28 October 2021 LUKE 6:12-16
Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time [Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles]
LOVE, INSPIRATION AND TRANSFORMATION
When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles (Luke 6:13).
At the time of calling and during three years of public ministry the group 12 disciples was a “heterogeneous” group with diverse characters and backgrounds. Some were educated and some illiterate, some refined and some rude, some old and some young, some hot tempered and some peaceful and some innocent and some shrewd.
Simon, the Zealot was the member of a rebellious group against the Roman Empire. Thomas was a courageous person whereas Peter was a coward. Sons of Zebedee were known as ‘sons of thunder’ because of their hot-tempered nature. John was educated and seemed an intellectual. Judas appeared to be a traitor.
During the three-year public ministry Jesus was transforming them to be a “homogenous” group from being a heterogeneous group for an effective mission of the Kingdom.
It will be interesting to see how Jesus actualized this transformation in them. It was not by rigorously training them, but by loving and inspiring them. Training may sometimes hurt the free-will of people whereas love and inspiration helps individuals to transform within the frame of their free-will. Amen.