First Sunday After Christmas / Holy Family
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle C
Object:
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 (C)
Bernhard Anderson points out that (Samuel's) career marked the transition from the old type of charismatic leadership to the new prophetic leadership which, from this time on, played an outstanding role in Israel's life. He described Samuel as "the greatest spiritual leader of Israel since the time of Moses." Samuel considered Saul to be the best hope the people had of being saved from the Philistines. So Samuel secretly anointed Saul as "prince" over the people.
Samuel is to be seen here in the early stage of his ministry. He is young and is rapidly receiving recognition from the people of his land. After some uneven leadership among the Hebrews in the past, a worthy leader seems at last to have been raised up among them.
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28 (RC)
Samuel's mother, Hannah, dedicates her son to the Lord for the duration of his life. If using this in preaching, I suppose we would have to explore the issue of a mother depriving her son of the right to decide for himself what to do with his life. That, of course, was an ancient idea, that such a commitment could be made. We could also raise the issue of God's election of an individual to His service and using the home situation to foster that election.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 61:10--62:3 (E)
Isaiah first bespeaks the expectations of the community, that God will soon bring His promised salvation into glorious new life, like the springing up of a new garden, or the grand apparel of a bridegroom, for this suffering, heroic people. Then, speaking as their evangelist, he promises to remain faithful in prayerful urging of God to get on with it. He pledges that at last, God will vindicate the Jewish people, will see to it that the other nations recognize their "glory," and that they will be able to see themselves as a "crown of beauty."
One may have several reactions to this passage. It is exalted poetry. It bespeaks a fiery faith which, despite almost continual disappointment and suffering, continues to look forward with unflinching expectation to the intervention of God on His people's behalf. We cannot know, of course, what the man on the street had in mind back then. We can only guess what devoted mothers thought in regard to their children as they tried to fall asleep at night, aware of the warlike history of their nation's existence. Little boys may very well have fantasized themselves as noble warriors. I don't think women had yet begun to think in such terms, but given the political climate of the times, it is likely that the average Jew was fairly certain that while prayer is powerful, meanwhile, one should keep one's sword and shield close at hand.
As we think about our own world today, perhaps Isaiah's promise that in the midst of national crisis and personal privation, he will persevere in prayer could be the focal point of a sermon. "I will not keep silent," he pledged. So Jesus would tell of the householder who goes next door to borrow food for a late night visitor and refuses to be turned away, and so Isaiah also refuses to turn from his urgent supplication to God for deliverance. And so we, in times of personal or national difficulty, are wise to persevere in prayer as well, what George Buttrick once called "pounding on the gates of heaven with bruised knuckles."
Lesson 2: Colossians 3:12-17 (C); Colossians 3:12-21 (RC)
What a lovely passage. Russian painter Marc Chagall once wrote: "In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love." I have noted that the few genuinely happy people I know are also genuinely loving people. And I have noted that in those moments when I am genuinely happy, it is when I have done something loving or have received love. Surely, contained in these few words of Paul's is the secret of life. We celebrate Paul's glorious thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and well we should. But how could the true heart of human existence at its best be any better captured than in these words? Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness. Those are qualities of love, are they not? If preaching on this I would first discuss the meaning of that word "love." A 27-year-old Indianapolis man asked his ex-girlfriend to pick him up in her car. He looked at her for a moment, drew a gun, and shot her in the head. The man scrambled out of the car, and then he was shot and wounded. That man, who "loved his girl" so much, showed that the Devil is perfectly capable of soiling "love." No, true love strives for the qualities Paul has listed.
Lesson 2: Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 (E)
I like this. Actually, it gives me some theological problems, but every time I read in the paper about a crime, like the church arson which happened to a little Baptist church, I sort of hope Paul is right, that "the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong had been done, and there is no partiality." However, then I reflect on a thing or two I have done -- nothing like that, but certainly not my best self. If preaching on this, I would bring in repentance and forgiveness as elements in the dynamic of accountability.
Gospel: Luke 2:41-52 (C, RC)
This story is easily misunderstood. The impression that a precocious Jesus, insensitive to his parents' concern for him, is throwing his weight around in the Sanhedrin would be incorrect. It was mandatory that all Jewish men attend the Passover feast if they lived within twenty miles of Jerusalem. Jesus, at age twelve, would be just then emerging from childhood into adult status by custom of the time. At the conclusion of the feast, non-resident families would begin their trek home, the women leaving first, the men much later as they would travel more quickly, and all would join up at the end of the day's journey. We can assume that each parent thought Jesus was with the other. There were probably many friends and distant relatives in the group and there would have been little reason for Mary and Joseph to worry in any case. As for Jesus, it makes more sense to view him as a young boy only just beginning to sense that his life was to have a mission, one related to the theology and beliefs of his people. His presence in the temple is logical, just as a young fellow today who is interested in computers might attend a presentation on technology, or an aspiring young thespian might attend a speech on acting. It's not likely that Jesus was capable at that stage of his life of confounding his learned elders. More likely, he was asking relevant questions as his education about religion was beginning to deepen.
Gospel: John 1:1-18 (E)
God is only known through the divine Son, described here in terms which would have been harmonious with the philosophically- based thinking of the Greek, or the Gentile, world. The Word, that is the expressed will and nature of God, became flesh -- Jesus. A sermon on this passage would probably focus on the fact that John is emphasizing that Jesus is a direct manifestation of the true nature of God. He is the fulfillment of all that is promised in the Jewish law, and all who receive him receive grace and truth.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "Standing Tall"
Text: 1 Samuel 2:26
Theme: A time like ours needs men and women like Samuel, people who at once are able legitimately to command the respect and admiration of the people they are called to serve, yet are unshakably faithful to the laws of God. There is a general feeling among the American people as I write these words that such people are not numerous in our society. It takes a lot of character to resist the temptations of office. We see business leaders who accept responsibility for corporations, who negotiate outrageous and self-serving contracts, then after briefly failing to meet the expectations of their boards, leave with enormous shares of company assets. We see repeated evidence of the terrible malfeasance of so many political leaders in our time. A recent book, The 15 Biggest Lies In Politics, begins with this line: "Politicians lie all the time." One of the authors, Timothy Penny, served as a congressman for six years, so he ought to know. And let's not overlook the disappointing number of clergy, many well-known on the national scene, who fall short as well. As preachers, we sometimes feel like the little Dutch boy with his finger stuck in the hole in the dike, as though we could somehow stem the tide of such failings. One thing we can do, though, is point out that God will have the last word. Here are the points I would make.
1. The Bible promises a consequence of the kind of life we live. That takes place in two ways. One is the effect of our conduct on other people, the loss of respect, the embarrassment, and the negative role modeling. The other is the fact that some day, like it or not, we will be held to account for the kind of people we have become in the eyes of God.
2. I believe that while God may not reward us in this life quite as we might wish, neither will God enable us nor bless us in any wrong doing.
3. We all have a conscience. Well, there are occasional people who do not, I guess. If we do, we will one day have to look back and realize the phenomenon of guilt. If we do not, we will certainly meet with tragedy.
Title: "The Qualities Of Our Faith"
Text: Colossians 3:12-17
Theme: This passage really does contain a list of the qualities of love. Paul urges the reader to "put on love." He includes the qualities which this involves: compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness. He strongly implies that the consequences of the living of these qualities is "perfect harmony" and "peace." Peterson, in The Message, quotes Paul as saying "Let the word of God ... have the run of the house."
The problem for most of us, of course, is that we don't take naturally to a lot of this. We live in a conflict-ridden world, one which seems almost to require that we sometimes be suspicious, assertive, secretive, highly competitive. How we are to harmonize the two sets of qualities is the difficult problem we face. In truth, I think the good Lord does understand this about us. God understands that once a child is raised, urged on at Little League or Powder Puff Football or whatever, sent off to school where only a few can get the top grades -- grades necessary to get into grad school, followed by a position near the bottom of the corporate ladder and -- we all know about all of this whether we're caught up in it or not. And we clergy know that members of our profession are by no means exempt from the fray. So the harsh reality of the everyday is the arena in which we are urged to practice the qualities of love. Can it be done, speaking realistically?
The clergy person who blithely urges a congregation to practice all these laudable qualities without showing an awareness of the difficulty of doing so, risks being quietly tuned out by those people who privately smile in a kindly way at the naivete of clergy who know nothing of "the real world."
But, yes! I believe we can do both, but it requires actual love, not a grim effort to comply with an impossible demand. Fortunately, real love is something we do, not necessarily something we feel. It involves the cross. It requires practicing what someone called the ministry of keeping your mouth shut sometimes. It involves giving up things we would like to retain. It involves helping people when they need help, giving encouragement. In other words, it requires practical application.
1. This love starts with a realistic self-appraisal. This involves elements of courageous honesty, repentance, determination, sacrifice.
2. This love works best when we consciously look for opportunities to practice it until it becomes a habit. I know one person who requires of herself that she do one selfless act daily for another person, without them being aware that she is consciously doing this. She has done it for so long it is now a habit, and most days she does more than one selfless act. Amazingly, when we do this, it becomes contagious, and also, it has a strange way of returning to us.
3. This love, expensive to be sure, is the only way we ourselves can find peace and harmony within. Anatole France said that "life is delicious, horrible, charming, sweet, bitter." So it is, and it's in the face of that life that love must be made to work.
Title: "How A Christian Sees The World"
Text: Luke 2:41-52
Theme: As to the sermon possibilities here, Dr. Barclay points one direction in reminding us that Jesus was innocent in his actions this day, not disdainful of his parents' feelings, and not show-offy among his elders. On the contrary, as Barclay points out, a man of God does care about the feelings of others, and does respect the earthly world in which we live. Rather than try to use this story to show Jesus as a prodigy of religious knowledge, it makes more sense to think of this story in light of the grown man. It seems to me we might preach on the theme that a truly Christian man or woman today is respectful of the feelings of others, and is respectful of the material world which God created and in which we have been placed to live out our lives.
1. A Christian cares about the welfare of others. The homeless man may have all sorts of problems emotionally, but it is not for me to judge him. Had I been born into his life situation, I might very well have been homeless too. My role is to help him. My wife worked with a colleague some time ago who seems insensitive to the feelings of others. She is jealous, manipulative, and unwilling to accept responsibility for her mistakes. But as we learned more about her, we realized she came from a terribly unhappy home where such attitudes were the order of the day. This doesn't justify such manners but it helps to understand them. As Christians, we are a lot more like Jesus when we try to understand than when we judge.
Also, as Christians we expend effort, time, and resources to do something for others. We quoted earlier that "you can give without caring but you cannot care without giving." If we care about other people, that leads us to give for them.
2. A Christian cares about this material world. I myself am not an "environmentalist," one of those off the wall people like one organization which recently asked a prolific author to please quit writing books because they estimate she has already required 17,000 trees to publish what she has already written. That is ridiculous, but it does, however, remind us that the world around us is the one God assigned to us as our dwelling place. We are to preserve it and care for it. I am reminded of the Peanuts cartoon where Charlie Brown had approached Lucy at her psychiatric lemonade stand, admitting that he was depressed. Lucy took Charlie up on a high hill, pointed and asked, "Charlie, what do you see?" Charlie said he saw the world. "Well," said Lucy, knocking Charlie over backwards, "that's the only world there is so live in it. Five cents, please."
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Several years ago, theologian Deane Ferme wrote an article which appeared in Christian Century, in which he expertly argued that Jesus was, indeed, a wonderful man, one to be emulated and admired. But not divine. He made a case for Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi, and Martin Buber the Jewish theologian as being of equal character. A few days later, the Century received and printed a response from a young man who had recently buried his father. The young fellow wrote:
"I can understand the philosophical difficulties which would persuade Deane Ferme to shy away from making unique claims for Jesus Christ. But how about the reasons of the heart? I read the article on returning from my father's funeral. Interestingly, what nourished my soul there was what Dr. Ferme discards. The divine power and presence and victory of the man Jesus who is also the incarnate Son of God. For my day, Dr. Ferme's theology is woefully inadequate. Martin Luther King cannot rescue my father from eternal death. Ghandi cannot promise my mother that she will see my father again. Martin Buber cannot offer me, in spite of my sins, his life fulfilling company in paradise. At my father's coffin I need a savior, and in my hour of need, I thank God that I have one whom I rejoice to call by His grace alone, 'My Lord.' "
____________
Colonel Robinson Reisner was the second highest ranking Air Force officer captured by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. For six years he languished in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prison, becoming its commanding officer among the Americans. He was tortured, held in solitary confinement most of the time. Finally, malnourished and suffering from his many beatings and other forms of mistreatment, he returned to the United States with the other officers who had been released. A television reporter interviewed Colonel Reisner. He asked if, in view of the terrible mistreatment he and others had received from their captors, he felt that war crimes trials should be held to find the guilty parties. Here was his reply: "No! I believe in God and I believe in Jesus Christ and in his teachings, and he taught me that I must pray for those who despitefully use me. Therefore, even though I am willing to go on fighting for my country as long as I must, I believe not in revenge but in forgiveness."
____________
"The Nazis first came for the Communists, and I was not a Communist, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, and I was not a Jew, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists, and I was not a Socialist, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Catholics, and I was a Protestant, so I did not speak out. Then they came for me -- and by that time there was no one left to speak for anyone. In order that this shall not happen again, injustice to anyone must be the concern of everyone everywhere."
-- Martin Niemoeller
This was delivered to the first Synod of the German Church after 1945. Niemoeller had been a celebrated U-boat Captain in the German navy in World War I and one of that country's great heroes. But when he refused to support Hitler, he was thrown into a Nazi prison.
____________
This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:
There spread a cloud of dust along a plain, and
underneath the cloud, or in it, raged
A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords
Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince's banner
Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by foes.
A coward hung along the battle's edge,
And thought, "Had I a sword of keener steel --
That blue blade that the king's son bears-- but this
blunt thing!" -- he snapped and flung it from his hand,
And lowering, crept away, and left the field.
Then came the King's son, wounded, sore bestead,
And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,
Hilt buried in the dry and trodden sand,
And ran, and snatched it, and with battle-shout
Lifted afresh, he hewed his enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.
(Author unknown)
____________
Comes The Dawn
After awhile, you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul.
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open,
With the grace of a woman (man), not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all roads
On today because tomorrow's ground
Is too uncertain for plans, and futures have
A way of falling down in mid flight.
After awhile, you learn that even sunshine
Burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden and decorate
Your own soul, instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure ...
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and you learn ...
With every goodbye you learn.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 148 -- "Praise the Lord."
Prayer Of The Day
Arm us, we pray, for the difficult work we have to do. Keep us courageous and strong of will, we pray, as we turn our faces to the challenges which lie before us. Help us, we pray, that at all expenses necessary, we keep our integrity. In Christ's name. Amen.
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 (C)
Bernhard Anderson points out that (Samuel's) career marked the transition from the old type of charismatic leadership to the new prophetic leadership which, from this time on, played an outstanding role in Israel's life. He described Samuel as "the greatest spiritual leader of Israel since the time of Moses." Samuel considered Saul to be the best hope the people had of being saved from the Philistines. So Samuel secretly anointed Saul as "prince" over the people.
Samuel is to be seen here in the early stage of his ministry. He is young and is rapidly receiving recognition from the people of his land. After some uneven leadership among the Hebrews in the past, a worthy leader seems at last to have been raised up among them.
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28 (RC)
Samuel's mother, Hannah, dedicates her son to the Lord for the duration of his life. If using this in preaching, I suppose we would have to explore the issue of a mother depriving her son of the right to decide for himself what to do with his life. That, of course, was an ancient idea, that such a commitment could be made. We could also raise the issue of God's election of an individual to His service and using the home situation to foster that election.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 61:10--62:3 (E)
Isaiah first bespeaks the expectations of the community, that God will soon bring His promised salvation into glorious new life, like the springing up of a new garden, or the grand apparel of a bridegroom, for this suffering, heroic people. Then, speaking as their evangelist, he promises to remain faithful in prayerful urging of God to get on with it. He pledges that at last, God will vindicate the Jewish people, will see to it that the other nations recognize their "glory," and that they will be able to see themselves as a "crown of beauty."
One may have several reactions to this passage. It is exalted poetry. It bespeaks a fiery faith which, despite almost continual disappointment and suffering, continues to look forward with unflinching expectation to the intervention of God on His people's behalf. We cannot know, of course, what the man on the street had in mind back then. We can only guess what devoted mothers thought in regard to their children as they tried to fall asleep at night, aware of the warlike history of their nation's existence. Little boys may very well have fantasized themselves as noble warriors. I don't think women had yet begun to think in such terms, but given the political climate of the times, it is likely that the average Jew was fairly certain that while prayer is powerful, meanwhile, one should keep one's sword and shield close at hand.
As we think about our own world today, perhaps Isaiah's promise that in the midst of national crisis and personal privation, he will persevere in prayer could be the focal point of a sermon. "I will not keep silent," he pledged. So Jesus would tell of the householder who goes next door to borrow food for a late night visitor and refuses to be turned away, and so Isaiah also refuses to turn from his urgent supplication to God for deliverance. And so we, in times of personal or national difficulty, are wise to persevere in prayer as well, what George Buttrick once called "pounding on the gates of heaven with bruised knuckles."
Lesson 2: Colossians 3:12-17 (C); Colossians 3:12-21 (RC)
What a lovely passage. Russian painter Marc Chagall once wrote: "In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love." I have noted that the few genuinely happy people I know are also genuinely loving people. And I have noted that in those moments when I am genuinely happy, it is when I have done something loving or have received love. Surely, contained in these few words of Paul's is the secret of life. We celebrate Paul's glorious thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, and well we should. But how could the true heart of human existence at its best be any better captured than in these words? Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness. Those are qualities of love, are they not? If preaching on this I would first discuss the meaning of that word "love." A 27-year-old Indianapolis man asked his ex-girlfriend to pick him up in her car. He looked at her for a moment, drew a gun, and shot her in the head. The man scrambled out of the car, and then he was shot and wounded. That man, who "loved his girl" so much, showed that the Devil is perfectly capable of soiling "love." No, true love strives for the qualities Paul has listed.
Lesson 2: Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 (E)
I like this. Actually, it gives me some theological problems, but every time I read in the paper about a crime, like the church arson which happened to a little Baptist church, I sort of hope Paul is right, that "the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong had been done, and there is no partiality." However, then I reflect on a thing or two I have done -- nothing like that, but certainly not my best self. If preaching on this, I would bring in repentance and forgiveness as elements in the dynamic of accountability.
Gospel: Luke 2:41-52 (C, RC)
This story is easily misunderstood. The impression that a precocious Jesus, insensitive to his parents' concern for him, is throwing his weight around in the Sanhedrin would be incorrect. It was mandatory that all Jewish men attend the Passover feast if they lived within twenty miles of Jerusalem. Jesus, at age twelve, would be just then emerging from childhood into adult status by custom of the time. At the conclusion of the feast, non-resident families would begin their trek home, the women leaving first, the men much later as they would travel more quickly, and all would join up at the end of the day's journey. We can assume that each parent thought Jesus was with the other. There were probably many friends and distant relatives in the group and there would have been little reason for Mary and Joseph to worry in any case. As for Jesus, it makes more sense to view him as a young boy only just beginning to sense that his life was to have a mission, one related to the theology and beliefs of his people. His presence in the temple is logical, just as a young fellow today who is interested in computers might attend a presentation on technology, or an aspiring young thespian might attend a speech on acting. It's not likely that Jesus was capable at that stage of his life of confounding his learned elders. More likely, he was asking relevant questions as his education about religion was beginning to deepen.
Gospel: John 1:1-18 (E)
God is only known through the divine Son, described here in terms which would have been harmonious with the philosophically- based thinking of the Greek, or the Gentile, world. The Word, that is the expressed will and nature of God, became flesh -- Jesus. A sermon on this passage would probably focus on the fact that John is emphasizing that Jesus is a direct manifestation of the true nature of God. He is the fulfillment of all that is promised in the Jewish law, and all who receive him receive grace and truth.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "Standing Tall"
Text: 1 Samuel 2:26
Theme: A time like ours needs men and women like Samuel, people who at once are able legitimately to command the respect and admiration of the people they are called to serve, yet are unshakably faithful to the laws of God. There is a general feeling among the American people as I write these words that such people are not numerous in our society. It takes a lot of character to resist the temptations of office. We see business leaders who accept responsibility for corporations, who negotiate outrageous and self-serving contracts, then after briefly failing to meet the expectations of their boards, leave with enormous shares of company assets. We see repeated evidence of the terrible malfeasance of so many political leaders in our time. A recent book, The 15 Biggest Lies In Politics, begins with this line: "Politicians lie all the time." One of the authors, Timothy Penny, served as a congressman for six years, so he ought to know. And let's not overlook the disappointing number of clergy, many well-known on the national scene, who fall short as well. As preachers, we sometimes feel like the little Dutch boy with his finger stuck in the hole in the dike, as though we could somehow stem the tide of such failings. One thing we can do, though, is point out that God will have the last word. Here are the points I would make.
1. The Bible promises a consequence of the kind of life we live. That takes place in two ways. One is the effect of our conduct on other people, the loss of respect, the embarrassment, and the negative role modeling. The other is the fact that some day, like it or not, we will be held to account for the kind of people we have become in the eyes of God.
2. I believe that while God may not reward us in this life quite as we might wish, neither will God enable us nor bless us in any wrong doing.
3. We all have a conscience. Well, there are occasional people who do not, I guess. If we do, we will one day have to look back and realize the phenomenon of guilt. If we do not, we will certainly meet with tragedy.
Title: "The Qualities Of Our Faith"
Text: Colossians 3:12-17
Theme: This passage really does contain a list of the qualities of love. Paul urges the reader to "put on love." He includes the qualities which this involves: compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness. He strongly implies that the consequences of the living of these qualities is "perfect harmony" and "peace." Peterson, in The Message, quotes Paul as saying "Let the word of God ... have the run of the house."
The problem for most of us, of course, is that we don't take naturally to a lot of this. We live in a conflict-ridden world, one which seems almost to require that we sometimes be suspicious, assertive, secretive, highly competitive. How we are to harmonize the two sets of qualities is the difficult problem we face. In truth, I think the good Lord does understand this about us. God understands that once a child is raised, urged on at Little League or Powder Puff Football or whatever, sent off to school where only a few can get the top grades -- grades necessary to get into grad school, followed by a position near the bottom of the corporate ladder and -- we all know about all of this whether we're caught up in it or not. And we clergy know that members of our profession are by no means exempt from the fray. So the harsh reality of the everyday is the arena in which we are urged to practice the qualities of love. Can it be done, speaking realistically?
The clergy person who blithely urges a congregation to practice all these laudable qualities without showing an awareness of the difficulty of doing so, risks being quietly tuned out by those people who privately smile in a kindly way at the naivete of clergy who know nothing of "the real world."
But, yes! I believe we can do both, but it requires actual love, not a grim effort to comply with an impossible demand. Fortunately, real love is something we do, not necessarily something we feel. It involves the cross. It requires practicing what someone called the ministry of keeping your mouth shut sometimes. It involves giving up things we would like to retain. It involves helping people when they need help, giving encouragement. In other words, it requires practical application.
1. This love starts with a realistic self-appraisal. This involves elements of courageous honesty, repentance, determination, sacrifice.
2. This love works best when we consciously look for opportunities to practice it until it becomes a habit. I know one person who requires of herself that she do one selfless act daily for another person, without them being aware that she is consciously doing this. She has done it for so long it is now a habit, and most days she does more than one selfless act. Amazingly, when we do this, it becomes contagious, and also, it has a strange way of returning to us.
3. This love, expensive to be sure, is the only way we ourselves can find peace and harmony within. Anatole France said that "life is delicious, horrible, charming, sweet, bitter." So it is, and it's in the face of that life that love must be made to work.
Title: "How A Christian Sees The World"
Text: Luke 2:41-52
Theme: As to the sermon possibilities here, Dr. Barclay points one direction in reminding us that Jesus was innocent in his actions this day, not disdainful of his parents' feelings, and not show-offy among his elders. On the contrary, as Barclay points out, a man of God does care about the feelings of others, and does respect the earthly world in which we live. Rather than try to use this story to show Jesus as a prodigy of religious knowledge, it makes more sense to think of this story in light of the grown man. It seems to me we might preach on the theme that a truly Christian man or woman today is respectful of the feelings of others, and is respectful of the material world which God created and in which we have been placed to live out our lives.
1. A Christian cares about the welfare of others. The homeless man may have all sorts of problems emotionally, but it is not for me to judge him. Had I been born into his life situation, I might very well have been homeless too. My role is to help him. My wife worked with a colleague some time ago who seems insensitive to the feelings of others. She is jealous, manipulative, and unwilling to accept responsibility for her mistakes. But as we learned more about her, we realized she came from a terribly unhappy home where such attitudes were the order of the day. This doesn't justify such manners but it helps to understand them. As Christians, we are a lot more like Jesus when we try to understand than when we judge.
Also, as Christians we expend effort, time, and resources to do something for others. We quoted earlier that "you can give without caring but you cannot care without giving." If we care about other people, that leads us to give for them.
2. A Christian cares about this material world. I myself am not an "environmentalist," one of those off the wall people like one organization which recently asked a prolific author to please quit writing books because they estimate she has already required 17,000 trees to publish what she has already written. That is ridiculous, but it does, however, remind us that the world around us is the one God assigned to us as our dwelling place. We are to preserve it and care for it. I am reminded of the Peanuts cartoon where Charlie Brown had approached Lucy at her psychiatric lemonade stand, admitting that he was depressed. Lucy took Charlie up on a high hill, pointed and asked, "Charlie, what do you see?" Charlie said he saw the world. "Well," said Lucy, knocking Charlie over backwards, "that's the only world there is so live in it. Five cents, please."
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Several years ago, theologian Deane Ferme wrote an article which appeared in Christian Century, in which he expertly argued that Jesus was, indeed, a wonderful man, one to be emulated and admired. But not divine. He made a case for Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi, and Martin Buber the Jewish theologian as being of equal character. A few days later, the Century received and printed a response from a young man who had recently buried his father. The young fellow wrote:
"I can understand the philosophical difficulties which would persuade Deane Ferme to shy away from making unique claims for Jesus Christ. But how about the reasons of the heart? I read the article on returning from my father's funeral. Interestingly, what nourished my soul there was what Dr. Ferme discards. The divine power and presence and victory of the man Jesus who is also the incarnate Son of God. For my day, Dr. Ferme's theology is woefully inadequate. Martin Luther King cannot rescue my father from eternal death. Ghandi cannot promise my mother that she will see my father again. Martin Buber cannot offer me, in spite of my sins, his life fulfilling company in paradise. At my father's coffin I need a savior, and in my hour of need, I thank God that I have one whom I rejoice to call by His grace alone, 'My Lord.' "
____________
Colonel Robinson Reisner was the second highest ranking Air Force officer captured by the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. For six years he languished in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prison, becoming its commanding officer among the Americans. He was tortured, held in solitary confinement most of the time. Finally, malnourished and suffering from his many beatings and other forms of mistreatment, he returned to the United States with the other officers who had been released. A television reporter interviewed Colonel Reisner. He asked if, in view of the terrible mistreatment he and others had received from their captors, he felt that war crimes trials should be held to find the guilty parties. Here was his reply: "No! I believe in God and I believe in Jesus Christ and in his teachings, and he taught me that I must pray for those who despitefully use me. Therefore, even though I am willing to go on fighting for my country as long as I must, I believe not in revenge but in forgiveness."
____________
"The Nazis first came for the Communists, and I was not a Communist, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, and I was not a Jew, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists, and I was not a Socialist, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Catholics, and I was a Protestant, so I did not speak out. Then they came for me -- and by that time there was no one left to speak for anyone. In order that this shall not happen again, injustice to anyone must be the concern of everyone everywhere."
-- Martin Niemoeller
This was delivered to the first Synod of the German Church after 1945. Niemoeller had been a celebrated U-boat Captain in the German navy in World War I and one of that country's great heroes. But when he refused to support Hitler, he was thrown into a Nazi prison.
____________
This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:
There spread a cloud of dust along a plain, and
underneath the cloud, or in it, raged
A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords
Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince's banner
Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by foes.
A coward hung along the battle's edge,
And thought, "Had I a sword of keener steel --
That blue blade that the king's son bears-- but this
blunt thing!" -- he snapped and flung it from his hand,
And lowering, crept away, and left the field.
Then came the King's son, wounded, sore bestead,
And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,
Hilt buried in the dry and trodden sand,
And ran, and snatched it, and with battle-shout
Lifted afresh, he hewed his enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.
(Author unknown)
____________
Comes The Dawn
After awhile, you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul.
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open,
With the grace of a woman (man), not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all roads
On today because tomorrow's ground
Is too uncertain for plans, and futures have
A way of falling down in mid flight.
After awhile, you learn that even sunshine
Burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden and decorate
Your own soul, instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure ...
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and you learn ...
With every goodbye you learn.
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 148 -- "Praise the Lord."
Prayer Of The Day
Arm us, we pray, for the difficult work we have to do. Keep us courageous and strong of will, we pray, as we turn our faces to the challenges which lie before us. Help us, we pray, that at all expenses necessary, we keep our integrity. In Christ's name. Amen.
