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by Rev. Dn Aju Philip Mathews
Gospel:
St. Luke 10 : 1 - 16
In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Dearly Beloved in Christ our Risen Lord,
In the days following the Feast of Pentecost in the Church, we are
reminded time and time again through the Gospel, of our calling to
minister to the People of God and to realize that the source of the
ministry and the source of the Gospel we preach, is none other than
the Bread of Life, the one Lord Jesus Christ. Those who will hear
this Good News and receive Christ will never hunger or thirst.
In this Sunday's Gospel, we hear the story of the commissioning of
the 70 Apostles, who were "sent out" (apostolon) during Christ's
ministry on the Earth. They are given specific orders and a
particular mission to a particular group of people.
1. From the Gospel reading on the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost (St.
Matthew 10:5-16), we hear the disciples sent to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel, and not to Samaria or the Gentiles. Those who have
no faith, like Samaritans or Gentiles, should see the good works that
the disciples/apostles do and then come to faith and join the flock
of God. Then they will be ministered to.
2. From the Gospels readings on the 1st and 3rd Sundays (St. John
6:26-35 & St. John 6:35-46) after Pentecost, we read about Jesus
Christ as the Bread of Life. That is the Gospel/ Good News that is to
be preached to each home that the disciples/apostles enter, along
with the customary "Peace Be to this house" (Lk. 10:5). In our
ministry of being Christian in a non-Christian world, do we give the
peace of the Lord to those whom we encounter? How about even those
people in the Flock of God, i.e. , the Church that we attend every
Sunday?
3. The ministry is not about our comfort, but rather the mission that
is entrusted to us. "Take no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no
one on the road... Do not move from house to house..." (Lk. 10:4,7)
The Lord commands in the Gospel from the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
that we are to give freely what has been given to us freely, that is
to not charge for preaching the Gospel. However, it is clear that the
Lord wants people to provide for the ministers of the Lord, as it was
the OT practice, as well as in St. Luke 10: 7-8, we read that the
disciples who are sent out, shoudl eat and drink as they are provided
those things, for "the laborer deserves to be paid." The Lord will
provide for us, via the faithful whom we visit.
4. For Christ, it seems that there is no middle ground in terms of
the Gospel. Whether you accept the Gospel or not, if the peace that
you bring does not stay in that house, then that house becomes
cursed, like the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, who had the Gospel
come to them and yet they rejected it. That is why they are better
off than Sodom and Gomorrah. The Gospel was never preached to Sodom
and Gomorrah, but Christ himself went to Chorazin, Bethsaida, Tyre,
and Sidon. The peace of the Lord must be spread through the ministry,
and yet the Churches of today resemble those cities that are cursed.
For every Sunday, the Gospel is read and it is preached upon from the
pulpit, and yet there is no peace of Christ visible in the relations
among priest and people, or people and people within the Church
community, let alone the inter-faith community.
5. We preach on behalf of Christ in the midst of wolves. Therefore,
we must be prepared to suffer like Christ, and die like Him, not
expecting any reward, but that of the Kingdom of Heaven (v. 16). But
our ministry is the work of the Lord, in that we are reaping the
Harvest for the coming of the Lord. What we sow, that is Christ,
among the people, must be reaped by us, which is Love and Peace, and
Truth.
This is a hard calling for us as Christians, but it must be taken up
in some capacity in our regular lives. We, at work, at school, in
play or whatever circumstance, must learn to reflect Christ to
others. St. Matthew 5:16 says, "So let your light shine so before
men, that they may see the good work that you do, and give glory to
your Father in Heaven." In doing this, we are not just bringing the
lost sheep of Israel to the flock, but we are also changing the
hearts of those people who are not of this flock, to come and join
the flock.
Lord, help us to preach your Gospel, and reflect your love and peace.
Amen
See Also:
Sermons and Bible Commentaries for the 4th Sunday after Pentecost
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