Epiphany 6
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook - SERIES C
The Lessons
Jeremiah 17:5-10 (C)
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (L, RC)
The heart of a human determines good or bad conduct.
Biblical scholars are not agreed whether this pericope is by Jeremiah because the material is wisdom rather than prophetic literature. Corresponding to the Gospel lesson, the passage gives the woes (curses) and beatitudes (blessed) of those who do or do not trust Yahweh. It is a contrast of the shrub in the desert and the tree by the riverside. Verses 8-10 consist of a proverb with theological interpretation. They provide a basis for self-understanding dealing with the nature of the human heart.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (C)
1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 (L, RC)
This is the second of four pericopes from 1 Corinthians. Last Sunday the Lesson ended with verse 11, and today we continue with verse 12. Paul in this passage writes that if Christ were raised from the dead, those who died in Christ will also rise. The resurrection of believers does not rely upon a theological or theoretical claim. Rather it is based on Jesus' resurrection. What happened to Jesus will also happen to believers. On the other hand, if Christ were not raised, our faith in Christ would be in vain, we would still be in our sins, and the dead in Christ perished. But the truth is that in fact Jesus was raised from the dead.
Luke 6:17-26 (C, L)
Luke 6:17, 20-26
In the sermon on the plain Jesus gives the beatitudes and woes.
The Gospel Lesson for today and the next two Sundays will be taken from Jesus' sermon on the plain. The setting for the sermon is given in verses 17-19. The sermon opens with four blessings and a corresponding number of woes. The parallel lists give one an opportunity to choose. The sermon was addressed not to the people but to the Disciples. The ethical teachings were for Disciples and not for the world. Disciples would be able to fulfill the ethical expectations by virtue of receiving grace.
Prayer of the Day
"Lord God, mercifully receive the prayers of your people. Help us to see and understand the things we ought to do and give us grace and power to do them."
Hymn of the Day
"O Jesus Christ, may Grateful Hymns be Rising"
Theme of the Day: Take Your Choice
Gospel - A choice between blessings and woes.
Lesson 1 - A choice to trust or not to trust God.
Lesson 2 - A choice to believe or not to believe the Resurrection.
Today we are given a choice: to receive blessings or woes (Gospel), to trust or not to put our trust in God (Lesson 1), and to accept or reject the fact of Jesus' resurrection. In the light of having to make so serious a choice we pray in the Prayer of the Day: "Help us to see and understand the things we ought to do." The Psalm (Psalm 1) and Lesson 1 are almost duplicates.
Theological Reflections
Gospel:
Luke 6:17-26
1. Crowd (vv. 1 7, 19). Sometimes we forget that Jesus was a very popular person in his day. He had a "crowd" of disciples, but we usually think of only twelve. The masses came to see and hear Jesus - "all the crowd sought to touch him." Why wouldn't he be popular? No other person taught with so much authority. No other person could heal as he did. Just a touch of his garment brought healing. In other words, Jesus had numbers, and today we should not be content unless our churches are crowded to hear Jesus proclaimed and to be healed by Jesus.
2. Blessed (vv. 20-22). The "blessed's" are known as Beatitudes. To be blessed is to be happy in terms of joy, peace, and contentment. A blessed person is one who has received God's favor.
3. Woe (vv. 24-26). As there were four "blessed's," there are the same number of "woes." For every blessing there is a corresponding woe. Whether it is one or the other depends upon acceptance or rejection of Christ and his way of life. The opposite of Salvation is judgment. To reject God is to experience the woes of life: misery, suffering, death.
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 17:5-10
1. Trusts (vv. 5, 7) Trust is neutral. Whether it is good or bad depends upon how it is used. To trust in humanity brings a curse; to trust in God results in blessedness. One's god is determined by what or in whom one puts complete trust. To trust in God means one has a God who is trustworthy. To put trust in people is dangerous, for people on the whole are not trustworthy. Whether one is cursed or blessed is decided upon whom or what one trusts.
2. Heart (vv. 9, 10). The heart is the center of one's being. As the heart is, so is the person. Jeremiah does not agree with contemporary emphasis upon the innate goodness of people. Because of this goodness we are told that humans are people of dignity with rights that should not be violated. Jeremiah tells us the condition of the heart: "deceitful" and "corrupt." This explains the crime in our society and the need for the redemption of sinners.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
1. If (v. 12). In this pericope "if" occurs seven times. So much hinges on the two-letter word. "If" Christ is raised, there are important results. "If" Christ was not raised, woe are believers. Thus, we face a decision: Was Christ raised or not raised from the dead? We cannot live on the basis of "If." The "if" must be removed by a fact.
2. Futile (v. 17). According to Paul, if Christ was not raised, our faith would be futile and we would still be in our sins. Faith without content is of no value. We can have faith in non-realities, in false gods, in things that never happened. It points to the importance of the Resurrection in our Christian religion. If Christ was not raised, Jesus would be an imposter and a liar. At best, he would be only a martyr. The resurrection proves that he is God's Son sent to redeem the world by his atoning death. Since we are saved by faith in Christ's sacrifice for sin, a fact confirmed by the Resurrection, the lack of the resurrection would leave us in our sins, for otherwise Jesus was not the Christ.
3. Fact (v. 20). The "ifs" in the passage are removed by "fact." Paul is definite and positive about the reality of the resurrection. He writes, "In fact Christ has been raised ..." There is no "if," "but," or "and." It is a fact that Jesus was raised. Upon this fact depends our salvation and victory over sin and death.The resurrection is the one fact we do not question or doubt simply because it is a fact, not a theory or a man-made story.
Preaching Possibilities
Three Lessons
Jeremiah 17:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26
The Choice is Yours
Need: The hour of worship is often the hour of decision. This is one of those Sundays when the Lessons call for a decision. We are given a choice between two alternatives. The text gives us the choices. Decision time is a dangerous time, because we may make the wrong choice. We plead for the Spirit to guide us to make the right decision.
Outline: The choice is yours -
a. Trust in humans or trust in God? - Lesson 1
b. Blessed or cursed? - Gospel
c. Believe or not believe the Resurrection? - Lesson 2
Gospel:
Luke 6:17-26
1. Problems in preaching on today's gospel.
a. The Gospel lesson says the blessed are the poor, hungry, sad, and persecuted while the rich, well-fed, happy, and popular people are cursed. This is not universally true. It is a fact that some wealthy, well-fed, happy, and well-thought-of people neglect spiritual values. There is a danger that the passage may be used to condemn affluent people. Though the rich young ruler refused discipleship because of his love of wealth, Jesus accepted rich people such as Matthew, Zaccheus, and Joseph of Arimathea. The materially rich can be in the Kingdom. The well-fed can be spiritually satisfied. Happy Christians can laugh at death, and popular Christians can rejoice.
b. The "woes" section has little comfort and hope for the American people who are the richest in the world. If the passage is taken literally, the message would be one of judgment. What is a preacher to say to people who will leave after service in their $10,000 cars for their $100,000 homes - condemnation? The Lesson seems to imply that the "haves" are cursed and the "have-nots" are blessed.
c. Another problem in preaching on today's Gospel as well as in the next two Sundays is, "Where is the gospel in the Gospels?" The passages deal with ethical living. We are called to preach the Gospel, not a good way of life. Ethics are a by-product of the Gospel. To preach the Gospel on these Sundays one may need to turn to the other Lessons for a text.
Needed:
A Revolution in Values. 6:17-26
Need: There is an urgent need today to change our values. Our values are materialistic: We pay millions of dollars to TV anchor persons, entertainers, and to athletes, but we pay only thousands to service professions: teachers, nurses, pastors. We put our money where our values are. Our materialistic values have caused the industrial nations to waste natural resources and to over-indulge in physical comforts. One-third of the world is affected by poverty, illiteracy, hunger, and over-population. A panel of economists, scientists, and philosophers declared after a two-year study how a nation could change from a consumer to a conserver society: "A country may not be ready for the most radical forms of conservation because they demand changes in human values." In this passage, Jesus says the affluent today will suffer deprivation tomorrow, and the afflicted today will be rewarded tomorrow with affluence and well-being.
Outline: Our society needs a radical turn-over in values -
a. From physical to Spiritual wealth - vv. 20, 24
b. From hunger of physical to spiritual food - vv. 21a, 25a
c. From weeping for human to godly sorrow - vv. 21b, 25b
d. From human popularity to persecution for Jesus' sake - vv. 22, 26
3. The Need to be Needy. 6:20-22 "How blest are you who are in need" (v. 20-NEB)
Need: The rich and poor, the hungry and satisfied, the sorrowful and happy, the approved and persecuted are all in need. Unless we feel in need, we cannot be helped or blessed. There must be a vacuum before it can be filled. Those who hunger and thirst shall be filled. Note the text: "How blest are you who are in need."
Outline: What do we all need?
a. Need for God - v. 20
b. Need for personal fulfillment - v. 21b
c. Need for happiness - v. 21b
d. Need for favor with fellowmen - v. 22
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 17:5-10
1. A Tree of Trust. 17:8
For life to be worthwhile we need to trust in God. What does that mean? The meaning is in the analogy of a tree. See Psalm 1. A person who trusts God is like a tree by a river rather than a shrub in a desert. Note the significance of the "shrub" because the dryness of the desert will not allow it to grow into a tree. The tree is by a river where it gets water.
Outline: A person trusting in God is like a tree -
a. Planted - "like a tree planted by water" - v. 8a
b. Provided for - "sends out its roots by the stream" - v. 8b
c. Productive - "It does not cease to bear fruit - v. 8c
2. A Tale of Two Trees. 17:5-10
Need: People are either blessed or cursed. There does not seem to be any middle ground. The key to which it shall be is trust in God or in people. Our text gives us the contrast.
Outline: A person can be like one of two trees -
a. A shrub - vv. 5-6
b. A tree - vv. 7-8
3. How's Your Heart? 17:5-10
Need: One of the leading causes of death is heart disease. To extend life some have tried transplanted or artificial hearts. In a spiritual sense, the heart of humanity is diseased: "deceitful" and "corrupt." In a human there is no health. There is a sickness unto death. This Biblical teaching is not accepted by many today, for they believe humans are naturally good and are born free from sin. It is the basic corrupt heart that causes corrupt lives and social corruption. To change society for the better, we need to have new hearts which trust in God.
Outline: How is your heart?
a. Heart trouble - "deceitful and corrupt" - v. 9
b. Healthy heart - "trusts in the Lord" - v. 7
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
1. You Too Can have a Resurrection! 15:16-20
Need: We all need to be assured that a Christian lives after death. Like Jesus, we will experience resurrection from the dead. How do we know? Paul says our resurrection is based on Jesus' resurrection. To say Christ has risen and not to believe the dead in Christ will also rise is a contradiction. If Christ has not risen, the dead will not. But the truth is that Christ has risen; it is a fact (v. 20).
Outline: What Christ's resurrection means to us -
a. The resurrection seals our forgiveness - v. 17
b. The resurrection assures us of eternal life - vv. 18-19
2. No Resurrection, No Nothing! 15:12-20
Need: Paul assures us of the factuality and the indispensability of the Resurrection in the Christian life and faith. It is the keystone in the arch of the Christian religion. Remove it and the arch falls. Yet, it is not possible to remove the keystone, for the resurrection is not a myth, a story, a theory, but an historical fact.
Outline: Take away the resurrection and you have -
a. No Easter experience - v. 16
b. No faith in Christ - v. 17
c. No forgiveness - v. 17
d. No eternal life - v. 18
EPIPHANY 7
Proper 2
Common
EPIPHANY 7
Lutheran
ORDINARY TIME 7
Roman Catholic
The Lessons
Genesis 45:3-11, 11, 15 (C)
Genesis 45:3-8a (L)
Joseph discloses his identity to his brothers.
How does a person who has reached the zenith of success in terms of prestige, power, and authority deal with those who put him down to nothing but a slave and a prisoner falsely accused? In the story of Joseph, we have the dramatic moment when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers who sold him into slavery. One could expect retaliation and revenge, but Joseph returns good for evil, loves his enemies, and does good to them by bringing his father and family to Egypt to save them from the famine.
1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 (RC)
This episode from the David cycle of stories illustrates the opportunity and temptation to take revenge against those who "have it coming."
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 (C)
1 Corinthians 15:35-38a, 42-50 (L)
1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (RC)
Paul describes the resurrection body.
Last Sunday we learned that since Christ was raised, so the dead in Christ will be raised. If so, what kind of a body will the resurrected body be, or will there be a body at all? There will definitely be a body, a body related to the earthly body as a seed to a plant. It comes out of the seed, but is not identical to the seed. Out of the physical comes the spiritual as Adam was of the earth and the second Adam was of heaven. The resurrected body will be spiritual, imperishable, and glorified. A soul (spirit) cannot exist without a body, and therefore at the resurrection we are given a fit body for a spiritual realm. A flesh and blood body cannot exist in God's spiritual Kingdom.
Luke 6:27-38
Jesus continues to describe the moral life of disciples.
The Sermon on the Plain continues with a further description of the ethical life of disciples. He explains what kind of people God expects us to be. When we suffer abuse, we are not to retaliate - vv. 27-31. Christians are to do more and be better people than non-Christians - vv. 32-36. Furthermore, Good and people respond in kind to our goodness with similar kindness - vv. 37-38.
Prayer of the Day
"Lord God, we ask you to keep your family, the church, always faithful to you, that all who lean on the hope of your promises may gain strength from the power of your love."
Hymn of the Day
"O God, O Lord of Heaven and Earth"
Theme of the Day: God Reveals All
Gospel - God reveals how his children are to live.
Lesson 1 - God reveals his use of adversity for our good.
Lesson 2 - God reveals the nature of the resurrected body.
In Jesus' teachings, God reveals the standards for the Christian life - Gospel. In the case of Joseph, God uses our enemies' worst to bring a blessing to others. There is a redemptive element in every adversity - Lesson 1 . In Lesson 2 Paul explains the nature of the resurrected body. The prayer answers the question, "how are we to fulfill the moral teachings in the Gospel lesson?"
Theological Reflections
Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
1. Enemies (vv. 27,35). For the Jews in Jesus' day, their enemies were non-Jews. According to this, all non-Christians are enemies of Christians. In these verses Jesus is teaching a revolutionary ethic. An enemy is to be feared, hated, and, if possible, to be exterminated. In contrast, Jesus teaches us that we are not to return the hatred the enemy has for us, not to retaliate by seeking revenge. If we followed this course of action, there would be no end to the conflict, hatred, and violence. Jesus says that the hostility must end with the Christian, by loving, blessing, giving, and praying for the enemies. It is an ethic of non-retaliation.
2.Credit (vv. 32-34). When we pay more than the amount owed, we are given credit for the balance. Jesus teaches that we should love more, give more, and be more than non-Christians. If we do not, "What credit is that to you?" Who said that the Christian life is easy? To follow Jesus' teaching, we would love the unlovable and do good to those who cannot do good to us. One gets credit only for going the second mile.
3. Give (v. 38). The problem is, how do we get to the point of not retaliating and doing more good than is expected? In verses 36-38, we find a twofold answer. On the one hand, we are to reflect and imitate God who is loving and merciful even to "the ungrateful and the selfish." (v. 35) On the other hand, we will receive what we give. The power to be and to do what we ought comes from the example of God. Then as we judge not, condemn not, forgive, and give, we will receive in kind. Do to others, therefore, what God wants and you reap the same blessings.
Lesson 1: Genesis 45:3-11, 15
1. Near (v. 4). After revealing himself to his brothers, Joseph invites them to come near to him. When they heard that he was Joseph, they drew back in fear and guilt. The brothers were far apart when they sold him into slavery, and their sin, as sin always does, drove a wedge between them. Joseph invites them to come near to him, for he wishes reconciliation.
2. Angry (v. 5). Joseph tells his brothers not to be angry with themselves for committing the crime against him. He had a divine perspective of what happened. God was working through the adversity to bring redemption to his people. He was a man with a destiny. God sent him as a slave to Egypt to preserve his people. God had a purpose for his life. We see here the overruling providence of God. If God meant their evil for good, why should they be distressed and angry with themselves? But that does not excuse their sin, or does it?
3. Talked (v. 15). The brothers drew near and Joseph explained how God worked in their wickedness to bring a blessing to God's people. Then they hugged and kissed. It was a touching scene. Tears were flowing. When the situation settled, they "talked with him." When we are estranged, we are not on speaking terms. When we are in harmony, we have no trouble communicating with one another.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
1. Kind (v. 35). "What kind of a body shall we have?" is a common question. The inference is that after death we will have a body as we have before death. We are essentially spirits or souls, but a spirit needs a body to contain the spirit and by which the spirit can communicate and be known. Upon death we do not as souls lose our identity as we become one with the Oversoul.
2. Sown (vv. 42-44). "Sown" is a word Paul uses frequently to refer to physical death. At the same time it indicates the relation between the body before death and the body after death. The body at death is buried as a seed is planted. Out of the seed comes a plant which is integrally related to the seed but yet is different. Our physical bodies will disappear as they are lost and integrated into a "plant" that is vastly superior.
3. Cannot (v. 50). This is a very definite and final word which should put to rest any concern we have about our physical bodies. Paul claims that "flesh and blood" cannot inherit the Kingdom, because the Kingdom is not physical nor temporal as the body is. God is a spirit and his Kingdom is a spiritual realm of love, truth, and righteousness. It is spiritual in essence and thereby the physical cannot exist. Thus, we need not think of heaven as a physical place but as a condition of love, joy, and peace.
Preaching Possibilities
Two Lessons
Genesis 45:3-11, 15; Luke 6:27-38
An Old Testament Christian!
Need: In this Gospel lesson we have some of Jesus' ethical teachings and in the first Lesson we have Joseph who practiced them! Is this a case of the cart before the horse? The two Lessons are ideally matched for they help us to see the truth as well as hear it. The sermon takes four of Jesus' teachings and shows how they are put into practice by Joseph.
Outline: A person who practiced Jesus' teachings -
a. "Love your enemies" - Luke 6:27, Genesis 45:5
b. "Judge not" - Luke 6:37; Genesis 45:8
c. "Be merciful" - Luke G:36; Genesis 45:15
d. "Give" - Luke 6:38; Genesis 45: 9-11
Three Lessons
Genesis 45:3-11, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38
God Will Tell You!
Need: To whom shall we go when we need the truth? It depends on what we want to know. Don't ask an auto mechanic how to carve a statue! When it comes to moral and spiritual matters, the only one to go to is God. In these three Lessons, God reveals several important truths which we need for a full life.
Outline: God will tell you -
a. How he uses our adversity to bless us - Lesson 1
b. How we are to live - Gospel
c. The nature of our resurrected bodies - Lesson 2
Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
1. Can This Be Love?
Need: It is easy to talk about love, to sing about it, to make love. How much of this is true love? The key passage is Jesus' command, "Love your enemies." (v. 27) Then he explains what love implies and requires. As church members we claim that we love. We can test the reality and quality of that love by asking certain questions posed by the text.
Outline: Can This Be Love?
a. Love that retaliates? - vv. 27-3 1
b. Love that seeks rewards? - vv. 32-36
c. Love that judges and condemns? - vv. 37-38
2. Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things. 6:23-34
Need: For the most part Christians are ordinary people. As Paul said, not many of us are wise nor wealthy. We are plain, simple people with faith and love for God in Christ. But, Christ calls us ordinary people to do extraordinary things. He expects more of us than non-believers. What are we doing more than non-Christians?
Outline: Look at the Extraordinary Things Christians Do
a. Love those who do not love them - v.32
b. Help those who will not help them - v. 33
c. Lend money to those who do not repay - v. 34
3. Like God, Like People. 6:36-38
Need: There is a common saying, "Like father, like son" or "Like priest, like people?" The question is often raised, "Why be good?" or "What is the good life?" Modern people have all kinds of ideas about acceptable morality. What is good is what "everybody does," or what consenting parties agree to, or good is what makes you feel good or good is what you can get away with without getting caught. Are there any absolute moral standards for the Christian? This text points to the source and standard of ethical conduct: "even as your Father is merciful." Because God is loving, good, and merciful, his people are to reflect the nature of God.
Outline: Be Like God
a. Be merciful as God is merciful - v. 36
b. Forgive as God forgives - v. 37
c. Give as God gives - v. 38
4. A Ruler for the Golden Rule. 6:31
Need: The Golden Rule is at the same time a ruler. It is not a ruler in the sense of a governmental official but a ruler by which we measure. The Golden Rule may be used to measure our expression of Christian love to others. It is a good rule to follow, but it is only meaningful when we use it to test our relationship with others. The strength or weakness in the rule is "As you wish that men would do to you."
Outline: Use the Golden Rule as a Ruler
a. Negative use: What do you not want people to do for you?
b. Positive use: What do you want people to do to you?
Lesson 1: Genesis 45:3-11, 15
1. When A Brave Man Cries. 45:3, 5, 15
Need: It is a custom that a man does not cry, because it is said that a man's crying denies his manhood. This view evidently prevailed in Joseph's time, for he asked all but his brothers to leave the room. Then he cried aloud to the extent that the Egyptians heard him. Today we no longer feel that it is unnatural or unmanly for a man to cry. Many feel that crying is therapeutic. At certain times even Jesus cried.
Outline: There is a Time for Crying
a. Tears of concern - v. 3
b. Tears of forgiveness - v. 5
c. Tears of love - v. 15
2. God Made Me Do It! 45:4-7
Need: Most people say, "The Devil made me do it!" Could not Christians say with Joseph, "God made me do it!" Joseph was a God-conscious and God-oriented man to the point that he saw God working in his life. If we do not say the Devil made us do it, do we explain our experiences as "luck" or "coincidence?" Jcseph teaches us that God is alive and is guiding, working, and directing the events of people, whether individuals or nations.
Outline: Can you See God in Your Life?
a. God used sin - v. 4
b. God used the consequences of sin - v. 5a
c. God used adversity for good - v. Sb
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 (RC)
It's In Your Hands
Need: Psychologists report that revenge is the most destructive of all human emotions. We need desperately to get this impulse under control, and to see how and why Jesus, in the "Sermon on the Plain" (see today's gospel) stressed the opposite: forgive your enemies.
Outline:
1. We can do our worst
a. All of us are double-minded: good and evil tug for control inside.
b. Our best instincts don't always rule when opportunity arises.
c. David had reason to hate Saul, who had persecuted him; he had a chance to kill him quickly and cleanly.
d. Sooner or later someone else's fate will be "in our hands."
2. We can do our best
a. David didn't have to spare Saul. Guilt may have compelled him to avoid regicide (king-killing). But so did decency.
b. Neither must we do "the right." Yet, our best impulses cry out to us.
c. Revenge brings all to ashes; forgiveness heaps coals on the other.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
1. You May Not Like Heaven! 15:50
Need: Suppose you get to heaven and you don't like it because it is nothing like life on earth. In that case, your heaven would be hell. In this text Paul makes it clear that heaven is not a physical place and earthly conditions and pleasures do not exist there.
Outline: Because Flesh and Blood Do Not Inherit the Kingdom.
a. Heaven is not material - no place for earthly wealth. Even if you could take it with you, there would be no use for it.
b. Heaven is no place for sex. Jesus said that there was no marriage in heaven.
c. Heaven has no physical pleasure: eating, drinking, etc.
2. A New Body for an Old Soul. 15:35-38, 42-50
Need: Christian people are confused on the matter of the body after death. Is the body to be preserved at the high cost of burial? Will the body be resurrected at the Parousia? If there is no body, can we exist as spirits? If there is a body, what is it like? These questions troubled the Corinthian church: "How are the dead raised? With what body do they come?" In the text Paul helps us to understand the resurrected body.
Outline: What Paul Tells Us in the Text.
a. We will have a body after death - v. 38
1. A body for identification - related to the physical body - v. 37. We will recognize each other.
2. A body for communication purposes - We will talk to each other.
b. The kind of body God will give us - vv. 42-44
1. A spiritual body for a spiritual estate - v. 44
2. A body that will not grow old - v. 42
3. A glorious body - v. 43a
4. A strong body - v. 43b
EPIPHANY 8
Proper 3
Common
EPIPHANY 8
Lutheran
ORDINARY TIME 8
Roman Catholic
The Lessons
Isaiah 55:10-13 (C, L)
God's Word will effect its promise of bringing back the Exiles to Jerusalem.
Deutero-Isaiah brings his book to a close with chapter 55. It is an appeal for God's people to come to Yahweh, to seek him and find forgiveness. Yahweh promises that his Word will not be void nor fruitless but will accomplish his purpose which is to bring his people out of bondage in Babylon and restore them with great joy to their homeland.
Jeremiah 7:1-7 (8-15)
The futility of clinging to ritual as a replacement for right living. The prophet warns the remnant in the Southern Kingdom, in the days before the collapse and exile, that they are deluding themselves, supposing that following traditional forms and liturgies will cover for the unacceptable behavior they excuse in their daily lives.
Sirach 27:4-7
The God-given gift of reason is humanity's means of testing self. The writer calls us to be honest with ourselves, let our intelligence function as the Almighty intended it to: as a measure, evaluator, and tester of our motives and behavior.
1 Corinthians 15:51-58 (C, L)
1 Corinthians 15:54-58 (RC)
The final victory over death is through Christ.
The setting is the end of time. Christ returns. What happens to the dead and living in Christ? No mention is made of the fate of non-believers. When the last trumpet sounds, the dead are raised and the living are changed from mortality to immortality, from the perishable to the imperishable. Again, no mention is made of a millenial reign nor of a paradise on earth. Christ's return is a victory over humanity's last and greatest enemy, death. God gains the victory through Christ. Until that happens, the living are to give thanks and to continue serving the Lord.
Luke 6:39-49 (C, L)
Luke 6:39-45 (RC)
Obedience to Jesus' teachings brings stability and security.
With this pericope we bring to a close the series from the Sermon on the Plain. The passage contains three parts. The first (vv. 39-42a) points to the blindness to our own faults while seeing them in other people. Part 2 (vv. 43-45) describes the heart as the source of our actions, good or bad. The conclusion is in the form of a parable dealing with a house built on rock or sand. To obey Jesus' teachings is to build the house on a firm foundation which can withstand the storms of life. Jesus closes the sermon with a challenge to be doers as well as hearers of the Word.
Prayer of the Day
"Almighty and everlasting God, ruler of heaven and earth: Hear our prayer and give us your peace now and forever."
Hymn of the Day
"O God of Mercy, God of Might"
Theme of the Day: The Living Word of God
Gospel - Obedience to the Word brings stability to life.
Lesson 1 - The promises of God's Word are fulfilled.
Lesson 2 - The Incarnate Word conquers death.
The Lessons revolve around the Word. As Jesus finishes his sermon, he teaches that obedience to the taught Word brings security (Gospel). God's Word has the power to do what is promised and thus the Exiles will be brought home with the joy of victory. (Lesson 1) At the end of the world, Christ will come: the living and dead will be changed from mortality to immortality. This will be accomplished through Christ, the Incarnate Word. As the prayer says, God, the ruler of both heaven and earth, has the power in and through his Word. The hymn praises this ruling, conquering God: "God of Mercy, God of Might."
Theological Reflections
Gospel: Luke 6:39-45
1. Speck (v. 41). A "speck" is about the smallest item imaginable. For anything to get tu an eye would have to be next to microscopic. For older people a speck could not be seen without a magnifying glass. The speck represents the fault we so easily see in other people's lives. In contrast, we do not see the "log" in our own eyes. Of course, Jesus is exaggerating in order to make a point, but he contrasts our criticism of other people's faults while at the same time we are unaware we are far worse offenders.
2. Heart (v. 45). The heart of a person is compared to a tree. The condition of the heart determines the nature of the tree. And the kind of fruit depends upon the kind of tree: A peach tree does not produce apples. A bad heart produces evil fruit. Our basic human problem is the heart. Get the heart right with God and good works are inevitable.
3. Does (v. 47). Here is the foolishness of teaching and preaching. When a speaker is finished, so what? Is anybody going to do anything about it? If not, the speaker wastes his/her breath and the listeners their time. A person who listens and obeys the words of Jesus is likened to a house built on a foundation which during a storm holds the house secure. It is another way of saying, "Be doers of the Word and not hearers only."
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:10-13
1. Power (v. 11). The Word of God has within it an inherent, latent power. Jesus compared the Word to seed. A seed has within it the power of life, to break out of its shell and to grow into a plant. The Word, like a seed, has power to accomplish the purpose for which it was created and sent. It is a lively Word, a living Word. Herein is the secret of powerful preaching. Whenever the Word is proclaimed, the Word, finding fertile soil, will produce remarkable results by transforming lives and creating faith. The secret of great preaching is not in the preacher, not in his/her personality, wisdom or techniques. For this reason, Biblical preaching is the most effective kind of preaching.
2. Victory (v. 11). God's Word has a built-in victory. This is because God is in his Word. The Word is also the bearer of the Holy Spirit who is power. Nothing can stop God's Word from accomplishing its purpose, because God is omnipotent. For this reason tyrants and dictators fear the Bible and ban its publication. Let the word be read or proclaimed and evil is in danger of destruction. This fact produces hope, confidence, and assurance to God's people. Truth will out! Love will win! Life is stronger than death!
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
1. Mystery (v. 51). Paul is going to reveal a "mystery." The life or world after death is always a mystery, because who has been there to know what it is like? What is heaven like? Who is there? What will happen when the end of the world comes? Even Jesus did not answer these questions; he only assured us that he was going to prepare a place for us after we die. Where does Paul get his knowledge of the life after death? We can assume that he was speaking by the Holy Spirit. Now it is no mystery: At Christ's return the living and dead will be changed and death will be no more. That is all we really need to know.
2. Sting (v. 56). A "sting" is the cause of death. Paul says that sin is the cause of death. Sin often leads to physical death, but Paul here is speaking of spiritual death. Death is separation from God. Sin causes separation, estrangement, divorce, and hostility between God and his creatures. Because Christ removed sin by becoming sin for us, death no longer has a sting for believers.
3. Therefore (v. 58). We are living in a between-times era: between Christ's departure and return to earth. Now we know of our ultimate destiny of eternal life with Christ and we wait for his return. What are we Christians to do in the meantime? Because of what we know, "therefore" we can "abound in the work of the Lord."
Preaching Possibilities
Three Lessons
Isaiah 55:10-13; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; Luke 6:39-49
Go To God for Good!
Need: What makes you tick? What is the source of your well-being? What makes you what you are? These Lessons point us to the source of our well-being. If we are interested in a better life, in receiving better things of life, this sermon will help us.
Outline: Go to God for Good -
a. Go to God for good living - Gospel
b. Go to the Word for productivity - Lesson 1
c. Go to Christ for victory over death - Lesson 2
Gospel: Luke 6:39-45
1. Can We Change People?
Need: Many think they can change people into better persons. Before marriage a girl may think she will change the bad habits of her husband-to-be. A spouse thinks he or she can stop a partner from drinking alcohol or from smoking or taking drugs. Some think a change in neighborhood or job will change a person for the good. This sermon examines this problem and concludes that only Christ can change the heart, the source of behavior.
Outline: Can We Change People?
a. Who are we to change people? - v. 39 Can the blind lead the blind?
b. Who are we to criticize? - vv. 41-42 Can we criticize when we are worse offenders?
c. Can we change hearts? - v. 45 Only Christ can change a heart
Why People Behave as They Do. 6:43-45
Need: It is always a problem to understand the behavior of people. As Christians we need to be concerned about improving the behavior of those who indulge in sin, crime, and anti-social behavior. Why do people indulge in wicked behavior and how can they turn to a godly way of life? Before we can help people to a better way of life, we need to understand what makes them act the way they do.
Outline: Why People Behave as They Do
a. The influence of heredity and heritage.
b. The impact of environment and companionships.
c. The condition of the heart - vv. 43-45
3. Laugh at Yourself! 6:39-42
Need: In this text Jesus uses humor to get his point across. He asks us to laugh at ourselves for feeling and doing towards others. Though Jesus was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," he often used humor. When we see ourselves as we really are, we can laugh at ourselves for being so ridiculous? In this passage Jesus uses two humorous analogies. Humor is an excellent device to get across the truth about ourselves.
Outline: Laugh at yourself.
a. When you see yourself as blind leading the blind - v. 39 How can you lead others when you are in the same condition? Who are you to preach and give advice?
b. When you see a log in your eye. - vv. 41-42 You criticize others for having a speck in their eye when you have a log in your own. How funny and how tragic! You criticize another for his fault when your fault is far greater.
4. How is Your Heart? 6:45
Need: Heart disease is a top killer of American people. Heart attacks take over 700,000 people each year. As bad as that is, it is even worse when we consider spiritual heart disease. All of the crime, evil, wickedness, brutality, and injustices that occur come from a heart that is not right with God. In this text Jesus goes to the fountain of all human behavior. Good and evil acts come from the condition of the heart.
Outline: To have a Good Heart
a. Know the love of God
b. Repent - renounce evil desires
c. Accept the Holy Spirit - be filled with God's Spirit
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:10-13
1. Let the Word Do It! 55:10-11
Need: The Word has the power of God, What on the surface is as weak as a spoken or written word? The Word is God. When God speaks, his Word is deed. When God said, "Let there be light," there was light. God and the Word are one. God has authority and power to effect the Word. Luther once said, "Let the Word do it." The Word can change lives and social conditions that need changing. By his own efforts, man cannot produce a good or great society. All we can do is to proclaim the Word and let God work on humanity through the proclaimed Word.
Outline: Let the Word Do It.
a. Convict you of sin
b. Call you to Christ
c. Change your life and society
2. God Seeks Your Best. 55:10-13
Need: When some of us think of God, we think of judgment commandments impossible to obey, and sacrifice. We ought to think of God as one who has our welfare in mind, as one who wants to bless us, to help us find the fullness of life. As God sends the rain to bless the world, he sends out his Word to bring good to his people.
Outline: What God's Word Does for Us.
a. Joy - v. 12a The joy of salvation
b. Peace - v. l2b The peace of God that passes understanding
c. Goodness - v. 13 Not thorns or briers but cypress and myrtle
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 7:1-7 (8-15)
What Do You Mean by What You Do?
Need: It is one thing to talk without doing. It is another to "do" without sincerely meaning what we say or pretend we mean. Actions can become empty lies. We need to keep a healthy marriage between head and heart, between action and intent.
1. We are God's Advertisement
a. Worship is our proper response to God
b. Worship says a lot about who we are
c. Worship can become false advertising
2. What we need is "Truth in Packaging"
a. What we do in life needs to match what we say
b. Worship can be pure while daily behavior is polluted
c. God calls us to live the way we worship
Lesson 1: Sirach 27:4-7
Listen to Your Head
Need: We are caught in this generation in a wave of anti-intellectualism in the religious community. "I feel" legitimizes behavior. Such "new pietiesm" (the Church experienced such a movement several hundred years ago) can become an insufferable tyranny, dividing head from heart and leading to emotional excess.
1. Intelligence is God's good gift
a. It rescues us from emotional excess
b. It keeps us honest
c. It serves as a check on behavior
2. God is above our intellect
a. We need to keep our reason in perspective: God is wiser than we are
b. God speaks through our reason, even when we don't want to hear it
c. We need to see our reason as God's instrument, not something that competes with the Almighty's wisdom
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
1. Big Change Ahead! 15:51-54
Need: Twice Paul writes, "We shall all be changed." It is not "will" nor "may" change. "Shall" indicates that this change is a certainty. The change will come when Christ returns. Big things are ahead. Better times are coming. We can face death and Christ's return with courage and joy. No one can enter the Kingdom of heaven unless he is changed. What is this change? Do we want to change?
Outline: The Changes to Come.
a. A change of bodies: material to spiritual - vv. 51-54
b. A change of condition: death to life - v. 54
c. A change of place: earth to heaven - v. 52
2. The Death of Death. 15:55-56
Need: Since everyone is going to die, this sermon is needed by all. Who does not fear death? It is a fear of the unknown, a fear of judgment, a fear of meeting God. Is it possible to overcome this fear? Paul in this text gives us the way to overcoming the fear of death. If we could be sure that death is dead, all fear would be useless. For Paul there is no fear: "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?"
Outline: For the Christian Death is Dead.
a. The cause of death is sin - v. 56 Death is separation from God. Sin separates from God. "The wages of sin is death."
b. The strength of sin is the law - v. 56 The law demands perfection. To violate the law is sin.
c. Christ is stronger than death - v. 57 Christ overcomes death by the cross which reconciles us to God, removes the separation. Christ also fulfilled the Law for us and thus the Law no longer makes us sin.
Jeremiah 17:5-10 (C)
Jeremiah 17:5-8 (L, RC)
The heart of a human determines good or bad conduct.
Biblical scholars are not agreed whether this pericope is by Jeremiah because the material is wisdom rather than prophetic literature. Corresponding to the Gospel lesson, the passage gives the woes (curses) and beatitudes (blessed) of those who do or do not trust Yahweh. It is a contrast of the shrub in the desert and the tree by the riverside. Verses 8-10 consist of a proverb with theological interpretation. They provide a basis for self-understanding dealing with the nature of the human heart.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (C)
1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 (L, RC)
This is the second of four pericopes from 1 Corinthians. Last Sunday the Lesson ended with verse 11, and today we continue with verse 12. Paul in this passage writes that if Christ were raised from the dead, those who died in Christ will also rise. The resurrection of believers does not rely upon a theological or theoretical claim. Rather it is based on Jesus' resurrection. What happened to Jesus will also happen to believers. On the other hand, if Christ were not raised, our faith in Christ would be in vain, we would still be in our sins, and the dead in Christ perished. But the truth is that in fact Jesus was raised from the dead.
Luke 6:17-26 (C, L)
Luke 6:17, 20-26
In the sermon on the plain Jesus gives the beatitudes and woes.
The Gospel Lesson for today and the next two Sundays will be taken from Jesus' sermon on the plain. The setting for the sermon is given in verses 17-19. The sermon opens with four blessings and a corresponding number of woes. The parallel lists give one an opportunity to choose. The sermon was addressed not to the people but to the Disciples. The ethical teachings were for Disciples and not for the world. Disciples would be able to fulfill the ethical expectations by virtue of receiving grace.
Prayer of the Day
"Lord God, mercifully receive the prayers of your people. Help us to see and understand the things we ought to do and give us grace and power to do them."
Hymn of the Day
"O Jesus Christ, may Grateful Hymns be Rising"
Theme of the Day: Take Your Choice
Gospel - A choice between blessings and woes.
Lesson 1 - A choice to trust or not to trust God.
Lesson 2 - A choice to believe or not to believe the Resurrection.
Today we are given a choice: to receive blessings or woes (Gospel), to trust or not to put our trust in God (Lesson 1), and to accept or reject the fact of Jesus' resurrection. In the light of having to make so serious a choice we pray in the Prayer of the Day: "Help us to see and understand the things we ought to do." The Psalm (Psalm 1) and Lesson 1 are almost duplicates.
Theological Reflections
Gospel:
Luke 6:17-26
1. Crowd (vv. 1 7, 19). Sometimes we forget that Jesus was a very popular person in his day. He had a "crowd" of disciples, but we usually think of only twelve. The masses came to see and hear Jesus - "all the crowd sought to touch him." Why wouldn't he be popular? No other person taught with so much authority. No other person could heal as he did. Just a touch of his garment brought healing. In other words, Jesus had numbers, and today we should not be content unless our churches are crowded to hear Jesus proclaimed and to be healed by Jesus.
2. Blessed (vv. 20-22). The "blessed's" are known as Beatitudes. To be blessed is to be happy in terms of joy, peace, and contentment. A blessed person is one who has received God's favor.
3. Woe (vv. 24-26). As there were four "blessed's," there are the same number of "woes." For every blessing there is a corresponding woe. Whether it is one or the other depends upon acceptance or rejection of Christ and his way of life. The opposite of Salvation is judgment. To reject God is to experience the woes of life: misery, suffering, death.
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 17:5-10
1. Trusts (vv. 5, 7) Trust is neutral. Whether it is good or bad depends upon how it is used. To trust in humanity brings a curse; to trust in God results in blessedness. One's god is determined by what or in whom one puts complete trust. To trust in God means one has a God who is trustworthy. To put trust in people is dangerous, for people on the whole are not trustworthy. Whether one is cursed or blessed is decided upon whom or what one trusts.
2. Heart (vv. 9, 10). The heart is the center of one's being. As the heart is, so is the person. Jeremiah does not agree with contemporary emphasis upon the innate goodness of people. Because of this goodness we are told that humans are people of dignity with rights that should not be violated. Jeremiah tells us the condition of the heart: "deceitful" and "corrupt." This explains the crime in our society and the need for the redemption of sinners.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
1. If (v. 12). In this pericope "if" occurs seven times. So much hinges on the two-letter word. "If" Christ is raised, there are important results. "If" Christ was not raised, woe are believers. Thus, we face a decision: Was Christ raised or not raised from the dead? We cannot live on the basis of "If." The "if" must be removed by a fact.
2. Futile (v. 17). According to Paul, if Christ was not raised, our faith would be futile and we would still be in our sins. Faith without content is of no value. We can have faith in non-realities, in false gods, in things that never happened. It points to the importance of the Resurrection in our Christian religion. If Christ was not raised, Jesus would be an imposter and a liar. At best, he would be only a martyr. The resurrection proves that he is God's Son sent to redeem the world by his atoning death. Since we are saved by faith in Christ's sacrifice for sin, a fact confirmed by the Resurrection, the lack of the resurrection would leave us in our sins, for otherwise Jesus was not the Christ.
3. Fact (v. 20). The "ifs" in the passage are removed by "fact." Paul is definite and positive about the reality of the resurrection. He writes, "In fact Christ has been raised ..." There is no "if," "but," or "and." It is a fact that Jesus was raised. Upon this fact depends our salvation and victory over sin and death.The resurrection is the one fact we do not question or doubt simply because it is a fact, not a theory or a man-made story.
Preaching Possibilities
Three Lessons
Jeremiah 17:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26
The Choice is Yours
Need: The hour of worship is often the hour of decision. This is one of those Sundays when the Lessons call for a decision. We are given a choice between two alternatives. The text gives us the choices. Decision time is a dangerous time, because we may make the wrong choice. We plead for the Spirit to guide us to make the right decision.
Outline: The choice is yours -
a. Trust in humans or trust in God? - Lesson 1
b. Blessed or cursed? - Gospel
c. Believe or not believe the Resurrection? - Lesson 2
Gospel:
Luke 6:17-26
1. Problems in preaching on today's gospel.
a. The Gospel lesson says the blessed are the poor, hungry, sad, and persecuted while the rich, well-fed, happy, and popular people are cursed. This is not universally true. It is a fact that some wealthy, well-fed, happy, and well-thought-of people neglect spiritual values. There is a danger that the passage may be used to condemn affluent people. Though the rich young ruler refused discipleship because of his love of wealth, Jesus accepted rich people such as Matthew, Zaccheus, and Joseph of Arimathea. The materially rich can be in the Kingdom. The well-fed can be spiritually satisfied. Happy Christians can laugh at death, and popular Christians can rejoice.
b. The "woes" section has little comfort and hope for the American people who are the richest in the world. If the passage is taken literally, the message would be one of judgment. What is a preacher to say to people who will leave after service in their $10,000 cars for their $100,000 homes - condemnation? The Lesson seems to imply that the "haves" are cursed and the "have-nots" are blessed.
c. Another problem in preaching on today's Gospel as well as in the next two Sundays is, "Where is the gospel in the Gospels?" The passages deal with ethical living. We are called to preach the Gospel, not a good way of life. Ethics are a by-product of the Gospel. To preach the Gospel on these Sundays one may need to turn to the other Lessons for a text.
Needed:
A Revolution in Values. 6:17-26
Need: There is an urgent need today to change our values. Our values are materialistic: We pay millions of dollars to TV anchor persons, entertainers, and to athletes, but we pay only thousands to service professions: teachers, nurses, pastors. We put our money where our values are. Our materialistic values have caused the industrial nations to waste natural resources and to over-indulge in physical comforts. One-third of the world is affected by poverty, illiteracy, hunger, and over-population. A panel of economists, scientists, and philosophers declared after a two-year study how a nation could change from a consumer to a conserver society: "A country may not be ready for the most radical forms of conservation because they demand changes in human values." In this passage, Jesus says the affluent today will suffer deprivation tomorrow, and the afflicted today will be rewarded tomorrow with affluence and well-being.
Outline: Our society needs a radical turn-over in values -
a. From physical to Spiritual wealth - vv. 20, 24
b. From hunger of physical to spiritual food - vv. 21a, 25a
c. From weeping for human to godly sorrow - vv. 21b, 25b
d. From human popularity to persecution for Jesus' sake - vv. 22, 26
3. The Need to be Needy. 6:20-22 "How blest are you who are in need" (v. 20-NEB)
Need: The rich and poor, the hungry and satisfied, the sorrowful and happy, the approved and persecuted are all in need. Unless we feel in need, we cannot be helped or blessed. There must be a vacuum before it can be filled. Those who hunger and thirst shall be filled. Note the text: "How blest are you who are in need."
Outline: What do we all need?
a. Need for God - v. 20
b. Need for personal fulfillment - v. 21b
c. Need for happiness - v. 21b
d. Need for favor with fellowmen - v. 22
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 17:5-10
1. A Tree of Trust. 17:8
For life to be worthwhile we need to trust in God. What does that mean? The meaning is in the analogy of a tree. See Psalm 1. A person who trusts God is like a tree by a river rather than a shrub in a desert. Note the significance of the "shrub" because the dryness of the desert will not allow it to grow into a tree. The tree is by a river where it gets water.
Outline: A person trusting in God is like a tree -
a. Planted - "like a tree planted by water" - v. 8a
b. Provided for - "sends out its roots by the stream" - v. 8b
c. Productive - "It does not cease to bear fruit - v. 8c
2. A Tale of Two Trees. 17:5-10
Need: People are either blessed or cursed. There does not seem to be any middle ground. The key to which it shall be is trust in God or in people. Our text gives us the contrast.
Outline: A person can be like one of two trees -
a. A shrub - vv. 5-6
b. A tree - vv. 7-8
3. How's Your Heart? 17:5-10
Need: One of the leading causes of death is heart disease. To extend life some have tried transplanted or artificial hearts. In a spiritual sense, the heart of humanity is diseased: "deceitful" and "corrupt." In a human there is no health. There is a sickness unto death. This Biblical teaching is not accepted by many today, for they believe humans are naturally good and are born free from sin. It is the basic corrupt heart that causes corrupt lives and social corruption. To change society for the better, we need to have new hearts which trust in God.
Outline: How is your heart?
a. Heart trouble - "deceitful and corrupt" - v. 9
b. Healthy heart - "trusts in the Lord" - v. 7
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
1. You Too Can have a Resurrection! 15:16-20
Need: We all need to be assured that a Christian lives after death. Like Jesus, we will experience resurrection from the dead. How do we know? Paul says our resurrection is based on Jesus' resurrection. To say Christ has risen and not to believe the dead in Christ will also rise is a contradiction. If Christ has not risen, the dead will not. But the truth is that Christ has risen; it is a fact (v. 20).
Outline: What Christ's resurrection means to us -
a. The resurrection seals our forgiveness - v. 17
b. The resurrection assures us of eternal life - vv. 18-19
2. No Resurrection, No Nothing! 15:12-20
Need: Paul assures us of the factuality and the indispensability of the Resurrection in the Christian life and faith. It is the keystone in the arch of the Christian religion. Remove it and the arch falls. Yet, it is not possible to remove the keystone, for the resurrection is not a myth, a story, a theory, but an historical fact.
Outline: Take away the resurrection and you have -
a. No Easter experience - v. 16
b. No faith in Christ - v. 17
c. No forgiveness - v. 17
d. No eternal life - v. 18
EPIPHANY 7
Proper 2
Common
EPIPHANY 7
Lutheran
ORDINARY TIME 7
Roman Catholic
The Lessons
Genesis 45:3-11, 11, 15 (C)
Genesis 45:3-8a (L)
Joseph discloses his identity to his brothers.
How does a person who has reached the zenith of success in terms of prestige, power, and authority deal with those who put him down to nothing but a slave and a prisoner falsely accused? In the story of Joseph, we have the dramatic moment when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers who sold him into slavery. One could expect retaliation and revenge, but Joseph returns good for evil, loves his enemies, and does good to them by bringing his father and family to Egypt to save them from the famine.
1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 (RC)
This episode from the David cycle of stories illustrates the opportunity and temptation to take revenge against those who "have it coming."
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 (C)
1 Corinthians 15:35-38a, 42-50 (L)
1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (RC)
Paul describes the resurrection body.
Last Sunday we learned that since Christ was raised, so the dead in Christ will be raised. If so, what kind of a body will the resurrected body be, or will there be a body at all? There will definitely be a body, a body related to the earthly body as a seed to a plant. It comes out of the seed, but is not identical to the seed. Out of the physical comes the spiritual as Adam was of the earth and the second Adam was of heaven. The resurrected body will be spiritual, imperishable, and glorified. A soul (spirit) cannot exist without a body, and therefore at the resurrection we are given a fit body for a spiritual realm. A flesh and blood body cannot exist in God's spiritual Kingdom.
Luke 6:27-38
Jesus continues to describe the moral life of disciples.
The Sermon on the Plain continues with a further description of the ethical life of disciples. He explains what kind of people God expects us to be. When we suffer abuse, we are not to retaliate - vv. 27-31. Christians are to do more and be better people than non-Christians - vv. 32-36. Furthermore, Good and people respond in kind to our goodness with similar kindness - vv. 37-38.
Prayer of the Day
"Lord God, we ask you to keep your family, the church, always faithful to you, that all who lean on the hope of your promises may gain strength from the power of your love."
Hymn of the Day
"O God, O Lord of Heaven and Earth"
Theme of the Day: God Reveals All
Gospel - God reveals how his children are to live.
Lesson 1 - God reveals his use of adversity for our good.
Lesson 2 - God reveals the nature of the resurrected body.
In Jesus' teachings, God reveals the standards for the Christian life - Gospel. In the case of Joseph, God uses our enemies' worst to bring a blessing to others. There is a redemptive element in every adversity - Lesson 1 . In Lesson 2 Paul explains the nature of the resurrected body. The prayer answers the question, "how are we to fulfill the moral teachings in the Gospel lesson?"
Theological Reflections
Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
1. Enemies (vv. 27,35). For the Jews in Jesus' day, their enemies were non-Jews. According to this, all non-Christians are enemies of Christians. In these verses Jesus is teaching a revolutionary ethic. An enemy is to be feared, hated, and, if possible, to be exterminated. In contrast, Jesus teaches us that we are not to return the hatred the enemy has for us, not to retaliate by seeking revenge. If we followed this course of action, there would be no end to the conflict, hatred, and violence. Jesus says that the hostility must end with the Christian, by loving, blessing, giving, and praying for the enemies. It is an ethic of non-retaliation.
2.Credit (vv. 32-34). When we pay more than the amount owed, we are given credit for the balance. Jesus teaches that we should love more, give more, and be more than non-Christians. If we do not, "What credit is that to you?" Who said that the Christian life is easy? To follow Jesus' teaching, we would love the unlovable and do good to those who cannot do good to us. One gets credit only for going the second mile.
3. Give (v. 38). The problem is, how do we get to the point of not retaliating and doing more good than is expected? In verses 36-38, we find a twofold answer. On the one hand, we are to reflect and imitate God who is loving and merciful even to "the ungrateful and the selfish." (v. 35) On the other hand, we will receive what we give. The power to be and to do what we ought comes from the example of God. Then as we judge not, condemn not, forgive, and give, we will receive in kind. Do to others, therefore, what God wants and you reap the same blessings.
Lesson 1: Genesis 45:3-11, 15
1. Near (v. 4). After revealing himself to his brothers, Joseph invites them to come near to him. When they heard that he was Joseph, they drew back in fear and guilt. The brothers were far apart when they sold him into slavery, and their sin, as sin always does, drove a wedge between them. Joseph invites them to come near to him, for he wishes reconciliation.
2. Angry (v. 5). Joseph tells his brothers not to be angry with themselves for committing the crime against him. He had a divine perspective of what happened. God was working through the adversity to bring redemption to his people. He was a man with a destiny. God sent him as a slave to Egypt to preserve his people. God had a purpose for his life. We see here the overruling providence of God. If God meant their evil for good, why should they be distressed and angry with themselves? But that does not excuse their sin, or does it?
3. Talked (v. 15). The brothers drew near and Joseph explained how God worked in their wickedness to bring a blessing to God's people. Then they hugged and kissed. It was a touching scene. Tears were flowing. When the situation settled, they "talked with him." When we are estranged, we are not on speaking terms. When we are in harmony, we have no trouble communicating with one another.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
1. Kind (v. 35). "What kind of a body shall we have?" is a common question. The inference is that after death we will have a body as we have before death. We are essentially spirits or souls, but a spirit needs a body to contain the spirit and by which the spirit can communicate and be known. Upon death we do not as souls lose our identity as we become one with the Oversoul.
2. Sown (vv. 42-44). "Sown" is a word Paul uses frequently to refer to physical death. At the same time it indicates the relation between the body before death and the body after death. The body at death is buried as a seed is planted. Out of the seed comes a plant which is integrally related to the seed but yet is different. Our physical bodies will disappear as they are lost and integrated into a "plant" that is vastly superior.
3. Cannot (v. 50). This is a very definite and final word which should put to rest any concern we have about our physical bodies. Paul claims that "flesh and blood" cannot inherit the Kingdom, because the Kingdom is not physical nor temporal as the body is. God is a spirit and his Kingdom is a spiritual realm of love, truth, and righteousness. It is spiritual in essence and thereby the physical cannot exist. Thus, we need not think of heaven as a physical place but as a condition of love, joy, and peace.
Preaching Possibilities
Two Lessons
Genesis 45:3-11, 15; Luke 6:27-38
An Old Testament Christian!
Need: In this Gospel lesson we have some of Jesus' ethical teachings and in the first Lesson we have Joseph who practiced them! Is this a case of the cart before the horse? The two Lessons are ideally matched for they help us to see the truth as well as hear it. The sermon takes four of Jesus' teachings and shows how they are put into practice by Joseph.
Outline: A person who practiced Jesus' teachings -
a. "Love your enemies" - Luke 6:27, Genesis 45:5
b. "Judge not" - Luke 6:37; Genesis 45:8
c. "Be merciful" - Luke G:36; Genesis 45:15
d. "Give" - Luke 6:38; Genesis 45: 9-11
Three Lessons
Genesis 45:3-11, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38
God Will Tell You!
Need: To whom shall we go when we need the truth? It depends on what we want to know. Don't ask an auto mechanic how to carve a statue! When it comes to moral and spiritual matters, the only one to go to is God. In these three Lessons, God reveals several important truths which we need for a full life.
Outline: God will tell you -
a. How he uses our adversity to bless us - Lesson 1
b. How we are to live - Gospel
c. The nature of our resurrected bodies - Lesson 2
Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
1. Can This Be Love?
Need: It is easy to talk about love, to sing about it, to make love. How much of this is true love? The key passage is Jesus' command, "Love your enemies." (v. 27) Then he explains what love implies and requires. As church members we claim that we love. We can test the reality and quality of that love by asking certain questions posed by the text.
Outline: Can This Be Love?
a. Love that retaliates? - vv. 27-3 1
b. Love that seeks rewards? - vv. 32-36
c. Love that judges and condemns? - vv. 37-38
2. Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things. 6:23-34
Need: For the most part Christians are ordinary people. As Paul said, not many of us are wise nor wealthy. We are plain, simple people with faith and love for God in Christ. But, Christ calls us ordinary people to do extraordinary things. He expects more of us than non-believers. What are we doing more than non-Christians?
Outline: Look at the Extraordinary Things Christians Do
a. Love those who do not love them - v.32
b. Help those who will not help them - v. 33
c. Lend money to those who do not repay - v. 34
3. Like God, Like People. 6:36-38
Need: There is a common saying, "Like father, like son" or "Like priest, like people?" The question is often raised, "Why be good?" or "What is the good life?" Modern people have all kinds of ideas about acceptable morality. What is good is what "everybody does," or what consenting parties agree to, or good is what makes you feel good or good is what you can get away with without getting caught. Are there any absolute moral standards for the Christian? This text points to the source and standard of ethical conduct: "even as your Father is merciful." Because God is loving, good, and merciful, his people are to reflect the nature of God.
Outline: Be Like God
a. Be merciful as God is merciful - v. 36
b. Forgive as God forgives - v. 37
c. Give as God gives - v. 38
4. A Ruler for the Golden Rule. 6:31
Need: The Golden Rule is at the same time a ruler. It is not a ruler in the sense of a governmental official but a ruler by which we measure. The Golden Rule may be used to measure our expression of Christian love to others. It is a good rule to follow, but it is only meaningful when we use it to test our relationship with others. The strength or weakness in the rule is "As you wish that men would do to you."
Outline: Use the Golden Rule as a Ruler
a. Negative use: What do you not want people to do for you?
b. Positive use: What do you want people to do to you?
Lesson 1: Genesis 45:3-11, 15
1. When A Brave Man Cries. 45:3, 5, 15
Need: It is a custom that a man does not cry, because it is said that a man's crying denies his manhood. This view evidently prevailed in Joseph's time, for he asked all but his brothers to leave the room. Then he cried aloud to the extent that the Egyptians heard him. Today we no longer feel that it is unnatural or unmanly for a man to cry. Many feel that crying is therapeutic. At certain times even Jesus cried.
Outline: There is a Time for Crying
a. Tears of concern - v. 3
b. Tears of forgiveness - v. 5
c. Tears of love - v. 15
2. God Made Me Do It! 45:4-7
Need: Most people say, "The Devil made me do it!" Could not Christians say with Joseph, "God made me do it!" Joseph was a God-conscious and God-oriented man to the point that he saw God working in his life. If we do not say the Devil made us do it, do we explain our experiences as "luck" or "coincidence?" Jcseph teaches us that God is alive and is guiding, working, and directing the events of people, whether individuals or nations.
Outline: Can you See God in Your Life?
a. God used sin - v. 4
b. God used the consequences of sin - v. 5a
c. God used adversity for good - v. Sb
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 (RC)
It's In Your Hands
Need: Psychologists report that revenge is the most destructive of all human emotions. We need desperately to get this impulse under control, and to see how and why Jesus, in the "Sermon on the Plain" (see today's gospel) stressed the opposite: forgive your enemies.
Outline:
1. We can do our worst
a. All of us are double-minded: good and evil tug for control inside.
b. Our best instincts don't always rule when opportunity arises.
c. David had reason to hate Saul, who had persecuted him; he had a chance to kill him quickly and cleanly.
d. Sooner or later someone else's fate will be "in our hands."
2. We can do our best
a. David didn't have to spare Saul. Guilt may have compelled him to avoid regicide (king-killing). But so did decency.
b. Neither must we do "the right." Yet, our best impulses cry out to us.
c. Revenge brings all to ashes; forgiveness heaps coals on the other.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
1. You May Not Like Heaven! 15:50
Need: Suppose you get to heaven and you don't like it because it is nothing like life on earth. In that case, your heaven would be hell. In this text Paul makes it clear that heaven is not a physical place and earthly conditions and pleasures do not exist there.
Outline: Because Flesh and Blood Do Not Inherit the Kingdom.
a. Heaven is not material - no place for earthly wealth. Even if you could take it with you, there would be no use for it.
b. Heaven is no place for sex. Jesus said that there was no marriage in heaven.
c. Heaven has no physical pleasure: eating, drinking, etc.
2. A New Body for an Old Soul. 15:35-38, 42-50
Need: Christian people are confused on the matter of the body after death. Is the body to be preserved at the high cost of burial? Will the body be resurrected at the Parousia? If there is no body, can we exist as spirits? If there is a body, what is it like? These questions troubled the Corinthian church: "How are the dead raised? With what body do they come?" In the text Paul helps us to understand the resurrected body.
Outline: What Paul Tells Us in the Text.
a. We will have a body after death - v. 38
1. A body for identification - related to the physical body - v. 37. We will recognize each other.
2. A body for communication purposes - We will talk to each other.
b. The kind of body God will give us - vv. 42-44
1. A spiritual body for a spiritual estate - v. 44
2. A body that will not grow old - v. 42
3. A glorious body - v. 43a
4. A strong body - v. 43b
EPIPHANY 8
Proper 3
Common
EPIPHANY 8
Lutheran
ORDINARY TIME 8
Roman Catholic
The Lessons
Isaiah 55:10-13 (C, L)
God's Word will effect its promise of bringing back the Exiles to Jerusalem.
Deutero-Isaiah brings his book to a close with chapter 55. It is an appeal for God's people to come to Yahweh, to seek him and find forgiveness. Yahweh promises that his Word will not be void nor fruitless but will accomplish his purpose which is to bring his people out of bondage in Babylon and restore them with great joy to their homeland.
Jeremiah 7:1-7 (8-15)
The futility of clinging to ritual as a replacement for right living. The prophet warns the remnant in the Southern Kingdom, in the days before the collapse and exile, that they are deluding themselves, supposing that following traditional forms and liturgies will cover for the unacceptable behavior they excuse in their daily lives.
Sirach 27:4-7
The God-given gift of reason is humanity's means of testing self. The writer calls us to be honest with ourselves, let our intelligence function as the Almighty intended it to: as a measure, evaluator, and tester of our motives and behavior.
1 Corinthians 15:51-58 (C, L)
1 Corinthians 15:54-58 (RC)
The final victory over death is through Christ.
The setting is the end of time. Christ returns. What happens to the dead and living in Christ? No mention is made of the fate of non-believers. When the last trumpet sounds, the dead are raised and the living are changed from mortality to immortality, from the perishable to the imperishable. Again, no mention is made of a millenial reign nor of a paradise on earth. Christ's return is a victory over humanity's last and greatest enemy, death. God gains the victory through Christ. Until that happens, the living are to give thanks and to continue serving the Lord.
Luke 6:39-49 (C, L)
Luke 6:39-45 (RC)
Obedience to Jesus' teachings brings stability and security.
With this pericope we bring to a close the series from the Sermon on the Plain. The passage contains three parts. The first (vv. 39-42a) points to the blindness to our own faults while seeing them in other people. Part 2 (vv. 43-45) describes the heart as the source of our actions, good or bad. The conclusion is in the form of a parable dealing with a house built on rock or sand. To obey Jesus' teachings is to build the house on a firm foundation which can withstand the storms of life. Jesus closes the sermon with a challenge to be doers as well as hearers of the Word.
Prayer of the Day
"Almighty and everlasting God, ruler of heaven and earth: Hear our prayer and give us your peace now and forever."
Hymn of the Day
"O God of Mercy, God of Might"
Theme of the Day: The Living Word of God
Gospel - Obedience to the Word brings stability to life.
Lesson 1 - The promises of God's Word are fulfilled.
Lesson 2 - The Incarnate Word conquers death.
The Lessons revolve around the Word. As Jesus finishes his sermon, he teaches that obedience to the taught Word brings security (Gospel). God's Word has the power to do what is promised and thus the Exiles will be brought home with the joy of victory. (Lesson 1) At the end of the world, Christ will come: the living and dead will be changed from mortality to immortality. This will be accomplished through Christ, the Incarnate Word. As the prayer says, God, the ruler of both heaven and earth, has the power in and through his Word. The hymn praises this ruling, conquering God: "God of Mercy, God of Might."
Theological Reflections
Gospel: Luke 6:39-45
1. Speck (v. 41). A "speck" is about the smallest item imaginable. For anything to get tu an eye would have to be next to microscopic. For older people a speck could not be seen without a magnifying glass. The speck represents the fault we so easily see in other people's lives. In contrast, we do not see the "log" in our own eyes. Of course, Jesus is exaggerating in order to make a point, but he contrasts our criticism of other people's faults while at the same time we are unaware we are far worse offenders.
2. Heart (v. 45). The heart of a person is compared to a tree. The condition of the heart determines the nature of the tree. And the kind of fruit depends upon the kind of tree: A peach tree does not produce apples. A bad heart produces evil fruit. Our basic human problem is the heart. Get the heart right with God and good works are inevitable.
3. Does (v. 47). Here is the foolishness of teaching and preaching. When a speaker is finished, so what? Is anybody going to do anything about it? If not, the speaker wastes his/her breath and the listeners their time. A person who listens and obeys the words of Jesus is likened to a house built on a foundation which during a storm holds the house secure. It is another way of saying, "Be doers of the Word and not hearers only."
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:10-13
1. Power (v. 11). The Word of God has within it an inherent, latent power. Jesus compared the Word to seed. A seed has within it the power of life, to break out of its shell and to grow into a plant. The Word, like a seed, has power to accomplish the purpose for which it was created and sent. It is a lively Word, a living Word. Herein is the secret of powerful preaching. Whenever the Word is proclaimed, the Word, finding fertile soil, will produce remarkable results by transforming lives and creating faith. The secret of great preaching is not in the preacher, not in his/her personality, wisdom or techniques. For this reason, Biblical preaching is the most effective kind of preaching.
2. Victory (v. 11). God's Word has a built-in victory. This is because God is in his Word. The Word is also the bearer of the Holy Spirit who is power. Nothing can stop God's Word from accomplishing its purpose, because God is omnipotent. For this reason tyrants and dictators fear the Bible and ban its publication. Let the word be read or proclaimed and evil is in danger of destruction. This fact produces hope, confidence, and assurance to God's people. Truth will out! Love will win! Life is stronger than death!
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
1. Mystery (v. 51). Paul is going to reveal a "mystery." The life or world after death is always a mystery, because who has been there to know what it is like? What is heaven like? Who is there? What will happen when the end of the world comes? Even Jesus did not answer these questions; he only assured us that he was going to prepare a place for us after we die. Where does Paul get his knowledge of the life after death? We can assume that he was speaking by the Holy Spirit. Now it is no mystery: At Christ's return the living and dead will be changed and death will be no more. That is all we really need to know.
2. Sting (v. 56). A "sting" is the cause of death. Paul says that sin is the cause of death. Sin often leads to physical death, but Paul here is speaking of spiritual death. Death is separation from God. Sin causes separation, estrangement, divorce, and hostility between God and his creatures. Because Christ removed sin by becoming sin for us, death no longer has a sting for believers.
3. Therefore (v. 58). We are living in a between-times era: between Christ's departure and return to earth. Now we know of our ultimate destiny of eternal life with Christ and we wait for his return. What are we Christians to do in the meantime? Because of what we know, "therefore" we can "abound in the work of the Lord."
Preaching Possibilities
Three Lessons
Isaiah 55:10-13; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; Luke 6:39-49
Go To God for Good!
Need: What makes you tick? What is the source of your well-being? What makes you what you are? These Lessons point us to the source of our well-being. If we are interested in a better life, in receiving better things of life, this sermon will help us.
Outline: Go to God for Good -
a. Go to God for good living - Gospel
b. Go to the Word for productivity - Lesson 1
c. Go to Christ for victory over death - Lesson 2
Gospel: Luke 6:39-45
1. Can We Change People?
Need: Many think they can change people into better persons. Before marriage a girl may think she will change the bad habits of her husband-to-be. A spouse thinks he or she can stop a partner from drinking alcohol or from smoking or taking drugs. Some think a change in neighborhood or job will change a person for the good. This sermon examines this problem and concludes that only Christ can change the heart, the source of behavior.
Outline: Can We Change People?
a. Who are we to change people? - v. 39 Can the blind lead the blind?
b. Who are we to criticize? - vv. 41-42 Can we criticize when we are worse offenders?
c. Can we change hearts? - v. 45 Only Christ can change a heart
Why People Behave as They Do. 6:43-45
Need: It is always a problem to understand the behavior of people. As Christians we need to be concerned about improving the behavior of those who indulge in sin, crime, and anti-social behavior. Why do people indulge in wicked behavior and how can they turn to a godly way of life? Before we can help people to a better way of life, we need to understand what makes them act the way they do.
Outline: Why People Behave as They Do
a. The influence of heredity and heritage.
b. The impact of environment and companionships.
c. The condition of the heart - vv. 43-45
3. Laugh at Yourself! 6:39-42
Need: In this text Jesus uses humor to get his point across. He asks us to laugh at ourselves for feeling and doing towards others. Though Jesus was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," he often used humor. When we see ourselves as we really are, we can laugh at ourselves for being so ridiculous? In this passage Jesus uses two humorous analogies. Humor is an excellent device to get across the truth about ourselves.
Outline: Laugh at yourself.
a. When you see yourself as blind leading the blind - v. 39 How can you lead others when you are in the same condition? Who are you to preach and give advice?
b. When you see a log in your eye. - vv. 41-42 You criticize others for having a speck in their eye when you have a log in your own. How funny and how tragic! You criticize another for his fault when your fault is far greater.
4. How is Your Heart? 6:45
Need: Heart disease is a top killer of American people. Heart attacks take over 700,000 people each year. As bad as that is, it is even worse when we consider spiritual heart disease. All of the crime, evil, wickedness, brutality, and injustices that occur come from a heart that is not right with God. In this text Jesus goes to the fountain of all human behavior. Good and evil acts come from the condition of the heart.
Outline: To have a Good Heart
a. Know the love of God
b. Repent - renounce evil desires
c. Accept the Holy Spirit - be filled with God's Spirit
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:10-13
1. Let the Word Do It! 55:10-11
Need: The Word has the power of God, What on the surface is as weak as a spoken or written word? The Word is God. When God speaks, his Word is deed. When God said, "Let there be light," there was light. God and the Word are one. God has authority and power to effect the Word. Luther once said, "Let the Word do it." The Word can change lives and social conditions that need changing. By his own efforts, man cannot produce a good or great society. All we can do is to proclaim the Word and let God work on humanity through the proclaimed Word.
Outline: Let the Word Do It.
a. Convict you of sin
b. Call you to Christ
c. Change your life and society
2. God Seeks Your Best. 55:10-13
Need: When some of us think of God, we think of judgment commandments impossible to obey, and sacrifice. We ought to think of God as one who has our welfare in mind, as one who wants to bless us, to help us find the fullness of life. As God sends the rain to bless the world, he sends out his Word to bring good to his people.
Outline: What God's Word Does for Us.
a. Joy - v. 12a The joy of salvation
b. Peace - v. l2b The peace of God that passes understanding
c. Goodness - v. 13 Not thorns or briers but cypress and myrtle
Lesson 1: Jeremiah 7:1-7 (8-15)
What Do You Mean by What You Do?
Need: It is one thing to talk without doing. It is another to "do" without sincerely meaning what we say or pretend we mean. Actions can become empty lies. We need to keep a healthy marriage between head and heart, between action and intent.
1. We are God's Advertisement
a. Worship is our proper response to God
b. Worship says a lot about who we are
c. Worship can become false advertising
2. What we need is "Truth in Packaging"
a. What we do in life needs to match what we say
b. Worship can be pure while daily behavior is polluted
c. God calls us to live the way we worship
Lesson 1: Sirach 27:4-7
Listen to Your Head
Need: We are caught in this generation in a wave of anti-intellectualism in the religious community. "I feel" legitimizes behavior. Such "new pietiesm" (the Church experienced such a movement several hundred years ago) can become an insufferable tyranny, dividing head from heart and leading to emotional excess.
1. Intelligence is God's good gift
a. It rescues us from emotional excess
b. It keeps us honest
c. It serves as a check on behavior
2. God is above our intellect
a. We need to keep our reason in perspective: God is wiser than we are
b. God speaks through our reason, even when we don't want to hear it
c. We need to see our reason as God's instrument, not something that competes with the Almighty's wisdom
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58
1. Big Change Ahead! 15:51-54
Need: Twice Paul writes, "We shall all be changed." It is not "will" nor "may" change. "Shall" indicates that this change is a certainty. The change will come when Christ returns. Big things are ahead. Better times are coming. We can face death and Christ's return with courage and joy. No one can enter the Kingdom of heaven unless he is changed. What is this change? Do we want to change?
Outline: The Changes to Come.
a. A change of bodies: material to spiritual - vv. 51-54
b. A change of condition: death to life - v. 54
c. A change of place: earth to heaven - v. 52
2. The Death of Death. 15:55-56
Need: Since everyone is going to die, this sermon is needed by all. Who does not fear death? It is a fear of the unknown, a fear of judgment, a fear of meeting God. Is it possible to overcome this fear? Paul in this text gives us the way to overcoming the fear of death. If we could be sure that death is dead, all fear would be useless. For Paul there is no fear: "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?"
Outline: For the Christian Death is Dead.
a. The cause of death is sin - v. 56 Death is separation from God. Sin separates from God. "The wages of sin is death."
b. The strength of sin is the law - v. 56 The law demands perfection. To violate the law is sin.
c. Christ is stronger than death - v. 57 Christ overcomes death by the cross which reconciles us to God, removes the separation. Christ also fulfilled the Law for us and thus the Law no longer makes us sin.
