The Gospel for The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (June 12, 2005)
Matthew 9:35-10:8
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness. And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers to his harvest.’ He summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is known as 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 Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who was also his betrayer. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: ‘Do not make your way to gentile territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go instead to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from virulent skin–diseases, drive out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. -- The New Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1995, c1985
The Laborers
Simon the Zealot would likely have assassinated Matthew the tax collector, in another venue, perhaps with joy, in ridding Israel of another collaborating leech.
A Reflection
Jesus chooses us. We are sent to Him through the Father's great love for us. "No one comes to me except through the Father." Remember?
And when He gives us back to the world, it's with a substantial expectation that we will bring others to be chosen, and to do it as our bounden duty. We received freely and are expected to give freely. Simon and Matthew became brothers, disciples, apostles. They were changed. And then they began their task of bringing others closer to the Father, and to Jesus.
In the day that this text was written, the authors were emphasizing the need to convince Jews to return to their true roots and to acknowledge this priestly messiah who had come to them. Given the number of those even loosely allied to some Christian organization today, one might think that they were successful.
But Israel the people were hard-headed, and required great effort to convert. The Palestinian people today count Christians in a small minority. Even though the harvest could be great, the number of laborers to gather it in was small, and even today, in Palestine, has been marginally successful, if quantity is our measure. "The Nations," for whatever reason, have responded far more positively to Jesus' message than have the Arab peoples.
In the very deep story of Candide, Voltaire's protagonist finally decides to "tend his own garden". Was that what Jesus was telling his close followers, and by extension, us? We can rail about world hunger -- as we should -- but when we ignore our next-door neighbor's life crumbling, our gardens are not well-tended.
After all, if we do not proclaim that kingdom of heaven is at hand, who will?
The Collect
Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
3:33:31 PM 
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