Exodus 1:8-14,22
Matthew 10:34-11:1
As the number of the children of Israel increases in Egypt, the king of Egypt felt threatened that the minority group might one day take the elms of affairs and also take the authority from them who are the original owners of the land. The King at this time, had no recourse to Joseph who had preserved the entire region from famine. His attitude towards the people shows that he did not care so much about Joseph or remember him. The Hebrews suffered in his hands and a lot of male children were killed. Out of this malicious evil and oppression, the Lord wanted to define Israel as a nation; His heritage and to show His greater power as sovereign king of all nations. In other words, out of the evil of the Egyptian lords, the Lord wants to bring out a greater good.
Our sufferings for Christ are also the same. We might see today’s gospel as a talk too hard to swallow but it should not come as a surprise for every baptized Christian. Jesus doesn’t simply say, “Love me,” which would seem eminently reasonable and doable. No, Jesus flat out tells us: “Whoever loves father or mother, son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.” There’s no wiggle room here, not a smidgen of space in which we might bend Jesus’ words more to our liking. After all, we have known from the start that there is no life without dying, no life without letting go, and no life without being remade at the very depths of our being. There is no alternate path, no scenic route to beatitude. By implication, Jesus says the love we have for others whether family or friends, no matter how precious and resilient, can never be the leading loves of our lives. Everything that we love and prize and cherish must serve our love for Christ and strengthen our love for Christ. I need, everything in our lives must be reprioritized and rearranged because nothing can supplant our fundamental commitment to be faithful disciples of Christ.
Fr Joseph Osho