast.
Read
Romans 6:11-17; Matthew 8:14-23
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
“Actions speak louder than words” – how often does that old saying come to mind when we see others making promises they can’t keep, or when we find ourselves doing the same. After all, the problem of hypocrisy is one of the greatest obstacles to the spread of the gospel – when Christians say one thing and do another, other people are quick to ‘tune out’ the good news of Christ.
That is, in a way, what today’s gospel is about. Jesus meets two potential disciples and when they ask to join him, he challenges them to follow him radically, giving the first one a vivid image of how Christian life is one without roots in this world, and reminding the second that all his loyalty must be given to God, not to human relations. We don’t know how these new recruits responded, but the passage concludes with a vivid contrast – when Jesus got into the boat, “his disciples followed him.” Add to this the episode earlier in today’s passage, where Peter’s mother-in-law begins serving others as soon as she is healed, and we have a pretty honest picture of what being a disciple means-following Christ, despite the discomfort, despite the difficulties. Jesus makes it clear that following him means leaving something behind, perhaps even something that, in and of itself, is good. But when we follow him before all else, he will lead us into the kingdom.