Beloved in Christ, God has created us for a purpose and the purpose for which He has made us is to spread the message of His presence to everyone. The proclamation of the kingdom of heaven is the core of our participation in the life and mission of Christ on earth. Every other engagements are secondary.
In our gospel today, Jesus invites us to share in His mission of preaching the message of the nearness of the kingdom of God to us. He sent out His disciples, seventy two of them in pairs, to assist each other in difficult times and to encourage each other never to abandon the mission.
Again, Jesus gave them specific instructions. He says, “As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep” (Matthew 10:7-15).
Very often we get distracted by the cares and troubles of this world, forgetting the core mission God has created us for. We care more about what we needed the most not realising that, the God who calls and sent us on a mission knows about all that we needed the most and that He is willing to provide for us. Jesus tells us today not to bother about material possessions, for if we trust in God’s divine abundance, He will provide for all that is needed to serve the purpose of the mission that He has called us for.
We, are called today to be witnesses and to participate in the life and mission of Christ. Each Christian is called not only to be a disciple, but also to be an apostle. As apostles, we have to evangelize the world by sharing with others, not just words, or ideas, or doctrines, but our own experience of God and His Son, Jesus. It is through our transparent Christian lives that we must show the love, mercy, and concern of Jesus to the people around us.
Our mission should also be liberating, freeing people from the bondage of Satan. There are many demons which can control the lives of people around us, making them helpless slaves. They are, the demon of nicotine & drugs, the demon of alcohol, the demon of gambling, the demon of pornography, the demon of promiscuous sex, the demon of materialism, and the demon of consumerism.
We need the help of Jesus to liberate ourselves and others from these things and spread the message of God’s kingdom to everyone. Peace be with you.
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