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Ninth Sunday after Pentecost • Year A
July 26, 2026 • Proper 12
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Historical Collect
O God, your almighty power is most clearly shown in your mercy and pity. Multiply your grace that we may run to your promises and be made to share in your heavenly joy; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. He lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Gelasian Sacramentary, 7th Century)
Thematic Collect
Almighty God, through your Son’s death and resurrection you draw all creation into your eternal reign. Grant us the grace to recognize the signs of your reign that surround us every day and the faith to proclaim your coming kingdom to those who have yet to experience your mercy and grace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Common Thread
We are holy to the Lord because he keeps his covenant with us. He is the one who is faithful; it is not the other way around. So, we must have faith in him, in his faithfulness. This faith in God’s faithfulness fixes us, makes us as immovable as a mountain, as the Rock who surrounds us like a fortress. Thus, we are able to do good without relying on our results. God turns even our mistakes into matters of ultimate good and glory. Those trials cannot separate us from Christ’s love, for God will keep his covenant with us. What else can we do then, than give up all things, even our very selves, our old natures, for this great prize of citizenship in Christ’s everlasting kingdom?
First Reading • Deuteronomy 7:6-9
Again, we see that righteousness and holiness have nothing to do with works. The Reading begins with the assertion that the people are holy, yet it is clear that they did nothing to warrant this ascription. They were holy, simply because God chose to love them. Further, God loved them for no obvious reasons. It was not for their landmass or population, and as the verses preceding this Reading make clear, God did not choose to love them for their righteousness. He chose them and made them holy to himself because he loved them; that is all. That is enough.
Psalm • Psalm 125:1-5
The First Reading affirms that God’s love will last forever — “to a thousand generations” (Deut 7:9). The Psalm asserts that those who love the Lord, which is a requirement for God’s continued love, will abide forever, like Mount Zion. Their longevity has nothing to do with their military capabilities, as this Psalm seems to have been written while the land is occupied by an enemy (Psa 125:3). The Lord’s people will last because he surrounds them, which means the occupying enemy is surrounded too.
Second Reading • Romans 8:28-39
In the tough times, Christians must remember that God is moving in and through their lives toward a great purpose. It may not feel like the moment is contributing to his purposes, but in this we may be confident: his purpose will not be checked or changed. The good and bad in our lives still ends in glory. But Paul is not joining in with sloganists here. He does not say: Hang in there; it will all turn out fine, or: Things can only get better. Instead, he says that God is working in the good and the bad of life toward his goal. One is reminded of the earlier verse that implores patience with hope (Rom 8:25). If we love God, we do so because he first loved us (1 John 4:19), and continues to love us. Therefore, we may hope with patience because of “the great love with which he loves us” (Eph 2:4). What can separate us from his great love? The One who loves his chosen people this much will not allow anything to come between them and their final glory with him. God is for us; who then, can be against us?
Gospel • Matthew 13:44-52
These three, similar parables are each getting at the overriding importance of the kingdom. The kingdom of God is the principal thing. However, our understanding of Jesus’ teachings and our actions upon it do not always synch. Obviously, this was also true of his disciples. So he asked, “Do you understand?” Those who “get it,” ought to be rightly focused on kingdom matters, as well as be well-equipped to teach about the kingdom, plying law (“old”) and gospel (“new”) as fits the need.
Resources
Links to Worship Resources for this Service
