Enough, but of what? (Pentecost 3)

Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:8

The Holy Gospel according to Matthew, the ninth chapter.  

Glory to you, O Lord!

35Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

10:1Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 9Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 

12As you enter the house, greet it. 13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 

16“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

The Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to you, O Christ!

Plenty, but of what?

It feels like we’re interrupting something in all three scriptures today. 

In Exodus, Moses and the Israelites were camping out at the base of Mt. Sinai. They left Egypt ate manna, and though Moses went up to the Lord on Mt. Sinai, they won’t receive the 10 Commandments for a little while yet. 

Paul begins this passage with the phrase “Since we are justified by faith…”. This being Paul, we arrive at the beginning of Chapter Five knowing that Paul spent the entire first four chapters of this letter setting up all that follows “Since”. But what does it mean to be justified? What is this faith? Where does it come from?

Jesus went around cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news, curing illnesses and casting out demons — but who is this they, anyway? What’s the deal with laborers and harvests? What in the world is Jesus doing sending his disciples out alone with next to nothing like sheep among wolves? 

Honestly, it’s been a whole world of interruptions lately. 

We’re in the middle of graduations and new beginnings for those graduates and their families. We’re are in the middle of breakups and heartache. We’re in the middle between active addiction and recovery. We’re in the middle the latest test or screening and receiving the results. And sometimes, it just feels like we’re in the middle of the water, treading for all we’re worth.

My own family’s in the middle this week. On Wednesday morning I’ll fly to South Carolina to pick up my aunt and drive her to our house to live with us, and my br