Matthew 10:34-42; The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost; June 28, 2026

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”” (Matthew 10:34–42, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

You know, Christian faith is very different from all other religions. You do know it, but this passage says it.

People imagine they must reach up to God. That they must do something. That’s sinful human nature. Nothing comes to us without our struggle. We are in charge of our own destiny.

Jesus says differently, just the opposite in fact.

He says,

The Father sends. The Son comes. The Son sends the apostles. God’s people receive.

Our text opens with Jesus talking about his coming. In a way it is shocking.

He doesn’t come to improve society, not to resolve conflict. He doesn’t bring peace. He brings a sword, and division.

Think about the first part of the text. Sons against fathers. Daughters against mothers. Division in the household. That is not peace. That is conflict. And Jesus says he comes to comes to bring it.

More than that he says,

…whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

We’ve got you there, Pastor. We put up a great big cross on our church.

I told someone that Grand Marais has a new landmark. It isn’t necessarily what you think. It’s a landmark alright. It’s a bold statement. People in Grand Marais might not oppose it openly, but there are some, maybe many, who will hate it. More so, if we stand behind it. If we don’t, it’s just an empty symbol. If we do, it will cause division.

If you think everyone who drives by is going to smile, I think you are mistaken. Some will smile. Some won’t notice. Some will resent it. Some will hate it. Not because a wooden cross hurts anyone.

Those who don’t like it won’t like it because it points to Christ. He is the one who comes to sinners demanding repentance and offering forgiveness.

The cross itself divides no one. Christ does.

But notice where Jesus finishes. Jesus doesn’t say, “Go and find me.” He doesn’t say “Climb up to heaven.” He doesn’t say "Earn your way into My presence." He says, “Receive me.”

That’s unexpected. After all that warning about trouble. Jesus says, “Receive me.”

Jesus stops talking about swords. He stops talking about crosses. He stops talking about fathers and mothers. Instead, he begins repeating one little word.

Receive.

He says it six times in three verses.

Receive.

Receive.

Receive.

Receive.

Receive.

Receive.

And the word has another word hidden inside. You can’t receive something unless it is sent.

That is the whole movement of the Christian faith.

Jesus talks about who and what is sent. The Father sends the son. Son comes into the world. The son sends his apostles to preach Christ. So, with that, Jesus says,

Whoever receives you receives me.

Jesus is answering the question the world should be asking.

How do I get God?

He says,

The Father sent me.

I have come.

He sends his apostles.

Receive me.

That’s the sword. It’s not “be willing to suffer”. It’s not “carry your cross.” That’s what happens when Christ is received. The sword is

Receive me.

Receiving Jesus divides the world. Jesus doesn’t say,

Receive a philosophy.

He does not say,

Receive a moral code.

He says,

Receive me.

Receive the One whom the Father sent into the world. Receive the One who took your sins upon Himself. Receive the One who stretched out His hands upon another cross—not merely as an example to follow, but as the sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world.

Receive the One who died your death. Receive the One whom the Father raised from the dead. Receive the forgiveness He won. Receive the life He gives.

That is what Christ brings when He comes.

That's what divides fathers and sons. That's what divides mothers and daughters. That's what divided the Sanhedrin. That's what divided the Roman Empire. That's what still divides Grand Marais. The offense is not Christianity as a system.

The offense is Christ Himself.

Not simply because He teaches difficult things. But because He claims to be the only Savior. He alone forgives sins. He alone reconciles sinners to the Father. He alone opens the kingdom of heaven. That is why He divides the world.

Our new cross, the wooden beams that stretch out north and south, aren’t offensive because they are a cross. They are offensive because they say,

Receive him.

…

Or reject him.

There isn’t a third option. Receive or reject.

That is the sword.

Everything Jesus says here flows from that. Some receive him. Some reject him. Families divide. Crosses are carried. The apostles are received—or rejected. The Church is welcomed—or persecuted.

That’s what happens when Christ comes.

He says,

Receive me.

And there is another division here. People say,

You need to accept Jesus.

But Jesus doesn't use that language.

He says,

Receive Me.

Accept often sounds like the decisive action belongs to me. I make the choice. I take the initiative. I decide.

But receive begins somewhere else.

Before I can receive anything, someone has to give it. Before I can receive Christ, the Father has to send Him. Before I can receive the Gospel, someone has to preach it. Before I can receive the Sacrament, Christ has to institute it and give it. Christianity begins not with my action, but with God's.

Luther compared faith to an empty hand. An empty hand doesn't earn the gift. It doesn't improve the gift. It doesn't create the gift. It simply receives what another places into it. That is what Jesus is talking about.

Acceptance emphasizes the chooser. Receiving emphasizes the giver.

And perhaps now you can hear the words of the Small Catechism a little differently.

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

Luther understood exactly what Jesus is teaching.

We do not come to Christ. Christ comes to us. The Father sent His Son. The Son came into the world. The Son sent His apostles. Through their preaching Christ still comes to His Church.

That is why, in just a few moments, we will do exactly what Jesus says.

We will not climb into heaven. We will not search for Christ. We will not earn His favor.

He will come to us. He will speak His Word. He will give His gifts. The Christ who once came in the flesh, who once hung upon the cross, who once rose from the tomb, still comes to His people.

Not to condemn.

Not to demand another sacrifice.

But to deliver the forgiveness He purchased with His own blood.

He will place into empty hands His own Body and Blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of your sins.

And what will we do?

Exactly what Jesus tells us to do.

Receive Him.

Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 10:21-33; The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost; June 21, 2026

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN

Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:21–33, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus isn’t talking here to comfortable Christians. He is talking to his disciples. He is preparing them for what they don’t know, can’t even believe, is coming. Persecution. In their lifetimes they will experience betrayal, hatred, arrest, and almost all of them, death.

And then in the middle of all that darkness, he starts talking about birds. Sparrows. It seems strange. It seems disconnected. Why bird? Why sparrows of all birds? Shouldn’t he talk about being soldiers? Shouldn’t he talk about kings? Shouldn’t he talk about the fight?

No, he doesn’t because the sparrow is the point. Sparrows were cheap, disposable, forgettable.

He wants to remind his disciples that that’s what the world thinks of them. That’s exactly how the world will treat them.

…and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. (Matthew 10:22, ESV)

He doesn’t say disliked or misunderstood. He says hated. The English word understates it. We hear it as emotional dislike. μισέω means: to hate, to detest, to reject, to have hostility toward, to regard with aversion. This word means opposition that results in action.

Jesus is not merely saying people won’t like you. He is saying they will act in opposition to you. In fact, he promises it will happen. His disciples shouldn’t expect applause or adulation. They should expect hate, and open hostility.

A disciple is not above his teacher. (Matt 10:24, ESV)

They hated him. They will hate the disciples. They will hate you.

Think about it. Persecution isn’t just trying to stop a message. It tries to make the message and the speaker meaningless. “You don’t matter.”

In bloody arena’s, hiding in the catacombs, the early Christians got that message. And believers now, hear the same thing. “You don’t matter. Your message is nothing. You are not useful.”

Useful. That’s what the world values. Power is useful. Wealth is useful. Productivity is useful. Christians are not.

A Christian may find himself treated like a marketplace sparrow. They were cheap, disposable, and replaceable.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?

Sparrows were sold in the market. Not as pets. As snacks. They were the cheapest thing there. Poor people bought them for food. In Luke he says they would even throw one in for free.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? (Luke 12:6, ESV)

Two for one penny. Two pennies mean four. Five is an extra thrown in for free. Sparrows are worthless.

Not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

But Jesus says differently. The merchant doesn’t even bother to count them. The crowds don’t count them. But the Father does.

Jesus says that sparrows matter to the Father. So, you matter to the Father. He knows you. He sees you. He counts every hair. He knows everything about you. Your suffering. Your tears. Your persecution. Your death.

Your value isn’t set by the world. Your value is set by Christ. And the proof is the cross. God didn’t purchase you with silver or gold. He purchased you with the blood of His Son. Martin Luther wrote:

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. Luther pushed the idea. Gold and silver were precious. How many sparrows could be purchased with a heap of gold and silver? Too many to count. For you, God spent his most precious commodity. Jesus suffering and death, and his very life.

Jesus says sparrows fall, not unnoticed by the Father, he counts every single one. But he doesn’t say they don’t fall. Christians fall also. He never promises otherwise. His disciple listening to him would die for Jesus and his word.

And what does he say? Do not fear.

That is profound.

Do not fear.

How can he say that when he has just given a litany of things that shake us to our core? God the Father is still God the Father, even when sparrows fall. Even when persecution leads to death. It is a resurrection promise. The black hole of the grave isn’t a place where God loses people. The Father who knows every hair on your head, the Father who counts sparrows, knows where your body rests. He promises resurrection. Just as Jesus was raised from his grave, you will be too. The world forgets graves. The Father doesn’t. In your grave lies one who has been redeemed by Christ. Purchased and won

with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.

And listen to how Luther frames it.

that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

In the marketplace sparrows weren’t even worth a dime a dozen. The world prices Christians the same way. But, God the Father, he does not.

A persecutor says, “You are worthless.” God the Father sees a soul redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

The world forgets and moves on. The Father remembers.

The world buries. The Father raises.

Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:31)

The world prices you like a sparrow. Christ prices you with His blood. Therefore, do not fear. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 9:9–13; The Second Sunday after Pentecost; June 7, 2026

Matthew 9:9–13

The Second Sunday after Pentecost

June 7, 2026
Life in Christ Lutheran Church
Grand Marais, Minnesota

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, 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, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:9–13, ESV

Grace and peace to you from Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It occurs to me that Jesus loves banquets. Over and over again in the Bible you see Him eating banquets with people. We know what it’s all about, we love our potlucks, too. I never heard of anyone turning down a potluck. Jesus likes them because He loves people… all kinds of people… even the people other people don’t like.

Just look at the Pharisees. They ask Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” To get what they are really asking we might rephrase it as, “Why do you want to eat with bikers?” “Why do you hang out with drug dealers?” “Why do you want to eat with ‘those people?’”

Well, the Pharisees didn’t understand. We aren’t Pharisees… at least we don’t think we are. But before we’re done today, we may discover we have more in common with them than we’d like.

Jesus loves banquets, I think, because He loves to give. That’s what God is all about, giving. He takes care of us by giving. The whole creation is God’s gift to us. When He created the world, He created it for us. Just look at the everyday ordinary things that God gives you every day. A place to live, a family, a wonderful church, and, of course, food… a banquet every day. More than you’ll ever need. God is a giving God; He loves nothing more than to give. The best that we can do is delight in His gifts.

Of course, there is nothing more important that He has given than eternal life. He gives that to us through the gift of His one and only Son, Jesus. Look at the disciple Matthew. Jesus called him. Who was he? He was one of those “tax collectors and sinners.” People in Jesus’ day wouldn’t be caught dead with a guy like that. But Jesus calls him. “Follow Me,” He says. And Matthew responds to the gift. Jesus chose him. Jesus gave him the gift of life.

God does that for you too. He doesn’t do it by saying the words, “Follow Me.” He uses different words. He actually puts His name on you with water. He pours it on your head and says, “You are Mine. You belong to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. You have eternal life through faith in Jesus.”

What God does is apply the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to you. He says that everything that Jesus did is yours. What did you do to deserve such a gift? What did Matthew do? Nothing at all. For most of us we couldn’t even form words, let alone choose to follow God. Faith in Jesus is God’s gift to you and me. It is the act of a God who loves to give, the act of a God willing to suffer and die for you. All you have to do, actually it would be better to say, what you do is delight in God’s gift.

Think just for a minute about the Ten Commandments. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Those first three commandments talk about our relationship with God. They talk about the gifts that God has given us. They are talking about faith. Why would you want to have any kind of relationship outside of the one true God?

The rest of the commandments talk about gifts of God, too. Honor your father and mother — the gift of family and government. You shall not kill — the gift of life. You shall not commit adultery — the gift of marriage. Etc. When we think about the God who gives such gifts, especially the gift of having a relationship with Himself, we see the commandments in a whole new light. Not as rules but as realities. It’s the way we live because of who we are… or whose we are.

That’s what the Pharisees were missing. That’s why Jesus tells them they need to do more research. He said to them, “Go and learn what this means.” It’d be like a teacher writing on a paper, “Do over.” They didn’t get it. They thought they had a relationship with God because of what they did. They were the “in” group. They kept all the laws as best they could. God must be pleased with them.

But they missed what Jesus was all about. “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” isn’t talking about us doing good stuff for God. Our problem is that we don’t understand the word mercy right. In our ears mercy means feeling sorry for someone who is worse off than we are. You get a better idea what mercy means from the ESV translation of the Old Testament lesson for today:

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 6:6, ESV

The word “mercy,” or here “steadfast love,” isn’t about feelings. It’s about actions. It’s about relationships… relationships with one another and most especially a relationship with God. When we say, “Lord, have mercy!” we are not asking God to feel sorry for us. We are asking Him to do what He has promised to do. We are asking Him to give us what He has promised to give. Thanks to Dr. Dale Meyer, June 3rd, The Meyer Minute.

Would you like an example? You don’t have to go outside the Bible for a good example. Abraham is a great one. He’s an example of having steadfast love of God… even to a fault. St. Paul wrote those words about him:

No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.

Romans 4:20, ESV

God promised to give him a son, and even though he was very old he believed it would happen. Even Abraham stumbled and tried to help God keep His promise. Not because he believed that God wouldn’t do it, but simply because he trusted God would do it, so why should he have to wait?

He was fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

Romans 4:21–22, ESV

That’s the steadfast love that we mean when we talk about mercy.

God loves a banquet. He loves to give. He calls you to a banquet. Do you know about it? Do you know where you can go to receive what God promises to give you? Well, you must know something about it. After all, you are here at the banquet He provides. You’ve already received the gifts that He promises to give.

Why do you think we start our worship service with a reminder that God has given us the gift of faith? “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” is the name of God that was placed on you when God promised you eternal life through faith in Jesus. If you want to know who God’s gifts are here for, all you have to do is remember that He has claimed you through water and Word.

God has already today spoken to you about the gift of forgiveness, too. Did you ever wonder why a pastor says, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit?” A pastor has no power to forgive, except the forgiveness that God gives. Your pastor only speaks God’s Word of promise to you. He speaks “in the stead and by the command of Jesus.” “In the stead” means “standing in for.”

And right before that we call upon God to do for us what He promises to do. We say it more fully than this, but the dialogue could be said like this:

God’s People: God, I need forgiveness. Forgive me as You promise You will do.

God’s Response: You are forgiven because of Jesus!

God’s People: Yeah! Glory to God! Thanks be to God!

God loves to give, especially to give what we need. And forgiveness is it. But there’s more. God’s banquet really does have food too! We’ll gather at God’s altar and eat bread and wine. It’s a very special meal. It’s a meal we need more than any other meal. That’s because it’s not just ordinary bread and wine, it’s the body and blood of Jesus.

God just keeps on giving… forgiveness upon forgiveness. And you don’t have to doubt that the forgiveness He gives is being given to you. “Take and eat. Take and drink. This is My body and blood given to you for the forgiveness of sins.” It’s for you right there. You see, when God gives a gift you can be sure of who it’s for and exactly what it does. “Lord have mercy! Give me what You promise to give.”

Now, does that have an impact on how you live in relationship to other people? I should think so. God gives you what you need. You don’t have to do anything to earn His forgiveness. You don’t have to do anything to earn your relationship to Him. He gifts it to you. Your response is more than just thanksgiving to God. Your response is to give a gift. Not a gift to God, but a gift to everyone else. God gives you what you need. You can give other people what they need.

That’s what the Pharisees were missing. They lived their lives doing stuff for God to help themselves. They tried to keep God’s laws to earn His favor. That’s useless. That’s unnecessary. That’s something a person can’t even do. In fact, if we try, we are rejecting the gift.

It’s saying to God, “I don’t want the gift of salvation You sent Your Son to die for. I’d rather earn my own way. Jesus’ life and death isn’t good enough for me. His perfect life and death aren’t what I want. I expect You to look at my good works instead.”

We worship God best when we take what He gives with a thankful heart. Think of the potluck again: God fills our plate with wonderful gifts. It’s okay to have a very full plate. That’s what God wants, to give to you all that you need and more. You’ve got all that you need. Go ahead and live for others. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.