Wednesday 7 July 2021

Today is Wednesday the 7 July in the 14th week of Ordinary time.  

One Hope Projects sings, ‘Come Close’.

Matthew 10:1-7

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew;  Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”  

It is an accepted scriptural shorthand that Jesus’ closest friends are often known as ‘the Twelve’. Here the Twelve are gathered, called and commissioned by name. For many of them, it is the only time we hear their name. They remain almost strangers to us; shadow figures with only tempers, sibling rivalry, occupations or places of birth, to give us any clue at all as to who they are. Do you ever wonder why Jesus chose these particular people?  

No matter our thoughts, Jesus chose them and trusted them with the good news that “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” He trusted them so much that he shared his own mission with them. For a moment, can you place yourself in the shoes of one of them in your imagination? How does it feel to be chosen?  

As we listen to the passage again notice that Jesus has called each person by name. Jesus knows who he wants.  

“The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Do you hear this proclamation in your life? Do you hear that Jesus calls you by name, to continue the mission?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.