Before the election of the twelve disciples Jesus reminded about the need of the missionaries. “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” Jesus compares this situation to the sheep without a shepherd. This statement of Jesus is used in the church to invite people to become missionaries of Christ. Many priests, nuns and lay missionaries followed this call and work for the gospel of Christ.
After electing the twelve disciples Jesus told them to go the Jews to preach the good news. We may wonder how Jesus could be exclusive in his approach as the saviour of the humanity. The reason for such a statement is the consideration of the first Christian community as a Jewish group and the intention of the evangelist Mathew to address the Jewish Christian community. In the gospel of Mark and Luke we do not find such statements. Only after the first council of Jerusalem the Christians were aware that they are called to preach the good news to every human.
The message of Jesus is the kingdom of God. The disciple are supposed to preach the same message as Jesus himself taught: “The kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.” With the kingdom Jesus did not mean a reign, but an activity and a ministry for the people in which God’s presence and God’s love become visible and experiencing. The establishment of the kingdom of God is the quintessence of the message of Jesus. Kingdom of God is not a territory, nor a reign for governing, but it is the rule of God.
The missionaries are ministers. They preach God’s love and do activities of love. We find the sick, the poor, the oppressed, the blind in ourselves and in our neighbourhood. Our ministry is to help the people and to lead the people to peace and harmony.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS