Proper 7: Gospel, Matthew 10:5a, 21-33                                 

Matthew 10:5a, 21-33

The Bible enjoins followers of God to trust Him. Without exception we are schooled and prompted that the God who authored the Scriptures has a sure and stable hand to guide and guard His creation. But in the matter of personal trust, perhaps it is a better measurement of God’s “handiwork” to speak of what we can leave in His hands. Trust is leaving matters, people, future, life, and death all “in the hands” of God, so to speak.

In our gospel text we have Jesus once again teaching His disciples. He is showing them that to be a proclaimer of His message is apt to land one in the very same predicament that Jesus had found Himself. Opposed. And that opposition, Jesus hints, could get very ugly. But that’s to be expected, says our Lord. Master and student are on the same footing in the eyes of the world. And the response to both is just alike.

Jesus lets His band of followers in on the rock-solid truth that He can be trusted no matter what comes their way. Assaults whether they be verbal or against skin and bone are unpleasant for anyone to endure. But Jesus wanted His followers then to know He was with them all the way through those assaults. He wants us to trust Him that way as well.  And perhaps by warning them in advance there was a freedom of sorts in making that costly proclamation. “My Master has faced them. He stands with me now. I can face them, too.”

Trust the Lord. He has hands big enough. No matter what.