Jesus gets some help

"I'LL do it; I'LL do it!" you tell your mother, rushing ahead of her to open a door.

"I WANTED TO DO IT!" you say, crying because your father didn't wait for you to push the elevator button or buckle your own seat belt in the car.

If you're a kid, you probably say, "I'll do it!" an awful lot. There's so much stuff grownups have to help you with that when you find something you can do yourself, you don't want any help at all!

Jesus was a little different. He was God, so He could do whatever He wanted -- but He didn't mind asking for help. In this week's Gospel (Matthew 9:36-10:8), He even asks 12 people to help Him!

Jesus saw how many people needed help in following Him, so He called the 12 Apostles together and gave them the power to heal people. "Cure the sick, raise the dead, and don't take money for your help," Jesus told them. Then Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, the other James, Thaddeus, Simon and Judas Iscariot went out to help people learn about God.

The funny thing is, even grownups who are tall AND old need help -- even Jesus. Jesus could have healed all the sick people in the world by just waving His hand; but that wasn't the way He did things. Jesus wanted a sick or hurting person to see a friend, a real, live person, helping them. So He asked His followers, the Apostles, to help Him out!

It's important to learn to do some things yourself. If you can unbuckle your own seat belt, your parents don't always have to do it! But if you can't get it unstuck, it's okay to get help, too.

Jesus knew that both ways are good. He taught His friends Himself when He wanted them to learn about God. But Jesus knew He could work faster and help more people if He took a little help Himself. Even Jesus didn't ALWAYS say, "I'll do it!"

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me say, "I'll do it!" when I don't need help, and "Help me!" when I do! Amen.

(06-10-99)