June 7, 2026 – The Second Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. Mark Colbert
So, I am to bring you all some bad news. No matter what age or
where you are in life, God is going to test you. And yet we are still
called to have faith in God and to follow Christ, even when things do not
seem to be going our way. Life is funny like that. There are also going to
be moments where we have to stop what we are going and follow Christ.
This all seems pretty normal and somewhat how we are called to be
Christians, but to follow Christ without any director seems scary and can
make you feel like you are not in control of your life. Yet, in today’s
Gospel reading of Matthew we see Jesus call Matthew who was a tax
collector to just simply follow him.
Continuing with the gospel of Matthew we see then Jesus sitting at
table with tax collectors and sinners. Then a leader comes begging for
his daughter’s life. Then a woman, suffering for twelve long years,
reaches out in desperate faith. Then Jesus goes into a house of grief and
raises a little girl. At first glance, these may seem like different random
stories thrown together to make this passage. But they are not random.
They belong together because they all show us one truth: Jesus brings
his mercy near. That Jesus comes near those who feel rejected or they do
not belong. Jesus comes near to those who feel isolated and alone. He
comes near those who are grieving and in pain. He comes near to the
sick. He comes near to those who have nothing else to live for. And the
good news for us is this because Jesus still comes near.
The Gospel begins simply; “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a
man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow
me.’ And he got up and followed him.” I applaud Matthew, because
there was no reason why Matthew needed to follow Jesus. Matthew was
a tax collector, he belonged to a group widely despised as collaborators
and sinners. The tradition notes that tax collectors were viewed as
traitors and outcasts. In his time, tax collectors were despised. They
were seen as collaborators with the Roman Empire, often associated
with greed, dishonesty, and betrayal of their own people. If anyone had a
reputation that made him an unlikely disciple, it was Matthew. Jesus’
willingness to call such a man shows grace, and Matthew may have
followed because he encountered unexpected mercy. This changed
Matthew’s life forever. Matthew was no longer some hated individual;
he became a discipleship that Jesus followed the word of Christ.
Matthew followed Jesus because Jesus called him, and in that call
Matthew encountered both authority and mercy powerful enough to
leave everything else behind.
Matthew’s story should inspire us a Christians to follow the Body
and Word of Christ. Maybe that’s volunteering in certain ministries in
the Church. Maybe that’s making room for more devotional time in our
life. But Matthew’s faith says something even more important. To have
faith in this guy Jesus and just follow him is insane. I could imagine
Matthew’s friends and family saying how crazy he was to follow this
guy. But Matthew’s faith is what led him to be a true disciple of Christ.
So many people live under the burden of believing they are
disqualified from God’s love. Some carry guilt over past mistakes. Some
carry shame from what others have said about them. Some assume that
because they have wandered, doubted, failed, or sinned, Jesus could not
possibly be calling them. But Matthew’s story says otherwise. Jesus calls
people who are still sitting at the tax booth. Jesus calls people in the
middle of real life. Jesus calls people with complicated histories. Jesus
calls people no one else would choose. And if Jesus could call Matthew,
then Jesus can call us too.
In another faith scene in the Gospel a leader comes to Jesus with
heartbreaking news: his daughter has died. Yet even in his grief, he says,
“Come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” This is a bold
testament to faith. It is faith born not out of ease, but out of true
desperation. And as Jesus goes with him, another story interrupts this
journey. A woman who has been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve
years comes up behind Jesus and touches his cloak. For twelve years she
has suffered. For twelve years she has likely known weakness, loss, and
social isolation. For twelve years she has probably been treated not just
as sick, but as untouchable. She says to herself, “If I only touch his
cloak, I will be made well.” And Jesus turns. That may be one of the
most beautiful moments in the Gospel. Jesus turns toward the one who
has been overlooked. He turns toward hidden suffering. He turns toward
quiet desperation. And he says, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has
made you well.”
Jesus does not merely cure her body; he restores her personhood.
He brings her out of feeling lost and a sense of hopelessness and back
into a relationship with the world. I am curious, how many people
around us are suffering silently? How many come to church smiling
while carrying grief, illness, depression, fear, loneliness, or financial
stress? How many of us are reaching out, hoping that somehow Jesus
will notice me or notice us? This story reminds us that Jesus does notice.
That Jesus sees all. Jesus sees hidden pain. Jesus honors trembling faith.
Even when faith is small or completely non-existence, when it is mixed
with fear, or when it is little more than reaching out with one hand in
hoping Jesus responds with compassion. So, if you are weary today, if
you are burdened today, if you are carrying something long and painful,
hear this: Christ sees you. Christ turns toward you. Christ says, “Take
heart.”
In this Gospel there is good news and hope for us. It tells the truth
that we are all, at some point are like Matthew at the tax booth needing a
call we do not deserve. That we are all, at some point, the suffering
woman reaching out in weakness for Christ to make us whole. We are
all, at some point, the grieving parent pleading for Christ’s help. And
Jesus does. Jesus comes near to calls, to heals. to restores, and to make
us whole again with him. So let us continue to have a strong faith and to
follow Christ in this world. Let us receive his mercy, love and grace.
And let us all become people who share Christ mercy, love and grace for
the sake of this world. AMEN.
Year A – The Second Sunday After Pentecost – June 7, 2026 – The Rev. Mark Colbert
