Reading 1
Is 30:19-21, 23-26
Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.
He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.
Gospel
Mt 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
Meditation: Matthew 9:35–10:1,5,6-8
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. (Matthew 10:8)
Casual conversations with friends or family can often turn to social and political issues. The merits of a “conservative” or “liberal” perspective are debated, sometimes with very little resolution. But as Jesus gazed upon the exhausted and needy crowd, his answer was neither political nor social. It was personal. And it involved his disciples on a personal level too.
Notice that Jesus did not commission his disciples to set up a distribution center so that everyone would come to them for help. Instead, he told them to ask God to send more workers out into the fields. Jesus saw that people’s needs are best met through personal contact. He didn’t want simply to feed and clothe them; he wanted to love and heal them.
Although Jesus is the eternal Son of God, his human body limited him from ministering to everyone everywhere. So he enlisted—and empowered—his disciples to be his representatives. It had always been his plan to live in his people and to announce his healing, life-giving message through them. That was the only way his gospel could travel the whole world.
So Jesus sent his disciples out to proclaim the kingdom of God. And from that point on, it has been a kingdom on the move. It is constantly growing and spreading, touching generation after generation, people after people with the good news of salvation. And that means that all of us are part of this ever-expanding kingdom. It also means that we are all called by God to become his ambassadors. We may not be learned theologians or psychologists with all the answers, but that’s not the most important thing. What really matters is that we take steps of faith and watch the Lord work his wonders.
Today, ask the Lord to empower you. Then look for opportunities to share about your relationship with Jesus or to pray with someone in need. Just like the twelve in today’s reading, once you get started, your experience and practical wisdom will grow. The harvest is plentiful, so it’s worth taking a few risks!
“Jesus, open my eyes to those who are hurting around me. Grant to me the courage to proclaim your salvation.”
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