Sunday Trinity 1 

Opening Verse of Scripture Psalm 33:4

For the Word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

O God, the strength of all those who put their trust in you, mercifully accept our prayers and, because through the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do no good thing without you, grant us the help of your grace, that in the keeping of your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.

God of truth, help us to keep your law of love and to walk in ways of wisdom, that we may find true life in Jesus Christ your Son.

First Bible Reading Hosea 5.15 – 6.6

I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face. In their distress they will beg my favour: ‘Come, let us return to the Lord; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth.’ What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,  like the dew that goes away early. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,  I have killed them by the words of my mouth, and my judgement goes forth as the light. For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.

Second Reading  Romans 4.13–25

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Gospel Reading  Matthew 9.9–13,18–26

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’

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.

Post Communion Prayer

Eternal Father, we thank you for nourishing us with these heavenly gifts: may our communion strengthen us in faith, build us up in hope,
and make us grow in love; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Commentary

In our Gospel reading today we have three passages which Matthew uses to teach us about the kind of person that Jesus was. 

Firstly Jesus calls Matthew. Matthew belonged to a profession which was hated by the Jews, rightly so, the Romans contracted with local people to collect taxes, and collectors extorted excess taxes for personal profit. They enriched themselves at the expense of their fellow citizens, and were thus held in great contempt. They were barred from the synagogue and considered the moral equivalent of robbers and murderers. To follow Jesus, Matthew realised that he must abandon his lucrative job, knowing that he can never regain it -- and that he has no friends elsewhere -- except Jesus!

The lesson is clear, if you hear the call of Jesus you must be prepared to accept massive changes in your life. Matthew does not ask to follow Jesus, nor does he understand what he is getting into. He does not understand theology or ascribe to a creed or set of beliefs. He responds in faith, that is, he responds to the voice of Jesus. He is not a great guy, he is not a moral person, he is unpopular and unworthy, but this just demonstrates that God loves and can redeem any person. 

To be called by Jesus is an act of pure grace.... We are not chosen because of what we are; ...we are chosen despite our personal worth or social status.

The Pharisees could be forgiven for getting upset at what happens next. Jesus dines with Matthew and not surprisingly the guest list includes other tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees are offended. Sharing a meal, especially in a public setting, implies acceptance, approval. The Psalmist asks for vindication, because "I hate the company of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked" (Psalm 26:5). There is much wisdom here. Bad company corrupts! One bad apple spoils the barrel, bad company is the devil's net, you can't run with dogs without getting fleas! These old proverbs reflect the truth that the company that we keep makes a difference in our lives. Jesus responds, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn that this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." The incarnation is for the benefit of those who need it. Jesus keeps bad company and it is something which costs him a great deal in his ministry. Of course the difference with Jesus is that he is not corrupted by sin, he accepts the sinner and enables them to discover the forgiveness of God. 

Finally Jesus helps a dead girl and a sick woman. A ruler approaches Jesus and makes a tremendous statement of faith "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." he believes that even the slightest touch of Jesus hand will save. Jesus agrees to go to the home of the ruler and he responds a lot quicker than most modern doctors! It is then that a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She too believes that even the slightest touch from Jesus will heal. The girl and woman have much in common, the stories are about people alienated by disease and death. For a start, touching them would have rendered anyone ceremonially unclean. The woman's bleeding separates her by ritual law from family and friends. Her problem has persisted for twelve years. It is a spiritual and social problem as well as a medical problem. Her bleeding renders her unclean, and requires her to separate herself from the rest of society (Lev. 15). She cannot attend the synagogue or participate in religious rituals. If she touches another person, her touch renders that person unclean. She has to live as a leper did, on the fringes of society, shut out, looking in from the outside. It is hard to imagine how lonely and vile she must have felt. Likewise, death isolates the family and all who attend the corpse.... But, in both cases, by being touched and by touching, Jesus breaks through the barriers.

Both of the stories also involve females. Women, in that time and place, were not highly regarded and had few rights. Parents wanted sons -- not daughters. The prejudice persists, 2,000 years later and some churches still deny women their rightful calling in ministry. However, just as Jesus showed mercy to lowly sinners in vv. 9-13, so he also shows mercy to lowly females. The healings take place at the touch and word of Jesus, at his command. The word of Jesus has power, it conveys healing. Charles Royden

Meditation

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings Hosea 6:6

Jesus quotes these words from Hosea in the passage from Matthew today. He did so in response to criticism concerning the company which he kept. The book of Hosea tells of how the prophet Hosea became a living lesson on what the mercy of God was like. Hosea married a prostitute named Gomer and despite her unfaithfulness, bearing children from other men, nevertheless Hosea never failed to show love and devotion and took back his wayward wife. The message was that this was how God behaved towards Israel. Israel behaved badly towards God, nevertheless he never stopped loving them. In Hebrew the word Hesed, or Chesed is used, it can be translated as “mercy,” “covenant faithfulness,” “kindness,” “loving kindness,” “steadfast love”—it’s all the same word. God was always utterly faithful, when they were faithless. God would be hurt by Israel's lack of fidelity but he could behave no differently because it is his nature to show mercy. Charles Royden 

Hymns

• O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
• Give me joy
• Lord Jesus Christ
• We rest on thee our shield and our defender 
• Christ is surely coming
• There's a sound on the wind
• Amazing Grace
• Great is thy faithfulness

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

We thank you O God, for the saints of all ages. For those who in times of darkness kept the lamp of faith burning. For the great souls who saw visions of larger truth and dared to declare it. For the multitude of quiet and gracious souls whose presence has purified and sanctified the world. And for those known and loved by us, who have passed from this earthly fellowship into the fuller light of life with you. Amen. 

Teach us, O Lord, to love you, to trust you and for ever to praise you. Let us exalt your name both in the day and in the night. Let us serve you both in the house of prayer and in the world about us. Let us ascribe to you with all your saints both wisdom and majesty, both honour and glory, world without end. Amen. Henry Vaughan, 1621-1695

Praise to you, O Lord and our God, for the jewel of our sight, the treasure of our hearing, and the glory of our speech. Pardon our ingratitude and teach us to render you a thankful heart. Open our eyes to your glory, our ears to your word and our mouths to proclaim your goodness; now and forever. Amen. Thomas Traherne, 1636-74 

We thank you O God, for the saints of all ages. For those who in times of darkness kept the lamp of faith burning. For the great souls who saw visions of larger truth and dared to declare it. For the multitude of quiet and gracious souls whose presence has purified and sanctified the world. And for those known and loved by us, who have passed from this earthly fellowship into the fuller light of life with you. Amen. 

Jesus said, ‘whoever loses his life for my sake will find it’ Matt 10:39. 

Tertullian the second century church father wrote ‘The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.’ The following prayers of martyrs challenge and encourage us today.

• Lord God Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You gave strength to your prophets and your holy apostles. You gave strength to your holy martyrs. May you also give strength to us and protect us from harm. Take our souls to yourself with our faces unashamed. To you be glory, and to your beloved and holy Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. Paese The Copt 
• Lord we beseech you to help and defend us. Deliver the oppressed, pity the poor, uplift those who have fallen, be the portion of those in need, return to your care those who have gone astray, feed the hungry, strengthen the weak, and break the chains of the prisoners. May all people come to know that you only are God, that Jesus Christ is your child and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture. Clement of Rome 
• May God the Father and the everliving high priest Jesus Christ, strengthen us in faith, truth and love; and give to us our portion among the saints with all those who trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray for all saints, for kings and governors, for the enemies of the cross of Christ and for ourselves. We pray that our fruit may abound and that we might be made complete in Jesus Christ our Lord. Polycarp of Smyrna 

Additional Material

Meditation

Mercy imitates God and disappoints Satan. -- John Chrysostom

David Sheppard,the Bishop of Liverpool wrote a book entitled 'Bias to the Poor.' It reflected his belief that God had a special concern for the disadvantaged who received a rough deal from society. Poor people have worse health and a correspondingly shorter life span, they have less choice and often find themselves trapped in difficult circumstances. The passages from the readings set for today remind us that God does have a 'bias towards the poor'. Jesus spent his time with the tax collectors and the sinners rather than the religious people we would have expected. It was considered that he expressed dreadfully bad taste in the company he kept. However, God has special concern for people who find themselves at the edges of society, the foreigner, the poor, the rejected and unloved. God wants us to treat each other the way he demonstrates in his love for us.

Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko was the third president of Ukraine from 23 January 2005 to 25 February 2010. He aimed to orient Ukraine towards the West, towards the European Union and NATO. Viktor Yushchenko, became president of Ukraine in November 2004. Backed by millions of protesters in Kiev in the 'Orange Revolution'and other cities he had forced the government to hold a repeat of elections which had been rigged by Russia. During the election campaign in late 2004, Yushchenko became the victim of an assassination attempt when he was poisoned with deadly dioxin. He suffered facial disfigurement as a result of the poisoning. Yushchenko was a revolutionary leader in the tradition of Nelson Mandela, Vaclav Havel and Lech Walesa.  We should make no mistake that the murder of Jesus was an act of political jealousy by those who felt threatened of the loss of their earthly power.