Sunday 21st June – activity sheet
Download the activity sheet below – enjoy!!
Sunday 21st Service (with audio)
Our worship together is in the name of the + Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you:
and also with you.
Hymn: Praise my soul the king of heaven https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx1eMwlDFb8
Let us pray
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession:
Brothers and sisters, as we prepare to celebrate, let us call to mind our sins.
Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you, +pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Let us pray
O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Jeremiah 20: 7-13
You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived;
you overpowered me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed all day long;
everyone mocks me.
8 Whenever I speak, I cry out
proclaiming violence and destruction.
So the word of the Lord has brought me
insult and reproach all day long.
9 But if I say, “I will not mention his word
or speak anymore in his name,”
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot.
10 I hear many whispering,
“Terror on every side!
Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!”
All my friends
are waiting for me to slip, saying,
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we will prevail over him
and take our revenge on him.”
11 But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior;
so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;
their dishonor will never be forgotten.
12 Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous
and probe the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
13 Sing to the Lord!
Give praise to the Lord!
He rescues the life of the needy
From the hands of the wicked.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Romans 6: 1-11
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Hymn: There are hundreds of sparrows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHg_0VPgBQI
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
Glory to you, O Lord.
Matthew 10: 24-39
Jesus said to his disciples, “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. 34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon – Richard Austen
It is widely held by Biblical scholars that, while Matthew’s Gospel is the first which we find in the New Testament, it was actually written down about fifty years after Jesus ascended into Heaven. In the verses we have heard today, Matthew appears to collect together a number of related sayings of Jesus having to do with committed discipleship in the face of conflict.
Much of this passage is about persecution and suffering for being a follower of Christ.
Ever since Christianity came to these shores, and certainly since the arrival of St Augustine in 597, Christianity has been the norm, the mainstream in England, right up until recently.
Christians were not maligned for their faith here. Nobody threatened their lives. Being a Christian did not require cross-bearing, it was just the thing to do and in some eras you were persecuted if you were not, at least nominally, a Christian. There was persecution elsewhere in the World, there still is, but here in England life has always been relatively easy for Christians.
But even here things are changing, we are no longer the norm really. Just after Easter I read a circular from the local Council. In it it said that “Holy week and Passover are over and we approach the Holy Month of Ramadan”. No mention of Easter, the most important festival in the Christian calendar and Christianity was clearly just another religion. It seemed that, to the writer, Easter was perhaps just about bunnies and chocolate and not worth mentioning and maybe not even a religious festival at all. Our biggest challenges are probably going to be overcoming such ignorance, more than anything else.
The media delights in portraying Christianity in a negative light, but would not dare to make fun of other religions. It ignores the church’s good work, but delights in reporting its misdeeds. I have often wondered why this might be and I have a few thoughts. A lot of people who mock Christianity come from Christian backgrounds and traditions. They have decided they are far too sophisticated to believe all this nonsense and wonder how intelligent people like us could possibly do so. So we are fair game for ridicule. And it is safe to knock our faith, while it is not safe to knock others. But equally it is perhaps almost patronising to people of other faiths, almost treating them as if they are less sophisticated and need humouring when those who would mock us appear to treat them with deference. This actually dishonours other faiths as well as ours. No faith should be dishonoured. But people of my generation who have rejected Christianity do mostly know something about it. It is the succeeding generations who have not been taught about it by their non believing parents, who I worry about. To them Christianity, if it even crosses their radar, really is just another religion. It is all rather sad.
So perhaps we might be nearing the time when we will find our faith to be a mystery to many people and difficult to witness to. In the future some of the difficulties and challenges which Jesus speaks about in this Gospel passage might become more real to western Christians, just as they are to so many of our brothers and sisters throughout much of the World. Christians might learn again what it means to suffer with Christ—to bear a cross—to be persecuted—to find families divided over issues of faith—to suffer abuse and ridicule.
Just as Jesus faced opposition and, ultimately, the cross, so Jesus’ disciples will face persecution. And he meant us as well as those in say Pakistan or Vietnam or Indonesia or China and many other places.
So, what should we do? Well we are not to tiptoe around the truth in the fear of inviting mockery or persecution. We should not be silent. We should wear our faith with pride. God loves us and God will protect us and has a place waiting for us with him in Heaven. We should proclaim our faith from the rooftops as Jesus tells us to do.
Moving on, many Christians today tend to think of God’s love rather than God’s judgment. However, this passage and many others like it make it clear that God will reward the faithful and punish the unfaithful. Perhaps in some ways we have lost our sense of awe in God’s presence. It is important, however, to fear and respect God for he has ultimate authority over everything. He is our Lord and friend, but he is not our mate. He is compassionate and full of love, but he must be treated with reverence and respect. And he demands that we do not deny him, that we stand up for him. If we acknowledge Jesus before other people, Jesus will acknowledge us before the Father in heaven. However, if we deny Jesus before other people, he will deny us before the Father. It is a bit like a courtroom with Jesus in the role of potential Barrister. If Jesus is our Barrister, we cannot lose. If Jesus declines to take on our defence, we cannot win. Thus, our actions in this life have eternal consequences, because Jesus is watching us and assessing us. It is not all a free lunch, it involves commitment and respect and a public witness of allegiance to him, even in the face of opposition or even persecution.
Jesus requires us to take up our cross and follow him. It is not an easy command to follow. But many have done so over the centuries and many have sacrificed much for Jesus – even lost their lives, or their livelihoods, their freedom, their families. But they are the ones who have found their lives, their salvation and their joy. The sacrifices we need to make are probably not quite so dramatic. But we do need to follow their example, loving, serving, honouring our Lord in whatever way we can and never, ever denying him. Hallelujah!
Prayers – with thanks to Liz & Alex Coulson
Let us pray for the Church, for worshippers of the Lord Jesus Christ, for followers of other faiths, for those who are beginning their journey in faith, and for those for whom religion is not a part of their daily lives.
We pray for Father Peter and the wonderful support network of St Luke’s and The Barn, we pray for everyone who helps deliver these services physically and digitally and we pray for the entire community that says hello in the street, gives a passing nod or wave.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
We pray for understanding, learning and knowledge to accept new lessons and to comprehend that which we have not before. We pray for compassion and for the willingness to change and we give praise to the Lord to help us in this never-ending journey. Grant us the ability, not to judge, but to listen and then to act in God’s name to help heal society and to welcome all of our neighbours, all of God’s children, near and far.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
We pray for families and children across the country who, especially during lockdown without the regular provision of free school meals, struggle to put food on the table. We give thanks to those that provide support to these families; we pray for those who contribute with time and energy, through donations, and through love and compassion.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Grant us the power to acknowledge our past and change our future. We pray for the Black community in our country, in the United States and across the world. Black Lives Matter and we pray for those that have suffered and died at the hands of police brutality and all forms of racism. Help us to learn and guide us towards an educated understanding and real empathy for those who have and who continue to suffer, in a way it is so hard for many of us to comprehend.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Let us give thanks for all of our emergency services, care givers, and essential workers that keep us going through good times and bad. Let us pray for those that care for others and let us pray for the sick, we pray especially today for Julia Holboro, Annie Kunz, Gill Risso-Gill, Luci Mitchell-Fry, Joan Pritchard,
Johanna Procter, Kevin Willoughby, andMax Weston.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
We pray for those that mourn, and may God grant them the ever-lasting strength of faith and courage. Let us pray especially for those in our community that have died, we remember today Mary Smith, John Axell, Pattie Johnson, Norma Williams, Rex Thorne, Gulam Abu Saleh, and Barbara Edwards.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Lord, grant us the serenity to find and create happiness in ourselves, and those around us. We ask for the strength to share the love of God to bring us all closer together in understanding and fellowship.
Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son Our Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.
Hymn: O for a heart to praise my God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MWRgPxwtMs
The Peace
Christ is our peace.
He has reconciled us to God
in one body by the Cross.
We meet in his name and share his peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you: and also with you.
Be present, be present, Lord Jesus Christ, Our risen high priest;
Make yourself known in the breaking of bread
Hymn: Now is eternal life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPMEuyMLVrI
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
And now we give you thanks, most gracious God, holy and undivided Trinity:
because your have given us the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ,
that we may grow into your likeness and be changed from glory to glory. Therefore with angels
and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we sing for ever of your glory.
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
+Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Blessing
The love of the Lord Jesus draw you to himself,
the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen you in his service,
the joy of the Lord Jesus fill your hearts;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you and those you love, today and always. Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Hymn: God is love, his the care https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjju_BKA1PE
J.S. Bach – CHORALE PRELUDE BWV 625: “Christ lag in Todesbanden”
Bible Study for the eleventh week of the Covid 19 church building closure
Section 1: Jeremiah 20: 7-13
Prayer: Open you word to us, we pray, loving God. Help us by your Holy Spirit to read, to learn, to challenge, and to understand all your ways with us. Amen.
Read the passage through twice:
You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived;
you overpowered me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed all day long;
everyone mocks me.
8 Whenever I speak, I cry out
proclaiming violence and destruction.
So the word of the Lord has brought me
insult and reproach all day long.
9 But if I say, “I will not mention his word
or speak anymore in his name,”
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot.
10 I hear many whispering,
“Terror on every side!
Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!”
All my friends
are waiting for me to slip, saying,
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we will prevail over him
and take our revenge on him.”
11 But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior;
so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;
their dishonor will never be forgotten.
12 Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous
and probe the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
13 Sing to the Lord!
Give praise to the Lord!
He rescues the life of the needy
From the hands of the wicked.
Background
Jeremiah was a priest of the Temple at Jerusalem, and God called him to be a prophet from an early age. As a result, he saw the build up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the people of Israel from God’s point of view. He has a tendency to complain a lot, hence the word “jeremiad”. Jeremiah’s prophecy of the impending destruction of the nation was never accepted. He was therefore ridiculed, imprisoned, threatened with death and all sorts of tortures in an effort to quieten him down, but to no avail.
Some questions
- The opening verb is variously translated “seduced”, “enticed” and “deceived”. What does Jeremiah mean by this? How could God have possibly enticed him or deceived him?
- The balancing phrase “overpowered me” is more understandable – but is this a picture of God that you recognise?
- Jeremiah’s reception is hostile, and he feels that God is hostile too. If he ignores the prophetic voice within him, he burns up. If he speaks God’s word, all he receives is violence and threats. Is he justified in his complaint?
- Have you ever felt that you had something to pass on from God, and not to speak caused you actual pain?
- Is it harder to speak out or to stay quiet? Is it always God’s purpose for us to be vocal?
- Jeremiah had an absolute conviction of God’s word within him. Have you ever felt this way?
- If not, should you? And in which circumstances?
- Jeremiah is very vivid in his language. We can feel how his enemies are pressing in on him, watching his every move. Why were people so opposed to his words? What was it about his message that they refused to accept?
- However, Jeremiah is able to turn the tables on his opponents. In v10, they use the language that Jeremiah had used to open this section, but they are speaking in human terms, so Jeremiah the prophet is on stronger ground.
- God may well have deceived Jeremiah, not been totally clear about all the ramifications of being a prophet, but those who work against a prophet have to reckon with the hand of God on the prophet’s side.
- The message may well be painful, and the role may well be challenging and all-consuming, but Jeremiah the prophet is absolutely convinced that God is on his side, and that he will prevail.
- Our passage concludes with a hymn of praise to God who will deliver Jeremiah from all his accusers and who is always on the side of the poor. Is Jeremiah justified in this?
- Where does this depth of trust in God come from? What is the source of Jeremiah’s confidence in his God?
- Lockdown may well be oppressive to many, and many are calling for current restrictions to be lifted. What is God’s position in this argument? What are God’s priorities as we weigh up the pros and cons?
- Where are the poor and needy in our current crisis? Who is looking out for them?
- Is it at all fair to compare sceptical or cautious scientists to Jeremiah?
Read the passage through again, out loud if possible
Review
What has this passage taught you about
- God?
- Jesus Christ?
- The Church?
- Our current situation?
Prayer Merciful God, give us the faith to rest in you, despite opposition or conflicting opinions. Give us hope in your grace and your good purposes. Amen.
Section 2: Romans 6: 1-11
Prayer Open your word to us, Lord God, so that we can understand the depth of your love for us and respond with our whole heart. Amen
Read the passage through twice:
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Background
Paul is developing his ideas around the grace and mercy of God. Having set out the case for divine love reaching out to sinners in their greatest need, he moves on to the human response to that love and grace. How is our behaviour to change, given that we have received so much from God in Jesus Christ?
Some questions
- “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” is surely a rhetorical figure. Nobody would actually advocate that, would they? Or had Paul encountered it amongst some of his audiences?
- Paul resists that idea by going back to the basics of our salvation. The death and resurrection of Christ, which are mirrored in our baptism, transform human behaviour, just as they are the mark of the transforming love of God and his intervention in our sinful world.
- How literally do we take Paul when he says that in baptism “we are buried with Christ”?
- He goes further, “our old self was crucified with him”. Literally? Metaphorically? Spiritually?
- Our new life must somehow reflect the resurrection life of Christ. What exactly does Paul mean by that? Was Christ’s resurrection life any different from his life before the cross? If yes, how? If no, what is Paul trying to say?
- What does it mean to be “united with him in a resurrection like his (Christ’s)”? Have we been raised from the dead? Do you feel resurrected?
- How much of this is spiritual language, and how much has actual physical meaning?
- There are two images of the old self – a body “ruled by sin” and a nature that is “enslaved to sin”. Does this suggest that sin is an external force to which we are subjected?
- What is the difference between being “ruled” by sin and “enslaved” to sin? Is one image stronger than the other? If so, which one?
- We have heard a lot recently about slavery – is it a helpful image to describe our fallen state?
- Paul argues that after death a person is freed from sin. How does this work?
- Paul can take that very Jewish theology – remember that in the Graeco-Roman world there was a strong belief in the continued presence of wrongdoing with souls in the underworld – and transform it into the Christian theology of eternal life, with Christ, now. Resurrection is the touchstone – death is death, but resurrection gives us Christ’s life immediately, as we emerge from the waters of baptism, as our faith becomes real, as we live our new life in Christ.
- Christ’s death is a one-off event, Paul very clearly states. Why then do we have to confess our sins every time we gather for worship?
- “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” – how do we do that?
- Do you feel “dead to sin”? or is it simply a theological nicety?
- Do you feel “alive to God”? or is that simply a theological nicety?
- How might a true understanding of Christ’s death and resurrection enable us to live a life liberated from sin?
- Is it possible to live a sinless life? Is this what Paul is suggesting? Or is he after something else?
- Just how challenging is this passage? Can it be dismisssed as high-flown theology, or does it have something deeply personal to say to us?
- What changes to your way of life, your way of thinking, might this passage provoke?
Read the passage through again, out loud if possible
Review
What has this passage taught you about
- God?
- Jesus Christ?
- The Church?
- Our current situation?
Prayer: Gracious God, you demonstrate your amazing love to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Enable us to live in the power of his resurrection, that we might reject sin and cling closely to our loving Saviour. Amen.
Section 3: Matthew 10: 24-39
Prayer: Loving God, as we read these words of Jesus, open our hearts to the truths that he is telling us. Open our minds to the challenges he lays before us. Open our souls to the extent of your love. Amen.
Read the passage through twice:
Jesus said to his disciples, “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household! 26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. 34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Read the passage through again, out loud if possible
Background
These verses continue Jesus’s charge to his disciples as he sends them out to preach the Kingdom of Heaven and to heal the people they meet. They lay out an uncompromising vision of the life of a disciple, and are some of the hardest verses in Matthew’s Gospel. They possibly are an amalgamation of teachings about the life of the disciple and the life of the early Church, as one section does not necessarily flow into the next.
Some questions
- Does Jesus really mean all this to be taken literally?
- Is this Jesus foretelling the future or the Gospel writer describing the present? Or something else?
- Is it enough for us to be like Jesus, our teacher? And how are we meant to be like him? Can we ever have the authority and power that he had? Or the depth of concern? Or the insight into people’s hearts?
- Is Jesus being realistic when he states that his followers will be equally badly treated as he was? If so, how did Jesus cope with the name-calling and rejection? So how should we?
- Are we afraid of anyone, as we live out our Christian lives? If so, who? And why? And how can we get over that fear?
- Is it helpful for Jesus to say that all secrets will be revealed?
- Who can “destroy both body and soul in hell”?
- The images of the sparrows are supposed to be comforting, yet the birds are either being sold for food or falling to the ground dead. What encouragement is there for us in these verses?
- Do we really believe that we are of more value than sparrows? If so, what does this say about God’s attitude to his creation?
- Can we infer from this that human beings are superior to the rest of the created order? If we can, what do we do about it? Does that change the way we think about nature?
- How do we “acknowledge Jesus”? Do we do it verbally, physically, out loud, every day? If not, why not? If we do, to whom and why?
- Have you ever denied Jesus? How did this verse go down with the Apostle Peter?
- How has Jesus brought “a sword” to the earth? Why hasn’t he brought peace?
- Jesus seems to suggest that he deliberately sets members of a family against each other – is this really the case? If it is, how? If it is not the case in your household, could it happen there?
- How are we to deal with division, such as Jesus foretells? Does he give us any help at all?
- Does Jesus really mean us to love him more than our family? Can we? Should we?
- What is the real meaning of “take up the cross”? Simon of Cyrene carried Jesus’s cross, but he wasn’t crucified with him, and history has always spoken well of him for his actions.
- Is it possible to live in the expectation of imminent persecution?
- How might we “find our life”, and so, lose it?
- How might we “lose our life” and so, find it?
- How do you imagine these sayings were received by the disciples? Were they necessary, as they set off on their mission? Were these sayings helpful for them?
- Does anything in this passage echo with our current situation? Are the challenges of living Christ’s life during lockdown in any way a reflection of Jesus’s words here?
- Does this passage have anything practical to teach us for our daily lives?
- Would it not be wiser discreetly to ignore these verses? Would our life as disciples be any the less if we didn’t read these words?
- “Gospel” means “Good News” – is there any good news in this passage?
Review
What has this passage taught you about
- God?
- Jesus Christ?
- The Church?
- Our current situation?
Prayer: Loving God, your Son, Jesus Christ, faced hatred and rejection for us. Give us courage by your Holy Spirit to live outs
Sunday Service 14th June (with audio)
14th June 2020 The Barn
Our worship together is in the name of the + Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you:
and also with you.
Hymn: All people that on earth do dwell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-1dQ8t03mE
Let us pray
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession:
Brothers and sisters, as we prepare to celebrate, let us call to mind our sins.
Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are,
and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen.
Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent,
have mercy upon you, +pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Let us pray
O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed through Jesu Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Our readings today have been recorded for us by Euan, Callum and Paula Brackenridge
Exodus 19: 1-8
On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. 3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” 7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord. 9 The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Romans 5: 1-8
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
Hymn: All I once held dear https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxpPIa-BskY
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John
Glory to you, O Lord.
Matthew 9: 35- 10:8
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on 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 workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called 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 Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon – Michael Tonkin
You will all know by now that Kew Gardens are once more open to visit, which is great news. Carolyn and I have visited twice and our first visit was, for both of us, the furthest we have been since March and the start of the ‘lockdown’. It is fair to say we were a little apprehensive at this first ‘long distant’ outing, and a little unsure how the ‘outside world’ would be and seem after so long out of public view.
I feel sure that those twelve disciples would have had the same anxieties on being sent out by Jesus on their own to proclaim, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” as we have just heard in today’s Gospel reading. They were just everyday folk, not great evangelists, they depended on Jesus for guidance, leadership and reassurance, to think of going out, even among their own people, must have indeed seemed very daunting
But were they actually on their own? We are told that Jesus “gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.” Surely this power that was instilled in them was that of The Holy Spirit, and would work through them, by that power granted to them all by Jesus.
Probably, the one thing that the disciples did need was faith; faith in the one who had called them out of their everyday lives, the one who had that great power of healing, understanding, gentleness and love, Jesus Christ. That same faith that Paul wrote about to the young church community in Rome:
“Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 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.” “Sharing the glory of God” as those twelve disciples were to do, with the power instilled in them by Jesus.
I wonder how many of us, gathered as we are, hope to go out later today, or even during this coming week in the hope and desire “of sharing the glory of God“?
It is, if we are honest, one of those things that in theory sound great, but actually in practice often slips us by. That is not to say that we won’t be good Christians in the way we behave, or in the many good acts of help and kindness we may do. But how often are those acts ended by words like, “may God go with you”? Interestingly, the lady who used to be outside Tesco Express in Kew village before this Pandemic, selling the Big Issue, would always thank God for your kindness when one bought a copy of the magazine, or even bless you when she saw you walking by. Perhaps she was a worshiper of a different faith, yet with the same universal God? We are all, at times, far better at being Christians than actually proclaiming it!
It has been an interesting observation nationwide, how many more people are actually happy attending Zoom Services, in these times we are living in, than would actually turn out for a Sunday Service in church. There is maybe a certain feeling of security and distancing from being in ones own surroundings, of being part of something without fully committing to it. After all, one has only to press the button to escape, no filing past the vicar or excusing oneself from coffee.
We are so lucky that in this country we can live our Christian lives without the fear of persecution, which is not the case in so many other parts of the world. Those twelve disciples, in the years ahead, would face in many cases persecution and death, as did the Apostle Paul and many more in that young church in Rome. Paul writes of the suffering that new followers of Christ would have to bear, but as he wrote, “suffering produces character, and character produces hope, 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.”
“God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
That fact is as true today as it was when Paul wrote to the church in Rome. We today have that same Holy Spirit within us as we go about our daily lives. Maybe, we should all have the courage and excitement to let that gift of the Holy Spirit be apparent and known to those we meet? For as the psalmist wrote in today’s Psalm 100:
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting, and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation.” Amen.
Prayers – with thanks to Diane Morris
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus. Give those who lead us vision, wisdom and understanding. We pray for Pastor Peter, Readers Richard and Michael, and all who are making our worship possible. Give them compassion, wisdom and the mind of Christ. Let us celebrate today that the Church will soon be open for individual prayer, while we continue with the innovative use of technology to bring us all together. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant that we and all who confess thy name be united in thy truth, live together in thy love, and go forth in the world. O eternal Son of God, who came from the Father, the fountain of light, to enlighten the darkness of the world, shine upon us today that in whatever we do shall reflect your light, for your Name’s sake.In this time of uncertainty about the future, we pray for strength, we pray that your Spirit is with us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for the needs of the world, for peace in the Middle East, in Sudan, Libya, and the Yemen; with Covid-19 infections rising in Latin America and in Bangledesh, India and Pakistan where people are struggling for help.The legacy of George Floyd has inspired protests all over the world and sparked global soul searching.Let us pray for amicable solutions, understanding and compassion. Let us pray for stability at home , for our political leaders and their advisors at a time of fear and uncertainty We pray for our country, may people of whatever creed or colour enjoy the same freedom and respect, with justice being upheld for all. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give grace to us, our families and friends, and too all our neighbours in Christ, that we may serve him in one another, and love as he loves us. Forgive our enemies, and help us to forgive, as we hope to be forgiven. Let us be aware of the lonely, the neglected and unloved, especially those in these times who find themselves isolated.Let us celebrate the ‘social bubble’ of the single household, which will bring comfort to many. We pray for all those missing school, those who are worried about their jobs and their financial future and ask that they are not forgotten. Let us pray for all our family and friends throughout the world.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for the sick. We pray today for Alan Hay, Julia Holboro, Annie Kunz, Luci Mitchell – Fry, Joan Pritchard, Johanna Procter,Kevin Willoughby and Max Weston.
Let us give thanks to all the medical help and the carers, professional and voluntary.
God our Father, who is the source of all life and health, all strength and peace: Teach us to know you truly; take from us all that hinders the work of your healing power; all our sins, all our anxieties and fears, all resentment and hardness of heart; and help us to learn to enter stillness and peace with you, and to know that you are our healer and redeemer; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Save and comfort those who suffer, that they may hold through good and ill, and trust in thy unfailing love.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Grant, O Lord, to all who are bereaved, for those families who relatives have passed away. Give them the spirit of faith and courage, that they may have strength to meet the days to come with steadfastness and patience; not sorrowing as those without hope, but in thankful remembrance of your great goodness in past years, and in the sure expectation of the joyful reunion in heavenly places: and this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. We remember today Gulam Abu Saleh,Mary Smith, John Axell, Joy Dyer, Pattie Johnson, Norma Williams and Rex Thorne
Hear us as we remember those who have died in faith, and grant them a share in thy eternal kingdom.
Merciful Father: accept these prayers,for the sake of thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN
Hymn: Let all the world in every corner sing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_NoW2Hz52w
The Peace
Christ is our peace.
He has reconciled us to God
in one body by the Cross.
We meet in his name and share his peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you: and also with you.
Be present, be present, Lord Jesus Christ, Our risen high priest;
Make yourself known in the breaking of bread
Hymn: Rejoice the Lord is King https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA0jM77Qers
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
And now we give you thanks, most gracious God, holy and undivided Trinity:
because your have given us the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ,
that we may grow into your likeness and be changed from glory to glory. Therefore with angels
and archangels and with all the company of heaven, we sing for ever of your glory.
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
+Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Blessing
The love of the Lord Jesus draw you to himself,
the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen you in his service,
the joy of the Lord Jesus fill your hearts;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Hymn: We have a gospel to proclaim https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2FX0-kS7wA
Sarabande – Georg Friedrich Händel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzNZiaeABWU
Barn Church open for private prayer
We are pleased to let you know that The Barn and St Luke’s churches will be open for private prayer on the following dates and times.
The Barn: Monday 15th June 12noon – 1pm
Sunday 21st June 9.30 – 10.30am
Please enter by the porch as usual.
St Luke’s: Thursday 18th June 10-11am
Thursday 25th June 10-11am
Please enter by the gates as usual.
There will be a one way system in operation and members of the congregation will be on hand to welcome you and guide you to where you can sit and then exit the church.
This is just a start and we will be reviewing these opening times in the near future.
Bible Study for the tenth week of the Covid 19 church building closure
Section 1: Exodus 19: 1-8
Prayer: Open your word to us, Lord God, that we might read with understanding, and so walk closely with you day by day. Amen
Read the passage through twice:
On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2 After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. 3 Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” 7 So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak. 8 The people all responded together, “We will do everything the Lord has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the Lord. 9 The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said.
Background
This map shows the route taken by the People of Israel, from leaving their homes in Goshen in the north of Egypt to the crossing of the Red Sea, their arrival at the foot of Mt Sinai and then their movement northwards to the Promised Land (eventually). Today’s passage relates to their time at the foot of Mt Sinai, just before God gives Moses the Law. In those previous two months they had got used to the presence of the fiery pillar of God at night and the pillar of cloud during the day. They had run out of water, and God had provided them with it. They had cried out for food, and God had sent quails and manna for them to eat. Now they are gathered as a free nation in the middle of the desert at a critical moment in their relationship with the God who had liberated them from slavery.
Some questions
- After two months of travel, how must the people of Israel have been feeling at this moment?
- How are the people feeling about their God?
- Is confidence high or low at this point?
- There is a lot of interplay between God and Moses throughout this passage. Some of it seems a little repetitive. Can it be sorted out into a coherent narrative, or is something else at play?
- Why does God only speak through Moses? Why doesn’t he speak out loud so that all the people can hear?
- The words that God gives to Moses to relay to the people are extraordinary. What insight do they give into the heart of God?
- Why should God choose one set of people to be his own?
- What is a “priestly kingdom”? Can a kingdom be priestly? At this time Israel did not have a king
- What is a “holy nation”? What does “holy” mean in this context?
- “if you obey me fully and keep my covenant” is all that God asks of his people. In return for obedience, they will become God’s treasured nation. Who gains more – God or the people of Israel?
- Which is the harder part – to obey God and keep his covenant – or to make a nation holy?
- Does this relate to us at all, today? If so, how?
- Is our God the same as the God who spoke to his people in these words at Mt Sinai? If so, what more have we learned about him since this point in history?
- Have any of these promises been made to the Church? If so, where, and how?
- What part does obedience play in our discipleship?
- Which is harder – to love God, or to obey God?
Read the passage through again, out loud if possible
Review
What has this passage taught you about
- God?
- Jesus Christ?
- The Church?
- Our current situation?
Prayer: Give us obedient hearts, good Lord, and loving souls, that we may live as kings and priests in your kingdom and show forth your glory in the world. Amen.
Section 2: Romans 5: 1-8
Prayer Loving God, as we read your word, may we hear you speaking to us. Make us responsive to all that you have to say to us. Amen.
Read the passage through twice:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Background
Paul has been working through the nature of humanity’s relationship with God from the beginnings of time until the present. He has discussed what does not work between us and God – sin, disobedience, confidence in our own ability to make ourselves right with him – and what does work – God’s initiative of grace and forgiveness, and faith, especially as exemplified by Abraham.
Some questions
- The “therefore” which opens this passage relates to Paul’s example in the previous chapter of Abraham’s faith, and how he gained righteousness because he trusted God to provide an heir. We are included in that same “therefore”, because it is by the same faith that we are made right with God. Do you believe that?
- The main thrust of Paul’s argument is that God takes the initiative, and all that we are asked to do is respond in faith. God has granted us righteousness with him if we believe and trust in him, so out of that comes peace between God and us. Is that peace a reality for you? Do you feel “at peace” with God? If yes, how? If no, why not?
- Christ is the means by which God makes peace with us – how?
- We spoke last week of grace meaning undeserved favour. Paul will develop this further in this passage, but he becomes a little distracted by boasting – which does not sit well with our current sensibilities.
- “Boasting” and “glorying” are effectively the same thing.
- Have you ever boasted of the hope of God you have? If so, to whom? What was the reaction? If never, why not? And why shouldn’t we? Or more pertinently, why should we and how do we go about it?
- Boasting about hope that God has granted us is one thing, but boasting about suffering is quite another. How well do you feel this sits with your current understanding of your faith?
- Have you experienced any suffering for Christ that you could boast about? Would you boast about it, given the opportunity?
- Paul is a lover of lists and sequences – “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope”, Firstly, is this sequence true? If it is, what help does it give us in our Christian life? If Paul is barking up the wrong tree, where has he gone wrong?
- In vv 5-8, Paul returns to his theme of the gift of God to us, and his language expands as he warms to his task. The love of God is “poured” into our hearts, not just given. It speaks of excess, of abundance, of generosity. And it is the Spirit’s role to make us aware of that. Is that an everyday reality?
- Now Paul can really let rip. It is in the death and resurrection of Christ that all of God’s extraordinary generosity and grace is revealed. He posits the possibility of men and women offering to die on behalf of another – there have been numerous examples in history and literature – is Paul right to do so? Might one human being genuinely offer themselves to die if it spared another human being? Would you do this, if the circumstances offered it?
- But Paul can demonstrate that God, in Christ, dies for us when we were the least deserving of such love and favour. We were “powerless”, “ungodly” and “sinners”, the very antithesis of righteousness, holiness and love which characterise God.
- Paul has reached the high point of his argument – “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Why is this such a radical statement?
- Paul is visibly amazed at what God has done for us in Christ as he writes these lines, and he wants us to be too. Are you amazed?
- We are left hanging at his point by our prescribed reading for this week. Feel free to read on – there is more to come, as Paul is heading towards the extraordinary statement that “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”
- This passage ought to be both comforting and challenging.
- What comfort do you take from it?
- How does it challenge you?
Read the passage through again, out loud if possible
Review
What has this passage taught you about
- God?
- Jesus Christ?
- The Church?
- Our current situation?
Prayer: Gracious God, we cannot fully comprehend your love for us, and all you did to bring us back to yourself. Help us by your Holy Spirit never to leave you and always to trust you. Amen.
Section 3: Matthew 9: 35- 10:8
Prayer: Loving God, may your Gospel word come alive as we read it, and may your Holy Spirit inspire us as we understand it. Amen
Read the passage through twice:
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on 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 workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called 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 Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Background
It takes some time in Matthew’s Gospel before Jesus’s ministry really gets going. After the temptations in Chapter 4, the next 3 chapters are taken up with the Sermon on the Mount. Chapter 9 is therefore when things take off in earnest, with healings and parables, debates with pharisees and the call of some of the remaining 12 disciples.
Some questions
- The passage opens with a generic list of Jesus’s activities. However, it becomes much more personal when Jesus’s reading of the crowds becomes clear, “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”. What exactly does this mean?
- Who is harassing them? Why are they helpless?
- Why don’t they have a shepherd? Who should be their shepherd? Remember, this is written for a predominantly Jewish readership
- What is Jesus’s reaction to this assessment of the crowds?
- Is the task that great that he has to recruit his disciples to do some of his work?
- How does this compare to Moses having to speak God’s words to the people?
- Who is the “Lord of the harvest”?
- What is the answer to the request for more workers in the harvest? Is this still the answer today?
- The group of 12 disciples is set from this moment on. Why is the phrase “who betrayed him” appended to Judas’s name? Is this not a bit of a spoiler?
- The call of some of these people has been narrated earlier, but most of them are simply named here for the first and only time in Matthew’s Gospel. Why?
- What is the range of skills present in this group? Are any of their abilities and range of knowledge particularly useful for the task Jesus gives them?
- Jesus gives his disciples authority “to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness”. How and why?
- Does he still give people that authority today? And does he give it to everyone?
- Why are the disciples told not to go to the Samaritans or the Gentiles? Why shouldn’t they?
- Does that set a precedent for our ministry?
- Who are the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”? Do they still exist?
- What does their message, “The kingdom of heaven has come near” actually mean?
- Would people have understood what they were talking about?
- Do their message and their healings necessarily go together? ie. could they do one and not the other, or must both be present for the one to be effective and the other understood?
- The phrase “Freely you have received; freely give” is well known. Why is it here? How does it fit in with the rest of the disciples’ mission?
- Does any of this still apply to us today?
- If so, how do we carry this out in a time of lockdown?
- Are we to be selective of those to whom we take Christ, in word and practical support?
- Are words enough?
- Do you believe that you have the authority to do any of the things that Jesus sent his disciples out to do? If not, why not? If you think you have, why? How? And do you use them?
Read the passage through again, out loud if possible
Review
What has this passage taught you about
- God?
- Jesus Christ?
- The Church?
- Our current situation?
Prayer: Loving God, you called us to be your disciples at our baptism, and you equip us to carry out your kingdom mission with you Holy Spirit. Help us today to be faithful to our calling, and lead us always in your ways of compassion and love. Amen.