The Kingdom of God is at Hand ~ by Ronnie Archer

God's WORD is powerful because it reminds us that God chooses the weak, to be strong.

In this Sunday's reading,we hear about the love, protection, the commands and the compassion of God. In the first reading, God is telling the Israelites how HE took care of them, "bearing them up on eagles' wing"... using the analogy of a mother eagle, "catching" her young in mid-air on her wings, while teaching it to fly. God promises the people a more fulfilling life, if they will keep His covenant.

The second reading tells us how much God loves us, not only when we are godly, but while we are sinners, as well. Some might consider, and have the courage to die for a righteous person; someone in our family, maybe. But Christ died for all of us, the good and the bad, the weak and the strong.

In today's Gospel of Matthew, Jesus shows great compassion for the crowds, because "they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd." Summoning His twelve disciples, Jesus said: "The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few." Jesus shared His gifts with them, giving them authority to cure every disease, to cast out demons, and to raise the dead, telling them "to go to the lost sheep of Israel"... making this proclamation: "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

Jesus shared His gifts; therefore we are to share ours. Christ died for us ALL, weak and strong, good and bad.

Jesus called and sent His disciples as laborers, to "gather the lost." Through them, and those who followed them, Jesus' good news spread throughout the land. We also are called to be "laborers" and spread the good news of His Kingdom. "Without cost we have received; without cost we are to give."


~ Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time ~