Jesus' Mission for the Church, Matthew 28:16-20

On World Mission Sunday in the Anglican Church in North America, we step back to understand the grand calling upon the church to make disciples of all nations. What does this mean for us? How is it to be accomplished? How do we walk in this reality? Father Jeremiah teaches through the last few verses of Matthew 28 and shows how Jesus is the cornerstone of this grand work given to the church.

Image: Christ Great Commission Icon, photo taken by Ted. Used under license CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED. No changes made. Image location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/frted/6849430658

The Judging King Who Saves, Matthew 25:31-46

When Jesus returns as king he will judge the living and the dead. In Matthew 25, we hear of this judgment as a separation of the sheep and the goats. We see a focus on the actions of the people in their lives, but what we can easily miss is the basis of the sheep’s actions. They are receiving an inheritance, something that can’t be earned. Their deeds are the basis, but the King, Jesus himself, and they are the recipients.

Image: The Graves Open on the Day of Judgment, Engraving by M Heemskerck. Public Domain. Image location: https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/YW035018V/The-graves-open-on-the-day-of-judgement

All Saints' and Baptism

For All Saints’ Sunday, Father Jeremiah explained where this feast day came from. He also showed its connection to baptism in preparation for baptizing some that day.

Image: Perm Art Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Messiah and the Lord that Fulfills, Matthew 22:34-46

In this final confrontation with the Pharisees before his trial and crucifixion, Jesus answers a final question about the greatest commandment. He then quickly turns the tables on his questioners with a question about how the Messiah can be both the son of David and his Lord. How are these two moments connected? What does this mean for us who are unable to keep the commandments?

Image: Jesus with the Pharisees, by Jacques Callot, public domain. Image location: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.33324.html

For Caesar or for God? Matthew 22:15-22

When Jesus is asked about paying taxes, he carefully turns the tables on his questioners. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” What do we make of this response? How does it apply to us today? How did Jesus fulfill even this command through his death and resurrection? Father Jeremiah examines Matthew 22:15-22 and helps us to see these things.

Image: Denarius featuring emperor Marcus Aurelius, Rasiel at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marcus_Aurelius_Denarius2.jpg

The Wedding Feast of Salvation, Matthew 22:1-14, Isaiah 25:1-9

In the Bible, feasting and especially wedding feasts are a sign of the Kingdom of God and salvation being given to God’s people. Jesus reminds us that all has been prepared and accomplished and thus all is a gift for us when we are called to join him. Yet, when we fall, we must not remain speechless before the King, but should respond with confession that we might ever be changed and transformed by the King.

Image: Charlemange at Dinner, Talbot Master, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Fruit of God's Vineyard, Matthew 21:33-44

As we hear the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, our hearts should be drawn to the conclusion in which the wicked are cast out for those who will provide the fruit to the master. We are called to good works by the power of the Holy Spirit, works that the Father has prepared beforehand for us. How do we respond to these called out of us works? Do we resist? Or do we receive the work of the Spirit to enable us to fulfill God’s callings upon us?

Image: The Red Vineyard or Red Vineyard at Arles, Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_vineyards.jpg

Turning to the Father's Will, Ezekiel 18, Matthew 21.28-32

Jesus’ parable of the Two Sons is a perfect rebuttal to the chief priests and elders refusal to answer Jesus’ question about John the Baptist. They know that he can challenge them on their lack of faith, yet he reminds them that they can turn any time to the Father’s will and believe in the one whom he has sent to bring salvation. That still applies today: Regardless of our having said no to the Father’s will, we can turn back and believe in Christ. And likewise, if we have said we will do the Father’s will and not done it, we can turn around and begin doing it.

Image: The Parable of the Father and His Two Sons in the Vineyard, from The Story of Christ, Georg Pencz, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Vineyards and Vocations, Matthew 20:1-16

The Master of the vineyard is free to reward and give to his workers as he pleases. In his freedom to do that, the workers are freed to do their work with no fear of not receiving good things from the master. Likewise for us, we are free to work in our vocations because God has given us the Kingdom and made us partakers of it through Jesus Christ.

Image: Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, by Meester Van Antwerpan. Public Domain. Image location: https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/YR0035483/Parable-of-the-workers-in-the-vineyard

Keeping Score, Matthew 18:21-35

How do we respond to the great generosity of the king in forgiving our infinite debt? Do we extend that kind of forgiveness to those who owe us or do we keep track of every infraction and debt and strive to squeeze it out of others? Are we quick to call out debts of others while wanting them to ignore what we owe to them? How does this kind of life play out for our souls? Bishop Terrell looks at the king’s forgiveness and the reaction of the unforgiving servant to his fellow servant and asks how are we to react when the king forgives us?

image: The King Forgiving His Servant, by Dirck Volckertz Coornhert after Maerten van Heemskerck, National Gallery of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Watchman Who Gives Rest, Ezekiel 33:1-11, Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus opens our eyes through the Law to our need for him and his work on our behalf that we might be saved from the coming disaster of our sins. Jesus is our watchman that leads us away from condemnation and into redemption, reconciliation, and restoration.

Image: Thomas Dekker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A Good Grip on the Cross, Matthew 16:21-28

Father John Riebe fills in for Father Jeremiah. Fr. John reminds us that we are to take up our crosses in light of the cross that Christ has taken up for us. We walk along the same path in his power and strength and it is konwn to us by our confession of Jesus as the Christ.

Image: from https://catalog.obitel-minsk.com/blog/2021/04/why-are-we-called-to-take-up-our-cross-and-what-does-it-mean-for-our-lives We cannot find an origin for this image, but it appears on many, many various webpages across the internet with no reference of usage rights.

A Hinge-Moment for Peter, Matthew 16:13-20

When St. Peter answered Jesus’ question, little did he know that it would be a hinge-moment in his life. Everything would be different and he would be given the strength to continue forward in his confession.

Image: The Delivery of the Keys to Peter, Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication Image location: https://picryl.com/media/the-delivery-of-the-keys-to-peter-3c9abf

Clinging as a Sinner in Need of Mercy, Matthew 15:21-28

In the story of the Canaanite woman from Matthew 15, we see Jesus testing both his disciples and the woman regarding faith in what the Messiah has come to do. How does the woman respond to Jesus and how does Jesus respond to the woman? What does this tell us about the resilience of faith and our need to cling to Jesus? Father Jeremiah walks through this story and helps us to see how we can look more like the Canaanite woman.

Image: The Canaanite Woman, from Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Condé Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Jesus Amidst the Chaos, Matthew 14:22-33

As the disciples are caught in the wind and the crashing waves of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus comes to them. What does Jesus reveal as he lets them know it is him? Why does Peter suddenly want to come out upon these crashing waves? Why does he begin to sink? Father Jeremiah explains today that in the chaos, Jesus is able to give us grace to come to him and to respond to us in our deepest needs.

image: Peter Walking on Water Icon, picture taken by Ted, license: CC BY-SA 2.0 (no changes made). Location: https://www.flickr.com/photos/frted/10545665155

Fulfilling the Past to Bring the Future, Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 is more than a mere event in the his ministry. Jesus is fulfilling many events of God feeding his people and caring for them from the Old Testament. With that we discover that there is a greater fulfillment to this feeding to be found at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Image: Jesus Feeding the Multitude, Gustave Doré, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Christ's Kingdom and Us, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-50

As Jesus tells the people parables, one thing to remember is that the parables are about Jesus. He is revealing something of himself to the people who can hear. We should recognize that Jesus is the center of these parables and know that he is working to make us his own in his Kingdom.

image: Phillip Medhurst, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons

Patience in the Coming of the Kingdom, Matthew 13:24-30, 34-43

In the Parable of the Weeds, Jesus says that the Master of the field told his servants to wait until the harvest and to let the weeds grow amongst the wheat. And so the weeds remained with the wheat until the reapers came to separate them from one another. This would take great patience from the servants. Likewise, we too live patiently in the world awaiting the final coming of the Kingdom of God and the return of our master, Jesus. And in living patiently, we discover the Kingdom is working in us to make us more and more like the wheat.

Image: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Matthew 13:24-30 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England, Phillip Medhurst, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons.

Plowing Over the Soil of Our Hearts, Matthew 13:1-23

It is so easy for us to view the various soils from Jesus’ parable of the Sower as static soils regarding our hearts. We are one or the other. And yet, there is an aspect of which our hearts shift and receive the Word of God differently at different times. Father Jeremiah explores this idea and helps us to see how God will plow and prepare our hearts over and over so that the word can grow in us.

Image: The Sower, by Vincent Van Gogh, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation). Image location: https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/collection/d0348V1962

A Kind Yoke for a Gentle Humility, Matthew 11:25-30

Jesus tells us that he has an easy and kind yoke and is joyful that those who are children have heard his call. In a paradoxical way these two things go together. Only little children can receive Jesus, and only those who are weary can become children. This is because those are the kind of people who can put their trust in Jesus as they have not blinded themselves with their own selfishness.

Image: A woman in a large straw hat is tending two decorated oxen…, Steel engraving by C. Cousen after E. H. Landseer, licensed under: CC BY 4.0, no changes made. Image location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_woman_in_a_large_straw_hat_is_tending_two_decorated_oxen_w_Wellcome_V0020839.jpg