Sermon Illustrations For Lent 3 (2023)
Illustration
Exodus 17:1-7
Two friends met each other on the street one day. One looked sad, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “Why so sad, my friend?”
The man answered, “Let me tell you: three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars.”
“That’s a lot of money.”
“But you see, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me eighty-five thousand dollars, tax free.”
“Sounds to me that you’ve been very blessed.”
“You don’t understand!” he interrupted. “Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a million from her.”
Now the man’s friend was really confused. “Then, why are you so down?”
“This week—nothing!”
I love that story. It reflects human nature. Certainly, it reflects the attitude of Israel as they camped at Rephidim. There was no water to drink. In one of the ultimate “what have you done for me lately” moves, they complain to Moses that they were brought out to the desert to die. God heard Moses’ report and gave the people water. It does make us think, though. Are we appreciative for what God has done or are we already anticipating the next blessing?
Bill T.
* * *
Exodus 17:1-7
A dynamic that sociologist Peter Berger noted in the mid-20th century is still prevalent today. Churches have become so consumer-oriented that we are marketing God to play to our audience, in other words reducing God to someone who fulfills all our needs (The Sacred Canopy, pp.147-148). Consider the popularity of the so-called prosperity lospel. This lesson condemns these trends. We are doing what Martin Luther said that the Hebrews in our lesson were doing, wanting “to put limits on God and subject him to our will; in fact to deprive him of his divinity.” (Luther’s Works, Vol.9, p.75)
The African American church has a widely accepted refrain to describe the meaning of our text and to remedy the concern Luther raises: “God may not come when you want him. But he’s always on time.” It’s good that God does not always answer our prayers the way we want them answered.
Mark E.
* * *
Exodus 17:1-7
What does it mean to exist? Maybe in part it is to see and be seen. The question of seeing and knowing we are seen are at play in this particular passage. When the people arrive at Rephidim, they again grumble as they did before, this time about the lack of water. God instructs Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go.” (17:5) According to the medieval Rabbi Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno (1475-1550), whose learning included mathematics and medicine, the purpose of this processional was to ensure that the people would be looking on during the miracle so “they will see how you are exerting yourself on their behalf to supply their want,” (The Soncino Chumash, 470).
In contrast to the people’s need to see the miracle that followed, Moses was assured by God, “I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb.” (17:6) While it was important for Moses to be seen performing the action that led to God’s miracle, Moses knew he was seen by God and did not need to see God to believe in what was going to take place. That puts me in mind of what Jesus said to Thomas, following the resurrection: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 2029)
Frank R.
* * *
Romans 5:1-11
As Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he encourages the church there to remember, “we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (verses 2-4). I am not a proponent of suffering, and yet I know many people suffer every day and in some cases we gain endurance through suffering. Athletes claim it as “no pain, no gain” but I am not sure what Paul is reminding us about. Rather, Paul reminds us that we have suffering, even as the faithful followers of Jesus. And yet, our suffering can teach us, deepen our character and remind us once again, of our hope in God — we are not alone. God is with us. That is hope we can cling to even in our suffering.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Romans 5:1-11
The lesson contends that we have been enemies of God (v.10). Martin Luther nicely explained how that can be the case:
For man cannot but seek his own advantages and love himself above all things. And this is the sum of his iniquities. Hence even in good things and virtues men seek themselves, that is, they seek to please themselves and applaud themselves. (Luther’s Works, Vol.25, p.222)
This enmity towards God makes it all the more dramatic that God sent his son to die for us. For
according to Plato, (Symposium) a willingness to die for one’s beloved is the ultimate expression of love. This kind of love cannot but transform us. But the tribulations and anxieties of life do not go away, famed modern theologian Karl Barth says. Commenting on this text he observed:
We must suffer as we suffered before. But our suffering is no longer a passive, dangerous, poisonous, destructive tribulation and perplexity... but is transformed into a tribulation and perplexity which are creative, fruitful, powerful, promising, by which men are dissolved, cast to the ground, pressed into a corner, and imprisoned by God. (The Epistle to the Romans, p.156).
Mark E.
* * *
John 4:5-42
Whereas Nicodemus is temporarily stymied in his dialogue with Jesus, confusing being “born from above” with being literally born again from the womb, the Samaritan woman is able to move from a desire to have a bucket of living water that never runs dry to the symbolic truth about living water. This will lead her to challenge Jesus regarding the nature of the Messiah. “I know that Messiah is coming…. When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” (John 4:25)
The Messiah the woman spoke of was the Taheb, who would appear on what Samaritans call “the day of vengeance.” That last sentence was in the present tense because Samaritans still exist. The Taheb, they believe, is not descended from King David as Jews believed during the time of Jesus but is descended from Joseph. The Taheb will be a second Moses who will prophesy for forty years. All the lost tribes will return and afterwards will come the resurrection of the Dead. This Samaritan Messiah will discover the lost tent of presence which houses the ark of the covenant. He will be mortal, however, and ultimately will be buried next to the patriarch Joseph.
Despite these vastly different ideas about the Messiah, when Jesus replies, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.” (John 4:26), the woman left her water jar, which was at the heart of the shocking incident that led to this conversation (“How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (4:9) and challenged others in her village, from whom she was estranged, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” (4:29)
Frank R.
* * *
John 4:5-42
Philip Yancey wrote in his book What’s So Amazing About Grace, “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more... And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less... Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.”
Roy Borges experienced God’s grace and wrote about it on the Victorious Living website. He tells of a time when he was in prison and another inmate stole his razor and a bag of coffee. He knew who it was and confronted him. Though he was tempted to fight him, he turned away. He chose God’s way of mercy and grace. Later that day, the same inmate approached him and tried to make some excuses. Borges simply said, “I forgive you.” Later, he saw that inmate at a chapel service. When he approached him then, he noticed the tears on the man’s tattooed face. Borges’ reply stunned the man and compelled him to seek Jesus. Borges was able to give what he’d been given: something for nothing.
Roy Borges and the inmate who stole from him know what grace is about, and so does an anonymous Samaritan woman. Jesus encountered her at an unusual time, had a rare conversation with her, and offered her something she could never earn. A whole village benefited from her encounter with Jesus’ grace. Grace once received cannot help but be given.
Bill T.
Two friends met each other on the street one day. One looked sad, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “Why so sad, my friend?”
The man answered, “Let me tell you: three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars.”
“That’s a lot of money.”
“But you see, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me eighty-five thousand dollars, tax free.”
“Sounds to me that you’ve been very blessed.”
“You don’t understand!” he interrupted. “Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a million from her.”
Now the man’s friend was really confused. “Then, why are you so down?”
“This week—nothing!”
I love that story. It reflects human nature. Certainly, it reflects the attitude of Israel as they camped at Rephidim. There was no water to drink. In one of the ultimate “what have you done for me lately” moves, they complain to Moses that they were brought out to the desert to die. God heard Moses’ report and gave the people water. It does make us think, though. Are we appreciative for what God has done or are we already anticipating the next blessing?
Bill T.
* * *
Exodus 17:1-7
A dynamic that sociologist Peter Berger noted in the mid-20th century is still prevalent today. Churches have become so consumer-oriented that we are marketing God to play to our audience, in other words reducing God to someone who fulfills all our needs (The Sacred Canopy, pp.147-148). Consider the popularity of the so-called prosperity lospel. This lesson condemns these trends. We are doing what Martin Luther said that the Hebrews in our lesson were doing, wanting “to put limits on God and subject him to our will; in fact to deprive him of his divinity.” (Luther’s Works, Vol.9, p.75)
The African American church has a widely accepted refrain to describe the meaning of our text and to remedy the concern Luther raises: “God may not come when you want him. But he’s always on time.” It’s good that God does not always answer our prayers the way we want them answered.
Mark E.
* * *
Exodus 17:1-7
What does it mean to exist? Maybe in part it is to see and be seen. The question of seeing and knowing we are seen are at play in this particular passage. When the people arrive at Rephidim, they again grumble as they did before, this time about the lack of water. God instructs Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go.” (17:5) According to the medieval Rabbi Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno (1475-1550), whose learning included mathematics and medicine, the purpose of this processional was to ensure that the people would be looking on during the miracle so “they will see how you are exerting yourself on their behalf to supply their want,” (The Soncino Chumash, 470).
In contrast to the people’s need to see the miracle that followed, Moses was assured by God, “I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb.” (17:6) While it was important for Moses to be seen performing the action that led to God’s miracle, Moses knew he was seen by God and did not need to see God to believe in what was going to take place. That puts me in mind of what Jesus said to Thomas, following the resurrection: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 2029)
Frank R.
* * *
Romans 5:1-11
As Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he encourages the church there to remember, “we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope (verses 2-4). I am not a proponent of suffering, and yet I know many people suffer every day and in some cases we gain endurance through suffering. Athletes claim it as “no pain, no gain” but I am not sure what Paul is reminding us about. Rather, Paul reminds us that we have suffering, even as the faithful followers of Jesus. And yet, our suffering can teach us, deepen our character and remind us once again, of our hope in God — we are not alone. God is with us. That is hope we can cling to even in our suffering.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Romans 5:1-11
The lesson contends that we have been enemies of God (v.10). Martin Luther nicely explained how that can be the case:
For man cannot but seek his own advantages and love himself above all things. And this is the sum of his iniquities. Hence even in good things and virtues men seek themselves, that is, they seek to please themselves and applaud themselves. (Luther’s Works, Vol.25, p.222)
This enmity towards God makes it all the more dramatic that God sent his son to die for us. For
according to Plato, (Symposium) a willingness to die for one’s beloved is the ultimate expression of love. This kind of love cannot but transform us. But the tribulations and anxieties of life do not go away, famed modern theologian Karl Barth says. Commenting on this text he observed:
We must suffer as we suffered before. But our suffering is no longer a passive, dangerous, poisonous, destructive tribulation and perplexity... but is transformed into a tribulation and perplexity which are creative, fruitful, powerful, promising, by which men are dissolved, cast to the ground, pressed into a corner, and imprisoned by God. (The Epistle to the Romans, p.156).
Mark E.
* * *
John 4:5-42
Whereas Nicodemus is temporarily stymied in his dialogue with Jesus, confusing being “born from above” with being literally born again from the womb, the Samaritan woman is able to move from a desire to have a bucket of living water that never runs dry to the symbolic truth about living water. This will lead her to challenge Jesus regarding the nature of the Messiah. “I know that Messiah is coming…. When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” (John 4:25)
The Messiah the woman spoke of was the Taheb, who would appear on what Samaritans call “the day of vengeance.” That last sentence was in the present tense because Samaritans still exist. The Taheb, they believe, is not descended from King David as Jews believed during the time of Jesus but is descended from Joseph. The Taheb will be a second Moses who will prophesy for forty years. All the lost tribes will return and afterwards will come the resurrection of the Dead. This Samaritan Messiah will discover the lost tent of presence which houses the ark of the covenant. He will be mortal, however, and ultimately will be buried next to the patriarch Joseph.
Despite these vastly different ideas about the Messiah, when Jesus replies, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.” (John 4:26), the woman left her water jar, which was at the heart of the shocking incident that led to this conversation (“How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (4:9) and challenged others in her village, from whom she was estranged, “Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” (4:29)
Frank R.
* * *
John 4:5-42
Philip Yancey wrote in his book What’s So Amazing About Grace, “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more... And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less... Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.”
Roy Borges experienced God’s grace and wrote about it on the Victorious Living website. He tells of a time when he was in prison and another inmate stole his razor and a bag of coffee. He knew who it was and confronted him. Though he was tempted to fight him, he turned away. He chose God’s way of mercy and grace. Later that day, the same inmate approached him and tried to make some excuses. Borges simply said, “I forgive you.” Later, he saw that inmate at a chapel service. When he approached him then, he noticed the tears on the man’s tattooed face. Borges’ reply stunned the man and compelled him to seek Jesus. Borges was able to give what he’d been given: something for nothing.
Roy Borges and the inmate who stole from him know what grace is about, and so does an anonymous Samaritan woman. Jesus encountered her at an unusual time, had a rare conversation with her, and offered her something she could never earn. A whole village benefited from her encounter with Jesus’ grace. Grace once received cannot help but be given.
Bill T.
