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THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST June 21, 2026 Pastor Tom Steers Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto -- A Confessional Lutheran Church Our Bible Study for this Sunday Old Testament Reading & Commentary – Jeremiah 20:7–13 7 O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. 8 For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. 9 If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. 10 For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! “Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” say all my close friends, watching for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him.” 11 But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. 12 O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind,[a] let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause. 13 Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers. Jeremiah’s lament in Chapter 20 reveals the inner cost of prophetic ministry. The prophet speaks with raw honesty: he feels “enticed” and “overpowered” by the Lord, not because God deceives, but because the divine call has seized him so completely that he cannot escape it. This is the burden of the true preacher of God’s Word—he does not choose the message; the message chooses him. Jeremiah suffers mockery and reproach because he proclaims judgment upon Judah’s sin. Yet whenever he tries to remain silent, the Word becomes like a “burning fire” in his bones. This is a profound testimony to the nature of God’s Word: it is living, active, and cannot be suppressed. From a Confessional Lutheran perspective, this text underscores the doctrine of the external Word—God works through His spoken and written Word, compelling faith and proclamation. Jeremiah’s enemies seek his downfall, but he entrusts himself to the Lord, who “tests the righteous” and “sees the heart.” The prophet’s lament turns to praise: “Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord!” This movement from despair to confidence reflects the rhythm of the Christian life under the cross. The believer suffers for righteousness’ sake, yet clings to God’s promises. Jeremiah prefigures Christ, the faithful Suffering Servant. His experience mirrors the Church’s calling today: to speak God’s truth boldly, endure opposition in ungodly times, and trust the Lord’s vindication. Psalm 91:1–16 My Refuge and My Fortress 91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge— 10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. 12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot. 14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91 is a psalm of refuge, expressing deep confidence in God’s protection amid danger. The psalmist describes the believer dwelling “in the shelter of the Most High” and resting “in the shadow of the Almighty.” These titles—Most High, Almighty, Refuge, Fortress—proclaim God’s absolute sovereignty and fatherly care. This psalm is not a promise of earthly ease, but of divine faithfulness. The believer is not spared the terrors of night, pestilence, or battle; rather, he is preserved through them. This aligns with the Lutheran theology of the cross: God’s protection is real, but it is often hidden beneath suffering. Satan famously misused this psalm during Christ’s temptation, quoting verses 11–12. Christ’s refusal to test the Father teaches us that God’s promises must be received in faith, not manipulated for self glory. The psalm ultimately finds its fulfillment in Christ, who perfectly trusted the Father and whose victory over evil secures our safety. The closing verses shift to God’s own voice: “Because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him.” These promises—deliverance, protection, answered prayer, salvation—are grounded not in human merit but in God’s steadfast love. For Christians, Psalm 91 is a comfort in spiritual warfare, reminding us that our life is hidden with Christ in God. Epistle Reading & Commentary – Romans 6:12–23 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Slaves to Righteousness 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,[a] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Romans 6, Paul continues his teaching on the believer’s new identity in Christ. Having been united with Christ in Baptism—buried with Him and raised with Him—the Christian is no longer under the dominion of sin. Paul therefore exhorts: “Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies.” This is not moralistic advice but a call to live according to the new reality established by Baptism. From a Confessional Lutheran standpoint, this passage beautifully expresses the daily significance of Baptism as taught in the Small Catechism: the Old Adam is to be drowned through contrition and repentance, and the New Man is to arise to live before God in righteousness. Paul contrasts two slaveries: slavery to sin, which leads to death, and slavery to righteousness, which leads to sanctification and life. Importantly, Paul does not suggest that Christians ever become sinless in this life. Rather, sin no longer rules. The believer now belongs to Christ, and this new lordship produces the fruit of holiness through the work of the Holy Spirit. Verse 23—“the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”—summarizes the Gospel: sin earns death, but salvation is pure gift. Paul grounds Christian ethics not in fear or coercion, but in Baptismal identity. In Lutheran theology, "the new obedience" refers to the good works and righteous living that naturally flow from a person who has been justified by faith in Christ. It means that while good works do not earn salvation, a true, saving faith cannot help but produce good fruits. Gospel Reading & Commentary – Matthew 10:5a, 21–33 Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles 5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. Have No Fear 26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. 1. Setting the Stage In Matthew 10, Jesus sends out the Twelve with instructions that prepare them for the reality of mission in a hostile world. The verses appointed for this Sunday focus on the cost of discipleship, the inevitability of persecution, and the comfort of the Father’s care. This text sets the theme for the day: the Church’s witness under the cross. 2. Persecution Within Families (vv. 21–22) Jesus speaks with sobering clarity: “Brother will deliver brother over to death.” The Gospel divides even the most intimate human relationships. This is not because Christ desires division, but because the sinful world resists His lordship. This, again, is the theology of the cross: the Gospel brings peace with God but conflict with the world. The promise “the one who endures to the end will be saved” is not a call to heroic self effort. Endurance is the fruit of faith sustained by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament. The Church endures not by strength but by grace. 3. Fleeing Persecution (v. 23) Jesus instructs His disciples to flee from one town to another when persecuted. This shows that suffering for Christ does not require seeking martyrdom. Christians are free to avoid danger when possible, yet they must not deny Christ to save themselves. The mission continues despite opposition. 4. The Servant Is Not Above His Master (vv. 24–25) Jesus prepares His disciples by reminding them that they share His fate. If the world calls the Master “Beelzebul,” it will slander His followers. This is a profound comfort: persecution is not a sign of God’s abandonment but of union with Christ. The Lutheran Confessions emphasize that the Church is recognized not by earthly glory but by the marks of the cross. 5. Fearless Proclamation (vv. 26–27) “Have no fear of them.” The command is grounded in eschatological certainty: what is hidden will be revealed. The truth of Christ will triumph. The Church proclaims openly what Christ has taught, confident that the Gospel is God’s power for salvation. This is the external Word again—public, audible, preached. 6. Fear God, Not Man (v. 28) This verse is central: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” Human threats are limited; God alone has ultimate authority. Yet this fear is not terror for the believer, but reverent awe. In Christ, the God who judges is also the God who saves. The believer fears, loves, and trusts in God above all things. 7. The Father’s Care (vv. 29–31) Jesus gives tender reassurance: the Father’s providence extends even to sparrows. “You are of more value than many sparrows.” This is not sentimental, but deeply theological. The Father who numbers the hairs of our head is the same Father who gave His Son for our redemption. Therefore, the Christian’s life is secure even amid suffering. 8. Confessing Christ (vv. 32–33) The passage concludes with a call to confession. To acknowledge Christ before men is to bear witness to His saving work. To deny Him is to reject the only source of salvation. Confession is both verbal and lived. The Lutheran tradition emphasizes that faith is never silent; it speaks because it trusts. 9. Application for Today This Gospel text is especially fitting for outreach ministry. Jesus prepares His disciples for rejection, misunderstanding, and hostility—realities still faced by the Church. Yet He also gives profound comfort: the Father’s care, the Spirit’s sustaining power, and the promise of salvation. Christian witness is patient, not triumphalist. It is humble, courageous, and grounded in Christ’s cross. The Church does not fear the world, because Christ has overcome the world.