Sunday worship and lectionary resources
Ordinary 10 Year A
Introduction
Zimbabwe is a country in terrible distress. The economic meltdown has made life intolerable for many people who face daily difficulties just trying to find food. Persecution is a daily fact of life for anybody who opposes the government of Robert Mugabe. Political opponents have been subject to brutal beating and imprisonment. The same persecution has been handed out by the police and government officials to members of the foreign press who try to enter the country and report on what is taking place. The ruling government is afraid, they see their power being threatened and they will stop at nothing to protect their vested interests.
Viktor Yushchenko, became president of Ukraine in November 2004. Backed by millions of protesters in Kiev and other cities he forced the government to hold a repeat ballot -- and won by a wide margin. Yushchenko has become a revolutionary leader in the tradition of Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel and Lech Walesa. Sadly, Yushchenko suffered what is believed to have been a deadly poison attack which has left his face terribly disfigured. Clearly there were many in authority who resented a revolution and a loss of their power and vested interests.
So it was that the death of Jesus would also prove very convenient for some. He preached a message of revolution which threatened the ruling Jewish authorities and they were plotting to kill him. Read the passages from Matthew Gospel this week and you will see why. Jesus told his opponents to act with compassion: to treat others, no matter how different they were, with respect and love.
Jesus really did not care if people were good Jews, he was kind and welcoming even to the ones who were considered to be under direct punishment from God. Lepers, sinners, tax collectors he opened the flood gates of God's love to them all and many were determined to keep it firmly shut. Our faith is judged by how good we are at respecting and showing compassion to people whom others reject.
Opening Verses of Scripture Psalm 33:4
For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
Collect Prayer for the Day — Before we read we pray
Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth: send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Common Worship
Faithful Creator, whose mercy never fails, deepen our faithfulness to you and to your living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Common Worship Additional Collect
God, faithful and true, you call every generation to make a pilgrim journey. Guide our feet along the road of faith, that we may put our whole trust in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Methodist Worship
Ever-loving God, your Son Jesus Christ healed the sick and restored them to wholeness of life. Look with compassion on the anguish of the world, and by your power make whole both people and nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Methodist Worship
Hosea 5:15—6:8
Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they
will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me."
"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal
us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will
revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his
presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the
winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." "What can I do
with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the
morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. Therefore I cut you in
pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth; my
judgments flashed like lightning upon you. For I desire mercy, not
sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Like Adam,
they have broken the covenant-- they were unfaithful to me there. Gilead is
a city of wicked men, stained with footprints of blood. (This is
the word of the Lord—Thanks be to God)
Second Reading Romans 4:13-25
It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the
promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness
that comes by faith. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no
value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where
there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by
faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's
offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of
the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: "I have
made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in
whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that
are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and
so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So
shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact
that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years
old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through
unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and
gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he
had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also
for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who
raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our
sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Gospel Reading Matthew
9:9-13 & 18-26
The Calling of Matthew
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax
collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed
him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors
and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees
saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax
collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the
healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means:
'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners."
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the
Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered, "How can
the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come
when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. "No one
sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull
away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do men pour new wine
into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out
and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins,
and both are preserved."
A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman
While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and
said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she
will live." Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. Just
then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up
behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I
only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take
heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was
healed from that moment. When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the
flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead
but asleep." But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside,
he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this
spread through all that region.
Post Communion Sentence
Loving Father, we thank you for feeding us at the supper of your Son: sustain us with your Spirit, that we may serve you here on earth until our joy is complete in heaven, and we share in the eternal banquet with Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Commentary
We thank you O God, for the saints of all ages. For those who in times of
darkness kept the lamp of faith burning. For the great souls who saw visions
of larger truth and dared to declare it. For the multitude of quiet and
gracious souls whose presence has purified and sanctified the world. And for
those known and loved by us, who have passed from this earthly fellowship
into the fuller light of life with you. Amen.
Teach us, O Lord, to love you, to trust you and for ever to praise you. Let
us exalt your name both in the day and in the night. Let us serve you both
in the house of prayer and in the world about us. Let us ascribe to you with
all your saints both wisdom and majesty, both honour and glory, world
without end. Amen. Henry Vaughan, 1621-1695
Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth:
send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of
love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives
is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ's
sake. Common Worship
For Meditation
In our Gospel reading today we have three passages which Matthew uses to teach us about the kind of person that Jesus was.
Firstly Jesus calls Matthew. Matthew belonged to a profession which was hated by the Jews, rightly so, the Romans contracted with local people to collect taxes, and collectors extorted excess taxes for personal profit. They enriched themselves at the expense of their fellow citizens, and were thus held in great contempt. They were barred from the synagogue and considered the moral equivalent of robbers and murderers. To follow Jesus, Matthew realised that he must abandon his lucrative job, knowing that he can never regain it -- and that he has no friends elsewhere -- except Jesus!
The lesson is clear, if you hear the call of Jesus you must be prepared to accept massive changes in your life. Matthew does not ask to follow Jesus, nor does he understand what he is getting into. He does not understand theology or ascribe to a creed or set of beliefs. He responds in faith, that is, he responds to the voice of Jesus. He is not a great guy, he is not a moral person, he is unpopular and unworthy, but this just demonstrates that God loves and can redeem any person.
To be called by Jesus is an act of pure grace.... We are not chosen because of what we are; ...we are chosen despite our personal worth or social status.
The Pharisees could be forgiven for getting upset at what happens next. Jesus dines with Matthew and not surprisingly the guest list includes other tax collectors and sinners.
The Pharisees are offended. Sharing a meal, especially in a public setting, implies acceptance, approval. The Psalmist asks for vindication, because "I hate the company of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked" (Psalm 26:5). There is much wisdom here. Bad company corrupts! One bad apple spoils the barrel, bad company is the devil's net, you can't run with dogs without getting fleas! These old proverbs reflect the truth that the company that we keep makes a difference in our lives. Jesus responds, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn that this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."
The incarnation is for the benefit of those who need it. Jesus keeps bad company and it is something which costs him a great deal in his ministry. Of course the difference with Jesus is that he is not corrupted by sin, he accepts the sinner and enables them to discover the forgiveness of God.
Finally Jesus helps a dead girl and a sick woman. A ruler approaches Jesus and makes a tremendous statement of faith "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." he believes that even the slightest touch of Jesus hand will save. Jesus agrees to go to the home of the ruler and he responds a lot quicker than most modern doctors!
It is then that a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She too believes that even the slightest touch from Jesus will heal.
The girl and woman have much in common, the stories are about people alienated by disease and death. For a start, touching them would have rendered anyone ceremonially unclean.
The woman's bleeding separates her by ritual law from family and friends. Her problem has persisted for twelve years. It is a spiritual and social problem as well as a medical problem. Her bleeding renders her unclean, and requires her to separate herself from the rest of society (Lev. 15). She cannot attend the synagogue or participate in religious rituals. If she touches another person, her touch renders that person unclean. She has to live as a leper did, on the fringes of society, shut out, looking in from the outside. It is hard to imagine how lonely and vile she must have felt.
Likewise, death isolates the family and all who attend the corpse.... But, in both cases, by being touched and by touching, Jesus breaks through the barriers.
Both of the stories also involve females. Women, in that time and place, were not highly regarded and had few rights. Parents wanted sons -- not daughters. The prejudice persists, 2,000 years later we have only just accepted woman as ministers in God’s church and allow them to be bishops. However, just as Jesus showed mercy to lowly sinners in vv. 9-13, so he also shows mercy to lowly females. The healings take place at the touch and word of Jesus, at his command.
The word of Jesus has power, it conveys healing. Charles Royden
Meditation
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings Hosea 6:6
Jesus quotes these words from Hosea in the passage from Matthew today. He did so in response to criticism concerning the company which he kept. The book of Hosea tells of how the prophet Hosea became a living lesson on what the mercy of God was like. Hosea married a prostitute named Gomer and despite her unfaithfulness, bearing children from other men, nevertheless Hosea never failed to show love and devotion and took back his wayward wife. The message was that this was how God behaved towards Israel. Israel behaved badly towards God, nevertheless he never stopped loving them. In Hebrew the word Hesed, or Chesed is used, it can be translated as “mercy,” “covenant faithfulness,” “kindness,” “loving kindness,” “steadfast love”—it’s all the same word. God was always utterly faithful, when they were faithless. God would be hurt by Israel's lack of fidelity but he could behave no differently because it is his nature to show mercy. Charles Royden
For Christians, the death of Jesus on the cross is the sacrifice that restores our relationship with God. Too often we have a hard time accepting that gift to us and continue to try and make our own sacrifices to earn favour with God. We are called to restore our relationship with God by accepting the gift of the sacrifice of Jesus. By accepting with gratitude, our restored relationship allows us to share that same gift to others in the broken world around us by being merciful to them.
Hymns
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O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
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Give me joy
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Lord Jesus Christ
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We rest on thee our shield and our defender
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Christ is surely coming
Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead
- Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian.
- If it is well cultivated and nourished it will produce fruit, but if it is neglected, it will wither and die.
Praise to you, O Lord and our God, for the jewel of our sight, the treasure of our hearing, and the glory of our speech. Pardon our ingratitude and teach us to render you a thankful heart. Open our eyes to your glory, our ears to your word and our mouths to proclaim your goodness; now and forever. Amen. Thomas Traherne, 1636-74
We thank you O God, for the saints of all ages. For those who in times of
darkness kept the lamp of faith burning. For the great souls who saw
visions of larger truth and dared to declare it. For the multitude of
quiet and gracious souls whose presence has purified and sanctified the
world. And for those known and loved by us, who have passed from this
earthly fellowship into the fuller light of life with you. Amen.
Jesus said, ‘whoever loses his life for my sake will find it’ Matt 10:39.
Tertullian the second century church father wrote ‘The blood of the
martyrs is the seed of the church.’ The following prayers of martyrs
challenge and encourage us today.
Lord God Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You gave strength
to your prophets and your holy apostles. You gave strength to your holy
martyrs. May you also give strength to us and protect us from harm. Take
our souls to yourself with our faces unashamed. To you be glory, and to
your beloved and holy Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, forever and
ever. Amen. Paese The Copt
Lord we beseech you to help and defend us. Deliver the oppressed, pity the poor, uplift those who have fallen, be the portion of those in need, return to your care those who have gone astray, feed the hungry, strengthen the weak, and break the chains of the prisoners. May all people come to know that you only are God, that Jesus Christ is your child and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture. Clement of Rome
May God the Father and the everliving high priest Jesus Christ, strengthen us in faith, truth and love; and give to us our portion among the saints with all those who trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for all saints, for kings and governors, for the enemies of the cross of Christ and for ourselves. We pray that our fruit may abound and that we might be made complete in Jesus Christ our Lord. Polycarp of Smyrna
Additional Material
Mercy
Mercy imitates God and disappoints Satan. -- John Chrysostom
David Sheppard,the Bishop of Liverpool wrote a book entitled 'Bias to the Poor.' It reflected his belief that God had a special concern for the disadvantaged who received a rough deal from society. Poor people have worse health and a correspondingly shorter life span, they have less choice and often find themselves trapped in difficult circumstances. The passages from the readings set for today remind us that God does have a 'bias towards the poor'. Jesus spent his time with the tax collectors and the sinners rather than the religious people we would have expected. It was considered that he expressed dreadfully bad taste in the company he kept. However, God has special concern for people who find themselves at the edges of society, the foreigner, the poor, the rejected and unloved. God wants us to treat each other the way he demonstrates in his love for us.
Prayers
Lord, you have taught us that all our doings without love are nothing worth:
send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of
love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives
is counted dead before you. Grant this for your only Son Jesus Christ’s
sake, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and for ever.
Teach us, O Lord, to love you, to trust you and for ever to praise you.
Let us exalt your name both in the day and in the night. Let us serve you
both in the house of prayer and in the world about us. Let us ascribe to you
with all your saints both wisdom and majesty, both honour and glory, world
without end. Amen. Henry Vaughan, 1621-1695
Our loving Father, we give thanks for your goodness and love; for the
joy of home and family, and the companionship of friends and neighbours; for
the strength that supports us and the love that surrounds us, both when our
joy is complete and when it is touched by pain. We give thanks for your Son
Jesus Christ: the glory of his humble birth, the graciousness of his
selfless life, the obedience and trust that led him to the cross, and the
triumph of his resurrection and ascension. We give thanks for your Holy
Spirit at work in your Church and in our hearts, revealing your truth,
renewing our lives, and bringing us to your eternal Kingdom. Alexander
Siatwinda, Zambia/Halifax
Hymns
- Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness 529
- Give thanks 170 (After communion)
- There’s a sound on the wind 681
- Make me a channel of your peace 456
- Rejoice the Lord is king 575
- We rest on thee, 735
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Praise my lord the King of heaven
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Shine Jesus Shine
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Wide, wide as the ocean
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Amazing Grace
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Great is thy faithfulness