"Freely have you received – freely give"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 10:7-15)

Lakat kamo kag ibantala nga ang Ginharian sang langit malapit na!

Ayuha ninyo ang mga masakiton, banhawa ang mga patay, ayuha ang mga aruon, kag tabuga ninyo ang mga yawa. Nakabaton kamo nga wala sing bayad, gani maghatag man kamo nga indi magpabayad.

Indi kamo magdala sing bulawan, pilak ukon bisan saway nga sinsilyo sa inyo bulsa.

Indi kamo magdala sing puyo sa inyo pagpanglakaton, ukon ilislan, ukon sandalyas, ukon sungkod, kay ang nagapangabudlay dapat gid hatagan sang iya mga kinahanglanon.

"Kon magsulod kamo sa bisan diin nga banwa ukon baryo, pangitaa ninyo ang luyag magbaton sa inyo, kag didto kamo magdayon sa iya tubtob sa inyo paghalin sa sadto nga duog.

Sa inyo pagsulod sa isa ka balay magsiling kamo, 'Ang paghidait sa inyo.'

Kon ginabaton kamo sang mga tawo sa sina nga balay, paluntara ang inyo paghidait sa sina nga panimalay. Pero kon indi sila magbaton sa inyo, bawia ninyo ang inyo pag-abiabi.

Kag kon may mga panimalay ukon banwa nga indi magbaton ukon magpamati sa inyo, bayai ina nga duog kag taktaka ang yab-ok sa inyo mga tiil.

Dumdoma ninyo ini! Sa Adlaw sang Paghukom, sobra pa ang silot nga pagabatunon sadto nga banwa sang sa Sodoma kag Gomorra!"

Prayers:

“Lord Jesus, may the joy and truth of the gospel transform my life that I may witness it to those around me. Grant that I may spread your truth and your light wherever I go.”

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Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

Do you believe that the gospel has power to change your life and the lives of others? Jesus gave his disciples a two-fold commission to speak in his name and to act with his power. The core of the gospel message is quite simple: the kingdom (or reign) of God is imminent! What is the kingdom of God? It is that society of men and women who freely submit to God and who honor him as their Lord and King. In the Lord’s prayer we pray for God to reign in our lives and in our world: May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus also commissioned his disciples to carry on the works which he did – bringing the healing power of God to the weary and oppressed. The gospel has power to set people free from sin, sickness, fear, and oppression. The Lord will free us from anything that keeps us from loving him and our neighbor with joy and confidence. 

Jesus said to his disciples: Freely you have received, freely give. What they have received from Jesus they must now pass on to others without expecting a favor in return, whether it be in form of a gift or payment. They must show by their attitude that their first interest is in serving God, not receiving material gain. They must serve without guile, full of charity and peace, and simplicity. They must give their full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things. They must travel light – only take what was essential and leave behind whatever would distract them – in order to concentrate on the task of speaking the word of the God. They must do their work, not for what they can get out of it, but for what they can give freely to others, without expecting special privileges or reward. “Poverty of spirit” frees us from greed and preoccupation with possessions and makes ample room for God’s provision. The Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves.

Secondly, Jesus said: the worker deserves his sustenance. Here we see a double-truth: the worker of God must not be overly-concerned with material things, but the people of God must never fail in their duty to give the worker of God what he or she needs to sustain themselves in the Lord's service. Do you pray for the work of the gospel and do you support it with your material and financial resources? Jesus ends his instructions with a warning: If people reject God’s invitation and refuse his word, then they bring judgment and condemnation on themselves. When God gives us his word there comes with it the great responsibility to respond. Indifference will not do. We are either for or against God in how we respond to his word. God gives us his word that we may have life – abundant life – in him. He wills to work in and through each of us for his glory. God shares his word with us and he commissions us to speak it boldly and simply to others. Do you witness the truth and joy of the gospel by word and example to those around you?