Consider the Word, June
15, 2023
Email stpauls@pei.aibn.com for the link to the Bible Study.
Readings for June 18
Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7)
Psalm 116:1, 10-17
Romans 5:1-8
Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)
Collect:
Almighty God,
without you we are not able to please you.
Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading: Romans
5:1-8
1 This good standing we have brings peace with the Great Spirit. This peace comes from trusting in Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One and what he has done for us. 2 Our trust in him opens the way into Creator’s great kindness and is now the solid ground on which we stand. Now our boasting is in him, as we look forward to being the kind of people the Great Spirit created us to be, a people filled with his beauty and shining-greatness. 3-4 But we must also find joy in our sufferings on his behalf. For we know that when the trail gets rough, we must walk with firm steps to reach the end. As we walk firmly in his footprints, we gain the strength of spirit that we need to stay true to the path. 5 This gives us the hope we need to reach the end of the trail with honor. All of this is because of Creator’s great love that has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is his gift to us from above. 6 When the time was right, while we were still weak human beings following our bad hearts and broken ways, the Chosen One died for us. 7 It is not easy to find someone who is willing to die for a good person, even though we might find someone with the courage to die for a very good person. 8 But here is the way the Maker of Life proves how deep his love is for us: even when we were still following our bad hearts and broken ways, the Chosen One gave his life for us.
Reflection Question
The Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:8-23
35 Creator Sets Free (Jesus) continued to walk about and visit the villages. He taught in their gathering houses, helped people to understand about Creator’s good road, and healed people from every kind of sickness and disease. 36 When he saw the great number of people needing help, he was moved in his spirit with great compassion for them. He knew they were pushed down with no one to help and scattered about like sheep without a shepherd to watch over them. 37 So he said to the ones who walked the road with him, “There is a great harvest in front of us, but only a few to gather it in. 38 Pray to the Great Spirit Chief of the harvest, so he will send out more helpers into the fields.” 1 Creator Sets Free (Jesus) then gathered his twelve message bearers together to prepare them for this great harvest. He gave them authority over evil and unclean spirits, to force them out of people, and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. 2 Here are the names of the twelve that he chose to be his special message bearers: First there was One Who Hears (Simon), who was also called Stands on the Rock (Peter), and his brother Stands with Courage (Andrew). Then he chose He Takes Over (James) and his brother He Shows Goodwill (John), who are the sons of Gift of Creator (Zebedee). 3 He also chose Friend of Horses (Philip) and Son of Ground Digger (Bartholomew) and Looks Like His Brother (Thomas) along with Gift from Creator (Matthew), the tribal tax collector. Then he chose He Takes Charge (James), the son of First to Change (Alphaeus), along with Strong of Heart (Thaddaeus) and 4 One Who Listens (Simon) the Firebrand (Zealot). And last of all, Speaks Well Of (Judas), also known as Village Man (Iscariot), who later betrayed him. 5 Before Creator Sets Free (Jesus) sent out his twelve message bearers to represent him, he gave them these instructions: “It is not the time to go to the Outside Nations or to the villages of the people of High Place (Samaria). 6 Instead, go to your own people—the lost sheep of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel). 7 This is what I want you to say to them: ‘Creator’s good road from above is close. Reach out and take hold of it!’ 8 Heal all who are sick, cleanse the ones with skin diseases, raise the dead, and force evil spirits out of people. Give away the things I have given to you and ask no price for your service. 9 “Take no trading goods with you or coins for your money pouches. 10 Take no traveling bundle, moccasins, or extra clothes to wear, not even a walking stick, because the ones who work hard in the harvest fields deserve to be fed and cared for. 11 “Whenever you enter a camp or village, find an honorable person who will give you lodging. 12 When you come to their dwelling, greet the family with respect. 13 If they are people of honor, your greeting of peace will rest on them. 14 But if no one in that village welcomes you or listens to your message, then go from there and shake the dust from your moccasins. 15 The truth is, on the day when the fate of that village is decided, it will be worse for them than it was for Village of Bad Spirits (Sodom) and Village of Deep Fear (Gomorrah). 16 “Look and listen! I am sending you out like sheep into a pack of wolves, so be as crafty as snakes but as harmless and gentle as doves. 17 Look out for men with bad hearts, for they will bring you before their councils and whip you with leather straps in their gathering houses. 18 You will also be dragged before government rulers and leaders—all because you are representing me—and in this way through you both the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) and the People of Iron (Romans) will hear my message. 19 “When this happens, do not be afraid or worry about what you will say or how you will say it. 20 When that time comes, you will be given the words to say. For it is not you who will speak, but the Spirit of your Father will speak through you. 21 “Brother will betray brother and parents will betray their children, even putting them to death. Children will turn against their parents and have them killed. 22 The time will come when all will hate you because you represent me and carry my name. But remember, it is the ones who never give up and make it to the end of the road who will be rescued and made whole. 23 “If they hunt you down in one village, leave there and go to the next one. I speak from my heart, the True Human Being will come before you finish going through all the villages in the land of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).
Reflection Question
Closing Prayer:
God of compassion,
you have opened the way for us
and brought us to yourself.
Pour your love into our hearts,
that, overflowing with joy,
we may freely share the blessings of your realm
and faithfully proclaim the good news of Christ. Amen.
Email stpauls@pei.aibn.com for the link to the Bible Study.
Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7)
Psalm 116:1, 10-17
Romans 5:1-8
Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)
Almighty God,
without you we are not able to please you.
Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit
may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
1 This good standing we have brings peace with the Great Spirit. This peace comes from trusting in Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One and what he has done for us. 2 Our trust in him opens the way into Creator’s great kindness and is now the solid ground on which we stand. Now our boasting is in him, as we look forward to being the kind of people the Great Spirit created us to be, a people filled with his beauty and shining-greatness. 3-4 But we must also find joy in our sufferings on his behalf. For we know that when the trail gets rough, we must walk with firm steps to reach the end. As we walk firmly in his footprints, we gain the strength of spirit that we need to stay true to the path. 5 This gives us the hope we need to reach the end of the trail with honor. All of this is because of Creator’s great love that has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is his gift to us from above. 6 When the time was right, while we were still weak human beings following our bad hearts and broken ways, the Chosen One died for us. 7 It is not easy to find someone who is willing to die for a good person, even though we might find someone with the courage to die for a very good person. 8 But here is the way the Maker of Life proves how deep his love is for us: even when we were still following our bad hearts and broken ways, the Chosen One gave his life for us.
- What is “joy” in “suffering”?
35 Creator Sets Free (Jesus) continued to walk about and visit the villages. He taught in their gathering houses, helped people to understand about Creator’s good road, and healed people from every kind of sickness and disease. 36 When he saw the great number of people needing help, he was moved in his spirit with great compassion for them. He knew they were pushed down with no one to help and scattered about like sheep without a shepherd to watch over them. 37 So he said to the ones who walked the road with him, “There is a great harvest in front of us, but only a few to gather it in. 38 Pray to the Great Spirit Chief of the harvest, so he will send out more helpers into the fields.” 1 Creator Sets Free (Jesus) then gathered his twelve message bearers together to prepare them for this great harvest. He gave them authority over evil and unclean spirits, to force them out of people, and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease. 2 Here are the names of the twelve that he chose to be his special message bearers: First there was One Who Hears (Simon), who was also called Stands on the Rock (Peter), and his brother Stands with Courage (Andrew). Then he chose He Takes Over (James) and his brother He Shows Goodwill (John), who are the sons of Gift of Creator (Zebedee). 3 He also chose Friend of Horses (Philip) and Son of Ground Digger (Bartholomew) and Looks Like His Brother (Thomas) along with Gift from Creator (Matthew), the tribal tax collector. Then he chose He Takes Charge (James), the son of First to Change (Alphaeus), along with Strong of Heart (Thaddaeus) and 4 One Who Listens (Simon) the Firebrand (Zealot). And last of all, Speaks Well Of (Judas), also known as Village Man (Iscariot), who later betrayed him. 5 Before Creator Sets Free (Jesus) sent out his twelve message bearers to represent him, he gave them these instructions: “It is not the time to go to the Outside Nations or to the villages of the people of High Place (Samaria). 6 Instead, go to your own people—the lost sheep of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel). 7 This is what I want you to say to them: ‘Creator’s good road from above is close. Reach out and take hold of it!’ 8 Heal all who are sick, cleanse the ones with skin diseases, raise the dead, and force evil spirits out of people. Give away the things I have given to you and ask no price for your service. 9 “Take no trading goods with you or coins for your money pouches. 10 Take no traveling bundle, moccasins, or extra clothes to wear, not even a walking stick, because the ones who work hard in the harvest fields deserve to be fed and cared for. 11 “Whenever you enter a camp or village, find an honorable person who will give you lodging. 12 When you come to their dwelling, greet the family with respect. 13 If they are people of honor, your greeting of peace will rest on them. 14 But if no one in that village welcomes you or listens to your message, then go from there and shake the dust from your moccasins. 15 The truth is, on the day when the fate of that village is decided, it will be worse for them than it was for Village of Bad Spirits (Sodom) and Village of Deep Fear (Gomorrah). 16 “Look and listen! I am sending you out like sheep into a pack of wolves, so be as crafty as snakes but as harmless and gentle as doves. 17 Look out for men with bad hearts, for they will bring you before their councils and whip you with leather straps in their gathering houses. 18 You will also be dragged before government rulers and leaders—all because you are representing me—and in this way through you both the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) and the People of Iron (Romans) will hear my message. 19 “When this happens, do not be afraid or worry about what you will say or how you will say it. 20 When that time comes, you will be given the words to say. For it is not you who will speak, but the Spirit of your Father will speak through you. 21 “Brother will betray brother and parents will betray their children, even putting them to death. Children will turn against their parents and have them killed. 22 The time will come when all will hate you because you represent me and carry my name. But remember, it is the ones who never give up and make it to the end of the road who will be rescued and made whole. 23 “If they hunt you down in one village, leave there and go to the next one. I speak from my heart, the True Human Being will come before you finish going through all the villages in the land of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).
- Why do we find the pronouncement of a plentiful harvest so difficult to believe?
- What does it mean for the church today, to be missional?
God of compassion,
you have opened the way for us
and brought us to yourself.
Pour your love into our hearts,
that, overflowing with joy,
we may freely share the blessings of your realm
and faithfully proclaim the good news of Christ. Amen.
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