In today’s gospel we read about the enthusiasm of the disciples of Jesus who were accepted by the people because the preaching had good results. They could heal the sick and cast out demons. Those simple disciple had not thought or imagined that the people would hear them. But their words and deeds in the name of Jesus had results.
I find two sentences from today’s gospel important. One among them is the following. Jesus said to his disciples: ‚Come to a lonely place where we are alone and rest a little‘. Jesus and his disciples did not have time even to eat. Jesus found his disciples very week and tired. Therefore Jesus invited them to a lonely place where he could be alone with his disciples. To be alone with his disciples would deepen their belongingness and would help them to be more convinced of their common mission of preaching the kingdom of God.
Jesus knew that the acceptance of the people would be greater in future and the work of his disciples would bring much more bigger results. But the wish of Jesus to be in the community and some time to be alone with God should be needed to be effective in the mission and ministry. During out active life it is needed to keep intensive relationship with God and with people who are trust worthy. Perhaps the wish to be alone with his disciple would have not fulfilled because many people from different villages and cities came to him. Once Jesus said: the harvest is bing; but there are only few workers. To be on the way and to be always ready to be sent was the life style of Jesus and his disciples which even today many preachers and missionaries follow.
The second sentence from today’s Gospel is the words Jesus said about the people who were looking for him: “They were like sheep that have no shepherd.” Jesus described himself as a shepherd for the people who needed him and whom he looks after as sheep. In the history of Christianity, this name shepherd was also given to the apostles and their successors, who are now bishops, and also to the priests who lead and care for its communities, and Christians were referred to as sheep.
If we don’t know this background clearly, Christians might think that we don’t want to be sheep who have nothing to say and that we are equal; everyone should be equal before God. But if we look at various characteristics of sheep, we can convince ourselves that the name is very suitable for Christians. I would like to mention just one characteristic of sheep: Sheep like community and they move in community. The community of sheep needs leadership, like any community, which we can clearly see and experience with a flock of sheep.
The word church means community and we call ourselves the people of God. This is where this term comes from about Christians as a community that needs good leadership and the temptation to walk away from the community or not to cultivate togetherness will often only bring harm.
This description of the church as a community that sticks together fits very well into our current situation in the church. We see ourselves as a community where everyone is always welcome and everyone can feel equally comfortable wherever they are. Jesus is the good shepherd. He leads us into the distance.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS