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Graciously, God called the Israelites to be His covenant
people and the witnesses of His reign to the world
(Exodus 19:2-6). Jesus sent His friends as His Apostles
to spread the good news of salvation to others (Matthew
9:36-10:8).
A people
borne on eagles’ wings
The trek
through the wilderness brought Israel to the foot of
Mount Sinai. Moses’s mission started here in the
wilderness surrounding
Mount Sinai (3:1), and he had received earlier the promise from God that
here he would worship the Lord after liberating the
people from
Egypt
(3:12). Pitching their tent there, Moses went up the
mountain to commune with God. In a theophany, he was
called by God to be His messenger to the people.
Moses
was to point out to the Israelites, Jacob’s descendants,
what God had already done for them, their own experience
of divine graciousness: what they themselves “have
seen.” The three sets of events that should color their
consciousness were God’s defeat of the Egyptians as He
delivered them from slavery, God’s protection and
guidance as they journeyed through the desert and God’s
tenderness in leading them to this mountain of divine
presence. Like an eagle training its young to fly,
catching them on its back when they fall or tire, God
swiftly led
Israel
to safety through the wilderness.
A
treasured holy nation
This
remembrance of divine benefactions was to motivate the
people to accept a covenant with God. All these events
were God’s actions, and Israel did nothing to warrant
the blessings. But if God’s goodness seemed
unconditional, Israel ’s covenant partnership would not
be. They would enjoy the privilege of covenant
partnership with God, only if they would heed God’s
voice and comply with the covenant responsibilities. The
people were not being forced into the covenant, but
invited to be freely His people, and He be their God.
Such
divine election of
Israel
was described in moving phrases. Israel would be God’s
“treasured possession among all the peoples,” His
personal property in a world where everything is His.
They would be His “kingdom of priests,” enjoying the
status of priests, close to God and bringing knowledge
of God to the world. A “holy nation,” sacrosanct in the
cultic (not moral) sense because it is set apart from
the profane and intended for God’s special use.
Sent to
bring all into communion
At the
sight of the crowds like sheep without a shepherd,
unprotected and without guidance, Jesus was moved
profoundly. He was not merely feeling sorry for them,
but His compassion springing forth from His innermost
depth, like the emotions of the womb or the loins for
someone who came from one’s own body. It was love crying
out in compassion, urgently prompting Jesus to action.
With
their many needs, the people were like a field fully
ripe for the harvest. The image of harvests suggests the
approaching final judgment of the eschatological time.
An underlying note of urgency lurked in the uncertainty
that there might not be enough laborers to bring in the
harvest (or gather in the scattered sheep together).
Jesus sent His disciples to be harvesters, praying that
the Lord may send in more workers. The harvest is God’s
to bring in. It is with divine power that His laborers
do the marvels they would be capable of performing: cast
out demons, cure every disease, raise the dead and
proclaim the good news. The Apostles were sent to
fulfill the expectations particularly of Israel, and not
to peddle their power like other wandering teachers.
Alálaong
bagá,
when God chooses someone, the reason is not that that
person is better than others or is good in
himself/herself, but that the chosen one, if
cooperative, can be useful in the plan of God for all.
It was the loving call of God to sinful Israel to be His
treasured possession that made
Israel
special. The same is with us in our own relationship
with God. Even the celebrities or the better-positioned
in life among us are still only human beings with needs
and aspirations, fears and weaknesses. But each one of
us is special in the eyes of those who love us, and God
is the very first one to love each of us, inviting us to
an intimate communion with Him.
As
followers of Jesus, we are sent out to share with others
the gift of faith we have received. With Jesus, we must
be moved with compassion for the crowds harassed and
bothered with thousand burdens and annoyances. Made
God’s special people, we have been entrusted with the
good news of salvation: to be the healing touch of Jesus
in our world, comforting those who grieve, restoring to
life those who despair, driving out hatred and fear
wherever we are. Reconciled with God, we are to bring
reconciliation to others, healing the rifts and wounds
in our families and in our communities. As the reign of
God has been opened to us, we must now bring it to
others and lead them into it.
For more of my reflections and works, visit my blogsite:
http://alalaongbaga.multiply.com. |
