Sermon on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

Focus:Just as the sower sowed seeds all over the place, we can trust that good news can be found all around us and join in tending the soil.

Function:This sermon will encourage hearers to look for good news wherever they go.

By the time of our Gospel reading, it seems that Jesus was getting popular. So many people came to hear him speak that he got into a boat so he could address everyone on the beach.

It might seem like Jesus had arrived—if it were happening today, he would probably have paparazzi following him around.

But just as it tends to happen today, when someone gets a big enough audience, they also get a lot of pushback.

As we talked about last week, people who had been complaining that John the Baptist was a party pooper were now giving Jesus the side-eye for being a party animal.

Then, some religious leaders were upset because Jesus’ disciples picked themselves a snack on the Sabbath and then Jesus healed a man also on the Sabbath. And they weren’t just complaining about that behavior—they started to plot his downfall. They started spreading the idea that Jesus was acting through the power of demons.

Right before our reading, Jesus was talking to some crowds, and his family members were waiting outside to speak with him. He then asked the messenger, “’Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ And pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’”

We don’t know what his family wanted to talk to him about. Maybe they wanted him to stop saying things that would get him in trouble or reflect badly on them. Maybe they wanted special treatment. Maybe they just wanted to say hi. But it can’t have been easy for them to hear what Jesus said. Jesus wasn’t just making enemies of some religious leaders—he was saying things that were hard to hear even for his own loved ones.

Right after that, our reading begins with Jesus leaving the house and sitting by the sea, and then getting into a boat to address the huge crowds in parables.

Jesus was popular but also getting negative attention.

This parable of the sower was the first in a series of parables, which we’ll be looking at for the rest of July. The rest of them are explicitly about the “kingdom of heaven,” and this one is about how that message is received.

It’s like Jesus was explaining to everyone why he was receiving pushback:

·       Some people just wouldn’t understand,

·       some would give up at the first sign of trouble,

·       some would get distracted by the practicalities of daily life,

·       but some would embrace the kingdom of heaven

For the crowds, it was enough to know to expect these reactions—why they were so moved by Jesus’ teachings and others were hostile.

But then, Jesus went deeper with his closest disciples.They came to him asking about parables, and Jesus explained to them the parable of the sower.

Where the crowds could rest in the knowledge that Jesus’ message would be received differently, Jesus was inviting his disciples into a deeper message.

Yes, people would have different reactions, and also, Jesus’ disciples would bear fruit. This parable isn’t about sorting out the “chosen few” versus those who didn’t make the cut. It’s realistic that not everyone is going to be receptive, but those who aregrow into the ecosystem of the kingdom of heaven.

They embody the vision in Isaiah of “shalom,” God’s peace that goes far beyond lack of war.Humanity and creation will be in harmony—everything will dance with joy, what is prickly will become lush, and everything will be fruitful and nourishing.

Jesus gave the disciples the understanding they asked for so that they could not only recognize the different reactions to Jesus’ words but help create richer soil.

By living out the kingdom of heaven here on earth, they would participate in showing glimpses of what its fulfillment will look like. By following Jesus’ example and feeding the hungry, having compassion on the suffering, and creating a community of love, they would make earth a little more as it is in heaven. They would cocreate with God richer soil for the seeds to land on.

Without that invitation to discipleship, it’s easy to look at this parable and try to type ourselves.

Maybe weread it and pat ourselves on the back for showing up at church on Sundays.Maybe we even find ourselves judging “Christmas and Easter Christians” as one of the other soils.

We can find ourselves longing for the packed Sunday school rooms of the past and feeling some distress about the young families in our lives who don’t belong to a church.

It’s understandable to feel that grief and concern for people and congregations we love.

Or maybe we read the parable and judge ourselves harshly, wondering if we have truly weathered difficult circumstances or would wither if greater hardship came our way. Or we think of how much time we spend worrying about money and wonder if our faith is being choked by “the cares of this age and the lure of wealth.”

Now I love a good personality test, but the parable of the sowerisn’t about telling us where we were sown or what kind of soil we are.

If anything, I think we have the potential for any or all of these reactions to Jesus’ message throughout our lives.

Who among us hasn’t been perplexed by something in Scripture and felt like we’re just not getting it, as if we almost figured out something profound only to have it snatched away?

Who among us hasn’t heard an inspiring speaker or been caught up in the emotion of a beautiful hymn or worship song and felt like we would be different from now on, only to wake up the next morning and go about our business as usual?

Who among us hasn’t ever gotten caught up in the cares of this world or worried about money?

And finally, who among us hasn’t ever noticed God at work—whether something truly miraculous or simply being moved by a sunset or a tender act of friendship.

We have the potential for all of it on any given week.The point isn’t to categorize ourselves or others.

Since Jesus called it “the parable of the sower” in his explanation to his disciples, let’s remember that the sower sowed seed all over the place. He didn’t reserve the seeds only for the good soil. He threw handfuls everywhere.

We have a God of abundance and a Savior who wanted his message spread far and wide. The Good News is everywhere: that God loves this world God created, that God created each and every human being (including you!) in God’s image, that God is on the side of the suffering, powerless, and marginalized, that God loved us enough to become human and experience the fullness of the human experience, and that God will reconcile all things, bringing God’s shalom to the world.

When the conditions are right, these truths will root and grow. God’s word will not return empty but will water and nourish the earth.

We followers of Jesus get to notice that happening, and maybe God will use us to increase the good soil around us. Thanks be to God, we don’t have to be perfect—just do our best with the Holy Spirit’s help to be kind and generous and loving and honest, including about where we need God’s grace.

It may not make us popular, and it will likely bring about some pushback, but just as Jesus was dedicated to spreading his message of God’s shalom far and wide, we can help bring glimpses of that peace.

God’s peace be with you, wherever you go.

Sermon on Matthew 10:24-39

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

In the movie, Life of Brian, by the British comedy group Monty Python, a man named Brian who was born the same night as Jesus keeps getting mistaken for the Messiah.

There’s a scene where he’s walking through a busy town, and there’s a line of people asking, “Alms for a leper!” And then, he passes a man who says, “Alms for an ex-leper!” and he does a double take.

It turns out this man had been cured by Jesus, but he’s upset because “One minute [he’s] a leper with a trade, next minute [his] livelihood's gone.”

After he follows the perplexed and irritated Brian for quite some way and goes at length into his story, saying he didn’t want to be a leper again but maybe“if [Jesus] could make [him] a bit lame in one leg during the middle of the week. You know, something beggable, but not leprosy,” Brian finally gives him a coin in hopes he will go away.

The man exclaims, “Half a denary for me bloody life story?”

Brian shakes his head and says, “There's no pleasing some people.”

The man responds, “That's just what Jesus said, sir!”

Indeed, there’s just no pleasing some people. That pretty much sums up the opening of our Gospel reading today.

Right before it, John the Baptist sent some of his disciples to see if Jesus was the real deal, because he was in prison and couldn’t go himself. After telling those disciples to share with John about all of the healing and new life theywitnessed, Jesus started talking to the crowds about John.

He confirmed that John was the one who was to prepare the way—the Elijah figure who would announce the coming Messiah.Jesus insisted, “Let anyone with ears listen!”

Then, he turned to the crowds following him and basically said, “There’s no pleasing some people!”

People complained that John was a party pooper.

Then, they complained that Jesus was a party animal.

They were too busy judging John and Jesus to see God at work right in front of them.

There’s just no pleasing some people.

That’s a good summary of modern life too, isn’t it?

Whether it’s politics, celebrity culture, or just someone posting an opinion online, someone’s going to be upset. There’ll probably be some name-calling. Someone might get canceled. Someone else will probably make a profit.

There’s a sense of outrage in the ethos. Often it seems overblown. Sometimes it seems justified, especially if it’s outrage on behalf of vulnerable or marginalized neighbors.

But either way, there’s just no pleasing some people. And sometimes “some people” is us.

Why? Because we’re fallible human beings, full of hurt and ego and limited understanding and bias—and everyone else is too.

Paul gives us what I think is one of the most accurate depictions of human nature in his letter to the Romans:

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

How very human.

How often do I resolve to do better—to be better—and fail the very next moment?

How often do I lose my temper or say the thing I know will hurt someone I love or lack the courage to tell the truth that needs to be said?

How often do I fail to live up to the ideals I aspire to?

Every day. Every hour. All the time.

There’s just no pleasing some people. Me, especially.

How about you? Do you fail to do what you want and do the very thing you hate?

How very human of us.

Fortunately, our Savior, who’s 100% human as well as 100% divine, knows this about us. He didn’t say, “There’s just no pleasing some people,” and storm off in a huff, giving up on humanity entirely. Thank God.

Instead, he turned from his frustration with the crowds to prayer. Maybe not a bad strategy when we feel that there’s just no pleasing some people. Jesus prayed, thanking God for hiding divine mysteries from the smart people and revealing them to the childlike. Maybe those of us who are so hard to please are the ones who think we’ve grown out ofwonder, awe, joy, and delight.

Maybe it’s hard to please people who think they have it all figured out.

It’s a lot easier to please people who are open to new ideas and experiences, who expect that the world might surprise them still.

Our Buddhist siblings talk about “beginner’s mind” in meditation: the technique of trying to come to each sitting as if it were the first time—open, curious, without comparison with the last time, without expectation of any particular results. There’s spiritual wisdom there that I have a hard time putting into words, but what would it be like if more people approached the world with beginner’s mind?

Maybe we’d be easier to please.

Maybe that’s part of what Jesus meant at the end of our reading when he invited all who are weary to come to him and rest.

Maybe the world feels lighter when we lay down our expectations, our disappointments, and whatever makes us difficult to please.

Jesus could have become jaded and cynical because of people’s double standard with him and John the Baptist. But he didn’t.

He held onto his ideals and stayed true to his mission.

He continued to proclaim the Beloved Community despite his detractors.

When he was faced with the might of the Roman Empire, he didn’t enter Jerusalem riding a warhorse and commanding an army. Instead, as Zechariah put it, he was “humble and riding on a donkey” followed by a small band of confused fisherman and tax collectors.

Instead of dominating and amassing earthly power, he came to spread God’s inclusion, peace, justice, and love.

Jesus held onto his ideals, and so should we.

On this Independence Day weekend with its especially significant 250th anniversary, I’ve been thinking about this country’s ideals and where they match or at least rhyme with Jesus’ ideals.

Our Zechariah reading with a king riding on a donkey reminded me of George Washington’s reputed humility. He set the precedent for being referred to as “Mr. President” instead of a more grandiose title, and he had the wisdom to not run for re-election after two terms, opening the way for new leadership.

The founders set up beautiful ideals like “freedom of religion,” which keeps us from having a state sponsored religion and allows us and all of our neighbors to express our gloriously diverse faith traditions.

The Statue of Liberty has Emma Lazarus’s poem “The New Colossus” inscribed on its pedestal, reminding us that we are an eclectic country that says to the world, “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” It doesn’t sound dissimilar to Jesus saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

It’s important to note that the US doesn’t always live up to its ideals, just as Christianity often doesn’t live up to Jesus’ ideals, because we’re humans, and “[we] do not do what [we] want, but[we] do the very thing [we] hate.”

It’s why we need each other to keep us accountable to upholding the ideals of our country and continue the American Experiment.

It’s why we as Christians need God to teach us and to offer us grace each and every time we fail.

And with the power of the Holy Spirit, each and every time we fail, we can try again to live out the ideals of God’s Beloved Communitythat Jesus worked for, despite his detractors.

There may be no pleasing some people, but that won’t stop us from following Jesus’ example and trying to live out God’s inclusion, peace, justice, and love.

Offer the Cup-Pastor Brad Stienstra

Matt. 10:40-42

6/28/26

Perhaps as you sit here now in the familiar space of the sanctuary in your much-loved church home, you are completely unaware of how closely your congregation is following the teaching of Jesus found in this morning’s gospel. Maybe it has become second nature to you here over the years, and therefore something you don’t have to talk about much, but let me take a moment to point out that your behavior toward me thus far is worthy of commendation. Just as the members of the early church in Matthew’s time were urged to do when they were confronted in their worship service with the presence of a weird-looking traveling preacher, you have chosen to greet me with warm hospitality. Not only metaphorically, but literally, I have received from you the appropriate gesture of welcome Jesus outlined as appropriate in such cases. A number of you went out of your way to offer not just a polite hello but to ask if there was anything I needed, if I would like some water. You indicated by this simple act that you wanted me to be comfortable and to feel accepted as I perform the ministry of bringing God’s word of grace to this campus where I have never before set foot. Somewhere along the way, you have clearly learned the lesson and taken it to heart that it matters that care is offered, because in the person of a disciple of Jesus, the presence and power of the Lord is embodied. So, in faithful obedience to Jesus, you have become cup bearers to me. In doing this, you have not only opened yourselves up to the blessing of receiving the Christ in the words I speak and the sacrament I am here to share with you, but you offer Jesus, too. You show that you have a firm grasp on the important truth that you also are called to this work that has been given to the whole church and not just to the clergy. What we are to remember is that, as ill-considered as it might appear at first, it is the plan of God that each believer is granted a role in representing, or maybe we might better say re-presenting, the ministry of the Savior of the whole world. And it is those exemplary folks who intentionally live out this understanding who have a chance to make resurrection life real for each person they encounter – not only for those who summon up the courage to walk through the church doors, but also for those who seldom dare to entertain the thought of doing such a scary thing. In the gospel reading I think Jesus is celebrating cup bearers who understand they aren’t just supposed to engage in welcoming preachers. He encourages all who would be his followers to open their eyes to the potential that every human being carries inside. He would like his church to be as attentive to those who are in need of care as he is, because that is how his work can continue to be done in the world. One man I heard about not long ago seems to have embodied the importance of maintaining this outward focus. He had recently purchased a fitness center. His dream was to better the lives of those who paid for his expert services, making each of them stronger and healthier by guiding them through individually designed training regimes. He fully expected that his business would soon thrive as word spread through the neighborhood of what he had to offer and how hard he was willing to work to make it possible for his customers to reach their goals. But that was not how things appeared to be going. The economic environment was proving even tougher than his most pessimistic projections. In spite of getting to the fitness center by 6 each morning and staying until 9 or 10 at night, Monday through Sunday, his business was making little headway, and he had a lot of time on his hands to worry about what he was going to do to avoid having to close the place down. He couldn’t seem to think about anything other than his own troubles, because they hounded him throughout the long, mostly unproductive hours of his day. The only moment of peace to which he could actually look forward in what was becoming an otherwise depressing routine was right after he unlocked the doors each morning. Since it was still too early for any of his handful of regular customers, he had time to make himself a cup of coffee and then take it out into the small yard behind the building to drink it in the solitude provided by the still slumbering neighborhood. However, even that rare time off from his worries was disturbed one day when he discovered a young man sleeping in an old car that had long ago been abandoned on the property. He immediately walked over to the car and knocked forcefully on the window to rouse the trespasser and send him on his way, fully expecting that he would quickly move on, never to be a problem again. But the next morning, there he was again, asleep in the same spot. Once more the owner of the fitness club pounded on the window and shooed the intruder from the yard. This exercise soon became an unwanted additonal part of the morning ritual as the young stranger stubbornly continued to seek the relative safety of the abandoned car to sleep off the hangover from yet another night of binge drinking. Getting tired of dealing with this added problem after a full week of having his wishes ignored, the owner of the property, who could make himself very physically intimidating, was just about to take more aggressive, hands-on action when he suddenly remembered the values with which he had been raised and stopped himself right before angrily putting his elbow through the glass of the window. Taking a deep breath, he instead walked slowly back into the building, where he made another cup of coffee, this one for his young trespasser. He then returned to the car, awakened his “guest,” presented the coffee to him, and gently began a conversation instead of running him off. He inquired into his story, learning about the many burdens this stranger had been suffering under for the last few years. Over the next days of ongoing chats over a cup of coffee, a relationship started to develop between them. The business owner took the homeless young man under his wing. Forgetting his own problems for a while, he bought him some clothes, helped him find a job, and made sure he had a safe place to stay. While all this effort was appreciated, it didn’t bring about an immediate happy ending. Bouts of drinking and other setbacks didn’t magically cease. Each of these many disappointments caused the frustrated fitness center owner to contemplate drawing a line in the sand and telling the younger man this was his last chance. At least weekly, he would hear himself loudly declare that if the young man messed up again, he was done trying to help him. But he never could bring himself to act on his ultimatums. Instead, he persisted in his attempt to follow Jesus’ teaching about being a bearer of a cup of hospitality. And this determination to care, to meet this troubled person where he was with the patient encouragement to become something new finally made the difference. A very slow to unfold miracle began to take place – far outside the church’s walls – and today a greatly changed person is now a fully contributing member of the community. Without it ever being identified as a goal, he has even found his way into the assembly of believers – all because of a man who remembered he was chosen by God to be a cup bearer to those who were thirsty for the water of life. I wonder about the difference we could make in the world if we, too, lived each of our days in a way that offered welcome and caring to those who cross paths with us outside these walls where Jesus comes every Sunday with the cup of blessing for us. He still wants to be present for every one of God’s created children, and it is in the person of each of you that such a glorious thing can begin to happen. All it takes is your willingness simply to be as hospitable to others as you have been with me, providing them with a taste of the Easter life that is yours. Amen.