Sent to Heal: Missionary Commentary for June 18, 2023

We need air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat. What is more basic that these three building blocks of life is a personal relationship with God. Humanity broke that relationship with God. We call that original sin. But our sin did not, does not, and will not stop God from loving us. On Trinity Sunday we were reminded that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, not to condemn the world, but to save it – to rescue from peril, to preserve, to heal. 

In the Gospel today, Jesus sends his “twelve disciples” on mission to “the lost sheep.” In what way are they lost? They are troubled. They are abandoned. Like sheep without a shepherd. Perhaps another image – like a ship without a rudder. Stuck. Suffering. No hope. 
What are the disciples to do? Heal them. Heal them with a vision of a new world – the Kingdom of God. Heal them of every illness – of body, heart, and soul. Heal them so they can have life and have it abundantly. 

We may feel stuck. Our suffering may consume our attention. We may be people without hope. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Believe. Make some changes. Be with other believers. Not only will you be healed, and discover new life, but you will become a healer. You will free those who are stuck. You will comfort and heal those who suffer. You will be a messenger, a Sower, a laborer of hope. 

Notes on the Sunday Readings

First Reading
God choose Moses to lead the “house of Jacob,” Israel. His leadership relied on his personal relationship with God. His first job was to proclaim God’s vision for Israel.

Psalm
The psalm celebrates our relationship with God. God made us. We belong to God. We are God’s people. God will personally tend to us like a shepherd tends his flock.

Second Reading
St. Paul reminds us we have a choice and encourages us to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

Gospel
Jesus is moved with pity at the sight of the crowd – they are troubled and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd. So, he instructs his followers to pray – the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. He summons “his twelve disciples,” shares his authority, and sends them out “to the lost sheep.” Their mission is to proclaim the Kingdom of God, cure the sick, and drive out demons. Their mission is to give freely what they, themselves, have been given.

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