There is a long history of those whom God has sent being rejected by the people. From the time of Amos in our first reading, to the present day, many people do not want to hear God’s word because it requires them to change, and to embrace what is often a harder road. Our human weakness is always looking for the easy and most pleasurable way to exist, because it has often fully embraced only this world, and does not contemplate the world to come.
Amaziah rejected Amos because he did not want to see his prophecy spread, many of the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus and His teachings for the same reason. Yet in both cases their words were not without effect. The message still comes through, and it bears fruit to those whom it touches. We live in a world where we have free will, and God will not infringe upon that, but it does not mean that He will not tell us of His presence, and of His will. He knows what is best for us, and like any good father, He will instruct us, but then, the decision is up to us. Again, like a good father, with an older child, He will allow us to make our choices and respect our decisions. For every parent there comes a time when they know that they must allow their child to make their own choices about how they live their lives. They don’t stop caring about them, and they will still give their wisdom, but the choice itself belongs to that child. We are all children of God and have our choices to make.
When Jesus sent out His disciples for the first time, He knew that some of what they said would not be accepted, and that they themselves would not always be welcomed. He therefore told them what to do when this occurred, to “shake the dust from their feet in testimony” because they had brought God’s teaching, and it was not always accepted by those they came to. Yet He sent them nonetheless, because He knew that some would accept His word, and through Him the Fathers word.
We’re still called to this same tradition to this day, and the rules have pretty much stayed the same. We are each called to spread God’s word and know going into it that it will not always be accepted, but go and tell those we meet anyway, so that some of them will benefit by accepting God’s word and be drawn to salvation through His Son. We won’t reach everyone we try to, but it should not be for lack of trying on our part. Just as He sent out His disciples, so He sends each one of us. If we reach only one person in all our efforts, that will still be one more precious soul in heaven.
The Deacons Bench 