Fulfilling our role as Jesus’ apostles
The parallel pattern of behaviour between Jesus and His apostles is nowhere more striking than in Matthew’s Gospel. A strong sense of identity – knowing who we are and to whom we belong – is crucial to the wellbeing of any group or individual. The Scripture readings for this Sunday – at least the First Reading and the Gospel – offer texts fundamental to the sense of identity of the People of God.
In our Gospel passage, the narration zooms in, first on Jesus Himself (9:35-36), then on the disciples in general (9:37-38), then the twelve apostles by name and vocation (10:1-8). With the movement from Jesus’ own ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing (9:35) to that of His followers, we might expect a thick line to be drawn between Him and His “apostles” (the only occurrence of this word in Matthew). There is only one Jesus, after all, and even His closest followers are but a pale reflection of Him.
Just look at the makeup of the twelve: the “first” apostle, Peter, will deny the Lord three times and the “last” apostle, Judas, will betray Him to death, while two apostles in between held opposite positions on the Roman occupation (tax collector Matthew worked for them, while Simon the Cananaean or “zealot” worked against them). And yet, the passage ends where it begins, but this time with these assorted apostles now entrusted with Jesus’ work of proclamation (10:7) and healing (10:8). The number of 12 is very significant and immediately suggests that what He is about in this choice is nothing less than a renewal or reconstitution of Israel, traditionally based upon the twelve tribes deriving from the twelve sons of Jacob
The litany of powers designating the apostles in 10:8 could double for Jesus’ own resume: “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” Jesus not only sends them out with power to authenticate the Kingdom’s nearness but to announce it by using the very same words as their teacher: “The Kingdom of Heaven has come near” (10:7; Jesus in 4:17; John in 3:2). In Matthew, Jesus’ followers include the original audience as well as us. We are expected to resemble Him in word and deed. To be sent by Jesus is, in some sense, to be sent as Jesus.
Naturally, we may bristle at such a thought, ever sensitive to the dangers of saviour complexes and self-aggrandisement. Nevertheless, Matthew does not hold back from reminding us that master and apprentice, while clearly distinct in their roles, inevitably bear a resemblance to one another. In fact, a good teacher should be recognizable in her student as much as a master craftsman’s craft is evident in the work of an apprentice. As Jesus makes clear a bit later: “It is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master” (10:25). Jesus seems to be in the thick of fulfilling His Father’s mission – preaching, teaching, healing – when He inducts His disciples into the same vocation. While the narrator’s word about Jesus’ compassion for His sheep (9:36) reminds us of the foundation of Jesus’ mission, His commission introduces a different image: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (9:37-38). Paired with Jesus’ compassion is a sense of urgency. The time is ripe for their mission, so he summons them and gives them “authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness” (10:1).
The emphasis on identity in mission continues after the list: “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions…” (10:5). Their mission is not one that they must work out on their own. Jesus gives specific instructions on where to go and whom to visit, on what to say and what to do. We are left with the distinct impression that the twelve are defined by their participation in the ongoing movement of the Kingdom into the world.
There is a lovely distinction in this Gospel passage between disciples and apostles. Jesus calls His twelve disciples, commissions them and sends them out to continue His work. From then on, they are referred to as “apostles”. Disciples are followers, but apostles have been sent out. In our own lives, we are called to accept the challenge of being apostles, not disciples. For we are not just followers, we have been sent out by Jesus to continue His work. To be a disciple is just the first step. Disciples follow a path; apostles take the initiative and forge their own path.
Prayer for the week
Lord, may we be filled with compassion when we see the lost around us.
Break our hearts for what breaks Yours.
May we remember that the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few.
Give us strength to keep up the good work until the day we see Your face.
Help us to be people of service to others, particularly to our parishes and school.
May we take the initiative to work for the Kingdom in our own spheres of influence.
