Proper 26
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
The "count" of the Sundays in this period of the year tells those initiated in the mysteries of the church year that it is approaching its conclusion. This, the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, is the last of the Sundays of Pentecost to be used with any frequency over the years; Easter has to occur in March in order for the number of Sundays in Pentecost to surpass 25, including Christ the King Sunday. One might begin Tennyson's In Memoriam on this Sunday - for the church, not the secular, year: "Ring out the old, ring in the new! Ring, happy bells, across the snow! The year is going. Let it go!"
But with the approaching end of the church year, one constant note is sounded by the Sunday celebration of the gospel: "Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!" Every Sunday of the year the gospel context also includes: "Christ has died. (Christ is risen.) Christ will come again." Thus, God's redeeming work in Jesus Christ programs the worship and preaching of the churches, reminding the preachers and other leaders that the gospel must be proclaimed every Sunday, even on those Sundays which have no definitive content of their own, as happens in the Sundays of the Pentecost cycle/season.
When the preacher is aware of the approaching end of the church year, he ought to tune in the sounds of the bells that remind him, as they "ring out the old" and "ring in the new," that the parousia theme will soon be broadcast to the world. So it is that as the end of Pentecost appears on the liturgical horizon, the "Sunday response" of the church to the gospel announcement of Jesus' resurrection grows even louder, "Christ will come again." And the faith of Christians generates hope in the gracious actions of a loving God. As Lord Tennyson put it: "Ring in the Christ that is to be."
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for this Sunday also reminds one of In Memoriam, with its "ring out, ring in" motif:
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land, (and then)
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
The collect reads: "Absolve, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy people from their offenses; that from the bonds of our sins which, by reason of frailty, we have brought upon us, we may be delivered by thy bountiful goodness; through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 32, or 32:1-8 (E) - Two portions of this psalm speak to the manifestation theme - Jesus' cleansing of the leper. One declares (vv. 7, 8): "Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble.... You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance." Later in verse 11, the psalmist says "Great are the tribulations of the wicked; but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord." The leper had begged Jesus on his knees, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." Jesus did.
Psalm 145 (L); 145:1-8 (RC) - Psalm 145 will be recognized by most regular church-goers: "Every day will I bless Thee and praise Thy name forever and ever" (v. 2), and again, "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised...." (v. 3), and verses 15 and 16 may be the most familiar, because they are often used by Christians of all denominations in their table prayers. "The eyes of all look to thee, and thou givest them their food in due season. Thou openest thy hand, thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing." The concluding verse is always appropriate: "My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever."
Psalm 65:1-8 (C) - This is a thanksgiving for an abundant crop of grain about to be harvested. It picks up the theme of the Old Testament reading that speaks of the Word of the Lord, what might be called "the seed of salvation," which will not return "empty" after it has been sown in the hearts of people. The Word of the Lord will grow and bear fruit, therefore the workers in the kingdom may rejoice and give thanks. The Lutheran usage includes the first part of the Psalm, which emphasizes that it is always proper for sinful creatures to give thanks to God for the salvation he gives to the creatures - in Christ, from the perspective of the church.
Psalm prayer (32 - LBW) - "Lord God, you desired to keep from us your wrath and so did not spare your holy servant Jesus Christ, who was wounded for our sins. We are your prodigal children, but we come back to you confessing our sins. Embrace us, that we may rejoice in your mercy together with your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Wisdom 11:22--12:1 - Although this reading speaks of God's omnipotence and omniscience, it was really selected because it also makes prominent mention of God's mercy and love for "all that exists." The writer declares, in the heart of the reading, "Yet you are merciful to all, because you can do all things and overlook men's sins so that they can repent." It is at this point that the reading "connects" with the Gospel for the Day, Luke 19, that details the story of Zaccheus' encounter with Jesus Christ. The author of Wisdom not only understood how to plan and write a book, but he also was versed in sound biblical theology, with a doctrine of God that finds its roots in God's creative and redemptive power. There is a clear conception of God's grace in this reading, which finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus' death and resurrection.
Isaiah 1:10-20 (E) - For some reason, this is the only occasion on which this part of Isaiah's vision is employed in any of the major lectionaries. The prophet calls for listening to and heeding the word of the Lord, declaring that the people should not depend upon bloody sacrifices and cold, ritualistic worship to gain God's grace. Isaiah calls for genuine repentance that begins with confession and cleansing and culminates in a new and better way of life: "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doing before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow." All of this reaches its climax in verse 18: "Come, now, let us reason together, says the Lord; though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." God's promise to the "willing and obedient" is that they shall "eat the good of the land." A note of judgment concludes this section, as God declares that unrepentant sinners "shall be devoured by the sword."
Exodus 34:5-9 (L) - This reading was chosen, not simply to tell the story of Moses cutting two tablets of stone - for a second time - and taking them, at the instructions of Yahweh, up Mt. Sinai, but to illustrate how the Old Testament parallels the New Testament in God's revelation of himself. Yahweh is the Lord, who revealed himself as Yahweh-Lord to Moses, and who creates in Moses' being a response of true worship and prayer in the presence of the Lord. The reading shows the God of grace, mercy, and love, who is known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Christian church.
Haggai 2:1-9 (C) - Since the first reading is meant to coordinate, or harmonize, with the Gospels for the Day throughout the year, this reading about the rebuilding of the temple after the Jews had returned from exile is a bit puzzling. Its relevance to the gospel emerges at verse three, "Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?" On one level, this speaks to Jesus' stopping under the Sycamore tree and calling Zaccheus down from it; he saw what Zaccheus had been, how far he had fallen from God's grace, along with the possibility for repentance and a return to godly living. On another level, it points to Jesus' comprehension of the human predicament, rebellion and sin, and the action he had to take, dying on a cross, to save the human race and reconcile people to God. Those who made this selection just had to have the "human house" - the predicament of humanity - in mind when they chose it for this Sunday.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12 (L); 1:1-5 (6-10), 11-12 (E); 1:5-12 (C); 1:11--2:2 (RC) -The four lectionaries are, at least, in agreement on the reading of 2 Thessalonians on this and the next two Sundays, but they do not agree on the verses that ought to be read. Paul's concern for the spiritual and theological welfare of the Thessalonian congregation is apparent in the development of chapter one; he wants them to comprehend the gospel and get their theology straight, rejecting any false teachers or counterfeit letters they may have received. But three of the four lectionaries end at verse 12; only the ORDO moves into chapter two, where the parousia is mentioned and the theological predicament of some - many? - of the Thessalonian Christians is catalogued. Paul's concern for the Thessalonian community finds a parallel in Jesus' concern for Zaccheus, and Jesus' "Zaccheus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." Through this letter, Paul visited the Thessalonian congregation.
Luke 19:1-10 (RC, E, L, C) - This familiar story which may, or may not, be based on an actual incident in Jesus' ministry, has all the ingredients necessary for describing the mission of Jesus and the impact of the gospel upon human beings. Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus - he had heard so much about him, his teachings, and his miracles - but he didn't know that Jesus wanted to see him! By climbing that sycamore tree and taking his perch among its branches, Zaccheus exposed himself to Christ's plane of vision and became vulnerable to Jesus' gaze and command. Just how Jesus came to know his name is not mentioned in the account, but that really is not too important. What is important is that Jesus actualized the full nature of his ministry in this incident; a repentant human being hears the blessing of Christ, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." How could the gospel be more visibly portrayed to his religious opponents than by eating and visiting with the most blatant of sinners? The love of God for his creatures becomes very evident to those who hear the story, and one begins to realize why Jesus had to die on a cross to complete his mission here on the earth.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 19:1-10 - "A Tree And A House." - Zaccheus knew enough about Jesus to want desperately to see him for himself. That's why he ran ahead of the crowd at Jericho; he couldn't see over the heads of people because he was so short. He climbed up into the branches of a sycamore tree, perched there where he could look down and satisfy his curiosity. The devout women of Rome, who attend the various ceremonies held in St. Peter's Basilica and are too short to see over the heads of those around them, have invented their own way to see what is going on in a religious service; they stand with their backs to the altar, take out their compacts, or other mirrors, and hold them up in the air as a kind of periscope. By looking up at their mirrors, moving them around from person to person as the liturgical actions develop, they are able to see quite well what is happening in St. Peter's. But Zaccheus had to climb a tree in order to see Jesus.
I have two memories of a visit to Jericho over two decades ago. First, I remember the empty concentration-like refugee camp that had once been occupied by the Palestinian Arabs. That grim scene caused me to wonder about the Israeli attitude toward the Palestinians. I have written about this before. Second, our driver, a Christian Palestinian named Moses, stopped the bus near a tree, got out of the bus and climbed the tree. It was a sycamore tree, and he wanted to demonstrate that the Zaccheus story could come to life. But there were problems; Zaccheus was short, but Moses was tall enough to see over many people in a crowd. Not only that, but he was big - rather fat - so that climbing the tree took an effort on his part, and when he got up into the branches, he seemed to be almost spread-eagled, as if it were necessary to distribute his weight on several limbs to prevent breakage and a fall. It was a rather ludicrous sight, but not entirely, because we all comprehended how Jesus couldn't have missed Zaccheus up in that tree. Moses was low enough that he was in plain view; we could see him just as Jesus was able to see Zaccheus.
When Jesus saw Zaccheus, he did a surprising thing; he stopped, called to him to come down, and told him that he would spend the day with him. That wasn't only surprising; it was also preposterous - anyone who claimed to be the promised Messiah should have known who he was and passed him by. But Jesus knew who Zaccheus was, how he had achieved his wealth, and that he wasn't fit company for a righteous person. That's what the gospel is all about. Jesus came to seek and to save sinners, and in that brief visit, Zaccheus knew that God has visited him and that he had to change his ways. The old life - all of it - had to go. It did, as his confession to Jesus reveals. He had received a gift - Jesus - which made him see God and his life from a new perspective and he immediately made amends for his actions. That's what repentance really is - a complete about turn in one's life. Zaccheus was not simply a sinner; he was a repentant sinner, and that was okay with Jesus.
"Today," Jesus said, "Salvation has come to your house." So it is with all of us when the Lord, the eternally living word of God, comes to us and exposes us to ourselves. The gospel convicts us of our sins, but it also frees us from them and enables us to live a new life in Jesus Christ. And that makes God quite happy.
Wisdom 11:22--12:1 - "God Is An Old 'Softy.' "
1. He is aware of our sin, but he does not destroy us or mete out the punishment that we deserve. He overlooks our sins; the cross of Christ assures us of that, and that the writer of Wisdom knew what he was talking about.
2. God's delaying any judgment or punishment that we should receive for our sins - "overlooking our sins" - gives us an opportunity to recognize how we have failed the Lord our God, and ourselves. This opens the door to repentance.
3. Central to this process is the knowledge we gain about God's love and power. He loves us so much that he has mercy upon us, even at the cost of his beloved Son's life. The cross tells us how much God loves us and always will.
4. That's what his word makes clear to us when we read and ponder it day after day, year after year and then die to our sins in repentance and rise to new life in Christ.
Isaiah 1:10-20 - "A Worthy Sacrifice."
1. With the ancient Hebrews, too often we find ourselves enmeshed in a religion that is mostly "going through the liturgical motions." We offer sacrifices to God, and sometimes these are quite costly, but they gain us nothing from God, because that's not what God wants. (I must admit that I sometimes think that "sacrifice" is a word that has been dropped from most of our vocabularies and lives. It may be the last thing we want to do in this world of "get what you want while you can. Enjoy yourself." Actually, it may be our lack of making sacrifices in life that strains our relationship with God and others.)
2. One thing that we have to do is clean up our worship of the Lord God. Worship him and adore him in the manner that he deserves - with our whole hearts and souls, with every sinew of our being, with every element of our lives.
3. Christians have to repent regularly and be concerned about the things of God - caring for others, working for justice, helping people who are helpless. This all begins with our "washing" in the waters of baptism, in the daily washing of repentance which leads to new life.
4. And when this all happens, the magnitude of the love of God may finally dawn upon us, overwhelm us, and make us acceptable in his sight forever.
Exodus 34:1-9 - "Stone Mountain."
1. Mt. Sinai is the original Stone Mountain; it is in the Holy Land, not in the State of Georgia.
2. Moses, at the command of God, made the stone mountain by cutting and engraving the two tablets of stone and carrying them up the side of the mountain.
3. There, on top of Mt. Sinai, he encountered a God of mercy and love for his creatures, not a god whose heart was made out of stone. That God breaks stony hearts into little pieces with his gracious actions toward his people.
4. So, Moses worshiped the God who had come to him and revealed to him on Stone Mountain, that he is a God of love, not simply a God of commandments and law. We know that because we worship at a little mountain, Golgotha, and an empty tomb - the stone has been rolled away - that heralds God's coming to us in Christ as long as we live.
Haggai 2:1-9 - "A Temple And A Life."
1. So the prophet tells the people how to rebuild the temple of the Lord high God. They can do it because God is with them.
2. He speaks to us in every one of life's situations, "My Spirit abides among you; fear not." So many people believe that they have made a mess of their lives, but are unable to rebuild them by themselves. They are absolutely right! But that's okay, because God is available.
3. Whatever the task, and no matter how impossible it may seem to be, the impossible becomes the possible as people tap into the power and love of God.
4. Ours is to trust in the Lord and do his works, rebuilding the temples of our lives through his Word and Spirit.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12; 1:1-5 (6-10), 11-12; 1:5-12; 1:11--2:2 - "An Ideal Congregation - Almost."
1. Paul had a congregation in Thessalonika that he could be proud of, even brag about. That ought to make us wonder about our congregations, shouldn't it? Do they measure up?
2. Growing faith and love for one another were the hallmarks of the Church at Thessalonika. Awful persecution was unable to separate them from the love of Christ. But persecution isn't our problem, is it? Just what is our problem, or problems?
3. Theirs was a splendid congregation, but it wasn't perfect, and that makes us more comfortable, doesn't it? Paul wanted them to know that none of us, who comprise the church, reaches perfection in this life. "The best is yet to be."
4. And that's why the parousia is necessary, the time when Jesus will come again and usher in the eternal kingdom of God, and all will be well forever.
The "count" of the Sundays in this period of the year tells those initiated in the mysteries of the church year that it is approaching its conclusion. This, the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, is the last of the Sundays of Pentecost to be used with any frequency over the years; Easter has to occur in March in order for the number of Sundays in Pentecost to surpass 25, including Christ the King Sunday. One might begin Tennyson's In Memoriam on this Sunday - for the church, not the secular, year: "Ring out the old, ring in the new! Ring, happy bells, across the snow! The year is going. Let it go!"
But with the approaching end of the church year, one constant note is sounded by the Sunday celebration of the gospel: "Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!" Every Sunday of the year the gospel context also includes: "Christ has died. (Christ is risen.) Christ will come again." Thus, God's redeeming work in Jesus Christ programs the worship and preaching of the churches, reminding the preachers and other leaders that the gospel must be proclaimed every Sunday, even on those Sundays which have no definitive content of their own, as happens in the Sundays of the Pentecost cycle/season.
When the preacher is aware of the approaching end of the church year, he ought to tune in the sounds of the bells that remind him, as they "ring out the old" and "ring in the new," that the parousia theme will soon be broadcast to the world. So it is that as the end of Pentecost appears on the liturgical horizon, the "Sunday response" of the church to the gospel announcement of Jesus' resurrection grows even louder, "Christ will come again." And the faith of Christians generates hope in the gracious actions of a loving God. As Lord Tennyson put it: "Ring in the Christ that is to be."
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for this Sunday also reminds one of In Memoriam, with its "ring out, ring in" motif:
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land, (and then)
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
The collect reads: "Absolve, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy people from their offenses; that from the bonds of our sins which, by reason of frailty, we have brought upon us, we may be delivered by thy bountiful goodness; through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 32, or 32:1-8 (E) - Two portions of this psalm speak to the manifestation theme - Jesus' cleansing of the leper. One declares (vv. 7, 8): "Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble.... You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance." Later in verse 11, the psalmist says "Great are the tribulations of the wicked; but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord." The leper had begged Jesus on his knees, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." Jesus did.
Psalm 145 (L); 145:1-8 (RC) - Psalm 145 will be recognized by most regular church-goers: "Every day will I bless Thee and praise Thy name forever and ever" (v. 2), and again, "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised...." (v. 3), and verses 15 and 16 may be the most familiar, because they are often used by Christians of all denominations in their table prayers. "The eyes of all look to thee, and thou givest them their food in due season. Thou openest thy hand, thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing." The concluding verse is always appropriate: "My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever."
Psalm 65:1-8 (C) - This is a thanksgiving for an abundant crop of grain about to be harvested. It picks up the theme of the Old Testament reading that speaks of the Word of the Lord, what might be called "the seed of salvation," which will not return "empty" after it has been sown in the hearts of people. The Word of the Lord will grow and bear fruit, therefore the workers in the kingdom may rejoice and give thanks. The Lutheran usage includes the first part of the Psalm, which emphasizes that it is always proper for sinful creatures to give thanks to God for the salvation he gives to the creatures - in Christ, from the perspective of the church.
Psalm prayer (32 - LBW) - "Lord God, you desired to keep from us your wrath and so did not spare your holy servant Jesus Christ, who was wounded for our sins. We are your prodigal children, but we come back to you confessing our sins. Embrace us, that we may rejoice in your mercy together with your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Wisdom 11:22--12:1 - Although this reading speaks of God's omnipotence and omniscience, it was really selected because it also makes prominent mention of God's mercy and love for "all that exists." The writer declares, in the heart of the reading, "Yet you are merciful to all, because you can do all things and overlook men's sins so that they can repent." It is at this point that the reading "connects" with the Gospel for the Day, Luke 19, that details the story of Zaccheus' encounter with Jesus Christ. The author of Wisdom not only understood how to plan and write a book, but he also was versed in sound biblical theology, with a doctrine of God that finds its roots in God's creative and redemptive power. There is a clear conception of God's grace in this reading, which finds ultimate fulfillment in Jesus' death and resurrection.
Isaiah 1:10-20 (E) - For some reason, this is the only occasion on which this part of Isaiah's vision is employed in any of the major lectionaries. The prophet calls for listening to and heeding the word of the Lord, declaring that the people should not depend upon bloody sacrifices and cold, ritualistic worship to gain God's grace. Isaiah calls for genuine repentance that begins with confession and cleansing and culminates in a new and better way of life: "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doing before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow." All of this reaches its climax in verse 18: "Come, now, let us reason together, says the Lord; though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." God's promise to the "willing and obedient" is that they shall "eat the good of the land." A note of judgment concludes this section, as God declares that unrepentant sinners "shall be devoured by the sword."
Exodus 34:5-9 (L) - This reading was chosen, not simply to tell the story of Moses cutting two tablets of stone - for a second time - and taking them, at the instructions of Yahweh, up Mt. Sinai, but to illustrate how the Old Testament parallels the New Testament in God's revelation of himself. Yahweh is the Lord, who revealed himself as Yahweh-Lord to Moses, and who creates in Moses' being a response of true worship and prayer in the presence of the Lord. The reading shows the God of grace, mercy, and love, who is known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Christian church.
Haggai 2:1-9 (C) - Since the first reading is meant to coordinate, or harmonize, with the Gospels for the Day throughout the year, this reading about the rebuilding of the temple after the Jews had returned from exile is a bit puzzling. Its relevance to the gospel emerges at verse three, "Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?" On one level, this speaks to Jesus' stopping under the Sycamore tree and calling Zaccheus down from it; he saw what Zaccheus had been, how far he had fallen from God's grace, along with the possibility for repentance and a return to godly living. On another level, it points to Jesus' comprehension of the human predicament, rebellion and sin, and the action he had to take, dying on a cross, to save the human race and reconcile people to God. Those who made this selection just had to have the "human house" - the predicament of humanity - in mind when they chose it for this Sunday.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12 (L); 1:1-5 (6-10), 11-12 (E); 1:5-12 (C); 1:11--2:2 (RC) -The four lectionaries are, at least, in agreement on the reading of 2 Thessalonians on this and the next two Sundays, but they do not agree on the verses that ought to be read. Paul's concern for the spiritual and theological welfare of the Thessalonian congregation is apparent in the development of chapter one; he wants them to comprehend the gospel and get their theology straight, rejecting any false teachers or counterfeit letters they may have received. But three of the four lectionaries end at verse 12; only the ORDO moves into chapter two, where the parousia is mentioned and the theological predicament of some - many? - of the Thessalonian Christians is catalogued. Paul's concern for the Thessalonian community finds a parallel in Jesus' concern for Zaccheus, and Jesus' "Zaccheus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today." Through this letter, Paul visited the Thessalonian congregation.
Luke 19:1-10 (RC, E, L, C) - This familiar story which may, or may not, be based on an actual incident in Jesus' ministry, has all the ingredients necessary for describing the mission of Jesus and the impact of the gospel upon human beings. Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus - he had heard so much about him, his teachings, and his miracles - but he didn't know that Jesus wanted to see him! By climbing that sycamore tree and taking his perch among its branches, Zaccheus exposed himself to Christ's plane of vision and became vulnerable to Jesus' gaze and command. Just how Jesus came to know his name is not mentioned in the account, but that really is not too important. What is important is that Jesus actualized the full nature of his ministry in this incident; a repentant human being hears the blessing of Christ, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." How could the gospel be more visibly portrayed to his religious opponents than by eating and visiting with the most blatant of sinners? The love of God for his creatures becomes very evident to those who hear the story, and one begins to realize why Jesus had to die on a cross to complete his mission here on the earth.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 19:1-10 - "A Tree And A House." - Zaccheus knew enough about Jesus to want desperately to see him for himself. That's why he ran ahead of the crowd at Jericho; he couldn't see over the heads of people because he was so short. He climbed up into the branches of a sycamore tree, perched there where he could look down and satisfy his curiosity. The devout women of Rome, who attend the various ceremonies held in St. Peter's Basilica and are too short to see over the heads of those around them, have invented their own way to see what is going on in a religious service; they stand with their backs to the altar, take out their compacts, or other mirrors, and hold them up in the air as a kind of periscope. By looking up at their mirrors, moving them around from person to person as the liturgical actions develop, they are able to see quite well what is happening in St. Peter's. But Zaccheus had to climb a tree in order to see Jesus.
I have two memories of a visit to Jericho over two decades ago. First, I remember the empty concentration-like refugee camp that had once been occupied by the Palestinian Arabs. That grim scene caused me to wonder about the Israeli attitude toward the Palestinians. I have written about this before. Second, our driver, a Christian Palestinian named Moses, stopped the bus near a tree, got out of the bus and climbed the tree. It was a sycamore tree, and he wanted to demonstrate that the Zaccheus story could come to life. But there were problems; Zaccheus was short, but Moses was tall enough to see over many people in a crowd. Not only that, but he was big - rather fat - so that climbing the tree took an effort on his part, and when he got up into the branches, he seemed to be almost spread-eagled, as if it were necessary to distribute his weight on several limbs to prevent breakage and a fall. It was a rather ludicrous sight, but not entirely, because we all comprehended how Jesus couldn't have missed Zaccheus up in that tree. Moses was low enough that he was in plain view; we could see him just as Jesus was able to see Zaccheus.
When Jesus saw Zaccheus, he did a surprising thing; he stopped, called to him to come down, and told him that he would spend the day with him. That wasn't only surprising; it was also preposterous - anyone who claimed to be the promised Messiah should have known who he was and passed him by. But Jesus knew who Zaccheus was, how he had achieved his wealth, and that he wasn't fit company for a righteous person. That's what the gospel is all about. Jesus came to seek and to save sinners, and in that brief visit, Zaccheus knew that God has visited him and that he had to change his ways. The old life - all of it - had to go. It did, as his confession to Jesus reveals. He had received a gift - Jesus - which made him see God and his life from a new perspective and he immediately made amends for his actions. That's what repentance really is - a complete about turn in one's life. Zaccheus was not simply a sinner; he was a repentant sinner, and that was okay with Jesus.
"Today," Jesus said, "Salvation has come to your house." So it is with all of us when the Lord, the eternally living word of God, comes to us and exposes us to ourselves. The gospel convicts us of our sins, but it also frees us from them and enables us to live a new life in Jesus Christ. And that makes God quite happy.
Wisdom 11:22--12:1 - "God Is An Old 'Softy.' "
1. He is aware of our sin, but he does not destroy us or mete out the punishment that we deserve. He overlooks our sins; the cross of Christ assures us of that, and that the writer of Wisdom knew what he was talking about.
2. God's delaying any judgment or punishment that we should receive for our sins - "overlooking our sins" - gives us an opportunity to recognize how we have failed the Lord our God, and ourselves. This opens the door to repentance.
3. Central to this process is the knowledge we gain about God's love and power. He loves us so much that he has mercy upon us, even at the cost of his beloved Son's life. The cross tells us how much God loves us and always will.
4. That's what his word makes clear to us when we read and ponder it day after day, year after year and then die to our sins in repentance and rise to new life in Christ.
Isaiah 1:10-20 - "A Worthy Sacrifice."
1. With the ancient Hebrews, too often we find ourselves enmeshed in a religion that is mostly "going through the liturgical motions." We offer sacrifices to God, and sometimes these are quite costly, but they gain us nothing from God, because that's not what God wants. (I must admit that I sometimes think that "sacrifice" is a word that has been dropped from most of our vocabularies and lives. It may be the last thing we want to do in this world of "get what you want while you can. Enjoy yourself." Actually, it may be our lack of making sacrifices in life that strains our relationship with God and others.)
2. One thing that we have to do is clean up our worship of the Lord God. Worship him and adore him in the manner that he deserves - with our whole hearts and souls, with every sinew of our being, with every element of our lives.
3. Christians have to repent regularly and be concerned about the things of God - caring for others, working for justice, helping people who are helpless. This all begins with our "washing" in the waters of baptism, in the daily washing of repentance which leads to new life.
4. And when this all happens, the magnitude of the love of God may finally dawn upon us, overwhelm us, and make us acceptable in his sight forever.
Exodus 34:1-9 - "Stone Mountain."
1. Mt. Sinai is the original Stone Mountain; it is in the Holy Land, not in the State of Georgia.
2. Moses, at the command of God, made the stone mountain by cutting and engraving the two tablets of stone and carrying them up the side of the mountain.
3. There, on top of Mt. Sinai, he encountered a God of mercy and love for his creatures, not a god whose heart was made out of stone. That God breaks stony hearts into little pieces with his gracious actions toward his people.
4. So, Moses worshiped the God who had come to him and revealed to him on Stone Mountain, that he is a God of love, not simply a God of commandments and law. We know that because we worship at a little mountain, Golgotha, and an empty tomb - the stone has been rolled away - that heralds God's coming to us in Christ as long as we live.
Haggai 2:1-9 - "A Temple And A Life."
1. So the prophet tells the people how to rebuild the temple of the Lord high God. They can do it because God is with them.
2. He speaks to us in every one of life's situations, "My Spirit abides among you; fear not." So many people believe that they have made a mess of their lives, but are unable to rebuild them by themselves. They are absolutely right! But that's okay, because God is available.
3. Whatever the task, and no matter how impossible it may seem to be, the impossible becomes the possible as people tap into the power and love of God.
4. Ours is to trust in the Lord and do his works, rebuilding the temples of our lives through his Word and Spirit.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12; 1:1-5 (6-10), 11-12; 1:5-12; 1:11--2:2 - "An Ideal Congregation - Almost."
1. Paul had a congregation in Thessalonika that he could be proud of, even brag about. That ought to make us wonder about our congregations, shouldn't it? Do they measure up?
2. Growing faith and love for one another were the hallmarks of the Church at Thessalonika. Awful persecution was unable to separate them from the love of Christ. But persecution isn't our problem, is it? Just what is our problem, or problems?
3. Theirs was a splendid congregation, but it wasn't perfect, and that makes us more comfortable, doesn't it? Paul wanted them to know that none of us, who comprise the church, reaches perfection in this life. "The best is yet to be."
4. And that's why the parousia is necessary, the time when Jesus will come again and usher in the eternal kingdom of God, and all will be well forever.
