PODCAST - Press sideways triangle below to
listen
Tuesday 6th Week OT
St. Luke’s Institute
February 17, 2015
LONELY AT
THE TOP ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø
If the
Pharisees weren’t difficult enough, the disciples themselves show up in today’s
reading as similarly obtuse regarding Jesus’ signs
Ø
We often say
of human leaders and celebrities that “It’s
lonely at the top”
JESUS’
LONELINESS +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø
Today’s Gospel
and in many others, Jesus is often pictured as in a kind of isolation because
of the unresponsiveness of all around him
Ø
At such times
Jesus shares with us a very common condition of human life…
Ø
One that is
common even to those of us who do not sit on dizzying peaks of leadership
Ø
The picture of
the slowness and incomprehension of Jesus’ disciples can be instructive
(1) INSENSITIVITY
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø
And it can be
both instructive and a consolation for us in two ways
Ø
1st,
it provides company for us when we realize how slow or insensitive we have been
to some God-given opportunity in our lives
Ø
How many of
those we have missed is legion
Ø
So we see in
disciples that even these All-Stars of Christian beginnings had many slow
moments
Ø
It helps us
face our own doubts and difficulties w/ faith & following of J by helping
us realize such difficulties may B part of R life follower of J
(2)
HONESTY OF EVANGELISTS ++++++++++++++++++
Ø
Seeing
stumbling, unresponsive disciples so often in Gospels gives them lots of
credibility & suggests that writers R honest & reliable
Ø
If they were
out to exaggerate and romanticize, they might have given us a different picture
Ø
If they R willing
2 present such an unflattering portrait of disciples, then all else they say
gains in reliability too
CONCLUSION
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ø
Insensitivity
of followers & loneliness of leadership –
Ø
Both touch R lives
no matter what R role in ministry!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
