Scripture
Matthew 10:8
Exodus 19:2–6a; Psalm 100:1–2, 3, 5; Romans 5:6–11; Matthew 9:36–10:8
Sermon Week/Year
A man once complained to his pastor that the church was always asking for something. “Every Sunday,” he said, “it’s give, give, give.” The pastor smiled and replied, “Thank you. You have just given one of the finest definitions of Christianity I have ever heard.”
There is more truth in that reply than the man intended.
At its heart, the Christian faith is about receiving and giving. We receive life as a gift. We receive love we did not earn, forgiveness we could never purchase, and hope that arrives when we need it most. Then, having received so much, we are sent into the world to give. That is the rhythm of the Gospel. God gives to us, and through us God gives again.
In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus looks out upon the crowds and sees people who are, in Matthew’s unforgettable phrase, “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt. 9:36). The scene is not difficult to imagine. Some are carrying grief. Some…
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