06/11/2026
God Pause for Thursday, June 11, 2026
Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23) (NRSV)
Read Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23) on biblegateway.com
35Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
10Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' 8Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 9Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12As you enter the house, greet it. 13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of S***m and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16"See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Devotion
Perhaps Jesus’ journey passed from pasturelands to fields of grain. Different images, yet the same creator God. Perhaps Jesus saw persons wounded by religious leaders who misused community for the sake of power. Perhaps Jesus saw persons longing for religious teaching that inspired authentic faith, life-giving hope, and lasting peace. Jesus’ perceptions of the crowds around him—then and now—invite those first disciples and us to pray, and then to do something. To be sure, this reading invites questions. Why did Jesus limit where the disciples were to go? What does casting out demons look like in our day? And then we consider again this week’s key question: How vast is God’s pasture and who decides who gets to be included in that pasture? We get to hear answers to these questions and prayers in Jesus’ final words in Matthew’s Gospel, “All authority is given to me! Go!”
Prayer
Thank you, O God, for the persons you sent to show me your love for me, too. Open my heart, transform my will, so that the persons you send my way this day, may see in me that you love them, too. Amen.
Paul H. Moessner '04 D.Min. Retired, Omaha, Nebraska
