Sermon - 7/6/25

Year C – 4^th Sunday after Pentecost; Lectionary 14 – July 6, 2025

Pastor Megan Floyd

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Galatians 6:1-16

Grace and peace to you from our Lord, Jesus Christ, who includes us in the mission of bringing forth the kingdom of God. Amen.

***

Hospitality is a big deal.

My mother took hospitality very seriously and impressed the importance of it upon me from an early age.

I can remember going over to other people’s homes and being instructed ahead of time to be polite, say please and thank you… and, no matter what, do not complain about what is served for dinner.

You eat it… and you say thank you.

If we wandered out of line, all it took was a look… you know… the look…

I came to understand that both extending and receiving hospitality are how we honor each other. Even if we don’t typically use that language for it, it remains an unspoken truth in our culture.

Hospitality is still a big deal today, but in ancient times… hospitality was a matter of life and death.

There weren’t many places we would equate to a modern hotel or restaurant, so travelers had to rely on the hospitality of extended family… or even strangers for food, shelter, and protection.

And those travelers who had no money or bag, no extra food, no clothing, or shoes… well, they were especially vulnerable… especially in need.

And yet, this is exactly how Jesus sends out his messengers. Vulnerable and in need… Like lambs into the midst of wolves… go, he says,… and take nothing except the good news that the kingdom of God is near.

Go into a place, and extend your peace… if it is received, you will know that the soil of their hearts is good soil, ready to receive the good news of Jesus…

If you show up with nothing but your need and your hunger, and you are still welcomed… then they are ready to be transformed by the inbreaking of God’s kingdom.

…and if not… if you are rejected… then just move on. You’ve lost nothing, so shake off the dust and continue on your journey. God will deal with them later, but you, o messenger of Jesus… you keep going.

Jesus sends them out like lambs among wolves… to go into a strange land and show up on a stranger’s doorstep with nothing but their thirst and their hunger… with nothing but their need for care.

Jesus is tilling the soil for the seed of his message… but it’s also a test of hospitality.

Will they be received, or will they be turned away?

Will these strangers who show up in need be welcomed and offered food, or will they be detained in cages and subjected to threats and abuse?

The lectionary skips some verses in today’s passage… some pretty harsh verses… skipping them makes it more palatable, especially for the preacher. But I think we need to go there…

Verse 12 says… “I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.”

The story of Sodom has become twisted around bias and prejudice, so let me remind you of the basics of that story…

The story of Sodom is a story of angels who show up at night as strangers in a strange place, planning to spend the night in the town square. Lot meets them at the city gate, and urges them to stay in his home, under his protection.

Later, the men of the town surround the house…