Pentecost 2 A: Just Start

Matthew 9:35-10:23 Dear Partner in Preaching, Where do we start? Do we start with the recognition that Jesus warns his disciples not about outsiders but insiders? The wolves aren’t the Gentiles or the Samaritans… or the immigrants or illegals; they’re the synagogue leaders and council elders, the magistrates and political officials that will threaten the mission of the disciples. Israel’s problems are with Israel or, in Pogo’s words, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” Or do we start with the fact that Matthew says their names. Twelve apostles about whom we know next to nothing, twelve among admittedly far, far...