Loving God, you come to us through Jesus, healing, forgiving, teaching, and proclaiming. By the power of your Spirit, help us to receive Jesus in love, that we might be equipped to share your mercy with others; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The first two verses of today’s gospel are like a mini-summary of what Jesus’ life on this earth was all about. He taught the people what God is like. He proclaimed the “good news of the kingdom.” He healed people. And he had compassion for the masses of people who no longer regarded God as their shepherd and were harassed and helpless. Were Jesus to reappear here today, I suspect that he would be doing exactly the same things, for aren’t people just as much in need now as they were in first century Palestine? Aren’t people just as much in need of healing, and knowledge of God, and good news, and compassion?

One of these things, though, might raise a few questions for us. The gospels often speak about Jesus proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, but do we really know what this means? We might think of the good news as having to do with forgiveness and resurrection and eternal life. Yet, the good news is summarized in Matthew 10:7 as this: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”

In Jesus’ case, this kingdom of heaven – this reign of God – is embodied in him. In Jesus, we see God’s power over illness and disease, God’s power over the forces of nature and the demons, God’s power to raise the dead, and God’s power made perfect in weakness. In Jesus, we see God’s readiness to forgive, God’s compassion and love, and God’s care for the people as a shepherd cares for the sheep. In Jesus, the kingdom of heaven has come near.

However, God’s reign is not embodied only in Jesus. In at least one place, we hear the words, “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Lk. 17:21, TEV). Just as the disciples were sent out to embody the kingdom of heaven for others, so we are called and sent out. God continues to look for people who will live as signs of God’s reign – God’s kingdom. God continues to look for people who mean it when they say, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” For, it is as people submit themselves to God’s will that the reign of God is realized (Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 7).

In a sense, we are called to be the good news of the kingdom – embodying the reign of God in our day-to-day lives. This means living as if God is in charge and living as those who are under God’s care. It also means allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us and through us.

Yet, we cannot do this unless we have first received from Jesus – received his teaching – received his healing and forgiveness – received his love and compassion – for it is only when these things have first sunk into our hearts that we have anything to pass on to others.

So – this is the good news of the kingdom, yet there are at least a couple of other things that stand out in today’s gospel. One of these things has to do with the disciples’ prayer and God’s answer to it. At the end of Matthew 9, Jesus tells his disciples to “ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (Mt. 9:38). The next thing they know, the disciples themselves are being sent out (Mt. 10). Isn’t it ironic? God uses the disciples to answer their own prayer.

This might lead us to ask how many prayers we pray where God says to us, “The answer to your prayer is ‘you’!” For example, how many people are there who pray for healing and yet continue to put all manner of harmful things into their bodies? Might God’s answer be for them to do something about it as well? Or, how about praying for those who are hungry or homeless? Might God also expect us to do something to help? Or, how about praying for growth in the congregation? Might God ask us to get out there and invite people whom we know to come and join us?

Today in our prayers we pray for those who are called to be fathers, as well as for those who have no father. Might God expect us to do what we can to support those who strive to be loving fathers? Might God expect us to find ways to include everybody in the household of God – those who are fathers, those without fathers, and those who have no children of their own? There are times when we are part of God’s answer to prayer.

Finally, there is one more thing in today’s gospel that might raise a few questions. It seems strange at first that the disciples would be sent out by Jesus and told to go only to the people of Israel. It almost makes it seem like Jesus has something against those who are different – in this case, Gentiles and Samaritans. Yet, we know from the rest of the New Testament that the kingdom of heaven is for all people – even foreigners and pagans. So why would the disciples be sent only to Israel?

The answer, really, is quite simple. The disciples were being sent out for the first time. Doesn’t it make sense for them to start with the people who are right there nearby? Doesn’t it also make sense for them to go to people where they will have something in common – in this case, that they are Jewish? They are being sent out for a short time and will in no way be able to reach “everybody.” Thus, they are given a target group.

Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Church, talks about target groups in your community. He says that while many churches might say that they are trying to reach everybody for Christ, in reality there are no local churches who can reach everybody. Instead, Warren advocates knowing who lives in your community and knowing whom your congregation is best equipped to reach. He uses today’s gospel as a basis for starting with the people in your own backyard, as well as having a target group in mind [http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/matt9x35.htm]. Strangely enough, part of the discussion at our last church council meeting centred around this very thing! Who are we trying to reach with the good news of Jesus Christ?

We are, indeed, sent out, just as those first disciples were. But first, we are to receive from Jesus all that we will be asked to pass on to others: his teaching about what God is like, his compassion and healing, his example of living as if God really does reign, and his forgiveness and love. Then, having freely received, so shall we give, that we might become for others a sign of God’s reign. “The kingdom of heaven has come near,” and now God reigns in us! Amen.

Lectionary 11(A) Matthew 9:35-10:8
June 15, 2008
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore

© 2008 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved