Jesus sends out the Twelve

Our readings this weekend provide us with some wonderful encouragement to think about how we are all called to continue Jesus’ mission and ministry: not whether (for we are called to do this), but how. In the First Reading (Amos 7:12-15), Amos remembers how God called him to be a prophet, even though he was not part of any official group or institution. The Second Reading (Ephesians 1:3-14) reminds us of several, most amazing, facts: that God has chosen us, in Christ, since the foundation of the world, to be holy. What an incredible thought!

All this leads us to our Gospel (Mark 6:7-13), where we hear about a key or pivotal moment in Jesus’ mission and ministry and indeed also a fundamental moment in the history of the Church. What is this important and history-changing moment? After the rather sad Gospel last week, when those in his home town did not accept him, Jesus summons the Twelve disciples and then he sends them out, in pairs, to be part of his mission and ministry. Our Gospel gives a pattern or model of how Jesus wishes the Church to continue his ministry and mission in every age and every place. So, it is worth exploring our Gospel to see how our Lord asks us to do this.

First of all, we can notice that there are two, key verbs at the very beginning of the Gospel. Jesus first “summoned’ the Twelve and then he “began to send them out.” We too are summoned by our Lord. This happens in various ways. An obvious example is when we gather to celebrate the Mass together. Some churches still have bells that are rung so as to do just this: to summon the people on behalf of the Lord. It is worth noting that words such as “church” or “ecclesial” actually come from the verb to call out or to summon. Our word “church” really means those who have been called or summoned!

Having summoned or called out the Twelve, Jesus then “sends” them out to be his messengers and ambassadors. This happens to us too at the end of the Mass. In fact, our word Mass actually comes from the dismissal at the end of Mass in Latin: “ite missa est.” This word “missa” gives us our English word mission or even mandate (and also Mass!). It means being sent out, or co-mission-ed. We hear this at the end of the Mass when the deacon or priest sends us out with the command: “go and announce the Gospel of the Lord” or “go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.”

However, as we read our Gospel, we notice that Jesus does not just send out the Twelve empty-handed or without any help or instructions. It is certainly not a case of our Lord just saying “off you go and get on with it!” Instead, he does several very important things. First of all, he gives them a mandate and his authority. So too with the Church. We are stewards and ambassadors of Jesus’ mission: we do not live our faith or speak about our faith disconnected from the Lord. No, we represent or re-present him, and him alone. We must make sure then that we know what the Lord wants of us, so that we can speak and act in his name and not in ours.

The Twelve also are sent out in pairs: not on their own. In other words, they are to support and to help each other as they carry out the message of good news to others. Again, this is also true for us. We are to help and to support each other. After all, if we try to do things on our own, it can be very difficult and tough. There is also the danger that any ministry that we do just on our own could become strange or go off in the wrong direction. Jesus also gives detailed instructions about what disciples should take with them and what not to take with them: basically, they will be carrying the bare minimum. Why was Jesus so specific about this? Perhaps a significant reason is that he wanted them to trust in him and not in their own resources.

We then hear how the Twelve preached repentance and cured many who were sick, either spiritually or physically. What a wonderful ministry to perform in Jesus’ name! This need for healing is as intense today as it was 2,000 years ago when Jesus first sent out the Twelve. Our Lord asks us to be ambassadors of this healing to so many who desperately need this ministry, especially after the last year or so. So, like the Twelve, may we answer our Lord’s call as he summons us and then sends out us to continue his mission and ministry of healing.