1st Reading – 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a
One day Elisha came to Shunem,
where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her.
Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.
So she said to her husband, “I know that Elisha is a holy man of God.
Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof
and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp,
so that when he comes to us he can stay there.”
Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.
Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?”
His servant Gehazi answered, “Yes!
She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.”
Elisha said, “Call her.”
When the woman had been called and stood at the door,
Elisha promised, “This time next year
you will be fondling a baby son.”
Today’s first reading is the story of the Shunammite woman and her hospitality towards the prophet Elisha.
Like our gospel reading, it reminds us of the importance of welcoming and caring for God’s messengers.
One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine.
Shunem is located about 30 miles northeast of Samaria. Like his predecessor Elijah, Elisha is an itinerant prophet.
So she said to her husband, “I know that he is a holy man of God.
The passage does not explain how she recognized Elisha as a holy man of God, but her discernment will be proven accurate.
Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when he comes to us he can stay there.”
Hospitality was deeply ingrained in Israel’s culture, especially when extended to someone doing God’s work. Traveling was often challenging and dangerous; providing shelter, food, and care for travelers was an act of compassion and protection.
Note how this unnamed woman challenges the traditional gender roles in a patriarchal society:
- She is the main character in this story, not a man.
- In fact, her husband never factors into the story at all.
- The opening verse tells us she is a woman of influence.
- Her ability to afford to add a room to their home and furnish it shows that she not only has influence, she is a woman of means who makes decisions for her household.
Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight.
The woman welcomes Elisha into her home because she knows he is a holy man of God.
This is a perfect example of what Jesus will teach in today’s gospel reading: When a person welcomes someone else into their life in God’s name, that person is welcoming not only the guest but God himself. That is why Jesus says, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” God is the guest.
Later Elisha asked, “Can something be done for her?” “Yes!” Gehazi answered.
Despite his prophetic authority, Elisha displays humility by consulting with his servant Gehazi. This collaboration enhances the effectiveness of his ministry and makes Gehazi a more personal witness of Elisha’s work.
“She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years.”
The lack of an heir was regarded as a family failure.
Again we see a reversal of gender roles: Unlike other biblical accounts where infertility is attributed to women, this story points to the man’s age as the underlying cause.
“Call her,” said Elisha. When she had been called, and stood at the door, Elisha promised, “This time next year you will be fondling a baby son.”
Just as the woman’s hospitality went beyond what was expected of her, the reward went beyond her wildest dreams: the gift of a baby boy.
Our reading ends here, but the verses that immediately follow (2 Kings 4:16b-18) tell us how the story ends: She said, “My lord, you are a man of God; do not deceive your servant.” Yet the woman conceived, and by the same time the following year she had given birth to a son, as Elisha had promised; and the child grew up healthy.
2nd Reading – Romans 6:3-4, 8-11
Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.
This week we continue our study of Paul’s letter to the Romans, a study which will take us all the way through the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
In this passage, Paul explains how baptism has enabled Christians to participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Similar to Christ’s teaching in today’s gospel, he reminds us that there is self-renunciation involved in becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Baptism is not merely a symbolic act of purification or initiation into the faith, but a profound participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. The old self is buried with Christ as the believer is plunged into the water, they then rise from the water into a new life in Christ.
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
In the Old Testament, miracles were attributed to the glory of Yahweh. Similarly, Christ’s resurrection is attributed to the glory of God.
If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.
Just as it was necessary for Christ to pass through death to rise to eternal life, so it is necessary for us to die to self, to die to sin, in order to rise with Christ.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
Christ’s death was a unique event, never to be repeated.
“Paul is saying that if Christ had died for sinners two or three times, there would be no danger in going back to our old sinful ways. But as He only died once, we who have been buried and risen again with him will not die to sin again. There will be no second baptism, no second death of Christ. Therefore we must be careful to stay alive.” [Diodore of Tarsus (ca. 373 AD), Pauline Commentary From the Greek Church]
as to his life, he lives for God.
Through death, Christ entered into a glorified state outside the limitations of time. He perpetually presents himself to the Father on our behalf (as seen in Revelation 5:6), bringing freedom and salvation to all generations.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.
Having participated in Christ’s death through baptism, the baptized person puts to death their old sinful life. The baptized person is someone newly created, someone born into a new life, someone who has moved out of darkness into light. (The Church uses a white garment and a burning candle during the ritual to signify these spiritual realities.)
Consequently, we must think of ourselves as “dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.”
We can only do this by the grace of God. In addition to uniting us to Christ and the Church, baptism imparts the power of the resurrected Lord to withstand the assaults of sin and the graces necessary to live a fully Christian life.
“Paul says this so that we might know that once we have been baptized we should no longer sin, since when we are baptized we die with Christ. This is what it means to be baptized into His death. For there all our sins die, so that, renewed by the death we have cast off, we might be seen to rise as those who have been born again to new life, so that just as Christ died to sin and rose again, so through baptism we might also have the hope of resurrection. Therefore, baptism is the death of sin so that a new birth might follow, which, although the body remains, nevertheless renews us in our soul and buries all our old evil deeds.” [The Ambrosiaster (between 366-384 AD), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles, Romans 6:3]
Gospel – Matthew 10:37-42
Jesus said to his apostles:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple —
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
This week Jesus continues instructing his apostles as he sends them out on a mission. His directives highlight the radical demands and the remarkable rewards of discipleship.
Jesus said to his apostles: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
Nothing should come between Jesus and his disciples, not even close family bonds.
These words from Jesus are sometimes misinterpreted to justify shirking family responsibility in the name of discipleship, but Jesus never taught his followers to neglect their families. Jesus is simply indicating the order of priorities: our love for our parents and children should not come before our love for God.
When one puts Jesus first, others will be loved too, in Jesus’ name.
and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Christian life is based on self-denial: there is no Christianity without the cross.
Our modern use of the cross as a Christian symbol makes it difficult for us to grasp the shock of this statement. Crucifixion was a method of execution so horrific that Roman law prohibited its use on Roman citizens; it was mainly used on rebels and slaves.
Jesus’ audience would have known all too well the horrors of the cross. After quelling a revolt in Galilee in 4 BC, the Roman general Varus had two thousand Jews crucified there, with the crosses placed by the roadsides as a lesson to others.
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Jesus presents a paradoxical statement that plays with the idea of finding and losing.
Those who cling to their earthly life, seeking self-preservation and personal gain, will ultimately lose the opportunity for eternal life. On the other hand, a life of self-sacrifice for the sake of Christ and the gospel is rewarded with ultimate life.
Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
The tone of the teaching changes as Jesus outlines the advantages that disciples will experience, but he presents it as guidance for those who interact with the disciples.
To encourage the apostles and convince others to accept them, Jesus affirms a deep sense of unity and even a sense of shared identity between himself and his followers.
God in Christ, Christ in the apostles: this is the bridge between heaven and earth. See also 1 Corinthians 3:21-23.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward,
Contrary to popular belief, the role of a prophet is not limited to foretelling the future. A prophet is someone who bears witness to God’s presence and action in the world; their main role is to communicate the word of God (Jeremiah 11:2, Isaiah 1:2).
and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward.
A righteous man is someone who obeys the Law of God and follows his path (Genesis 6:9, Isaiah 3:10).
Jesus is encouraging his disciples to show hospitality and honor to those who are dedicated to proclaiming God’s truth and living according to his ways. Such acts of welcoming and support will be met with divine rewards.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple – amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
Jesus concludes by emphasizing the significance of even the smallest acts of kindness and compassion toward his followers (“little ones” probably refers to the inferior social status of Jesus’ disciples). Any act of generosity, no matter how seemingly insignificant and regardless of the status of the recipient, will be noticed and rewarded by God.
Many might well be inclined to welcome a prophet or a righteous person who is greatly respected in the community, but welcoming a poor or disenfranchised person is a challenge.
Later in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus will reiterate and strengthen this teaching by saying that anyone who does even the smallest service to the least significant person has shown generosity to our Lord himself (Matthew 25:40).
Connections and Themes
Baptized into Christ’s death. Baptism is both life and death for us. Through this sacrament, we enter into the death of Christ, putting to death our self-centeredness and sinful ways. As we rise from the waters, we emerge into a new life, liberated from the burdens that once weighed us down. This new life is filled with glory, but it necessitates a departure from our old patterns of living, which can be profoundly difficult. It calls us to prioritize the needs of others above our own in a world that constantly promotes self-interest. It demands forgiveness for both minor offenses and intentional harm. We must completely revamp our deeply ingrained selfish patterns if we truly desire to embrace the new life that awaits us.
The cost of discipleship. Baptism recreates us as children of God, giving us a new life and a new spiritual family. The ties of discipleship surpass even those of blood relations, which calls for a radical shift in allegiance. This transfer of loyalty, though demanding, is akin to the commitment made in marriage, where primary devotion shifts from the family of origin to the spouse. Similarly, discipleship demands that our foremost loyalty lies with the Lord, shaping all other relationships and loyalties within that framework.
Discipleship requires our entire lives. It calls us to prioritize service to others, regardless of how seemingly insignificant the tasks may be. Even routine daily activities like shopping, driving, chatting with others, and interacting with our families must all be done with honesty, patience, and love. We must remain open to the needs of people throughout the world, actively promoting peace, economic justice, and environmental stewardship. If the people of God don’t embrace these commitments, who will?
The prophet’s reward. God assures us that our wholehearted commitment will not go unrewarded. In sacrificing our lives for others, we truly find fulfillment. The first reading and the gospel both highlight the significance of hospitality and the blessings that come from opening our hearts and homes to others.
When we give selflessly, we are enriched through our generosity. Losing our selfish lives gains us our spiritual life, bringing blessings beyond our imagination. We all know people who are so committed, whose lives radiate goodness, whose hearts are open to all. This is the promised set before us. This is the reward of the prophet.
Sunday Readings 