Monday 13 July

Exodus 1:8-14, 22, Psalm 124,
Matthew 10:34-11:1

Following Jesus

If today’s gospel seems a little harsh, we should remember the Aramaic custom of using exaggeration for emphasis. Jesus is not literally coming with a sword. He is saying: Listen! This is important! I’m telling you how my father’s kingdom works! Admittedly, I wasn’t too keen on these teachings when I was young, but these messages are for mature people. We have to gain life experience before we can make choices. An anonymous 15th century monk put it this way: “Find thyself, ‘tis half the path to God; then lose thyself and the rest of the way is trod.”