Scripture: Matthew 10:24-39     

As we continue to read from the Gospel of Matthew during the summer, this week’s reading continues the same scene in which Jesus authorized his disciples to preach and heal, and sent them out to extend his ministry. Our reading for this week is Matthew 10:24-39.

In this passage, Jesus warns his disciples that they are to expect rejection and persecution, even from within their own families! Read the passage, then take a moment to check in with yourself. How do you react to this teaching? What thoughts and feelings does it evoke? How does it land in your body?

What do you know about earlier times in US history, when Christians felt called to preach and work for justice around systemic racism? Did you know that Presbyterians were among the front-line workers seeking to abolish slavery in the early-mid 19th century? Or that many Presbyterians worked for voter registration and other political powers during the Civil Rights push in the 1960s? Research these times.

In a day when friends and even family members “unfriend” each other on Facebook over issues around racism, how would you respond to someone close to you who rejects your Christian witness to racial justice? How ready do you feel to take on this work?