Today is the First Sunday after Trinity. Now that Lent and the Easter Season are behind us, the lectionary picks up again on the systematic journey through Matthew’s Gospel. We pick up the narrative in chapter nine where Jesus holds out a new start to broken people. Jesus heals those who are hurt and welcomes those who are alienated. This reading presents four examples of Jesus offering a new start. Jesus calls Matthew from his work as someone who collected taxes from the Jewish people on behalf of the Roman authorities. Jesus welcomes social outcasts to eat with him. Jesus heals the woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. Jesus restores the dead girl to life.
For those of you who wanted to do some thinking and preparation for today’s service during the preceding week, I invited reflection on the image of the repair shop. In today’s picture, from her book, The Craft Show, Betsy Bear takes her precious necklace to be repaired.
Lord Jesus Christ,
you offer a new start to broken people.
Help us to acknowledge our brokenness,
that we may make a new start with you;
for you are the Lord of life.
Amen.
Next Sunday is the Second Sunday after Trinity, when the Gospel reading is Matthew’s account of Jesus calling the twelve disciples by name and commissioning them as apostles, to be sent out in his name. The image to help prepare for this theme is friends. You can find out more about that theme by looking at the Educational Resources and the Preparation Resources.
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