Second Sunday after Pentecost; 11 June 2023; Proper 5A (RCL); Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33:1-12; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26.
The lectionary makes kind of a mish-mash out of the reading from Matthew’s Gospel. We leave out the bit about the disciples of John the Baptist questioning Jesus about fasting. In the story just before where we pick up, Jesus has forgiven the sins of the paralytic, and thus set off opposition to his ministry. The three stories (including the dinner party with tax collectors and sinners) are the first stories in Matthew where Jesus encounters opposition. It would have made sense to read all three of them together, and to have held the story of the raising of the young girl for another day.
Continue reading “New life”