A servant is not greater than his master

Acts 16:1-10, Jn 15:18-21. Adversity often featured in Paul’s apostolate, is true of all faithful Christians. Rejected in one place, he moves on to somewhere else; the Gospel moved onward and continued to spread across the Roman Empire. As it turned out, even resistance, jealousy and splits that happened to the Church in Corinth, could not end the missionary work. The Gospel spreads within a human setting, despite faulty human judgment and selfish motives, but the mystery of salvation is still being achieved, through the Holy Spirit. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul and his companions (Timothy and Luke) in today's first reading were called to Macedonia.

In today's Gospel Jesus brings home our dependence on the Holy Spirit with His word: “A servant is not greater than his master." Here, Jesus predicted the world’s hatred for Him and for His followers because the Gospel value is contrary to those of the world. Jesus advocates true love while the world promotes hatred; Jesus proposes humility and tolerance while the world is full of pride and oppression; Jesus promotes forgiveness while the world wants retaliation; Jesus seeks unity but the world creates division. Yet, Jesus demands that His followers relate to the world not on the basis of how the world relates to them but on the basis of how God relates to the world. When He insists, “A servant is not greater than his master,” it means that, if the master experienced hostility so will the servants. It also means that, if the master washed the feet of the servants, including the one who betrayed him, the servants must do likewise; they must reveal the love of God to others regardless of how they relate to them.

May the Lord be our stronghold and consolation in times of trial! Amen!! Good morning and happy weekend!!!