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Lesson from Fr. Paulus | Christ: A Mission-Driven Man

Sunday, 31 July 2022

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Someone asks Jesus to tell his brother about their inheritance. Jesus replies to that by asking who appointed him as an arbitrator. At first glance, Jesus' response to that man's request seems strange.

The man has a real problem. His brother is trying to make off with the lion's share of their inheritance. But Jesus refuses to step in and set things straight. Why?

Later, at the end of his earthly life, Jesus will say to Pontius Pilate, "My Kingdom is not of this world." Essentially, he gives the same answer to this man's request for probate equity. Jesus refuses to usurp the normal functions of earthly, human justice, even though he could have done so.

This tells us a lot about our Lord. It tells us what he came to do, and how he went about doing it. Christ came not to take over the world, but to imbue it with a new spirit, to redeem it from within through grace. This was his mission, and through the Church, it remains his mission.

That's what Jesus came to do. And how did he do it? By staying focused, by being mission-centered. By refusing to arbitrate this man's legal complaint, Jesus gave us an example of what it means to be mission-centered. Jesus refuses to be side-tracked. He sticks to his mission.

The more closely we follow this example, the more focused, fulfilling and fruitful our own lives will be.

We, too, are called to make the eternal Kingdom our first priority. As Jesus says at the end of the parable, we are called to "become rich in what matters to God." That's our mission, which we can only fulfill if we become as mission-centered as Christ was, not letting ourselves get side-tracked.

We have to be as eager and hardworking in pursuit of goodness and holiness as the man in the barn-building parable was in pursuit of money.

Christians Are Not Wildebeests

Our mission as Christians is not indifferent. It matters whether or not we make an effort to fulfill it. This is because God created human beings to need each other.

We cannot live our lives to the full without depending on others. When we fail to stay focused on our mission, we let down the people God wants to touch through us.

Nature has many analogies that teach us this spiritual reality. One vivid example is the story about the African Wildebeests, from Hot Illustrations, Youth Specialties, Inc.

They migrate yearly in huge herds to the plains of Tanzania's Serengeti to give birth to their young. Also on the Serengeti Plain roam vicious predators, including the hyena. In this hostile setting, a newborn wildebeest has about 15 minutes to get up and run with the adult herd. Slow starters risk becoming hyena lunch.

Discovery Channel showed a film of a wildebeest giving birth on the Serengeti. The newborn barely had time to get used to breathing when the mother nudges it to get it standing. Between the mother's nudging and the baby's inexperience, the newborn is worn out after five minutes of repeated attempts to stand.

Then the camera picks up a hyena approaching, baring its teeth. The mother wildebeest bravely steps between the hyena and the baby, but another hyena appears, followed closely by a third. Before long a circle of hyenas occupies the mother wildebeest while other hyenas attack and kill newborn.

Meanwhile, spread out nearby, literally thousands of other wildebeest graze, now and then lifting their heads to watch the desperate mother attempt to fight off the hyenas.

Any of them could easily help save the newborn, but not a single one does. As Christians, we are not meant to stand by grazing while our neighbors struggle desperately to find meaning and forgiveness in life. We are meant to be Christ's missionaries - every one of us.

Clarifying Our Mission

Christ has given each one of us a share in his mission. And he has done this because he knows it will give us the meaning and fulfillment that we long for. Nothing else can, in fact.

We all know this - vaguely. But it would be helpful to know it more clearly. If we have a clearer idea of what our mission is, we will better be able to fulfill it, to keep growing spiritually.

Let's do a thought experiment. If I were to ask you to describe our Christian mission in one sentence, how would you answer?

Just think to yourself: from Christ's perspective, what is my mission in life? There are many ways to answer. But I would like to invite you to compare your answer with this one, derived from Matthew's Gospel and the writings of various saints through the centuries:

A Christian's mission in life is to know, love, and follow Christ more and more closely every day, and to help as many people as possible do the same. This is a clear, solid, substantial description of our mission.

Let's take this sentence with us when we leave Mass today. I am here to know, love, and follow Christ, and help others do the same.

And at the end of each day this week, let's spend a few minutes speaking with Jesus about how we carried out that mission, and about how we can carry it out better tomorrow. If we do, I am absolutely sure he will help us become more and more like him, truly mission-driven Christians. And if that happens, his joy will soon take over our lives.