Sermon: The difficult path to peace (June 21, 2026)

Pentecost 3A
June 21, 2026
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39

INTRODUCTION

Warning: this week’s texts are… difficult. 

Jeremiah starts us off by lamenting the difficulty of his call as a prophet. He is laughed at, mocked, and reproached all day long, he says, and whenever he wants to give up, saying, “Forget it, God! You’re on your own!” it feels like a fire is in his bones. He must do the Lord’s work. But all the while, he knows, God is with him “like a terrifying warrior,” so he knows the enemy will not win. 

In Romans, Paul will simultaneously convict us and lift us up, telling us that just because we have God’s grace does not mean we get to “let sin abound.” His phrase, “By no means!” is an emphatic one (I imagine an inflection of, “Come on, what are you thinking??”). Our Gospel reading is the continuation of last week’s speech to those Jesus is sending out, with continued warnings about the violence and division that may happen as a result of this mission. “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword,” he says. The text comes off as sort of piecemeal, like an unrelated collection of sayings of Jesus that Matthew has cobbled together… which almost makes the warnings even more jarring to take in.

So no, today’s texts are not easy, but they do also offer plenty of hope. As you listen today, listen for that hope. Hear the difficulty that comes with a genuine life of faith, but listen to the ways that God provides in that journey. Let’s listen.

[READ]

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Happy Father’s Day, huh?

There are a lot of difficult words in this Gospel text, but the ones that trouble me the most are these: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” They are troubling for many reasons, but one of the big ones is that this seems so contrary to what Jesus says and who he says he is elsewhere in the Bible! Remember the angel choir singing, “Peace on earth, good will to all” to announce Jesus’ birth? Just a few chapters before this in Matthew, Jesus preached from a mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” When Jesus is arrested in the garden before his crucifixion, one of his disciples draws a sword to defend him and Jesus says, “Put your sword away. For those who take the sword will die by the sword.” So, what gives, Jesus? Why change your tune here?

Well part of this has to do with context, that is, the context of Matthew’s audience. First of all, those first converts to Christianity may very well have faced severe religious persecution, often at the hands of family members (which accounts for all that stuff about families turning against each other). In 21st century America, expressly defined as a land of religious freedom, Christians don’t face such extreme persecution – though other religions, such as Islam and Judaism, certainly face discrimination and violence. But for Matthew’s audience, Christian persecution was the norm, and his audience likely would have taken comfort in these words from Jesus, because he is letting them know that he sees them in their suffering, and they are not alone in feeling the way they do. (This is one of this times when the text is descriptive of a reality, rather than instructive for how things ought to be.)

Second, I don’t take Jesus’ words about peace and the sword to be a forever statement. Rather, he is saying, “Peace won’t come right away. The way to get to peace must first go through disruption and conflict.”

And this I find highly relevant today, because it is very consistent with my experience of finding peace in personal relationships. For example, how many of you have ever known that there is a difficult conversation you need to have – with a family member, a spouse, a co-worker, a child – and you are dreading it because it is so fraught, and you know it may not go smoothly, so you just put it off as long as possible, perhaps never even getting to it? I’m talking about those big, “Something’s got to give, because I cannot take anymore the way things are going,” sorts of conversations. And tell me, when that happens, when you “keep the peace” by staying silent, do things get better? Not typically! They build and build until finally we are hurling insults, or gossiping, or we take on self-medicating habits, or we develop physical ailments caused by the increased stress we are carrying… or sometimes, even worse. Soon enough, that “peace” we were hoping to maintain is exactly what is destroying our life – in some cases both our bodies and our souls.

And so, Jesus urges us not to hold it in. “Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered,” he warns, “and nothing is secret that will not become known.” Maybe we can keep things hidden for a while from the people around us (although those things we harbor do have a tendency to find their way out somehow, even if sideways), but nothing is hidden from God, who knows our hearts through and through. When we can have those difficult conversations, in loving and logical ways, rather than highly emotional and hurtful ways, it may feel very much like conflict in the moment, like a sword that further divides us from one another. (That is often our fear, anyway, right? That bringing it up will only make it worse?) 

But ultimately addressing a conflict will bring lightness, and peace – if not with the person in question, then at least with God. No one was ever helped or healed by holding onto their pain or grudge; indeed that can only serve as a barrier both in our relationships with each other and our relationship with God. And so, Jesus urges us not to sit on it forever, but to bring it into the open, where healing and restoration can happen.

I think Jesus does speak to our personal and intimate relationships in this text, but I also think he is speaking to a broader pursuit of justice. Remember the context of this discourse: he is sending the apostles out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is near, that an age is near in which justice rules and everyone has what they need, and everyone is in right relationship with God. He is asking them to proclaim this into a cultural context in which that is decidedly not the case, in which death-dealing forces threaten God’s people every day. At the time, that force was primarily the Roman Empire; today I’d argue that we have an assortment of different forces and various “-isms,” policies, and unjust structures that keep us as a society from living in the ways of God’s kingdom. And when those “powers that be” are threatened, when the status quo is disrupted, you’d better believe there will be push-back. There will be a sword before there is peace!

Jesus anticipates this, names it, and normalizes it. We often take that last line of today’s reading, about “taking up your cross” and following Jesus as a spiritual one, as if to say, “Bear your suffering, and keep the faith.” But the cross, remember, was an instrument of the Empire, a means of torture to keep people in line. Seen that way, Jesus’ statement is quite a political one as well! In this context is means more like, “Don’t be intimidated by this oppressive force that would try to keep things just the way they are, this way that does not allow for kingdom living. They can and may give us the cross, but they cannot stop God’s kingdom from coming, and they cannot stop us from proclaiming it. And yes, they may kill your body, but they cannot kill your soul, for that belongs to God. So follow me, and keep right on proclaiming God’s kingdom of love and justice, and know as you do that this God of love cares for you and every single hair on your head.”

And on this point, I find both comfort and conviction in our reading from Romans. “Shall we keep on living in sin, so we can keep receiving God’s grace?” Paul asks. “Heck no!” When we know better, we do better. We were baptized into Christ’s death, he says, but that also means we were baptized into his life. In other words, we have all lived in sinful ways: we have held grudges and withheld forgiveness, we have said cruel things, we have sought our own comfort and priorities, we have tolerated and upheld unjust structures because they either don’t negatively affect us, or they even benefit us. Those sins lead to death – death of the body and of the soul. But because we were also baptized into Christ’s resurrection, that sinfulness and death are not the end. We have been brought into newness of life. That new life isn’t always easier – it may require us to have those difficult conversations, or stand up against injustice. We may put ourselves at risk, or upset people we love, by doing this kingdom work. It may even feel like a sword at times. Yet we can trust that because we died with Christ in baptism, we also live with him, and that newness of life will, ultimately, lead to lasting, active peace.

Let us pray… God of justice, we long for your peace right now, but we also know that sometimes the way to peace is difficult. Give us courage to pursue it, in our personal relationships and as a society, so that we can proclaim the nearness of your kingdom. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon: The Motley Church (June 14, 2026)

Pentecost 3A
June 14, 2026
Matthew 9:35—10:23

INTRODUCTION

Through the summer, we will be making our way through the Gospel of Matthew, hearing stories of Jesus’ daily ministry and teaching. Matthew was highly organized in his construction of his Gospel, organizing it around five major discourses (a sort of mirror to the five books of Moses, the Torah, the first five books of the Bible). Today we will hear part of his second discourse, known as the “missionary discourse.” Having established his twelve disciples, he is now laying out their job description, and telling them what it will mean for them to proclaim the kingdom of God. 

Over the next weeks we will also be hearing from the book of Romans, and today is one of my favorite passages, as Paul outlines how we move from suffering to hope. Do not hear this as instructive (as in, you must suffer in order to achieve character, endurance, etc.), but rather as an observation that it is often through inevitable suffering that we find our way to hope in God.

Both of these texts deal with the suffering that sometimes happens when we strive to live faithfully. As you listen, consider a time when faithful living has been a challenge for you and why. What can God’s good word provide for you today? Let’s listen.

[READ]

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

True confession time: when I’m reading the Bible, I often skip over lists of names and places. I’m bad with remembering proper nouns, so unless I have a specific piece of information I need, I’d rather just skip the list and focus on the story. In fact, assuming others might be similar, I considered cutting the list of names of the 12 apostles from today’s Gospel reading, so that we could all focus on the richness of the rest of this text. 

Well, I’m glad I didn’t, because apparently the Holy Spirit wanted instead for me to preach on these four verses listing the names of the twelve! Funny, funny Spirit, right?

The question that came to my mind about this list was, why these 12 people? Because when you don’t skip over the list like I usually do, and you learn a bit about the people, you start to wonder what Jesus was thinking, calling these guys. Let’s learn a bit about them.

The list begins with Peter. Peter is no one special. He’s a fisherman, overly eager to please, and frequently puts his foot in his mouth. He famously denies Jesus three times in Jesus’ hour of need. But, he is also willing, and faithful, and when the Spirit rushed into the Church on Pentecost, he was the one who seized the moment and jumped up to start preaching and spreading the good news. A bit of recklessness combined with openness to the Spirit can sometimes be just what you need on a ministry team.

The list ends with Judas, who we are told up front will betray Jesus. I dunno, I think Judas is more complicated than we usually allow. I think it’s possible he misunderstood Jesus’ mission, and perhaps he turned Jesus over because he thought it would promote the cause. After things go south, he takes his own life, realizing what a mistake he’s made. Sometimes we have people in our own ministry like this – well-meaning, but going about things in the wrong way, and really mess things up. And sometimes, God uses that mess-up to bring about new life. Ya never know! Sometimes you need someone on the team who makes the wrong choice, because it helps clarify the path to new life.

Moving to the other ten disciples, several of them are fishermen, who were uneducated and unremarkable. This profession, though essential to the economy, was near the bottom of the social hierarchy. Perhaps a modern equivalent would be the essential workers we don’t notice, but on whom our economy and societal functioning depend. James and John are particularly worth highlighting, because they had notoriously fiery tempers and were insensitive and volatile (once asking if they could set a whole town on fire). This earned them the nickname, “Sons of Thunder.” Not who I would choose to lead a religious movement, but Jesus saw a place for them; they were among the very first called. 

There are also some more obscure names on the list of Jesus’ chosen 12 – the type who may have gifts, but no credentials or notoriety. Philip was what you could call an early adopter and a connecter. As soon as Jesus calls him, right at the beginning of his ministry, Philip’s first move is to invite Nathanael as well, urging him to, “Come and see.” Some scholars believe Nathanael is also called Bartholomew, who is listed here in Matthew. His claim to be fame is being a bit of a cynic, asking, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” And yet when Jesus meets him, he praises Bart’s integrity, saying, “Here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” So, he’s the guy who just says it like it is. Both of these are useful to have on a ministry team: the connector and organizer who is willing to try things and invite people along, and the guy who takes a bit more convincing.

Speaking of guys like that, the next one on the list is Thomas, known for doubting Jesus’ resurrection. But Thomas was much more than a doubter. His faith was deep. He was willing to follow Jesus to Jerusalem even if it meant he would die with him. On Jesus’ last night, he asked how they could get to where Jesus was going. And he declared, “My Lord and my God!” in an expression of deep faith upon seeing Jesus again. Compared to Peter, who jumps in without knowing what is next, Thomas is someone willing to ask the tough questions and seek deeper understanding before committing. He’s someone you’d want on your team, someone who may slow things down, but his presence and questions mean all the bases get covered.

James and Thaddaeus are next, and I’ll be honest, I could not find much interesting about them, as their only biblical mentions are on lists. James may have been Matthew’s brother, or maybe Jesus’s brother. Thaddaeus appears to also have been called Jude, who authored the short letter tucked in the Bible before Revelation. That makes him more educated than some – it’s always good to have a writer on the team!

Matthew, on the other hand, we do know something about. He was a tax collector, one of the most corrupt and despised professions in 1st century Palestine. Tax collectors collaborated with the Roman government that was occupying Israel. This had to be incredibly unsettling for the other disciples, as well as the population they were trying to reach, because Matthew, as a tax collector, was like, public enemy #1. But Matthew proved a faithful disciple who went on to author one of the canonical Gospels, which is pretty cool! Also worth mentioning: while autism is not discussed in the Bible by name, the TV series The Chosen made the artistic choice to portray Matthew as autistic, citing his meticulous, numbers-driven mind as a tax collector, and his highly structured, organized, and fact-focused Gospel. There’s no way to know for sure if Matthew was in fact neurodiverse, but I love the idea that Jesus would hand select a neurodiverse person to be on his ministry team, because representation matters, and because, as someone who is married to and works with neurodiverse people, I know what incredible gifts they bring to a team! 

Now let’s add a bit more spice: Jesus also called Simon the Cananaean, more commonly called Simon the Zealot. Zealots were a Jewish sect known for their uncompromising opposition to Rome. They were an aggressive political party who had no time even for Jews who sought to live peacefully with the Roman authorities. Extremist Zealots could be quite violent, engaging in acts of terrorism. Now for fun: who thinks we should put Simon the Zealot and Matthew the Roman collaborator on the same subcommittee? Anyone? Maybe add in the Sons of Thunder for good measure? Right??

So, there we have it. We’ve got violent protestors alongside corrupt government officials, community organizers working with skeptics, the eager-to-please with the volatile and insensitive, and the uneducated and poorly regarded with the highly educated professionals. These are Jesus’ hand-picked twelve, his closest circle, his ministry team of choice. This is the team Jesus determines is best suited to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near, to heal the sick and to bring peace and compassion to those who are harassed and like sheep without a shepherd. In the next part of the discourse, he asks them to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, to be brave and calm in the face of persecution and possible violence (I’m looking at you, Sons of Thunder and Simon the Zealot!). He asks them to let God speak through them (ahem, Peter). And he tells them to be quick about it (so, not too many questions, Tom and Bart!). 

All different skills and gifts and interests. And yet, joined together for a single cause: to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. To preach a God of love, compassion and care, to make space for all of God’s children to have their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs met.

This is an important reminder for us, as the 21st century Church, for we are as motley a crew as those first-called disciples. We are opinionated and short-tempered; we ask too many questions and don’t get anything done; we speak out of turn, and say too much or too little; we make colossal mistakes (that God often uses for good); we misunderstand situations and act on the wrong instincts; we have brains that are wired differently from each other and see things through completely different lenses. We feel uneasy around each other, and get annoyed with each other, and roll our eyes at each other and accuse each other. We are the Church together.

And somehow, it works. God makes it work. Because if God could use the likes of those twelve – and not only use, but hand-pick – to proclaim the kingdom of heaven, then what’s to keep God from using our various gifts and foibles for doing the same in Pittsford, NY? God has a unified mission for us, too, with all our differences and commonalities. And if we all move together in that direction, fulfilling God’s mission, then the differences are no longer a barrier; they are a boon.

So: which disciple are you? How is God using your gifts and your short-comings to proclaim the kingdom? How is God using you to bring the kingdom of heaven to this time and community? I can’t wait to see.

Let us pray… Jesus, if we’re honest, we don’t always agree with your decisions. We would have done it differently. Help us to trust that you know just how to use each of us, and then to work together to bring about your kingdom. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.