Choose God above all else

Jun 30, 2023

Reflecting on our Sunday Readings with Fr Philip Tay, OCD

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A)
Readings: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16
Romans 6:3-4, 8-11;
Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42

Today’s Gospel passage is one that causes some of us to lose sleep. Ok, maybe not lose sleep perhaps but causes us to worry a little. Jesus told His disciples that if anyone prefers father or mother or son or daughter is not worthy of Him. If we take this instruction literally, then two scenarios can occur. One, we choose family and forsake Christ or, two, we choose Christ and forsake our families. But is that what Jesus really meant?

Allow me to present a series of reasons. We know from Scriptures that Jesus is the Word of God and He is Truth. Jesus Himself proclaimed that He is the Truth. It follows then that whatever He teaches is also truth. Jesus also said that whatever He teaches comes from His Father, who is God. So, whatever He teaches is truth that comes from God.

Now, if we look at the Ten Commandments, which was given to Moses by God, we find the commandment about honouring father and mother.” Honouring means we have a special place for them in our hearts and in our lives. This means that, on some level, we have some kind of preference for our parents. If we compare what the Ten Commandments tells us and what Jesus said in today’s Gospel, isn’t there some kind of contradiction? If we follow this line of reasoning, who is right and who is wrong? Are we saying that either Jesus or God is lying? Yet, we know that Jesus or God do not contradict one another since they are One and everything that Jesus teaches comes from God.

We need to look at things from a different perspective. Take the scenario of a husband and wife. If a husband or wife prefers the company of their friends rather than that of their partner, then we know that something is not right because husbands and wives should prefer each other rather than their friends because of the love that they have for one another. However, this does not mean that they should completely forget about their friends. Friendship is maintained but should not and must not take precedence over one’s spouse.

This same line of reasoning applies to Jesus as well. When we choose to love Christ and follow Him, it does not mean that we have to reject everything and everyone else. We should not be too attached that it becomes an obstacle for us to take up our cross and follow Christ.

In Star Wars Episode 3: The Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker (the future Darth Vader) kept having recurring premonitions about the death of his secret wife (he was not supposed to have one). He was deeply troubled and sought the advice of Jedi Master Yoda. Two things that Yoda advised him applies to us in today’s Gospel passage. The first concerns attachment. Attachment is a shadow of greed and causes us to be possessive over someone or something.

When we are too attached to our loved ones, we not only impede their growth but also hinder our own as well. This attachment hinders us from growing closer to God.

The second advice was for Anakin to learn to let go of the things he fears to lose the most. It is only if we are able to let go of something or someone that we will be able to gain more. A closed hand cannot receive anything. The thing is sometimes we do not want to open our hands because we do not want to lose the things that are precious to us. But in doing so, we deny ourselves of even more wonderful things.

When we choose Christ, it does not mean we forsake our families and friends. We are still called to love and care for them. This love however, should flow from our relationship with Christ. When we choose Christ first, He will fill us with His love and this is the love we give our loved ones. In loving our families and friends, we fulfill the greatest commandment of loving God and neighbour. From this commandment, we can see the order of loving – love of God comes before love of neighbour.

After all, St John, in his Letters, tells us that we love because God first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. If we are not able to love our brother and sister, whom we can see, then how can we claim to love God, whom we cannot see. Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. The order of preference, then, should be choosing to love God first before all else.