Proper 23
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
It is critical, at this juncture of the church year, to remember that the lectionary and the church year are connected to each other by the Gospel, specifically by the kerygma. Kerygmatic theology is the link that binds them together, especially in the death, resurrection, and second coming of the Lord. Sunday, even this late in the Pentecost cycle/season, retains its character as a "Little Easter," even though the eschatological note of Pentecost - "Christ will come again" - sounds ever more loudly as the end of Pentecost and the beginning of Advent become increasingly proximate. The Gospel for the Day during these last weeks of Pentecost points more and more toward the "last things," which creates a problem for con-temporary Christians who desperately desire to hang on to the present age and life-style (as do those outside the church, also). In this respect, today's Gospel posits a question that not many people will be asking, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Like it or not, the faithful are confronted by eschatology - the end of time and the return of the Lord - as well as other factors, such as feeding the hungry, caring for those who suffer and hurt, protecting and preserving the environment, seeking to obliterate oppression and wars, violence, drugs and excessive use of alcohol, all of which seem to be signs of the times. These need to be addressed from the perspective of the kerygmatic theology of Sunday and the church year and Pentecost.
The Prayer of the Day
The prayer in the Lutheran Book of Worship flits around the fringe of this day's gospel story:
Almighty God, source of every blessing, your generous goodness comes to us anew every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The succinct collect in the Book of Common Prayer sharpens the point of the other collect:
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 90 or 90:1-8, 12 (E); 90:12-17 (R, L) - Many Christians would be familiar with this psalm from its use, along with Psalms 23 and 130, at funerals. The Book of Common Prayer and the Lutheran Book of Worship also appoint the same verses of this psalm for the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost and Proper 28 of Year A. The Ordo selects it for the Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time. Psalm 90 was assigned to this Sunday in the Ordo because it picks up the theme of the first reading, Wisdom 7:7-11, Solomon's prayer for wisdom in verse 12: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom." To a lesser degree it speaks to the Amos 5 reading. It was retained apparently by Lutherans and Episcopalians because it points to the Gospel and the incident of the rich young man who went to Jesus and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" That man, in contrast to Solomon, loved riches more than he loved wisdom - and the grace of a loving God. Verses 12-17 place the worshiper alongside Solomon in the Wisdom reading and the prophet in the Book of Amos.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Eternal Father of our mortal race, in Jesus Christ your grace has come upon us: For his sake, prosper the work of our hands until he returns to gladden our hearts forever.
The readings:
Wisdom 7:7-11 (R)
In this reading, Samuel recounts the content of his prayer for wisdom in 1 Kings 3:3-10, instead of asking for riches and long life. This prayer pleased the Lord God and God answered it by giving him understanding and wisdom - and blessed him in the ways of the world, too. Solomon stands in sharp contrast to the rich young man/ruler, who was told to sell all of his goods and give to the poor - and follow Jesus; that man loved wealth, pleasure, and financial security too much to accede to Jesus' request. He lacked the wisdom that is necessary for those who would belong to the Kingdom of our Lord.
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 (E, L)
This reading represents the second change that the Lutheran Book of Worship has in the first reading for this Sunday. The first change (from the Ordo) was the selection of Proverbs 3:13-20 as the first reading, which contains a variation of the wisdom theme. The Book of Common Prayer made only this one alteration - from Wisdom to Amos. The exhortation of the prophet calls upon the people of God to seek the Lord and to shun selfishness and greed, and care for the poor and needy. The people of God are to promote justice, rather than turning "justice to wormwood." The connection with the rich young man in the Gospel for the Day is quite apparent, and this, of course, is why this pericope was chosen for this Sunday.
Genesis 3:8-19 (C)
The Common lectionary has selected yet another first reading to complement the Gospel for the Day. This pericope tells the very familiar story of the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, and the subsequent punishment they received for disobeying God. They could not resist temptation, when it confronted them, much as the rich man could not turn his back on the wealth and luxury he enjoyed, sell his goods and give to the poor, and follow Jesus. Jesus was asking too much of him, in his opinion. Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden and destined to a life of work and suffering for their fall from grace. That fall is what is repeated in the man who turned away from Jesus and went back to his old way of life. His punishment was partly immediate - in his sadness - but it is also eschatological, because he has turned his back to the everlasting Kingdom of God and will never be able to gain admittance (unless later on, in "the rest of the story," he reverses the course of his life and obeys the Lord).
Hebrews 3:1-6 (E, L)
Again, the Lutheran Book of Worship and the Book of Common Prayer have altered one of the original scripture selections and substituted another reading. In this "second lectionary-thought," the Episcopalians and the Lutherans decided that at least one part of Chapter 3, which had been skipped entirely in the semi-continuous reading of Hebrews, ought to be read in public. The reason is that the "holy brethren," whom the writer addresses, "share in a heavenly call," which they must answer with fidelity, just as Jesus was faithful to God's call which took him to the cross. Moses was faithful as a servant of God, but Christ is to be honored even more because he was faithful as the Son of God. Faithful people, who cling to their hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ, will not be disappointed at that last day. The faithful will know - and receive - the blessings of the everlasting kingdom.
Hebrews 4:1-3, 9-13 (C); 4:12-13 (R)
The Common lectionary has added six extra verses to the Roman Catholic reading so that it will harmonize more completely with the Gospel for the Day. (This does not necessarily happen in Pentecost, when the second reading "floats free.") The effect is that the judgment of God, which falls upon those who are unworthy to enter into the "sabbath rest," is set in contrast to the exhortation to "strive to enter that rest" and its attendant explanation about the effect of the word of God, which is "sharper than any two-edged sword." No person can hide from God or his judgment; the lives of all people are an open book to him.
Mark 10:17-27 (28-30) (L); 10:17-27 (28-31) (E); 10:17-30 (R, C)
All of the lectionaries agree on the basic pericope - the story of the man in Mark 10, who wanted assurance of eternal life from Jesus - and all are in agreement on the beginning of that story. (verse 17) The Lutherans and Episcopalians make the last three to four verses of the reading optional. (The Book of Common Prayer is the only lectionary that includes verse 31, "But many that are first will be last, and the last first.") At first reading, Jesus seems to be demanding works righteousness from the man who sought the "blessed assurance" of eternal life, but he was really calling for a response to faith that would be evident in his love for this (poor) neighbor. He was a "partially" righteous person, which isn't enough to qualify a person for the Kingdom of God. The proof that one has accepted the grace of God - in Jesus, for us - is the type of life that one lives. Christians, who really love God and their Lord, will be doing their utmost to live out their faith in their relationships with all other people in the world; faith cannot be lived in isolation. That is a luxury which God does not permit. Faith has to be active in love, no matter what the cost. When Peter tells Christ that he and the other disciples have left everything to follow Jesus, he tells them that they have become part of a larger community here on earth. They will also know persecutions, but that the gift of faith - eternal life - will be theirs in the "age to come."
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 10:17-27 (28-30) (L); 10:17-27 (28-31) (E); 10:17-30 (R, C)
- "Grace - No Discount Available."
A couple of weeks after Congressman Mickey Leland died in a plane crash in Ethiopia (August 7, 1989), Jesse Jackson wrote and published an article about him. It was titled, "Who Eats, Who Dies: A Life's Work." He told how Leland went to Africa on a fact-finding tour shortly after he was elected to Congress in 1972, when he was twenty-eight years old. He was supposed to stay in Tanzania for three weeks, but he became involved in anti-hunger and anti-poverty work to the extent that he stayed there for three months. Jackson says that "Mickey never lost his passion for the people of Africa" - and hungry people all over the world. "For Mickey," he writes, "hunger was not just another political issue. For him, who eats and who dies was the central moral issue of our times." He says that Mickey often quoted the Talmud, "If you save one life, you save the world." And that was reflected in his interests and activities, not only in the United States and Africa, but in Israel, Cuba, Central America, and South Africa as well.
Jesse Jackson says that Leland was criticized, when he returned from a trip to the Sudan in April, for spending too much time in Africa. Critics said that he should be in America all of the time. He replied to them: "I am as much a citizen of this world as I am of this country. To hell with those people who are critical of what I am able to do to help save people's lives. I don't mean to sound hokey, but I grew up on a Christian ethic, which says we are supposed to help our brothers." And so, Jackson concludes, "This earth is a far richer place because of Mickey Leland and a far poorer place without him. We can do his memory no greater honor than to recommit ourselves to taking care of the hungry and homeless part of humanity that Mickey loved with all his heart and was serving at the time of his shocking and tragic death."
1. The man who asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life, who was essentially a righteous man, couldn't do what Jesus asked - turn his holdings into cash, give to the poor and hungry, and follow Jesus Christ. He wanted to get into the kingdom by discounting the grace of God.
2. Who can blame the man? After all, Jesus' demand seems unrealistic, doesn't it? To give a portion of one's goods and money for the work of God, as the Old Testament teaches, is quite enough, isn't it? And today? What Jesus asks is even more unrealistic than it was in that day and age.
3. The man was right about one thing: people inherit the Kingdom of God. Eternal life is a gift of grace, which no one - even those who give everything and even die for the faith - can earn. God gives the kingdom and the life of the kingdom to those who accept it in true faith, to those who become children of God - and heirs - through baptism.
4. But, as Leland discovered, total commitment to the care of the hungry and starving people of the earth - whatever form it takes - inserts one into a larger community, the world community of human beings. That may bring suffering, criticism and ostracism, and all sorts of pain, even death - but those are the things that go with the territory. To be a Christian means that one is a servant, even a suffering servant, of Jesus Christ.
5. Christ gives the kingdom to all who believe - and he expects the believers to respond to the faith, to go into action for his sake and for the relief of the people for whom he died. All he promises to faithful and active Christians is eternal life. And that wasn't discounted when he died on the cross. It isn't cheap.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Wisdom 7:7-11 - "As Wise as Solomon."
1. He really was wise. He was wise enough to ask God for understanding as he began his reign, rather than the things that people in that situation usually ask for - power, riches, long life. He knew that the wise person is the one who is really rich.
2. How wise are the clever and brilliant people of this age, many, if not most, of whom are out to gain for themselves money and the things it can buy? There is no automatic correlation between wisdom and intelligence and cleverness. The wise perceive what life is all about; the intelligent and clever people may be able to gain wealth without any understanding of life itself.
3. Ours is to be wise in the Lord - to perceive that life has come from God, that he holds that love for God and others in his hands. This, along with selfless service, is the key to living in the name of the Lord.
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 (E, L) - "A Warning to the Worldly."
1. The prophet calls upon people who are "of the world" to "seek the Lord and live."
2. The trouble is that people who are caught up in the world think they know what life is all about and that they are living it to the hilt. "Wrong," says the prophet.
3. The proof of their worldliness is their lack of concern and care of the poor and needy. It is proof that they are living for themselves - and have no place in the Kingdom of God. Good becomes evil, when the poor and hungry are neglected by the affluent.
4. Real life is found in and through Jesus Christ - and it involves loving him and all of the people of the earth - and, as he did, doing something about it. Those who really seek and find life in Christ will be engaged in promoting and doing the work of justice - wherever they are - in the name of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 3:8-19 (C) - "First Sin."
1. The man and the woman in the Garden "had it made" - until they met the Serpent and fell victims to temptation and disobeyed God.
2. God gave them a chance to tell their story - possibly to repent - but although their eyes were opened, they didn't know what sin and repentance were. So the man blamed the woman and she blamed the serpent - whom God condemned.
3. But God didn't let the man and the woman off the hook. He punished them for their sin by banishing them from the Garden, inflicting pain on the woman and decreeing labor for the man - and death upon them and all living things.
4. That was only the first sin committed by the human race. It resulted in the fall from grace, something that all people ever since have participated in. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
5. All - save one, Jesus Christ. And that sinless one has restored people to a right relationship with God - and is in the process of turning the world into a garden again. He will complete that work in God's time.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Hebrews 3:1-6 (E, L) - "Eyes on the Right One."
1. Christians are holy. They have been made holy by Jesus Christ through his death on the cross. Their eyes - their attention - needs always to be fixed on the Lord.
2. Jesus, says the writer of Hebrews, is an "apostle" of the faith. That means that, literally, he was "sent forth" into the world on a mission for the Father. Although he completed his part of the mission, the mission will go on until the end of time - and he sends others to do it now.
3. Jesus is also the High Priest, who offered himself to God on behalf of the human race. He has built a bridge between God and his people - built and is Lord over - the house of the Lord. He was faithful, as High Priest, unto death.
4. Jesus is greater than Moses. He is the Lord of Lords and what he has done - the house he has built for God - will endure forever. All eyes are fixed on him forever. Alleluia!
Hebrews 4:1-3, 9-13 (C); 4:12-13 (R) - "Rest? Peace? - Yes, Indeed, There Is Rest and Peace!"
1. God has promised that people of faith will enter into his rest - his peace. He confirmed that promise in Jesus the Christ. That's the Good News in the Lord.
2. Hard-hearted people - those who lack faith - will never enjoy the rest of the Lord; God has promised that, too. They will never know the peace of God that passes understanding.
3. The cross laid bare the heart of God, but the Word of the Lord bares the hearts of people to God. He knows the sinners and the saints; the condition of their hearts tells him that.
4. God is gracious to the pure in heart, who love him and seek him in the hope of enjoying his rest - his peace - now and forever.
The Prayer of the Day
The prayer in the Lutheran Book of Worship flits around the fringe of this day's gospel story:
Almighty God, source of every blessing, your generous goodness comes to us anew every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The succinct collect in the Book of Common Prayer sharpens the point of the other collect:
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 90 or 90:1-8, 12 (E); 90:12-17 (R, L) - Many Christians would be familiar with this psalm from its use, along with Psalms 23 and 130, at funerals. The Book of Common Prayer and the Lutheran Book of Worship also appoint the same verses of this psalm for the Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost and Proper 28 of Year A. The Ordo selects it for the Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time. Psalm 90 was assigned to this Sunday in the Ordo because it picks up the theme of the first reading, Wisdom 7:7-11, Solomon's prayer for wisdom in verse 12: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom." To a lesser degree it speaks to the Amos 5 reading. It was retained apparently by Lutherans and Episcopalians because it points to the Gospel and the incident of the rich young man who went to Jesus and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" That man, in contrast to Solomon, loved riches more than he loved wisdom - and the grace of a loving God. Verses 12-17 place the worshiper alongside Solomon in the Wisdom reading and the prophet in the Book of Amos.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Eternal Father of our mortal race, in Jesus Christ your grace has come upon us: For his sake, prosper the work of our hands until he returns to gladden our hearts forever.
The readings:
Wisdom 7:7-11 (R)
In this reading, Samuel recounts the content of his prayer for wisdom in 1 Kings 3:3-10, instead of asking for riches and long life. This prayer pleased the Lord God and God answered it by giving him understanding and wisdom - and blessed him in the ways of the world, too. Solomon stands in sharp contrast to the rich young man/ruler, who was told to sell all of his goods and give to the poor - and follow Jesus; that man loved wealth, pleasure, and financial security too much to accede to Jesus' request. He lacked the wisdom that is necessary for those who would belong to the Kingdom of our Lord.
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 (E, L)
This reading represents the second change that the Lutheran Book of Worship has in the first reading for this Sunday. The first change (from the Ordo) was the selection of Proverbs 3:13-20 as the first reading, which contains a variation of the wisdom theme. The Book of Common Prayer made only this one alteration - from Wisdom to Amos. The exhortation of the prophet calls upon the people of God to seek the Lord and to shun selfishness and greed, and care for the poor and needy. The people of God are to promote justice, rather than turning "justice to wormwood." The connection with the rich young man in the Gospel for the Day is quite apparent, and this, of course, is why this pericope was chosen for this Sunday.
Genesis 3:8-19 (C)
The Common lectionary has selected yet another first reading to complement the Gospel for the Day. This pericope tells the very familiar story of the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, and the subsequent punishment they received for disobeying God. They could not resist temptation, when it confronted them, much as the rich man could not turn his back on the wealth and luxury he enjoyed, sell his goods and give to the poor, and follow Jesus. Jesus was asking too much of him, in his opinion. Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden and destined to a life of work and suffering for their fall from grace. That fall is what is repeated in the man who turned away from Jesus and went back to his old way of life. His punishment was partly immediate - in his sadness - but it is also eschatological, because he has turned his back to the everlasting Kingdom of God and will never be able to gain admittance (unless later on, in "the rest of the story," he reverses the course of his life and obeys the Lord).
Hebrews 3:1-6 (E, L)
Again, the Lutheran Book of Worship and the Book of Common Prayer have altered one of the original scripture selections and substituted another reading. In this "second lectionary-thought," the Episcopalians and the Lutherans decided that at least one part of Chapter 3, which had been skipped entirely in the semi-continuous reading of Hebrews, ought to be read in public. The reason is that the "holy brethren," whom the writer addresses, "share in a heavenly call," which they must answer with fidelity, just as Jesus was faithful to God's call which took him to the cross. Moses was faithful as a servant of God, but Christ is to be honored even more because he was faithful as the Son of God. Faithful people, who cling to their hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ, will not be disappointed at that last day. The faithful will know - and receive - the blessings of the everlasting kingdom.
Hebrews 4:1-3, 9-13 (C); 4:12-13 (R)
The Common lectionary has added six extra verses to the Roman Catholic reading so that it will harmonize more completely with the Gospel for the Day. (This does not necessarily happen in Pentecost, when the second reading "floats free.") The effect is that the judgment of God, which falls upon those who are unworthy to enter into the "sabbath rest," is set in contrast to the exhortation to "strive to enter that rest" and its attendant explanation about the effect of the word of God, which is "sharper than any two-edged sword." No person can hide from God or his judgment; the lives of all people are an open book to him.
Mark 10:17-27 (28-30) (L); 10:17-27 (28-31) (E); 10:17-30 (R, C)
All of the lectionaries agree on the basic pericope - the story of the man in Mark 10, who wanted assurance of eternal life from Jesus - and all are in agreement on the beginning of that story. (verse 17) The Lutherans and Episcopalians make the last three to four verses of the reading optional. (The Book of Common Prayer is the only lectionary that includes verse 31, "But many that are first will be last, and the last first.") At first reading, Jesus seems to be demanding works righteousness from the man who sought the "blessed assurance" of eternal life, but he was really calling for a response to faith that would be evident in his love for this (poor) neighbor. He was a "partially" righteous person, which isn't enough to qualify a person for the Kingdom of God. The proof that one has accepted the grace of God - in Jesus, for us - is the type of life that one lives. Christians, who really love God and their Lord, will be doing their utmost to live out their faith in their relationships with all other people in the world; faith cannot be lived in isolation. That is a luxury which God does not permit. Faith has to be active in love, no matter what the cost. When Peter tells Christ that he and the other disciples have left everything to follow Jesus, he tells them that they have become part of a larger community here on earth. They will also know persecutions, but that the gift of faith - eternal life - will be theirs in the "age to come."
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 10:17-27 (28-30) (L); 10:17-27 (28-31) (E); 10:17-30 (R, C)
- "Grace - No Discount Available."
A couple of weeks after Congressman Mickey Leland died in a plane crash in Ethiopia (August 7, 1989), Jesse Jackson wrote and published an article about him. It was titled, "Who Eats, Who Dies: A Life's Work." He told how Leland went to Africa on a fact-finding tour shortly after he was elected to Congress in 1972, when he was twenty-eight years old. He was supposed to stay in Tanzania for three weeks, but he became involved in anti-hunger and anti-poverty work to the extent that he stayed there for three months. Jackson says that "Mickey never lost his passion for the people of Africa" - and hungry people all over the world. "For Mickey," he writes, "hunger was not just another political issue. For him, who eats and who dies was the central moral issue of our times." He says that Mickey often quoted the Talmud, "If you save one life, you save the world." And that was reflected in his interests and activities, not only in the United States and Africa, but in Israel, Cuba, Central America, and South Africa as well.
Jesse Jackson says that Leland was criticized, when he returned from a trip to the Sudan in April, for spending too much time in Africa. Critics said that he should be in America all of the time. He replied to them: "I am as much a citizen of this world as I am of this country. To hell with those people who are critical of what I am able to do to help save people's lives. I don't mean to sound hokey, but I grew up on a Christian ethic, which says we are supposed to help our brothers." And so, Jackson concludes, "This earth is a far richer place because of Mickey Leland and a far poorer place without him. We can do his memory no greater honor than to recommit ourselves to taking care of the hungry and homeless part of humanity that Mickey loved with all his heart and was serving at the time of his shocking and tragic death."
1. The man who asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life, who was essentially a righteous man, couldn't do what Jesus asked - turn his holdings into cash, give to the poor and hungry, and follow Jesus Christ. He wanted to get into the kingdom by discounting the grace of God.
2. Who can blame the man? After all, Jesus' demand seems unrealistic, doesn't it? To give a portion of one's goods and money for the work of God, as the Old Testament teaches, is quite enough, isn't it? And today? What Jesus asks is even more unrealistic than it was in that day and age.
3. The man was right about one thing: people inherit the Kingdom of God. Eternal life is a gift of grace, which no one - even those who give everything and even die for the faith - can earn. God gives the kingdom and the life of the kingdom to those who accept it in true faith, to those who become children of God - and heirs - through baptism.
4. But, as Leland discovered, total commitment to the care of the hungry and starving people of the earth - whatever form it takes - inserts one into a larger community, the world community of human beings. That may bring suffering, criticism and ostracism, and all sorts of pain, even death - but those are the things that go with the territory. To be a Christian means that one is a servant, even a suffering servant, of Jesus Christ.
5. Christ gives the kingdom to all who believe - and he expects the believers to respond to the faith, to go into action for his sake and for the relief of the people for whom he died. All he promises to faithful and active Christians is eternal life. And that wasn't discounted when he died on the cross. It isn't cheap.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Wisdom 7:7-11 - "As Wise as Solomon."
1. He really was wise. He was wise enough to ask God for understanding as he began his reign, rather than the things that people in that situation usually ask for - power, riches, long life. He knew that the wise person is the one who is really rich.
2. How wise are the clever and brilliant people of this age, many, if not most, of whom are out to gain for themselves money and the things it can buy? There is no automatic correlation between wisdom and intelligence and cleverness. The wise perceive what life is all about; the intelligent and clever people may be able to gain wealth without any understanding of life itself.
3. Ours is to be wise in the Lord - to perceive that life has come from God, that he holds that love for God and others in his hands. This, along with selfless service, is the key to living in the name of the Lord.
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 (E, L) - "A Warning to the Worldly."
1. The prophet calls upon people who are "of the world" to "seek the Lord and live."
2. The trouble is that people who are caught up in the world think they know what life is all about and that they are living it to the hilt. "Wrong," says the prophet.
3. The proof of their worldliness is their lack of concern and care of the poor and needy. It is proof that they are living for themselves - and have no place in the Kingdom of God. Good becomes evil, when the poor and hungry are neglected by the affluent.
4. Real life is found in and through Jesus Christ - and it involves loving him and all of the people of the earth - and, as he did, doing something about it. Those who really seek and find life in Christ will be engaged in promoting and doing the work of justice - wherever they are - in the name of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 3:8-19 (C) - "First Sin."
1. The man and the woman in the Garden "had it made" - until they met the Serpent and fell victims to temptation and disobeyed God.
2. God gave them a chance to tell their story - possibly to repent - but although their eyes were opened, they didn't know what sin and repentance were. So the man blamed the woman and she blamed the serpent - whom God condemned.
3. But God didn't let the man and the woman off the hook. He punished them for their sin by banishing them from the Garden, inflicting pain on the woman and decreeing labor for the man - and death upon them and all living things.
4. That was only the first sin committed by the human race. It resulted in the fall from grace, something that all people ever since have participated in. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
5. All - save one, Jesus Christ. And that sinless one has restored people to a right relationship with God - and is in the process of turning the world into a garden again. He will complete that work in God's time.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Hebrews 3:1-6 (E, L) - "Eyes on the Right One."
1. Christians are holy. They have been made holy by Jesus Christ through his death on the cross. Their eyes - their attention - needs always to be fixed on the Lord.
2. Jesus, says the writer of Hebrews, is an "apostle" of the faith. That means that, literally, he was "sent forth" into the world on a mission for the Father. Although he completed his part of the mission, the mission will go on until the end of time - and he sends others to do it now.
3. Jesus is also the High Priest, who offered himself to God on behalf of the human race. He has built a bridge between God and his people - built and is Lord over - the house of the Lord. He was faithful, as High Priest, unto death.
4. Jesus is greater than Moses. He is the Lord of Lords and what he has done - the house he has built for God - will endure forever. All eyes are fixed on him forever. Alleluia!
Hebrews 4:1-3, 9-13 (C); 4:12-13 (R) - "Rest? Peace? - Yes, Indeed, There Is Rest and Peace!"
1. God has promised that people of faith will enter into his rest - his peace. He confirmed that promise in Jesus the Christ. That's the Good News in the Lord.
2. Hard-hearted people - those who lack faith - will never enjoy the rest of the Lord; God has promised that, too. They will never know the peace of God that passes understanding.
3. The cross laid bare the heart of God, but the Word of the Lord bares the hearts of people to God. He knows the sinners and the saints; the condition of their hearts tells him that.
4. God is gracious to the pure in heart, who love him and seek him in the hope of enjoying his rest - his peace - now and forever.