Matthew 10:32-33、37-38、19:27-30
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Jesus declared:
“He who loves father or mother, son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me.”
If you do not love me more than your family, who you would be willing to give up your life to protect, then you are “not worthy of me.”
This is not a gentle admonition that “your family is important, but I am more important. Your daily happy life with your family is also because of Me, God, so don’t get your priorities wrong.” It is not that easy. The Lord also says:
“I have come to set a son against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
It is this utter love and loyalty to Christ, even to the point of antagonizing one’s family, that says “I am worthy.” Let us recall that today’s Gospel begins with these frightening words:
“Whoever therefore shall receive me before men, I will also receive before my Father which is in heaven; but whoever shall deny me before men, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”
“Such a man is not worthy of me; I know him not. Depart from me!”
These are very harsh words. There is probably not a single person who feels that he possesses the “worthiness” that Christ requires. How can we follow Christ if we cannot measure up?
When we think about this, there is something we should remember. Just before the administration of the Eucharist, the priest calls out from the Altar, “The Holy things are for the Holy.” The holy things are the bread and wine, which are the Eucharistic Blood of the Lord. This holy thing is “worthy” of holy men. The Holy Apostle Paul says that those who “unworthily” receive Communion blaspheme the Body and Blood of the Lord, and thereby “invite judgment” upon themselves. We respond, “One is Holy. One is the Lord Jesus Christ. To the Glory of the Father, Amen,” and “No one is worthy.” We cannot be “holy people” worthy of Communion. We cannot even properly repent of our sins before God.
But the Lord said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Yes, if you do not receive Communion, you will have no life, you will perish. However, if you receive Communion unworthily, you will perish as well. And we know that only Christ is worthy of the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Spirit. None of us, as human beings, can receive Communion worthily. We are stuck.
But at that moment, Christ invites us to his Holy Communion, saying, “In the fear of God and with faith and love, draw near.” Christ is well aware of the dilemma we face as we are stuck. And yet he commands us, “Eat this bread, drink this wine, for this is for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.” We step out toward the Precious Body and Blood.
In the end, we do not stop following the Lord. Even if we move slowly, sneak, stumble, or fall, we follow him.
“Jesus, I follow you even in this shameful state because if I lose sight of you, I will no longer live. Jesus, you know the kind of person I am better than I do.”
Continuing to pray like this and living is the true worthiness of Christ.
“He who denies me before men, I will also denounce before my Father in heaven.” Although Christ said this, in fact he did not deny Peter. On the night of His Passion, the Lord’s most important disciple Peter secretly followed Jesus when he was arrested. When a man recognized him and said, “You are one of Jesus’ friends, aren’t you?” Peter trembled and rejected the Lord, saying, “I don’t know Him, I don’t know Him.” But Jesus forgave him. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, but Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love me?” and had him answer three times, “Yes, I do,” healing his wounded heart. The “saints” – all the saints remembered today – are all people who were touched by this love of the Lord and followed Him.