A Look Forward and Back

Beginning in the month of November, our liturgical year takes a pivot, from the journey of Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, to finally some reflection on His time in Jerusalem and finally to our recognition of our Lord Jesus Christ as the King of all creation, the King of all that is.

During the past few weeks, each Sunday Gospel reading is taken from the time of Jesus on the way from Galilee, the location of His ministry, to Jerusalem where He will suffer and die for our sins.  The concept of being ‘on the way’ is the fundamental point.  While we remember this journey of the disciples with our Lord, we remind ourselves that we too are on the way.  But for us it is seeking to find the way of discipleship in the world at the present moment.  During the Gospel reading on the Thirtieth Sunday, we encounter the miracle of Jesus restoring the sight of the blind Bartimaeus.  When he is brought to Jesus, Jesus asks him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”  If we give some thought to the present situations within our own lives, we must realize that each and every time we kneel in prayer, each and every time we come to the Church, Jesus is really asking us the same question.  We should certainly spend some time in reflection upon what is our answer to Jesus.

Now certainly we may bring to Jesus the concerns of our present situation, the health and needs of ourselves and the ones we love; the concerns of our every day lives like our work and our ability to support those who depend on us.  But the answer of Bartimaeus allows us to reflect that along with all this maybe we should be asking for something with a bit more humility. Bartimaeus only says to Jesus, “I want to see.”  While we can notice here that Bartimaeus is asking for the restoration of his physical sight, we also notice that he also receives insight into the life and mission of Jesus.  Bartimaeus does not just receive his sight and then go on his merry way.  Rather the result of the miracle of our Lord is that “Immediately he regained his sight and followed Him on the way.” (Mark 10:52)

Bartimaeus received a physical healing, but he was also shown the way of discipleship, and he began to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This is the insight that we all must pray for and seek when we gather for the worship of Almighty God and receive Jesus within Holy Communion.

It is with prayer for this sort of insight, prayer that when we gather for worship that we will see more clearly the way of discipleship within our own lives and the lives of our parishes.  It is with a consideration for our own discipleship that we should then approach the Gospel readings for the end of our liturgical year.  It is during this time of the Church year that we focus on the concerns of the end times, the concerns beyond our everyday living and rather to the ultimate mission of our Lord. 

On the Thirty-First Sunday, the Gospel reading is taken from the time of Jesus in Jerusalem before His Passion.  Here He is asked a question by a scribe, “Which commandment is the greatest?”  The answer is not any particular action that we may perform within our daily living, but rather Jesus tells him, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.  The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus points to us that the way of discipleship is not the performance of any particular action.  It is rather that we focus all of our attention, all that we are: heart, soul, mind and strength on God.  And the love that we are to show to God is all self-sacrificing love.  It is love that is total and love that holds nothing back.  When we begin to do this, it is only then that the actions of brotherly love, the good actions toward a neighbor, will flow forth. 

It is the same point that is brought forth in the Gospel for the next Sunday, “the poor widow and the two copper coins.”  Although many people were giving large sums of money, Jesus reminded His disciples, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contribution to the treasury.  For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44)

In pointing out that those who gave large amounts were giving out of their abundance it implies that their support of the temple, the contribution in support of the ministry of God, was given second place.  These people only contributed after all their own needs and wants were filled.  But this poor widow put the ministry of the Lord first and therefore, while the amount was inconsequential, the attitude was paramount.

On the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Jesus finally comes to the signs that will accompany the end times.  He reminds the disciples to take a lesson from the fig tree, “As soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.  So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that He is near, at the very gates.” (Mark 13:28-29)  We remind ourselves that we have prayed to have real and true insight together with Bartimaeus, so now we must truly pay attention to the opportunities that are placed before us on the way of discipleship.  We know that we are offered many opportunities to be a participant in the extension of the kingdom of God upon the earth, if only we will see them, if only we are following Jesus closely. 

This Gospel also reminds us that if we are close to Christ and doing the work of discipleship that He places before us, then we will have no concerns in regard to the end of the age.  Jesus says, “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” (Mark 13:32-33)  If we are on the way of discipleship, we will be truly alert to the worship of God and the needs of our brothers and sisters.  

At this point we come to the last Sunday of the liturgical year, the Solemnity of Christ the King.  As a culmination of our reflection on the way of discipleship within our daily lives, we must acknowledge that Christ is not only the head of the Church, but He is the center of everything.  We move here to John’s Gospel and the encounter of Jesus with Pilate.  Here Jesus tells Pilate, and especially us, “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth.  Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.” (John 18:37b)

As we spend time in worship and in the work of the Church during this end of the liturgical year, let us seek to truly see the way of discipleship within our own faith journey.  Let us pray to our Lord to help us to see fully how we can follow Jesus more closely, and then because we follow Jesus, we will serve one another just as Jesus came “not to be served, but to serve.” (Mark 10:45)

It is then in serving our Lord and each other, we will come to acknowledge Jesus as Christ the King and be unafraid to face whatever comes including the final consummation of all reality, when we will meet Him face to face.