Weekly Liturgy : June 1-7
- Matt
- Jun 1
- 3 min read
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
10-11 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”
12-13 When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
18 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”
19-21 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
23-26 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.
REFLECTION
from Matt
This scene in the life of Jesus reminds me a lot of days at our shelter sites:
Meals shared with people society shuns
Religious folks questioning what we do and the way we do it
Responding to requests for help
Interruptions by someone else in need
Finally getting back to the first thing that somehow fixed itself
I still don't understand exactly what happened to the synagogue leader's daughter. Was she asleep the whole time, or did Jesus heal her on his way over? Maybe Jesus just showing up was the point: walking, eating, answering, going, pausing, encouraging, extending a hand.
"Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices'" (v. 13a). Maybe the goal isn't a transaction with God (as if God needs anything) as much as it's about how we treat each other — in both the mundane and the miraculous.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Am I seeing others as people or as objects? Are they individuals with needs or merely obstacles/vehicles to help me achieve my goals?
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
When you find yourself disagreeing with someone or something this week, pause. Stop and reflect. Why might a rational and kind human being do or say the thing that you find objectionable?
Pathway Toward Center
Take a few minutes at the end of your day to reflect on your schedule and note your interruptions. Were these simply distractions, or was there something a little more there (what some might call a "divine encounter" or a "holy interruption")?
Questions for Reflection
What's one way you can show mercy to someone near you today?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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