02/08/2026
Here's Revd. Samuel's sermon from our service of baptism & Holy Communion. Our best wishes & prayers go with Maya & Amelia & families on this special day.
"Sermon on the Ninth Sunday After Trinity on 02/08/2026 at St. Paul Constable Lee
“May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you O Lord my refuge and my redeemer amen.”
Today is the ninth Sunday after Trinity in our church calendar year, but this Sunday has its own significance for the worshiping community of St. Paul’s church, because in couple of minutes we are going to baptize two you children, and are going to welcome them into Christ’s body. But before we administer this sacrament, let us reflect for a moment on the passage read today, and see what it has to say to us.
Today’s Gospel reading is taken from the Gospel according to Matthew, which was written by Matthew who sometimes called Levi, or a tax collector as well, and who became one of Jesus’ disciples, and Matthew wrote this Gospel account to offer irrefutable proof that the long-awaited Messiah had come to inaugurate God’s kingdom on earth.
So, the passage we just heard today is one of the well-kwon miracles of the Bible alongside the prodigal son, the story of David and Goliath, the parable good Samaritan, the story of Moses’ birth, and like many similar stories, this one is also quite famous; I remember very vividly that our Sunday school teachers used to tell us these stories over and over again. The significance of this miracle can also be gauged from the fact that it is recorded in all four Gospels.
So, before we going to see what this miracle is talking to us, it is always worth to look at the immediate context of the passage, and we look at the immediate context of today’s Gospel reading. However, if we examine the context of this story or miracle, the background is far from pleasant; for a look at the setting of today’s passage reveals that John the Baptist was imprisoned and subsequently beheaded, and upon hearing the news of John’s death, Jesus withdrew from the crowds. And then in today's Bible reading, we see that people come to Jesus and he not only satisfies their spiritual hunger, but He also satisfies their physical hunger. And it wasn't not small number of people who come to him. According to NIV Quest Study Bible,
“Verse twenty-one explains that five thousand men, plus women and children were present. It is safe to assume that they there were about as many women as men and an average of two children per couple. Therefore, Jesus spoke to a crowd of at least fifteen to twenty thousand people. He produced enough food to satisfy all them.”
A preacher and an author, Margrate Cooling, she wrote in The Canterbury Preacher’s Companion 2026 that,
“Jesus had a little time to grieve in the wilderness as a large crowd followed him. They came with their sick for healing, a part this this story that is often missed. They came with their sad for comfort, for illness brings with it a deep sadness for lost health. They came to the wilderness with hungry hearts and minds and Jesus’ grief was lost in their need. He healed; he comforted. There was a hope in the wilderness.”
If we reflect on this miracle, there are many lessons to be learned from it; however, due to time constraints, we cannot explore all of them today. Yet, one key insight we can glean from today’s passage is just how vital the role of Jesus is in our lives.
We need to remember that, whether it concerns our personal lives or our individual, family, church, social, emotional and spiritual lives, Jesus holds great importance in them, and we drag this from today’s Gospel reading as well, that is why when ordinary people were in need, they went out into the wilderness in search of Jesus. When the disciples needed guidance, they too went to Jesus; a common thread in both instances is that Jesus met people's physical and spiritual needs and provided guidance to His disciples.
What I mean is that Jesus wants us to come to Him with our needs, prayers, and troubles; He wants us to pray to Him and give Him a central place in our lives—but perhaps we do not want to do that. As human beings, we often strive to make all our decisions according to our own will, strength and plans; however, today’s Gospel passage reveals that this is not the ideal approach. Instead, we must place Jesus at the center of every decision—whether great or small—so that He may not only enrich our lives but also guide us through every circumstance, in both good times and bad. Remember, it is only when we do this that miracles will unfold in our lives—just as we witnessed in today’s Gospel, where Jesus provided an abundance from very little.
Today, as we gather here for the special reason, of welcoming these two young girls into God’s Church through baptism, we—as church, parents, godparents, family, and —will also make certain promises, thereby pledging to fulfill specific responsibilities. And I would like us, as we take the vows to fulfill these promises, to reflect deeply on the words we are about to speak; at the same time, let us look into our own lives and—truly feeling the weight of these words—affirm these promises before God. For if we contemplate them with sincere hearts, we will see that while these promises require many things of us, they also demand that we consider the role we will play in the spiritual growth of these children and in leading them to Christ.
And we will only be able to fully fulfill this role if we seek guidance from Jesus Himself for our daily tasks; for by doing so, not only will our personal connection with the Lord Jesus be strengthened, but we will also gain a personal experience of Him, enabling us to properly honor the promises we have made.
So, as we are here for this special occasion, let us reflect on our personal, family, church, and spiritual lives, and identify the areas where we need to strengthen our relationship with God—so that we may stand as witnesses of Jesus not only in the lives of these two children but also in the lives of others.
May the Lord grant us the grace to do so. Amen."
