Sermon Illustrations for Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 (2014)
Illustration
Object:
Judges 4:1-7
There are three festivals that all male Jews living within twenty miles of Jerusalem were required to attend, the Feast of Weeks being one. This festival celebrates the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. It was also called Pentecost because it fell on the fiftieth day, a week of weeks, after the Jewish Passover. Christians, with a sense of Jewish heritage, would also be present at this celebration. This day Peter preached the first sermon of the church. The first-century church had four preaching styles. Peter's sermon was classified as kerugma, which means a plain statement of fact of the Christian message. In straightforward language he shared the life and teachings of Jesus. The early church continued to call this day Pentecost, for it occurred fifty days after the Resurrection. It became the custom of the church, formally established at the Council of Nicaea in 325, that during these weeks one would not fast for it was a time of joy, and one would not genuflect, recognizing the exaltation of our Lord.
Application: The Israelites were oppressed under the king of Canaan. Seeking relief they went to Deborah, a prophetess. She instructed them to surrender their evil ways and return to God. Deborah was the wife of a man whose name was Lapidoth, which means "torches." At the advice of his wife he furnished large wicks and oil for the lights of the sanctuary of Shiloh, which burned like torches, spreading the light of Torah. Deborah sat under a palm tree to show the world that the Jewish people were all united and turning their eyes again to God, like the leaves of the palm turn upward together, toward heaven. The light of new life is an important motif in the Bible. It can be our light if we stand in adoration of God.
Ron L.
Judges 4:1-7
A 2010 study of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research revealed a glass ceiling for women in church leadership. Only 12% of all American congregations are led by a female pastor (as senior pastor or as the congregation's only pastor). This story of Deborah's leadership is a healthy antidote to these trends. God's use of a woman in this patriarchal setting is also a word of hope in the face of studies indicating that a child born in the lowest 20% of the American population has only a 1 in 20 chance of making it to the top 10% of wealth, while a child born in the top 20% of income has a 40% chance of achieving the highest levels of income as an adult. The story of Deborah (like the Jesus narrative) reminds us that we have a God who "works outside the box." As Martin Luther pointed out, with God "there will be no distinction either of places or of persons" (Luther's Works, Vol. 18, p. 112). And the Irish musician Bono makes a similar point: "The one thing we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house... God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if [I would prefer to say 'as'] we are with them."
Mark E.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
In my last pastoral assignment I lived in a parsonage, but my congregation gave me the privilege of buying my own home. After living in church-owned parsonages all our pastoral lives, it felt extremely good to be homeowners. However, just a few short months after moving in my wife came home to discover that someone had broken into our home and ransacked it. Clothing was spread over the floor, cabinet doors were opened, closets rummaged through, and the refrigerator was opened. The truth is not much materially was taken, but our sense of security and privacy was robbed.
The thief in the night that Paul eluded would come quietly, quickly, and overpoweringly. Okay, Paul, I understand. We weren't ready! Believe me, we are much more alert and conscious of the possibility now.
Paul is making a point. One of these days Jesus will be coming. There won't be any warning... like a thief... and we must be prepared. What preparation do I need to make? An up-to-date personal relationship with Christ.
* That he and I are connected through a two-way conversation... prayer.
* That my life is fully surrendered to his will.
* That my relationship with those on this earth is positive and loving.
* That his word penetrates every part of my life.
* That the Holy Spirit empowers me to live life to the fullest.
Then I can say with the saints, "Come, Lord Jesus!"
Derl K.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Don't get caught up in times and dates. When the year 2000 came, the bookstores filled with volumes on the time of the end (even though Jesus was probably born about 4 or 5 BC). There is something in us that wants to know exact times so we can plan ahead. Then we don't have to live every day as if the Lord might come at any moment (as though that were a threat).
It appears that only a few like John had seen a hint that the Messiah was coming. It certainly fooled the temple aristocracy, who felt insulted and left out that they were not the first to be notified so they could prepare. They had a chip on their shoulder that even led them to vote for a cross on the one they were looking to come. Even Jesus said he did not know the time. Then why should we know it? Add to that the fact that he is with us now as well as being with us for eternity.
Since we don't know the time, we had better be ready -- always ready! Aren't our minds crowded with urgent business that must be taken care of now? Aren't we always thinking of what we have to do next? If a husband isn't thinking ahead, his wife will be helping -- "When are you going to take out the garbage?" "When are you going to get the faucet (or the roof or the furnace) fixed?" Especially when you own a home, there are always things to be done. We even make lists. Do we ever add, "Be prepared for the Lord in case he comes today"? If we want to be ready for a family member or friend to come and visit, shouldn't we be ready for the King of kings? In a pastor's ministry he is often faced with hospital visits or funerals for people that had not expected life to end or to end so quickly.
I met a member of my church, who I hadn't seen in a long time, coming out of the church crying. She said that her husband had died, but she was afraid to call me while he was in the hospital because if he saw me he would know, he didn't have long to live. She didn't want to frighten him. Now God would take care of that.
Are we dreading the Lord's coming? He did not plan suffering for us. We should have faith and hope -- and most important, love. They should be a part of our everyday life. It doesn't mean that we should never go to bed and sleep. It is saying that we are children of his light and should never fall back into Satan's darkness. One way to help with this is to remain a faithful active member of his holy church because one day we will all be up with him for eternity -- not as a threat, but as a blessing -- a promise. How hard it is to make God's coming a priority when there is so much joy to look forward to?
Bob O.
Matthew 25:14-30
Christian Richter (1676-1711) saw one steeple but many denominational expressions. As a scientist, he embarked to unmask the mysteries of creation. As a physician, he dedicated himself to the alleviation of suffering. As a Christian, he prepared himself for each task by first offering a special prayer. Richter located his ministry in an orphanage and combined his academic disciplines to create so many potions for healing that they were commonly called "Halle medicines," in honor of his work at the University of Halle. As a theologian he expressed all of his vocations in the hymn "My Soul Before Thee Prostrate Lies":
My soul before Thee prostrate lies;
To Thee, her Source, my spirit flies;
My wants I mourn, my chains I see;
O let Thy presence set me free.
Jesus, vouchsafe my heart and will
With Thy meek lowliness to fill;
No more her power let nature boast,
But in Thy will may mine be lost.
Already springing hope I feel,
God will destroy the power of hell,
And, from a land of wars and pain,
Lead me where peace and safety reign.
One only care my soul shall know,
Father, all Thy commands to do;
And feel, what endless years shall prove,
That Thou, my Lord, my God, art love.
Application: We must invest the talents the Lord has given to us.
Ron L.
Matthew 25:14-30
Americans do not have a good sense of priorities. Our mad quest for wealth has led us to create a society in which 1 out of 2 of us has low-income status. We are preoccupied more with the gross national product and the yields on our stocks than the fact that 15% of us actually dwell in poverty. We have the resources to do something about this but timidly sit on our duffs. The parable of the talents is about people with resources who do nothing with them. It is like Benjamin Franklin once wrote: "Hide not your talents, for us they were made, what's a sundial in the shade?"
"No good having gifts if you don't use them. John Calvin offers good guidance on how to use what we've got: '... no manner of life is more praiseworthy in the sight of God, than that which yields some advantage to human society' " (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XVI/2, p. 444).
Modern neurobiology has found that the life of faith is the best way to get us over our hang ups and to prod us to use the gifts we have in the manner Calvin proposes. It seems that when people are paralyzed, unable to act like the slave with the single talent, they have an overactive basil ganglia (the part of the brain's center that integrates feelings, thought, and movement). But meditation and spiritual exercise, activating the brain's prefrontal cortex, slows down the basal ganglia to a healthy level (Daniel Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, pp. 82-84, 99ff).
Mark E.
There are three festivals that all male Jews living within twenty miles of Jerusalem were required to attend, the Feast of Weeks being one. This festival celebrates the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. It was also called Pentecost because it fell on the fiftieth day, a week of weeks, after the Jewish Passover. Christians, with a sense of Jewish heritage, would also be present at this celebration. This day Peter preached the first sermon of the church. The first-century church had four preaching styles. Peter's sermon was classified as kerugma, which means a plain statement of fact of the Christian message. In straightforward language he shared the life and teachings of Jesus. The early church continued to call this day Pentecost, for it occurred fifty days after the Resurrection. It became the custom of the church, formally established at the Council of Nicaea in 325, that during these weeks one would not fast for it was a time of joy, and one would not genuflect, recognizing the exaltation of our Lord.
Application: The Israelites were oppressed under the king of Canaan. Seeking relief they went to Deborah, a prophetess. She instructed them to surrender their evil ways and return to God. Deborah was the wife of a man whose name was Lapidoth, which means "torches." At the advice of his wife he furnished large wicks and oil for the lights of the sanctuary of Shiloh, which burned like torches, spreading the light of Torah. Deborah sat under a palm tree to show the world that the Jewish people were all united and turning their eyes again to God, like the leaves of the palm turn upward together, toward heaven. The light of new life is an important motif in the Bible. It can be our light if we stand in adoration of God.
Ron L.
Judges 4:1-7
A 2010 study of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research revealed a glass ceiling for women in church leadership. Only 12% of all American congregations are led by a female pastor (as senior pastor or as the congregation's only pastor). This story of Deborah's leadership is a healthy antidote to these trends. God's use of a woman in this patriarchal setting is also a word of hope in the face of studies indicating that a child born in the lowest 20% of the American population has only a 1 in 20 chance of making it to the top 10% of wealth, while a child born in the top 20% of income has a 40% chance of achieving the highest levels of income as an adult. The story of Deborah (like the Jesus narrative) reminds us that we have a God who "works outside the box." As Martin Luther pointed out, with God "there will be no distinction either of places or of persons" (Luther's Works, Vol. 18, p. 112). And the Irish musician Bono makes a similar point: "The one thing we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house... God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if [I would prefer to say 'as'] we are with them."
Mark E.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
In my last pastoral assignment I lived in a parsonage, but my congregation gave me the privilege of buying my own home. After living in church-owned parsonages all our pastoral lives, it felt extremely good to be homeowners. However, just a few short months after moving in my wife came home to discover that someone had broken into our home and ransacked it. Clothing was spread over the floor, cabinet doors were opened, closets rummaged through, and the refrigerator was opened. The truth is not much materially was taken, but our sense of security and privacy was robbed.
The thief in the night that Paul eluded would come quietly, quickly, and overpoweringly. Okay, Paul, I understand. We weren't ready! Believe me, we are much more alert and conscious of the possibility now.
Paul is making a point. One of these days Jesus will be coming. There won't be any warning... like a thief... and we must be prepared. What preparation do I need to make? An up-to-date personal relationship with Christ.
* That he and I are connected through a two-way conversation... prayer.
* That my life is fully surrendered to his will.
* That my relationship with those on this earth is positive and loving.
* That his word penetrates every part of my life.
* That the Holy Spirit empowers me to live life to the fullest.
Then I can say with the saints, "Come, Lord Jesus!"
Derl K.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Don't get caught up in times and dates. When the year 2000 came, the bookstores filled with volumes on the time of the end (even though Jesus was probably born about 4 or 5 BC). There is something in us that wants to know exact times so we can plan ahead. Then we don't have to live every day as if the Lord might come at any moment (as though that were a threat).
It appears that only a few like John had seen a hint that the Messiah was coming. It certainly fooled the temple aristocracy, who felt insulted and left out that they were not the first to be notified so they could prepare. They had a chip on their shoulder that even led them to vote for a cross on the one they were looking to come. Even Jesus said he did not know the time. Then why should we know it? Add to that the fact that he is with us now as well as being with us for eternity.
Since we don't know the time, we had better be ready -- always ready! Aren't our minds crowded with urgent business that must be taken care of now? Aren't we always thinking of what we have to do next? If a husband isn't thinking ahead, his wife will be helping -- "When are you going to take out the garbage?" "When are you going to get the faucet (or the roof or the furnace) fixed?" Especially when you own a home, there are always things to be done. We even make lists. Do we ever add, "Be prepared for the Lord in case he comes today"? If we want to be ready for a family member or friend to come and visit, shouldn't we be ready for the King of kings? In a pastor's ministry he is often faced with hospital visits or funerals for people that had not expected life to end or to end so quickly.
I met a member of my church, who I hadn't seen in a long time, coming out of the church crying. She said that her husband had died, but she was afraid to call me while he was in the hospital because if he saw me he would know, he didn't have long to live. She didn't want to frighten him. Now God would take care of that.
Are we dreading the Lord's coming? He did not plan suffering for us. We should have faith and hope -- and most important, love. They should be a part of our everyday life. It doesn't mean that we should never go to bed and sleep. It is saying that we are children of his light and should never fall back into Satan's darkness. One way to help with this is to remain a faithful active member of his holy church because one day we will all be up with him for eternity -- not as a threat, but as a blessing -- a promise. How hard it is to make God's coming a priority when there is so much joy to look forward to?
Bob O.
Matthew 25:14-30
Christian Richter (1676-1711) saw one steeple but many denominational expressions. As a scientist, he embarked to unmask the mysteries of creation. As a physician, he dedicated himself to the alleviation of suffering. As a Christian, he prepared himself for each task by first offering a special prayer. Richter located his ministry in an orphanage and combined his academic disciplines to create so many potions for healing that they were commonly called "Halle medicines," in honor of his work at the University of Halle. As a theologian he expressed all of his vocations in the hymn "My Soul Before Thee Prostrate Lies":
My soul before Thee prostrate lies;
To Thee, her Source, my spirit flies;
My wants I mourn, my chains I see;
O let Thy presence set me free.
Jesus, vouchsafe my heart and will
With Thy meek lowliness to fill;
No more her power let nature boast,
But in Thy will may mine be lost.
Already springing hope I feel,
God will destroy the power of hell,
And, from a land of wars and pain,
Lead me where peace and safety reign.
One only care my soul shall know,
Father, all Thy commands to do;
And feel, what endless years shall prove,
That Thou, my Lord, my God, art love.
Application: We must invest the talents the Lord has given to us.
Ron L.
Matthew 25:14-30
Americans do not have a good sense of priorities. Our mad quest for wealth has led us to create a society in which 1 out of 2 of us has low-income status. We are preoccupied more with the gross national product and the yields on our stocks than the fact that 15% of us actually dwell in poverty. We have the resources to do something about this but timidly sit on our duffs. The parable of the talents is about people with resources who do nothing with them. It is like Benjamin Franklin once wrote: "Hide not your talents, for us they were made, what's a sundial in the shade?"
"No good having gifts if you don't use them. John Calvin offers good guidance on how to use what we've got: '... no manner of life is more praiseworthy in the sight of God, than that which yields some advantage to human society' " (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XVI/2, p. 444).
Modern neurobiology has found that the life of faith is the best way to get us over our hang ups and to prod us to use the gifts we have in the manner Calvin proposes. It seems that when people are paralyzed, unable to act like the slave with the single talent, they have an overactive basil ganglia (the part of the brain's center that integrates feelings, thought, and movement). But meditation and spiritual exercise, activating the brain's prefrontal cortex, slows down the basal ganglia to a healthy level (Daniel Amen, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, pp. 82-84, 99ff).
Mark E.
