Sermon - Proper 6, Series A, Pentecost 3, 2026 - Matthew 9:35–10:20

The Wolf and the Lamb, Jean-Baptiste Oudry, 18th century

Being Faithful in the Midst of Wolves

1. The harvest is plentiful; there are many unbelievers who need to hear

2. Yet there are also those who hate the Lord, and will persecute us

3. Therefore, we must faithfully bear witness to Christ

As secularism increases in our nation and church attendance declines, we faithful Christians can be prone to despair and despondency about the future of the church and our nation. I understand, especially if you’re older than me, because if you’re older than me you remember a time when the church was growing and very different than it is today. So it can be disheartening to see the church across America in decline for the past 40 years. 

But there’s another way to look at our current situation. Jesus says: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” The harvest is plentiful! We are surrounded by many people, some of them we come into contact with regularly and already have relationships with them, and those people are ripe for the harvest! The fact that we are surrounded by people who don’t have saving faith in Jesus means that we have a great opportunity right here to proclaim the word of the Lord and save sinners from the jaws of death. 

We don’t need to go to great expense to go on mission trips to far away lands to find someone who doesn’t know Jesus, because those people are right here in our own neighborhoods and in our own families. You don’t need to be some fancy missionary with specialized training, you don’t need to learn new languages, you don’t need fancy degrees, because you already know these people and their culture and you know them better than anyone else. Just like the twelve apostles initially were sent only to their fellow Jews, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, so are we all surrounded by these lost sheep in our own neighborhoods. Opportunity abounds! The harvest is plentiful!

Now, it is worth mentioning that what Jesus specifically sent the apostles to do was unique to the apostles. “And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction… Proclaim as you go… Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.” Only the disciples were given this kind of authority, and they continued to perform miracles after the ascension, because their main work was to preach, but the miracles were given to confirm their message by accompanying signs.

Also, not everyone has to do as Jesus says and “Go.” Most Christians are called to stay put in their own communities. But God does continue to call some Christians to “Go.” This includes missionaries to far away lands, but it also includes men who are much more familiar to us, namely pastors. God does still call pastors and send them into various parts of His field where they must labor by proclaiming the word of God publicly: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” So pastor Grannis is one such man who has been called by God to serve you here. You support him and he receives his living by the gospel because Jesus tells you: “the laborer deserves his food.” St. Paul quotes this and explains: “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”” Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that you give offerings to the congregation so that pastor Grannis can feed his family, and so that he can live among you and feed you with the word of God and nourish you with the blessed sacraments.

But even though most Christians aren’t pastors, that doesn’t mean this text has no application for all christians. Afterall, all Christians are given the word of God, all Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit, all Christians are tasked with speaking God’s word within their vocations in and outside of the home. This also means that Christians, like the apostles, are going to face persecution for their faith.

When the apostles were sent out they had some incredible gifts, but they also had some fierce persecution. “Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.” Not all Christians will face this kind of persecution. Some certainly around the world do face severe physical pain for their faith. But the persecution of Christians isn’t exclusively physical torture. What we Christians are facing here in our day, where Christians are at times mocked and ridiculed, are sometimes shunned and lose their friends or family, are passed over for promotions or fired, that is persecution. When a Christian stands up for the truth of scripture, stands up for Christian morality and ethics, speaks up against some of the evil teachings in our age, and that Christian is reviled and mocked and treated shamefully and ridiculed, that is persecution. 

The apostles were dragged before governors and kings. Maybe not us so much. Maybe we just get ridiculed by a relative. However, you must still bear witness to the name of Jesus before whomever is near you and before all who will hear. The apostles were given a special comfort: “When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

This is meant to comfort the apostles who were called upon uniquely to give testimony of Christ in very special circumstances. However, it’s also a true comfort for us as well, although we must understand it correctly. Upon hearing Jesus say that we might be tempted to think that we don’t need to do any preparation or study in order to say the right thing at the right time. But that’s not what Jesus says, Jesus doesn’t tell us to not prepare, but He tells us to not be anxious. In fact, it is good to study the word of God so that you have a defense to give in time of need, but it is also just good to study the word of God because God’s word is good and shapes our lives for the better!

This is why it’s important for you to come to church and spend time meditating on the word of God during the readings and the sermon, this is why everyone should come to Bible Study every week so that we can sharpen one another with the word of God, this is why it’s vital that you read your Bible every single day; you must internalize the Word of God in your heart so that whenever you speak your words are shaped by God. In this way your every breath is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit because God’s word comes in, and God’s word goes forth.

And then when you must give an account of your faith, you don’t have to be anxious. Not only because you are prepared and God’s Word fills you, but because the Holy Spirit has come upon you in Holy Baptism and will give you the words to speak. It’s common that people think they’re not the right person to speak God’s Word to the people around them, because they don’t know what to say. But you don’t need to have that fear, you don’t need to be anxious about it, because Jesus has given you His Holy Spirit who fills your lips with His words.

Just like the apostles were exactly the right sheep to bear witness to Jesus in the midst of wolves, so are you exactly the right sheep whom God has called to testify of Him in the midst of wolves. Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. But be unafraid to speak, because God has chosen you from before the dawning of time to be His beloved child in His kingdom, and He has so placed you here, today, in this world, because you’re exactly the right person for the job. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses you of all of your sins so that sin, death, and hell needn't frighten you. If hell cannot scare you, then neither should any of the sheep without a shepherd, neither should the wolves nor man frighten you, for God is your helper and with Him you shall remain until the end of the ages.