Sunday, 14 June 2026 — Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
First Reading: Exodus 19:2-6a
Second Reading: Romans 5:6-11
Gospel: Matthew 9:36—10:8
Full text on USCCB: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061426.cfm
Why would someone look at a tired, broken crowd and say they are ready? Why would anyone see lost people and call them a perfect harvest?
That is exactly what Jesus does in our Gospel today. He looks at the crowds and His heart breaks. He sees they are troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. He does not pretend everything is fine. He sees their pain clearly. But in the very next breath, He tells His disciples the harvest is huge. He looks at the exact same faces. He sees they are lost, but He also sees they are ready.
We struggle to see things the way Jesus does. Usually, we only pick one side. When someone is difficult or does not fit into our neat lives, we tend to give them a label. We call them a problem. Once we decide someone is a problem, we think we know how to handle them. We try to fix them. We try to control them. Or we just push them away.
God does not look at His children and see problems. He knows we are not finished yet, but unfinished does not mean broken. We hear this in our first reading. The world looked at a group of slaves in Egypt and saw only cheap labor. God looked at them and saw a beloved family waiting to be rescued. He carried them on eagle wings and brought them close to His heart.
There was a man we hear about in the Scripture. We find him hiding in a hole in the ground to thresh his wheat. He is terrified his enemies will find him and steal his food. He feels small and afraid. Yet, God comes to meet him right there in his hiding place. God looks at this frightened man and calls him a mighty warrior. This is Gideon. God sees his weakness but still chooses him for a great purpose. God always starts with patience.
This beautiful truth changes how we look at the people in our own lives. Think of the relative whose struggles affect the whole family. Think of the neighbour who disagrees with you. Think of the coworker whose choices confuse you. It is so easy to wish they would just change. We tell ourselves if they left us alone, our lives would be so much easier.
But God invites us to look deeper. The person you want to label a problem is often the exact place where God wants to bring grace. He wants to work in their heart, and He wants to work in yours. He wants to teach you patience. When we stop treating people as problems to solve, everything changes. The messy crowd Jesus pitied was the same crowd He sent His closest friends to serve.
God does not send you to other people so you can control them. He sends you to simply be with them. He asks you to love them, pray for them, and let your life point gently back to Him. God is the one who changes hearts. He does it slowly and quietly. One day, the person standing in front of you might just be ready for grace.
As you go through your week, pay attention. When someone tests your patience, take a breath before you try to manage them. Stop and ask a quiet question. Do not ask what is wrong with them. Instead, ask what God might be building in their life. Ask the Lord of the harvest what He is already doing in that field, and how He wants you to help. You are never just a problem for God to solve. You are His beautiful creation, and He is still gently shaping you. The same is true for the person sitting across from you. You have been given mercy and patience freely. Now, go and give that same gentle love to others. Trust that God knows exactly how to bring in His harvest.
Amen.