The gospel for Saturday of the first week of Advent is taken from Matthew 9th chapter, 35th verse to the 10th chapter, first through the 8th verse. 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. 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. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is abundant, but the labors are few. So ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.

And he summoned his 12 disciples, gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and, and to cure every disease and every illness. Jesus sent out these 12 after instructing them, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel as you go make this proclamation. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give. We’ve been focusing all week on the healing power of Jesus, encountering someone who needs a gift from God.

But we have to be careful because the work of being a follower of Jesus is to create small kingdoms of of individuals like minded, trusting in one another, believing in this power of the Spirit within them to create a life giving environment. The healing that God has promised to us enables community to thrive, individuals to get past their own egos and to be caring most about those around them. It’s a beautiful image of the kingdom of God. That’s what we’re here for and that’s what’s happening now. Please take a moment to reflect and then I will close with a prayer, The closing prayer. Father, life can become a distraction or it can become something that is a kind of workshop for everything that God is asking us to become.

Help us to see it as a place where we can learn how to develop a community of life giving friends. That’s the goal, that’s the work. The kingdom of God is near, it is at hand, it is already here. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.