Jesus Speaks of the need for spiritual leaders (Mt. 9:35-10:1)

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. 36 At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; 38 so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.  1 Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

This passage is a transition from the confession of Jesus as the Messiah by two blind men to preparing the twelve disciples he has chosen for their mission.  As Jesus continued his ministry throughout Galilee, he was deeply moved because the spiritual teachers of the community had failed the people and they were in need of leadership.  If the harvest is not reaped it will rot in the field so men are needed to reap the harvest, but they must ask God to provide true spiritual leadership to guide the people.  

Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God and now started to build the people of God, the Church.  Twelve of the disciples were singled out, given the authority to heal and cast out evil spirits, and instructed.  The number 12 corresponds to the 12 patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel and symbolizes the restoration of Israel.  Jesus gave them a share in His divine power and they became the core of the Church.

Almighty God, the community of believers needs true pastoral guidance, and we ask you, out of your abundance of mercy, to send us true spiritual leaders to teach us your divine truths.  This we pray through Christ our Lord.  Amen!

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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.

                Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.