June 21, 2026
Matthew 10:24–39
Sent to Serve: Bearing Christ’s Light in a Divided World
Beloved in Christ, Happy Father’s Day.
The Gospel reading from Matthew 10 is not an easy passage. Jesus speaks plainly about division, cost, courage, and the deep demands of discipleship. And yet, in the midst of these hard words, Jesus Christ sends His disciples into the world not to escape its divisions, but to bear His light within them.
This is especially true for those discerning a call to the diaconate and to all of us who are followers of Christ. For instance, the deacon’s ministry is not lived in safe corners. It is lived at thresholds where the Church meets the world, where suffering meets hope, where division meets reconciliation. We can read from Acts 5:39d-6-7 and understand the context of the ministry of deacons.
Back to Matthew’s gospel. Jesus begins by reminding His disciples that “a disciple is not above the teacher.” In other words, if Christ Himself faced misunderstanding, resistance, and conflict, then those who follow Him should not be surprised when they encounter the same. The call to serve is not a call to comfort. It is a call to courage.
And yet, three times in this passage, Jesus says: “Do not be afraid.” Not because the world is gentle, but because God is faithful. Not because the work is easy, but because the Spirit goes ahead of us. Not because we are strong, but because Christ’s light is stronger than any darkness, we face.
This is the heart of diaconal and priestly ministry. Deacons and priestsare not sent to avoid the world’s fractures; they are sent into fractures – to stand where pain is real, where injustice is visible, where people are forgotten, where communities are torn apart. Deacons carry the Gospel into places where it is most needed, not most welcomed.
Jesus says, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” He is not blessing violence. He is naming the truth that the Gospel disrupts anything that is not aligned with God’s kingdom. When the light of Christ enters a dark place, the darkness resists. When truth confronts lies, there is tension. When compassion meets cruelty, there is conflict. When justice challenges oppression, there is pushback.
And yet this is precisely where the deacon and priests stand. We are not called to win arguments. Not to take sides. But to bear Christ’s light in the dark and broken world. We are called to assure the wounded and broken in spirit that God’s mercy is still moving here.
Jesus also says, “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” This is not a call to self‑destruction. It is a call to self‑giving. A call to let go of the life shaped by fear, comfort, and self‑protection, and to embrace the life shaped by service, compassion, and holy courage.
For my friends discerning the diaconate ministry, this means:
You may be sent to places others avoid. You may speak truths others fear to name. You may stand with people others overlook. You may carry burdens others do not see. And yet, you will not go alone. Christ goes before you. The Spirit strengthens you. The Church stands with you. And the world, though divided, is still beloved by God.
So, what does it mean to bear Christ’s light in a divided world?
It means choosing compassion when others choose contempt. It means listening deeply when others shout loudly. It means serving humbly when others seek status. It means building bridges when others build walls.
It means showing up – faithfully, consistently, courageously – in the places where Christ’s love is needed most. This is the ministry of the deacon. This is the ministry of the Church. This is the ministry Christ entrusts to all who follow Him.
And so today, as we gather with those discerning a call to the diaconate, we pray that Christ will kindle in them and in all of us a holy fire. A fire of CCTS: Courage. Compassion. Truth and Service.
A fire that shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
May God help us to be a people who carry Christ’s light into every division, every wound, every shadowed place until the world is healed, and God’s kingdom is revealed in love.