Category: Uncategorized

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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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One of the remarkable traits of Jesus was his ability to bring people together. 

For example, today he calls the Twelve Apostles. Some of these men would’ve never been friends without the Lord.

Consider Simon and Matthew.

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Simon was a member of the Zealot party, a group of Jewish patriots who viewed the Roman Empire as an invading force that stole their freedom. They wanted independence and would do almost anything for it.

Then there’s Matthew, also a Jew, who served the Roman Empire as a tax-collector. Matthew would’ve been seen by Simon as sleeping with the enemy.

Somehow, Jesus brought these men together, uniting them under a single purpose – the salvation of souls.

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That’s what the Holy Spirit does today.

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The Spirit fosters harmony; inspires forgiveness; heals wounded hearts; and enables people with divergent – even conflicting – views to set aside their differences, to work together in building the Kingdom.

In what ways has the Holy Spirit made me a kinder, less judgmental person?

How do I work with others – especially those who are different from me – to build up God’s kingdom?

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If the Lord could pull together a divergent group of twelve imperfect men and inspire them to change the world as they knew it, then why can he not use us to do the same thing today?

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Image credits: (1) Joy Dara Ministries (2) Adobe Stock (3) Minij Kim Exhibition

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Gospel: Matthew 9:32-38

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
The crowds were amazed and said,
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
But the Pharisees said,
“He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”

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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s nothing that pains the Lord more than human suffering. In addition to today’s Gospel passage, consider a few other moments when Jesus is moved with pity.

His heart broke when he saw the widow at Nain. 

This poor mother was on her way to bury her son – something no parent should experience. Perhaps the Lord imagined how his own mother would feel when Calvary came. Overcome with compassion, Jesus touches the boy’s tomb. Instantly, he’s brought back to life.

Then Jesus is moved with pity when he gazes upon a tired and hungry crowd. 

Thousands had been following him for days, but they had nothing to eat. So, the Lord multiplies loaves of bread and, the Gospel tells us, “all ate and were filled.”

He’s stirred with compassion again after being confronted by a leper who spent his entire life in isolation. Feeling this man’s loneliness and sense of abandonment, Jesus forgives his sins, heals him, and sets him free.

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We could add thousands of other examples in our world today that pierce our Lord’s heart with pity. 

But, as Teresa of Avila once wrote, “Christ has no hands now but yours. No body but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he sees. Yours the hands with which he blesses. Christ has no body now but yours.”

What, then, are we to do?

“Ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for the harvest,” Jesus says in today’s Gospel.

May he send us.

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Image credits: (1) The Millennial Pastor (2) Renovate (3) Germantown Presbyterian Church

Matthew 19:14

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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. And yet, when Jesus touches her hand, the child is healed. 

Similarly, the older woman was ritually impure because of her flow of blood. Yet, in touching Jesus, she is healed.

The irony is stunning.

In both cases, following the Law leads to death. But breaking it in faith leads to life.

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What type of legalism still exists in the Church today? Are there rules or laws preventing people from making contact with Jesus?

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I wonder how many in our world could be healed if only they could touch the tassel of his cloak.

It seems that is what matters most. Not following a strict set of rules; rather, faith in the Son of God, “who has loved us and given himself for us.”

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Image credits: (1) Skyland United Methodist Church (2) Mandala, Galilee (3) Come to Me, Catholic Herald