^9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
³⁸ pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
^10:1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.
² The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zeb'edee, and John his brother;
³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
⁴ Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans,
⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
⁷ And preach as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
⁸ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay.

• The first in the listing of the disciples is "Peter" (v.2) who will be the rock upon which the Church will be built, and the last is "Judas" who will betray Jesus.
• Travel in the ancient Middle East was relatively rare. One stayed in place. Moreover, travel was possible only in the dry season. Not only were roads manageable, but people were then able to move more freely while waiting for crops to mature, watching the vineyards, tending flocks, etc. Jesus sends out his "fishers of human beings" (Mt 4:19) when the fishing is in season.
• "You received without paying, give without pay" (v.8) is in contrast with the general practice in the Middle East where there never was and still is no free gift. Every gift has strings attached, repayment is expected.
• Technically speaking, the Twelve whom Jesus gathered around himself form a particular kind of coalition called a "faction." A faction is a special kind of coalition characterized by the charisma of a central person who gathers followers and maintains the firm loyalty of his core group. Individual members have a strong relationship with the central figure but less loyalty and concern for one another.

All of us have been called and invited to continue the mission of Jesus in spreading God's Good News. A missionary's work must be spread all over the world and to everyone, not being limited to a parish or a group. Discipleship is a gift we receive freely from God. Therefore, we must also give to others freely.

1. What have you done or what are you doing in order to help Jesus continue his mission of spreading the Good News?
2. In your present discipleship, how do you make the judgment that you are presently in the spiritual condition of either Peter or Judas? Or one of the other well known disciples named in the list?
3. According to social science, a small group is not necessarily the best way to revive the Church. Look at your own group, is it helping to revive the Church? Do we know that God's ways are not our ways, and that such a small group could potentially change the world?
4. Reviewing the last interesting detail above, discern your purpose within the group. For example, can you maintain your intimate relationship with God if you're not in a group? Does it make a difference?

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A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community