Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9 / Matthew 10:7-15
Any parent whose son or daughter is overseas studying or working, would look forward or even long to hear from their children.
With
the change in ways of communication, even parents would learn how to
use email or skype or facebook or whatever just to keep in contact with
their children.
But just as the parents would find ways
and means to keep in contact, the children would be the ones who are not
that keen or interested, even though they are more versatile with the
modern day communication means.
The sentiments that parents have for their children are expressed tenderly in the 1st reading.
What is more profound is that it was God who was speaking through the prophet Hosea.
And the 1st reading contains the intimate revelations of God in the Old Testament.
God is portrayed as a loving father.
It was He who took Israel into His arms and lifted Israel into His embrace, and taught Israel to walk.
But the more God loved Israel, the more Israel turned away and rejected God.
This ungratefulness and unfaithfulness would certainly provoke divine wrath, besides of course, human censure.
This is where God reveals Himself as merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in mercy.
To put it tersely, God is the Holy One who does not wish to destroy.
That is what Jesus sent for His disciples to proclaim.
That is also what we have to bear witness to.