Book: Matthew

A sermon on accepting the gifts of God

We want to be rewarded as we think we deserve, but God wants to give us everything.

Jesus and the Canaanite woman bring us along with them into a new understanding of what defiles, and what makes us clean and whole.

God gives extravagantly and abundantly, but in order to experience it, we need to begin sharing it.

The good news of the Kingdom always seems disreputable and dangerous and unwelcome, and it asks of us a whole new way of being God’s gracious people in a world of hatred and violence.

Jesus has sown the seeds. It is up to us to respond and even though we may get excited and the interest dissipates, or we get distracted and let the other priorities take a hold of us, or we actually feel nothing, the challenge for us is to continue our walk with God.

Staying true to the disciplines of ordinary faithfulness is part of our calling as we follow the way of Jesus Christ; and engaging in them eases our burdens considerably.

Temptations can hook us away from where we want to be, following Jesus, but perhaps we need them in order to discover who we are in relation to them.

In the face of a major disaster, Jesus’ call to not worry is both challenged and illuminated.

The salvation of the world lies in Jesus’ model of non-retaliation.

Jesus’ teaching on the new ethics for disciples do not weigh us down because they are wrapped in generous mercy and humour.

God has given us all we need to live out our calling with integrity.