Jesus sends out his disciples two by two to proclaim the good news, heal the sick and
drive out demonic forces. They are given a taste of their task, to do the same mission
of Jesus with the authority of Jesus. Sending out in pairs was a Jewish practice for
security and also two witnesses were needed to authenticate the truth of a message.
When we read newspaper, watch TV, most of the news are bad news, news that divide,
destroy, estrange! It is to a world of bad news Jesus sends out his disciples and we
Christians, with his good news. A call to metanoia [change of mind, repentance] is the
core of the good news. Change of heart is accompanied by healing, both spiritual and
physical, and freedom from powers of evil; these are signs of the coming new age in
Christ, salvation or wellbeing of all. Change of heart is experienced as embracing
God’s offer of forgiveness of sins and acceptance of his compassion and love.
A heart that welcomes the good news builds the kingdom of God, a healed world.
Gospel of Jesus is God saying to each one, you are loved’ and one then begins a new
journey of faith into freedom, freedom to love. This following of Christ is an adventure
that restores the original beauty, goodness of all that God created, because he saw it
was good. One who lives the good news of Christ is like an oasis in the desert, in the
wilderness of life [when the messiah comes desert will bloom says Isaiah 35]. This
good news is hope for the poor, oppressed and terrified who feel life is shattered into
pieces. Andre Trocme was protestant pastor of French village Le Chambon-sur-Lignon
during Second World War. He and his parishioners managed to save 3000 Jewish
refugees during the war. Several years later American philosopher Philip Hallie visited
the village and asked the people why they did what they did. Did they not know the
great risk? Were they not more concerned about their own lives or those of their loved
ones? The people were at a loss how to answer. Why the fuss, one replied, we did
what we had to do. This was the answer the pastor Andre gave the police when they
demanded he hand over the Jews he was hiding: ‘we do not know what a Jew is, we
know only men and women’! These villagers were moved by the good, they knew they
had to give to the world. They showed what does it mean by living the gospel of Christ;
their humanity crushed the inhumanity of the oppressors; they became good news to
the fleeing refugees!
But often we, the world are deaf to the gospel and ignore it just as the Israelites who
rejected prophet Amos’ message. Paul says: ‘God chose us in Christ to live through
love in his presence. In him we received forgiveness of sins and all the riches of his
grace’; this is the good news, we possess. To live through love, Jesus says, embrace
simplicity of life and do not clutter life with unwanted stuff. Do not let cravings for
material things undermine the call to live through love! The disciples had to share what
they knew of Christ and how they experienced his good news. We too are sent to live
and share our experience of Christ, his mercy, healing and grace of reconciliation.
Christ does his work in us, just be available for him, that his grace may heal us and he
may send us with his power to the bad news world! Every time we listen to the word of
God and celebrate the Eucharist, a memory is awakened in us, a memory that we have
given our life to Christ and that we are called to widen the field of compassion in our
hearts and in the world around us!