By the Rev. Robert Blezard
Revised Common Lectionary reflection for the Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5), Year A
June 7, 2026
Key verse: [Jesus said] “Go learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” -Matthew 9:13
How sad that throughout history so many of God’s people walk in a shallow faith that is overly concerned with the external practices of religion yet missing out on the deeper realities that can transform their lives. The words of Jesus and the witness of the Hebrew Scriptures reveal this has been an issue for millennia, and it is certainly true today.
It’s a stewardship issue because our number one priority is living in right, loving relationship with God and neighbor. Aligned with God’s priorities, values and directives, our lives open to the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring of love, direction and transformation.
Lutheran theologian Mark Allan Powell put it well in his book, Giving to God. “Stewardship is not only a matter of faithful giving but of faithful living. In response to the Gospel, we submit our lives to the rule of God, to the lordship of Christ, and to the direction of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be the people God wants us to be and have the lives God wants us to have.”
Far from being ends in themselves, our religious practices can and should lead us deeper into loving relationship with God so that we can have the life of abundance that Jesus promises in John 10:10.
In this week’s readings, Hosea, speaking for the Lord, laments that God’s people are fickle, whose love “is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early” (Hosea 6:4). Through Hosea, God reminds the people, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (v. 6). Echoing the admonitions of Amos 5:21-24, Micah 6:6-8 and Isaiah 58, Hosea’s words talk about the insufficiency of religious practices and sacrifices alone to bring one into the fullness of holy living.
In this week’s psalm, God acknowledges the many sacrifices and burnt offerings made by God’s people but questions their practicality: “Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” (Psalm 50:13). God wants something more. “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High” (v. 14). That is the kind of devotion that warms God’s heart. “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (v. 15).
In the Gospel reading, Jesus uses Hosea’s words to admonish the Pharisees – the ones obsessed with following all 613 laws of the Torah as the path to righteousness – for missing the point. “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’” (Matthew 9:13a). The Gospel reading then segues to Jesus demonstrating what mercy means by curing the woman with the years-long hemorrhage. It’s a medical condition for which her community would declare her unclean and ostracize her from family, social connection and work. Jesus not only cures her, but he also calls her “daughter.” Now that’s mercy!
Through the prophets, the books of wisdom and New Testament, it’s hard to miss not only the call for us to enter into deep loving relationship with God and neighbor, but also God’s sadness and frustration that outwardly religious people see faith practices as ends in themselves rather than exercises that open them up to the fullness of life God intends for all of us.
Social researchers say that North Americans are hungry – starving – for deep spiritual connections to the divine – connections that can give their lives purpose and meaning and life. This Sunday’s texts can equip a preacher to provide a message of hope. Our religious disciplines – prayer, worship, service, community, Scripture study – are divinely designed to open us to the love, joy and freedom God wants to give us. We need only to cling to God’s promises and in our faith practices open ourselves to the transformation of heart that God can bring.
In worship
Now that we are beginning the l-o-n-g season of “ordinary time” – between Trinity Sunday and Christ the King Sunday – it’s a ripe opportunity to start an education series that explains the reasons behind our liturgical and religious practices. Even some longtime congregants may not know (or have forgotten) the deep meanings woven into our liturgy. During ordinary time, a blurb in the weekly bulletin or a brief teaching moment in worship could lift up a faith practice. “Why do we ‘cross’ ourselves when we pray to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and what do those hand gestures mean?” “What is that always-burning ‘eternal flame’ in the sanctuary symbolize?” “Why do high-liturgical churches begin worship with a procession of the cross into the sanctuary, and then end it with the same procession out of the sanctuary?” “What bits of Scripture are embedded in our liturgical prayers, and what do they mean?” By understanding the meanings behind what we do, congregants might be drawn into deeper appreciation for the mystery of God’s love and presence.
For this Sunday, I would recommend a favorite hymn, attributed to Martin Luther, “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word.” It’s number 517 in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. The hymn, simple and only three verses, expresses our desire for God’s power to help us, guide us and lead us.
With youth
I’ve always found that teenagers have a low tolerance for anything that smacks of phoniness, even if they don’t fully understand what they are rejecting. Maybe that’s why many teens are bored by the rote prayers and practices of traditional liturgy. (I know I was at 16! It seemed to me a dry repetition of empty words and gestures – stand up, sit down, kneel, repeat!) In a discussion you can engage the youth and address their doubts. Begin with asking what they find most boring about worship or faith life. Address the issues one at a time by explaining the history and meanings behind them. Help them understand that worship and faith practices have been honed over the millennia to bring people deeper into the presence of God’s love. Invite them to rethink their opinion and open themselves to the deeper meanings next time they are in church.
With children
The youngest saints, still growing and not yet corrupted by the world, are often more open to the holy matters of God than their older counterparts. A children’s message or Sunday school lesson could speak to them about the power of prayer – that most basic of faith practices. Invite them to consider that when they pray, they are communicating with God almighty who knows hem, loves them and cherishes them. Talk about the different ways to pray. Invite them to pray by speaking to God openly and plainly, as they might a friend, parent or trusted adult. However and whenever they pray, God is eager to hear them and love them.
Previously shared reflection for the Second Sunday after Pentecost, Year A
2023- Jesus, a Grieving Dad, a Hemorrhaging Woman, and All of Us Who Have Ever Been Brought Low…
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