Gathering disciples

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate how the Will of God expressed as the Word and deed of Jesus calls disciples from diverse communities.

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The Acts of the Apostles describes the origin of the ministry of Barnabas and Paul to “Christians” at Antioch.

* [11:19–26] The Jewish Christian antipathy to the mixed community was reflected by the early missionaries generally. The few among them who entertained a different view succeeded in introducing Gentiles into the community at Antioch (in Syria). When the disconcerted Jerusalem community sent Barnabas to investigate, he was so favorably impressed by what he observed that he persuaded his friend Saul to participate in the Antioch mission.

The Gospel from John reveals that Jesus fulfills the promise to shepherd the people as God in Ezekiel 34 and Psalm 23.

* [10:30] This is justification for Jn 10:29; it asserts unity of power and reveals that the words and deeds of Jesus are the words and deeds of God.

Dennis Hamm, S.J. comments on how the Feast of Dedication provides a background for illuminating what the Evangelist wants to communicate about the reality of Jesus as the fulfillment of all the institutions of the Jewish tradition.

The answer Jesus gives is that he sees himself as a shepherd, whose “flock” are those who accept him as their leader. Ezekiel 34 is the pertinent background here, for this vision pictures another “David” who will shepherd the scattered people of Israel, find the lost, and heal and feed them, all this in contrast to false leaders who were self-serving and abusive shepherds. In fact, Ezekiel says, the real shepherd will be God. Hence the power of Jesus’ climactic statement: “The Father and I are one.”...
In a narrative where Jesus had referred to his body as the temple of God, the fact that this happens in the temple, which had already been destroyed by the Romans by the time John writes, would not be lost on John’s readers… It is our faith that the risen Jesus really is our shepherd who fulfills the vision of Ezekiel 34—that is, not just the consoler and protector of the shepherd figure of Psalm 23, but the healer and leader who now continues to gather the scattered children of God. He is the ultimate leader we trust as we try to negotiate troubled times.

Don Schwager advises that we listen to the Good Shepherd and we will not go astray.

The sheep who heed the voice of Jesus, the good shepherd, have no fear. He leads them to everlasting peace, joy, and community with God and his people. In this present life we will encounter trials, difficulties, and persecution. We can face them alone or we can follow Jesus, the true shepherd, who will bring us safely through every difficulty to the place of peace and security with God and his people. Do you listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and heed his commands?

The text of Ezekiel 34, portraying God as Shepherd, is the seed for the Theology of Work Project comments connecting this Bible passage to everyday work.

As followers of Jesus, we owe our company a good day's work — a properly executed sales plan, a sturdy framing job, or whatever our work product is. Employers should learn to expect that from us. Also, as followers of Jesus we can never provide our company with a false environmental statement, never mislead employees or take advantage of their ignorance, and never cover up a quality control problem. Employers should expect that from us as well. What makes us good and productive workers, loyal to our companies, also makes us honest and compassionate workers, committed to our Lord.

Friar Jude Winkler describes the situation of persecuted and dispersed disciples who had preached only to Jews and then got wonderful response from pagans in Antioch. The theme of predestination is present in the Gospel of John. Friar Jude explains this paradox in terms less sophisticated than the theology of Calvin.

John Calahan at Never Thirsty website writes about the responsibility and paradox of those not Predestined.

What is the correct understanding? Is it true that God chooses people to have eternal life and men and women must believe to have eternal life? The answer is that both are true! It is a mystery or a paradox! The truth is that the Bible teaches both are true.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, is thankful that there are many people working toward a more inclusive and just society and religion. He begins with a look at Women’s Wisdom.

And then there’s Mary Magdalene. My colleague, CAC core faculty member Cynthia Bourgeault, suggests that a careful study of this woman who first saw the Risen Christ can help us “cut through two millennia of doctrine and dogma to Jesus’ teaching. We find here relational health, an astonishing vision of love as a transformational path, and profoundly empowering models of women and men working together in spiritual leadership roles. To reclaim Mary Magdalene is to reclaim Christianity. Without her, our understanding of what Jesus really taught is incomplete. In fact, it is significantly distorted.”

The Good Shepherd described in Ezekiel 34 and Psalm 23 calls people of all traditions and heritage to work as disciples in the renewal of society and religion.

References


(n.d.). CHAPTER 11 The Baptism of the Gentiles Explained. 1Now the .... Retrieved April 24, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/acts11.htm 

(n.d.). John 10:22. Retrieved April 24, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/john/10:22 

(n.d.). Creighton University's Online Ministries. Retrieved April 24, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/online.html 

 
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 24, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(n.d.). Ezekiel 34 - Theology of Work. Retrieved April 24, 2018, from https://www.theologyofwork.org/old-testament/ezekiel/ezekiel-34

(n.d.). Predestination and Human Responsibility - NeverThirsty. Retrieved April 24, 2018, from https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-studies/topical-bible-studies/predestination-and-freewill/ 

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 24, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/