Sermon for Sunday 14th June 2026, preached at St Mary's Church, North Marston

By Rev Janet Bayly

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OLD TESTAMENT READING

Genesis 18.1-14

 

The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

3 He said, ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way – now that you have come to your servant.’

‘Very well,’ they answered, ‘do as you say.’

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. ‘Quick,’ he said, ‘get three seahs[b] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.’

7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

9 ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ they asked him.

‘There, in the tent,’ he said.

10 Then one of them said, ‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.’

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, ‘After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?’

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Will I really have a child, now that I am old?” 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.’

 

GOSPEL READING

Matthew 9: 9 – 13

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35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’

 

 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and illness.

2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” 8 Heal those who are ill, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

 

 

THE TALK

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Charles Dickens wrote 20 books many of which we can probably name from having to read them at school or maybe we have read them for pleasure. He lived in the 19th century and many of his novels were comments upon Victorian times - social inequalities, institutional failures and exploitation of the poor and vulnerable. We might think that some things have not changed. 

 

 So why have I begun by talking about Dickens. Well when I read today’s readings and reflected upon them, expectations popped into my mind and then Dickens novel Great Expectations. You may remember if you read it, that the main character Pip, was an orphan and later a benefactor allowed him to rise from abject poverty into education and to gain social status. With those rose his own expectations. He felt that he could do and be anything he chose. Sadly he became a snob and looked down on those from whom he had come. And that was his downfall and a huge lesson to learn. Sadly we can sometimes see that in life today. 

 

 Let’s now consider the expectations that were in our two readings. Firstly the Genesis verses. Sarah and Abraham were an elderly couple in their seventies. The expectation was that by now in their quite affluent life they would have had many children and grandchildren especially as God had promised Abraham that he would bless Abraham and make him the founder of a great nation. Abraham had had one son but not with his wife Sarah. So when was this nation going to begin and how could it happen if they had no direct descendants? No doubt they had lost hope and faith in Gods promise. But one day three visitors arrived at the tent where Abraham and Sarah lived with their servants, .Hospitality needed to be offered to strangers and so it was . Meat and bread and milk were set before them. As the visitors prepared to leave they said that they would return in a year’s time and that by then Abraham and Sarah would have a baby son. Sarah particularly brushed this aside with a laugh. She had no expectations that this could happen. But here we have that wonderful verse spoken by the visitors “ Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?” We can find Similar words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah and Jesus. “ Is anything too hard for God?” 

 

 So what were Jesus’ expectations of his disciples? Well they were huge. The twelve men whom he called to be with him, had shared his life, heard his teaching, witnessed his many healings and experienced his compassion. Jesus treated everyone equally whatever their place in society and this was shocking. Men, women and children, prostitutes and tax collectors were given time and respect and healing. For maybe the first time in their lives people were given a voice and a value by meeting with Jesus. After two years or more with him Jesus called his disciples together. They were Ordinary men who perhaps had had little status in their lives, but they now realised that Jesus saw something in them which was strong and powerful. And so we read that Jesus was now putting them to the test. He was sending them out into the towns and villages not just to tell people about him, but to do what he had been doing. He gave them authority to cast out spirits, to cure every sickness and disease and even to raise the dead. Jesus’s expectations were unbelievable! And there were some conditions - you go in pairs and you don’t take any money or spare clothes. In other words you will be totally dependent on God to provide everything you need. I wonder what the disciples felt and what were their expectations of how they could do these things.

 

 There are times in our lives when the expectations of family, friends, work, church can feel overwhelming. And sometimes it is our own expectations of ourselves that can cause us stress. Our faith and trust are tested. It is in those times that we can remind ourselves of God’s promise to Abraham, Jeremiah and to us. “Nothing is impossible with God.” If God calls us, however hard it may appear to be, he will equip us and support us. We are not alone. 

 

 So I wonder what God expects of us as we seek daily to lead a life honouring to Jesus? I think it is something between each one of us and God as we live out our faith. And we can discover that through prayer with an open heart and mind to see where the Holy Spirit is leading us. Father, Son and Holy Spirit the Trinity, are all part of our journey. 

 

 So we close with the prophetic words of Micah 6 v 8 “What does the Lord require of you, to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.” I don’t think we would far wrong if we tried with God’s help, to fulfil those expectations. Amen 

 

 Let us pray. Take a moment to reflect Lord we want to please you by the way we live. Help us by the power of your spirit in our life to follow Jesus each day. Amen