A new chapter opens
Commentary
The first portion of the Old Testament lesson closes one chapter in the history of Israel while the second portion opens another. 1 Kings 2:10-12 concludes the succession narrative which began with God's promise to David spoken through Nathan (2 Samuel 7:1-17). The history of a new chapter under Deuteronomic authorship begins with verse 13 and the account of Solomon's consolidation of his reign. We see a man capable of decisive decisions and actions that can be brutal or merciful. Our lesson begins the story of his kingship. The whole narrative, of which our lesson is a segment, is an historical epic of the kingdom that begins with high hopes and a noble prayer and ends in tragic dissolution (2 Kings 24). As we approach individual passages of the narrative it is well to keep the historical panorama in mind as well as the overarching theological themes. The author of this narrative will probe the reasons for the decline and eventual fall of a kingdom. While verses one and two of chapter three are not part of the lesson it is well to note them for the note about the alliance with Egypt and the arrival of Pharaoh's daughter and her entourage to Jerusalem is a sign of changing times as the new king, Solomon, encounters God in a dream.
The epistle lesson continues in a section of Ephesians that bristles with imperatives. The whole letter envisions the institutional church in history in engagement with the world, a community set under ethical imperatives. The gospel lesson continues John's presentation of Jesus as the Bread of Life. In these verses we will encounter a radical and violent use of language. There are people who are genuinely perplexed by these words and many who are turned off by them. This challenges the pastor to some tough thinking.
Sermon Seeds In The Lessons
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
Let the preparation of a sermon on the lesson begin with the pastor reading the story of the struggle for the throne during the last sad days of David and the securing of the kingship by Solomon in the first two chapters of 1 Kings. Do this to be reminded of the hardball politics, the carefully scripted plots, and the brutal infighting that erupted even before David died. It is important that we clearly see the way things were and so talk about it lest we perpetuate the stereotyped notion still carried by many in the pews that biblical folk were not real flesh and blood people and lived in a never-never, goody-goody land where power trips, political dirty tricks, covert conspiracies and brutal actions never happened.
I have always been indebted to the late J. P. Berkley who for many years taught Old Testament at Andover Newton Theological School. He insisted that if you were going to preach from the Book you needed to know the Book, and almost verse by verse would lead his class through the historical narratives of the Old Testament. I recall how the journey through the books of Kings shattered my own stereotypes inherited from moralistic Sunday school lessons. One day during a class session dealing with passages from 2 Kings I saw these narratives as if for the first time and shared my reaction with our teacher: "Professor Berkley, this is the history of our world." "Young man," he replied, "that's why this book was written." Remember, many of those in the pews are rightly concerned and anxious about the dark side of life so evident in the news these days. The idea can take hold that our society is in a state of decline as if back in the past there was some pristine time by which all subsequent times are judged. We dare not discount the serious challenges we face today, but a good dose of biblical realism can help us rediscover that the Word proclaimed through the community of faith in history was and is intended for a world as we know and experience it.
In our lesson Solomon appears before us quite a different son of David than Absalom, Amnon, or Adonijah. Solomon has the commendation of the author who no doubt credited him for the building of the temple and consolidation of worship in Jerusalem. The Solomon we meet in the dream encounter with God doesn't seem to be quite the same man who could order the execution of Joab. When he comes before God as a little child and asks for an understanding mind we wonder if he is for real or does he know the right buttons to push? But we are all a mix, aren't we?
But I can sense a genuineness about this prayer request of Solomon. A sense of the responsibility of leadership can weigh heavily upon a sensitive person. Think of the presidential candidate who goes through the rough and tumble of the campaign, primaries and conventions with all the verbal slugging and wheeling-dealing that goes on. Suddenly the candidate is elected and cannot help but feel the full weight of responsibility. Inauguration days are always times for prayer and the articulation of noble hopes. That is a fitting way to start any new chapter.
In brooding over this prayer remember that the orthodoxy of the Deuteronomists shines forth in the promises of riches to Solomon. That orthodoxy held that obedience and piety paid off in visible ways. It doesn't work out that way as the author of Psalm 73 as well as the author of Job discovered. In our culture sin can also bring a reward in terms of book contracts, movie deals, and royalties. The promises of Jesus to those who follow him are quite different. See Mark 10:28-31.
Ephesians 5:15-20
Ephesians articulates a vision of the organized community of faith in history with the membership committed to a style of life consonant with the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. This runs counter to prevailing religious sentiments in our culture. The November 18, 1993 edition of the newspaper, USA Today, carried a lead story titled "Free-form freedom of religion." The article dealt with some of the findings of Barry A. Kosmin and Seymour P. Lachman in their recently published book, One Nation Under God (Crown Press). Surveying the religious scene the writer of the article comments:
God may be the most popular hobby in the USA.... We personalize religion with little regard for religious hierarchy or institutional authority. "My Way" could be a hymn here.... But we like our religion without the particulars. No requirements for moral action. No restraints on personal pleasures. Few communal obligations....
Such sentiments are worlds apart from Ephesians.
John 6:51-58
The language at this point in John 6 takes a difficult turn. It is perplexing and for many people offensive. It is a radical and stunning use of language. But then, John is seeking to communicate a mystery that cannot be imprisoned in human words. It is not something we can adequately define. The life, ministry, death and exaltation of Jesus comprise a mystery that renders our human ability to define and explain inadequate. Yet in another context a similar use of language does not faze us. We can speak of "devouring the news." We cannot be literalists with the vocabulary of John. All of his metaphors point to intense personal relationship. I understand John as saying that through the particular and unique human story of Jesus we encounter and receive it, if we will, the Giver of life and meaning. John is no Gnostic. The vocabulary naturally leads us to think about the Eucharist which like the feeding of the multitude is a sign to us that points to Jesus, the Bread from Heaven.
The epistle lesson continues in a section of Ephesians that bristles with imperatives. The whole letter envisions the institutional church in history in engagement with the world, a community set under ethical imperatives. The gospel lesson continues John's presentation of Jesus as the Bread of Life. In these verses we will encounter a radical and violent use of language. There are people who are genuinely perplexed by these words and many who are turned off by them. This challenges the pastor to some tough thinking.
Sermon Seeds In The Lessons
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
Let the preparation of a sermon on the lesson begin with the pastor reading the story of the struggle for the throne during the last sad days of David and the securing of the kingship by Solomon in the first two chapters of 1 Kings. Do this to be reminded of the hardball politics, the carefully scripted plots, and the brutal infighting that erupted even before David died. It is important that we clearly see the way things were and so talk about it lest we perpetuate the stereotyped notion still carried by many in the pews that biblical folk were not real flesh and blood people and lived in a never-never, goody-goody land where power trips, political dirty tricks, covert conspiracies and brutal actions never happened.
I have always been indebted to the late J. P. Berkley who for many years taught Old Testament at Andover Newton Theological School. He insisted that if you were going to preach from the Book you needed to know the Book, and almost verse by verse would lead his class through the historical narratives of the Old Testament. I recall how the journey through the books of Kings shattered my own stereotypes inherited from moralistic Sunday school lessons. One day during a class session dealing with passages from 2 Kings I saw these narratives as if for the first time and shared my reaction with our teacher: "Professor Berkley, this is the history of our world." "Young man," he replied, "that's why this book was written." Remember, many of those in the pews are rightly concerned and anxious about the dark side of life so evident in the news these days. The idea can take hold that our society is in a state of decline as if back in the past there was some pristine time by which all subsequent times are judged. We dare not discount the serious challenges we face today, but a good dose of biblical realism can help us rediscover that the Word proclaimed through the community of faith in history was and is intended for a world as we know and experience it.
In our lesson Solomon appears before us quite a different son of David than Absalom, Amnon, or Adonijah. Solomon has the commendation of the author who no doubt credited him for the building of the temple and consolidation of worship in Jerusalem. The Solomon we meet in the dream encounter with God doesn't seem to be quite the same man who could order the execution of Joab. When he comes before God as a little child and asks for an understanding mind we wonder if he is for real or does he know the right buttons to push? But we are all a mix, aren't we?
But I can sense a genuineness about this prayer request of Solomon. A sense of the responsibility of leadership can weigh heavily upon a sensitive person. Think of the presidential candidate who goes through the rough and tumble of the campaign, primaries and conventions with all the verbal slugging and wheeling-dealing that goes on. Suddenly the candidate is elected and cannot help but feel the full weight of responsibility. Inauguration days are always times for prayer and the articulation of noble hopes. That is a fitting way to start any new chapter.
In brooding over this prayer remember that the orthodoxy of the Deuteronomists shines forth in the promises of riches to Solomon. That orthodoxy held that obedience and piety paid off in visible ways. It doesn't work out that way as the author of Psalm 73 as well as the author of Job discovered. In our culture sin can also bring a reward in terms of book contracts, movie deals, and royalties. The promises of Jesus to those who follow him are quite different. See Mark 10:28-31.
Ephesians 5:15-20
Ephesians articulates a vision of the organized community of faith in history with the membership committed to a style of life consonant with the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. This runs counter to prevailing religious sentiments in our culture. The November 18, 1993 edition of the newspaper, USA Today, carried a lead story titled "Free-form freedom of religion." The article dealt with some of the findings of Barry A. Kosmin and Seymour P. Lachman in their recently published book, One Nation Under God (Crown Press). Surveying the religious scene the writer of the article comments:
God may be the most popular hobby in the USA.... We personalize religion with little regard for religious hierarchy or institutional authority. "My Way" could be a hymn here.... But we like our religion without the particulars. No requirements for moral action. No restraints on personal pleasures. Few communal obligations....
Such sentiments are worlds apart from Ephesians.
John 6:51-58
The language at this point in John 6 takes a difficult turn. It is perplexing and for many people offensive. It is a radical and stunning use of language. But then, John is seeking to communicate a mystery that cannot be imprisoned in human words. It is not something we can adequately define. The life, ministry, death and exaltation of Jesus comprise a mystery that renders our human ability to define and explain inadequate. Yet in another context a similar use of language does not faze us. We can speak of "devouring the news." We cannot be literalists with the vocabulary of John. All of his metaphors point to intense personal relationship. I understand John as saying that through the particular and unique human story of Jesus we encounter and receive it, if we will, the Giver of life and meaning. John is no Gnostic. The vocabulary naturally leads us to think about the Eucharist which like the feeding of the multitude is a sign to us that points to Jesus, the Bread from Heaven.
