Commentary on the Gospel of
I have no hands but yours!
In the Gospel for today, Jesus tasks the Twelve Apostles with carrying on his ministry. He instructs them to expel unclean spirits, heal all illnesses, and proclaim the arrival of the kingdom of heaven. They will be his hands, feet, and voice on earth.
What Matthew refers to as unclean spirits could be interpreted in contemporary language as anything that generates and amplifies violence, death, and disorder in our lives.
Jesus prepared them for this seemingly impossible task by empowering them to turn the other cheek instead of vengeance or revenge against an enemy, an opponent. He enabled them to come together to live and work in harmony, to share life, dreams, and goals, to journey together, form friendships, foster connections, and break down barriers as a team.
The disciples will do this regardless of their skills or their background. Many of them are fishermen with little training in preaching a Gospel message. One is a tax collector despised by his community. Yet they will be instruments of God’s work.
“I have no hands now but yours.” This is what Christ says to us as well. Like the Apostles, we are called to be his hands, his feet, and his voice in the world. Like the Apostles and Joseph, we may have little or no training, we may have a troubled past, and we may have suffered at the hands of others. Nevertheless, God can use us to be his hands in the world.
