In this chapter of Matthew's Gospel, the apostles have just been chosen by Jesus, who calls them by name and gives them special powers over unclean spirits to cast them out, and the gift of healing every disease and disability. Jesus gives them instructions on where and how to carry out their initial mission. The message they are to proclaim is clear: «The Kingdom of Heaven is near» (Mt 10, 7).
The indication of «go and proclaim» The entrusted message underlines, on the one hand, that the true disciple is above all a preacher of closeness, and on the other, that the way they walk together must be a proclamation. In fact, in the Gospel of John, after giving them the new commandment, Jesus affirms: «By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another» (Jn 13, 35).
«Go and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. […] Freely you have received; freely give».
He «Kingdom of Heaven» It is the core of Jesus' message. The related expression «Kingdom of God» It was used in the Old Testament to indicate God's lordship, rule, and salvific action in human history. He is sovereign of the world and especially of the people of Israel, who awaited a descendant of King David to restore Israel's mission among the nations. In the New Testament, Jesus himself is presented as a descendant of David and therefore king. Unlike a temporal kingdom, the «Kingdom of Heaven» It is a kingdom of peace and justice, where the poor are cared for, where forgiveness and reconciliation prevail, and which will bring life and light to all nations. It is a kingdom that has already begun in the world and in people's hearts, but which will be fully realized when Jesus returns.
«Go and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. […] Freely you have received; freely give».
Jesus announces that the Kingdom is near, imminent. Through his parables, such as the mustard seed or the yeast that makes the whole batch of dough rise, we understand that it acts in a mysterious and humble yet persistent way throughout time. «Near» It also has a spatial meaning. When the disciples, who carry the presence of the spirit of Jesus, approach on foot, the Kingdom of God draws near. And when, in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says to the scribe, «You are not far from the Kingdom of God» (Mc 12, 34), it is likely that he meant not only "You have begun to understand", but also "You are not far from me".
«Go and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. […] Freely you have received; freely give».
Free translates a term that in the original Greek means as a gift. This underscores that everything the apostles received was not given to them because they deserved it. The source was God's generosity and the fact that they were chosen for a specific mission.
Chiara Lubich writes: «The Kingdom of God must be welcomed. It is a gift that God gives you. In fact, no human effort, ascetic attempt, study, or intellectual investigation can help you enter the Kingdom of God. It is God himself who comes to meet you, who reveals himself with his light or touches you with his grace. And there is no merit you can boast of or rely on to claim a right to such a gift from God. The Kingdom is offered to you freely.»[1].
By welcoming him, we too are called today to continue the task that Jesus entrusted to the apostles: to proclaim with word and deed the nearness of the Kingdom, to announce together to every human being a message of hope: in this afflicted and uncertain world, God loves him immensely and loves us all immensely.
Augusto Parody Reyes and the Word of Life team
[1] C. Lubich, Word of Life, October 1979: in Ead., Words of Life/1 (1943-1990) (ed. F. Ciardi), Ciudad Nueva, Madrid 2020, p. 155.
