Driving out the evil spirits

In the reading from Genesis Joseph controls their experience of the first journey with the result that the second journey in chaps. 43–44 leads to full acknowledgment and reconciliation. Psalm 33 is a hymn in which the just are invited to praise God, The Gospel from Matthew declares the Mission of the Twelve their Commission. Dennis Hamm, S.J. notes there is plenty here to contemplate and illuminate what it meant for Jesus to send off this very unusual mix of Jewish males to announce that mysterious message. Don Schwager quotes “Jesus empowers his disciples to act in his name,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD). Friar Jude Winkler notes three periods of intense sorrow of Joseph and the focus of Matthew on Jewish Christins and Jews. Compassion not sacrifice is explored by Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM. Jesus said sacrifice wasn’t necessary. He was siding with the prophetic and mystical/poetic traditions within Judaism, even though that set him against the traditions of the priests and scholars.