Lectionary 12 (Cuarto domingo después de Pentecostés)

Mateo 10:24-39

I preached this sermon in the Spanish service; the English translation is below. 

Oremos…

Sean gratos los dichos de mi boca y las meditaciones de nuestros corazones delante de ti, oh Jehovah, Roca mía y Redentor mío. Amén. (Salmos19:14 RVA)

En el evangelio de hoy, Jesús continúa hablando a sus seguidores sobre el costo del discipulado. Él les dice que la fe en Jesucristo es disruptiva. Él explica cómo se encontrarán con la división. Las personas que tienen poder los calumniarán (v. 25) y hasta sus familias tendran sospechas. Vemos que la madre y los hermanos de Jesús vienen a él más adelante en el capítulo doce, y él parece despedirlos. Jesús nunca dice que la familia no sea importante, pero sí quiere que tengamos a Dios en el centro de nuestras relaciones humanas, para que nuestro amor mutuo refleje el amor perfecto que conocemos en Cristo.

El fin de semana pasado, un barco que transportaba a cientos de inmigrantes, incluidos mujeres y niños, se perdió en el mar Mediterráneo cuando la embarcación se descompuso y luego se desplomo.

Y esta no era la primera vez que ese tipo de accidente acababa con vidas. Sucedió hace ocho años, y también hace seis años, y nuevamente hace cuatro años y desde entonces, accidentes como ese han ocurrido todos los años.

El miércoles pasado hablé con mi tutor de español. Su nombre es Luis, y vive en las montañas de Guatemala. Nos comunicamos por Skype. Desde hace dos semanas, no tienen electricidad y las lluvias torrenciales han empeorado sus problemas. A principios de esta primavera, cuando hablamos sobre las frecuentes interrupciones en la electricidad, le pregunté cómo calienta su casa y me dijo que no tienen calefacción. Simplemente usan mucha ropa cuando hace frío. Hemos hablado sobre las necesidades de su comunidad y los obstáculos con los que viven todos los días. Él se va a quedar en Guatemala, pero otros toman una decisión diferente y se van.

La semana pasada, muchos de nosotros observamos mientras varios países trabajaban juntos tratando de localizar a cinco personas que ahora sabemos que murieron en el océano cuando su embarcación falló.

Y la diferencia en el cuidado de esos aventureros multimillonarios y los viajeros en el Mediterráneo y en países de nuestro sur fue vívida. El autor coreano Min Jin Lee preguntó:

“¿Qué pasaría si los migrantes  con recursos limitados en barcos también fueran vistos como valientes exploradores dotados de curiosidad y asombro por profundidades desconocidas?” [i]

No sé la respuesta, pero quiero creer que cambiaría corazones y mentes y que habría menos personas poniendo en peligro sus vidas a diario.

Cuando Jesús les dice a sus discípulos lo que les espera, también les dice que cada cabello de su cabeza está contado, y que cada uno de ellos es conocido por Dios y atesorado o apreciado. Les dice tres veces en rápida sucesión que no tengan miedo.

El estímulo para no tener miedo no se debe a que Jesús piense que el camino a seguir es fácil y libre de obstáculos. No es porque piense que el miedo es débil o que la ansiedad no está justificada. En cambio, les recuerda a los discípulos que Dios está con ellos, incluso cuando enfrentan situaciones aterradoras. Dios está con ellos incluso cuando se sienten alejados o aislados. Les vuelve a decir que su identidad no se encuentra en sus pruebas o su éxito, y no se encuentra en las opiniones de otras personas. Importan porque pertenecen a Dios y Dios los ama.

El pasado martes 20 de junio fue el Día Mundial del Refugiado. Durante la semana, una de nuestras agencias luteranas organizó reuniones con funcionarios electos y voluntarios capacitados para hablar con líderes sobre inmigrantes y solicitantes de asilo.

Todos vinieron con una historia.

Una mujer describió las dificultades que enfrentó su prometido cuando llegó a los Estados Unidos desde Polonia. Un hombre habló sobre su experiencia ayudando a familias afganas a establecerse en nuevos hogares y comunidades. Otra persona habló sobre su experiencia visitando la frontera entre Texas y México y hablando con las personas que trabajan allí.

Hablé como una persona de fe que cree que cada persona es creada y amada por Dios, y que especialmente los cristianos estamos llamados por nuestra fe a acoger al extranjero, a la viuda y al huérfano.

Hay un viejo himno "Su ojo está en el gorrión" que se basa en estos versículos de Mateo. [ii] La esperanzadora promesa que Jesús hace a todos los que le siguen contrasta vivamente con el desánimo y la desesperación que nos inflige a todos en tiempos difíciles.

Como dice el himno, “cuando vengan las sombras” o “cuando

nuestros corazones están solos” estamos invitados a descansar en las promesas de Dios y confiar en la bondad de Dios, seguros de que Dios está con nosotros observando.

Oremos …

Dios bueno y misericordioso,

Gracias por amar a cada uno de nosotros -

por un amor que conoce cada cabello de nuestras cabezas, y cada dolor de corazón.

Gracias por la promesa de que nos acompañas en cada situación y no estamos solos ni olvidados.

Gracias por tu Hijo Jesús

mostrándonos cómo amar a los demás como Tú nos amas.

Por tu espíritu, quita nuestro temor de que podamos contar las historias de tu amor al mundo entero.

Amén.

---

[i] Min Jin Lee, author of Pachinko

[ii] lyrics by Civilla D. Martin, 1905

Matthew 10:24-39

In today’s gospel, Jesus continues to talk to his followers about the cost of discipleship. He tells them that faith in Jesus Christ is disruptive. He explains how they will encounter division. The people who have power will malign them (v. 25) and even their families will be suspicious. We see Jesus’ own mother and brothers come to him later in Chapter 12, and he appears to dismiss them. Jesus never says that family isn’t important, but he does want us to have God at the center of our human relationships, so that our love for each other reflects the perfect love we know in Christ.

Last weekend, a ship carrying hundreds of immigrants, including women and children, was lost in the Mediterranean Sea when the vessel was disabled and later capsized.

Last Wednesday, I spoke with my Spanish tutor. His name is Luis, and he lives in the mountains of Guatemala. We meet on Skype. For two weeks now, they have not had electricity, and flooding rains have made their problems worse. Earlier this spring, when we talked about the frequent disruptions to the electricity, I asked how he heats his house, and he told me they don’t have heat. They just wear lots of clothes when it’s cold. We’ve talked about the needs of his community and the obstacles they live with every day. He’s going to stay in Guatemala, but others make a different choice and leave.

This past week, many of us watched while multiple countries worked together trying to locate five people whom we now know died in the ocean when their vessel failed.

And the disparity of care for those multi-million-dollar adventurers and the travelers in the Mediterranean and in countries to our south was vivid. Korean author Min Jin Lee asked,

“What would happen if migrants on boats with limited resources were also seen as brave explorers gifted with curiosity and wonder for depths unknown?”[i]

I don’t know the answer, but I want to believe it would change hearts and minds and there would be fewer people endangering their lives on a daily basis.

When Jesus tells his disciples what awaits them, he also tells them that every hair on their heads is counted, and that every one of them is known by God and treasured or cherished. He tells them three times in rapid succession to not be afraid.

The encouragement to have no fear isn’t because Jesus thinks the way forward is easy and clear of obstacles. It isn’t because he thinks fear is weak, or anxiety is unwarranted. Instead, he reminds the disciples that God is with them, even when they face frightening situations. God is with them even when they feel estranged or isolated. He tells them again that their identity is not found in their trials or their success, and it isn’t found in the opinions of other people. They matter because they belong to God and God loves them.

Last Tuesday, June 20th was World Refugee Day. During the week, one of our Lutheran agencies organized meetings with elected officials and trained volunteers to speak to leaders about immigrants and asylum seekers.

Everyone came with a story.

One woman described the difficulties her fiancée faced when he came to the United States from Poland. One man talked about his experience helping Afghan families settle into new homes and communities. Another person spoke about her experience visiting the border between Texas and Mexico and speaking with the people working on the ground there.

I spoke as a person of faith who believes every person is created and beloved by God, and that Christians especially are called by our faith to welcome the stranger, the widow and the orphan.

 There is an old, old hymn “His Eye is on the Sparrow” that is based on these verses in Matthew.[ii] The hopeful promise Jesus makes to all who follow him contrasts vividly with the discouragement and despair that inflicts us all in troubled times.

As the hymn says, “when the shadows come” or “when our hearts are lonely” we are invited to rest in God’s promises and trust in God’s goodness, confident God is with us watching.

Let us pray…

Good and gracious God,

Thank you for loving every one of us –

for a love that knows every hair on our heads, and every heartache.

Thank you for the promise that You go with us into every situation and we are not alone or forgotten.

Thank you for your Son Jesus

showing us how to love others the way You love us.

By your spirit, take away our fear that we may tell the stories of your love to the whole world.

Amen.

---

[i] Min Jin Lee, author of Pachinko

[ii] lyrics by Civilla D. Martin, 1905

Lectionary 11

Matthew 9:35 - 10:23

I have a job offer for you. It means going on the road and traveling away from home. Show up tomorrow, empty-handed. Don’t bring a wallet or have money in your pockets. Don’t carry a backpack or an extra jacket. You’re going to talk to people and more likely than not, when you do, they’ll turn and walk away. Even your relatives will reject you. The people you meet will slam the door in your face and spread rumors about you. They may beat you. They may even arrest you as a troublemaker and execute you.

Now that the expectations are clear,
raise your hand if you’ll take the job.

If I had been with the apostles listening to Jesus, I think I would have gotten very busy very quickly, certain there was someplace else important where I needed to be immediately! Jesus’ words are pretty bleak and disheartening. They make this business of following Jesus and going out into the world as disciples sound pretty risky. Dangerous. And maybe even pointless. 

So why do it?

In a word, faith.

In his gospel, Matthew says, “When he saw the crowds, [Jesus] had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, …”

Sending his disciples into the world with the Good News is how Jesus responds to the people who are hurting and vulnerable.

The crowds have heard Jesus teach and watched him heal. They are hungry for food, like we will hear later this summer in the Feeding of the 5,000 in chapter 14. But right now, they are hungry for something besides bread and fish. They are hungry for relationship, for comfort and for salvation or redemption.

The disciples are sent to be Jesus among them. Jesus gives them the same authority and equips them with all they need – the knowledge that God accompanies them every step of the way. Prepared in this way for the journey, the disciples go out into the world to be Jesus to the people they meet.

As he describes what their ministry will look like, Jesus cautions them not to be in it for money or accolades. He is forthcoming that following in his footsteps and bringing the Gospel to their neighbors will not be easy. He cautions them even as he encourages them to endure because Jesus knows what is at stake.

There is urgency in his words. Not the urgency of end times or impending disaster, but the urgency of an expanding chasm between the troubled world where we live and the promise of God’s kingdom – that every person is beloved and valued and knows the abundant love of God. The urgency of wanting more people to experience the peace of Christ through God’s presence, healing and acceptance.

So, the disciples go.

We know they are not perfect. This original group of twelve apostles include Judas who betrays Jesus to the empire, and it includes Peter who will deny Jesus at his arrest. Simon is called a zealot, one who would have stoked rebellion over peace before he met Jesus. And we’ve already heard about Matthew the tax collector.

But they go where they are sent by God, to be with the harassed and helpless wherever they find them.

There is so much Good News in today’s gospel:

First, I want to say a word about the harvest. I’ve never been a farmer and my thumb is about as brown as one gets. I have killed cacti and even an air plant. So, it’s really good news that the harvest that God plants is all God’s. It’s not my harvest. Whether it flourishes, or whether it becomes fertilizer for something in the future, it’s not mine, or yours. We haven’t been called to control the rain or temperatures, the soil quality or even which seeds are sown. We are called to the harvest to share God’s abundance.

For the harassed and helpless, out there amid the weeds and the stinging or biting things, Jesus sees you where you are and reaches out to you through the hands of those he trusts and sends to walk alongside you;

And for the ones who are sent, and will face challenges and even opposition, as tempting as it is to bring your all-weather gear and raise your defenses to protect what’s been entrusted to you, remember Jesus’ instructions. Show up. Unencumbered. Confident God is with you.

Jesus knows the burden of standing with people who the powerful would prefer to forget or ignore. Jesus knows that “where the work of God meets the trajectory of the world resistance is greatest.”[i]

Jesus knows what he asks, and he knows its cost, because he bore the cost for every one of us in his death on the cross. So great was his love for us that he endured the agony of crucifixion to show the power of love over evil.

Let us pray…

Good and gracious God,

Thank you for showing your love for us and,

by Christ’s death and resurrection,

freeing us from death’s grip and giving us access to grace and peace.

Make us confident that your Spirit accompanies us as we go out to proclaim the good news of the nearness of God;

and call all who will hear to wholeness, to life, and to holiness.

We pray in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

---

[i] Colin Yuckman, Commentary on Matthew 9:35-10:8, [9-23]. Working Preacher, Luther Seminary.

Lectionary 10 (Segundo domingo después de Pentecostés)

Oseas 5:15-6:6

Mateo 9:9-13, 18-26 

I preached this sermon in the Spanish service; the English translation is below. 

Oremos…

Sean gratos los dichos de mi boca y las meditaciones de nuestros corazones delante de ti, oh Jehovah, Roca mía y Redentor mío. Amén. (Salmos19:14 RVA)

Nuestro evangelio comienza con la historia del llamado de Mateo. Mateo, el recaudador de impuestos o publicano, cobraba impuestos o peajes para los gobernantes de la región, agentes del Imperio Romano. Debido a que los recaudadores de impuestos interactuaban con cualquiera, judío o gentil, que compraba o vendía bienes, los líderes religiosos los rechazaban como pecadores. Uno no podía relacionarse con "ese tipo de personas" y permanecer ritualmente limpio.

Para las personas que definen la fe como “seguir todas las reglas”, el mundo es un lugar traicionero y peligroso. La imagen de Dios es una de juicio rígido y un paso en falso o falla trae el rechazo y la ira de Dios.

En el mundo antiguo, esa era la comprensión de lo divino. Los muchos dioses de la mitología griega y romana, los dioses del antiguo Egipto e incluso más atrás, eran caprichosos, celosos y se enojaban fácilmente.

Y aunque, a lo largo de las Escrituras, Dios muestra que Dios es compasivo, amoroso y paciente, algunas de las características de la creencia antigua permanecieron en la comprensión que la gente tenía de Dios.

Los fariseos, o líderes religiosos, también creían que sus reglas o legalismo eran prácticas fieles de devoción que honraban a Dios y la fe de sus antepasados.

Cuando interrogan a los discípulos de Jesús, preguntando: “¿Por qué come vuestro maestro con publicanos y pecadores?” (Mateo 9:11 RVA60) Jesús escucha su pregunta y responde, “Id y aprended lo que significa: 'Misericordia quiero, y no sacrificio.' (Mateo 9:13 RVA60)

En su respuesta, Jesús cita al profeta Oseas. Oseas vivió en el siglo octavo A.C. ("antes de la era común") y se refirió a la infidelidad del pueblo de Israel en ese momento. Estaban adorando a otros dioses y formando alianzas con los enemigos de Israel. Al llamarlos de nuevo a una vida fiel, Dios les dice que desea un amor constante o misericordia y una relación, no sacrificios ni holocaustos. (Oseas 6:6)

Jesús desafía a los líderes religiosos que sin duda conocen los escritos de los profetas a comprender el significado de las palabras del profeta en sus propias vidas.

¿Qué significa que Dios desea más la relación que el ritual? Las Escrituras nos revelan a Dios, demuestran el amor de Dios por nosotros y nos enseñan quién es Dios. Allí aprendemos que Dios es el actor; otro dicho es que Dios recibe todos los verbos.

Pero Dios nunca dice: "Ahora que sabes lo grande que soy, adórame" o "Ahora que sabes lo poderoso que soy, sigue estas reglas o si no".

En cambio, una y otra vez, Dios dice:

“Porque te amo, por lo tanto, ama a los demás”.

“Porque te amo, por lo tanto, sé un servidor para los demás”.

“Porque te amo, por lo tanto, sé misericordioso y compasivo con los demás”.

Gracia, amor y aceptación.

Entonces, cuando Jesús le dice a Mateo: “Sígueme”, Mateo lo sigue. No sabemos qué había oído acerca de Jesús ni qué pensaba del maestro y sanador. No sabemos qué dejó atrás. Podemos imaginar que, si bien probablemente no le agradaba, también tenía cierta seguridad laboral y un ingreso cómodo. Quedarse donde estaba habría sido seguro y predecible. Pero la invitación de Jesús a seguirlo, a ser uno de sus discípulos, como antes le hizo a Pedro, Andrés, Santiago y Juan, fue convincente, y dejó lo que conocia y siguió a Jesús.

Y luego, y no debería sorprendernos ahora, vemos a Jesús en una mesa, comiendo y bebiendo con Mateo y todas las personas que habían oído hablar de Jesús y querían conocerlo. Juntos alrededor de esa mesa estaban los amados de Dios. Ellos no eran los que eran exteriormente religiosos, observantes de la Torá y obedientes a la Ley y los Mandamientos. Y, sin embargo, allí estaban, descansando en la gracia, el amor y la aceptación de Dios, a través de Jesús.

Cualquier seguridad y protección que Mateo pensó que había conocido antes fue reemplazada por su pertenencia a ser uno de los amados seguidores de Jesús, por su identidad como alguien que conoce a Jesús.

Los fariseos lucharon con la imagen del amado de Dios que Jesús creó, pero como nos dice el resto de nuestro Evangelio, Jesús continuó expandiendo quién estaba incluido y abrazado en el amor de Dios con cada encuentro que tenía. El líder de la sinagoga que le pidió a Jesús que reviviera a su hija y la mujer que buscaba sanidad simplemente llegaron a su presencia y le pidieron compasión. No hubo declaración confesional, credo o sacrificio, solo conociendo a Dios a través de las promesas de Dios y confiando en esas promesas. Actuaron con fe y estuvieron dispuestos a recibir el don de la gracia de Dios de Jesús.

Esta semana, un pastor amigo compartió un dicho de William Sloane Coffin, un ministro que una vez fue pastor principal en la Iglesia Riverside de la ciudad de Nueva York.

Sus palabras han rebotado en mi cabeza durante los últimos días. Él dijo,

“Me encanta la imprudencia de la fe. Primero saltas y luego te crecen las alas. No hay nada antiintelectual en el acto de fe, porque la fe no es creer sin pruebas, sino confiar sin condiciones”.

Fe significa dar cada paso, o incluso dar cada salto, con la confianza de que Dios será quien sabemos que Dios es. Que pase lo que pase, el Dios que conocemos en Jesús es un Dios de gracia, de amor y de aceptacion, y ese es el Dios que nos invita a la vida juntos, diciendo “Sígueme”.

Gracias a Dios.

Hosea 5:15-6:6

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Our gospel begins with Matthew’s call story. Matthew, the tax collector or publican, collected taxes or tolls for the rulers of the region, agents of the Roman Empire. Because tax collectors interacted with anyone – Jew or Gentile - who was buying or selling goods, the religious leaders rejected them as sinners. One couldn’t engage with “those kinds of people” and remain ritually clean.

For people who define faith as “following all the rules”, the world is a treacherous, dangerous place. The image of God is one of rigid judgment and one misstep or failure incurs God’s rejection and wrath.

In the ancient world, that was the understanding of the divine. The many gods of Greek and Roman mythology, the gods of ancient Egypt and even farther back were capricious and jealous and easily angered. And while, throughout Scripture, God shows God’s self to be compassionate and loving and patient, some of the characteristics of ancient belief persisted in the people’s understanding of God.

The Pharisees, or religious leaders, also believed that their rules or legalism were faithful practices of devotion that honored God and the faith of their ancestors.

When they question Jesus’s disciples, asking, “"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" (Matt. 9:11 NRS) Jesus hears their question, and answers, “Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'  (Matt. 9:13 NRS)

In his response Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea. Hosea lived in the eight century BCE (“before the common era”) and addressed the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel at that time. They were worshiping other gods and forming alliances with the enemies of Israel. Calling them back to faithful lives, God tells them that he desires steadfast love or mercy and relationship, not sacrifice or burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)

Jesus challenges the religious leaders who doubtlessly know the writings of the prophets to understand the significance of the prophet’s words in their own lives.

What does it mean that God desires relationship more than ritual? Scripture reveals God to us, demonstrates God’s love for us and teaches us who God is. There, we learn that God is the actor; another saying is that God gets all the verbs.

But God never says, “Now that you know how great I am, worship me” or “Now that you know how powerful I am, follow these rules or else.”

Instead, time and again, God says,

“Because I love you, therefore, love others.”

“Because I love you, therefore, be a servant to others.”

“Because I love you, therefore, be merciful and compassionate to others.”

Grace, love and acceptance.

So, when Jesus says to Matthew, “Follow me”, Matthew follows him. We don’t know what he had heard about Jesus or what he thought about the teacher and healer. We don’t know what he left behind. We can imagine that while he probably was disliked but he also had some job security and a comfortable income. Staying where he was would have been safe and predictable. But Jesus’ invitation to follow him, to be one of his disciples, like Peter, Andrew, James and John, before him, was compelling, and he left what he knew and followed Jesus.

And then – and it shouldn’t come as a surprise by now – we see Jesus at a table, eating and drinking with Matthew and all the people who had heard about Jesus and wanted to meet him. Together around that table were God’s beloved. They were not the ones who were outwardly religious, observant of the Torah and obedient to the Law and Commandments. And yet, there they were, resting in the grace, love and acceptance of God, known through Jesus.

Whatever safety and security Matthew thought he had known before was replaced by his belonging as one of Jesus’ beloved followers, by his identity as one who knows Jesus.

The Pharisees struggled with the picture of God’s beloved that Jesus created but as the rest of our Gospel tells us, Jesus continued to expand who was included and embraced in God’s love with each encounter he had. The synagogue leader who asked Jesus to revive his daughter and the woman who sought healing simply came into his presence and asked for his compassion. There was no confessional statement, creed or sacrifice, just knowing God through God’s promises and trusting in those promises. They acted in faith and opened themselves to receive the gift of God’s grace from Jesus.

A pastor friend shared a quote from the late William Sloane Coffin, a minister who was once the senior pastor at New York City’s Riverside Church. His words have bounced around in my head for the last few days. He said,

I love the recklessness of faith. First you leap, and then you grow wings. There is nothing anti-intellectual in the leap of faith, for faith is not believing without proof but trusting without reservation.

Faith means taking each step, or even leap, with confidence that God will be who we know God to be. That whatever happens, the God we know in Jesus is a God of grace, love and acceptance, and that is the God who invites us into life together, saying “Follow me.” 

Thanks be to God.