Our Venerable Father Thomas of Maleum; and Acacius mentioned in The Ladder of Divine Ascent of Saint John Climacus
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Romans 12:1-3; Matthew 10:37-11:1
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Today’s gospel concludes a discourse by Jesus about discipleship. Throughout the previous chapter, Jesus tells the twelve apostles what is involved in being a Christian. On one hand, his disciples will proclaim that the kingdom is at hand, giving proof of it by their lives and their miracles. But they will also experience opposition from civil and religious authorities, and even from their own families. In today’s gospel, this discourse reaches its climax: ultimately, anyone who wants to be a follower of Jesus will have to decide who (or what) he or she really loves.
This can seem pretty gloomy – unless you only love God and hate everything and everyone else, you are doomed. But in the middle of verse 39, there is a subtle but important shift in what Jesus is saying: “He who finds his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake will find it.” In other words, if we want life (that “life in abundance” that John’s gospel talks about) we can find it in Jesus. If we look for life in other places (even in really good places, like our families), we’ll be disappointed, because those good places are still wounded by sin – if we expect them to fulfil our longing for life, they will buckle under the pressure. But, if we willingly share in Christ’s life (which means sharing in his cross), then we will be truly alive with him in his resurrection, and be welcomed as “little Christ’s,” both by men and women, and by God.