Fr. Agustinus Sutiono OCarm

Some Catholic schools in Indonesia, Peru, the United States and the United Kingdom include in their curriculum an opportunity for the students to take several days of mission. The reason for it is not only to practice some trained virtues such as the main values or spirituality of the school, but also to learn real life. Some skills and good characters such as hospitality, responsibility, respect to other people, social skills, tolerance, hard working, colaboration, outward looking, solidarity and emphathy, are expected to grow. The schools provide for the some trainings, guidance and instructions to make sure that everything will go well.

Jesus summoned the twelve disciples and sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven and to heal the sick, to raise the dead, cleanse the leapers and to drive out demons. The main message was to proclaim: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this mission, Jesus gave them not only instructions regarding to whom they had to go, how to carry out the works but also equiped them with power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. Jesus gave them two principles. First, they were to serve to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Second, they wer to do everything for free because without cost they had received, and so without cost they were to give.

The truth that the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand is justified by the miraculous signs that they can perform. This is to say that without the power that came from Jesus there would be no healing and no liberation from the evil spirits. This curing and restoring power and the power to raise the dead are to mark the eficacy of the Kingdom of God. The truth of its presence is justified by the reality that the evil spirits were defeated, illness will never become a source of fear and anxieties, and death has no power over life anymore. The message embodied in the proclamation of the Kingdom of God is so important that the disciples have to be clear with its importance. From the other synoptic Gospels we reflect a Little about the instruction given by Jesus.

They were instructed to take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. All these stuffs might bring a sense of convenience and security, but they had nothing to do with the real of God’s Kingdom. Being preoccupied to these things means that our concern to the main message of the mission can be biased. The second instruction concerns with the place to stay. Whatever house they entered, they were to stay there and leave from there. Again, a place to stay has nothing to do with the message carried out. The last instruction was how to face the possible rejection. Jesus said: “For those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” A messenger was supposed not to be sad or dissappointed if he found rejection.

Now, we know for sure that the Kingdom of God is not about having worldy amenities, financial security, enough or abundant food, long life on this earth, and staying in a nice house. It is about: living fully under the surrendrence to the will of God, acting under His guidance and relying on the providence of God.