 Matthew 13:1-23
Jesus' "Parable of the Sower" (Matt 13:18) is famous. Since the day he first told that story, images of the four types of "soil" have been considered over and over again. As Matthew presents it to us, the Parable of the Sower is the beginning of Jesus' practice of teaching the crowds only in parables. When we consider this aspect of the narrative, we gain strategic understanding for engaging our own time with the word of God.
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 Matthew 10:17-42
Jesus warns the twelve apostles about the persecution they will suffer because of Jesus' name. We can relate to some extent to the pressure they felt to compromise or deny faith in Jesus' name. In this passage, Jesus teaches four habits to help us be effective as his disciples. Following this way we can overcome the pressures of persecution.  Matthew9:35-38
Jesus sees crowds of people coming to him. He says this is a "harvest." Jesus sees the crowds as "sheep without a shepherd." In this way, Jesus reveals to us a crucial element of reaching people with the good news.  Matthew 9:9-13
Mercy is at the heart of everything Jesus did. This was on display when Jesus called Matthew, the tax collector, to be a disciple. Many other sinners came to Jesus, too, and found his mercy.  Matthew 8:1-4
Christians share Jesus' work of redeeming by human touch and restoring by cleansing word.  The word of God is powerful. It makes things happen. Paul testifies that the simple, unadorned message of the cross of Jesus reveals both the righteousness and the wrath of God. At the same time, it reveals those who are perishing and those who are saved. Christians can trust the word of God to do the work of God as we reach out to save the lost in the world today.
 Mark 7:14-23
"Essential Workers" in the Age of COVID-19 include--perhaps especially--nurses, doctors, and other medical workers. They are the ones willing to touch the diseased and disgusting things going on in our bodies to heal them. Likewise, Jesus teaches, in this passage, that the heart is the source of all darkness and spiritual disease that we might deal with in life. Disciples follow Jesus in being willing to touch these places, to heal them. Disciples of Jesus are those whose hearts are cleansed by his blood. Now we can go into all the world bringing that healing to others.  Mark 6:7-30
Mark gives an account of Jesus sending the twelve disciples out on their first mission. They do everything just like Jesus did: they preached the gospel, cast out demons, healed diseases, and utterly relied upon God to provide everything for their work and journey. They enjoyed success this time, but Mark divides his account of this story with the story of John the Baptist's beheading by King Herod. We take from this the warning that discipleship on Jesus' path is to follow him on the way to the cross. But there is no more blessed way to be than to be just like Jesus. Mark 1:40-45 Jesus compassionately heals a leper from his dread disease. On closer inspection, though, we learn that Jesus was angry for several important reasons. By his example, then, we gain some important insights about how to respond constructively when we get angry. 
In the confusion of the recent riots in Charlottesville, VA, followers of Jesus must be truthful, loving, and open with the good news of Jesus the Savior and Lord.
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