Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for June 28, 2026 (Pentecost 5A/Proper 8)

Sacrifice of Isaac (c.1603), oil painting on canvas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). Uffizi Museum, Florence, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): Genesis 22:1-14

It is not our faith that saves us, but God’s faithfulness to us: Hear this theme through Sunday’s Lectionary readings. In this first reading, God delivers to Abraham a shocking command: He must kill his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice. What in Heaven’s name is going on here? Perhaps the easy way is to acknowledge that these are ancient legends, difficult for us to understand in modern context, indeed not intended to be taken literally even in their original setting. Rather, this story imagines a compassionate God who does not desire human sacrifice. Having subjected Abraham to an alarming test, God says “no” to death.

First Reading (Track Two): Jeremiah 28:5-9

It is helpful to consider this passage in the context of the verses that came just before it: Jeremiah had warned the priests and people of Israel in exile that their sojourn in Babylon would not end for many years, and that any prophets who told them otherwise were liars. Then the young prophet Hananiah stood up and challenged Jeremiah, prophesying that God had in fact broken the yoke of the Babylonian king and would bring all the exiles home within two years. In this short response, Jeremiah agrees that God will indeed end the exile eventually; but this will happen only when peace prevails and war, pestilence, and famine come to an end.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 13

On first hearing, Psalm 13 might not seem the best choice to read to someone who is grieving or afraid. The Psalmist speaks from the depths of fear and loss, suffering deep pain. Has God’s face turned away, leaving him alone and defenseless? But even in this dark place, hope remains, the Psalmist sings; for God’s love is steadfast and abiding. God has been just and fair, and we trust that God will remain so.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 89:1-4,15-18

In these brief passages excerpted from a longer Psalm, we celebrate God’s covenant with King David, a royal lineage that God established to last forever as a sign of God’s righteousness and never-ending rule. Those who walk in God’s way and rejoice in the divine name will be full of joy in knowing that God is their ruler, the Psalmist sings: The Holy One of Israel is everlasting king.

Second Reading: Romans 6:12-23

Paul uses the idea of enslavement to make his point in this segment from his letter to the Romans: Through Christian baptism, we have been spared from the slavery of sin, which frees us to joyously embrace a better kind of slavery, the “enslavement” of willing submission to God through Christ. In this way, Paul writes, we receive the free gift of grace that brings eternal life.

Gospel: Matthew 10:40-42

This is the third and final passage from Matthew’s long account of Jesus teaching his recently commissioned apostles. In the past two Sundays’ Gospels, we have heard him warn them about the challenges of discipleship. Now, Jesus tells them about the rewards of following his way. Immediately following his troubling warning that those who follow him must leave friends and family behind, Jesus now echoes Psalm 13’s promise that God will be just and fair. Jesus promises that those who practice justice in his name – even in such small ways as offering water to a child – will receive God’s justice.