Living Like the Master!

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Acts 13:13-25; Jn 13:16-20

Today’s Gospel highlights the intimate connection between the Master and his disciples. 

What does Jesus imply when he says that ‘a servant is not greater than his master’? How can we understand Jesus’ statement?

We may look at Jesus’ statement in the context of blessing and persecution. 

A positive reading of Jesus’ statement demonstrates that following the Master is partaking of the blessings that were showered upon him. It is to understand our fate through the fate of the Master himself. Here, a disciple’s dignity lies in following the Master’s example of humility and service. Such close imitation ensures that we walk in the light of the Master and shape our lives accordingly. We understand close imitation as one that impeccably translates the Master’s expectations into daily moments of life.

A critical reading of Jesus’ statement would imply that we accept the negative experiences of our discipleship with an equanimity of heart. In a way, it inspires in us the conviction that the Master has not asked his disciples to suffer what he himself did not endure. Hence, Jesus’ statement encourages us to accept discomfort in solidarity with the Lord. It is by willingly accepting the pain for the sake of the Gospel that we align our lives with Christ. In other words, to suffer like Christ is to be with him. 

In all these, we should remember that Jesus uttered the statement after showing the example of washing the feet of his disciples. The noble example of the Lord calls for imitation and action. 

Living like the Master is neither a curse nor a burden. It is the only way we can truthfully follow the Lord. 

Let us pray that we may become one with the Lord by embracing the discipleship for what it is.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar