Epistle Reading –
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica
1 You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6 nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
Gospel Reading –
Matthew 22:34-46
The Greatest Commandment
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
The Question about David’s Son
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42 “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet” ’?
45 If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” 46 No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
Kick Start – Reflection
| Sharing the Gospel and Ourselves 1 Thessalonians 2.1–8 & Matthew 22.34–40 (NRSV) When Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest, he gives an answer that remains at the heart of Christian discipleship: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Everything else flows from these two commands. Faith is not simply about believing the right things; it is about learning to love as God loves. Paul shows us what that kind of love looks like in practice. Writing to the Thessalonians, he recalls how he and his companions cared for the believers “like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children.” Their ministry was not distant or impersonal. Paul says, “We were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves.” Christian faith is lived out through relationships, kindness, encouragement, and genuine care for others. Every Sunday, when we gather for worship, we are reminded that we are loved by God and called to share that love with the world. We come not only to receive God’s grace, but to be shaped by it, so that our words, actions, and relationships reflect Christ’s love. On Wednesday this week we had the funeral of Vera Palmer from St Mary’s a lady that I felt was able to live this out by living with love and grace. Vera will be greatly missed. Kick‑Start for the week: |
Prayer of the Week
Loving God, help us to love you with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbours as ourselves.
Fill us with your kindness, that we may share both your gospel and ourselves with those we meet this week. Amen.
Revd Dean
