“‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” (Luke 10:9).
God has a purpose for each person in this world. Before I was created in my Mother’s womb, God had a purpose for me. And when I was created my soul was infused with all the attributes that would make it possible for me to fulfil my purpose… And these include my ability to speak and read and write. Any particular strengths and talents that I have been given and even my very weaknesses were sent to me so that I – and those around me – would be able to profit from them in our journey to heaven.
I am – as a baptised child of the Living God – one of His disciples…
“After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to come. And He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” (Luke 10:1-9).
There were seventy-two disciples who Christ sent out to preach. They were not robots. They did not all speak int eh same way or have the same approach to things. Each one was a different human being, just as I am different. Each one spoke in their own way or interacted with others in their own way. Each human being had a personal approach. And Christ sent them where He would soon go. In other words, He was near to them – if not immediately near, then near after a period of time when He finally visited those places…
And this is something that I have been thinking about today. For it seems that there are so many things that I could wish differently on myself. I wish I were more patient or more eloquent. I wish I were more gentle or more talented in music. I wish I were a glorious artist, who could depict scenes in nature that reflected the true beauty of my God.
And yet, God selected my talents just as they are so that I would go on ahead and He could remain near. While Saint Luke the evangelist was a talented writer, Saint Paul was a clever orator. It was the strength of one that sustained the other, with Saint Luke credited with documenting many of Saint Paul’s teachings and letters and epistles…
And today it seems to me that there are just so many talents – too many to count – and all of those talents can be summarised and assessed in one small way. And that is, in what value they bring to my relationship with God. For after all, it is a strange thing to think that anything at all has value if I am unable to use it as a stepping stone to be near the One Who Loves me – my God – who remains close to me, though He sends me on ahead…
For today, I remember that “‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” (Luke 10:9).
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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