Monday 8 July 2024

Today is Monday the 8th of July, in the 14th week of Ordinary Time. Jon Guerra and Sandra McCracken with the Porter’s Gate sing, ‘The Kingdom of Jesus’. To what shall we compare the kingdom of Jesus if not a seed? It’s small, it’s sown, it’s tended and grown And it’s stirred in you and me Its branches never break and its fruit never withers His kingdom is not of this world Or of any kingdom whose ruler’s face is on a penny He comes to make all things right To put a new wine in us He’s chosen the small things to outlast the great The meek and the merciful to shine through the hate Though it seems some days that hell and its gates are prevailing Oh, say, can you see The kingdom within us Is the kingdom of Jesus To what shall we compare the spirit of the hour if not a sword It frees us, unites us, enslaves and divides us in violence Help us, Lord His kingdom is not of this world Or of any kingdom whose ruler’s face is on a penny He comes to make all things right To put a new wine in us He’s chosen the small things to outlast the great The meek and the merciful to shine through the hate Though it seems some days that hell and its gates are prevailing Oh, say, can’t you see We have one allegiance It's to the kingdom of Jesus He who is in us is greater Than he who is in the world He who is in us is greater And He’s overcome the world Oh, His kingdom is not one of slander or rage But one that is ruled by the lamb who was slain And is worthy of wisdom and honour and glory and strength No pain, no division, no public disgrace Will compare with seeing the smile on his face As he welcomes us home as children with places at the table Neither death nor threat nor power can ever separate us From the love of God forever, in Christ Jesus Everything shall pass away, but not the Word that’s within us, no It’s the kingdom of Jesus, the kingdom of Jesus Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 9:18-26 While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, ‘My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.’ And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute-players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, ‘Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district. The leader of the synagogue says: “but come and lay your hand on her, and [my daughter] will live” … Spend some time with the faith displayed here… Is this something you have in your walk with Jesus? Notice that the woman with the haemorrhage says something similar: ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ How does this faith speak to you? Now listen as the story is read to you once more; what really touches you in it? Finally, look back over this time of prayer, and try to remember what you experienced in the course of it. Can you bring all that together and make a prayer of it? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.