Friday January 26
Instead of sending the disciples in pairs, if Jesus had sent one disciple per town, he would have covered 72 locations, rather than, say 36. Why two by two? Perhaps Jesus did so to convey a fundamental Gospel message: Christian faith is to be no solo affair, but a collective act. Christian worship and practice are to be exercised in, with, and through the community. There is no Christian without community. Today we are celebrating the feast of two saints together—Timothy and Titus. No one works alone for the Gospel. Perhaps it is easier and far more convenient to be a solo Christian, for it is often difficult to work with others, especially when their idiosyncrasies, differences of opinion, and attitudinal problems conflict with ours. Jesus had his frustrating moments with his disciples, but he chose to have them share in his work rather than do it all by himself. For, in painstakingly dealing with such difficult moments in community, we learn to be an authentic Christian community.
How willing are you to exercise your vocational ministry in your family or workplace or in the church in shared mission?