Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. 9 Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; 10 no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. 12 As you enter a house, wish it peace. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. 14 Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. 15 Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”
In his ministry, Jesus avoided evangelizing the Gentiles and the Samaritans and instructed the 12 disciples to do the same and stay in Galilean territory (vv. 5-6). The Gospels of Mark and Luke do not contain that restriction. The divine plan of salvation was for the Jewish people to receive the Covenant promises first (Rom. 1:16) because through them all other nations would be able to find God. The Disciples were to try to bring the marginalized and alienated Israelites, the ‘lost sheep of Israel,’ to the Kingdom of God. They were to preach the same message that John the Baptist (Mt. 3:2) and Jesus (Mt. 4:17) preached; ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Through God’s grace they would be able to perform works like Jesus did so they are to accept no money in return. They were to take nothing that would sustain them because they must rely on Divine providence and live on the local hospitality of the towns they enter trusting that God will provide. The items Jesus forbade them to take were items with which they were not allowed to enter the Synagogue.
When they arrive in a town they should stay at a worthy household until they leave. In biblical writings, ‘peace’ is the sum of all blessings. The peace the disciples wish upon the house would only remain with the household if the recipients were worthy. The essential nature of God’s word cannot be changed or rendered ineffective; “So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me empty, but shall do what pleases me, achieving the end for which I sent it (Is. 55:11). If the household is unworthy God’s peace will return to the disciple until he finds a worthy household upon which God’s peace will rest. In ancient times when Jews returned to the Holy Land after traveling through pagan territory, they shook the impure soil from their feet. Jesus is changing the meaning of the gesture to include Jews who reject the good news (Acts 13:51).
Almighty God, help us to recognize the responsibility that accompanies the gifts you give us to use as you direct. Grant that Your peace that surpasses all understanding fills our hearts and minds with knowledge and love of You. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Comments