Mt. 9,36-10,8.
Immediately before today’s gospel Jesus has healed a dumb demoniac at which the crowds marvel but which the Pharisees misconstrue as the work of the devil. Jesus continues teaching, preaching, and healing every disease and infirmity. We are told that “he had compassion for the crowd because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” Compassion is to feel the pain of others, to suffer with them. They were probably harassed and despised by the pharisees for their listening to Jesus and for being unable to counter their arguments against him. Seeing the growing needs of the crowds, Jesus decides on a new initiative. He asks his disciples to pray to the Lord of the to send labourers to his harvest and then chooses twelve disciples and gives them authority to cast out unclean spirits and power to heal all kinds of diseases and sickness.
The number twelve is meant to recall the twelve tribes of Israel. These twelve disciples represent the new Israel, the new people of God. They are given authority over unclean spirits, and power over all kinds of diseases and infirmity. The word authority is used of Jesus earlier by Matthew. (7,29). Here, he wants to show that the disciples are commissioned to share that same power to do the work that Jesus has been doing.
The twelve were sent out. Apostellein, the Greek word to send out, is the origin of our English words, apostle, and apostolate. We speak of all the baptised being called to the lay apostolate through their Baptism and Confirmation, and being sent out to witness to the values of the gospel in the world, wherever they are. There are different ways of witnessing – catechists, teachers, SVP etc.
The first duty of the twelve was to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven was close at hand. They were also to cure the sick, raise the dead to life, cleanse lepers, and cast out devils. Quite a mandate. The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick continues the ministry of healing in our times, as do people who have been given the gift of healing by the Lord.
Every time we say the Our Father, we pray for God’s kingdom to come. On the feast of Christ the King each year, we say in the preface of the Mass of that feast that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of truth, life, holiness, grace, justice, love and peace. Every time, therefore, that we promote any of those values, in our lives, our families, or our communities, we are promoting the kingdom of God.
The twelve apostles were a mixed group of people from different backgrounds, with different abilities and human flaws, including Matthew a tax -collector, Judas Iscariot the betrayer of Jesus, and Peter who would later deny three times that he knew Jesus and then later wept bitterly that he had let Jesus down so badly.
The harvest is rich, and the labourers are fewer today, as well. As Jesus recommended his disciples to pray for the Lord to send labourers to his harvest, shouldn’t we do the same in our time, as well. When did you last pray for that intention?
Father Geoff O’Grady