Prescription to promote presentation of peace

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today take us into the tension between experiencing human suffering while at the same time living to bring peace to others as disciples of Christ.

Disciples of peace

The loneliness of Paul is a theme in the pastoral letter to Timothy.

* [4:9–13] Demas either abandoned the work of the ministry for worldly affairs or, perhaps, gave up the faith itself (2 Tm 4:10). Luke (2 Tm 4:11) may have accompanied Paul on parts of his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 16:10–12; 20:5–7). Notice the presence of the first personal pronoun “we” in these Acts passages, suggesting to some that Luke (or at least some traveling companion of Paul’s) was the author of Acts. Mark, once rejected by Paul (Acts 13:13; 15:39), is now to render him a great service (2 Tm 4:11); cf. Col 4:10; Phlm 24. For Tychicus, see Eph 6:21; cf. also Acts 20:4; Col 4:7.

The prescription for carrying out the Mission of the Seventy-two in the Gospel of Luke is to rely on Providence as we invite others to know the peace of relationship with Jesus.

* [10:4] Carry no money bag…greet no one along the way: because of the urgency of the mission and the singlemindedness required of missionaries, attachment to material possessions should be avoided and even customary greetings should not distract from the fulfillment of the task.

ScottS comments on the job of an evangelist connected to the Letter to Timothy.

Interspersed through the whole epistle is both the fact that Paul is suffering for his holding to the testimony of Christ and that Timothy needs to strengthen himself and hold fast to that testimony.

Dennis Hamm, S.J. explains that what Luke portrays in Acts he anticipates in his gospel. For example, he tells not just one but two stories of Jesus sending envoys on mission.

The work of the 72, including us, is preparatory. Jesus does the real work of ‘visiting’ everyone. This may be puzzling, until we discover in the Acts of Apostles that the work of Paul and company is understood as the work of the risen Lord working through the Holy Spirit animating the Christian movement (see Acts 26). So the mission is not so much about us as about the work of Jesus, through the likes of us, for the rest of the world.

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus the Good Shepherd changes wolves into sheep”, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"How then does [Jesus] command the holy apostles, who are innocent men and 'sheep,' to seek the company of wolves, and go to them of their own will? Is not the danger apparent? Are they not set up as ready prey for their attacks? How can a sheep prevail over a wolf? How can one so peaceful conquer the savageness of beasts of prey? 'Yes,' he says, 'for they all have me as their Shepherd: small and great, people and princes, teachers and students. I will be with you, help you, and deliver you from all evil. I will tame the savage beasts. I will change wolves into sheep, and I will make the persecutors become the helpers of the persecuted. I will make those who wrong my ministers to be sharers in their pious designs. I make and unmake all things, and nothing can resist my will.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 61)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 10:1-9 urges us to take hold of the kingdom today by recalling some of the key attributes of Jesus’ message.

Joy. Mercy. Caring for the poor. Prayer. The Holy Spirit. These are all ways that Luke has told us that God’s kingdom is “at hand” (10:9).

Friar Jude Winkler places the text today in the set of pastoral letters likely written in the name of Paul. The remarkable reconciliation mentioned between Paul and Mark reminds us that forgiveness is often difficult, but not impossible, when so called “tough characters” are involved. The evangelist needs to consider that rejection of the “Good News” may be a consequence of the gift of faith not being fully gifted to that person.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes Rabbi Harold Kushner from his book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”, to dispel a common myth about suffering.

The conventional explanation, that God sends us the burden because [God] knows that we are strong enough to handle it, has it all wrong. Fate, not God, sends us the problem. When we try to deal with it, we find out that we are not strong. We are weak; we get tired, we get angry, overwhelmed. . . . But when we reach the limits of our own strength and courage, something unexpected happens. We find reinforcement coming from a source outside of ourselves. And in the knowledge that we are not alone, that God is on our side, we manage to go on. . .

Fr Richard shares his observation of many happy and peaceful people who love “a crucified God” who walks with crucified people, and thus reveals and redeems their plight as God’s own. Jesus is not observing human suffering from a distance. He is somehow at the center of human suffering. He includes our suffering in the co-redemption of the world, as “all creation groans in one great act of giving birth” (Romans 8:22). We “make up in our own bodies all that still has to be undergone for the sake of the Whole Body” (Colossians 1:24). We are somehow partners with the Divine. We are led by our soul and our spirit to challenge our rational minds to fully surrender to this mystery.

References

(n.d.). 2 Timothy chapter 4 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/2timothy/4
(n.d.). Luke 10:25-37. Retrieved October 18, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/luke10.htm
(2016, June 2). In 2 Timothy 4:5, what is "the job of an evangelist"? - Biblical .... Retrieved October 18, 2018, from https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/22733/in-2-timothy-45-what-is-the-job-of-an-evangelist
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved October 18, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 18, 2018, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved October 18, 2018, from https://wau.org/meditations/
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 18, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/