Proper 7
Preaching
PREACHING MATTHEW'S GOSPEL
A Narrative Approach
The Gospel assigned for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost comes out of the heart of Matthew 10. Last week's text brought us through Chapter 10:23. In the optional verses from 10:9-23 we heard Jesus give additional words of instruction for the disciples as they are set to carry out their mission to Israel. In 10:16-23 there begins a section of Jesus' call and commissioning that portends a mission that will be very difficult. The disciples will be delivered up to councils, flogged in synagogues, dragged before ruling authorities, betrayed by members of their own family, and hated by everyone because of the name of Jesus. These verses are of one piece with this week's assigned text: 10:24-33. It would be wise to include these verses from Proper 6 with the assigned verses for Proper 7 in developing this week's sermon.
Matthew 8 and 9 have set before us the reality that Jesus called persons to follow him: 8:18-22; 9:9. In chapter 10 the focus is on Jesus' call to the disciples for a mission to Israel. We have set forth an outline of Matthew's Gospel that sees Matthew 4:17--16:20 as "The Ministry of Jesus to Israel and Israel's Repudiation of Jesus." Matthew 5-7 set forth the words of Jesus' ministry. Chapters 8-9 focus on Jesus' deeds of ministry. Now the disciples are called to engage in a ministry of word and deed to Israel. With this call come the verses for this week which indicate clearly that Israel will repudiate Jesus' ministry. Actual stories of Israel's repudiation fill the pages of the latter part of this section of Matthew's Gospel, chapters 11-16.
To conclude, in the first half of the second part of his story (4:17--11:1) Matthew tells of the ministry of Jesus to Israel and, in conjunction with this, of the call of the disciples and of their mission to Israel. In calling disciples, Jesus creates a new community described as a brotherhood of the sons of God and of the disciples of Jesus. The purpose of this new community is to engage in missionary activity (4:18-22)...commissioned to preach and to heal in Israel, the disciples receive instructions that portend intense conflict for them and that present this first mission as foreshadowing in numerous particulars the later mission they will undertake to the Gentiles (9:35--10:42).1
Elsewhere Jack Kingsbury writes that, though Matthew gives us this story of the call of the disciples and their commission to Israel, he nowhere mentions the departure of the disciples for this mission nor their return.
Accordingly, by stating at the outset of the discourse that Jesus "sent out" the Twelve and yet remaining silent at the conclusion about any actual departure of the disciples, Matthew achieves two objectives: on the one hand, he leads the reader to assume that the disciples did undertake...a ministry to Israel (10:5); and on the other hand, he spares himself the need to take note of any return of the disciples from ministry and hence avoids contradicting the notion that their missionary work in Israel will not have ended until Jesus shall have returned at the Parousia (10:23).2
There is a sense of unresolved tension regarding this mission of the disciples to Israel. Kingsbury's suggestion is that this mission is to be continued to the Parousia. This continuation of discipleship would, therefore, land in our lap! The commission is still valid. Disciples are still needed. There are still lost sheep in the house of Israel.
It is certainly clear from the instructions of Jesus in these verses that the church of Matthew's time was a suffering church. Matthew sees the call to discipleship as a call to suffer as the Lord has suffered. There is little glory here! These are hard words for us to hear today. Is suffering always the mark of Christian discipleship? Is that Jesus' message to us in Matthew's story?
The appointed text begins with the notation that the disciple is not above the master. If the master is accused of having a demon (9:34), the disciples of the master will be likewise maligned. Jesus paints a tough picture of discipleship. But discipleship is not an impossible task. The Spirit of the Father (10:20) will empower the speaking forth of the disciple. This is, by the way, the only reference in Matthew's Gospel to the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the disciples.
Jesus' strongest word of assurance to the disciples called to a mission task marked by suffering is "Fear not." Three times Jesus repeats this word of comfort: 10:26, 28, 31. We need not fear the call to make known the word Jesus has revealed to us in the dark. We need not fear those who can only harm our body. They cannot harm our ultimate relationship with God. We need not fear when we know that God even takes care of the cheapest item in the marketplace: a sparrow. Furthermore, those who acknowledge God will be acknowledged by God.
Homiletical Directions
The narrative connections for today's text are not strong. Matthew 10 stands somewhat on its own in its presentation of Jesus' call to the disciples and his words of solace concerning their mission. You may, therefore, wish to confine yourself to the text this week and speak of the nature of God's call. There is a strong word here that can ring throughout your sermon as a word of hope. Fear not! With Jesus' call to go and to suffer and to be hated, there comes also this repeated word of hope and encouragement.
It is clear that this call of Jesus to discipleship is a call that takes place under the sign of the cross. Disciples will suffer. They will suffer as their master suffered. Three times in Matthew Jesus announces the suffering that will come upon himself: 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19. Chapters 26-27 of Matthew's Gospel are devoted to the story of the final suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. This presents us with a homiletical possibility. Make suffering the theme of the various aspects of this week's Gospel text as you tell it forth. Go on to note that Jesus proclaimed the suffering that was to come his way in a series of passion predictions. Tell a part of the story of Jesus' suffering as presented in Matthew's version of the passion story. Jesus suffered. A disciple is not above his master. We, too, will suffer. We, too, are called to take up the cross in following Jesus (10:38). We are called upon to lose our life in order to find it. See 10:39; 16:24-26. The call to discipleship is a call to suffering.
A word of proclamation for a sermon filled with the story of our suffering in the image of our Savior might go like this: "What Jesus is saying to us through this story today is: 'Go. Bear witness to the words and deeds of my ministry (10:5-8). I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves (10:16). I send you out to join me in my suffering. Human institutions will malign you. You will be hated for my sake. But, fear not. I have walked this path of suffering before you.
'Fear not. I will walk with you as you suffer in the present for my name's sake.
'Fear not. I will walk with you in a future beyond suffering. When you lose your life for my sake you find that you gain a life that is eternal.
'Fear not.' Amen."
____________
1. Jack Dean Kingsbury, Matthew As Story (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988), p. 136.
2. Ibid., p. 71.
Matthew 8 and 9 have set before us the reality that Jesus called persons to follow him: 8:18-22; 9:9. In chapter 10 the focus is on Jesus' call to the disciples for a mission to Israel. We have set forth an outline of Matthew's Gospel that sees Matthew 4:17--16:20 as "The Ministry of Jesus to Israel and Israel's Repudiation of Jesus." Matthew 5-7 set forth the words of Jesus' ministry. Chapters 8-9 focus on Jesus' deeds of ministry. Now the disciples are called to engage in a ministry of word and deed to Israel. With this call come the verses for this week which indicate clearly that Israel will repudiate Jesus' ministry. Actual stories of Israel's repudiation fill the pages of the latter part of this section of Matthew's Gospel, chapters 11-16.
To conclude, in the first half of the second part of his story (4:17--11:1) Matthew tells of the ministry of Jesus to Israel and, in conjunction with this, of the call of the disciples and of their mission to Israel. In calling disciples, Jesus creates a new community described as a brotherhood of the sons of God and of the disciples of Jesus. The purpose of this new community is to engage in missionary activity (4:18-22)...commissioned to preach and to heal in Israel, the disciples receive instructions that portend intense conflict for them and that present this first mission as foreshadowing in numerous particulars the later mission they will undertake to the Gentiles (9:35--10:42).1
Elsewhere Jack Kingsbury writes that, though Matthew gives us this story of the call of the disciples and their commission to Israel, he nowhere mentions the departure of the disciples for this mission nor their return.
Accordingly, by stating at the outset of the discourse that Jesus "sent out" the Twelve and yet remaining silent at the conclusion about any actual departure of the disciples, Matthew achieves two objectives: on the one hand, he leads the reader to assume that the disciples did undertake...a ministry to Israel (10:5); and on the other hand, he spares himself the need to take note of any return of the disciples from ministry and hence avoids contradicting the notion that their missionary work in Israel will not have ended until Jesus shall have returned at the Parousia (10:23).2
There is a sense of unresolved tension regarding this mission of the disciples to Israel. Kingsbury's suggestion is that this mission is to be continued to the Parousia. This continuation of discipleship would, therefore, land in our lap! The commission is still valid. Disciples are still needed. There are still lost sheep in the house of Israel.
It is certainly clear from the instructions of Jesus in these verses that the church of Matthew's time was a suffering church. Matthew sees the call to discipleship as a call to suffer as the Lord has suffered. There is little glory here! These are hard words for us to hear today. Is suffering always the mark of Christian discipleship? Is that Jesus' message to us in Matthew's story?
The appointed text begins with the notation that the disciple is not above the master. If the master is accused of having a demon (9:34), the disciples of the master will be likewise maligned. Jesus paints a tough picture of discipleship. But discipleship is not an impossible task. The Spirit of the Father (10:20) will empower the speaking forth of the disciple. This is, by the way, the only reference in Matthew's Gospel to the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the disciples.
Jesus' strongest word of assurance to the disciples called to a mission task marked by suffering is "Fear not." Three times Jesus repeats this word of comfort: 10:26, 28, 31. We need not fear the call to make known the word Jesus has revealed to us in the dark. We need not fear those who can only harm our body. They cannot harm our ultimate relationship with God. We need not fear when we know that God even takes care of the cheapest item in the marketplace: a sparrow. Furthermore, those who acknowledge God will be acknowledged by God.
Homiletical Directions
The narrative connections for today's text are not strong. Matthew 10 stands somewhat on its own in its presentation of Jesus' call to the disciples and his words of solace concerning their mission. You may, therefore, wish to confine yourself to the text this week and speak of the nature of God's call. There is a strong word here that can ring throughout your sermon as a word of hope. Fear not! With Jesus' call to go and to suffer and to be hated, there comes also this repeated word of hope and encouragement.
It is clear that this call of Jesus to discipleship is a call that takes place under the sign of the cross. Disciples will suffer. They will suffer as their master suffered. Three times in Matthew Jesus announces the suffering that will come upon himself: 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19. Chapters 26-27 of Matthew's Gospel are devoted to the story of the final suffering and crucifixion of Jesus. This presents us with a homiletical possibility. Make suffering the theme of the various aspects of this week's Gospel text as you tell it forth. Go on to note that Jesus proclaimed the suffering that was to come his way in a series of passion predictions. Tell a part of the story of Jesus' suffering as presented in Matthew's version of the passion story. Jesus suffered. A disciple is not above his master. We, too, will suffer. We, too, are called to take up the cross in following Jesus (10:38). We are called upon to lose our life in order to find it. See 10:39; 16:24-26. The call to discipleship is a call to suffering.
A word of proclamation for a sermon filled with the story of our suffering in the image of our Savior might go like this: "What Jesus is saying to us through this story today is: 'Go. Bear witness to the words and deeds of my ministry (10:5-8). I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves (10:16). I send you out to join me in my suffering. Human institutions will malign you. You will be hated for my sake. But, fear not. I have walked this path of suffering before you.
'Fear not. I will walk with you as you suffer in the present for my name's sake.
'Fear not. I will walk with you in a future beyond suffering. When you lose your life for my sake you find that you gain a life that is eternal.
'Fear not.' Amen."
____________
1. Jack Dean Kingsbury, Matthew As Story (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988), p. 136.
2. Ibid., p. 71.
