Of More Value than Sparrows, Matthew 10:16-33

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Of More Value than Sparrows, Matthew 10.16-33, Romans 5.15-19

In light of being sent by Jesus out to proclaim the kingdom, Jesus warns his apostles of the difficulties they will face amongst the people they go to. This warning extends far beyond the immediate mission they are going on, but expands to include all of church history. There is persecution and mockery faced Christians of all ages. Why does this happen? How are we to respond to these hardships? Jesus reminds us that even in the midst of persecution, we are more valuable than the sparrows and hairs upon our heads, things which God the Father does care about, yet not as much as he cares for us.

Image: Sparrows, photo taken by hedera_baltica, license CC BY-SA 2.0. No changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hedera_baltica/23727592494/in/photostream/

Tripping Upon Grace in Order to Stand Up, Matthew 9:35-10:15, Romans 5:1-11

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Tripping upon Grace in order to Stand Up, Matthew 9.35-10.15, Romans 5.1-11

Jesus tells his disciples to pray for laborers to go out bring a harvest of salvation. He then sends them out in light of their prayers. But they go with grace, they go as sinners saved by the very grace that they put forward to their hearers. We too go out with grace that overcomes all our sinfulness before the Father because our going out is on account of Jesus laying down his life for us. And so, we trip upon grace as believers, falling down due to our sinfulness, but there is grace that we trip upon to bring us healing and strength to stand back up and go forward with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Image: Wheat Field with Crows, Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Widow's MIGHT, Mark 12:38-44

Fr. John Riebe The Widow's MIGHT (Fr. John), Mark 12-.38-44

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Father John Riebe reminds us that as Christians we are called to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This life is revealed fully through the act of the widow whose gift isn’t measured physically, but spiritually before the Lord.

Image: Le denier de la veuve (The Widow’s Mite), James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Museum_-_The_Widow%27s_Mite_(Le_denier_de_la_veuve)_-_James_Tissot.jpg

God's Faithfulness Reveals Our Need for Jesus, Hosea 5.15-6.6, Matthew 9.9-13

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran God_s Faithfulness Reveals Our Need for Jesus, Hosea 5.15-6.6, Matthew 9.9-13

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God is continually demonstrating his covenant faithfulness towards us. And that faithfulness will always reveal to us our lack of faithfulness toward God, leading us to receive his mercy that comes through the covenant.

Image: See page for author, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesus_calls_Matthew_from_among_the_tax_officials._Woodcut,_1_Wellcome_V0034940.jpg