Revised Common Lectionary reflection for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 12, Year A
By the Rev. Dr. Martin Otto Zimmann
July 26, 2026
Key verse: “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” – Matthew 13:51
One of the most challenging aspects of the stewardship life is our ability to listen in order to understand and not simply listen in order to form a response or fix a problem. Jesus has just shared a buffet of metaphors that try to get to the bottom of how God’s kingdom, God’s reign, God’s commonwealth functions in a broken world. It might be easy for us to imagine the disciples sitting at Jesus’ feet on some bucolic hillside in the Galilee, with birds tweeting nearby and a cool breeze off the lake while they soak in the wisdom, but in reality the lessons and blessings of God’s kingdom are not always experienced in a church-camp-type of setting, more likely they are learned when the proverbial stuff hits the fan.
It might be a good moment to remind the folks in the pews that living out the kingdom metaphors did not come easy for the apostles or for anyone in the early church. Understanding the kind of revolutionary response that Jesus was imparting to the broken world of his time and ours demands resilience and vigilance. Most important, from a stewardship standpoint, is the realization that we cannot do this reign of God stuff alone, but rather through the collective effort of God’s people being gathered, fed, and then sent into the broken world to share the good news of commonwealth living.
Just as a sidebar, the idea of co-mingling the words “kingdom” and “commonwealth” is not my idea, but rather the notion of the Rev. Dr. Allison deForest, whose scholarship and study of kingdom talk goes much deeper than my own. “Commonwealth” is a word that pairs nicely with relational stewardship definitions, and as such, could be a talking point in the sermon.
Stewardship living is the perfect fusion of law and gospel. Do we understand what this means? The head wants to say yes, but the body keeps the score (to borrow a phrase from Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk and the book of the same name). We are weary, we are torn, we are broken by this commonwealth living, but it is God’s command (law) and our joy (gospel) to continue on. The preacher needs to remind folks in the pew that the stewardship of kingdom/commonwealth living is: 1) not to be attempted by one’s self; 2) no picnic; and 3) impossible without the intervention of the Holy Spirit.
This is the pivot point in the sermon: when all seems lost and we are unable to find the words, the Holy Spirit intervenes with sighs. The stewardship life is the prayer of the Spirit welling up in the soul when we are at a loss for words, when understanding escapes us, and we feel lost.
Paul’s letter to the Romans is his best writing because he was writing to a people he had yet to meet. The latter part of chapter eight which we mostly hear in the context of a funeral is the much needed assurance to the exhausted steward. Yes Lord, we hear and understand—but we need you to never leave us or stop loving us in order to live this kingdom/commonwealth life.
In Worship
This Sunday is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of communal living in worship. All Creation Sings has a beautiful hymn that speaks directly to this: “Commonwealth is God’s Commandment” (#1036). The words in the chorus offer a teaching moment—the music leader can help congregants with pronunciation and offer definitions of the terms. I recommend perusing the Discipleship, Stewardship, and Community sections of our music resources to see what other hymns might strike a chord (pun intended) for this theme of kingdom/commonwealth living, wrapped in the love that will not let us go (also a great hymn for this Sunday). This might also be an occasion for a special offering to a special ministry that is near and dear to the congregation. Communion and baptism are, of course, the two practical examples of today’s theme, and special emphasis can be placed so that we once again can be reminded of how wonderful these divine mysteries are.
With Youth
For teens/young adults, I recommend a learning session following worship based on a short film by Annie Leonard called The Story of Stuff which can be found at storyofstuff.org. Also discuss what challenges we face in a world that seems forbidding and isolating. How do we foster community? How do we belong to each other?
With Children
Have an appropriate snack that can be measured out in small cups ahead of time (M&M’s are a favorite, but be aware of dietary issues among your young ones). Plan the children’s moment in such a way that you run out of portions before everyone has received them. Working with an adult teacher, ask the kids how it is that we can solve the problem so that everyone receives enough. Hopefully this will lead to a moment when all the kids volunteer to pour their snack into a conveniently placed bowl and then the leaders can dip the empty cups into the bowl so that everyone can receive a portion. As always, end with prayer and focus on God’s calling for us to share so that there is enough for all.
Previously published reflections for Proper 12, Year A:
2017 – Have you understood all this?
2014 – Do you really get it?
2011 – Simile Sunday: The Kingdom of Heaven is like
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