First Sunday In Lent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII Cycle C
Seasonal Theme
Jesus and his disciples move toward Jerusalem and the cross.
Theme For The Day
This first Sunday in Lent we look at Jesus' temptations, and ours, and call for a devout observance of this special season of the year.
Old Testament Lesson
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
First Fruits And Tithes
These are two liturgical practices recommended in this passage for those who finally got to their promised land. The first was the "first fruits" when they were to bring the first produce of their harvest (Leviticus 23:9-14) to the priest in the temple. In this fashion each one in the nation could come before God and state their faith in God.
The second liturgical practice was a more elaborate statement of God's faithfulness (vv. 5-10a). This prescribed confession emphasized God's faithfulness and the wonderful way God cared for Israel. The wandering "Armean" in verse 5 was Jacob. God heard the cry of his oppressed people and brought them out of Egypt. So this confession emphasizes God's marvelous involvement in every turn of their history. As a proper response, the people tithe, offer the first fruits, and confess the wondrous ways their God cared for them and brought them to this land of "milk and honey."
New Testament Lesson
Romans 10:8b-13
First Christian Creed
First we have attention to the response of the heart and an inward certainty that God did save us through the Christ. Then verses 9 and 10 issues in the confidence of the Lordship of the Christ. It is only after this we can move toward right living.
Verse 11 is a quotation of Isaiah 28:16 and tells us that our faith is founded in God's mercy and is unlimited. Faith makes us equal. Verse 12's use of "Lord" means Christ.
Verse 9 and 10 give us the foundation for the first Christian creed. William Barclay states these three things are necessary: 1) a person must say Jesus Christ is Lord, 2) a person must believe that Jesus is risen from the dead, and 3) a person must not only believe in his/her heart; he/she must confess with his/her lips. "Christianity is belief, plus confession." Now that will preach.
The Gospel
Luke 4:1-13
The Temptation Of Jesus
These experiences in the "wilderness" follow right after Jesus' baptism by John in the Jordan. Perhaps they can best be described as Jesus, after becoming convinced at his baptism of who he was and that he had a very special mission and ministry to carry out, now needed to retreat to the wilderness to figure out what that ministry ought to be like.
He was tempted to make it a ministry of political power (v. 6).
He was tempted to make it a ministry of fantastic feats for his own glory (v. 9).
And we must remember these were not just one time temptations. These Jesus faced over and over and over his entire ministry. Notice verse 13, "... until an opportune time."
One more thought. Could it be that this "wilderness" was a nickname for the Qumran community into which John may have been baptizing folks, including his cousin? And that Jesus retreated to Qumran to read the Old Testament scrolls in order to figure out his mission thus being tempted to do these various styles of ministry? A few scholars would say so. I lean that way as well.
Preaching Possibilities
A. I doubt we can get by without preaching on the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness; but, all three readings this First Sunday in Lent are strong and will stand alone. I really like the Deuteronomy possibilities. We can emphasize tithing, first fruit giving, and confessing God's faithfulness. It is a great opportunity to talk about stewardship of 1) our money, 2) our natural resources, and 3) God's love for us.
B. The Second Reading is a chance to talk about creeds: Paul's (v. 9), the church's (apostles), and our own (often more lived out than spoken). Also, this Romans passage is easily organized into a three-point sermon:
1. Our lips often reveal what we believe in our heart (v. 8b).
2. It is essential to believe Jesus is Lord and God raised Jesus from the dead (v. 9).
3. The old distinction between Jew and Greek no longer applies. God saves all who ask (v. 12).
C. We could use all three considering the person writing the message.
1. Moses lays down some rules to live by when God gives us promised land: tithing, first fruits giving, and confession of God's greatness.
2. Paul tells us who is saved: those who confess Jesus as Lord and that God raised him from the dead.
3. Luke wants us to know that even Jesus was tempted -- so are we.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
A. Begin by reminding your hearers what happened just before today's gospel story. Jesus was baptized and it became clear to him he had a special ministry to carry out because he was no less than God's own son.
B. Move to today's text stating now that he had his "ordination" into ministry these temptations were part of his figuring out how that ministry should shape itself. There were three shapes it shouldn't take:
1. Using his divinity as a miracle worker caring most for himself.
2. Using his divinity for political power and gain.
3. Using his divinity for spectacular stunts and calling attention to himself.
C. Move to considering the positive forms Jesus' ministry did take on:
1. A ministry of servanthood and loving the unlovely.
2. A ministry of modeling how the person of God ought to live here on earth.
3. A ministry of humility and self-sacrifice for others.
4. A ministry of following God's will and going to the cross for others' sins.
D. Move to story telling using one of the stories below.
E. Move to your own ideas about what this Gospel says to us about our congregation's activities and observance of Lent this year.
1. We ought to do a ministry of servanthood in our community. Big Brother, feed the hungry, and so on.
2. We ought to live differently than the rest of the world, modeling how God wants us to love each other.
3. At least these forty days of Lent we ought to find a way of sacrifice for church and others.
4. Our worship ought to be frequent and our devotion intense, admitting our sins and celebrating our cross-provided forgiveness.
F. Move to a kicker telling of the fact even Jesus was tempted! So we can expect temptation, too. And we can expect Jesus to understand when we are tempted and to be willing to help us resist.
G. Frame your sermon in the terms of a new season of the church year called Lent. After his baptism Jesus had his forty days, and now so shall we have ours.
Prayer For The Day
Help us in this holy season of Lent, dear Holy Parent, to resist temptation like Jesus did and to ask for your forgiveness when we don't resist as we should. We would make this holy season one of special devotion and sacrifice. Please show us the way to do it in our busy secular culture in which we now live. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
In the construction of Park Place, a seventeen-story apartment complex, I noticed there was a man standing on the top of the structure relaying the instructions from the ground to the man operating the crane. A pastor sometimes has the awesome responsibility of relaying a person's message to God through prayer and also confession.
At the Jack and Jill supermarket where I asked for a copy of The National Enquirer, the woman at the checkout counter said, "Father, you don't want to read that kind of smut!" I wanted the paper to see the account of Roger Williams' wedding in which I had participated. Look at this double standard. We clergy must live up to those high standards but also encourage the laity to do the same.
In order to install cable for television in a trench, the utility company has to come out and mark where electric, gas, and telephone wires are buried. They use little red flags; the trench for the cable can then be dug. As we mature as Christians, we need to mark where the power for our lives is, as well as the dangers.
In the movie Schindler's List, Schindler is on the balcony of the home of the commandant of a prison camp where for sport the commandant would shoot prisoners walking in the prison yard. Schindler said to him, "Real power is when you have the power to shoot them if you want to, but you do not." When we have the power to get even and do not is when God's power of love and forgiveness is most real.
Jesus and his disciples move toward Jerusalem and the cross.
Theme For The Day
This first Sunday in Lent we look at Jesus' temptations, and ours, and call for a devout observance of this special season of the year.
Old Testament Lesson
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
First Fruits And Tithes
These are two liturgical practices recommended in this passage for those who finally got to their promised land. The first was the "first fruits" when they were to bring the first produce of their harvest (Leviticus 23:9-14) to the priest in the temple. In this fashion each one in the nation could come before God and state their faith in God.
The second liturgical practice was a more elaborate statement of God's faithfulness (vv. 5-10a). This prescribed confession emphasized God's faithfulness and the wonderful way God cared for Israel. The wandering "Armean" in verse 5 was Jacob. God heard the cry of his oppressed people and brought them out of Egypt. So this confession emphasizes God's marvelous involvement in every turn of their history. As a proper response, the people tithe, offer the first fruits, and confess the wondrous ways their God cared for them and brought them to this land of "milk and honey."
New Testament Lesson
Romans 10:8b-13
First Christian Creed
First we have attention to the response of the heart and an inward certainty that God did save us through the Christ. Then verses 9 and 10 issues in the confidence of the Lordship of the Christ. It is only after this we can move toward right living.
Verse 11 is a quotation of Isaiah 28:16 and tells us that our faith is founded in God's mercy and is unlimited. Faith makes us equal. Verse 12's use of "Lord" means Christ.
Verse 9 and 10 give us the foundation for the first Christian creed. William Barclay states these three things are necessary: 1) a person must say Jesus Christ is Lord, 2) a person must believe that Jesus is risen from the dead, and 3) a person must not only believe in his/her heart; he/she must confess with his/her lips. "Christianity is belief, plus confession." Now that will preach.
The Gospel
Luke 4:1-13
The Temptation Of Jesus
These experiences in the "wilderness" follow right after Jesus' baptism by John in the Jordan. Perhaps they can best be described as Jesus, after becoming convinced at his baptism of who he was and that he had a very special mission and ministry to carry out, now needed to retreat to the wilderness to figure out what that ministry ought to be like.
He was tempted to make it a ministry of political power (v. 6).
He was tempted to make it a ministry of fantastic feats for his own glory (v. 9).
And we must remember these were not just one time temptations. These Jesus faced over and over and over his entire ministry. Notice verse 13, "... until an opportune time."
One more thought. Could it be that this "wilderness" was a nickname for the Qumran community into which John may have been baptizing folks, including his cousin? And that Jesus retreated to Qumran to read the Old Testament scrolls in order to figure out his mission thus being tempted to do these various styles of ministry? A few scholars would say so. I lean that way as well.
Preaching Possibilities
A. I doubt we can get by without preaching on the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness; but, all three readings this First Sunday in Lent are strong and will stand alone. I really like the Deuteronomy possibilities. We can emphasize tithing, first fruit giving, and confessing God's faithfulness. It is a great opportunity to talk about stewardship of 1) our money, 2) our natural resources, and 3) God's love for us.
B. The Second Reading is a chance to talk about creeds: Paul's (v. 9), the church's (apostles), and our own (often more lived out than spoken). Also, this Romans passage is easily organized into a three-point sermon:
1. Our lips often reveal what we believe in our heart (v. 8b).
2. It is essential to believe Jesus is Lord and God raised Jesus from the dead (v. 9).
3. The old distinction between Jew and Greek no longer applies. God saves all who ask (v. 12).
C. We could use all three considering the person writing the message.
1. Moses lays down some rules to live by when God gives us promised land: tithing, first fruits giving, and confession of God's greatness.
2. Paul tells us who is saved: those who confess Jesus as Lord and that God raised him from the dead.
3. Luke wants us to know that even Jesus was tempted -- so are we.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
A. Begin by reminding your hearers what happened just before today's gospel story. Jesus was baptized and it became clear to him he had a special ministry to carry out because he was no less than God's own son.
B. Move to today's text stating now that he had his "ordination" into ministry these temptations were part of his figuring out how that ministry should shape itself. There were three shapes it shouldn't take:
1. Using his divinity as a miracle worker caring most for himself.
2. Using his divinity for political power and gain.
3. Using his divinity for spectacular stunts and calling attention to himself.
C. Move to considering the positive forms Jesus' ministry did take on:
1. A ministry of servanthood and loving the unlovely.
2. A ministry of modeling how the person of God ought to live here on earth.
3. A ministry of humility and self-sacrifice for others.
4. A ministry of following God's will and going to the cross for others' sins.
D. Move to story telling using one of the stories below.
E. Move to your own ideas about what this Gospel says to us about our congregation's activities and observance of Lent this year.
1. We ought to do a ministry of servanthood in our community. Big Brother, feed the hungry, and so on.
2. We ought to live differently than the rest of the world, modeling how God wants us to love each other.
3. At least these forty days of Lent we ought to find a way of sacrifice for church and others.
4. Our worship ought to be frequent and our devotion intense, admitting our sins and celebrating our cross-provided forgiveness.
F. Move to a kicker telling of the fact even Jesus was tempted! So we can expect temptation, too. And we can expect Jesus to understand when we are tempted and to be willing to help us resist.
G. Frame your sermon in the terms of a new season of the church year called Lent. After his baptism Jesus had his forty days, and now so shall we have ours.
Prayer For The Day
Help us in this holy season of Lent, dear Holy Parent, to resist temptation like Jesus did and to ask for your forgiveness when we don't resist as we should. We would make this holy season one of special devotion and sacrifice. Please show us the way to do it in our busy secular culture in which we now live. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
In the construction of Park Place, a seventeen-story apartment complex, I noticed there was a man standing on the top of the structure relaying the instructions from the ground to the man operating the crane. A pastor sometimes has the awesome responsibility of relaying a person's message to God through prayer and also confession.
At the Jack and Jill supermarket where I asked for a copy of The National Enquirer, the woman at the checkout counter said, "Father, you don't want to read that kind of smut!" I wanted the paper to see the account of Roger Williams' wedding in which I had participated. Look at this double standard. We clergy must live up to those high standards but also encourage the laity to do the same.
In order to install cable for television in a trench, the utility company has to come out and mark where electric, gas, and telephone wires are buried. They use little red flags; the trench for the cable can then be dug. As we mature as Christians, we need to mark where the power for our lives is, as well as the dangers.
In the movie Schindler's List, Schindler is on the balcony of the home of the commandant of a prison camp where for sport the commandant would shoot prisoners walking in the prison yard. Schindler said to him, "Real power is when you have the power to shoot them if you want to, but you do not." When we have the power to get even and do not is when God's power of love and forgiveness is most real.
