Reading Plan for May 24 - 30
May 24, 2026 | Matthew 16:13-20
Reflection:
In Jesus’ day, there was no way to take a snapshot of someone and pass it around for others to be sure they knew by site who Jesus and anyone else actually was. Think about that. The only way you knew who someone was is that you had met that person or been introduced to that person by someone who knew him. When people speak of Martin Luther King, Jr., I can picture him, even though I’ve never met him. So, people couldn’t picture Jesus when they heard rumors about him. Nor could they picture John the Baptist…or the prophets of old. It’s kind of like Superman and Clark Kent; you couldn’t really be sure who was who, unless they were both present. A lot of rumors went around about Jesus, but those closest to him had trouble distinguishing who he was. In our text today, Simon Peter finally makes a leap of understanding: this Jesus with whom he’s been traveling must really be the Messiah he’s been waiting for. What would it take for you to recognize Jesus for who he is, if he were in your midst?
May 25, 2026 | Matthew 16:21-28
Reflection:
There’s a lot of talk in the gospel narratives about losing and finding: ‘Seek and ye shall find,’ ‘the lost sheep is the one whom the shepherd seeks after,’ and ‘there is nothing lost in God’s kingdom.’ The disciples fear losing Jesus, and so they seem to ignore him talking about his own death. Jesus, in turn, says, “Do not fear letting go of what has only been temporarily put in your hands; what is eternal is life itself. What is important is what comes to us in the Kingdom: the fullness of life itself. There is an old camp song that goes, “Let go and let God have his wonderful way. Your troubles will vanish; your night will turn to day. Let go and let God have his way.” We would sing this at camp with great gusto, mimicking letting go of what no longer serves. What are you willing to let go of to experience God more fully? What are you longing to rediscover in the kingdom of God’s love?
May 26, 2026 | Matthew 17:1-13
Reflection:
Was John the Baptist really Elijah come back from the dead? Most likely, no. John the Baptist was an Elijah-like figure. He embodied the sharp, two-edged sword that is the proclamation of God’s kingdom. John was incisive and poignant. There was no escaping his message of “Repent; turn to God and away from all that separates you from God and one another.” In this way, John was Elijah: the prophet who calls for decisive, life-changing action. Talk of Elijah follows just after this amazing TRANSFIGURATION story, where Elijah appears genuinely to have been present, not figuratively. So was Moses. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, even as they appear as themselves. Jesus is often depicted between them, bridging the best of the traditions of law and prophecy. What is most needed in our world today? Who are we called to be as we seek to live as Jesus’ followers, living out the heart of the law and prophecy, with love and justice? Who are you called to be as you encounter the transfigured Christ in scripture and bear him to the world?
May 27, 2026 | Matthew 17:14-27
Reflection:
Following the transfiguration event comes the story of the boy with epilepsy. It happens in each of the gospels that tell this story. The boy and his father are always there, and the disciples are left perplexed and looking incompetent. Even though they appear as characters in a story, the boy and his father were most likely real people. When we read in the Bible that someone has “leprosy,” what it says in the Bible actually is that the person has been “moonstruck.” We have another word we use: lunatic. Our ancient ancestors believed that the moon could have such power over people that it made them mad, made them lose control over their bodies. Modern science looks at “epilepsy” differently today. The affliction nonetheless keeps people on the edge of society, fearing that debilitating “episodes” may come. In what ways do we still think of outside influences having control over us? How are we to engage in a deeper drawing closer to God (through prayer or other means) to help us see the root cause of disease or physical affliction? Sometimes the Spirit will say, “Pray more.” At other times, the Spirit will say, “Go see a doctor.” And sometimes the Spirit says, “It’s not outside you that brings you disharmony, but what lies within.” Thank God this boy had a parent who cared so much for him that he sought and sought for a way out. Notice as well in today’s reading how taxes come up as a point of contention. This time it’s a religious tax. Jesus sidesteps the controversy, and he finds a way for God to supply the answer to life’s puzzles.
May 28, 2026 | Matthew 18:1-14
Reflection:
What do you imagine the kingdom of heaven is like? With a word like “king” as part of it, it sounds like there’s an endemic hierarchy in this kingdom. Jesus’ parables about the kingdom often include a “king” figure. But not all his parables do. Some parables speak of the kingdom like a tiny seed that grows really big, producing a lot of fruit and creating living space for hosts of birds. It does strike me as odd that the disciples dare to imagine that some will be great in the kingdom and some not so great. Jesus’ response to their musings is classic: he put a child in their midst and said, “Be humble like this child to experience the kingdom.” He says something else: change. What Jesus says literally is: turn back, return. With all their questions of hierarchy, Jesus reorients them sharply: you’re heading the wrong direction. Turn back. Return to what it was like to be a child. He almost says, “Return to being a child, or else you’ll miss the kingdom.” What about childhood is kingdom-living-like? Jesus goes on to talk about how precious these little ones are, whether they are actual children or faithful ones who have returned to a childlike way of being, trusting and interdependent. Jesus says that God cares a lot for the little ones. Who is a ‘little one’ in your life that needs to know that they are God’s beloved? Jesus speaks hyperbolically to say that whatever keeps you from “returning as a child to the kingdom,” excise that thing from your life. Naked we came into this life…naked we’ll leave it. Return to childlikeness and trust in God’s provision. Treat others as God’s beloved. Find your way back to the kingdom.
May 29, 2026 | Matthew 18:15-22
Reflection:
Forgiveness and reconciliation are tough. There’s no other way to say it. But God is extremely interested in both. At the heart of Jesus’ ministry and Jesus’ whole way of being in the world were centered around forgiveness and reconciliation. “If you can, seek reconciliation one-on-one. If that doesn’t work, bring in others who can lovingly support both parties. If you remain unreconciled, seek the discernment of the body, that is, the gathering of the faithful. For wherever two or three or more are gathered in my name, I’m there too.” Jesus appears to lay out a clear plan of action that can be employed with some creative implementation. And still it all may be hard. We are human. Getting along isn’t easy. Someone once asked me, “How do I forgive my ex-husband. I’ve been angry at him for 30 years since our divorce. And I try to forgive. I just can’t.” Jesus knows our humanity. He says, “Keep forgiving. Do it seven times seventy times.” That’s a lot. He seems to be saying, “Make forgiveness a daily habit. Work at it, and trust in God to continue and complete the process.” Keep on keeping on. Forgive even when no one seems to deserve it. Jesus asks this of us.
May 30, 2026 | Matthew 18:23-35
Reflection:
We continue today in the vein of forgiveness. This is one of Jesus’ longer parables, and it’s a doozy. Jesus really understands human nature. He knows that even though someone may experience unconditional forgiveness, that person may not be changed (return to oneself) and become forgiving in return. Jesus says, “The heart of forgiveness is forgiving from the heart.” The heart holds onto so many wrongs, disgrace, and humiliations. Jesus calls us to empty our hearts of these things so that the heart can do what the heart was designed to do: forgive. Let go and “return” to the childlike wonder of unconditional love. It’s clearly not easy. We need to have the whole kingdom of God on our side in order to achieve this. The good news is that the kingdom is biased in our favor…because it is God’s kingdom, and God longs for us to return and be changed. In our communion liturgy, we say, “We lift up our hearts to the Lord.” A heart empty of old hurts is far easier to lift up to God. The heart devoid of resentment forgives far more readily. Let the Spirit sweep our hearts clear, so that we can lift them up with ease. Practice forgiveness in some form every day.