The Mission of the Chosen

by

Rev. Fr. Christopher Mathew ( Area: Chicago Area Youth Minister )

(St. Luke 10:1-16)

“…The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.” (St. Luke 10: 2-3)

This past Sunday’s Gospel reading was taken from St. Luke 10. We hear Jesus commissioning the 70 to preach the gospel, which is a central theme during this time of Pentecost. This passage has intrigued me every time I hear and read it because Jesus is very specific about the mission. The Harvest is great, but the laborers are few, and the 70 He is sending is focused on preaching the gospels to the cities. As we read in verse 4, He tells them to carry no money, no provisions, no sandals; they are not to stop and speak to anyone on the way; their focus is to get to the city and preach.

When I read this, and think about it, I remember all the times that I have asked to myself, how is Jesus calling me to preach the gospel in my life. I also think of all the times I have heard people say to me that they are confused on how they should present the gospel. As I reflect on this, I see from this passage Jesus Christ is very clear on what the laborers are to do. This is why Jesus said that the laborers are few, because how many people stay committed to the goal and mission of the gospel to this level of commitment.

Now we usually find it common to see this level of commitment in other vocations. If we study the life of most sports stars who are considered great, we see a strong commitment to practice, to train and to push themselves to a level most people are not willing to do. Their commitment does not wane during the off season, but continues for the next season to come. If we look at people who successful in education, business, medicine, law, politics, or whatever vocation, we find people whose focus remains committed to fulfilling their goal.

What is our goal? To be with Christ and in the Kingdom, and bring others to Christ and the Kingdom. We have attained Christ and His Kingdom through our baptism, by partaking in the Body and Blood of Christ. But are we to stop with ourselves? When reading this passage we know that the answer is ‘no’. As Christians we have become part of the chosen, and we have a responsibility and an obligation to Christ and His Church to proclaim the gospel.

How do we accomplish this goal? When we meditate on this passage from the Gospel we see that Christ is asking His laborers to stay focused on the mission. Now as we read further in this chapter, these apostles were able to do great things in the name of Jesus. And these 70 were not just some random men that Jesus drafted. These 70 were men began by hearing the preaching of Jesus Christ and were able to internalize what Jesus was proclaiming in them. The Word of God incarnated in their life and they were able to proclaim the kingdom as Jesus had instructed them.

This means first and foremost that we need to make sure we stay connected with the Word of God. As Orthodox Christians we know we do this by reading the scriptures, and by partaking of Christ’s Body and Blood in the Holy Qurbana. If we truly seek God by reading and partaking of Him, then we start to see our mission becoming clear. This also means we have to remove those things that cloud or darken our spiritual sight. This cloud of darkness is sin itself. This is why it is important to confess our sins on a regular basis so that when we partake of Holy Qurbana and read the Holy Scriptures, our body, mind and soul can truly listen to God, internalize Him in our life, and share His grace and mercy to all.

Questions for Meditation

1) Take time to sit in silence and think how much time you really take to understand God’s Word.

2) Do you take time to ask other brothers and sisters in Christ to help you understand the Scriptures?

3) When preparing for Holy Qurbana, do you take time to seek God’s wisdom to help you find your mission in proclaiming the Gospel in your life?

Author’s Information:

Name: Rev. Fr. Christopher Mathew

Area: Chicago Area Youth Minister

Email Address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it