06/14/2026
In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus sends His disciples out into the world. He offers them only a few brief instructions and sends them on their way. He gives them authority and power to heal the afflicted. He tells them where not to go and directs them to those they are meant to serve: the lost sheep, those wandering without a shepherd. Finally, He gives them a simple message: “The Kingdom of God is at hand.”
These words are often understood as a call to repentance, and rightly so. But maybe it’s also meant to challenge us. What would we do differently if we truly believed that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand—close, imminent, and breaking into our lives today, or tomorrow, or the end of the week? Not years from now. Not when we are older. Not at some point in the distant future. Would we act differently? Would we reach out to those around us who are lost? Would we be moved with compassion, like Jesus was for those who are suffering? Would we seek to heal their wounds, just as the first disciples did? It is so easy to put things off for another day in the future. Yet Jesus reminds us that the Kingdom is already near.
While we await the fullness of God's Kingdom in eternal life, there’s a part of it that’s here with us now. Christ is present among us. He is encouraging us to continue the work entrusted to the disciples. We are called to go out, find the lost sheep, and bring them back home. We are called to continue His work on earth because the Kingdom of God is at hand.
