Gospel: Mt 10:7-13
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JESUS said to the Twelve: “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. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.”
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The Gospel narrates the commissioning of the Twelve, as Jesus gives them instructions on how they should proclaim the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus enumerates the ministries the Twelve will exercise: Curing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, and driving out demons. The power to exercise these is generously given them by God. Jesus reminds them to be generous because appropriation and entitlement, which are hindrances to mission, are generated by a tightfisted attitude.
The Greek adverb dōreán, “as a free gift” or without cost, repeated in v 8, strongly qualifies the mission of Jesus’ disciples to be coming from the generous God whose Kingdom must be proclaimed to the people and be felt by them through the disciples’ words and deeds. The mission to proclaim God’s Kingdom is a free gift that nobody truly deserves. Anybody entrusted with such a mission must carry it out in generosity. What do we think is our present mission as Jesus’ followers? Do we see it as a gift? In what way can we exercise generosity in our mission?
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
