The Gospel
Matthew 9:35-10:23
Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”]
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There is so much in this Gospel that begs to be preached.
Jesus speaks of how he sends us out as sheep into the midst of wolves. This needs to be heeded. The wolves are real. There are persons in our midst who don't want us to preach the Gospel of Christ. And if we do, they will most certainly attack us and call us fools for believing that these principals spoken by Jesus in the Gospel should actually be put into practice. So much of what Jesus said sounds wise in the ears of those who hear Jesus say these things. But when they are put into practice, and when the Church reminds us that Jesus actually did mean these things, that his words are not empty and not intended to be dismissed as wise but unrealistic and impracticable, the reaction to them is harsh and quick. Can we who are Christians bear this? Yes, for remember that we are not sheep without a shepherd. Jesus speaks of sheep without a shepherd in this Gospel. But then he reveals that he is the shepherd of those sheep, and thus reveals that they are no longer sheep without a shepherd. We are those sheep! We have a shepherd. And as we have a shepherd, we need not fear the wolves. Christ is our defender, and we shall be kept safe and well by his divine protection.
There is also something wonderful in the sending of the disciples, who are themselves sheep. We will hear them rejoice in the coming weeks that under the protection of Christ, the evil spirits submit to them. We will hear Christ tell them not to rejoice in this, but rather to rejoice in the knowledge that our names are written in the Book of Life in heaven among the children of God. More on that to come soon.
Jesus speaks of how he sends us out as sheep into the midst of wolves. This needs to be heeded. The wolves are real. There are persons in our midst who don't want us to preach the Gospel of Christ. And if we do, they will most certainly attack us and call us fools for believing that these principals spoken by Jesus in the Gospel should actually be put into practice. So much of what Jesus said sounds wise in the ears of those who hear Jesus say these things. But when they are put into practice, and when the Church reminds us that Jesus actually did mean these things, that his words are not empty and not intended to be dismissed as wise but unrealistic and impracticable, the reaction to them is harsh and quick. Can we who are Christians bear this? Yes, for remember that we are not sheep without a shepherd. Jesus speaks of sheep without a shepherd in this Gospel. But then he reveals that he is the shepherd of those sheep, and thus reveals that they are no longer sheep without a shepherd. We are those sheep! We have a shepherd. And as we have a shepherd, we need not fear the wolves. Christ is our defender, and we shall be kept safe and well by his divine protection.
There is also something wonderful in the sending of the disciples, who are themselves sheep. We will hear them rejoice in the coming weeks that under the protection of Christ, the evil spirits submit to them. We will hear Christ tell them not to rejoice in this, but rather to rejoice in the knowledge that our names are written in the Book of Life in heaven among the children of God. More on that to come soon.
Father Tim+
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