Before the grain is lost
Once the Easter season is over and the great solemnities of the Lord are celebrated, the liturgy resumes its journey of Ordinary Time with the reading of the Gospel according to Matthew. We find ourselves on the threshold of chapter 10, the great missionary discourse, introduced by an intense and profoundly human scene: Jesus looks at the crowds and feels compassion for it. In fact, the evangelist writes: “Seeing the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were tired and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus’ gaze does not stop at appearances. He sees the internal fatigue of people, their confusion, their dispersion condition. The image of the sheep without a shepherd belongs to the biblical tradition and attracts the people devoid of authentic guides, unable to find direction and peace.
The first reading, taken from the book of Exodus (Exodus 19.2-6), also illuminates this theme. Israel, having arrived at Sinai after the liberation from Egypt, listens to the proposal of alliance from God: “You will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” The Lord does not only call his people to receive benefits, but to become a sign of his presence in the world. Within this perspective the image is also understood of the harvest used by Jesus: «The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few! Therefore ask the master of the harvest to send workers into his harvest! (Matthew 9,37-38). The image is metaphorical and, in biblical language, has a particular depth. We are used to immediately applying these words to the topic of priestly vocations, thinking above all of the need to have many priests. Certainly the tradition of the Church has also read the Gospel text in this sense, but the original meaning appears broader.
In Scripture, in fact, the harvest is often a symbol of final fulfillment of history. In chapter 13 of Matthew, in the explanation of the parable of the weeds, Jesus explicitly states that the harvest represents the end of the world and the reapers are the angels in charge to reap the definitive harvest of the Kingdom. The ready harvest therefore indicates humanity which has reached its maturity.
For this reason the problem evoked by Jesus does not only concern the number of ministers, but the scarcity of witnesses of those who welcome the call to participate in God’s work. It is a question that involves the entire ecclesial community.
Christ’s compassion arises from the risk that the “wheat” will be lost. The men and women of his time – and of all times – can remain dispersed, tired and exhausted, incapable of reaching the fullness of life. Instead, Jesus wishes that no one is lost, that every existence can be gathered into the barns of the Kingdom. This is why he invites his disciples to pray. The miracle of salvation, in fact, also requires a human response: accepting the call, allowing oneself to be transformed by the Gospel. The image of wheat then recalls responsibility of the Christian life. The Lord does not want the seed to fall uselessly to the ground, be devoured or rot without bearing fruit. He wants the wheat to mature and become good bread, capable of nourishing others.
This scene opens the missionary discourse (Matthew 10): Jesus calls and sends the Twelve. The instructions reflect the context of the first mission in Galilee, marked by essentiality and trust. However, the permanent nucleus remains: the Church is born by the compassion of Christ and she is called to continue her mission, so that no one is lost.
