A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 2 – A

June 18, 2017

Matthew 9:35-10:23 - NRSV

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The Harvest Is Great, 

the Laborers Few: 

³⁵ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

The Twelve Apostles: 

10 Then Jesus^[a] summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. ² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;^{[b] 4} Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

The Mission of the Twelve: 

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’^{[c] 8} Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers,^[d] cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. ⁹ Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. ¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³ If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Coming Persecutions: 

¹⁶ “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹ When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; ²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; ²² and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 10:1 Gk he
2. Matthew 10:3 Other ancient authorities read Lebbaeus, or Lebbaeus called Thaddaeus
3. Matthew 10:7 Or is at hand
4. Matthew 10:8 The terms leper and leprosy can refer to several diseases

A Poem a Sunday

Pentecost 2 – A

Dust

Jesus has left the building

dusting off his sandals

as the chapel bells chime.

Another segregated Sunday

as white worshipers flock

like hungry sheep to cars

in the parking lot to get

their brunch or lunch

at the local restaurant.

Since when have comfortable pews

and air-conditioned convenience

taken the place of disciples

on a journey, a pilgrimage,

sharing good news with the poor?

Since when have voices

raised in praise

become mute and silent

in the streets of everyday life?

Since when has

the edifice edified

and disciples no longer die

to sin and rise to the new way?

Jesus has left the building

dusting off his sandals

as the chapel bells chime.

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