A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to 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.'”
REFLECTION: Several years ago, when our oldest daughter was about 7 years old, she decided she wanted to play baseball and asked us to sign her up. The only problem was, the player’s try-outs were already over, and the teams were already drafted by the coaches. To make matters more difficult, there was no room left for more players, in the roster of any of the teams. That meant, our daughter was not going to play ball, and neither were several other kids, who had also signed up too late. The league was desperate for coaches, so I reluctantly signed up to be a coach. As I already said, we were so late in the process, that I missed the draft day, so I wasn’t able to pick any of my players. Basically, if any kids left without a team, were willing to play, they could be on my team. Well, this wasn’t exactly how Jesus got His team of disciples, but the point is, that Jesus didn’t have a try-out day, or a draft day, where He looked for the most talented disciples He could find. No! He used the willing!
The call to discipleship, is a call that requires a willing heart, and a personal commitment to follow Jesus, embracing His will, trusting His ways, and surrendering to His purpose for our lives. It is not for us to get on His way or think for Him by saying; I am not qualified or worthy. We must step aside and let God be God, in all His ways. The power for what Jesus and His disciples did, came through Jesus. In the same manner, the power for what Jesus will do, through those He calls, will come through Him!
If you’re super talented, and you think God is going to use you because of that, get that out of your mind. If you’re untalented, and you think that God cannot use you, get that out of your head. It’s not about us; it’s all about Jesus. If we are willing to follow Jesus, He can do something supernatural, through us, to change the world!
Jesus used the willing; Peter, Andrew, James, and John were willing to follow Jesus. Are you still, willing to follow Him? Because it doesn’t just mean to walk behind Him, but to be willing to go the way He is going, and He didn’t even tell His disciples where they were going. By following Jesus, one must be willing, to do the things Jesus does, and act the way He acts. Jesus is about loving others; Jesus is healing, helping, and teaching others; it includes learning from Him, imitating Him, and submitting to His plan, for our lives. Jesus is going to accomplish the mission, that the Father sent Him to accomplish, through those, who are willing to follow Him.
The bottom line is, that it’s not about us; it’s all about Jesus. We don’t need to follow our own desires, preferences, and goals or one’s feelings. We need to follow Jesus, with the eyes of Jesus, and the heart of Jesus, always. The question is: are we willing to do that?
Oh, in case some of you are wondering about the team I ended-up coaching for my daughter, and the remaining players willing to play; we had a successful season. We only lost two games, and ended the season, in second place.
ACTION FOR THE DAY: Take time today, from the business of your day and ask yourself; How am I doing when it comes to following Jesus? Then, contemplate on what it means for you to follow Jesus, and compare that, to today’s Gospel of the Lord, and how that, makes you feel.
AUDIO REFLECTION:
