Author: admin

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Gospel: Matthew 10: 1-7

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Much can be said about this Gospel passage. It’s immensely rich, offering details into the mind and power of Christ, who chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. 

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Perhaps the most “miraculous” aspect of it is just how diverse Jesus’ disciples were.

For example, there was Matthew the tax-collector and Simon the Zealot. Both were chosen to be Apostles. But without the Lord, they would’ve been sworn enemies.

Jews hated tax collectors. They were lumped into the same ritual lot as unclean animals, robbers, and murderers. In a word, they were considered scum.

Simon would’ve certainly thought so. He was part of a highly patriotic movement called the “Zealots,” who were willing to go to extreme measures, even violence, to fight for Jewish independence.

Rome was seen as a bitter enemy who suppressed Jewish freedom. Thus, Matthew, a Jewish tax-collector, would’ve been repellent.

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Yet Jesus was able to bring these two men together, setting aside their differences, uniting them under a single purpose: the salvation of souls. 

That’s what we need God’s holy Spirit to continue doing today: unite people from diverse backgrounds, experiences, opinions, even theologies, under the single bosom of Mother Church.

Surely, there’s room for us all.

What are some of the barriers that impede the Church from growing in unity? Conversely, what are some of the ways we can grow together?

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Like Simon and Matthew, this is our mission: to find ways to work together for the salvation of all.

Come, Holy Spirit!

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Image credits: (1) Grace Bible Church (2) Nicolas Poussin (3) 9Marks

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Genesis 32: 22-33

In the course of the night, Jacob arose, took his two wives,
with the two maidservants and his eleven children,
and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
After he had taken them across the stream
and had brought over all his possessions,
Jacob was left there alone.
Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
When the man saw that he could not prevail over him,
he struck Jacob’s hip at its socket,
so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.
The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.”
The man asked, “What is your name?”
He answered, “Jacob.”
Then the man said,
“You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel,
because you have contended with divine and human beings
and have prevailed.”
Jacob then asked him, “Do tell me your name, please.”
He answered, “Why should you want to know my name?”
With that, he bade him farewell.
Jacob named the place Peniel,
“Because I have seen God face to face,” he said,
“yet my life has been spared.”

At sunrise, as he left Penuel,
Jacob limped along because of his hip.
That is why, to this day, the children of Israel do not eat
the sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket,
inasmuch as Jacob’s hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle.

The Word of the Lord.

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Most of our prayers to God involve calming things down.

We pray for peace in our world and peace in our hearts.

Healing from pain and suffering.

Forgiveness from red-hot wrath.

All of these things are fair; we should pray for them.

But if we reserve the right to ask God to intervene in our lives, then God reserves the right to respond as he pleases. As we discover throughout the bible, sometimes God works in mysterious ways.

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In our first reading, Jacob is headed home after twenty years of being separated from his brother, Esau. Jacob lied, cheated, and stole from his brother. But now he’s praying for reconciliation.

The night before these two brothers meet, God appears to Jacob in mysterious form, wrestling with him until the dawn. 

Jacob refuses to let go of this divine figure until he receives the Lord’s blessing – and, by extension, the promise of reconciliation with Esau.

God grants it, but not before Jacob’s hip is broken. 

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While Jacob will walk with a painful limp for the rest of his life, his injury will serve as a constant reminder of his change of heart, as well his need to lean upon God, as opposed to his own strength or understanding.

As it’s written in the Book of Proverbs: “Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to God and he will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6). 

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People of faith pray for peace, healing, and reconciliation – and rightly so. But Jacob reminds us that God may answer our prayers in the most unexpected of ways.

Perhaps this becomes one thing to add to our prayer list: accepting God, and his intervention in our lives, however he sees fit.  

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Image credits: (1) Christian Learning, Shutterstock (2) And Jacob Wrestled, Medium (3) ‘As I see Fit’ Archives

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Gospel: Matthew 9: 18-26

While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,
knelt down before him, and said,
“”My daughter has just died.
But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.””
Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him
and touched the tassel on his cloak.
She said to herself, “”If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.””
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,
“”Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.””
And from that hour the woman was cured.

When Jesus arrived at the official’s house
and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,
he said, “”Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.””
And they ridiculed him.
When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,
and the little girl arose.
And news of this spread throughout all that land.

The Gospel of the Lord

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Matthew describes two cases of healing: a twelve-year-old girl on the brink of death, and a woman who’s been hemorrhaging for the last twelve years.

Together, they represent all of humanity. The girl represents all children who suffer, along with the pain and helplessness of their parents. The older woman represents all who are aging, whose bodies have grown weak under the burden of years.

In each case, if the sick person is to be healed, then the Law must be broken.

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According to Jewish Law, if a person touched a corpse – certainly that of a non-family member – then that person was rendered ritually impure, impeding their access to God. When Jesus touches the child’s hand, he becomes impure, but she is healed. 

Similarly, the older woman was ritually impure because of her flow of blood. In touching Jesus, she renders him impure again, but she is also healed from her infirmity.

The irony is stunning.

In both cases, following the Law cements a person’s fate in death. But breaking it in faith leads to life.

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What type of legalism might still exist in the Church today? Are there “laws” that prevent people from making contact with Christ in faith?

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If we follow the example of today’s Gospel, then what matters most is not being “perfect,”but having faith in the Son of God, “who has loved us and given himself for us” (Ephesians 5:2).

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Image credits: (1) Deep Waters Tabernacle (2) Good News Unlimited (3) R & E Journaling, Amazon