NOTES for Mat 10:9-15

In Christ's instruction to the disciples, which we read today, there are a number of important aspects worth noting. Thus, the Lord tells the disciples, when coming to one city or another, to find out who is worthy to receive their word. In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord speaks a strikingly memorable phrase: "Do not give what is holy to dogs," that is, do not offer holy things to those who do not need them and for whom they are not holy. The words "inquire who in it is worthy" appear to say the same thing. The witness of Christ's disciples is addressed to all, but under no circumstances should it be imposed on those who have no need of it at all.

In recent decades people have placed on the Church expectations and claims connected with its ability to serve the moral formation of society. Of course, Christ's disciples have something to say about this, but that word can hardly be addressed to those who do not need it, who do not want to think about the moral content of life. In fact, Christ's disciples have nothing with which to frighten the crowds (the masses, as people used to say) into taking the path of good: they can only bear witness to those who themselves need it.

Further, the Lord commands the disciples to give blessing and peace, but not to seek to ensure that their word is accepted. This is fundamentally important, because this is precisely what distinguishes the disciples' witness from ideology: Christianity is impossible without respect for human freedom.

The struggle with one's own bias and distrust toward other people is an integral part of practically every person's life. All of us face situations when we have to make ourselves trust another person by an effort of will, whether a stranger or someone close. To open what is most hidden, most precious, ourselves. This is difficult, because one can imagine that the person opposite treats others with the same condemnation and hostility as I myself do. And yet life forces us to trust other people and entrust ourselves to them. The Lord calls us to realize that our good intentions, our good will, our wish for peace will never be lost. Even if we are rejected and mocked, that peace which He has given us will remain with us. In the other case, we will also gain those who were able to receive this peace just as we did.

“Jesus had compassion on them.” How precious these manifestations of His feelings are to us! But His compassion is active: He calls the disciples to pray that God send His laborers into the harvest, and He Himself sends them out to preach. This is not yet the preaching that He will command them after His Resurrection; but the training of those who will later become the first fruits of Christ’s Church and carry the Word of God throughout the world must include a practical part. The disciples’ task on this occasion is limited: only to prepare the way for Jesus’ subsequent arrival in the towns of Israel. Yet even for such a mission they need a special gift, a special power, and Christ endows them with that power. At the same time, He makes it clear that this ministry has nothing in common with our ordinary human prudence; the disciples will appreciate this experience later, when they begin to proclaim the Gospel among all kinds of people, including those who are hostile.

From the comparison of the crowds of people with sheep without a shepherd, human logic draws this conclusion: a good overseer should be placed over them, and let him restore order. But Christ, the good shepherd, chooses for Himself twelve helpers from among those being shepherded. It is important to Him that people be not unwilling slaves, but coworkers.

The number twelve symbolizes the fullness of the humanity called by Christ, but it is also the number of the tribes of Israel. The Church, the renewed people of God, is created according to the pattern of the original Israel. This is emphasized even by the fact that at first the apostles are not recommended to go to the Gentiles; they are to become established in their calling among the Israelites.

The calling of the apostles was not a reward for any merits; they differed little from those around them. But in exactly the same way Abraham was called by God not according to merit, but because of his openness to God and his ability to follow Him. Such are the apostles too: not supermen at all, but seemingly ordinary people whose weaknesses and imperfections the Gospel does not hide. But the Lord, having called them to follow Him, gave them the opportunity to overcome their own limitations.

Here, incidentally, is the answer to a frequently asked question: why did Christ choose Judas as one of the apostles? Did He really not see what kind of person Judas was, that he was capable of betrayal? Then where is God's omniscience?

Of course, He saw all this, just as He saw many potential falls of the other called ones, falls that remained unrealized and therefore unknown to us. In exactly the same way He sees our hearts today, whatever they may be filled with. Yet He continues to love all of us, giving each person a chance to turn away from habitual filth and become clean. The same chance was given to the apostle who did not use it.

The words about those who reject the apostles' preaching sound severe. But is this a threat, or a warning about danger? After all, Sodom and Gomorrah have already been punished, and perhaps for that reason no new punishment threatens them. But those who even now do not intend to leave their sinful inclinations are turning away from salvation by their own choice.

The apostles, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God, come also into our house and say, "Peace to this house!" But for God's peace to remain in our house - in our heart, in the family, in the community - it is very important to prove worthy of this good news. But how can we do this if, according to the apostle Paul, the sin living in us does not let us fulfill God's commandments?

The apostle gives us a clear answer to this: the law of sin is overcome only by the law of the Spirit, by new life in Christ; only with His gracious help can we change and worthily receive the blessing of the Lord Jesus.

One incident comes to mind: a group of people came to a women's prison to congratulate the women held there on the feast of Easter, to share joy, to speak about God and about themselves, and simply to give them a chance to talk. One of the sisters brought a sweater there that she wanted to give away. But to understand who needed it most, she turned to the prison administration so that they themselves could decide who should receive the sweater. They could only say that humanitarian aid was already coming to them and that they tried not to leave anyone out. Then they added, "How can anyone tell who needs it most?"

So it is with us: can we really understand, can we keep track of who most needs our tenderness, warmth, kind word, or simply a smile? Which of the people passing by or sitting next to us on the subway needs our prayer? Who is hurting?

Yes, of course, there are times when the Lord as it were "points out" such a person to us, drawing our attention to the expression on his face, the sadness in his eyes... But above all, the Lord calls us to share unconditionally what we have: His peace, giving it in prayer, deeds, and a smile. And His peace will not diminish: "If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you" (Mt 10:13). For if it finds its place in the one "worthy" of it, then it will return to you "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over" (Lk 6:38).

The distinguishing mark of Christ's disciples is that they are open to God and to the world. They carry the news of God's Kingdom, and at the same time they go to people; they hope only in God, yet they receive help from people; they address rulers and kings, yet they speak the words of the Spirit. Both are not simple: being open to God can be difficult and frightening; being open to people is always difficult and sometimes dangerous. The disciples will have to combine in themselves qualities that are hard to combine: to be lambs, wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Nevertheless, this is the task of the disciples, each of whom is in some sense an apostle, that is, a representative, an ambassador of Christ in the world. For a messenger must in some way resemble his lord. So the disciples imitate the mission of the God-man Christ: belonging to God, they are turned toward the world and toward people, losing their connection neither with Heaven nor with earth.