Jesus said to the twelve, "as you go, make this proclamation: "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
'As you go'... forget not when you are on the move that you have a purpose. The purpose you carry with you is greater than yourself, bigger than you can imagine, but at the same time can only be purposeful if you let it carry you. The kingdom comes through us, with us, in us. The kingdom of heaven can not be apart from us; we are the vehicle that makes it known as we go.
Cure the sick: bring strength to the weak.
Raise the dead: resurrect goodness where ever you go bringing new life to all.
Cleanse the lepers: welcome the outcast, make them part of the community; the kingdom boundaries are always inclusive, always stretching forth.
Drive out demons: liberate those who are possessed by evil in their life. Give them new hope by your presence. Show them there is a way out in Christ.
We can do these things; we are sent to bring this change.
The apostles can bring the change of the kingdom with them along the journey because they have embraced the change of the kingdom within them. In order to bring the change we must embrace the change.
We must allow the strength of God to fortify our weakness; we must allow the grace of God to resurrect goodness and new life within us. We must allow God to welcome us into his fold and embrace this new membership by welcoming others. We must never give up on the liberating power of Christ to break the chains that bind us, thus we can share that liberation with others.
"You O Lord, are my lamp, my God who lightens my darkness. With you I can break through any barrier, with my God i can scale any wall. " (Psalm 18)
We bring the change of the Kingdom with us by embracing the change of the kingdom within us.
Ultimately that change of the Kingdom is demonstrated by true holiness. Holiness that, Pope Benedict reminds us, is not rooted in never having erred or sinned but in the continued willingness and capacity to be reconciled, to be forgiven, to start over anew; it is the continued willingness and capacity to let others be reconciled, let others be forgiven, let others start over anew.
May St. Barnabas the apostle of the change pray that the kingdom he preached change us in all the right ways.
As you go, bring the change of the kingdom with you and may the change of the Kingdom carry you forth as you go.
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