A sermon for Matthew 10:16-33 Presented at Christ Church, Bordentown NJ, June 24-25, 2023.

Last Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew tells us that Jesus reached a point in his ministry in which he needs to begin delegating. So Jesus gives his twelve apostles instructions to spread the Good News that the kingdom of heaven has come near, and that they should go to nearby villages to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons.

There is no mention that the apostles were at all bothered by this request. At least no one captured on record any apostle saying, “Wait _ what?.” “Uhmm, yeah, I’m just a fisherman.” or “Yeah, and I’m just a tax collector.” or “Yeah, I don’t know how to do any of those things.”

Any discomfort the apostles had was probably not worth recording. But I think it’s easy to believe that Jesus had prepared them for this day. I’m sure he knew their respective strengths and weaknesses, and since the beginning of his ministry, they all experienced being welcomed by some and despised by others.

In the verses between last week’s and today’s Gospel Jesus says to them, “I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves.” So he knows what they are up against and so today’s Gospel is a bit of a pep talk, an encouragement, that no matter what happens _ to stay steadfast in their mission.

Part of Jesus’ pep talk is don’t be afraid. Where you will go and who you will meet, can only kill your body. They cannot kill your soul. To make them feel assured of this Jesus says, even a sparrow worth half-a-penny on earth is valued by God, and you _ are more valued than that.

So go forth and “proclaim from the rooftops!” Jesus instructs. Speak openly, not as if it was a secret, or something we should only talk about in certain circles.

The second thing Jesus says is don’t get any lofty ideas about your status in this world just because I’m bestowing upon you a lot of power that you didn’t have before. I say “a lot” even though in the modern world we can cure the sick including lepers. But casting out demons is best done by someone ordained. And outside of George Romero, HBO, and countless other filmmakers, raising the dead is definitely still beyond the realm of modern possibilities.

Still, if you could do all of these things, or even one of them, the message is to not to get too full of yourself. As Jesus says, “A disciple is not above the teacher.”

So, where does that lead us? Perhaps it’s the same message _ to stay steadfast.

One could say it’s hard being steadfast in these modern times. It can be hard in certain circles to spread the Good News, to talk openly about our faith. And it can be hard to keep oneself in check to not judge others for their lack of faith, and to not feel superior to those who lack faith.

As human beings with emotional cores, and busy schedules, and never-ending-to-do lists, and distractions and stress and obligations galore, it requires steadfastness to maintain balance.

A couple of months ago King Charles III was coronated. Even though there was an enormous amount of hoopla around the pageantry and celebration of a man becoming king of the British Empire, it was still an Anglican Church service designating this man as the ultimate defender of the faith for the Church of England _ a defender of Christian faith _ a defender of Episcopalian faith.

To me, receiving such a calling is quite a tall order which is probably why he looked about as nervous as you can get. But he held it together pretty well and evidently understands, as he stated several times, that he is “to serve”.

Thus, now that the Coronation service and party is over, Charles has a job to do. And that job requires him to stay steadfast _ not to let his ego get out of control and act superior, OR be afraid of what he’s called to do, or be afraid of those who will try to make him feel inferior because of his faith.

Which brings us back to today’s Gospel reading. Jesus is not just talking to his apostles. He’s speaking to all of us and encouraging everyone who believes in the Good News to go forth _ and to tell others about it, and remember just because you know the Good News, this does not make you better than anyone else.

Like most of you, I spend a lot of my time in the secular world, and I wish talking about this Good News could be a little more fluid in that world. I wish we could talk about it more_ like we talk about our favorite sports team, or music band, or movie, or recipe. I would like it more if we could discuss our religious beliefs as quickly, readily, and easily, as we do with these other lesser things.

This is one of the reasons I said it’s hard being steadfast in these modern times. But still _ let’s be steadfast. Let’s be _ not afraid. Let’s be_ not the King of England, or the ultimate defender of the faith. But let’s be_ wise in our own lives, and for our families, and be the defenders of the faith in our community. And let’s not forget we are still here to serve.

Just like the apostles, I believe Jesus has equipped us and prepared us to do exactly that. As we have faith in Him, he has faith in us.

Amen