Jun 18, 2023: 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

In today’s first reading, God establishes a special relationship with the Israelites, calling them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God.

Three months into Israel’s journey through the wilderness, they arrive at the foot of Mount Sinai. They pitch camp while Moses ascends the mountain to receive directives from God.

Then the LORD called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites:

God calls to Moses and designates him as the chosen messenger to convey His words to the people.

You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself.

Through Moses, God reminds the people of the miraculous events in Egypt, where he delivered them from slavery and brought them out “on eagles’ wings.” God has provided them protection, guidance, and deliverance.

Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine.

God offers a conditional covenant with the Israelites. (Although God’s goodness is unconditional, covenant membership is not.)

If the people heed God’s voice and fully obey the covenant, they will become covenant partners with God. This offer will take effect as soon as they agree to the terms, but Israel will only reach its full maturity if it actively listens to and follows the will of God.

God offers the people three complementary privileges. First, they will become his treasured possession among all nations: God’s chosen people, whom he protects with special care.

You shall be to me a kingdom of priests,

Second, they will be a kingdom of priests.

This means that, like priests, as a people they will become conduits for God’s presence in the world.

a holy nation.”

Third, they will be a holy nation.

Something that is holy has been set apart, consecrated to God for a sacred purpose. Israel has been chosen by God, invited (not forced) into a covenant relationship, and he will give them a specific purpose to fulfill.

2nd Reading – Romans 5:6-11

Brothers and sisters:
Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.

During Ordinary Time, the first reading and the gospel correspond with and interpret one another, while the second reading is a multi-week study of an apostolic writing.

This week we begin a semi-continuous reading of Paul’s letter to the Romans, which will take us through the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Saint Paul’s teaching on justification is quite clear in this passage: Despite the inherent sinfulness of humanity, we have unwavering hope in our reconciliation with God through Jesus.

Paul describes what God has done for us in three similar but distinct ways: he has justified us, he has saved us, and he has reconciled us.

Brothers and sisters: Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.

This opening verse speaks to the profound love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It highlights the condition of humanity before Christ’s intervention—weak and ungodly. God’s love and salvation extend to all, even those who are undeserving.

Paul goes out of his way to point out our helplessness in order to emphasize that we did nothing to earn this reconciliation for ourselves.

The Greek word translated for “the appointed time” is kairós, which conveys the idea of something happening at the decisive moment, in accordance with God’s timing or plan.

“If Christ gave Himself up to death at the right time for those who were unbelievers and enemies of God … how much more will He protect us with His help if we believe in Him! He died for us in order to obtain life and glory for us. So if He died for His enemies, just think what He will do for His friends!” [The Ambrosiaster (366-384 AD), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]

Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die.

Paul marvels at the remarkable nature of Christ’s sacrificial death. It is a profound act to die for a righteous person, but to offer one’s life for an ungodly individual is almost unimaginable. Yet, that is precisely what Christ did.

God’s love surpasses human understanding.

“How can Paul say this when the Bible is full of martyrs? What were they doing? In fact, the martyrs were not dying for other people but for God, and for Him anyone would dare to die. But every other death is much harder to endure, even if it is just and in accordance with the law of human nature.” [Origen (after 244 AD), Commentaries on Romans 5,8]

But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Christ didn’t die for us because we were justified. In fact, it’s the other way around: the only cause for our justification is his sacrificial death on the cross.

How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, 

Paul tells the Christians in Rome they have been justified through the action of Christ; they have not justified themselves. The verb used here for justified (dikaióō) is a legal term, drawing upon the concept of a judge declaring someone to be righteous or acquitted.

will we be saved through him from the wrath.

The verb for “saved” is sōzō, which means “to be delivered from serious peril.” Although it encompasses both physical and spiritual dimensions of deliverance and restoration, Paul is not referring to deliverance from the perils of life here; he generally uses the verb rhýomai for that.

What we are being saved from is the wrath of God, that is, God’s righteous judgment and divine anger against sin and rebellion. Through Jesus Christ, we are saved from the consequences of sin, reconciled with God, and have the hope of eternal life.

Indeed, if, while we were enemies, 

Paul takes his description of man without God a step further: first helpless, then ungodly, and here, an outright enemy of God.

God and Adam had a beautiful friendship in paradise, before the Fall. Adam’s sin created enmity between God and man and alienated us from him.

As enemies, we have no right to a relationship with God.

we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, 

The word used for reconciled is katallássō, which means “to change or exchange.” Paul uses it to describe the transformation in the human-divine relationship.

After the Fall, God immediately promised a future redeemer for mankind (Genesis 3:15), demonstrating the scale of his love for us. This promised redemption took place on the cross, when Christ destroyed the enmity created by sin, gaining us access to the grace that changes us, that places us in right relationship with God, that makes us righteous.

how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

Paul asks: If Christ’s death can completely transform the relationship of God with his enemies, how much more will we be blessed through his resurrected life, as God’s children?

Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Having been justified and reconciled, we can even boast of God himself, whereas before we stood in fear of his wrath. Having experienced God’s love through the death of Christ, we can now exult at the very thought of God.

Gospel – Matthew 9:36-10:8

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them 
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits
to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
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.”

We rejoin Jesus this week during the first year of his public ministry. Today’s reading showcases Jesus’ compassion for those in need. He responds by sending out his disciples, marking a pivotal moment in the expansion of Jesus’ ministry.

This resonates with our first reading, where God chose and called the Israelite people for a holy purpose.

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

The sight of the crowds moves Jesus profoundly. The people were unprotected and without guidance, like sheep without a shepherd (Ezekiel 34:30).

The verb used here (splanchnízomai) for “moved with pity” is very expressive. It comes from the noun splanchna, which refers to the innermost parts of the body, particularly the visceral organs. This emotion goes beyond mere sympathy; it suggests a deep stirring of Jesus’ inner being, an intense response to the physical and spiritual needs of others.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; 

There is an abundance of people who are ready to receive the message of the Gospel and be saved (John 4:35), but there are not enough laborers to carry out the work.

so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Jesus will dispatch his disciples to address this need, but first he makes it clear that the harvest belongs to God. They will simply be his laborers. As such, they are instructed to pray.

Prayer should always precede and accompany the work done on behalf of God.

Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

The word for authority is exousía, which is more than just legal permission; it gives the right to perform an action as well as the actual ability to carry it out. Exousía is frequently used in the New Testament in relation to divine authority and underscores the freedom to act within the framework of God’s will.

Once the disciples understand the capabilities they are being endowed with, the attitude of humility Jesus is giving them will be key. They must remember that this power is not their own; it’s the power of God working in them.

The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus calls twelve men — the number of the tribes of Israel — to be twelve patriarchs of the new people of God, the Church.

This is the only place where Matthew uses the word “apostle” in his gospel. That term is especially apt in this passage since apóstolos literally means “one who is sent.”

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

This directive from Jesus to stay out of pagan territory and focus their efforts on “the lost of sheep of the house of Israel” is a point of contention for many. However, it’s important to see this initial restriction as part of a larger plan and in the context of the Jewish eschatological .worldview

As our first reading demonstrated, the Jewish people were God’s special possession, holy and set apart from other nations. As such, they were the first to receive the message of salvation from Christ, the Messiah.

After fulfilling the prophecies and promises given to the Israelites, Jesus will expand the mission of the Church, when he instructs the disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, which includes people from all backgrounds, not just the Jewish people (Matthew 28:19-20).

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

The apostles are instructed to first proclaim the arrival of the kingdom of God, the same message proclaimed by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2) and Jesus (Matthew 4:17). They then are to perform miracles to demonstrate the truth of their preaching.

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Jesus reminds the apostles that the authority and power they have received are not to be used for personal gain or profit. Instead, they are to freely give, without expecting anything in return.

Their focus should be on serving and ministering to others selflessly, just as they themselves have freely received from Jesus.