The Mission of a Disciple

Today’s Gospel reading, for the Monday of the Third Week After Pentecost, relates very well to yesterday’s Gospel reading at Liturgy (Matthew 4:18-23), which told of Jesus Christ calling the first four disciples, all four of whom were fishermen. Today’s reading, Matthew 9:36-10:8, beautifully complements yesterday’s reading at the Liturgy and completes the formation of the inner circle of twelve disciples. (Note: This is the proper reading for this Monday. The reading listed by the Archdiocese relates to the saint commemorated today and is out of sequence from the annual progression of the readings.)

9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

10:1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. ² The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

⁵ These Twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ ⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay.

In listing the twelve disciples, only Matthew makes the comment about the crowds being harassed and helpless. Mark and Luke just give the names of the disciples. Now, remember, Matthew was a tax-collector. He knew all about people being harassed and helpless, because he himself as an agent of the Roman Empire had been very good at harassing people and taking their money and possessions. So how appropriate that he would tell us about the compassion of Jesus on the harassed and helpless people right before he names the completed circle of 12 disciples.

Most Christians think that the mission of Christ’s disciples is to preach the gospel and bring people to Jesus Christ. But read carefully this passage from Matthew and see that the truth is very different. The harvest is plentiful, Jesus said. What harvest? The people, who were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd! And when he does tell them to go and preach, what are they to preach? That “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And how are they to preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand? By showing that the kingdom is at hand! By healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers, casting out demons! And they are to do all this without expecting any pay or reward.

In other words, the primary mission of a disciple of Jesus Christ is not to preach with words, but to preach with acts of kindness and healing. And that we can ALL do. People often lament that they don’t know what to say to someone who is dying, for example. But I know from personal experience words are the least important thing you bring to a dying or seriously ill person. (As a matter of fact, words can be the worst thing you might do for a dying person!) The most important thing is to be there, to touch, to bring a smile of comfort to the person you are visiting. You don’t know how to pray when you’re at the bed side of someone who is ill or dying? Your presence is prayer, and your touch is healing. A smile, a kind word, a simple “Hello, have a good day” or “God bless you” can be what keeps someone, some day, from committing suicide! We will never know the many miracles God can work from the simplest expressions of human kindness.

Yes, you are called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The harvest is plenty and the workers are few, because we think the workers have to be specially trained and have degrees after their names and wear special clergy clothes. As one of those specially trained with a degree and clergy clothing, I can tell you that what I do is not more important than what you do. God uses every one of us according to our abilities and our gifts. Never think you are inadequate or unable to do God’s work. God needs all the workers we can muster – or, more correctly, all the workers JESUS can muster! (Father Constantine Sarantidis)