Words of Wisdom from Sunday's Homily

The season after Easter/Pentecost is the longest part of our Liturgical Calendar. This is as it should be, since our main purpose as a Christian community is to grow more deeply into faithful disciples of Christ. This is the time of year that take a serious turn away from learning about the life Jesus lived and lean into how we might become more like Jesus as disciples.

This week's readings found in Genesis, Romans, and the Gospel of Matthew guided us through the story of Abraham and Sarah, the miraculous birth of Isaac, and the beginning of the Covenant Community. That story leads us directly to Jesus and the original disciples in Matthew's Gospel who are sent out on their first mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The mission to Israel focuses on restoring the Covenant Community to health and wholeness so they can live into becoming that blessing they were intended to be for the rest of the world. (If you remember, that was part of God's first promise to Abraham.

    The Gospel defines for us not only the importance of active participation in the ministry of Jesus Christ, but it gives us a vivid example in Jesus and his disciples. Jesus had compassion on the crowds that were lost and fearful. That compassion was not just an emotional response. Jesus acted by teaching, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and befriending the outcast. Then when he saw the need was too great for one man, he used those he had been teaching along the way, his disciples.

    Jesus sent them out to do the same work he himself had done. They had been witnesses to all Jesus taught and did. He had prepared them. Now it was their turn! But to do that job, they had to imitate Jesus.

    We too must imitate Jesus if we are to continue the ministry Jesus began with those first disciples. We are a continuation of that mission. Remember that the ministry of Jesus was always part of God's divine plan and a part of that first promise made to Abraham long before the miraculous birth of Jesus. With God, all things are possible and nothing is impossible. By trusting in the promises of God and living by faith, all things truly are possible. Amen. of disciples