Go to the A Reflection on Matthew 10:2–7 About Mission That Begins at Home

Go to the Lost Sheep Near You” — A Reflection on Matthew 10:2–7 About Mission That Begins at Home

A young man once went to a retreat full of dreams. During a sharing session, he stood up and said, “I want to be a missionary in Africa. I want to serve the poor and preach the Gospel.” Everyone clapped.

After the session, the retreat preacher quietly called him aside and asked, “That’s a beautiful desire. But let me ask you something… how do you treat your mother at home?”

The young man looked away.

The preacher smiled kindly and said, “If you haven’t started serving the person who cooked your meals and wiped your tears, you’re not ready for mission in Africa. Begin there. Begin at home.”

That’s exactly what Jesus tells His apostles in today’s Gospel.

Matthew 10:2–7 begins by naming the twelve apostles — one by one. Jesus doesn’t call a crowd. He calls individuals. He knows their stories, their wounds, their failures. He names them — Simon, Andrew, James, John…

Then He sends them out — but not to far-off lands. Not to new cultures. Not to foreign tongues.

He says:
“Do not go into Gentile territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

In other words:
Start close.
Start with your own people.
Start with the ones you already know — the ones who are hurting right beside you.

Often, we think mission means big travels, big platforms, or big words.
But real mission doesn’t begin with sermons.
It begins with compassion.

And the people who need that compassion most are often right around us.

The sick child in our own house.
The elderly parent who just wants someone to sit beside them without checking their phone.
The friend who’s silently drowning in problems but too proud to say a word.
The once-faithful neighbor who no longer comes to Mass.

Jesus says: Go to them.
Not with long speeches.
But with love that sees them… hears them… stays with them.

Most people don’t leave the Church because of doctrine.
They leave because they no longer feel seen, known, or loved.
They feel forgotten. Judged. Unnoticed.

And the only thing that brings them back is someone who comes close and shows Christ through simple presence.

The apostles themselves were not perfect men.
Peter denied.
Thomas doubted.
James and John wanted position.
Yet Jesus still sent them.

Why?

Because mission is not about perfection.
It’s about love.
And love always starts small — and nearby.

You don’t need a degree in theology to be a missionary.
You don’t need a pulpit.
You don’t need a plane ticket.

You just need to be willing to go to the ones who are near and hurting — and love them without waiting to be asked.

That’s the Gospel today.
Jesus says: “Go.”
Not to faraway places — but to the brokenness that’s close.
To the coldness in your home.
To the silence in your parish.
To the wound next door.

That’s where mission begins.
That’s where healing begins.
That’s where Christ is waiting

 

“Jesus, help me begin my mission not far away, but with the lost sheep You’ve already placed near me.”