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As
Christians, as Catholics, as
those who want to follow
Jesus in our lives, we have
the desire to tell others
about Jesus. We want to
evangelize. After all, at
the end of the Gospel of
Matthew, Jesus gave the
Great Commission to the
eleven disciples. “Go,
therefore, and make
disciples of all nations…”
We desire to participate in
that mission. We desire to
follow in the footsteps of
Jesus....
As I meditated on what it
means to follow Jesus, to
make disciples, and to
evangelize—I began thinking
about the life of Jesus. In
the beginning of his
ministry, he entered a
synagogue, opened up the
scroll of the prophet
Isaiah, and began to read.
“The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he has
anointed me to bring glad
tidings to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim liberty
to captives and recovery of
sight to the blind, to let
the oppressed go free…” (Lk
4:18) Jesus fed those who
were hungry, yet he did not
start a food pantry. Jesus
healed the sick, yet he did
not start a clinic or a
hospital. Jesus taught the
disciples and the people,
yet he did not start a
school. Jesus ministered for
three years, yet he did not
set up any charitable
organizations.
Jesus did, however, choose
twelve disciples, investing
his life in them. Jesus did
go out among the people. “He
went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their
synagogues, proclaiming the
gospel of the kingdom, and
curing every disease and
illness among the people.”
(Mt. 4:23) Underlying all
these activities, Jesus
loved people. He listened.
He was present not only to
them, but with them. Jesus
himself said, “Love each
other. Just as I have loved
you, you should love each
other. Your love for each
other will prove to the
world that you are my
disciples.” (Jn 13:34-35)
What does this tell us? Not
to have food pantries,
hospitals, schools or
ministry organizations?
Absolutely not! But it does
tell us, that over and above
all of the wonderful
organizations that
Christians have started,
Jesus desires us to love
people. And not just people
in general, but individuals
in particular. When asked
about the greatest
commandment, Jesus gave us
two: “You shall love the
Lord, your God, with all
your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your
mind. This is the greatest
and first commandment. The
second is like it: You shall
love your neighbor as
yourself.” (Mt 22:37-39) The
apostle Paul warned us that
we can do all kinds of good
works, even giving away all
we own, but if we do not
have love, we are nothing
and gain nothing. (See 1 Cor
13) Jesus wants our good
works to shine like a lamp
before all so that our
Father will receive praise.
(Mt 5:16) In and through
these good works, Jesus
loves the poor through us.
He is present to individuals
through us. Not only that,
but in a most amazing and
wonderful way, Jesus is
present to us in the people
we love and serve. (See Mt.
25:31-46)
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