Sunday Readings: Jeremiah 20.10-13; Romans 5.12-15; Matthew 10.26-33
“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10.31-32).
In Matthew 10.5-42, Jesus commissions twelve disciples to do what he had been doing—healing and freeing people, bringing the kingdom of God into people’s lives. Jesus instructs these missionaries to expect their lives to be no different from his.
These instructions come to us as sayings. Many of these sayings anticipate that missionaries and disciples will experience the same conflict and persecution Jesus did.
The saying that concludes Sunday’s gospel turns on the principle of reciprocity. Jesus will acknowledge us before God as we acknowledge Jesus before others. This saying challenges us to be public witnesses of Jesus’ healing and freeing love in our lives.
The early Christians lived in the shadow of the Roman Empire, which considered their faith illegal. Today Christians live in a capitalist economy gone global that considers religion irrelevant. The revenue of many multi-national corporations rivals the gross national product of nation states. However, corporations have no obligation to uphold Christian values or human rights as nations do but rather to profit stockholders.
Catholic social teaching challenges us to live our Christian values in our public and corporate lives. People are not commodities; they have dignity and rights, including the right to a just and livable wage. Work takes its dignity from the human beings who do it.
What gospel principles do you practice in your public life? In your business life?
