Sermon | Second Sunday after Trinity (Year A)
Sunday, 14th June 2026 | St Mary Magdalene Church, Outwood | Communion by Extension
Mth 9.35-10.8 [9-23] | Rom 5.1-8 | Ex 19.2-8a
I used to think that, once we got passed Trinity Sunday, and into Ordinary Time, that everything slowed down a bit… That Church – as we encounter it – became a bit more easy and restful, during the Summer months… with a long, long way to go before the next season arrived – with all its focus and activity!
How wrong am I?
As we know, for us to have any chance of building God’s Kingdom here on earth, we must be ready at all times to respond to God’s calling, in Jesus. That is at the core of Discipleship.
In today’s Gospel, Matthew describes the moment when Jesus calls, equips and then sends His Disciples out into the world. This first mission of theirs, is inspired by how Jesus sees the world around Him. Wherever He went, Jesus found a people in need.
He knew that they had been weighed down by laws that were often too difficult to live by, and that they wanted to respond to God but didn’t know how to do it from within their ordinary, daily life…. And from within their souls….
Like lost sheep… who needed a shepherd.
In Matthews ‘Discipleship 101’ – the first draft of the Mission Handbook, as it were – the workers, though few, are gathered, prepared, and then sent into the world. And like us, Jesus called them all by name.
I don’t imagine The Twelve being confident about all that healing and raising and casting out, that Jesus tasked them with. They had seen it done…. They had a good teacher…. But it must have sounded quite daunting, don’t you think?
It certainly would be for me. What can I do? What am I being asked to do? What difference can I make….? Yet, context is everything.
Jesus sent His disciples out to help transform Israel by cleansing and healing – yes, the physical, where needed – but mostly the spiritual – those who tried to live by the Law, but just couldn’t; those that lived on the margins, because they were too different; those that appeared to be at peace with Jewish society but were really slaves to the temptations of the world….
The lost sheep….. a metaphor for any age – and any people – especially so now.
Matthew writes for a community with deep Jewish roots, and wants us to see that Jesus is not abandoning Israel’s story but fulfilling it in ways they might recognise. Yet there is hope for Gentiles too. The disciples are sent first to ‘the lost sheep of the house of Israel’, and then later, after Pentecost and the Great Commission, out into the world.
If you get a chance to look at today’s passage from Exodus…
God claims Israel before they’ve done anything to earn it, becoming God’s “Treasured possession”, borne up on “eagle’s wings”. Such words indicate they are carried. Hence their liberation and hope is not from their own efforts but made possible by God. They are not ‘there’ yet. It’s a work in progress; for them, it’s a journey.
This journey of transformation is revealed further in Paul’s letter to the Romans.
A justification by faith, from God’s grace alone, doesn’t cancel out the struggle. The daily challenges of ‘being loved’ – knowing our selves as we do – is reframed. Paul says that the suffering is not pointless, but is formative:
(3) “suffering produces endurance, (4) and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, (5) and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit…”
Tough words….! This isn’t just optimism, though, but trust – over time – knowing Christ calls us before we are ready…!
Which brings us back to Matthew. The Twelve are called first as disciples – sent out with some instructions, with Jesus as an example, but certainly not a confident sense of readiness. Anything could happen…!
The mission of Christ is urgent. So travel light, and be ready, – it requires us not to wait for perfection in ourselves, far from it!
Tomorrow sees the start of this year’s Refugee Week. This is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees, or anyone seeking sanctuary. It’s a partnership project supported by many national and international organisations.
This year’s theme is COURAGE. For refugees around the world, courage is a daily necessity. It is the courage to face unknown journeys, learn new languages, navigate unfamiliar systems, or simply to wake up each morning and step into an uncertain world. It is courage that is needed when facing the very real outcomes of other people’s fears – in hostility, hatred and violence.
What a way for life to become, eh? Fleeing from perils we cannot imagine, only to find that safety for your family is at the mercy of those whose attitudes to difference is almost primitive; and that communities, once welcoming, can be manipulated so easily, with neighbour turned against neighbour.
What does any of this mean for us, here today?
The other evening, at St Anne’s PCC, Diane shared a portion of the CPAS resource “PCC Tonight”. You might have come across this yourselves. This is a useful tool for encouraging parish church leadership to think about why we are here, in this place, and how we can best serve the community, in the name of Jesus.
It got me thinking, not for the first time, about how we live out our discipleship, and how others in our communities might ‘see’ the Gospel through us – meet Jesus in us. I have a privileged opportunity to speak with you about this, from here, today. Afterwards, these words remain on my website, just in case anyone stumbles across them, in their search for the meaning of life, or some random shopping!
None of it though – these words and ideas – will mean anything hopeful to my neighbours, if I don’t make it real to them. It is my responsibility – and my joy – to try and show kindness and patience, to heal and to lift up. Mostly, in small ways. It is our shared mission that others might know they are loved, however you are able to show them.
We are the labourers, called together for the Kingdom.
This Kingdom of God has come near – that’s us, here, wherever God’s creation can acknowledge God’s love and spread this message of hope…
And then, when we are sent out from here, each week, back to our homes, workplaces, schools and neighbourhoods, to do God’s will.
There is a responsibility, for us all, to seek out the lost sheep in any place.
It doesn’t take much for us to see the wounds of this world, and the wounded in our midst.
The constant temptations and distractions; those who feel diminished by the world around them, and by other people; young people who fear the future; and any one of us that fears the present.
Sometimes all that we can do is to listen, be a comforting presence, pray, offer encouragement – show that you at least try to understand – this is empathy and compassion in action! And if you speak about God, Jesus and Holy Spirit … make sure that love is front and centre – we all need to hear that we are loved.
I mentioned Refugee Week. We don’t all have to be involved in some activity to appreciate the value of this initiative. In the past few weeks, even more than usual, the dreadful responses seen and amplified, in certain communities, to those regarded as threats, strangers, different, “non-British” – Dear Lord! It has deepened the darkness and shame of our entire nation. It’s exhausting to see this nightmare played out on our screens, day in, day out.
Yet what is it like for those within the news story? Women, men, children – hearing a constant stream of abuse, stopped in the streets by vigilantes, threatened in the workplace – too scared to go home, only to then have their new homes firebombed.
We all have a part to play in calling out and pushing back the hatred; the language of racism and nationalism seems so easily permitted in all areas of social interaction. So call it out. See it for what it is.
Yes – Listen to the complaints of all who feel threatened and side-lined, but always have the words of Christ in your heart – “love one another, as I have loved you”.
You may still ask “how?” As if we ever feel “ready” for such a mission?
What ever brings you to church, each week, we know that we are not alone in our discipleship journey…
We see each other, and hopefully encounter mutual support and fellowship for when this journey becomes difficult….
We are nurtured and sustained though sacrament and scripture…
We are loved – all of us – through the Grace of God – not from our own efforts…
What we do with all of that, is our response: to love one another…
Not just here in this building, but everywhere… which can be a challenge…true!
We don’t need to be “ready”.
We certainly don’t need to be perfect.
We might encounter great discomfort along the way…
And yet… we know we are not alone in our endeavours…
Share this journey with one another and, in your prayers, know that the Spirit will bear you up on eagles wings….!
My sisters and brothers….
We are the labourers….
We bring Good News!
So, may God go with you on the journey;
And like those first Twelve disciples, remember we are called, named and sent out.
Amen.
Image: I asked ChatGPT to review this sermon and suggest an image. The feedback appeared reflective and this image is ok. It is generated by AI.