June 21 - The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost with Saint Matthew's Episcopal Church

Christ stands as the faithful witness and ruler over the kings of the earth, and baptism marks a person as his own forever. The baptismal joy of Pentecost gives way to the deeper gravity of Paul’s words in Romans: to be baptized into Christ is to be baptized into his death. Baptism is not only water, word, and glad profession. Baptism is union with Christ in his death and resurrection, birth into God’s family, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit.

Paul’s language takes quite a risk. The cross receives one more name, the name of one for whom Jesus died. Yet the same baptism that joins a believer to death also joins that believer to resurrection life. Those who have died with Christ walk now in newness of life, and that newness is not vague religious feeling. It is a call to discipleship, a call from the creator to walk with Jesus every day.

Matthew’s Gospel shows the cost of that walk. Christ tells the twelve that they will be received as he was received, and his words, “Have no fear,” are spoken into a hostile world. Those who can harm the body cannot harm the soul. God’s care for the falling sparrow becomes the pledge of greater care for those sent in Christ’s name.

Christ’s hard words about division press beyond ordinary disagreements. A man set against his father and a daughter against her mother names the painful reality that ultimate allegiance to Christ may divide even family and friends. These words are not about national issues or current opinions. These words are about the eternal Son of God claiming first place above father, mother, son, and daughter.

Contemporary society often treats religious difference as normal and sometimes treats Christian faith as deluded, foolish, or merely invisible. Many believe only what can be seen, heard, tasted, smelled, or touched. Yet Christ calls the baptized to think differently, to use scripture and prayer, and to make decisions that witness to his sacrificial love.

The mission of the King is concrete. Christ identifies himself with the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned. Faithfulness to him may divide disciples from those who ignore or despise “the least of these.” Still, God’s truth stands forever, and the crucified and risen Christ promises that nothing covered will remain covered. Resurrection glory will appear, and God’s triumph will be fulfilled.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Baptism joins believers to Christ’s death [22:46] Baptism is not presented as a light ceremony or a pleasant religious marker. Baptism gives and seals the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus to the one baptized. The water carries joy, but also gravity, because the cross receives another name for whom Christ died. [22:46]
• 2. New life means costly discipleship [24:02] Resurrection life is not postponed only to the life to come. Resurrection life begins now as a walk in the newness of life. That walk is discipleship, and discipleship means following Jesus daily rather than merely admiring him from a distance. [24:02]
• 3. Christ claims ultimate allegiance [27:04] Jesus’ words about father, mother, son, and daughter are tough because they reach into the deepest human loves. Christ does not despise family affection, but he does refuse second place. The cross reveals that allegiance to the eternal Son of God must stand above every earthly bond. [27:04]
• 4. Faith sees beyond visible evidence [30:35] Contemporary society often trusts only what can be measured by the senses. Christian faith receives what is hidden from ordinary sight: God’s truth, Christ’s power, and the coming unveiling of all things. Scripture and prayer train the baptized to see life through the sacrificial love of Christ rather than through usefulness or profit. [30:35]
• 5. The King meets the least [32:08] Jesus identifies himself with the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, and imprisoned. Service to the least is not charitable decoration added to faith, but obedience to the King who is present there. Such faithfulness may bring division when others ignore or despise those Christ names as his own.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [21:48] - Grace from the Faithful Witness
• [22:12] - Baptismal Joy and Pentecost
• [22:46] - Baptized Into Christ’s Death
• [23:28] - Union with Christ in Baptism
• [24:02] - Walking in Newness of Life
• [24:44] - No Fear in a Hostile World
• [26:10] - Division Among Family and Friends
• [27:04] - Ultimate Allegiance to Christ
• [28:10] - Indifference to the Gospel
• [30:35] - Faith Beyond Tangible Evidence
• [31:44] - A Mission from God
• [32:43] - The Risk of Faithfulness
• [34:13] - Nothing Hidden Will Remain Hidden

1. According to Romans 6:3-4, what two key realities does baptism symbolize for believers?
2. In Matthew 10:34-39, what does Jesus say will happen to those who prioritize earthly relationships over him?
3. The sermon mentions that baptism “adds one more name to the cross” [22:59]. What does this imply about the connection between baptism and Christ’s sacrifice?
4. How does Jesus redefine acts of service like feeding the hungry or visiting the imprisoned in Matthew 25:35-40?

1. Why does Paul use the imagery of death and resurrection (rather than just forgiveness) to explain baptism in Romans 6:3-4?
2. Jesus says he came to bring a “sword” of division in families (Matthew 10:34). How does this align with his teachings about love and peace elsewhere in Scripture?
3. The sermon states, “Faithfulness to Christ may divide disciples from those who ignore or despise ‘the least of these’” [33:01]. Why might serving marginalized people create division, even among believers?
4. How does the promise that “nothing covered will remain covered” [34:13] shape our understanding of accountability in discipleship?

1. In what relationships or situations do you feel tension between loyalty to Christ and loyalty to family/friends? How could you navigate this while still honoring God?
2. “Walking in newness of life” (Romans 6:4) involves daily choices. What is one practical step you could take this week to align a habit or decision with resurrection life?
3. Jesus identifies himself with the hungry, sick, and imprisoned. Who is one person in your community (or church) who fits “the least of these,” and how could you serve them?
4. The sermon warns against viewing life through “usefulness or profit” [31:29]. Where do you feel societal values clash most with Christ’s call to sacrificial love? How can Scripture or prayer reshape your perspective?
5. Baptism marks believers as “Christ’s own forever” [22:28]. How might remembering your baptism (or commitment to Christ) strengthen you when faith feels costly?
6. What fear (of rejection, conflict, or failure) most holds you back from living out Christ’s mission boldly? How does God’s care for the sparrow [25:10] address that fear?