Jesus summoned his twelve disciples together in today’s gospel, and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out of people and cure their illnesses. This was just after Jesus himself was accused of driving out demons by the prince of demons, in yesterday’s gospel. Jesus had been traveling to all of the towns and villages in yesterday’s gospel, curing the sick and driving out demons. It also says that Jesus’s heart was moved with pity for the people because they were troubled and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd. “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. It was just after this, that Jesus called his twelve apostles together and gave them the power to cure illnesses and drive out demons.
The Lord Jesus was concerned for the well being of the people of his time. He couldn’t be everywhere at once in order to take care of the people, because although he was both human and divine, he had some of the same human limitations we do. But, it was such a beautiful thing the way Jesus shared the divine power he had been given, with his twelve apostles. It was like multiplying his supernatural powers by twelve, a lot like the way he multiplied the seven loaves of bread and two fish in the miracle of feeding the five thousand people.
Supernatural powers seem to be a thing of the past to many modern people. We have difficulty believing in something we can not detect with our five senses. Yet, many of the saints possessed the ability to cure illnesses and deliver people from demons too. We just haven’t personally witnessed this miracle. Our modern day exorcists do have the power given by Christ, to deliver people from demonic possession though. Many dioceses have a priest who have been officially appointed as an exorcist.
Jesus sent his twelve disciples to the lost sheep of Israel and asked them to proclaim as they went that, “The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” When the people saw their sick being cured and demons driven out of people, they realized the power of God was in their midst. Genuine miracles are always given so people will understand that God is real and that He is present in their midst. The opposite is also true though. The demons are also real, even if we can’t see them and they lie undetected for long periods of time. When a genuine possession occurs, the person who is possessed demonstrates supernatural powers that are beyond normal human abilities. This also illustrates that demons are just as real as God is.
Wasn’t it a beautiful thing, the way Jesus sent his twelve disciples to the lost sheep of Israel? He told them not to go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town, but to only seek out the lost sheep of Israel. This is a beautiful thing, because the Lord never forgets his people. The lost sheep of Israel was his people. In the gospels Jesus talked about seeking out the lost sheep or lost coins, or lost people. But, it is awesome the way he seeks out his own first. That’s comforting to know because many of us have family members or friends who were baptized Catholic but no longer practice their faith. We should continue to pray for them, place them in the Lord’s care and trust that He will pursue them, because they are His own. Our friends and family members belong to Jesus because of their baptism. Even if the demons have led them astray, Jesus will go after them, knocking on the doors of their hearts, to deliver them from any evil influences they may have succumbed to.
One last thought about today’s gospel. Our family members and friends’ salvation is not within our control, once a person becomes an adult. That is the reason Jesus sent his disciples into the world, to reach out to those who belong to him that have strayed. Sometimes it may take a person unaffiliated with your loved one or your friend, who will be able to reach them. They may run to the far ends of the earth, but the Lord Jesus is not going to let them go that easily. He will hunt them down, reach out to them, and do everything he can to draw them back into the fold of his loving care.
Daily Mass Readings:
Hosea 10: 1-3, 7-8, 12 / Psalm 105 / Matthew 10: 1-7
