People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: Wolves and Swords and Sparrows, Oh My! ~ 4th Sunday after Pentecost '26 Yr A

For Sunday, 21, 2026, Readings: Genesis 21:8-21, Psalm 86:1-10 16-17; Romans 6:1b -11, Matthew 10:24-39

But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and...your slave woman...do as [Sarah] tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring will be named for you. I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring...God called to Hagar..."Do not be afraid; lift up the boy...I will make a great nation of him"...God was with the boy... [Genesis 21:12-13, 17b-18, 20a]

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and great is your love for all who call upon you...In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, for your will answer me. [Psalm 86: 5, 7]

...all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death...so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life...So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. [Romans 6:3b, 4b, 11]

So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows..."Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven...I have not come to bring peace, but a sword...whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." [Matthew 10:31-32, 34b, 38-39]

In the prior reading from Genesis, Sarah was laughing ~ she got caught, denied it, and was brought up short. She was then granted happiness in her old age, or so we thought…

This week we find a different Sarah, jealous and vengeful, separating the child from his father, Abraham, and willing to allow that child and his mother to die. God calmed Abraham and later Hagar, by telling her Do not be afraid. And we are told about this other son of Abraham, known to us as Ishmael, upon whom God also founded a nation, that God was with the boy.

Paul reminds us that in Baptism we die, to sin that is, and if all goes well with us, we are alive to God in Jesus. And then Jesus tells the disciples (us, too) not to fear those who disparage him. Yet although the words those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul are fearsome, Jesus reminds us that even sparrows sold cheaply are valued by God. He echoes God in saying do not be afraid because we are more valuable than many sparrows.

THEN, BOOM - where did THIS Jesus come from: Not bringing peace but a sword, setting family against family, households against one another? Separating us from him if we love others more? We have arrived at Part 2 of Jesus' teaching on what discipleship actually means. Last week we were sheep in the midst of wolves and now we learn what can happen when confronting those wolves, when we pick up His cross and follow Him. He has my attention ~ he had me at I have not come to bring peace, but a sword...

But then, how different is this from what we experience in life, especially in these tumultuous times, when we hold differing opinions with those we love? Political and even religious rhetoric can be fiery and fierce, families and friends stop speaking to one another. Strangers are yelling at each other in the streets and, of course, on social media. Sarah and her wrath against Hagar and her child Ishmael, fathered by Abraham, whose descendant founded the religion of Islam, is remembered and fuels the wrath among and between Jews, Muslims, and Christians, forgetting that we are ALL, Each and Every, Sisters and Brothers as the Children of Abraham, Children of the same God.

The world seems angrier than ever and us vs them boils over all too often into violence, personal, global, and even as entertainment for the uber wealthy, politicos at high levels, and just-regular-folks ramped up to take it to the streets. Yet Jesus stops us in our tracks with his sword because it begs the questions to ourselves and each other: What really is our life all about? How easily ~ like sheep ~ do we bolt headlong into everything except what our Shepherd wants from us? He doesn't want us to stop loving each other, we are simply to love Him more. The glint of the sword blade is a clear warning that being steadfast in faith, acknowledging Him above all else ~ family, friends, job, lifestyle, etc. ~ is fraught with far more than separation anxiety, it can be dangerous for a mere human. We are not to be the sword-carriers, we are to bearers of the Word, the Good News. And, as with life in general, some days will be easier than others. This is not a part-time occupation, a Sunday thing, or a Christmas and Easter duty. This is what we sign up for when we call ourselves Followers of Christ/Christians. The pay-off is full-time, eternal life. No easy road ~ yet ~ if we travel together, we can keep the wolves at bay and save some sparrows all while losing only that which keeps us from finding our true life. Remember that pray without ceasing thing? Start NOW and, oh yes: Do not be afraid. God in Christ is with us, always.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, You bid us to choose between living now in false comfort or with division among us by walking in the newness of Christ. Keep us grounded, strong in our faith, willing to bear the cost in this life for the promise of Jesus in the next.

O God, Great and Wondrous

RESPONSE: We lift our souls to Your Mercy

~ O Lord, Good and Forgiving, give us the courage to be what we expect and demand of political leaders in this World, across our Country, and in our Local cities and towns. Strengthen us to work in large and small ways to end quarreling, power plays, and violence that separate and kill us here and across this Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions