SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2026 | AFTER PENTECOST PROPER 5 (A)

Texts:

Primary: Matthew 9:9-13, Matthew 9:18-26 Secondary:

Hosea 5:15-6:6 Romans 4:13-25

Sermon

Good morning,

and welcome to the long "Green" season! I am sure we will see a lot of new greenery outside as it seems the drought is over. This season of growth reminds us of Martin Luther’s famous sentiment—that even if he knew the world would end tomorrow, he would still plant the tree today. But what kind of soil are we planting in?

The calling of Matthew is an interesting text to kick the season off. Who is he? A tax collector for the Roman Empire, and as such, not a popular person among the Jewish people. Nobody likes to pay taxes, especially if they already have to pay a religious tax to the temple! So when Jesus comes to his house and invites other tax collectors and people considered "undesirable" and ritually unclean, the Pharisees get all judgy and gossipy.

The Anchor of Grace: Mercy, Not Sacrifice

This text is not just a conversion narrative of Matthew; it underscores a fundamentally different understanding of grace between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees are worried about ritual cleanliness, believing that God's grace is for those who deserve it through fulfilling the law. But as Paul writes in Romans 4, justification comes by faith, not as a wage earned through works. Jesus operates from a radically different center. Echoing Hosea 6:6, He demonstrates the heart of the Gospel: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Jesus believes that God's free grace is for those who truly need it, just like the sick need a doctor.

This is beautifully supported by the two intertwined healing narratives: a leader asking for the healing of his recently deceased daughter, and a woman suffering from bleeding. Both situations involve ritual impurity—proximity to death taints you, and so does bleeding. Yet, Jesus is unfazed by either and proceeds not only with their physical healing but, in effect, their religious and social restoration. That is a massive shift in a society that afforded women only limited rights and tied their survival entirely to a male relative, father, or husband. Jesus shows us the truly unconditional love and grace that originates with God, reaching everyone, especially those abandoned by their kinspeople and the world at large.

Modern Purity Tests and Systemic Pharisaism

But let us be honest: when we are afraid, exhausted, or anxious, we, too, become purity-obsessed. As simul iustus et peccator—simultaneously justified and sinners—we often prefer the safety of our own rules to the messiness of grace. Today, purity tests live in who we exclude, who we blame, and what policies we pass. The question remains: mercy or sacrifice?

Just like the Loving fellowship of the Trinity, let this text be an example for us to look after those society considers undesirable. And let's be honest, our society is quite picky in that respect. Whether it is the poor, the sick, the unhoused, or the immigrant, our assistance ends up being awfully conditional. Disability benefits are tied to not being married, the poor are under constant scrutiny to prove they are using benefits "correctly," and immigrants are treated as suspicious aliens only one small mistake away from deportation. When did our systems turn so Pharisaic? Why do some listen more to the opponents of Jesus rather than Jesus Himself?

Empowered by Grace, Sustained by Hope

As a church, we are not called to moralistic perfection out of guilt; rather, grace empowers us to participate in Christ’s mercies. It can be exhausting and disheartening at times, feeling like there is only so much we can do in the face of systemic failures to care for people. It is wearying to watch profit prioritized over the starving, to see public safety nets slashed while neighbors walk the roads in searing heat, and to witness endless resources poured into distant conflicts while vulnerable veterans beg in our streets.

We are weary, and the work of justice is long. We plant the tree not because we see the forest, but because love commands us.

Jesus knew there were limits to the miracles He could do and lectures He could give in the face of human oppression and violence, yet He still acted. He got up early and continued caring, loving, healing, listening, and praying until the very last moment at Golgotha. But our theology of the cross teaches us that grace is often hidden in suffering, and the story does not end at Golgotha. It continues in the resurrection.

So we stock the Blessing Box, we advocate for the marginalized, and we vote with our Spirit-inspired conscience. Our faith compels us to step into this long "Green" season of growth. We have been given grace, and empowered by the cross and the empty tomb, we shall pass that grace on. Amen.

Embodiment Activity: "The Tree of Mercy"

This activity helps the congregation physically embody the sermon’s metaphor of planting trees and breaking down walls, with no props needed.

Instruction to Leader: "Everyone, please stand up. We are going to move through three stages of our 'Green Season' together."

Step 1: The Seed (The Problem) "Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bring your arms across your chest and clasp your hands tightly. You are a seed buried in hard soil, or a wall built to keep people out. You are closed tight." (Hold for a moment).

Step 2: The Sprout (The Struggle) "Now, breathe deep. Slowly uncross your arms. As you reach your arms out to the side, imagine you are pushing through hard concrete roots. You are planting your tree. Reach high and wide, growing toward the sun, but stay grounded." (Hold the "wide" stance).

Step 3: The Fruit (The Mercy) "Now, the tree is grown. Bring your hands forward into your open palm and look at them. Turn to a neighbor (or face the room) and offer an open hand or a thumbs-up. Say simply: 'Grace is yours.' This is the fruit of your growth."

Prayer:

 Gracious God, you do not call us to moralistic perfection, but to mercy. Let us pray for the courage to love those the world overlooks. We pray for the weary workers of justice and the vulnerable neighbors on our streets. May we be the hands of your mercy, empowered by the empty tomb.

Notes

Hosea:

Romans:

Grace is through faith, not works of the law

Matthew:

Grace:

Pharisees - for those that are already in good standing

x

Jesus:

for those that need it the most - sinners

Recurring theme:

Healing through believing

Hosea 5:15–6:6: The Path Back to God

God withdraws from his sinful people, allowing destruction and captivity to drive them toward repentance and the realization that only divine relationship offers hope.1 The confession in verses 1–3 represents the prophet’s intercessory plea, inviting his audience to embrace genuine repentance.1 True turning involves rejecting past sinful patterns and abandoning dependence on false securities—whether idolatry or military alliances—to trust God alone.1

The passage pivots on divine power and responsiveness. The God who tears his people apart (echoing the lion imagery) possesses the power to heal and bind their wounds, affirming both his sovereignty and his dependability.1 Two nature-based comparisons reinforce this reliability: God’s appearance is as certain as sunrise and as necessary as rain for agricultural renewal—contrasting his withdrawal with his gracious return and offering life to a drought-stricken land.2

Romans 4:13–25: Faith as the Foundation

Abraham’s legacy rests entirely on his trusting relationship with God and God’s response of righteousness—not on works or law observance.3 Paul establishes that the promise precedes the law chronologically (Genesis 15 before Genesis 17), positioning Christ’s resurrection as a return to the promise-based mode of divine relationship.4 Faith in God’s promise becomes humanity’s primary expectation, centering divine action and initiative rather than human agency.4

Those who share Abraham’s defining trait—personal trust in God—inherit his legacy alongside him; in the post-Christ era, this means believers who trust God through Jesus and the gospel.3

Matthew 9:9–13, 18–26: Mercy Over Judgment, Life Over Death

Matthew’s call narrative shows immediate, radical transformation: a tax collector abandons his socially despised work and follows Jesus, fundamentally redefining his identity.5 When Pharisees criticize Jesus’ table fellowship with sinners, he invokes Hosea 6:6, declaring that God desires mercy rather than sacrifice, and that his mission targets sinners, not the righteous.5

The deeper issue concerns self-awareness: those who recognize their need for mercy welcome Jesus, while those claiming righteousness resist him; Christ draws close to those who acknowledge their desperate need for divine compassion.5 The healing narratives escalate in significance—the woman’s faith brings restoration, while the girl’s resurrection demonstrates Jesus’ authority over death itself, the ultimate symptom of sin’s power.6

Thematic Synthesis

These readings converge on a single proclamation: God meets humanity in acknowledged need. Hosea invites the broken to return; Paul grounds Christian identity in faith rather than performance; Matthew shows Jesus embodying mercy toward those society rejects. The movement flows from recognition of need → trust in God’s character → transformation through relationship.

1Gary V. Smith, Hosea, Amos, Micah, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001), 110–111.

2Gale A. Yee, “The Book of Hosea,” in New Interpreter’s Bible, ed. Leander E. Keck (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994–2004), 7:250.

3Aaron Sherwood, Romans: A Structural, Thematic, & Exegetical Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), 298–299.

4Ian S. Markham, “Theological Perspective on Romans 4:13–25,” in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year B, ed. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008), 64.

5Stephen Butler Murray, “Theological Perspective on Matthew 9:9–13, 18–26,” in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year A, ed. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 116, 118.

6Iain D. Campbell, Opening up Matthew, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2008), 59–60.

nterpretations of Hosea 5:15–6:6 have shifted significantly across scholarly traditions, reflecting different methodological priorities.

Historical-Political Readings

The dominant scholarly approach originated with Albrecht Alt’s influential 1919 article, which argued that Hosea 5:8–6:6 comprises five oracles responding to the Syro-Ephraimite war (733–32 BCE), particularly concerning territorial disputes over Benjamin.1 While subsequent scholars have questioned Alt’s specific historical reconstructions and textual emendations, his framework has remained influential in academic interpretation.1 However, this approach requires numerous textual corrections and presupposes that biblical authors maintained precise correlations between text and historical events—assumptions increasingly questioned by modern scholars.1

Eschatological-Messianic Readings

A contrasting interpretive tradition reads Hosea 5:15–6:6 as future prophecy rather than historical commentary. This approach identifies God’s withdrawal and return with the incarnation and ascension of Jesus, interpreting the passage as predicting that God will not return to earth until Israel acknowledges its rejection of Jesus’ messiahship.2 Within this framework, Hosea 6:1–3 represents Israel’s future national repentance and acknowledgment of sin.2

Literary-Theological Readings

A third interpretive stream emphasizes the passage’s theological message over historical reconstruction. One view reads 5:15–6:3 as God’s portrayal of the deep conversion he seeks to evoke, contrasted with Israel’s present incapacity for genuine response.3 Alternatively, verses 1–3 are read as Israel’s own words—facile and presumptuous, treating divine forgiveness casually rather than pursuing genuine knowledge of God.3 Both interpretations converge on the observation that Israel fundamentally misunderstands the faithful love God demands, though the former reading allows these verses to function as an eloquent model of authentic repentance.3

These divergent approaches reflect deeper questions about whether the text primarily addresses ancient political crises, future eschatological events, or timeless theological principles about repentance and divine-human relationship.

1Bo H. Lim, “Hosea 5:8–7:2,” in Hosea, ed. J. Gordon McConville and Craig Bartholomew, The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2015), 127–128.

2Ed Hindson and Tim LaHaye, Exploring Bible Prophecy from Genesis to Revelation: Clarifying the Meaning of Every Prophetic Passage (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2011), 273–274.

3Derek Kidner, The Message of Hosea: Love to the Loveless, ed. J. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1976), 64–65.