Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town.

As you go about your day today you will always most certainly not meet a leper. You won’t be raising the dead nor driving out a demon. But you will meet those whose eyes are lifeless, those who have lost hope, those who are trapped in materialism, hedonism, greed or addiction in its many forms. The danger here is that we aspro this and say, “Oh, all OK for Jesus in his time but it does not speak to me today!”

I have often quoted Paula D’Arcy who says, “God comes to us disguised as our lives!” Ours is not an elsewhere God. God comes to us in the people and events of our lives. So, trusting in our God working through us, we engage our fellow traveller in the boardroom, in the family kitchen, on the sidelines of the sporting event, at the BBQ and across the table in the coffee shop.

As we go about this ministry of the marketplace, our ministry of the everyday – we need to trust that our God walks beside us and loves through us. Sure, have the gold coin, sure enter the ‘home’, sure be at home in the village – but know that we are merely the eyes, ears, hands, feet and heart of Jesus that in turn, bring about the Kingdom of Heaven – the reign of love within our world.

Who will you encounter today who needs to experience the healing power of Jesus in their lives?