Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Also Read: Mass Readings for 14 July 2024 Mass Reading Reflection for 14 July 2024
Gospel: Mark 6: 7-13
With Jesus, you either accept or reject Him, He is never open to negotiation. He said, “Whatever place does not welcome or listen to you, leave there.” Referring to an ancient Jewish custom of dusting off their feet upon leaving a foreign land, He instructed them to dust off their feet, implying that they don’t carry any evil custom. Jesus is never open to negotiation.
Giving something and taking something in return, is the core of negotiation. Jesus is like a rude storekeeper who says: ‘You take it or leave it.’ He is not ready to customize the Gospel to boost the business.
Jesus was categorical when he said, “Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there.” You don’t have to stay back trying to convince, instead you go on with your mission of preaching the Good News elsewhere.
God entertains no negotiation on the Ten Commandments. Jesus reiterated it when he said, “If you want to enter life, keep the commandments” (Mt 19:17).
Gospel cannot be customized to accommodate the advocates of same-sex marriage. Gospel cannot be customized for the advocates of promiscuous sex. Gospel cannot be customized for those who bent ethics to amass wealth. Gospel cannot be customized to please the advocates of the prochoice group, who call abortion by any name other than its true name: murder. Gospel cannot be customized to approve the LGBTQ or the woke.
We are commissioned to call them to repentance and invite them to the Kingdom of God. We are not called to smoothen the edges and corners of the Gospel so that it does not hurt them. Gospel hurts. It is like a surgeon’s knife; it hurts to heal. Don’t ever try to blunt the edges of the Gospel to please anyone. It is better to dust off your feet and move on than try to blunt the Gospel to please anyone.
Remember that Jesus sends us with authority over unclean spirits. We are to call the unclean, unclean, and to drive the unclean spirit out of our families and lives. Glorifying the unclean is not expected of His disciples.
Let us make it a point this week to tell of Jesus and His Gospel to anyone willing to listen. Take someone willing, from your parish or community with you. Visit someone from your neighborhood. And feel how it is to talk about Jesus and the Gospel. Encourage them to break the chains of alcohol, drugs, or promiscuous life. And, talk of the liberating love of Jesus.
The disciples were much like each of us, not sure if they could do it. They knew a little of Jesus and the Gospel. Nonetheless, they went because they trusted Jesus their master who commissioned them. Trust Jesus like the apostles and preach confidentially like them.
Amen.
