Proper 17
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
The church year theological clue
The second half of Pentecost really begins on this Sunday; it comprises one quarter of the year and provides a neat division for those who plan their preaching on a quarterly basis. It is, or ought to be, the season of anticipation for the return of the Lord and the completion of his earthly mission, a time when the church lifts its prayer of Maranatha, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come, quickly!" Although the church celebrates every Sunday as "Little Easter," there is a sense in which the resurrection of the Lord was completed in the ascension, but from another perspective, Easter will not be completed until the Lord returns and the resurrection of the dead actually occurs. For now, the church waits, worships, and works in the knowledge that the living Lord reigns over heaven and earth, as well as the anticipation that Christ will come again, as he said he would. Worship and preaching during Pentecost, especially in the second half of Pentecost, occur within this kerygmatic and eschatological framework that is provided by the church year.
The Prayer of the Day
The collect included for this Sunday in the Book of Common Prayer is most appropriate for the second half of the Pentecost cycle/season. It is a reworking of a classic collect of the church:
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of the good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 15 (E, L); 15:2-5 (R) - This psalm has been called an "entry" psalm, sung by the pilgrims as they drew near to the temple. The same psalm was used on the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost) in Cycle C. In sharp contrast to Psalm 14, which spells out in graphic detail the character of people who are not acceptable to God, this psalm magnifies the type of pilgrim whom God receives as his own. Such a person lives a "blameless life," is honest and forthright, acts properly toward friends and neighbors, rejects wicked people and honors those who fear God, has sworn to do no wrong - and keeps his word - is sincere in his concern for the needy and generous to the poor. People who live this sort of life will always be acceptable to God; they can depend on him and his mercy. Here's where the Christian comes in, asking the same question that was on the lips of the pilgrims, "Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? Who may abide in your holy hill?" The answer: "Those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb," who love and obey the Lord, will be welcomed into the kingdom when the Lord returns to this world.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord Jesus, you first chose to live among us, and in returning to your father you made an eternal home for us. Help us walk blamelessly in your ways and bring us at last to your holy mountain, where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
The readings:
Deuteronomy 4:1-9 (E); 4:1-2, 6-8 (R, L)
In this prologue to the Deuteronomic law given to the Israelites by the Lord God, the people are commanded not to alter the law in any manner; it is holy, because it has come to them from God. They dare not add to it nor subtract anything from it; the law of God must be kept intact - and obeyed by the people of God. God also wants them to realize that theirs is a special privilege, and that they have a unique kind of law; theirs is a divinely-ordered law, not a law conceived and executed by human beings. That is why they, who appreciate this privilege, will comprehend God's reason for prohibiting them from changing the law at all. The laws of human beings may be altered, even discarded, but the law of God is perfect and permanent and, as such, must be respected and appreciated by God's people.
1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 (C)
These are the last words of David to his son, Solomon, who was to succeed him on the throne in Jerusalem. David knew he was about to die - and he was ready for death. But before he died, he wanted to make certain that Solomon was prepared to ascend the throne and to serve God and the people. Hence, he makes no sentimental speeches about his love for Solomon, no word of despair that life is about to end, rather he instructs Solomon and charges him to be aware of his divine-appointment by God. His is not a humanly devised office, but he will become king in accordance with the will of God, not human beings. He is to live and rule in a manner fitting for a God-appointed monarch. He is to respect and obey the law of God, keep his commandments and the ordinances of the law, and his reign will prosper and flourish. In short, he is to live as David was supposed to live when he became king of God's people. David's line will be blessed, if his son hears this word and obeys it.
The last three verses of the reading tell of David's death and burial in the city of David, Jerusalem. He reigned forty years over Israel - seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. Solomon succeeded him as king, after he died.
Ephesians 6:10-20 (E, L, C)
Paul's final word to the congregation at Ephesus takes the shape of an exhortation to be strong and steadfast in the might of their Lord. He commands them to put on the armor that God gives to the faithful - truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Holy Spirit, and persistent prayer and supplication for the saints. He has proclaimed the Good News to them again, and these last words are spoken so that they might be faithful to their Lord, because they are now equipped to reject the claims of false prophets and enthusiasts, who have been corrupting the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls himself an "ambassador in chains," which is an indication that this is really Paul, not one of his disciples, writing to them.
James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 (R)
This is the original second reading in the Roman Catholic Ordo, which was accepted at first by the other liturgical churches and then changed to Ephesians 6:10-20 for, possibly several reasons: 1.) the practice of reading "little courses" of second readings during Pentecost might be one reason why Ephesians was appointed for this Sunday (Eight Sundays in a row draw their second readings from Ephesians); 2.) the importance of Ephesians over James (Lutherans recall that Martin Luther called James "an epistle of straw.") might be another reason for the change; 3.) this reading coordinates and supports the other readings - but not very well. However, the context of this reading speaks better to the contemporary situation in which Christians find themselves, which may be why the Roman Catholic Church has retained the James lesson for reasons of its own.
The reading speaks about "pure and undefiled religion" (a better "connection" to the Gospel than the first reading) in terms of response to the grace of God. This is no mere law-oriented lesson, which might influence people to believe that they earn their salvation by the good deeds they do; rather, it is clearly grace-oriented - "Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of light.... that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures." Obedience, in terms of living out one's faith, does not win salvation. It is the expression of one's faith in Jesus Christ and the evidence that one is a new creature in the Lord. On one hand, the Christian restrains his emotions and actions, and on the other hand, allows his compassion and charity to have free reign in one's relationships to others. It is not sufficient to hear the word; a true believer must also live in positive response to the living word, Jesus Christ.
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
The first part of this reading picks up, in a way, where the first reading left off; it speaks of the need to differentiate between the laws of God and the laws of human beings, especially the difference between divine law and human tradition. The Jews - and the Pharisees, in particular had (according to this situation and Jesus' teachings or the Hellenistic church, in the opinion of some scholars) corrupted the law by developing traditions (the ceremonial handwashing, in this instance, which changed its meaning) hence the quotation from Isaiah 29:13. This has been a problem for the Christian church, too, in the traditions that have accumulated over the centuries that tend to be venerated more than the Gospel of our Lord. Off and on for the past 500 years, for example, parts of the church have been discarding liturgical traditions that have little or no relationship to the pure Gospel in the hope that the true faith will be enhanced and supported by the Good News. This effort has intensified in the last quarter of a century, following Vatican II, involving most of the churches of Western Christendom.
In order to correct the teaching of the Pharisees, which had become very controversial, Jesus addressed the people, assuring them that ceremonially unwashed hands and even forbidden foods can corrupt people. People are corrupted by what is within the heart, not by what enters the body through the mouth. (That is not entirely true any longer. Hardly anything that is eaten today does not have the possibility of "corrupting" people! Read, for example, Health & Fitness Excellence: A Scientific Action Plan by Robert K. Cooper, for some shocking information about the contamination of the food available today.) But Jesus was talking about spiritual corruption, the corrupt intentions in human character that spill forth in relationships with others. Mark gives a list of such "evil things (that) come from within," quoting Jesus who added, "and they defile a man." Such evil does harm to other people and also, especially to the people who are actually corrupt "within," destroying their relationship to the God who created them.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 - "Bad Habits of the Heart."
Habits of the Heart was a best-seller several years ago and made quite an impact on people, inside and outside the church. That title could have been taken from Jesus' teaching to the people when he declared that it is what is in the human heart that corrupts people, not what they put into their mouths. "Evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness," according to Jesus, are the "bad habits of the heart." That list has been improved upon today, partially because human beings do not regard the law of God very highly, and some people believe that there really is no such thing as sin. There are no blacks and whites - no absolutes - in matters of morals and ethics. We live in a "grey" world, but not as far as God is concerned. How are we to deal with the "bad habits of the human heart?"
1. For one thing, Jesus gave no answer to this problem but what he said was an open declaration of war between the Pharisees and himself. "He called the people to himself" and proceeded to correct the traditional teachings of the Pharisees. He was asking for trouble, wasn't he? And, eventually, he got it.
2. Jesus created another problem for the people - he exposed them to themselves, to the condition of the human heart - sin - but he offered no cure for that condition. Why not? Well, the law couldn't do it; the law could only expose humanity's sinful posture. Something more was needed - a means of renewing the human heart, and that could only come after the cross, when, as James S. Stewart said, "The heart of God was laid bare."
3. Jesus' death on the cross was God's way of dealing with sin and reconciling people to himself, but it is also God's way of dealing with the condition of the human heart. Jesus' death at Calvary would be incomplete were it only a means to deal with sin and death. If that's all God wanted to accomplish, the resurrection would have been unnecessary. The resurrection of our Lord not only delivers us from sin and death, but it also makes new creatures of us - through baptism.
4. The trouble is the bad habits of the heart are never completely banished and eliminated; they have a way of returning and taking over again. But God helps us deal with them through a cycle of repentance and resurrection - a new and daily habit that enables us to battle the evil in our hearts and live through his grace, to bottle it up and put it away by allowing the living Lord to dwell within us. He puts new thoughts - through Word and worship - into our hearts and minds. He dwells in us himself!
5. God really has made us into new creatures. In light of the cross and empty tomb, he has dealt with the bad habits of the human heart.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 (R, L); 4:1-9 (E) - "Do-It-Yourself Religion."
1. That's what God wanted to avoid when he gave his law to the people of Israel - and to the world, as well. God knew that human beings would want to alter or eliminate the law and find ways of getting around it. God's law is holy and immutable.
2. It is also timeless. It is meant for all generations of people - and people of every age have sought and found ways to get around it. The genius of this age is that it has been reduced so much that there is little or nothing left of it. We have discovered all sorts of ways to rationalize our attitudes toward God and our behavior in his world. From God's perspective, the law is timeless, but from ours it just isn't timely and useful.
3. And so, the Gospel makes little impact on us. If there is no sin, or sin is so inexact, there is little need for the Gospel of our Lord. That's what happens when we shape our own religion, and when we develop traditions which tend to weaken or destroy the law. But the law still is critical and the lesson we have to learn is not to tamper with it, or we are in danger of losing the Gospel, salvation, and our Lord.
4. Do-it-yourself religion can't work salvation and deliverance from death and the Devil, but "the word God sent" - Jesus Christ - offers a made-by-God religion that is valid for all people and for all time.
1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 (C) - "The Last Gift."
1. David, about to die - and knowing it - had the strength to make one last gift to Solomon, his son. He used his last bit of breath to make a short speech to Solomon, urging him to be faithful to God, to revere him and obey his commandments. This was to be the foundation of his rule as King of Israel.
2. Through this speech, David demonstrated his love for the Lord and his understanding that his reign has lasted (forty years, no less) so long. He had not been the perfect servant of God - and he knew it - but he also knew that his reign, and Solomon's, too, were ordained by God, a God who would cause the kingdom to prosper.
3. David died in peace and he was buried in the city that has always been known as the City of David. His reign was ended, completed at last, not merely in death, but in the way he died, still serving and speaking for the Lord. Like it or not, a Christian's work is not completed until he/she completes the course that life has laid out for him. There is always one last gift to give.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Ephesians 6:10-20 (E, L, C) - "Strong Christians."
1. Christians are strong, because their strength is in the Lord, not in themselves. They have put on the "whole armor of God." The living God is the source of their strength.
2. They are strong, because they know what they are up against in life - and that they cannot be faithful to the Lord and useful servants in his kingdom without the strength that only he can give.
3. Christians maintain their strength by responding to the Holy Spirit and the Word, and by keeping close to their Lord through prayer and worship.
4. Strong Christians are able to be concerned about others, not just about themselves, and to pray ceaselessly for others and work for their welfare and care in the name of their Lord.
James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 (R) - "Basic Christianity."
That is what James is interested in putting before his readers in a kind of exhortation to ethical obedience, which is based upon the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He believes that those who have been baptized into the faith are the beneficiaries of God's grace in Jesus and the "first fruits of (God's) creatures." Christians should:
1. Hear the Word and receive it with thanksgiving, and understanding it as the Word of life and truth that only comes to people as a gracious gift of a loving and merciful God. Hearing the Word is fundamental to being a Christian and a child of God. It means participating in worship, in prayer, and in devotions.
2. Live in obedience to the Lord as recipients of new life in Jesus Christ. That means avoiding "vain religion," as James calls the faith of those who are insensitive to the needs of others, or are downright immoral and unethical.
An Episcopalian priest taught me at the beginning of my ministry, the importance of being sensitive to human misery or need. In typical Episcopalian fashion, he always ended his prayers at dinner or similar occasions, with, "and make us mindful of the needs of others."
3. Basic Christianity begins with love for, and worship of, God - but it continues with works of love and mercy, done in the name of Jesus Christ among those who are in need of anything here in the world. Basic Christianity of this sort qualifies, therefore, as the "pure and undefiled religion" that is acceptable to God and helpful to human beings.
The second half of Pentecost really begins on this Sunday; it comprises one quarter of the year and provides a neat division for those who plan their preaching on a quarterly basis. It is, or ought to be, the season of anticipation for the return of the Lord and the completion of his earthly mission, a time when the church lifts its prayer of Maranatha, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come, quickly!" Although the church celebrates every Sunday as "Little Easter," there is a sense in which the resurrection of the Lord was completed in the ascension, but from another perspective, Easter will not be completed until the Lord returns and the resurrection of the dead actually occurs. For now, the church waits, worships, and works in the knowledge that the living Lord reigns over heaven and earth, as well as the anticipation that Christ will come again, as he said he would. Worship and preaching during Pentecost, especially in the second half of Pentecost, occur within this kerygmatic and eschatological framework that is provided by the church year.
The Prayer of the Day
The collect included for this Sunday in the Book of Common Prayer is most appropriate for the second half of the Pentecost cycle/season. It is a reworking of a classic collect of the church:
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of the good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 15 (E, L); 15:2-5 (R) - This psalm has been called an "entry" psalm, sung by the pilgrims as they drew near to the temple. The same psalm was used on the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Ninth Sunday after Pentecost) in Cycle C. In sharp contrast to Psalm 14, which spells out in graphic detail the character of people who are not acceptable to God, this psalm magnifies the type of pilgrim whom God receives as his own. Such a person lives a "blameless life," is honest and forthright, acts properly toward friends and neighbors, rejects wicked people and honors those who fear God, has sworn to do no wrong - and keeps his word - is sincere in his concern for the needy and generous to the poor. People who live this sort of life will always be acceptable to God; they can depend on him and his mercy. Here's where the Christian comes in, asking the same question that was on the lips of the pilgrims, "Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? Who may abide in your holy hill?" The answer: "Those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb," who love and obey the Lord, will be welcomed into the kingdom when the Lord returns to this world.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord Jesus, you first chose to live among us, and in returning to your father you made an eternal home for us. Help us walk blamelessly in your ways and bring us at last to your holy mountain, where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
The readings:
Deuteronomy 4:1-9 (E); 4:1-2, 6-8 (R, L)
In this prologue to the Deuteronomic law given to the Israelites by the Lord God, the people are commanded not to alter the law in any manner; it is holy, because it has come to them from God. They dare not add to it nor subtract anything from it; the law of God must be kept intact - and obeyed by the people of God. God also wants them to realize that theirs is a special privilege, and that they have a unique kind of law; theirs is a divinely-ordered law, not a law conceived and executed by human beings. That is why they, who appreciate this privilege, will comprehend God's reason for prohibiting them from changing the law at all. The laws of human beings may be altered, even discarded, but the law of God is perfect and permanent and, as such, must be respected and appreciated by God's people.
1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 (C)
These are the last words of David to his son, Solomon, who was to succeed him on the throne in Jerusalem. David knew he was about to die - and he was ready for death. But before he died, he wanted to make certain that Solomon was prepared to ascend the throne and to serve God and the people. Hence, he makes no sentimental speeches about his love for Solomon, no word of despair that life is about to end, rather he instructs Solomon and charges him to be aware of his divine-appointment by God. His is not a humanly devised office, but he will become king in accordance with the will of God, not human beings. He is to live and rule in a manner fitting for a God-appointed monarch. He is to respect and obey the law of God, keep his commandments and the ordinances of the law, and his reign will prosper and flourish. In short, he is to live as David was supposed to live when he became king of God's people. David's line will be blessed, if his son hears this word and obeys it.
The last three verses of the reading tell of David's death and burial in the city of David, Jerusalem. He reigned forty years over Israel - seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. Solomon succeeded him as king, after he died.
Ephesians 6:10-20 (E, L, C)
Paul's final word to the congregation at Ephesus takes the shape of an exhortation to be strong and steadfast in the might of their Lord. He commands them to put on the armor that God gives to the faithful - truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Holy Spirit, and persistent prayer and supplication for the saints. He has proclaimed the Good News to them again, and these last words are spoken so that they might be faithful to their Lord, because they are now equipped to reject the claims of false prophets and enthusiasts, who have been corrupting the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls himself an "ambassador in chains," which is an indication that this is really Paul, not one of his disciples, writing to them.
James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 (R)
This is the original second reading in the Roman Catholic Ordo, which was accepted at first by the other liturgical churches and then changed to Ephesians 6:10-20 for, possibly several reasons: 1.) the practice of reading "little courses" of second readings during Pentecost might be one reason why Ephesians was appointed for this Sunday (Eight Sundays in a row draw their second readings from Ephesians); 2.) the importance of Ephesians over James (Lutherans recall that Martin Luther called James "an epistle of straw.") might be another reason for the change; 3.) this reading coordinates and supports the other readings - but not very well. However, the context of this reading speaks better to the contemporary situation in which Christians find themselves, which may be why the Roman Catholic Church has retained the James lesson for reasons of its own.
The reading speaks about "pure and undefiled religion" (a better "connection" to the Gospel than the first reading) in terms of response to the grace of God. This is no mere law-oriented lesson, which might influence people to believe that they earn their salvation by the good deeds they do; rather, it is clearly grace-oriented - "Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of light.... that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures." Obedience, in terms of living out one's faith, does not win salvation. It is the expression of one's faith in Jesus Christ and the evidence that one is a new creature in the Lord. On one hand, the Christian restrains his emotions and actions, and on the other hand, allows his compassion and charity to have free reign in one's relationships to others. It is not sufficient to hear the word; a true believer must also live in positive response to the living word, Jesus Christ.
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
The first part of this reading picks up, in a way, where the first reading left off; it speaks of the need to differentiate between the laws of God and the laws of human beings, especially the difference between divine law and human tradition. The Jews - and the Pharisees, in particular had (according to this situation and Jesus' teachings or the Hellenistic church, in the opinion of some scholars) corrupted the law by developing traditions (the ceremonial handwashing, in this instance, which changed its meaning) hence the quotation from Isaiah 29:13. This has been a problem for the Christian church, too, in the traditions that have accumulated over the centuries that tend to be venerated more than the Gospel of our Lord. Off and on for the past 500 years, for example, parts of the church have been discarding liturgical traditions that have little or no relationship to the pure Gospel in the hope that the true faith will be enhanced and supported by the Good News. This effort has intensified in the last quarter of a century, following Vatican II, involving most of the churches of Western Christendom.
In order to correct the teaching of the Pharisees, which had become very controversial, Jesus addressed the people, assuring them that ceremonially unwashed hands and even forbidden foods can corrupt people. People are corrupted by what is within the heart, not by what enters the body through the mouth. (That is not entirely true any longer. Hardly anything that is eaten today does not have the possibility of "corrupting" people! Read, for example, Health & Fitness Excellence: A Scientific Action Plan by Robert K. Cooper, for some shocking information about the contamination of the food available today.) But Jesus was talking about spiritual corruption, the corrupt intentions in human character that spill forth in relationships with others. Mark gives a list of such "evil things (that) come from within," quoting Jesus who added, "and they defile a man." Such evil does harm to other people and also, especially to the people who are actually corrupt "within," destroying their relationship to the God who created them.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 - "Bad Habits of the Heart."
Habits of the Heart was a best-seller several years ago and made quite an impact on people, inside and outside the church. That title could have been taken from Jesus' teaching to the people when he declared that it is what is in the human heart that corrupts people, not what they put into their mouths. "Evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness," according to Jesus, are the "bad habits of the heart." That list has been improved upon today, partially because human beings do not regard the law of God very highly, and some people believe that there really is no such thing as sin. There are no blacks and whites - no absolutes - in matters of morals and ethics. We live in a "grey" world, but not as far as God is concerned. How are we to deal with the "bad habits of the human heart?"
1. For one thing, Jesus gave no answer to this problem but what he said was an open declaration of war between the Pharisees and himself. "He called the people to himself" and proceeded to correct the traditional teachings of the Pharisees. He was asking for trouble, wasn't he? And, eventually, he got it.
2. Jesus created another problem for the people - he exposed them to themselves, to the condition of the human heart - sin - but he offered no cure for that condition. Why not? Well, the law couldn't do it; the law could only expose humanity's sinful posture. Something more was needed - a means of renewing the human heart, and that could only come after the cross, when, as James S. Stewart said, "The heart of God was laid bare."
3. Jesus' death on the cross was God's way of dealing with sin and reconciling people to himself, but it is also God's way of dealing with the condition of the human heart. Jesus' death at Calvary would be incomplete were it only a means to deal with sin and death. If that's all God wanted to accomplish, the resurrection would have been unnecessary. The resurrection of our Lord not only delivers us from sin and death, but it also makes new creatures of us - through baptism.
4. The trouble is the bad habits of the heart are never completely banished and eliminated; they have a way of returning and taking over again. But God helps us deal with them through a cycle of repentance and resurrection - a new and daily habit that enables us to battle the evil in our hearts and live through his grace, to bottle it up and put it away by allowing the living Lord to dwell within us. He puts new thoughts - through Word and worship - into our hearts and minds. He dwells in us himself!
5. God really has made us into new creatures. In light of the cross and empty tomb, he has dealt with the bad habits of the human heart.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 (R, L); 4:1-9 (E) - "Do-It-Yourself Religion."
1. That's what God wanted to avoid when he gave his law to the people of Israel - and to the world, as well. God knew that human beings would want to alter or eliminate the law and find ways of getting around it. God's law is holy and immutable.
2. It is also timeless. It is meant for all generations of people - and people of every age have sought and found ways to get around it. The genius of this age is that it has been reduced so much that there is little or nothing left of it. We have discovered all sorts of ways to rationalize our attitudes toward God and our behavior in his world. From God's perspective, the law is timeless, but from ours it just isn't timely and useful.
3. And so, the Gospel makes little impact on us. If there is no sin, or sin is so inexact, there is little need for the Gospel of our Lord. That's what happens when we shape our own religion, and when we develop traditions which tend to weaken or destroy the law. But the law still is critical and the lesson we have to learn is not to tamper with it, or we are in danger of losing the Gospel, salvation, and our Lord.
4. Do-it-yourself religion can't work salvation and deliverance from death and the Devil, but "the word God sent" - Jesus Christ - offers a made-by-God religion that is valid for all people and for all time.
1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12 (C) - "The Last Gift."
1. David, about to die - and knowing it - had the strength to make one last gift to Solomon, his son. He used his last bit of breath to make a short speech to Solomon, urging him to be faithful to God, to revere him and obey his commandments. This was to be the foundation of his rule as King of Israel.
2. Through this speech, David demonstrated his love for the Lord and his understanding that his reign has lasted (forty years, no less) so long. He had not been the perfect servant of God - and he knew it - but he also knew that his reign, and Solomon's, too, were ordained by God, a God who would cause the kingdom to prosper.
3. David died in peace and he was buried in the city that has always been known as the City of David. His reign was ended, completed at last, not merely in death, but in the way he died, still serving and speaking for the Lord. Like it or not, a Christian's work is not completed until he/she completes the course that life has laid out for him. There is always one last gift to give.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Ephesians 6:10-20 (E, L, C) - "Strong Christians."
1. Christians are strong, because their strength is in the Lord, not in themselves. They have put on the "whole armor of God." The living God is the source of their strength.
2. They are strong, because they know what they are up against in life - and that they cannot be faithful to the Lord and useful servants in his kingdom without the strength that only he can give.
3. Christians maintain their strength by responding to the Holy Spirit and the Word, and by keeping close to their Lord through prayer and worship.
4. Strong Christians are able to be concerned about others, not just about themselves, and to pray ceaselessly for others and work for their welfare and care in the name of their Lord.
James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 (R) - "Basic Christianity."
That is what James is interested in putting before his readers in a kind of exhortation to ethical obedience, which is based upon the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He believes that those who have been baptized into the faith are the beneficiaries of God's grace in Jesus and the "first fruits of (God's) creatures." Christians should:
1. Hear the Word and receive it with thanksgiving, and understanding it as the Word of life and truth that only comes to people as a gracious gift of a loving and merciful God. Hearing the Word is fundamental to being a Christian and a child of God. It means participating in worship, in prayer, and in devotions.
2. Live in obedience to the Lord as recipients of new life in Jesus Christ. That means avoiding "vain religion," as James calls the faith of those who are insensitive to the needs of others, or are downright immoral and unethical.
An Episcopalian priest taught me at the beginning of my ministry, the importance of being sensitive to human misery or need. In typical Episcopalian fashion, he always ended his prayers at dinner or similar occasions, with, "and make us mindful of the needs of others."
3. Basic Christianity begins with love for, and worship of, God - but it continues with works of love and mercy, done in the name of Jesus Christ among those who are in need of anything here in the world. Basic Christianity of this sort qualifies, therefore, as the "pure and undefiled religion" that is acceptable to God and helpful to human beings.
