June 26 – Second Sunday after Pentecost

Jeremiah 28:5–9
Jeremiah confronts another prophet, Hananiah, about the message Hananiah proclaimed. Jeremiah speaks words of judgment from God. The exile in Babylon will not be easy or something not to be taken seriously. The Babylonian Exile is God’s judgment on a people who have thought only of themselves, forgetting the poor, those in need, and people often excluded from society.

Romans 6:12–23
Whom do you obey? This is a question behind this reading. If we let our self-centered desire determine our actions and life, we are slaves to sin. But by baptism, we now belong not to sin, but to Christ. Life for Christians is oriented outward in service to others.

Matthew 10:40–42
The incarnation of the Word of God in Jesus shows us that the Word of God comes to us in others, also. Jesus teaches this today in his words of who is welcomed when we welcome others. Having an open heart is a way of knowing the blessings God wants for this creation.