I accomplished the next Sermon for St. John’s Episcopal Church in Murray, KY on the Friday earlier than Federal ICE brokers publicly executed Alex Jeffrey Pretti whereas they’d him pinned to the bottom. Nevertheless, my sermon references comparable circumstances of violence dedicated by federal brokers and the propaganda of the present administration, and so I didn’t revise the content material to say him particularly. As well as, I recorded the sermon on Friday night for my church in case a winter storm precipitated an influence outage in our city.
Sermon for January 24, 2026
Matthew 4:12-23
Among the most transformative moments in my life have been the instances when somebody handled me higher than I deserved. I knew I had failed others, however their mercy and forgiveness rapidly pulled me out of my disgrace.
I as soon as labored at a nonprofit with a particularly difficult director who needed our advertising and marketing agency to ship out a collection of press releases to the native papers. Earlier than doing that, our director needed to give all of them the thumbs up.
I used to be the primary level of contact with the advertising and marketing agency. But, they weren’t replying to my emails or transferring quick sufficient for our director’s liking.
When our director nagged me as soon as once more concerning the press releases, I snapped and despatched him an electronic mail that was extraordinarily essential of our advertising and marketing agency’s responsiveness. That was a teeny, tiny, HUGE mistake. He instantly forwarded my message to the advertising and marketing agency, copied me on the message, and added that we would have liked to work this out.
As you possibly can think about, I felt like an fool—a standard theme in my 20’s. I used to be unprofessional and threw them below the bus due to our director. I wrote a really honest apology, and the lead copywriter instantly replied that it was water below the bridge now. We might transfer on.
He would have been justified to tear into me. I deserved it. However he very kindly replied instantly and moved on. Within the midst of my disgrace over my failure, his forgiveness was a ray of sunshine that helped me transfer ahead.
We learn at this time within the Gospel about Jesus being a light-weight to individuals who have been residing in a land of darkness. I feel all of us need gentle and hope to return, however the gentle and hope that is available in at this time’s Gospel could give us pause.
Whereas it’s true that individuals who lived within the ruins of the exile and suffered below Greek and Roman rule had God’s gentle amongst them, how a lot have been issues about to vary? Have been their lives about to grow to be considerably higher? Have been they hoping for one thing completely different from what Jesus supplied?
And whereas I’m certain the disciples Jesus referred to as would all say that they needed God’s gentle and salvation to return, additionally they needed to make vital sacrifices. They must face risks amongst violent leaders that made a storm on the ocean seem fairly tame.
And what did the individuals who noticed this gentle of God’s hope suppose? I’m certain they have been pleased to expertise therapeutic and take heed to Jesus, however wasn’t all the therapeutic only a band assist on much more critical wounds that had collected over time? And the message from Jesus to repent was directed at them. Why didn’t he inform the Romans to repent first?
As they skilled injustice and suffered the indignity of yet one more army occupation in a protracted historical past of them, what on this planet did they make of Jesus? He appeared promising, however he additionally was seemingly complicated, irritating, and even appeared a bit harmful. He spoke of God’s kingdom with out truly difficult the Romans.
Change was coming, however was it sufficient?
And let’s not overlook that Jesus referred to as males who have been largely unlearned, tough fishermen. These weren’t refined, well-spoken, theologically astute, politically savvy males who might wow a crowd. Even after 3 years with Jesus, the guide of Acts notes that their lack of training was hardly a secret. What was Jesus pondering by calling this group of misfits to assist his ministry whereas his cousin John, a legit prophet, languished in jail?
Most individuals in America at this time haven’t suffered something near what the individuals of Israel endured all through their historical past of army calamities, oppressive rulers, brutal exile, and the each day deprivations of army occupation. If they’d any hope left for God to ship them, it was seemingly fairly faint by the point Jesus confirmed up on the scene.
The individuals of Israel, particularly within the northern area round Galilee, had suffered an excellent deal over previous and current generations.
And let’s admit that we are able to perceive why they might have discovered Jesus perplexing. He healed individuals of their private sicknesses, however did he tackle the illness of their nation? He spoke of God’s Kingdom, however he left John in jail whereas scraping the underside of the barrel of their society for his assist.
If we let ourselves ask the laborious questions that this passage calls for, we are able to see the acute pressure of this second. Mild has come up in opposition to darkness, God’s Kingdom has appeared at a time of Roman domination, and Jesus has advised the Jewish individuals to repent as God’s Kingdom attracts close to.
Jesus began a motion that might solely work if his followers left behind the sources of this world and trusted in God. The extra they relied on their very own plans and sources, the extra seemingly they might flip to greed, political energy, or violence for options.
We not too long ago celebrated the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights motion. Whereas a transferring quote on social media could make us really feel impressed for a second earlier than the subsequent video clip steals our consideration, let’s not overlook that King and his Civil Rights colleagues have been staring down among the most concentrated, unfiltered types of evil that ever walked on earth.
The opponents of Civil Rights included males who thought nothing of torturing and killing an individual of shade who needed to vote, who bombed church buildings the place kids sat in Sunday faculty lessons, and who resorted to any type of injustice or violence that assured their continued domination in society.
Dealing with this type of evil with out first unloading our burdens and imperfections via repentance is like bringing a pool noodle to a knife combat. Even when the failings in our hearts appear as nothing in comparison with the evil we see round us in our world, we have to be remodeled by God’s forgiveness and like to stay in and contribute to the sort of world God imagines.
Jesus confirmed us that the dominion drawing close to means the sick are healed, the hungry are fed, our wealth is shared with these in want, and we deal with our neighbors with the mercy and love that God extends to us.
We’ve seen in latest days how the unchecked forces of greed, energy, and violence can converge in ways in which dehumanize others, divide us, oppress our neighbors, and even depart civilians overwhelmed or shot of their neighborhoods.
We’ve seen the precise reverse of repentance the place the victims of violence have been blamed for the immoral actions of others. That’s evil.
We will’t hope to face these forces of evil and injustice in our world if we aren’t first remodeled by the mercy and love of God in our hearts. King and the members of the Civil Rights motion didn’t simply share transferring quotes to encourage us to be good to others. They have been being remodeled by the love of God to be able to meet the violence and injustice of their time.
God’s remodeling love begins working in our lives once we repent and obtain forgiveness. That’s why repentance is particularly related at this time.
Talking for myself right here: From the methods of our society that profit myself whereas harming others to the methods I’ve failed others personally, there’s so much I can deliver to God in a spirit of repentance.
But, Jesus didn’t need us to remain in a state of repentant sorrow. He referred to as everybody to repent first, however then he requested them to inform others about God’s mercy and pay that mercy ahead.
After we repent and obtain forgiveness, particularly forgiveness that exhibits mercy past what we predict we deserve, we are able to expertise freedom. A weight has been lifted from us, and new prospects emerge within the gentle of God’s mercy and love.
Repentance is barely a primary step that sends us on a brand new path ahead past our failures and imperfections. It’s the primary crack of sunshine within the darkness. And as we name out to our most merciful God, we discover mercy and forgiveness.
God is aware of we have to carry that mercy, generosity, compassion, and love into our world. We will take part in God’s mercy we now have acquired as we face these looking for achievement via energy, violence, and injustice.
We will take part in the actual Kingdom that guidelines by taking discover of the neglected, therapeutic the weak, welcoming these in want, and giving energy away. Who in our circles of affect can we discover, serve, or welcome?
In latest weeks I’ve felt concern, anger, disgrace, and despair. The very last thing I’ve thought of is repenting of my very own sins and failings. But, that’s precisely the place Jesus started at a time of far worse injustices and violence.
We come to God to obtain mercy, therapeutic, and forgiveness as a result of these are the very forces we are able to use to revive a world that’s drowning in greed, energy, and violence.
Photograph by Jean-Baptiste D. on Unsplash
You may also view my recording of the sermon on the Diocese of Kentucky web site.
- Click on on “Vimeo / Diocese of Kentucky Video Sermons”
- Search for Epiphany 3 A Ed Cyzewski and click on on it.
- Click on on the “Play” arrow on the backside left of the image
