February 27 devotion

The Liberating Word

Matthew 10:1-16

In this passage, the 12 male disciples of Jesus are named and sent out. This passage ends with one of my favorite verses in Matthew. Jesus tells his disciples to go out and do all the good they can, telling people the good news. He knew that not everyone would be receptive to good news since religion then and now had been so much about controlling behavior by threatening bad news. Perhaps he also knew that "no good deed goes unpunished." Human nature is a strange thing, and Jesus acknowledges that by telling them how to handle rejection.

What is probably important to see is that, while Jesus was a realist, he was not a cynic. He offers one of the best pieces of advice found anywhere: Be as cunning as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. (Mt. 10:16) Being cunning and wise without slipping into bitterness and cynicism is not a balance many people manage to achieve.

Religious people sometimes can be naïve and blame it on God. For example, caring for the poor doesn't mean unthinkingly creating dependency. Being compassionate with a homeless person doesn't mean that you let them use you, manipulate you, or steal from you. Rather it may mean investing your compassion, your time, and your resources into changing the systems that contribute to homelessness and poverty. It may mean confronting behaviors that are self-destructive and refusing to continue enabling that person's destruction.

I believe Jesus is saying that we must be wise, strategic and deliberate in how we live our lives. We must also be innocent or harmless. There is far too much truth in the little girl's question. Having witnessed an interchange in which one party was harsh and unkind she asked, "Are you mean because someone hurt you, or is it just because you go to church?"

I believe what Jesus is saying in this passage is that every day get up and go out into the world to do as much good as you can. Heal hurts and tell people good news. Not everyone will be entirely receptive so you are going to have to be strategically compassionate and kind, but never be anything less.

Blessings, The Rev. Michael S. Piazza, founder and president of Hope for Peace and Justice, Dallas, Tx