Discipleship

 Jesus said to the Apostles, “So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done” (Luke 17:10).

             For thirty-one years my father worked at the General Motors Car Factory in Oshawa. On a day in late May 1978, the torch passed to the next generation. I received my call to work at GM as a summer student. After he heard the news, my father decided to give me some advice. “Make sure you do the little things well”, he said. “Show up to your workplace on time at the start of the day and after each break. Whatever job they assign you, even if it is unpleasant, do the best you can at it. Always respect your supervisor and the people with whom you work. If they give you a hard time, don’t respond in the same manner”. At the time, I thought he was teaching me how to succeed at GM. In hindsight, I realize it is how you succeed in life, especially as a Catholic.

            In this passage from Luke, Jesus teaches his disciples about the value of humble service. By doing so, he identifies it as a defining quality of discipleship.

            During Christ’s lifetime, Disciples were individuals who sought religious teaching from a formally recognized teacher or Rabbi. They approached a Rabbi and became part of his group for a period of time during which the student studied the Jewish Law and its spiritual practices. The Rabbi often shaped the thinking of his disciple but the student retained a degree of independence. After the Disciple received a certain level of instruction, he frequently left the Rabbi’s circle and taught publicly. In time, he gathered his own group of students. Christ’s approach to Discipleship was different from that of other Rabbis. While in John’s Gospel the first Disciples approached Jesus, in the others, he called them. In addition, they were not merely students but also servants. They received instruction in the Jewish Law and its proper application to life situations but also formation in how they prepared for Eternal Life. Disciples conformed themselves to God’s Will under the guidance of Jesus and followed his example. As the passage indicated, this required the surrender of their independence. They were now humble servants who faithfully carried out their assigned tasks. In response to their request for increased faith, Jesus described its unbelievable power but then connected it to humble service. Even Disciples who had strong Faith recognized its smallness compared to God and used what they had for his service. They did their tasks with no expectation of recognition or thanks. The fulfilment of their duties spoke for itself: it revealed they understood their status as Disciples and were happy with it.

            Within our Society, humble service is something expected of others but not of one’s self. At a restaurant people will complain about the service yet when they are expected to provide it will often have excuses like “it isn’t my job” or “I am too tired”. Service requires humility, the willingness to put the demands of someone else ahead of your own. It will be inconvenient, open yourself up to the possibility that others will take advantage of you and rarely be recognized or appreciated. Humble service is a noble idea but totally unrealistic in the tough, competitive world in which we live. Catholics and other people of faith understand the challenges which come with it. Yet, their Faith calls them to live it out anyway. There is only one recorded case in Scripture where someone thanked Jesus for a healing: the Samaritan Leper. His teachings were frequently met with scorn and ridicule by the Religious Leaders of his day and likely indifference by many in the crowds who followed him. Christ died on the cross for the sins of those who inflicted pain on or ridiculed him. He had the power to destroy his opponents but never used it. Although he asked that the cup of suffering be taken away, he willingly drank it. Despite all the challenges he faced, he never wavered in his task to fulfill his father’s Will. In all these ways, he lived out the standard of humble service taught in this passage. Discipleship involved more than perceiving what Jesus revealed and how to apply it to a given situation. It meant being formed in his image and living out humble service whatever the cost.

            As my father taught me many years ago, doing the little things well is important to be a success in life. It defines your character by showing the extent to which you are prepared to go to serve others humbly. Through humble service, revealed in many small ways, Disciples identify who they follow and how much they are committed to him.

October 2, 2022