Facing the reality - Mt 10: 16-23
The sending of the twelve (Mt 10: 5-15) can only to a certain extent be regarded as sending the apostles to some sort of one-off practice of evangelization. The instructions that they received from the Lord then have a universal meaning, valid for those who preach the Gospel and are forever inscribed in the life of the Church. This is confirmed by the rest of Jesus' speech, the central theme of which is the persecution of the preacher of the Good News. Yes, the content of this teaching directly refers to the apostolic period and the times immediately after it, when the Church experienced a special time of trial, but the subsequent history of Christianity also recorded the testimonies of the martyrs for the faith. This is also the case today, allegedly boasting a high level of civilization and humanitarianism ...
The reader's attention is drawn to the directness of Jesus' statement. His words are painfully sincere, completely inconsistent with the standards of advertising and marketing known to us today. Its spirit is also alien to the ways of recruiting vocations. Witnesses of the Gospel are compared to weak, defenseless, humble lambs facing a sinister world, pictured by wild, predatory wolves. This is one of the many references to the natural world that Jesus is so fond of. The Lord did not endow his disciples with worldly defenses. He only gave them words of blessing and assured them of his constant presence in their lives and endeavors. And he wants it to be so, which in human terms means defenselessness against the aggression of the world.
It is largely up to the disciples themselves to be willing to testify of Jesus in the lamb style, meek, humble of heart, offering peace and turning the other cheek in response to evil experienced. After all, there is a possibility of a different attitude in the position of a herald of the Gospel, from Byzantine haughtiness to evangelization by fire and sword with many intermediate variants along the way. The creativity of the sent has great potential, and Jesus desires this creativity, but in its best sense. It expresses a call to be prudent as snakes and flawless as doves, which - unfortunately - the Church so often seems to forget ... But the side of the wolves remains essentially unchanged: always hostile, first to Jesus himself, then to his followers; the world has always received them with an attitude of hatred (see John 15: 18-19).
Jesus' further words, referring to courts and synagogues, outline the course of events. The apostles will soon find out about its reality. The book of Acts provides ample evidence for the correctness of Jesus' prophecy. The apostles Peter and John stood before the court of the Jewish Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-22). Then there is talk of imprisoning the apostles - perhaps all of them - in a public prison (Acts 5:17) and scourging them (Acts 5:40). However, they were glad that they had become worthy to suffer for [Jesus'] name (Acts 5:41). This example shows how well the apostles assimilated the teaching of the Master. The apostle Paul experienced similar sufferings not only from the representatives of the Synagogue (Acts 14: 1-5; 23: 1-10), but he also appeared as a prisoner before kings and governors (Acts 18, 12; 24-26), while Stephen, one of the first deacons of the Church, he was martyred, provoked and approved by the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people, becoming the first to fulfill all the predictions of Jesus (Acts 7). The cases of persecution for the faith presented in the Acts of the Apostles did not end with the apostolic age but had a much more expressive and varied continuation in the history of the Church. The evangelist Matthew, while writing the Gospel, was in a situation where, in retrospect, he could personally see the truthfulness of Jesus' words.
The Lord Jesus not only illustrates the situation of future Gospel proclaimers, bluntly showing suffering and persecution because of Himself and the truth that He brought into the world, but also forbids his disciples to defend themselves according to the principles of this world. They are to trust the Holy Spirit, His presence and wisdom. The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Church (Acts 2: 1-13) was an event of fundamental importance. It was only from that moment that the proper proclamation of the Gospel by the apostles, by the Church, and soon with it began the persecution of Christians. Jesus teaches his disciples that the Holy Spirit makes his presence visible not only in auspicious times, when thousands of people accept faith in Jesus by speaking in other tongues and glorifying God, but that the same Holy Spirit also watches over the Church during the dark days of persecution. He, sent by the Father and the Son, He who IS. As a Divine Person, He has the same name that God once revealed to Moses (Ex 3:14) and which Jesus used repeatedly for himself (see John 8:24; 18: 5-6). Now he, the Comforter, IS present in the Church. Jesus calls us to trust in His presence.
The mission of preaching the Gospel comes from Jesus and on His initiative. This mission is confronted with the ruthless cruelty of the world. Both in view of the greatness and sanctity of the work of preaching, and in the face of the world's demonicity in relation to God's things, a man devoted to evangelization seems to be ridiculously small. And it really is. In the face of the cunning and ruthlessness of the world, the believer is not able to defend himself if he wants to remain faithful to Jesus by means of defense. He must humbly open himself to help from above. However, the awareness of the apostles that they are only useless servants (cf. Lk 17:10) should not fill them with fear but should give an impulse to great trust in the power of the Holy Spirit, to bind all life to him. Jesus does not call for passivity, for inaction in the face of experienced persecution, but helps people devoted to His cause in the right way to set the accents. His next words testify to this. The Lord not only allows, but even orders to change the place and move to where there is no danger. However, he still reminds us of faithfulness, of enduring with Him to the end.
The persecution of the believers mentioned in this passage is particularly cruel and severe. Even the closest relatives, and eventually all people, will stand up against Jesus' disciples. They will come up because of His name, because of His Person. This is surely one of the greatest mysteries of how evil works in the world. Why do people respond to love, beauty, blessings with cruelty, persecution and death? Misterium iniquitatis, will say St. Pope John Paul II. The answer to this eternal question is given elsewhere by Jesus himself: If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you (cf. Jn 15:19).
Quite puzzling are the last words of this pericope: Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. This statement of Jesus is sometimes explained with reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 as punishing an unfaithful people. Perhaps? It seems, however, that these words should be seen in a broader perspective, in the perspective of Parousia. The context of the entire pericope demands it. Persecution for the faith was not only experienced by the apostles who once followed Jesus but is also experienced by the Church of all times. Moreover - Israel and its cities - can and probably should be understood in the context of the New People of God, redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus, and therefore it would be about the whole world in which the Gospel is constantly preached, in which not all cities have known the Good News yet, and which still with persistence destroys those who come sent by the Lord of history. This extraordinary process is also taking place in our time, before our eyes and with our participation. It is just about taking the right position, taking the right side. The Lord's assurances are not out of date, and the Holy Spirit is at work as it was then. Therefore, let us not worry about how or what ...
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff comfort me” (Ps 23:4)
Until Tomorrow
fr. george