The Better Part

Matthew 14.13-21 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Over the past few weeks, we listened to Jesus teaching the people in parables so that we could think about what the Kingdom of God is like. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus is finished with teaching. Now he shows us what the Kingdom of God is like. At the beginning of the Gospel, Jesus rows away in a boat by himself. He wants some quiet time alone. But the people in the town figure out where he is going. They know

Matthew 14.13-21 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection For four weeks now we have thought about parables. Parables cause us to do a lot of work! We have to think about what more Jesus means. In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus does not tell us a parable. He is finished talking. Now he acts. And still we have to think about what this all means. At the beginning of the Gospel, Jesus learns that his cousin, John the Baptist, has been killed. He wants some time alone, so he r

Matthew 14.13-21 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection Each Gospel reading for the last four weeks has been filled with parables. Our heads swim in parables! In fact last week, in considering the parable of the Kingdom of God like a net that was thrown into the sea...we thought, we swim in it, right now! How can this be? This week, Jesus is through with parables (for now). He is finished talking. Now he acts. Jesus performs a miracle. Miracles, we know, are signs of the Ki

Matthew 13.44-52 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus again tells three parables, just like last week! He must really like telling parables. He knows that listening to parables helps us to think about the Kingdom of God. Last week, when there were three parables, we thought about the middle parable—the Parable of the Mustard Seed, that teeny-tiny seed that somehow grows and changes into a tree! This week, let's again look at the middle

Matthew 13.44-52 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus still tells parables! He knows that people enjoy listening to parables, these stories that are both interesting and somewhat strange. They help us consider the Kingdom of God and what it could be like. Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” The Kingdom of

Matthew 13.44-52 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus again gives us three parables. Three parables and then an instruction that sounds like yet another parable. Perhaps he thinks we can handle all this! Let's think about what he can mean. Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash Jesus begins with two parables that sound very similar:, “The kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his

Matthew 13.31-32 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection (Adults, the Gospel this week is quite long and considers three of Jesus' parables. This reflection focuses on the parable that is sandwiched in the middle: the Parable of the Mustard Seed—an essential parable regarding the mystery of life.) In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells three parables. We know that parables make us think. They are stories that Jesus tells to help us understand something very important. Th

Matthew 13.24-43 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection (Adults, begin by reading the Gospel aloud to the child, unless the child is a very fluent reader. It is a long Gospel, and a little troubling. But there is Good News!) In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus tells three more parables by the Sea of Galilee: two short parables caught between a longer one and its explanation. The two short parables may satisfy us. He tells the parable of the Mustard Seed, that impossibly ti

Matthew 13.24-43 Listen here to the Gospel and Reflection For the third Sunday in a row, Jesus talks about farming and sowing. Two weeks ago, we heard about taking his yoke, and we considered ploughing the earth to make ready the soil for sowing. Last week, we heard about the sower who flings wide the grain so that all the earth might produce wheat. This week we hear three parables: 1) the sower of the Wheat and the sower of the Weeds; 2) the person who sows a mustard seed; 3

Matthew 13.1-9 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection At the beginning of the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear Jesus head down to the lake near the house he is staying at. So many people come to hear him speak, they crowd the beach. Jesus really wants them to hear what he has to say, but he cannot see all of them when they crowd around, and they cannot all see him. What will he do? Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he g

Matthew 13.1-9 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection At the beginning of the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear Jesus leave the house he is staying at to go sit by the water of the Sea of Galilee. Not much time passes before a crowd of people gather on the beach, too. His words do that—they gather people around him. People want to hear more; they want to know more. Jesus has a parable to tell them, a mystery for them to think about. But how can they all hear crowded about on the b

Matthew 13.1-9 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection The Gospel for this Sunday has some great visuals. As we listen, we can imagine ourselves somewhere in the scene. Jesus leaves the house where he has been staying, and heads down to the beach by the Sea of Galilee. He only sits for a moment before people start to gather. They always come. This would tire most people out, but Jesus does not show it. He is so generous with his time. He will give the people what they want. A boa

Matthew 11.25-30 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday, we listened to Jesus tell his disciples how important children are, how people need children so that they can welcome Jesus, how God needs children so that God can feel comfortable in everyone's home. This Sunday, Jesus speaks about children again. Jesus says, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants'

Matthew 11.25-30 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear an invitation and a promise. Jesus speaks to a crowd of people. The disciples are there, and some Pharisees. The rest of the crowd are ordinary people. Sinners, mostly. Jesus speaks to all the people gathered, inviting them to, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” We wonder what the people think when they hear this. Perhaps they

Matthew 11.25-30 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus speaks of carrying burdens. He knows people work hard. He knows they tire. At first, it seems Jesus offers a trade, one burden for another: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is

Matthew 10.37-42 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday we heard Jesus tell the disciples that they are more special than sparrows. We remember that disciples are people who follow Jesus and learn from him. Jesus wants the disciples to go out to teach more people, so that those people can follow and learn, too. We wonder if the disciples feel uncomfortable about going out to teach, away from Jesus. They know people want Jesus, not them. In the Gospel reading for this

Matthew 10.37-42 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday, when we heard Jesus preparing his disciples to go out to teach about the Kingdom of God, we thought about the right order of things. First, Jesus speaks and we listen. Then, we go out to tell the world what we have heard. In this way, we are prophets. This week Jesus continues to prepare his disciples to go out as prophets, and again he speaks about the right order of things. Whoever loves father or mother more

Matthew 10.37-42 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Last Sunday, when we heard Jesus preparing his disciples to go out to teach, we thought about the fortitude needed to build the Kingdom of God. In the Gospel this week, Jesus continues with his instructions, and as he does so, he repeats one word over and over. “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s

Matthew 10.26-33 (for the youngest children, simply verses 29-31) Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that Jesus has many disciples. Disciples are people who follow Jesus and learn from him. Jesus teaches them, but he also sends them out with a buddy so that they can tell other people about the Kingdom of God. In the reading for this Sunday, Jesus prepares his disciples to go out. Some of them worry about going away from Jesus. Two times he tells them to have no fear—

Matthew 10.26-33 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection In the reading for this Sunday, Jesus prepares his disciples to go out into the world to tell people about the Kingdom of God. Some of the disciples worry, though. What will they say to the people? What will the people think? Jesus says, nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. A great force reveals truth to the world. Truth covered up, gets uncovered. Truth kept in se

Matthew 10.26-33 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection This Sunday, we hear Jesus preparing his disciples to go out into the world to spread the Good News about the Kingdom of God. It seems like a kind of pep talk, to get them pumped up before they go out. Why do the disciples need such encouragement? Three times Jesus tells the disciples not to be afraid: So have no fear of them... Do not fear those... So do not be afraid... Let's face it, those disciples are afraid. They are

Matthew 9.36 - 10.8 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection Wherever Jesus goes, people follow—crowds of people, so many people! They want so much to be near him. They want to listen to what he says. In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear how Jesus feels about these crowds of people who come to him. “When he saw the crowds, Jesus had compassion for them…” Jesus has compassion for them… What does that mean? Compassion means Jesus knows how the crowds feel and he understands that f

Matthew 9.36 - 10.8 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection We know that Jesus has a group of twelve people close to him. Sometimes the Gospels call them the Twelve, or the twelve disciples, or the apostles. In the Gospel for this Sunday, we hear their names. We hear also what Jesus gives them. The Gospel begins with Jesus looking out at the crowds of people who gather to listen to him. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless,

Matthew 9.36 - 10.8 Listen to the Gospel and Reflection During Jesus' time on earth, he speaks often about the Kingdom of God. He shows people glimpses of the Kingdom of God, too, when he performs miracles. Always, always, he invites others to share in his work of bringing about the Kingdom of God here on earth. In the Gospel for this Sunday we see the beginning of this sharing of the work of the Kingdom. When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they wer