Sermon: The Boat

Walking on Water
Peter Koenig, 20th Century

Lectionary: Proper 14(A)

Text: Matthew 14:22-33

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.[1]

Thus begins the Bible. The watery deep and the sea—ancient people feared them. They represented chaos. They represented the source and dwelling place of evil spirits and demons. The first Genesis creation story[2] is a story of God systematically calming the chaotic storm of primordial Earth and replacing it with order and peace.

The fear of the sea is attested to by several sea monsters identified in Ancient Near Eastern mythology. In the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, a sea serpent named Lotan is defeated by the storm god Hadad-Ba’al. In the Babylonian Enuma Elish, the storm god Marduk defeats Tiamat, who is both the cosmic ocean and was a deity in Babylonian mythology. And in the Hebrew scriptures, the God of Israel, Yahweh, defeats the sea monster Leviathan.[3]

The Christian scriptures, in Revelation, depicts a land where “the sea [is] no more.”[4] The theological and emotional significance of this detail for ancient audiences was that God had achieved complete victory over chaos and evil. Nothing would be left—no more large body of water—from whence chaos and evil could reemerge.

Furthermore, in the Hebrew scriptures, Yahweh is shown as one who walks above the waters and calms the waves.

He alone spreads out the heavens, and treads on the waves of the sea.[5]

You walked through the sea; you passed through the surging waters, but left no footprints.[6]

You rule over the proud sea. When its waves surge, you calm them.[7]

These are some of the elements that provide context through which the audiences of Matthew’s gospel would have heard the story of Jesus walking on water through the storm and bringing calm to the waves.

Some interpretations of today’s gospel reading which we have probably heard or read include:

·        The miracle of Jesus walking on water and the winds being calmed show Jesus’ power. Therefore, we can have confidence in Jesus when we go through life’s storms.

·        Peter began to participate in Jesus’ miracle when he stepped out of the boat. But he let fear overcome his faith. But we can step out of the boat and face whatever challenges life throws at us, if we have courage and keep our eyes on Jesus.

·        At least Peter had the courage and faith to step out of the boat while the rest of the disciples stayed on the boat. We should be more like Peter.

·        Jesus allows storms to challenge us. But he shows up at the right time and is always near to save us.

While none of these interpretations are bad, I don’t think these are what the writer of Matthew had in mind. These interpretations are colored by our culture of individualism. When distilled down to their common theme, they are mostly about me, my challenges, and my faith.

As I frequently remind you, the cultural context in which the gospel was written and heard was that of collectivism. Community and relationships were the primary source of meaning and value for a person. Salvation was found primarily through belonging to the community of God. This is why Jesus emphasized the kingdom and belonging to it. Salvation was not something solely in the future but began here and now with how the community members treated one another.

Matthew’s gospel was probably put together toward the latter part of the first century CE. The audiences for this gospel were probably predominantly Jewish and located close to Jewish land.[8] However, these were Jews who had accepted Jesus as the expected Messiah. The response from their compatriots who did not were highly negative. Jerusalem and the Temple had been destroyed and many Jews killed by the Romans not very long ago. Jesus-following Jews were at odds with both their fellow Jews and Rome. Even without systematic persecution, their lives would have been uncertain and difficult. I think they would have identified with the boat in the story.

The boat may be just a vehicle (literally and metaphorically), but I was surprised by how central it is to this story. True, that the boat has no spoken lines and it does not act, but it is where all the characters and elements of the story come together. Jesus has the disciples get in a boat and tells them to go to the other side. The boat is buffeted by the wind and waves. Peter gets out of the boat. Jesus and Peter enter the boat. When they enter the boat, the wind ceases. And at the end, those in the boat worship Jesus.

The early church would have seen themselves as the boat. Following Jesus’ instructions doesn’t always mean they will make it to the other side without trouble, as they were keenly aware. It might even have felt like Jesus had sent them deliberately into the storm.

And where is Jesus in all this? Is he absent? This story peels the curtain back to show his followers that he is “up the mountain” praying to God, praying for his community and their mission. He is not ignorant of the church’s needs and predicament. His apparent absence does not mean he is not with them in spirit.

Like God’s spirit who moved upon the primordial waters of creation, Jesus is moving above the chaos and dangers facing his community. He is always near and his power is there to guide and assist.

But what do we do about Peter? Was Peter a hero or a fool? There is a 2001 book titled If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat.[9] But is this the only or best interpretation? Peter has some great insights, but in Matthew, he often has great stumbles almost immediately after the insights. Peter is even called out as Satan, tempting Jesus.

A contrary interpretation is based on how Peter’s begins to ask Jesus, “Lord, if it is you…”[10] This sounds awfully similar to how Satan tempted Jesus: “If you are the Son of God…”[11] Peter, like the devil, is asking Jesus to prove himself.[12] At least to Peter’s credit (or is it foolhardiness?) he does follow through on his own demand when Jesus says, “Come.”

Additionally, the language around Peter getting out of the boat and walking to Jesus is ambiguous. Most translators and interpreters go with Peter getting out of the boat and walking on water toward Jesus. But the language leaves open the possibility that Peter intended to do this but never made it onto the water; that his simply trying to get out of the boat was fearful enough, requiring Jesus’ rescue of him.

From our individualist perspective, what Peter tried might be judged commendable. But from a collectivist, communal perspective, it could be argued that what Peter demanded from Jesus was not.

Nevertheless, when Peter fails, Jesus is there to rescue. And together they enter the boat and return into community with the rest of the disciples. When Jesus enters the boat, there calm and peace come over the boat and the waves. The wind and the waves have been defeated. The chaos of the waters can no longer threaten the boat.

For the church for whom Jesus is present through the Spirit, the chaos and dangers outside don’t necessarily disappear. However, the church can experience peace and confidence as they listen to and follow Christ.

Here is where we come to the actual miracle that Matthew probably intended for his audience to discover and experience: that Jesus is not just a great prophet, not just a miracle worker, but he is the Son of God. For these early Jewish Christ-followers, the act of walking on water and calming the waves signified that Jesus was God incarnate. Jesus’ actions has echoes to the Spirit at creation. Jesus walked above the waters and calmed the waves as their prophets had written about Yahweh. Jesus’ reassuring words to the terrified disciples, “It is I,” is a phrase that would have evoked “I am that I am” spoken by God to Moses.[13]

The miracle is that the disciples, at least for a moment, recognized the true nature of Jesus.

The church can be seen as a boat in which we exist. We carry Christ’s presence within our community. Whatever dangers and uncertainties surround us, we can take courage and have peace, knowing the God is with us in community. When we are troubled, our help is found as we come together, not through trying to wade into the storm alone.

Now, I don’t think this means we must isolate ourselves or treat the church as a rescue boat into which we try to drag people. Rather it gives us a behind-the-scenes perspective of Christ’s relationship with us. I think it shows us how to have a broader perspective and a more community-oriented perspective as we seek to carry out his commands to bring the message of God’s peace and love to the world.

In the name of God the Creator,

In the name of God the Savior,

And in the name of God who challenges us to face storms with courage, Amen.

References

France, R. T. (2007). New International Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Garland, D. E. (2001). Reading Matthew: A Literary and Theological Commentary. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing.

Heiser, M. S. (2018, July 4). What Walking on Water Really Means. Retrieved from Logos: https://www.logos.com/grow/walking-water-really-means/

Jarvis, C. A., & Johnson, E. E. (2013). Feasting on the Gospels--Matthew, Volume 1: A Feasting on the Word Commentary. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Van De Laar, J. (2026, July 30). Lectionary Reflection for Proper 14A on Matthew 14:22-33. Retrieved from Sacredise Your Life!: https://sacredise.substack.com/p/lectionary-reflection-for-proper-af9

Wikipedia Contributors. (2026, July 8). Lotan. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotan

Wilson, W. T. (2022). Eerdmans Critical Commentary: The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Wilson, W. T. (2022). The Gospel of Matthew: Volume 2 (Matthew 14-28). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

 

 

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[1] Genesis 1:1-2, NET 2^nd Ed. (NET2)

[2] The second creation story begins at Genesis 2:4.

[3] (Wikipedia Contributors, 2026)

[4] Revelation 21:1

[5] Job 9:8 (NET2)

[6] Psalms 77:19 (NET2)

[7] Psalms 89:9 (NET2)

[8] Antioch of Syria is one city that is often suggested.

[9] Author: John Ortberg

[10] Matthew 14:32.

[11] Matthew 4:3, 6.

[12] To be fair, all the disciples think Jesus is a ghost. But extending this, why would an invitation to come walk on water prove that Jesus is who he says he is? Wouldn’t a ghost or a spirit be able to also give an invitation?

[13] Exodus 3:14.

Sermon: Two Banquets

Loaves and Fish

Lectionary Proper 13(A)

Text: Matthew 14:13-21

“When Jesus heard the news about John…”

Today’s gospel reading drops us in the middle of a story that is already in progress. Yes, the feeding of the 5,000 can be read as a standalone story. But it is also part of a literary structure that begins with another story, a story that the author intends to be a literary foil to the feeding of the 5,000. Here is the first part of the story, chapter 14, verses 1-12.

14 At that time Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus. ² “He is really John the Baptist, who has come back to life,” he told his officials. “That is why he has this power to perform miracles.”

³ For Herod had earlier ordered John's arrest, and he had him tied up and put in prison. He had done this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. ⁴ For some time John the Baptist had told Herod, “It isn't right for you to be married to Herodias!” ⁵ Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the Jewish people, because they considered John to be a prophet.

⁶ On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced in front of the whole group. Herod was so pleased ⁷ that he promised her, “I swear that I will give you anything you ask for!”

⁸ At her mother's suggestion she asked him, “Give me here and now the head of John the Baptist on a plate!”

⁹ The king was sad, but because of the promise he had made in front of all his guests he gave orders that her wish be granted. ¹⁰ So he had John beheaded in prison. ¹¹ The head was brought in on a plate and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. ¹² John's disciples came, carried away his body, and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.[1]

The two stories share a common theme: a banquet. There is Herod’s birthday party. And then there is the banquet for thousands in the wilderness. One is a banquet of self-indulgence. The other is a banquet of self-giving. One is a banquet of death. The other is a banquet of healing and life. One banquet has the appearance of abundance and wealth. The other has very little to show materially, but it is the one which ends up with more than can be had by the crowd.

Jesus had been teaching in the towns and villages around Galilee. But when he heard that his relative, John the Baptizer, had been executed, he tried to get to a secluded place. One likely reason was that he needed time for himself to work through his emotions. Another reason likely was that because Herod thought Jesus was possibly John brought back to life, Jesus’ life too, was in danger if he stayed within populated areas.

In any case, Jesus didn’t get his time alone, because the crowds followed him. Whatever personal distress and grief he may have been feeling, the overwhelming needs of the crowd touch his compassion, and he tends to their needs.

As the day begins to enter late afternoon, the disciples suggest a prudent course of action: dismissing the people so they can take care of their physical needs. But Jesus responds, “There’s no need to send them away. You give them something to eat.”[2]

The disciples are perplexed. Among them, they find that they have five loaves of bread and two fish.[3] Barely enough to for just Jesus and the disciples themselves. They bring these to Jesus, who takes them, then looks up to heaven, blesses the bread and the fish, and breaks the bread and gives them to the disciples. This act is frequently interpreted as a type of Eucharist, Lord’s Supper, taking place before the Last Supper event. It also shows Jesus’ continuing compassion for the crowd, providing for their needs before they even ask. It is also a sign that identifies the true Shepherd of Israel.[4] Finally, it can be seen as symbolizing the Messianic banquet, spoken by the prophets.

Here is where interpreters take two very different routes in attempting to answer, “How did there come to be enough food for the entire crowd?”

The first is the traditional and probably for many of us, the most obvious explanation: it was a supernatural act that Jesus performed. The strength of this explanation is that it parallels the miracle of manna during Israel’s wilderness wanderings. The text too, could be read as implying that is what happened: Jesus gave the bread and fish to the disciples, and then they in turn gave what they had been given to the crowds.

There are, however, pitfalls to be aware of when interpreting this way. One is coming to expect supernatural divine intervention to take care of many of life’s problems. It may become a temptation to excuse idleness and laziness as “waiting for God.” Another pitfall is that the miracle interpretation raises the question, if God can supernaturally provide sustenance, why are the needs of the world increasing instead of decreasing?

Before moving to the second possible way of interpreting the “feeding” story, I would like to take a slight pause and note that thinking of miracles as supernatural intervention is a modern concept. Ancient people simply assumed that divine beings and their agents performed miracles all the time. So, that many thousands of people had their fill would not have raised questions about “how did it happen?" Rather, it meant to them that it signified that Jesus was like Moses and Elijah, major prophetic figures in their history.

Returning to interpretations of the miracle, a second line of interpretation does not invoke supernatural intervention but sees in the story an act of sharing among the crowd. The act of Jesus and his disciples sharing is interpreted to have prompted sharing among the rest of the crowd. Among several thousand, it is highly unlikely that no one brought any food with them, especially knowing that they were going to be out on the road for many days. Perhaps some were low on or out of supplies, but not all. And once everyone got around to sharing what they had, there was not only enough, but more than enough to go around.

A strength of this line of interpretation is that it highlights the fact that God has provided sufficient resources in the world and among the people of the world so that no one should be in need. Another strength is that it emphasizes the community that Jesus is building and one of the key tenets: that the community shares what it has with everyone else. There are no hierarchies or privileged ones. All are equal in this community. The very first generation of Christians were at their best when living this out in their community. Another strength of this interpretation is that it shows that God’s people are not simply passive observers waiting for God to act, but that they are active participants in finding and sharing resources in caring for the world. A final strength is that one could say that getting thousands to spontaneously share is a greater miracle than a supernatural provision of food.

But there are also pitfalls. The primary one is that it discounts or eliminates the supernatural from the story of the feeding of the 5,000, and this might cause us discomfort by challenging traditional assumptions. A second pitfall is that one could take it too far and say that the work of community is all up to us. Leading from both pitfalls is that we might be less inclined to wait for God when waiting is appropriate, and instead do something just for the sake of doing something.

What we are left is a paradox. Both can’t be true simultaneously, yet they are. There are principles, truths, and warnings that each line of interpretation offers. All are valuable in understanding how we are to live as a faithful community. Sometimes we wait. Other times we act. We also recognize that God has provided sufficient resources within God’s community and that what we are asked to do is share with one another.

The way of self-indulgence, self-protection, and self-aggrandizement leads to death. Just ask Herod Antipas and John the Baptizer.

The way of compassionate, sharing community leads to life. That is what Jesus taught and lived.

In the name of God, the Creator of the world,

In the name of God, the Redeemer of the world,

And in the name of God, who discomforts our tendencies toward self-indulgence and self-protection, Amen.

Bibliography

France, R. T. (2007). New International Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Garland, D. E. (2012). Reading the New Testament: Reading Matthew. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated.

Van De Laar, J. (2026, July 23). Lectionary Reflection for Proper 13A on Matthew 14:13-21. Retrieved from Sacredise Your Life!: https://sacredise.substack.com/p/lectionary-reflection-for-proper-23c

Wilson, W. T. (2022). The Gospel of Matthew: Volume 2 (Matthew 14-28). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

 

 

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[1] Matthew 14:1-12, GNT.

[2] Matthew 14:16, CEB.

[3] In the Gospel of John (6:9), the source of the food is a “youth.”

[4] Once more, in John’s gospel (6:14), this implication is made more clear.

Sermon: Different Way of Being

 Lectionary: Proper 11(A)

Text: Romans 8:12-25

The brain is a fascinating organ. A Scientific American article on the topic of thinking explains,

The brain continuously slurps up huge amounts of energy for an organ of its size, regardless of whether we are tackling integral calculus or clicking through the week's top 10 LOLcats…

Although the average adult human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms, only 2 percent of total body weight, it demands 20 percent of our resting metabolic rate (RMR)—the total amount of energy our bodies expend in one very lazy day of no activity.[1]

We might assume then that if thinking consumes energy, more thinking will consume more energy, but the article continues to explain that experiments in this area have shown mixed results.

But I’m sure we all experience those times when we have been concentrating on some kind of complex task for an extended period, and at the end we feel exhausted and fatigued. So, what is a potential explanation for this phenomenon? The article suggests several possibilities. First, concentrating on a task that does not bring pleasure causes more experiential fatigue than concentrating on a similarly complex task, but in which we find pleasure. Second, merely thinking that a task will be difficult or an ordeal can cause more mental exhaustion. And finally, unpleasant and complex tasks can lead to greater stress with corresponding physiological effects such as increased cortisol production, which in turn can manifest as actual physical effects.

The article concludes with one of the interviewees saying, “My general hypothesis is that the brain is a lazy bum… The brain has a hard time staying focused on just one thing for too long. It's possible that sustained concentration creates some changes in the brain that promote avoidance of that state. It could be like a timer that says, 'Okay you're done now.' Maybe the brain just doesn't like to work so hard for so long.”[2]

An application of this hypothesis to our individual experiences is regarding habits. Why is it so difficult to break an old habit and why is it so difficult to establish a new one? Because these take willful, concentrated, mental effort. And the lazy brain would rather keep running on easy, well-worn pathways that can be traversed with much less effort.

At this point you might be wondering what this has to do with any of today’s readings. I think the science of the brain has quite a bit to do with Romans chapters 7 and 8.

In the latter third of chapter 7, Paul describes an inner conflict experienced by those who have joined with Christ. The conflict is between the desire and intention to live a righteous life versus the reality of falling into deeds that are evil. Paul writes, “Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that, when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.”[3]

However, in the opening paragraphs of chapter 8, Paul describes the solution to this conflict. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death… For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”[4]

But old habits do not die easily. It returns, and in Paul’s words, it is like a debt that we feel obligated to pay. The old way of living offers security, certainty, and comfort. The old ways are ingrained in our minds and require little effort. Even though living by the Spirit brings true life and peace, it feels easier to return to the old ways.

In response, Paul writes, “So then, brothers and sisters, we are obligated, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live… For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if we in fact suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”[5]

A key to interpreting and understanding Paul’s response is the phrase, “Slavery… back into fear.” This is the definition of sin that Paul has in mind throughout his letter to the church in Rome. Fear is what drives humans to seek certainty and stability in the things of the world: power, wealth, acclaim, position and influence. These in turn lead to actions that abuse other humans and the environment. The flesh seeks self-preservation above all else. The desire for more and the fear that what we have is still not enough leads to dehumanization, wars, and destruction of the environment.

To live by the Spirit requires intentional choice and effort. It requires going against the habits and priorities of the world and how that has trained our minds and preferences. It will require us to change our ideas regarding security and stability and where we will find that anchor.

When we live by the Spirit, our focus changes from self-preservation to selfless giving. It seeks to redeem and preserve all life—not just fellow humans but all the creation. This is the life Jesus Christ exemplified, and which resulted in the powers of the world turning against him. It is what caused them to murder him. It revealed sin—the need for self-preservation that underlies all worldly powers and structures.

When we choose to intentionally live this way, we will suffer. We will suffer inner conflict as we seek to retrain the habits that the world has trained us to follow. We will suffer externally as we walk and fight against the accepted ways of the world that prioritize the powerful and their wants over the powerless. When we reject the fear of worldly insecurity and want, the world ceases to have power over us. And when they no longer have power over us, they become frustrated and angry.

But we do not live this way alone. Paul wrote, “But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you… If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.”[6]

Those of us who are redeemed and being redeemed will live in such a way as to extend the hope of redemption and restoration to all the creation. We will strive toward ways of living that bring more harmony and peace among not just fellow humans, but humans with all the environment without which we cannot survive. It is with these thoughts that we re-read chapter 8, verses 18-25,

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.[7]

In the name of God, the Creator of all the creation,

In the name of God, the Redeemer of all the creation,

And in the name of God who guides us in our suffering for all the creation, Amen.

References

Jabr, F. (2012, July 18). Does Thinking Really Hard Burn More Calories? Retrieved from Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thinking-hard-calories/

 

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[1] (Jabr, 2012)

[2] Messier, Claude in (Jabr, 2012)

[3] Romans 7:20-23. NRSVue

[4] Romans 8:2, 5-6. NRSVue

[5] Romans 8:12-13, 15-17. NRSVue

[6] Romans 8:9a, 11. NRSVue

[7] Romans 8:18-25. NRSVue

Sermon: Gospel Symphony

Lectionary: Proper 9(A)

Text: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Jai Krist
Wesley, Frank, 1923-2002

Among the artistic disciplines, I think that music has the most rigid fundamentals. After all, music can be reduced to mathematics and time. It would be technically accurate to say that music is mathematics being performed in time and space.

But that isn’t how our ears and brains take in music. We sense harmony and dissonance. We sense excitement and contemplation. We sense joy and sadness, love and conflict. We sense life and death.

We know these things because music follows rules, and rules that are quite rigid. But if all music did was to follow rules, it wouldn’t be very enjoyable or have emotional effects. Music that simply follows rules can become tedious and repetitious. Good music works within the confines to add variation and interest. Composers of great music understand the rules so innately that they know when and where to break them to bring surprises to the audience and to delight them through these unexpected changes.

Music can be performed only because there are rules. The notes and notations on a sheet of paper are a language that communicates the composer’s instructions and intent. It allows the one performing to interpret the composer's instructions and bring the page to life.

In performing music, the number of performers matters to how much liberty is afforded to each performer. A solo performer has the most freedom to be creative and go “off the page” and add their own personality and interpretation. A small group or ensemble still has freedom to improvise, but they need to remain cognizant of one another, and music provides the rules for staying together. A large symphony or choir affords almost no individual freedom, but through the conductor and director, allows a communal and collective interpretation through which each performer gives their all to a collective expression of a great composition.

Finally, there is the audience. True, music can be performed for one’s own enjoyment. But music is meant to be heard. Music is meant to elicit a response from the audience. Music is communication from the composer, through the performers, to an audience. Ideally, the audience responds to the music in ways intended by the composer and the performers.

Today’s gospel reading begins with a short parable from Jesus.

¹⁶ “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ¹⁷ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ (Matthew 11:16-17 NRSVue)

The parable paints a picture of two groups of children: one performing music and a second expected to respond. The first group of children performs a polka, but the second group is unmoved, impassionate. The first group switches to a requiem, but the second group remains unmoved and impassioned.

I’m sure all of us have seen how quickly children normally respond to music. They have yet to develop social and emotional filters and guards. They hear the music and act upon how the music affects them.

So, it seems rather unusual for a group of children to remain unaffected and unresponsive to music that they hear. Jesus offers an interpretation of the parable.

¹⁸ “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; ¹⁹ the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:18-19 NRSVue)

I see two ways in which to understand this, and I think both apply. The first is the most obvious in which the second group is actively resisting the music coming from the first group. The second way is to understand that the two groups are operating under two different sets of rules, and thus the second group is unable to interpret the music.

When Jesus refers to “they”, we should understand it to mean those who previously were opposed to John the Baptizer and now opposing Jesus. They are the guardians of religious and social tradition, religious and social acceptability. They set up the boundaries and they enforce them. They are the keepers and wielders of power and control over everyone else. They define what music is supposed to sound like. Anything outside of what they know and have defined is both a threat and something that is incomprehensible to them.

Our reading skips a few verses and resumes at verse 25.

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “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; ²⁶ yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Matthew 11:25-27 NRSVue)

Infants have no control over what happens to them. They have no interest in power games that develop and which are played by older people. And they respond instinctively to the music around them. The music of the gospel, the symphony of good news, is most readily heard and accepted by those who are the victims of power and control games, and by those who refuse and battle against their toxic enticements.

It is for these that Jesus offers the following invitation:

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NRSVue)

The invitation is to take on Jesus’ yoke. It is for those who are bearing the burdens of other yokes. But it is also for those who thought that going alone would be freedom, but instead found their burdens increased with no one to help them.

The greatest symphony and choral performances are not individual pursuits, but a collaborative, team effort. It is not individuals trying to harmonize and stay together on their own, however. There is a conductor, a director. This individual directs the performance, keeps the individual musicians together, guides the interpretation of the music, and helps bring the music together for the enjoyment of the audience. By following the director, the musicians have less to worry about. Their place the burden of staying together and overall interpretation onto the conductor so that each individual can perform at their best.

We are invited to hear the gospel music and respond to its invitation. To hear it, we need to learn the rules of God’s kingdom. We need to learn to let go of our need for power and control. We need to learn to set aside appearances and acceptance by the world’s rules.

Instead, we are to become as infants, in the way they instinctively respond to music, unconcerned about what other people might think or judge. We are to help others learn and respond to the music of the gospel. We are to take up Christ’s yoke and teach others that genuine freedom comes not from casting aside all restraint, but comes from taking up the yoke that binds each of us together in Christ, to become part of the symphony and chorus performing the greatest music ever heard across the universe.

In the name of God the Composer,

In the name of God the Conductor,

And in the name of God who urges us to dance together, Amen.

Sermon: Following Christ in the Ordinary

Lectionary: Proper 5(A)

Text: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Woman with the Flow of Blood (detail)
Wesley, Frank, 1923-2002

What does it look like to live as a Christ-follower? We have left behind the first half of the Christian year, filled with high days and holidays. We move past the pillars of Christian calendar and enter Ordinary Time. We descend from the mountaintops of the Christian liturgical calendar to spend the next six months walking the ordinary paths with Christ. To live as a Christ-follower is to learn how Jesus lived among the ordinary lives around him.

We need to set up the scene for today’s gospel reading. The Sermon on the Mount has been delivered. Jesus goes to Capernaum. Along the way he performs healings. In Capernaum, he heals a centurion’s servant. Jesus goes to Peter’s house where he heals Peter’s mother-in-law. Large crowds come to Peter’s house, where Jesus is staying, to be healed.

Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee, where a storm rises. Jesus calms the storm. Upon reaching the other shore Jesus is confronted by two men possessed by demons. Jesus cures them by sending the demons into pigs which result in their destruction. The people of the town beg Jesus to leave. He does and returns to where he came from.

The text in Matthew reads, “And came to his own town.” This could mean Nazareth, but it is more likely to be Capernaum, the home of Peter and the other fishermen disciples. This is where the rest of the story in Matthew 9 takes place.

First, a group of people carry a paralyzed man on a stretcher. Jesus forgives the man’s sins, giving credit to the faith of the entire group as the catalyst for forgiveness. Some of the religious leaders are alarmed by Jesus’ claim to offer forgiveness. In response, to show that he does have authority to forgive, he heals the man’s physical ailment.

It is in this immediate aftermath (at least in the way the writer of Matthew has arranged the text), Jesus comes across Matthew, the tax collector.

Here I pause to make note that the call of Matthew and the two healings that are part of today’s gospel reading are found in both Mark and Luke. The sequence is the same in all three, but details are different and even contradictory in a couple places. I note this to remind us that the gospel writers were not writing factually accurate historical texts. They were writing theological interpretations of Jesus’ life and adjusted details to fit their purposes.

Matthew, the tax collector, is named Levi in the other gospels. He is called by Jesus to follow, and he does. Next there is a banquet held. In Mark, the location is ambiguous. It could be Matthew’s house, or it could be at Jesus’. Luke identifies the location as Levi’s house. Matthew, the writer, use “the house” to identify it. The last house mentioned that fits the grammar is Peter’s house. Using this last reading, at least when reading Matthew’s text, we can conclude that it is Jesus who is hosting the banquet. This interpretation also fits well with the theme of the Messianic banquet found later in Matthew’s text.

In hosting the banquet and inviting “tax collectors and sinners” (as some of Jesus’ antagonists put it), Jesus acts and shows what restoration and wholeness of community looks like.

Some of the religious leaders observe Jesus’ association and question the boundary breaking Jesus is allowing himself and his disciples. It is interesting that the question is directed not to Jesus, but to his disciples. It is almost as if they are attempting to sow seeds of doubt into Jesus’ disciples…

But Jesus hears the question and answers.

But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13 NRSVue)

The first saying is an adaptation of similar proverbs in circulation around that time. One commentary states,

Plutarch quotes a similar saying of the Spartan king Pausanias when he was criticized for neglecting his own people: “It is not the custom of doctors to spend time among people who are healthy, but where people are ill.” The philosopher Diogenes is quoted as saying that as a doctor must go among the sick so a wise man must mix with fools. The point is obvious: any effective “healer” must expect to get his hands dirty.[1]

Jesus then says, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” The word learn is μανθάνω (manthanō) which forms the root for the word disciple, μαθητής (mathētēs). Here we begin to understand that becoming a disciple means learning. What are disciples to learn? We are to learn the way of God’s mercy.

God’s mercy has already been demonstrated in the Jesus’ works of healing, of casting out demons, and offering forgiveness. Mercy was demonstrated in calling Matthew, someone many would have considered a traitor to the nation. Mercy was demonstrated in Jesus seeking out those that would normally not be invited to dine at a rabbi’s table.

Too often, Jesus’ response has been used to place grace and mercy in opposition with religion, ritual, and law. It has been used to negatively portray Jews and Judaism as self-righteous, legalistic and lacking in grace and mercy. We need to unlearn such misconceptions and harmful stereotypes.

Sacrifice, religion, and rituals are not problems. Neither is righteousness. But when they become boundary markers to define insiders and outsiders, when they become tools to harm and exclude, then their uses become problematic.

In the next two vignettes, Jesus continues to demonstrate his way of mercy.

In the middle of the banquet he is hosting, a community leader enters and entreats Jesus to come now. He is a desperate father and assumes a posture of petitioning, but this scene could be interpreted as showing this leader’s privilege in interrupting a banquet and assuming Jesus would comply.

Jesus sets aside his own banquet to follow the community leader. In this we learn that following Christ might mean following petitions of need, regardless of whomever is making the request. It might mean diverting from our current activities and plans.

While on the way, a woman experiencing hemorrhaging for twelve years quietly comes to Jesus and touches the fringe of his outer garment. In doing so, she is healed and noticed. A woman is restored to physical and social health.

History is replete with Christian sermons that expound on the idea of uncleanness and ritual purity that is supposedly found here. The text is silent on the matter. Even if the concept of ritual purity might have been in the background, the foreground is about the mercy that Jesus shows and the healing and restoration to wholeness that is his work.

When ritual purity becomes the focus of these texts, it too often becomes a boundary marker and a point of judgment by Christians against Jews and Judaism. It ends up reinforcing something these very stories are meant to abolish.

Jesus continues to the leader’s house where funeral practices have already begun. He is laughed at when he says that the girl is only sleeping. Ignoring their ridicule, he commands them out. He resurrects the girl by merely touching. And in so doing, he restores life, family, and community.

On this first Sunday of Ordinary Time, a lesson on following Christ is to learn the way of mercy. God extends the same mercy to all, the mercy that brings healing and wholeness, mercy that begins reconciliations and restorations, mercy that invites all to come. We are agents of God’s mercy and invitation to join at God’s banquet table.

How can we be more inclusive and accepting? How can we be more welcoming? How can we erase boundaries that world’s systems and structures say are needed? What harmful ideas must we unlearn that society, culture, and religion have transmitted to us? This is our work during Ordinary Time, the time of quiet growth and transformation.

In the name of God who Creates,

In the name of God who Invites,

And in the name of God who Cultivates, Amen.

Bibliography

France, R. T. (2007). New International Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Grace, S. (2026, June 2). An Inconvenient Gospel. Retrieved from Companions on the Way: https://www.companionsontheway.com/post/an-inconvenient-gospel

Jarvis, C. A., & Johnson, E. E. (2013). Feasting on the Gospels--Matthew, Volume 1: A Feasting on the Word Commentary. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Levine, A.-J. (2007). Matthew and Anti-Judaism. Currents in Theology and Mission, 34-6, 409-416.

Levine, A.-J. (2009). The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

Mathis, T. M. (2026, June 7). Learning Tenderness, Proper 5 (A) – June 7, 2026. Retrieved from Sermons that Work: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/sermon/learning-tenderness-proper-5-a-june-7-2026/

Van De Laar, J. (2026, May 29). Lectionary Reflection for Proper 5A on Matthew 9:9–13, 18–26. Retrieved from Sacredise Your Life!: https://sacredise.substack.com/p/lectionary-reflection-for-proper-853

Wassen, C. (2008). Jesus And The Hemorrhaging Woman In Mark 5:24–34: Insights From Purity Laws From The Dead Sea Scrolls. Scripture in Transition, 647-666.

William B. Eerdmans. (2003). Eerdman's Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans.

Wilson, W. T. (2022). Eerdmans Critical Commentary: The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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[1] (France, 2007)