Being flexible is always good advice to give but not always easy to accept. When we’re on a schedule, have an agenda, need to “get things done,” we don’t have time for flexibility. Or so the story goes.

The gathering of disciples was much in fashion in intertestamental times, that is, a century or two before and after the birth of Jesus. The great scribes before and after Jesus had their disciples. Even in the Old Testament we notice that some of the prophets had disciples. There were called “sons of the prophets.”

Last Sunday’s gospel reading included Jesus’ first visit to his hometown, Nazareth of Galilee. On the Sabbath this faithful Jew went to synagogue just as Christians go to church today on their Sabbath. Jesus was lector (reader) at the liturgy.