The call to do God’s mission is very clear in the New Testament. We also read the divine call ‘who will I sent, who shall go for us’ in the Old Testament. Jesus said ‘the field is white for harvest’ (Jn. 4:35). ‘From the rising of the sun to setting of the same the Lord is calling the earth’ (Ps. 50:1, 2). We find God sharing his pain with humanity in all these calls.
1. Sharing the pain of God: Call of Isaiah for the mission (Is. 6:1-8)
Isaiah who saw God sitting on a thrown high and exalted accepted the divine plan about himself and the people through this vision. God gave Isaiah a call to bring back to God the people who hear yet do not understand, see and do not perceive and will not repent and get healed. Human partnership is required for the accomplishment of divine plans.
2. Sharing the pain of God: Paul’s call for the mission (Acts 9:10-18)
Paul was a Jewish scholar who lived in the first century at the Greco – Roman city called Tarsus which was situated at the North Eastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea. Tarsus was an important centre of commerce and the birth place of many of the Stoic philosophers. Paul, at the age of 30 has given leadership to the martyrdom which was unleashed by the Roman Empire against Christians. This was due to the unending enmity against Christianity. In one such journey as he was going with the authentic letter from the high priest, the greatest incident of change happened to his life. After he has received this revelation he began to preach the love of Christ more powerfully than he was against it previously. Through his experience he has preached Christianity to the Greek philosophers, scientists and Jewish scribes. He established many Churches. Finally he was arrested by the then religious leaders and sent to Rome in AD 61. Again he was arrested in a trouble broke out during the time of Nero Caesar (AD 64) and martyred in AD 67. The Theology of Paul has given a strong basis to the Christian Church. God has transformed Paul who was a threat to the Christians and used him according to his plan for the propagation of the Christian message. God gave a message regarding Paul to Ananias as follows, “… Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Paul who had the authentic letter from the high priest to bind and even kill Christians, if needed, was totally transformed and began to preach Christ according to God’s plan. Paul’s life is a proof to show that God will use any person for His ministry.
3. Sharing the pain of God: The call to the disciples for the mission (Lk.10:1-13)
Jesus had sent 70 disciples two by two for the mission. He gave them the authority to preach the Kingdom of God, to heal the sick and to chase out the demons. As he was sending them he told them as follows: “The harvest is plenty but laborers are few” (Lk. 10:2). Here a group of 70 persons are being sent. It means that the message of God’s plan is being entrusted to a community. Luke 10:1-15 shows the vision of a divine plan to all the disciples of the Christ and not only to individuals like Isaiah or Paul. The disciples were sent to preach about the Kingdom of God which is justice, peace and the joy of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Thus, peace should be established in communities. Peace is established through the implementation of justice. Justice established through healthy relationships. Thus, justice will come into existence. Here the powers of evil will be expelled out. Thus, all will receive the joy of the Holy Spirit.
Collect: Empowering God, we thank you for calling us to be co-journers with Jesus Christ, who laid his life for the sake of carrying on your mission of establishing your kingdom on earth. . Equip us we pray that we may be strengthened in sharing your plan for your creation with a commitment even to offer our lives for this mission like your disciples and apostles. Help us to face the challenges in this mission; the pain and sufferings with a hope to make the kingdom of God Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit One God, now and forever more. Amen.