Proper 18
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, SERIES II
for use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Comments on the Lessons
In the first reading Ezekiel is called by God to be Israel's watchman, to warn Israel against wickedness. The Proverbs passage praises wisdom and the knowledge of God. The reading from Wisdom is also a praise of Wisdom, which is granted by God. The Philemon passage contains part of a personal letter from Paul to Philemon, concerning an escaped slave Paul has converted and sent back to his owner. Philemon is urged to receive Onesimus as a Christian brother. In the passage from Luke, Jesus sets forth the conditions of discipleship, warning the multitudes of the radical obedience that is demanded and the careful planning needed.
Commentary
Ezekiel 33:1-11 (C)
Our pericope overlaps two sections of chapter 33. (1) Verses 1-9 deal with the responsibility of Ezekiel as watchman. (2) Verses 10-11 deal with the responsibility of the individual and the fairness of God's ways of dealing with his people.
Chapter 33 begins a new section of the book. Here are mainly prophecies of restoration, probably added by the editor. In these chapters (33-39) some scholars think there is little that can actually be credited to Ezekiel himself.
Compare verses 1-9 to Ezekiel 3:16-21, verses which contain the same message. Note that verses 7-9 repeat 3:17-19. The whole passage belongs in the earlier context, which comes soon after Ezekiel's call. Consider the importance of verses 2-6 for an understanding of this as a parable showing how Ezekiel came to understand his mission.
The main thrust of the passage is the responsibility of the prophet as Israel's watchman, called to announce the Word of God. If the watchman does not carry out this responsibility, he is accountable for the death of the wicked. Understand that verses 1-6 present the responsibility of the watchman, while verses 7-9 apply the principle to the prophet. Just as in time of war a negligent watchman would be court-martialed, so Ezekiel is under a threat of death if he is not faithful in warning the wicked. The coming death is that to be inflicted by the Chaldean army.
There are three important motifs here: sword, watchman, and trumpet. These are also found in other Old Testament books. Regarding bloodguiltiness in verse 4, see Genesis 4:10; 37:26, and other passages in Ezekiel such as 3:18.
Examine the legalistic mind expressed in verse 6. Note that ignorance is not excuse. Even though the wicked are not warned, nevertheless they are punished for their iniquity. Lack of knowledge is in itself a sin.
In verse 8 we have "O wicked man" which is omitted by one MS, the LXX and Syriac. The death referred to here is probably premature death. Compare it with the long life promised the righteous.
In verses 10-11, as in chapter 18, we have a saying of the common folk, one which the prophet answers. The chapter 18 saying about the fathers eating sour grapes which has set the children's teeth on edge concerns shirking responsibility for one's life under God. Here this saying in verse 10 expresses responsibility. But there is the message of despair: it is too late. The people ask, "How then can we live?" Then in verse 11 the prophet says it is never too late to turn to God and live. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but is willing to forgive the repentant sinner. This passage would have been as suitable for a time after the destruction of Jerusalem as before.
Proverbs 9:8-12 (L)
This section (vv. 7-12) appears to be a later addition and obscures the parallelism of verses 1-6 and 13-18.
These proverbs deal with scoffers and wise people. A scoffer is a person filled with arrogant self-assurance, someone who does not feel a need for learning or religion. " 'Scoffer' is the name of the proud, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride." (21:24) Note the pessimistic theme, that wisdom and knowledge always fall on deaf ears when the hearer is a scoffer or wicked person.
The section verses 7-12 separates two parables and relates to them only by the fact that it emphasises the contrast between Wisdom and Folly as an ongoing state. There are scoffers. There are wise people. Each way of life excludes the other. Once a person has selected one way, there is no further hope of conversion.
Note the warning that to reprove a scoffer is to incur that person's hatred. On the other hand, to reprove a wise person will move such a person to love you.
In verse 10 we have one of the major themes of Proverbs, one also found in 1:7: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge ..." This theme is here repeated as the teacher's discourses found in chapter 1-9 are concluded.
It appears that verse 11 is displaced and belongs after 8:17.
The fear of the Lord is an attitude of reverent obedience toward God. This is the first stage of knowledge. John Calvin taught that knowledge of God and knowledge of self go hand in hand.
In verse 12 we learn that responsibility for wisdom or folly lies with every person. "You are wise for yourself" has the meaning of "wisdom is yours."
Wisdom 9:13-18 (RC)
This is part of Solomon's prayer found in verses 1-18, and should be compared to chapter 7:7. By way of background, note in verse 1-2 the parallel use of "word" and "wisdom," which prepares for the identification of the two in New Testament Logos christology.
In verse 15 the comparison of the body with a tent of clay which weighs down the teeming mind is a Platonic thought, not Hebraic. The metaphor is biblical however. See Job 4: 19, and 2 Corinthians 4:7. Paul spells out the antithesis between body and spirit in Galatians 5:17, and Romans 7:14-25.
The passage begins by asking what person can know the intentions of God, or can divine the will of the Lord. The writer says that our reasoning is unsure and our intentions unstable. Since it is hard enough to work out what is on earth, and requires labor to know what is within our reach, how much more difficult it is to discover what is in the heavens.
God has granted wisdom. God has granted his Holy Spirit from above. This is the key to straightening out the paths of those on earth and teaching them what pleases God. Wisdom from God saves them. Wisdom is the source of universal order and is a gift from God. It cannot be earned.
Philemon 1-20 (C)
Philemon 1 (2-9) 10-21 (L)
Philemon 9-10, 12-17 (RC)
This is one of the most personal and tender letters in all of Scripture. Paul deals with a single issue: his concern to aid Onesimus, a runaway slave who belonged to Philemon, a resident of Colossae. Although it was written for a particular reason, this is more than merely a private letter. The opening and closing verses presuppose a Christian congregation, perhaps a "house church." It may be that Cobossians was written to the same congregation, at the same time, to strengthen the appeal of this letter. This is one of Paul's prison betters and consists of only one chapter. It has traditionally been dated about A.D. 59-62, written while Paul was in prison in Rome. Another hypothesis is that Paul was also in prison in Ephesus and that it was written from there about A.D. 54-56. The owner of Onesimus has generally been assumed to be Philemon, but some think the owner is Archippus. There is a remark in Colossians indicating that Onesimus is "one of yourselves." (4:9)
The letter gives us an insight into Paul's attitude toward slavery and the fact that it, like all human institutions, are part of a temporary world order which is passing away. Paul thought the last days were at hand and so the reform of social institutions would have seemed irrelevant. Slave labor was the foundation of the whole economic order of the Roman Empire. To have come out in favor of abolishing slavery openly would have hurt Paul's major efforts in mission work. But the Gospel he preached would support and eventually bring about the victory of the abolitionist cause. Even a slave's freedom was made concrete in the life of the Christian community, and Paul declared that all people could be baptized into Christ and into communion with other believers in Christ. (Galatians 3:27-28) Thus the book of Philemon points to the family status of all Christians. It shows how the Christian faith breaks down barriers, both in word and practice. Paul urges Philemon to receive Onesimus back as more than a slave, to receive him as a "beloved brother." (v. 16)
Our pericope can be outlined like this:
1. Salutation, verses 1-3
2. Thanksgiving, verse 4-7
3. Paul's appeal on Onesimus' behalf, verses 8-14
4. Relations in the Christian Family, verses 15-19
5. The future service of Onesimus, verses 20-22
Onesimus' name means "useful," but before becoming a Christian he did not measure up to his name. Now that he had met Paul and been converted this has changed. Paul hopes Philemon will receive him back as more than a slave, as a beloved brother, both in the flesh and in the Lord. Paul and Onesimus are like father and son (v. 10), and Philemon and Paul are like brothers. Therefore, since both Philemon and Onesimus are Christians, their relationship ought to be transformed. When a person is "in Christ," the person is bound to other Christians in ways that transcend race, class and position. This unity in Christ of which Paul speaks is often expressed in the word "koinonia," a Greek term meaning sharing, partnership, fellowship.
Paul urges Philemon to welcome Onesimus back, even as he would receive Paul himself, as a brother, free to come and go, in fact as a guest in Philemon's house. Paul writes that if Onesimus has wronged Philemon at all he should charge that to his (Paul's) account, and promises that he will repay it. But at the same time he reminds Philemon that he owes Paul even his own self, and says he wants some benefit from Philemon in the Lord. He ends our pericope with "Refresh my heart in Christ."
Luke 14:25-33
This passage deals with the conditions of discipleship. In verse 25 we have an editorial introduction to a new discourse, put together by Luke from originally independent materials. Jesus warns the great multitudes that follow him on the journey to Jerusalem concerning the conditions of discipleship.
The phrase "and does not hate" in verse 26 raises problems - until we interpret this as an oriental hyperbole and compare it with the parallel verse in Matthew 10:37. The later reflects Jesus' meaning: "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me ..." To "hate" in Jesus' use of the term does not mean what it means for us today. The semitic mind expressed ideas in extremes of light and darkness, truth and falsehood, love and hate. To say one "prefers this over that," "one would say, "I like this but hate that." The meaning is that one must hate families in the sense of giving them second place to love for Jesus. Luke adds "hate his own life," meaning that one must put God's Kingdom even above self.
In verse 27 we have a negative statement of a saying already given in 9:23b. The sight of criminals and slaves carrying their cross to the place of execution was a familiar one. But there is no reason to think this "bearing one's own cross" refers to voluntary martyrdom here even before Christians thought about the death of Christ. However, when Luke wrote this, both he and his readers would have thought about Jesus' crucifixion and the experiences of actual martyrs for the faith.
In verses 28-33 we have two parables, (1) the tower and (2) a king preparing for war. These were not told to discourage anyone from becoming a disciple, but rather to warn prospective disciples that following Jesus was the most important decision one could make. Both called for deliberation and intentional decision-making, much as a farmer would give to building a tower to guard his vineyard, or a king would give to planning an encounter with another king. A wise king would sit down with counselors and decide whether or not to go to battle, or to sue for peace - rather than risk the consequences of defeat.
No one can drift into the Kingdom, nor be swept into it on a flood of emotions. Notice that the parables have no apparent reference to renunciation. Still, Luke tries to impose this. The parables are more than a warning to count the cost of discipleship. They call prospective followers of Jesus to renounce all their possessions. (See also 12:33-34.)
Theological Reflection
The Ezekiel passage is concerned with the responsibility of a prophet to warn Israel, and with repentance of the wicked who turn to God. The theme of both Proverbs and Wisdom is the topic wisdom, and the value of it for those who choose wisdom. Proverbs tells us that the fear or awe of God is the beginning of wisdom. In Philemon Paul deals with the case of a runaway slave. He became a Christian and close associate of Paul's, but is now being sent back to Phibemon, his owner, to be received as a brother in Christ. Luke deals with the cost of discipleship, calling for a radical decision for Christ, and a careful counting of the cost before making the leap of trust in Christ.
Homiletical Moves
Ezekiel 33:1-11 (C)
Ezekiel, the Faithful Watchman
1. God calls Ezekiel to be a faithful watchman, to warn the wicked
2. The wicked are warned they will surely die
3. But the wicked who repent and turn to God will live
4. God calls us to turn from our sins and to repent and live in obedience to Christ
Proverbs 9:8-12 (L)
True Wisdom Begins With the Fear of God!
1. The person who corrects a scoffer gets abuse, and the one who reproves a wicked person incurs injury
2. But when you reprove a wise person that person will love you
3. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
4. The knowledge of the Holy One is insight
5. The person who finds wisdom and insight will have their days multiplied
Wisdom 9:13-18 (RC)
People Have Been Taught and Saved by Wisdom
1. Who can know God's intentions or will?
2. Our mortal body presses down the soul
3. It is hard enough for us to work out what is on earth, so who can discover what is in heaven?
4. God grants Wisdom and his Holy Spirit from above
5. Let us accept these gifts so that our paths on earth may be straightened and we may be taught what pleases God
6. Thus, we may be saved by Wisdom
Philemon 1-20 (C)
Philemon 1 (2-9) 10-21 (L)
Philemon 9-10, 12-17 (RC)
Receive Onesimus As You Would Me, Says Paul
1. Paul appeals to Philemon on Onesimus' behalf, and sends him back to his owner
2. Receive him no longer as a slave but as a beloved brother even as you would receive me, says Paul
3. Charge any wrongs he has done to my account, says Paul, but remember that you, Philemon, owe me even your own life
4. We who were slaves to sin have been set free by Christ's death, so that we might live as children of God, breaking down barriers of race, class and position in the Christian fellowship
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 14:25-33
Count the Cost of Discipleship
1. If anyone would follow Christ, he or she must put Christ before family or even one's own life
2. Whoever does not bear his or her own cross cannot be Christ's disciple
3. Take heed of the person who builds a tower or the king who strategizes before going to battle, and so count the cost of discipleship
4. Whoever does not renounce all that she or he has cannot be Jesus' disciple
Hymn for Proper 18: Take Up Thy Cross, the Saviour Said or
How Firm a Foundation
Prayer
O God, who has called us to be your people, forgive our foolish ways. Forgive us when we have been scoffers and arrogant, refusing the gift of Wisdom and insight. Guide us by your spirit to follow Christ, counting the cost of discipleship. May we have the courage to take up our cross and follow him, who died on the Cross for us. Enable us to forsake all that claims our first loyalty, and to love Christ more than anyone or anything else. May we renounce all that we have and follow him. Amen
In the first reading Ezekiel is called by God to be Israel's watchman, to warn Israel against wickedness. The Proverbs passage praises wisdom and the knowledge of God. The reading from Wisdom is also a praise of Wisdom, which is granted by God. The Philemon passage contains part of a personal letter from Paul to Philemon, concerning an escaped slave Paul has converted and sent back to his owner. Philemon is urged to receive Onesimus as a Christian brother. In the passage from Luke, Jesus sets forth the conditions of discipleship, warning the multitudes of the radical obedience that is demanded and the careful planning needed.
Commentary
Ezekiel 33:1-11 (C)
Our pericope overlaps two sections of chapter 33. (1) Verses 1-9 deal with the responsibility of Ezekiel as watchman. (2) Verses 10-11 deal with the responsibility of the individual and the fairness of God's ways of dealing with his people.
Chapter 33 begins a new section of the book. Here are mainly prophecies of restoration, probably added by the editor. In these chapters (33-39) some scholars think there is little that can actually be credited to Ezekiel himself.
Compare verses 1-9 to Ezekiel 3:16-21, verses which contain the same message. Note that verses 7-9 repeat 3:17-19. The whole passage belongs in the earlier context, which comes soon after Ezekiel's call. Consider the importance of verses 2-6 for an understanding of this as a parable showing how Ezekiel came to understand his mission.
The main thrust of the passage is the responsibility of the prophet as Israel's watchman, called to announce the Word of God. If the watchman does not carry out this responsibility, he is accountable for the death of the wicked. Understand that verses 1-6 present the responsibility of the watchman, while verses 7-9 apply the principle to the prophet. Just as in time of war a negligent watchman would be court-martialed, so Ezekiel is under a threat of death if he is not faithful in warning the wicked. The coming death is that to be inflicted by the Chaldean army.
There are three important motifs here: sword, watchman, and trumpet. These are also found in other Old Testament books. Regarding bloodguiltiness in verse 4, see Genesis 4:10; 37:26, and other passages in Ezekiel such as 3:18.
Examine the legalistic mind expressed in verse 6. Note that ignorance is not excuse. Even though the wicked are not warned, nevertheless they are punished for their iniquity. Lack of knowledge is in itself a sin.
In verse 8 we have "O wicked man" which is omitted by one MS, the LXX and Syriac. The death referred to here is probably premature death. Compare it with the long life promised the righteous.
In verses 10-11, as in chapter 18, we have a saying of the common folk, one which the prophet answers. The chapter 18 saying about the fathers eating sour grapes which has set the children's teeth on edge concerns shirking responsibility for one's life under God. Here this saying in verse 10 expresses responsibility. But there is the message of despair: it is too late. The people ask, "How then can we live?" Then in verse 11 the prophet says it is never too late to turn to God and live. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but is willing to forgive the repentant sinner. This passage would have been as suitable for a time after the destruction of Jerusalem as before.
Proverbs 9:8-12 (L)
This section (vv. 7-12) appears to be a later addition and obscures the parallelism of verses 1-6 and 13-18.
These proverbs deal with scoffers and wise people. A scoffer is a person filled with arrogant self-assurance, someone who does not feel a need for learning or religion. " 'Scoffer' is the name of the proud, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride." (21:24) Note the pessimistic theme, that wisdom and knowledge always fall on deaf ears when the hearer is a scoffer or wicked person.
The section verses 7-12 separates two parables and relates to them only by the fact that it emphasises the contrast between Wisdom and Folly as an ongoing state. There are scoffers. There are wise people. Each way of life excludes the other. Once a person has selected one way, there is no further hope of conversion.
Note the warning that to reprove a scoffer is to incur that person's hatred. On the other hand, to reprove a wise person will move such a person to love you.
In verse 10 we have one of the major themes of Proverbs, one also found in 1:7: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge ..." This theme is here repeated as the teacher's discourses found in chapter 1-9 are concluded.
It appears that verse 11 is displaced and belongs after 8:17.
The fear of the Lord is an attitude of reverent obedience toward God. This is the first stage of knowledge. John Calvin taught that knowledge of God and knowledge of self go hand in hand.
In verse 12 we learn that responsibility for wisdom or folly lies with every person. "You are wise for yourself" has the meaning of "wisdom is yours."
Wisdom 9:13-18 (RC)
This is part of Solomon's prayer found in verses 1-18, and should be compared to chapter 7:7. By way of background, note in verse 1-2 the parallel use of "word" and "wisdom," which prepares for the identification of the two in New Testament Logos christology.
In verse 15 the comparison of the body with a tent of clay which weighs down the teeming mind is a Platonic thought, not Hebraic. The metaphor is biblical however. See Job 4: 19, and 2 Corinthians 4:7. Paul spells out the antithesis between body and spirit in Galatians 5:17, and Romans 7:14-25.
The passage begins by asking what person can know the intentions of God, or can divine the will of the Lord. The writer says that our reasoning is unsure and our intentions unstable. Since it is hard enough to work out what is on earth, and requires labor to know what is within our reach, how much more difficult it is to discover what is in the heavens.
God has granted wisdom. God has granted his Holy Spirit from above. This is the key to straightening out the paths of those on earth and teaching them what pleases God. Wisdom from God saves them. Wisdom is the source of universal order and is a gift from God. It cannot be earned.
Philemon 1-20 (C)
Philemon 1 (2-9) 10-21 (L)
Philemon 9-10, 12-17 (RC)
This is one of the most personal and tender letters in all of Scripture. Paul deals with a single issue: his concern to aid Onesimus, a runaway slave who belonged to Philemon, a resident of Colossae. Although it was written for a particular reason, this is more than merely a private letter. The opening and closing verses presuppose a Christian congregation, perhaps a "house church." It may be that Cobossians was written to the same congregation, at the same time, to strengthen the appeal of this letter. This is one of Paul's prison betters and consists of only one chapter. It has traditionally been dated about A.D. 59-62, written while Paul was in prison in Rome. Another hypothesis is that Paul was also in prison in Ephesus and that it was written from there about A.D. 54-56. The owner of Onesimus has generally been assumed to be Philemon, but some think the owner is Archippus. There is a remark in Colossians indicating that Onesimus is "one of yourselves." (4:9)
The letter gives us an insight into Paul's attitude toward slavery and the fact that it, like all human institutions, are part of a temporary world order which is passing away. Paul thought the last days were at hand and so the reform of social institutions would have seemed irrelevant. Slave labor was the foundation of the whole economic order of the Roman Empire. To have come out in favor of abolishing slavery openly would have hurt Paul's major efforts in mission work. But the Gospel he preached would support and eventually bring about the victory of the abolitionist cause. Even a slave's freedom was made concrete in the life of the Christian community, and Paul declared that all people could be baptized into Christ and into communion with other believers in Christ. (Galatians 3:27-28) Thus the book of Philemon points to the family status of all Christians. It shows how the Christian faith breaks down barriers, both in word and practice. Paul urges Philemon to receive Onesimus back as more than a slave, to receive him as a "beloved brother." (v. 16)
Our pericope can be outlined like this:
1. Salutation, verses 1-3
2. Thanksgiving, verse 4-7
3. Paul's appeal on Onesimus' behalf, verses 8-14
4. Relations in the Christian Family, verses 15-19
5. The future service of Onesimus, verses 20-22
Onesimus' name means "useful," but before becoming a Christian he did not measure up to his name. Now that he had met Paul and been converted this has changed. Paul hopes Philemon will receive him back as more than a slave, as a beloved brother, both in the flesh and in the Lord. Paul and Onesimus are like father and son (v. 10), and Philemon and Paul are like brothers. Therefore, since both Philemon and Onesimus are Christians, their relationship ought to be transformed. When a person is "in Christ," the person is bound to other Christians in ways that transcend race, class and position. This unity in Christ of which Paul speaks is often expressed in the word "koinonia," a Greek term meaning sharing, partnership, fellowship.
Paul urges Philemon to welcome Onesimus back, even as he would receive Paul himself, as a brother, free to come and go, in fact as a guest in Philemon's house. Paul writes that if Onesimus has wronged Philemon at all he should charge that to his (Paul's) account, and promises that he will repay it. But at the same time he reminds Philemon that he owes Paul even his own self, and says he wants some benefit from Philemon in the Lord. He ends our pericope with "Refresh my heart in Christ."
Luke 14:25-33
This passage deals with the conditions of discipleship. In verse 25 we have an editorial introduction to a new discourse, put together by Luke from originally independent materials. Jesus warns the great multitudes that follow him on the journey to Jerusalem concerning the conditions of discipleship.
The phrase "and does not hate" in verse 26 raises problems - until we interpret this as an oriental hyperbole and compare it with the parallel verse in Matthew 10:37. The later reflects Jesus' meaning: "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me ..." To "hate" in Jesus' use of the term does not mean what it means for us today. The semitic mind expressed ideas in extremes of light and darkness, truth and falsehood, love and hate. To say one "prefers this over that," "one would say, "I like this but hate that." The meaning is that one must hate families in the sense of giving them second place to love for Jesus. Luke adds "hate his own life," meaning that one must put God's Kingdom even above self.
In verse 27 we have a negative statement of a saying already given in 9:23b. The sight of criminals and slaves carrying their cross to the place of execution was a familiar one. But there is no reason to think this "bearing one's own cross" refers to voluntary martyrdom here even before Christians thought about the death of Christ. However, when Luke wrote this, both he and his readers would have thought about Jesus' crucifixion and the experiences of actual martyrs for the faith.
In verses 28-33 we have two parables, (1) the tower and (2) a king preparing for war. These were not told to discourage anyone from becoming a disciple, but rather to warn prospective disciples that following Jesus was the most important decision one could make. Both called for deliberation and intentional decision-making, much as a farmer would give to building a tower to guard his vineyard, or a king would give to planning an encounter with another king. A wise king would sit down with counselors and decide whether or not to go to battle, or to sue for peace - rather than risk the consequences of defeat.
No one can drift into the Kingdom, nor be swept into it on a flood of emotions. Notice that the parables have no apparent reference to renunciation. Still, Luke tries to impose this. The parables are more than a warning to count the cost of discipleship. They call prospective followers of Jesus to renounce all their possessions. (See also 12:33-34.)
Theological Reflection
The Ezekiel passage is concerned with the responsibility of a prophet to warn Israel, and with repentance of the wicked who turn to God. The theme of both Proverbs and Wisdom is the topic wisdom, and the value of it for those who choose wisdom. Proverbs tells us that the fear or awe of God is the beginning of wisdom. In Philemon Paul deals with the case of a runaway slave. He became a Christian and close associate of Paul's, but is now being sent back to Phibemon, his owner, to be received as a brother in Christ. Luke deals with the cost of discipleship, calling for a radical decision for Christ, and a careful counting of the cost before making the leap of trust in Christ.
Homiletical Moves
Ezekiel 33:1-11 (C)
Ezekiel, the Faithful Watchman
1. God calls Ezekiel to be a faithful watchman, to warn the wicked
2. The wicked are warned they will surely die
3. But the wicked who repent and turn to God will live
4. God calls us to turn from our sins and to repent and live in obedience to Christ
Proverbs 9:8-12 (L)
True Wisdom Begins With the Fear of God!
1. The person who corrects a scoffer gets abuse, and the one who reproves a wicked person incurs injury
2. But when you reprove a wise person that person will love you
3. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
4. The knowledge of the Holy One is insight
5. The person who finds wisdom and insight will have their days multiplied
Wisdom 9:13-18 (RC)
People Have Been Taught and Saved by Wisdom
1. Who can know God's intentions or will?
2. Our mortal body presses down the soul
3. It is hard enough for us to work out what is on earth, so who can discover what is in heaven?
4. God grants Wisdom and his Holy Spirit from above
5. Let us accept these gifts so that our paths on earth may be straightened and we may be taught what pleases God
6. Thus, we may be saved by Wisdom
Philemon 1-20 (C)
Philemon 1 (2-9) 10-21 (L)
Philemon 9-10, 12-17 (RC)
Receive Onesimus As You Would Me, Says Paul
1. Paul appeals to Philemon on Onesimus' behalf, and sends him back to his owner
2. Receive him no longer as a slave but as a beloved brother even as you would receive me, says Paul
3. Charge any wrongs he has done to my account, says Paul, but remember that you, Philemon, owe me even your own life
4. We who were slaves to sin have been set free by Christ's death, so that we might live as children of God, breaking down barriers of race, class and position in the Christian fellowship
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 14:25-33
Count the Cost of Discipleship
1. If anyone would follow Christ, he or she must put Christ before family or even one's own life
2. Whoever does not bear his or her own cross cannot be Christ's disciple
3. Take heed of the person who builds a tower or the king who strategizes before going to battle, and so count the cost of discipleship
4. Whoever does not renounce all that she or he has cannot be Jesus' disciple
Hymn for Proper 18: Take Up Thy Cross, the Saviour Said or
How Firm a Foundation
Prayer
O God, who has called us to be your people, forgive our foolish ways. Forgive us when we have been scoffers and arrogant, refusing the gift of Wisdom and insight. Guide us by your spirit to follow Christ, counting the cost of discipleship. May we have the courage to take up our cross and follow him, who died on the Cross for us. Enable us to forsake all that claims our first loyalty, and to love Christ more than anyone or anything else. May we renounce all that we have and follow him. Amen
