The Second Sunday after Pentecost --- 14 June 2020

Exodus 19:2-8a

2 They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. 3 Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: 4 You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6 but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites." 7 So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 The people all answered as one: "Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do."

Romans 5:1-8

1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
     6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Matthew 9:35-10:8 [9-23]

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 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 therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
   1 Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
   5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "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 As you go, proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near.' 8 Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.
   [9 Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
   16 "See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19 When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22 and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.]

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

·         It is obvious from this reading that Jesus was concerned about those around him. He healed and preached out of compassion for those he met. He also went out to meet them where they were rather than waiting for them to come to him.

·        He also realized that his message was so important and vital to the people in need of it that he delegated the sharing of that message to twelve of his disciples in a very particular way. Whether he did this because he realized that he could not be two places at once or because was concerned about his message being spread or because he knew that his ministry on earth would just be for so long is something we can debate at another time. The Gospel tells us that the message would be carried by his disciples and they would share Jesus’ own power in that message. They were told to Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. They were not to charge for this ministry. Further advice was added in the next few verses, which we did not read this morning. These included taking no money or baggage on the mission and offering a greeting of peace to any house they stay in. They are also told to expect opposition, persecution, and possibly death.

·        Now we’d think that Jesus would pick the cream of the crop from among his disciples, wouldn’t we? The best orators, the best teachers, the best at dealing with people, all those would be in the first rank.

·        However, Jesus chose twelve from among his disciples whom we might wonder about. Peter – who denied him and had pulled a sword when Jesus was arrested, cutting off the ear of one of the arresting group… James and John, the “Sons of Thunder”… Thomas, who came to be called (unjustly, I think) the Doubter… Matthew, who had made his living collecting taxes, a hated occupation… Simon the Cananaean who is also called “the Zealot” who was at least seen as part of a guerrilla band fighting the Roman occupation… and finally Judas Iscariot, who kept the common funds and whom Matthew calls “the one who betrayed him.” Quite a mixed and interesting group of people. It reflects the time and place they were living in and it says something about who Jesus would pick to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

·        This is a mixed bag if there ever was one; yet they were the ones Jesus chose. The reason for this may not be obvious and any thought on it might be very personal.

·        My take is this: the disciples were given the mission that depend on Jesus and NOT on their own holiness, fitness, skills, goodness, or deserving.

·        Their power and ability to do what they did – the healings and exorcisms - depended on Jesus as well and not on them, on their readiness or on their abilities. They were even told that when they were hauled up before courts and kings, the Spirit would speak through them. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

·        Their choosing gives us hope in our time and in our own places. We are all called, not necessarily because we are worthy but because we are to carry the message that reflects Jesus and not us. In Paul's letter to the Romans, one of today's readings, he says: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly... But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

·        These are the words of Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians; Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. (1 Corinthians 1:26-30 NRSV) Please don’t take this as an indictment, but as a realization that Jesus has chosen us despite all the blocks we have and have put up around us. Why us? Best to ask Jesus that in prayer.

·        So we were chosen – to reflect the grace of God in this world as we proclaim the coming of God’s Kingdom in our own ways. And we remain chosen to continue the Apostles’ mission and the mission of Jesus Christ himself in our world. You’ve heard the message before;

As you go, proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near.'