The Better Part

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 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 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 10.26-33 (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—