15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Do you remember being out a recess during school and teams being picked for baseball or dodgeball or some other game? It could be scary, thinking about how it would turn out. Will I be the last one picked? Will everybody laugh at me? Will I be good enough? Many of us may approach our faith and relationship with Jesus the same way, asking whether or not God will choose us; whether or not we are “good enough.” The Good News for each of us today is that God has already chosen us, and send us out on a mission that we can accomplish through his grace, power, and authority.

First, we are not alone. The next time you are at Mass, look around and see all the people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ – and recognize that we are not alone in this mission. In today’s Gospel (Mark 6:7-13), Jesus sent is disciples out two-by-two, and we, too, are encouraged to find others who can walk with us as we strive to follow Jesus.

Second, it’s not all up to us. Jesus didn’t send the disciples out saying, “Do your best!” Jesus sent them out and gave them authority. As we strive to act as disciples of Jesus and strive to carry out the mission that he has entrusted to us, we must recognize that he is not standing at a distance watching us or grading us on how well we do. Jesus is here in the midst of our struggles giving us strength – and in the midst of our victories celebrating with us. He does not send us out with only encouraging words and our natural abilities, but gives us his strength, his power, his authority and grace. All that is necessary is for us to receive it and put it to use according to God’s will.

Finally, Jesus will continue to choose us and work through us, even if we fail over and over again. We can read in the Bible about the failures of Peter; about the doubts of Thomas, and even the betrayal by Judas Iscariot, but realize that Jesus had still sent them out to heal the sick, drive out demons, and call people to repentance. They were his instruments as we are, still today.

In our lives, there will be times when we choose against Jesus, when we betray him, when we deny him – but Jesus never gives up on us. In those moments when we have fallen short in the eyes of God, we are called to repentance, and then to begin walking with Jesus all over again. If even Judas was able to accomplish mighty works before his eventual turning away from God, what might Jesus do in and through us, if we allow him to and serve as his willing disciples?