“The Family of God: Under the Tutelage of Its Master”
When advertising was introduced in the business world, it became an arm of marketing concerned with sending messages to customers via traditional one-way communication media. It was so effective that companies now spend millions of dollars on advertising agencies just for their company names, products, accomplishments, etc. to be made known or products to be sold. It requires skill and training for advertisers to perform their work efficiently. They must never allow negative feedback to affect their promotions.
In our Christian life as ambassadors of Christ, we are to witness or send messages to the world about Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. It's like applying the advertising principle, but we are not making any profit. We are only servants of Christ to win souls for Him. Prior to His ascension, Jesus mandated us to make disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). This disciple/teacher relationship is commended to the one who wants to walk where Christ walked and sustain a ministry of multiplication. Obedience and submission are the primary tools for this program. The late Rev. Fr. Manny Melendez said, "We have no choice, we must learn to obey Christ because He is our boss."
On this Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Gospel reading in Matthew 10:24 says, "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master." A teacher teaches his disciple to obey for the sake of gaining knowledge, while the slave is ordered by his master to submit to his master’s own desires. Jesus also commended the disciple and the slave to become like their teacher and master (Matt. 10:25). Both principles were taught by Jesus to His disciples by doing good works (Matt.5-9), and He ordered them to cast out evil spirits and heal every kind of disease (Matt.10:1-23). As a disciple, one must have a teachable heart. He must know and not go beyond his limits, which means he must not boast (Isa. 14:13-14) that he knows more than his teacher, for this will cut off their relationship. It is the same in our relationship with God. When we stop seeking God we cut off our relationship with Him, as we start seeking our own way and become proud of what we’ve done (Gen. 11:1-9; Isa. 47:1-15; Matt.7:21-23; Matt.7:26-27; 1 Jn. 2:15; Rev.18:1-3). St. Paul admonished us that we died to our sin and were made alive in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:11). We all need God, and we must be totally dependent on Him.
Furthermore, though we may not be able to convince everyone in our sharing of the love of Christ, we still have hope in His promise that He will be with us even to the end of the age (Matt.28:20). Let us not allow fear and shame to overcome us, but rather let us overcome them by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony (Rev. 12:11).
