In today’s Gospel Jesus finishes the second of five discourses in Matthew’s Gospel. The first discourse was the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:28). In this second discourse Jesus commissions his disciples to go out on mission: “Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, ‘Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Matthew 10:5-7). This whole chapter is devoted to Jesus’ instructions to his disciples. Matthew signals the end of this second discourse with the words, “When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.”
In today’s Gospel Jesus instructs his apostles that God’s will and way must come before all. “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, whoever does not take up their cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” The apostles as missionaries, are sent to preach the Gospel, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” They are commissioned as representatives of Jesus, and thus of God: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” At the end of the Gospel Jesus will commission his disciples to go not just to Israel but to all:
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).
You and I through our baptism have also been commissioned to preach the Gospel by our words and our deeds. Our mission is to be the Body of Christ. We are Jesus’ representatives or ambassadors. In our words and actions, we preach not ourselves but Jesus. The way of Jesus is the way of the Kingdom of heaven, doing God’s will:
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Image: “Jesus with the apostles” by elisabeth_callahan is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.