The Third Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 9:35-10:8
St. Mark’s Little Rock already had a vibrant food pantry before the pandemic, but when hundreds of people were laid off due to the massive economic slowdown, a big shift occurred. Cars began to line up for groceries out on Mississippi Avenue. But where would they go? The parking lot was already full. And how could they safely come inside to get their groceries? Something would have to give.
In today’s gospel, Jesus has already been ministering for some time—proclaiming the good news of the reign of God, confronting and casting out evil, and curing sickness and disease wherever he went. But when he sees the big crowds in today’s lesson, a shift seems to occur within Jesus.
Maybe he’s beginning to think about his final journey to Jerusalem. Perhaps he knows he cannot continue to this ministry by himself. Or maybe it’s been part of plan all along to involve his disciples.
But whatever the reason, when Jesus sees the crowds harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd, Jesus has compassion on them. Marcus Borg notes that in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for compassion has the same root as the word for womb.
God’s compassion is womblike. God through creation gives birth to us, and as a mother loves and cares for the children of her womb, so God loves and feels for us as God’s own children.
Perhaps the best example of God’s compassion before Jesus is the story of the exodus and the call of Moses. When Moses turns aside to look at burning bush, God’s word began to burn within Moses. It was as though Moses could hear God speaking directly to his soul about the slavery of the Hebrew people. I have seen the misery of my people, God says. I have heard their cry. Indeed, I know their sufferings and I have come down to deliver them.
But what is even more startling to Moses is what God says next. Moses, I want you to go to Pharaoh and deliver my people. Tell Pharoah to Let my people go.
Back in the gospel, Jesus essentially makes the same move. He has compassion on the people, but now the plan is no longer to do the ministry himself. The disciples will carry out Jesus’ mission from now on.
But there’s a curious thing in this section of Matthew that I believe is worth noting. Up to now, Matthew has referred the twelve and the others who have been following Jesus as his disciples. Essentially this means they’re learners or pupils or followers. But this time, the gospel uses a different word to describe them: Apostles. It’s the only time in Matthew’s gospel the word apostles is used.
The Greek word apostolos means one who is sent. All this time, the disciples have been learning—learning about God and God’s kingdom, learning how to follow to Jesus. And the disciples will never stop learning about God, just as you and I are to be lifelong learners about the life of faith and the life of the Kingdom of God.
But now they are apostles, because Jesus is about to send them out to do the work that he’s been doing. Jesus is about to trust the disciples. And through Jesus’ trust, the disciples are going to become apostles.
When I was about 13 or 14, my father had a workshop built out behind our house. And once built, he really enjoyed being out there. He got to use his hands in the workshop, and I think he especially enjoyed working with us—my brother and me. He actually had us practice driving nails. We even had nail driving contests. He taught us how to operate the jig saw, the electric drill, and all sorts of hand tools. He even showed us how to safely operate the table saw.
And it wasn’t long before he let us go out there without him. I was to look out after my little brother whenever he was with me. I took a lot of it for granted at the time, but in reflection I can see more clearly that our father put a lot of trust in us to use the workshop. He trusted us to use our creativity, to build things, to enjoy it, and to have some fun out there.
Looking back, it was a powerful thing for him to trust us. And a great lesson for us to become trustworthy. Even more powerfully in this gospel today, as Jesus sends out his apostles, Jesus is going to trust them—trust them to do very same work that he’s been doing: to proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom in word and in deed.
And finally, along with Jesus’ trust, Jesus also gives the apostle’s yet more thing: his authority. From his own being, he gives them both the right and the power to do his ministry and to carry out his mission.
And so he’s not going to send them out one by one, because the norm in the future will not be solo ministry though at times it is a necessity. Rather they are named two by two, and even more, all twelve are sent. So in time, they’ll be able to support each other, and, after Pentecost, through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirt, their ministry will be on behalf the body of Christ: The Church.
Matthew, in this lesson, gives us a preview of coming attractions—a preview of what will become the church. One of the things I’ve loved about serving at other churches in retirement is that I’ve gotten to experience the power of both the gathered church and the church sent. And It never fails that when we gather in Christ in the power of the Spirit, there is an energy in the air.
As God, through the instrument of church, really does give us new life though the power of God’s indwelling presence. So that renewed in Spirit, we can share that new life and love with others. And each week we to see God at work through the church, as we use our creativity and our talent to spread God’s love for the whole world for everything and for everyone.
In this place, I’m reminded what a gift it is to be part of the body of Christ, where the Spirit of God actually dwells. God not only trusts us, but the Spirit goes with us to proclaims God’s good news to a world that’s hungry for the good news.
And what about those cars lined up out on Mississippi Ave? Hungry for good news and especially hungry for groceries. Without a vaccine, people couldn’t come inside to request and pick up their food. But a strange thing happened that day. Apparently Jesus saw them. And he had compassion for crowds. And so he sent the volunteers—apostles, really. Rather than wait inside for the people to come, apostles were sent outside, tablets in hand like a fast food operation taking orders. And others, using their creativity, were figuring out new ways to package and deliver the food curbside. No one had ever thought of drive through pantry, but these apostles did and they began to feed twice people at twice the speed.
Why? Because Jesus is still sending apostles, still trusting us to carry out his mission, and still giving them authority and the power to do. Indeed, the reign of God has come near. And through you, the people of St. Paul’s, its coming right here.
© 2023 The Rev. Danny Schieffler
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – Fayetteville, Arkansas