Nov. 7, 2022 – Luke 17:1-6
In today’s Gospel we find other teachings of Jesus addressed to his disciples. The first is about the inevitability of scandals created by those actions or words that literally cause people to stumble and fall. Here they refer to words or actions that become obstacles, preventing or making it harder for people to believe and accept Christ and the gospel.
In following Jesus, nothing is claimed, no recognition is demanded, no rewards are expected, for not even the task performed becomes a guarantee or merit. This gratuitousness of service must be visible in the life of the church, for “an apostle is not greater than he who sent him” (Jn. 13:16). It is constitutive of the authority of the apostle, of every envoy, who does not “look to himself,” does not measure his own
work, but obeys only the word of the Lord, moved by love for him, entrusting to him and his mercy the judgment on his own work. For those who love it is enough to love and there is no expectation of recognition! What one does for the Lord, one does freely and well, out of love and in freedom, not to gain merit or to have a reward….
Jesus’ words refer to something that can threaten the journey of the little ones, to be understood here not as “children” but as disciples with fragile perseverance, believers with little experience at the beginning of their journey, people marked in faith by the travails of life. In short, those in the community who are most vulnerable to loss of faith.
It is not specified what this is about, but by “scandal” should be understood here all those behaviors that deviate strongly from the Gospel and can somehow convince others to do the same.
We can think of hypocrisy, abuse of power, stealing, betrayal, double lives, lack of charity, etc.
It is an experience that is not so difficult to experience on one’s own skin, for which one tends to remain deeply embittered, lost and inwardly exhausted. One finds oneself unmotivated, laden with doubts and questions, with the feeling that it is all a deception and no longer worth continuing the journey.
For good workers…
Today’s gospel passage concludes by clearly confronting every disciple of Christ with his or her concrete responsibility toward his or her brothers and sisters, especially the least of these, and the need to have a strong and well-grounded faith.
Fr Joby Kavungal RCJ
TREZZANO SUL NAVIGLIO – MILAN