Although the gospel is a report of ministerial commissioning, it contains elements of discipleship in general. Most obvious is the disciples’ dependence on Jesus. They are not independent missionaries; they are followers. Furthermore, there is a communal dimension of discipleship. While there is certainly a personal relationship between Jesus and each disciple, discipleship itself is not a singular privilege that one hugs to oneself to the exclusion of others.
Disciples minister to the needs of others, whatever those needs may be and with whatever abilities the disciple may possess. There are various kinds of healing: a friendly smile, a word of gratitude, a soothing touch. We can teach the lessons of life in classrooms, in playrooms, in kitchens, in boardrooms. There are many ways that we can cast out the demons that hold our world by the throat; demons of poverty and oppression, demons of addiction and slavery, demons of disdain and neglect, demons of hatred and violence. If they are not cast out by us, then by whom?
The life of discipleship is not an unmixed blessing. Because disciples are marked by the sign of the cross, they must expect suffering. Because they do not live according to the standards of the world, disciples will be judged as fools. Some of them will be subjected to even greater suffering. Still, the disciple proclaims that true fulfilment is only found in God! In reality, it is the world that is upside down, not the life of discipleship. And it is the cross that sets things right.
© Dianne Bergant CSA, https://www.liturgyhelp.com/calendar/date/2025Jul06/0/RefDiBer