Let Go, and Do Not Be Afraid
(Free Version)- Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 21:8-21; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10:24-39
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Our readings this week challenge us in our ability to “let go,” and the important sense that the way of Jesus often requires turning from certain things and trusting God with them, even things that are precious gifts.
The story of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Hagar, and Ishmael (Genesis 21:8-21) is deeply messy, and many in our congregations will resonate with the ways in which Sarah and Abraham’s choices led to bitterness, pain, and jealousy. We all understand complicated family dynamics. In the story, God tells Abraham to listen to Sarah and trust that God has great plans for Ishmael. In what must have been a gut-wrenching decision, Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away. Like with the birth of Isaac, God proves himself faithful to care for Ishmael, becoming water in the desert for him.
The story of Ishmael challenges us in those we see as “outside” our story, or God’s story. God’s love is greater than our ability to control the situation. We spend so much of our time delineating “insiders” and “outsiders,” how someone stands in proximity to me, we forget that God works outside of our categories, hearing cries we refuse to hear, calling by name those we refuse to name. By obeying God and sending them away, Abraham releases control, even control over his own mistake, and trusts God’s care.
In our epistle reading (Romans 6:1b-11), Paul addresses the relationship between grace and sin. If God has forgiven us by grace, maybe we should just keep sinning? No, Paul says, we are free from that, and our baptism is the objective proof. So, let it go. Our lives have been buried in the soil of Christ’s death, the plant which results will look like resurrection!
The key metaphor is freedom from captivity. A new Exodus has happened and baptism is the new Red Sea. We have crossed great gulf of sin and death. We are free from sin. Should we go on sinning? No, we don’t have to! We have a new life. We’ve been transferred to a new domain. Sin is no longer our master.
Our gospel reading (Matthew 10:24-39) is packed with challenging teaching from Jesus. As difficult as the reading gets, it is anchored by the three-times repeated command: “Do not be afraid.” In the midst of chaos, everything will be revealed for what it truly is. We face real struggles in life, but we should not allow those superficial struggles to allow the enemy to take our souls to hell. For Jesus’ first audience, this was the Roman Empire. For us, this may be political polarization, climate change, conflicts at work, or challenging family dynamics. These things matter deeply, but we should not lose the core of who we are in our conflict with them. We do not need to be afraid because God cares about the little stuff: the sparrow, and the very hairs on our head.
Jesus’ words about peace and the sword are also challenging. Is Jesus anti-family? Is he trying to blow up our deepest relationships? Jesus words about letting go of our lives in order to find them. We are not called to put “family first” but to see our families through the lens of the kingdom of God. When we do so, we can better love our families. The same is true with everything in life we tend to prioritize.
What might God be calling us to release from our grasp today? What have we been trying to control or maintain? Can we trust God with that thing? Or can we trust God with ourselves without that thing?