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The lessons for this Sunday invite us to continue our study of discipleship. Last week we considered what we should know in order to be faithful disciples. This week we look at several key qualities that disciples need in relating to the community and world.

Genesis 18:1-15-Would you like Smoking or Nonsmoking?

While we spend a lot of energy around Abraham as the faith-filled, grace-filled patriarch, here we have our faith-father wearing quite different clothes-that of a greeter, usher, or deli host. This passage is often overlooked in our haste to mine the texts for faith axioms, yet hospitality is a virtue and a crucial mark of Christian discipleship. Providing a welcoming place for guests and strangers is our job-not the spiritual gift of a few friendly folks in our congregation. This passage stands behind the injunction in Hebrews 13:2 not to neglect showing hospitality to strangers. Abraham has Sarah in the background as an incidental figure, but the strangers/angels think differently. Humor bubbles in this story over the word "laugh" (tzahaq)-the very word that will become the name of Abraham and Sarah’s miracle baby, Isaac. From hospitality comes bold promises and future blessings!

Romans 5:1-8-A New Spin on Suffering

This passage always reminds me of a sort of cause and effect: from saving faith (verse 1) comes peace with God, access into a new treasure house of wealth, and hope of a great future. Such gifts concomitant to salvation, puts a new spin on suffering: now suffering can be viewed as a personal trainer that develops within us the kind of qualities that move us from "why me, O Lord?" to endurance, character, and hope and God’s love. So we aren’t bequeathed a peace that protects us from suffering, oddly enough, a peace that enables us to boast in our suffering. We can endure suffering precisely because we have hope. And hope that finds its center in Christ makes it impossible for suffering to defeat us. The lesson ends with an example of the strong stuff that Christ’s love for us is made of: "even while we were still sinners Christ died for us" (verse 8).

Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)-Help, Please

The Gospel lesson provides a rare glimpse into Jesus’ self-reflection as he looks over the thousands that clamor for ministry from Jesus' hands. Was he on this occasion at the point of exasperation? Was he wondering aloud, "What’s the use? Look at how many are out there and only one of me to help them?" Compassion can lead to depletion of emotion and physical stamina. Pastors maybe the first to recognize the limitations of their ministry, but are sometimes the last to do anything about it. Jesus doesn’t view a riotous, unruly mob that threatens to undo his ministry. Rather he sees the opposite--so many persons who come tired, harassed, and in need of pastoral care. This lesson has overtones of Psalm 23 and the Good Shepherd, but with a different ending--"Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority . . ." that is, he shares ministry with others, so that the shepherds can go out and offer pastoral care to many more than a single Shepherd could have accomplished.