Two Sets of Thoughts

As I was reading this week's lessons, two separate thoughts came to mind from looking at each end of the assigned Gospel. Let's start at the beginning:

Matthew 9: 35-38 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Sort of seemingly straightforward. A good set-up to the sending out of the 12 which immediately follows it. I have always been struck by that one little phrase that Matthew used to describe the crowds: Harassed and helpless. What a powerful description of humanity in just about any time and place. And to deal with it Jesus himself went about teaching, preaching the good news and healing people. Again a good set-up to what The Twelve were to be doing:

preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.

So far so good.

Note: I am not going to deal with the "poverty" aspect of the sending of the Twelve and compare it to the prosperity gospel. Just pretend I didn't even mention it. Thanks.

Sounds like a good job description. Jesus is simply pointing out- do as I do and as I say. Should be a piece of cake.

Not.

Matthew 10: 21-23a "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another."

Oh. Which is the way the second thought starts. Oh! Oh? Oh. Another example of Jesus' "Family Values." They may not always produce one big happy family. In fact Jesus might even say there are values greater than "family values" which of course the First Century church wouldn't even understand.

Fortunately we do live in a much different world where families and fathers can have a different definition than they would have in biblical times. But that doesn't mean that all things will always work out smoothly. Which is where I think the first past of this passage comes back to challenge us into a more basic and spiritual life that can bring healing.

It is the getting back to basics. Look again at what we are to be doing:

preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.

Even if we take a moment and "modernize" raising the dead, cleansing lepers, and driving out demons we still come down to a true, broad, deep, and revolutionary ministry of healing. As one who works in a secular setting where that kind of ministry is happening every day (without the explicit religious aspect) I can tell you that it is not impossible. And I can also tell you that fathers and sons are often reunited where once they had been figuratively and spiritually and emotionally killing each other.

What a calling it is to follow Him in the non-religious world. We may often forget that this is exactly where he went. Do as he did and said. We can do far worse.