A Gospel Enquiry 

Introduction 

As I reflected on Jesus’ words in the Gospel passage below, I came to recognise the origin of the notion of “servant leadership,” which I heard bandied about at school without reference to its source. 

Later, as I searched for a suitable image to put with the Gospel Enquiry I had prepared, I happened upon a blog titled “A Semantic Malfunction: Come and see a humble teacher’s life…” 

The blogger articulates five characteristics of a Bosconian (a member of a school founded in the name of St John Bosco): 

1. Being God-centred
2. Being socially responsible 
3. Being joyful and optimistic 
4. Using technology with a soul 
5. Being passionate for excellence 

I am sure that, like me, you recognise the relevance of these characteristics for someone aspiring to be a servant-leader. 

And so I invite you to make use of the blogger’s post as you engage in this enquiry. Any one of the five characteristics will serve as a “coathanger” off which to hang your reflection and action. 

The Gospel

The mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons to make a request of him, and bowed low; and he said to her, ‘What is it you want?’ She said to him, ‘Promise that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You do not know what you are asking’ Jesus answered. ‘Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?’ They replied, ‘We can.’ ‘Very well,’ he said ‘you shall drink my cup, but as for seats at my right hand and my left, these are not mine to grant; they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by my Father.’

When the other ten heard this they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ (Matthew 20:20-28)

The Enquiry 

See

• What is happening here? Create a “cause and effect” list of all that happens in the passage. What can be added from the context of the passage in Matthew’s Gospel? 
• What does Jesus’ response reveal about his values? What is happening in the world today that points to the need for his values to be promoted? 
• What happened to those who tried to follow Jesus and to live according to his teaching? 

Judge

• What do you think of Jesus’ teaching about leadership?
• What message does the world give about the values that leaders need to hold? How do those values relate to the five characteristics of a Bosconian? 
• What does your faith tell you about how to be a leader and to form leaders with the values modelled by Jesus?  

Act

• What change do you want to see in the leadership being exercised in the world so that the kingdom of God will come and the world be transformed? 
• What small action can you take that will contribute to bringing about this change? 
• Who can you involve in your action and how, when, where and how often will you get them to participate in your action?

Image Source: Bosconian Servant Leader: Family Day T-shirt, Creator: Jardek, Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

A Gospel Enquiry

Introduction

Many years ago, I was invited to join the staff of a Catholic secondary school. I went along armed with my guitar and some songs that were part of the liturgical life of the parish to which I belonged. 

One song proved to be very popular. It was Jesus, Lover of My Soul, by John Ezzy, Daniel Grul & Steve Mcpherson. More than twenty years later, it was still being sung by students who thought it was not cool to sing at Mass. The song became the de facto College anthem and was even sung at the end of the annual Year 12 and Old Boys AFL encounter. Just picture it: around forty sweaty males standing in a circle, arms linked, singing “Jesus, I will never let you go.” 

There is so much about and in the Gospel passage presented for this enquiry. How can Jesus be yoked to so many people except through a shared faith and a shared commitment to being accompanied by him? We walk together by faith and not by sight. 

The Gospel

Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’ (Matthew 11:28-30)

The Enquiry 

See

• The focus on Jesus’ “yoke” is worthy of close examination. What is a “yoke” and what is the context in which it is used? 

• Here is a statement from a paper about discipleship. You might find it helpful as you reflect on what Jesus says to his followers.

“Jesus’ disciples like any other disciples of Jewish rabbis of that time, left their everyday lives in order to learn from a rabbi in a close relationship by walking with him, listening [to] him, imitating him.”

• Who impresses you with their discipleship? What do you like about their lives that you recognize as the result of their commitment to imitating Jesus?

Judge

• What do you think of Jesus’ use of the yoke as a symbol of discipleship?

• Consider the following statement made by Fr Billy Swan in an article for Word on Fire and its relevance to Jesus’ invitation to follow him:

“The experience of being loved unconditionally and empowered to love in return is essential for our emotional lives and mental health.”

• What does your faith tell you about following Jesus? Do you believe that following him will give you a healthier and happier life?  

Act

• What needs to change in the world so that being a disciple of Jesus will lead to its transformation? 

• What small action can you take that will contribute to bringing about this change? 

• Who can you involve in your action and how, when, where and how often will you get them to participate in your action?

Image Source: Bullock yokes.jpg Creator: Cgoodwin,  Wikimedia, Attribution-Share Alike Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported Generic license.

A Gospel Enquiry

Introduction 

“Think of the cross,” a colleague said to me, “and put God at the top and you at the bottom. This relationship we call faith. The horizontal, well that is us, our school, our families, our Church, society.” 

Decades later, quite by accident, I came across the writing of Charles Taylor, a Canadian philosopher. Taylor writes about the “porous” self who seeks a relationship with God, and the “buffered” self, who navigates life without engaging with the transcendent. 

Blind Bartimaeus knows that only God can save him. The power of God works through Jesus. Bartimaeus knows this and no one will stop him from appealing to Jesus to be healed. 

Today, many in our society reduce spirituality to well-being. Transcendence is meaningless and God does not exist. To borrow words from Taylor, their horizon is flattened. The story of Bartimaeus is quaint, but irrelevant. What do you think?

The Gospel

As Jesus left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up; he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.

(Mark 10:46-52)

The Enquiry 

See

• What does Mark tell us about Bartimaeus and his interaction with Jesus? What is the difference in attitude between Jesus and his disciples? 
• Why does he call out to Jesus? What does this reveal about what he believes about Jesus?   
• What happens to Bartimaeus because he seeks Jesus’ help? 

Judge

• What do you think about the interaction between Jesus and Bartimaeus? Have you experienced anything similar? 
• What does Jesus want his followers to learn from his interaction with Bartimaeus?     
• Identify situations in your life where you and/or others need to interact with Jesus in the way shown in this Gospel.  

Act

• What do you want to change in people so that they seek Jesus, just as Bartimaeus did?
  
• What can you do to bring about that change? What small action can you take that will contribute to bringing about this change? 
• Who can you involve in your action and how, when and how often will you get them to participate in your action?

Image Source: William Blake - Christ giving sight to Bartimaeus, Picryl, PUBLIC DOMAIN MARK 1.0 UNIVERSAL

A Gospel Enquiry

Introduction

I read recently that the Kingdom of God is an action in society. Mark’s Gospel is shaped like a hinge. The first half of the Gospel is a movement away from Jerusalem. Jesus turns around and heads back to Jerusalem after Peter's profession of faith in Jesus as God's Son. It is on that journey that Jesus teaches his followers about how to enter God's Kingdom.

The Gospel

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.

‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. 

‘And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. 

‘And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 

‘And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out. 

‘For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you season it again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.’ (Mark 9:41-50)

The Enquiry 

See

• What does Jesus reveal about the purpose of life? 
• Why does Jesus speak to his disciples - and us - in this way?
• Examine the context for this passage in Mark’s Gospel. What does Jesus say and do that reveal the nature and outcomes of the battle between good and evil in his life and the lives of his followers, including us? 

Judge

• What do you think of Jesus’ worldview? 
• Which situations in the world reflect what Jesus speaks about in this Gospel reading?     
• Jesus has drawn the line in the sand, so to speak: on which side do you want to stand? Are the people you love standing there with you?  

Act

• What do you want to change in the world so that good triumphs and evil is defeated?  
• Which small action can you take that will contribute to bringing about this change? 
• Who can you involve in your action and how, when and how often will you get them to participate in your action?

Image Source: Public domain image pickpik.com CC0 1.0 UNIVERSAL 

Introduction

The story about Jesus sending out the seventy-two disciples in pairs to announce the Good News is the Gospel reading for the Mass for Thursday in the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time. I recall a priest once telling students at Mass that he experienced this in his own life as a student in the seminary. He said that on most days, he was welcomed into people’s homes, but there were some nights when he slept out under the stars. I wonder what this might look like if we treated the Gospel as a metaphor and then looked for situations in which faith in action would bring people closer to the kingdom of God? 

The Gospel

The Lord chose seventy-two others and sent them out in pairs ahead of him into every town and place where he planned to go. He said to them, “There are a great many people to harvest, but there are only a few workers. So pray to God, who owns the harvest, that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest. Go now, but listen! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Don’t carry a purse, a bag, or sandals, and don’t waste time talking with people on the road. Before you go into a house, say, ‘Peace be with this house.’ If peace-loving people live there, your blessing of peace will stay with them, but if not, then your blessing will come back to you. Stay in the same house, eating and drinking what the people there give you. A worker should be given his pay. Don’t move from house to house. If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat what they give you. Heal the sick who live there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ But if you go into a town, and the people don’t welcome you, then go into the streets and say, ‘Even the dirt from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. But remember that the kingdom of God is near.’ I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be better for the people of Sodom than for the people of that town.” (Luke 10:1-12 - New Century Version)

The Enquiry

SEE

• What are the significant elements (the facts) in this Gospel? Have you ever been asked by Jesus to step out of your comfort zone? What are the significant elements of that situation? How did you respond? What happened because you responded in the way that you did? 
• What causes Jesus to send his disciples out on a mission? Why didn’t they need anything to carry out the mission? How does this apply to the situation in your own life? 
• What are the consequences for those who accept Jesus and those he sends to be a part of their lives? What are the consequences for those who reject Jesus and those he sends to be a part of their lives? What are the consequences for you and for others of your decision to act, or not act, on your situation?

JUDGE

• What do you think about what Jesus expects of his followers? How does what you have read in the Gospel fit with your experience? Confronted with this, what are you feeling right now? 
• What does your faith tell you about what Jesus expects of you as one of his followers? How different is this from what you have found in the Gospel? What does your faith tell you about reconciling the elements that jar? 
• Ideally, what should our missionary endeavours look like, sound like, feel like? 

ACT

• What simple action can you take over the next week that will contribute to bringing about that change? 
  

• Who can you involve in this action and how will you go about involving them?

• What needs to change in the world you know so that Jesus and his disciples, including yourself, are welcomed and God’s mission embraced joyfully? 

Author: Pat Branson

Image source: https://verbumbible.com/2019/10/31/gods-mission-our-calling/

Introduction

The Church celebrates the feast of St Wenceslaus, the patron saint of Bohemia, on September 28. Wenceslaus (907-929) was the ruler of Bohemia and gave witness to his faith: love for the poor, devotion to Mary, a spirit of penance, and the desire to grow the faith in Bohemia. He experienced opposition and his brother supported his assassination. It is little wonder, then, that the Church has chosen the following Gospel to celebrate his life and his faith.

The Gospel 

Jesus said to his apostles, “Don’t think that I came to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. I have come so that

‘a son will be against his father,
    a daughter will be against her mother,
a daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law.
A person’s enemies will be members of his own family.’ Micah 7:6

“Those who love their father or mother more than they love me are not worthy to be my followers. Those who love their son or daughter more than they love me are not worthy to be my followers. Whoever is not willing to carry the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who try to hold on to their lives will give up true life. Those who give up their lives for me will hold on to true life” (Matthew 10:34-39 - New Century Version).

The Enquiry

SEE

• What happens in this part of Matthew’s Gospel that would help to explain this radical and perplexing statement from Jesus? Have you ever been confronted with a message about commitment like the message of Jesus found here? How did you respond? What did you do? 
  
• What has happened in Jesus’ mission that leads him to speak about commitment to his mission in this way? What can you recall from the Gospel that supports Jesus’ decision to speak about commitment to him in this way?
• According to Jesus, what are the consequences for those who choose to commit themselves to him? What are the consequences for those who choose to ignore his invitation to follow him, or who choose to reject those who are committed to following him? 

JUDGE

• What do you think about how Jesus describes the sort of commitment required of those who want to follow him? 
• What does your faith tell you about how to deal with the consequences of committing oneself to following Jesus? 
• Ideally, how should people who choose to commit themselves to following Jesus be treated by others? 

ACT

• What needs to change so that people who choose to follow Jesus are affirmed by people who know them? 
  
• What simple action can you take over the next week that will encourage people to affirm those who choose to follow Jesus? 
• Who can you involve in this action and how will you go about involving them?

Author: Pat Branson

Image source: https://blog.truthforlife.org/what-does-it-really-mean-to-take-up-your-cross-and-follow-jesus

Introduction

Jesus wanted to be a rabbi. When he had finished his secondary schooling (Bet Talmud), he went to his local rabbi to ask to be taken on as his apprentice (Bet Midrash). The rabbi replied with two words: “Lek hackeri” (Come, follow me). Some fifteen years later, when he began his ministry, Jesus did not wait for people to ask to follow him. He seized the initiative and used the two words that his apostles never expected to hear. One such man was Matthew, the tax collector. His feast is celebrated on September 21.  

The Gospel

When Jesus was leaving, he saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, “Follow me,”and he stood up and followed Jesus.

As Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with Jesus and his followers. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus’ followers, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

When Jesus heard them, he said, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I want kindness more than I want animal sacrifices.’ I did not come to invite good people but to invite sinners” (Matthew 9:9-13 - New Century Version).

The Enquiry

SEE

• What happens in this Gospel story? How does the call of Matthew apply to you? Have you ever heard Jesus calling you to follow him? How did you know that it was Jesus who called you? How did you respond? What did you do? 
• Why does Jesus call Matthew? Why didn’t he call the Pharisees? Why did Matthew follow him “immediately”?
• What are the consequences for those who choose to follow Jesus when he calls them?

JUDGE

• What do you think about the story as it unfolds? If Jesus used Instagram or LinkedIn to call people, would you follow him? Why? Why not? 
• What does your faith tell you about how Jesus calls people, what he calls people to do, and what to expect if you follow Jesus? 
• In the ideal situation, what would change in the story you have read? What would be the consequences flowing from the decision to follow Jesus? 

ACT

• What needs to change in the world so that people will always respond in the way Matthew did when Jesus calls them to join him in his ministry? 
• What simple action can you take over the next week that will help people to respond wholeheartedly to Jesus’ call to follow him?
• Who can you involve in this action and how will you go about involving them?

Image source:

https://www.christiancentury.org/blog-post/ccblogs-network/surprising-call-of-matthew/