3rd of Year B 2012
January 2012
Jesus of Nazareth began his ministry moving about the villages and countryside of Galilee. At that time Galilee was an impoverished region with huge unemployment.
Disease, malnourishment and depression were rampant.
He did not try to instruct them about God or religious practise. His message was to proclaim the reign or kingdom of God. He treated everyone with compassion and respect. He told them that they were loved by God who hated the conditions under which they struggled to survive. He healed the sick. He cast out demons and depression. He even raised the dead to life. He upbraided the political and religious leaders of the time for the callous and unjust way they treated the ordinary people.
For Jesus this way of acting and speaking was the reign or kingdom of God.
He picked certain followers and sent them out to the places he could not go himself, to do for the people of Galilee as he did.
Luke 9. ‘He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal (the sick).’
Mtt. 10;1 Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus; As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.’
Mk.6: ‘He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. So they went off and preached repentance.
They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.’
For Jesus of Nazareth this was sufficient.
To show love, generosity, compassion and forgiveness: to give healing, comfort, and peace: was the kingdom of God, and wherever this was practised the reign of God had begun.
This was the only concern of Jesus of Nazareth.
This involves a conversion; that is repentance for my past way of life (and not just for individual unjust acts), and embracing the reign of God - the reign of compassion, the reign of sharing what I have, the reign of forgiving, the reign of love for all my fellow human beings.
Am I willing to abandon my nets (my selfishness and self interest) and become one of his followers?