God’s Word and Our Responsibility!

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Gen 44:18-21, 23b-29; 45:1-5; Mt 10:7-15

Today’s Gospel highlights the responsibilities of messengers and recipients of God’s Word. 

For Jesus, the Kingdom message binds both the giver and the receiver.

Those who proclaim the coming of God’s Kingdom should behave very much like its agent. Hence, performing signs like curing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, and driving out demons are significant to validate the message. The gratuitous graces must be shared freely with no expectations of material reward. The heralds must rely on God’s providence and the goodness of the receiver. 

Jesus’ instruction contains a mandate for the receiver too. While the receiver must be a ‘worthy person,’ the moral superiority of the receiver comes from receiving and responding to the Good News. The hospitality shown to the message and the messenger manifests the willingness of the receiver to be transformed by the inbreaking of God’s Word. The mention of Sodom and Gomorrah is to show the seriousness and consequence of rejecting the Gospel. 

As such, our reflection is enhanced by two insights. 

1. God’s generous initiative demands an eager response. In rejecting the Good News, we reject ourselves. Our identity is complete only in response to God’s call. 

2. The heralds of the Good News must ensure that the Kingdom message is embodied by becoming what they preach. Being different from what one preaches is only a contradiction. 

Let us pray that, as messengers of God, we may realize our responsibility in both word and deed.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar