Sunday Reflections 12th Sunday of Year A
Rich or poor, the kingdom needs you
✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 9:36-10:8
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ 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.”
Then he 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 from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
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.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
1. Today’s three readings focus on the choice of God for his people. In the first reading (Ex19:2-6), God picked Israel to become his own chosen race. It was at a point in their life when they were not a people. He did this because he wanted a people who will know him, serve him, make him known and then become beneficiaries of his infinite love which he does not want to keep to himself. All he needed from Israel is fidelity and in exchange they will live in goodness. In the second reading (Rom5:6-11) St. Paul speaks of the special love of Jesus that made him to die for us while we were still nobodies like the Israelites in the first reading.
2. The gospel dramatized the fact of our being a chosen race by showing Jesus choosing the twelve apostles from the crowd that was following him, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. These twelve would become the foundation for the new chosen people of God, the Church. The action of Jesus was provoked by his seeing the crowd as a people who were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a Shepherd. His immediate reaction was to see them as a field that is ready for harvest but lacking labourers. The first solution to the work, according to Jesus, was a call for prayer to the Lord of harvest to send labourers. Jesus then began with those who were around him. He instructed them, empowered them and then sent them out for the mission.
4. If we put the readings together we come up with one message, namely, that God does not want to work without human beings. He needs human beings to be able to spread his kingdom. God is all powerful but he has empowered man to do certain things. The spreading of the kingdom is one of the things that he has entrusted to his chosen people: Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament. All christians have the responsibility of spreading the Good News, each according to his or her status in a differentiated coresponsibility. This is known today as synodality.
5. In practical terms, today’s readings challenge us to do four things:
a. Prayer
Jesus saw the first mission as that of praying to the Lord of harvest to send labourers to the vineyard. Everyone rich or poor can pray for the spread of God’s message and kingdom in the world.
b. Good example
All that God required from Israel was to show the glory of God to the world by keeping his commandment. It is the same thing that Jesus demands of his followers when he said:”You are the light of the world…let your light shine so that seeing your good work men will praise your Father who is in heaven.”(Mt5:14-16). Everyone, rich or poor can give good example based on christian principles of life and in this way speak about the kingdom of God. Those working in corruption laden environment can still resist such and in this way make a difference for the sake of the kingdom. Prof. Nnena Oti did it in Abia state and today whole state is reaping the fruit.
c. Getting involved in the life of your parish
The Hallmark of evangelization is public engagement in the life of the community. The worries and joys of the community becomes the worries and joys of every true member. Coming to Church every Sunday as a stranger is a sign of not being involved. Spreading the kingdom should make one to belong fully to the groups and activities of the parish. Everyone rich or poor can do this.
d. Becoming a missionary
This is not given to all. That was why Jesus had to select the twelve from the crowd. It is a vocation. Whoever feels that he or she is called to such life should not hesitate in giving it a trial. Parents should help their children on discerning their vocation. Above all, we can always support missionaries with our money. As we know, some become missionary by going on mission while some others do so by supporting the missionaries.
6. You have been called and chosen, work harder to justify the choice that God made of you (2Pt 1:10). The Lord challenges you today to spread the Good News of his kingdom through prayer, exemplary life, personal involvement in the life of the community and missionary activity. Do not remain neutral. Get involved from today.
©Vitalis Anaehobi 14/06/26
