"Just as the Father Sent Me, So I Send You"

Sunday Mass Readings

At his death the disciples and followers of Jesus were scattered. But we can also guess what must have been going on in their minds. Here is a man whom they followed for three years, and suddenly, he is gone? Existential questions must have plagued their minds. What now? What will they do now? In their confrontation with the Jews, even when they could not defend themselves Jesus defended them. But now they were won their own. How will they defend themselves now? Each of them must have been wreathing in guilt because none of them stood by the Lord. What does the future hold for them. In fact we have a few glimpses of what may have gone on, in the Gospels. Peter says to the others, “I am going fishing.” Some have interpreted this to say, he was going back to his old life. The others replied, we are going with you. In other words perhaps the disciples had become hopeless and despairing. But Jesus was not done with them as yet. He appeared to them and said, “Just as the Father sent me, so I send you.” He gives them a purpose to live. What is the purpose? What he was in their midst, now they must be. “Just as the Father sent me…” How and for what did the Father send Jesus? The Father sent Jesus, as a simple man, and yet with an incredible mission. This mission required uncompromising commitment because it was a difficult mission. Jesus worked miracles with the power of God, raised the dead to life and preached forgiveness of sins, and proclaimed a life of love. Now he says to them, “Just as the Father sent me, so I send you.” In other words, they must be other Jesus’ in the world. From one Jesus to twelve of him. From the first and the second reading we know that what Jesus sent the disciples out to do, they did. In fact the ministry of the disciples sounds so similar to the account of the ministry of Jesus.

What Jesus said to them, he now says to us: "Just as the Father sent me, I send you." Yes! Just as he sent them he now sends us.

Imagine, what would happen if we did take this mission seriously. One man Jesus began this mission of salvation. Twelve men spread that message. Imagine what the world would be like if the two billion Christians in today’s world took the mission of Jesus seriously.