Proper 4, Pentecost 2, Ordinary Time 9
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII, Cycle B
Seasonal Theme
We learn of the Christian faith and how we are to follow Jesus as his disciples.
Theme For The Day
We can expect acts of compassion and the miraculous to take place in our church. They ought always take precedence over rules.
Old Testament Lesson
1 Samuel 3:1-20
Samuel's Calling
We have already dealt with this passage in Epiphany 2, Ordinary Time 2 beginning on page 40. Young Samuel is in the temple at Shiloh and the Lord addresses him directly. The message is that Eli's family are to be removed from the priesthood because his sons were wicked and he had not restrained them. Evidently it did happen with the priesthood switching to Zadok, a descendent of Aaron's son Eleazar. The way it was often proved a person was a prophet was if his predictive word actually came true (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Samuel now has fulfilled this test and his public ministry as prophet began. The people recognized his divine calling from God through the rest of his life.
New Testament Lesson
2 Corinthians 4:5-12
Suffering For Christ's Sake
Note: We begin today reading from 2 Corinthians, which will continue for the next six weeks. Each Sunday the reading will take up where the last Sunday ended. 2 Corinthians was written some months after Paul had written 1 Corinthians to this congregation plagued with divisions and problems of many kinds. Paul does reveal his feelings a great deal in the Epistle, which moves from despair to joy. In the portion we will read this next six weeks (2 Corinthians 4:5--12:10) he explains his Apostolic ministry, makes a plea for the Christians at Jerusalem, and proves his Apostolic authority.
In today's passage we have the great thought of Paul that he does not promote himself but, rather, the Christ. And that he is a servant of that same Christ (v. 5). In verse 7 he reminds those critical Corinthians that the treasure is in a very imperfect container -- so they can be sure the power comes from God and not him. Then we have an exceptional list of human conditions countered by the fact that he is not beaten by them (vv. 8-9). Now comes the secret of his own life -- the reasons he can endure. He always carried with him the memory of what God had done with Jesus in the resurrection and he believed that his sufferings would lead others to the Christ. If one is convinced that what is happening to them is happening for Jesus' sake, one can indeed endure a lot! We all know exceptions to this idea, like victims of abuse.
The Gospel
Mark 2:23--3:6
Healing On The Sabbath
In this reading we have Jesus' teaching about the Sabbath and healing the man with the withered hand. They seem to be held together with the common focus of the religious of the day (Pharisees) being critical of this "wonder worker" who is gaining popularity with the people. Both stories have to do with so-called work on the Sabbath. It is a classic conflict between meticulous religious rules and living life and extending God's mercy. The way Mark records the "offense" in 2:23 is a caricature of the Pharisees' legalism. Verse 27 is remarkable and may have been the foundation for Gentile Christianity to abandon the Sabbath all together (which happened by the early second century).
Healing the man with the withered hand was, again, a violation of the Sabbath rules. You could give help only when life was in danger. In Matthew's account of this healing, Jesus' question in 3:4 is firmed up as a teaching by Jesus in Matthew 12:12.
Notice that Mark reports that after this the Pharisees and the Herodians conspired (v. 6). These two groups were otherwise enemies. But in hating, we humans take on strange bedfellows.
Preaching Possibilities
Because these next six weeks the Second Reading is from 2 Corinthians, please consider a sermon series these weeks. Here is a suggestion for titles and text. The theme could be Paul's advice for our ministry.
Proper
Sermon Title
Text
4
The power belongs to God
2 Corinthians 4:75
5
We do not lose heart
4:16
6
We walk by faith
5:7
7
Our hearts are wide open
6:11We excel in generosity
8:7bWith sufficient grace
12:9
It's a bit of a stretch, but we could take all three readings today and address a very common weakness in our practice of religion: criticism. Eli was criticized for not reining in his sons; Paul was criticized for not being a legitimate apostle; and Jesus was criticized for not observing the Jewish Sabbath laws even while doing acts of mercy.
Because I delight in preaching the healing miracles of Jesus, I will pursue the man with a withered hand.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
A. Begin by telling in your own words the story of the man with the withered hand.
B. Ask the question: Why do you think Mark wanted this story preserved for future generations of Christians to read and know?
C. Try to answer:
1. He wanted followers of Jesus to know that in Jesus there is compassion over religious rules and regulations.
2. He wanted us to know that unexplainable miracles can always happen in church. We should expect them.
3. He wanted us to know that when we follow Jesus even today there will be criticism.
4. He wanted us to know that, like the man with the withered hand, we can expect dramatic things to happen to us in church. Life is never the same again.
D. Tell of an experience when your life (or someone you know) was changed because of Jesus.
E. Give your own witness as to what you think could happen in your church if we all came expecting great things to take place this day.
F. Frame your sermon by returning to the healed man and supposing what the next hours were like for him.
G. Now read the Gospel from a Bible held in your hands so all can see it. (The author believes that a visible Bible in the pulpit adds power and authority to the proclamation.)
Prayer For The Day
We are very thankful today, dear God, for the compassion you have for us when we need your help. Give us a great sense of expectancy today in our church that you might be able to work miracles on and through us as well. And when the criticism comes of us for our faith, give us the peace and assurance to smile with confidence that you are with us and will see us through. In Christ, the healer's name. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
At the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Holiday Inn restaurant, I noticed an old homeless man looking in the window watching the well-dressed people eating their elegant and plentiful dinners. Perhaps we inside the church, all dressed up, look like that to those on the outside looking in.
A while back, ABC's PrimeTime told the story of two people seated next to each other on a Northwest Airlines flight. She was going to New Orleans to donate a kidney for her sister who desperately needed a liver for transplant. He was going to see his nephew who shot himself accidentally and was to be taken off life support. They arranged to have the boy's liver put in the sister and she survives well even today.
On a PBS television episode titled God and Politics: A Kingdom Divided, Joe Aldrich, a Methodist missionary in Honduras, said to Bill Moyers, "There is a profound relationship between our religion and our Sunday dinner."
It's easier to disconnect the inside of the church from the outside.
During the sermon at St. John's Lutheran in Des Moines, Iowa, a homeless vagrant came through the chancel door and knelt before the altar and crossed himself. The ushers were confused as to what to do. I told them to let him alone. "He could be the Christ in our midst." After a few minutes he got up and left the same way he came. I can't remember the sermon contents, but I remember that dirty, disheveled man in our chancel that morning and wonder -- could it really have been the Christ?
We learn of the Christian faith and how we are to follow Jesus as his disciples.
Theme For The Day
We can expect acts of compassion and the miraculous to take place in our church. They ought always take precedence over rules.
Old Testament Lesson
1 Samuel 3:1-20
Samuel's Calling
We have already dealt with this passage in Epiphany 2, Ordinary Time 2 beginning on page 40. Young Samuel is in the temple at Shiloh and the Lord addresses him directly. The message is that Eli's family are to be removed from the priesthood because his sons were wicked and he had not restrained them. Evidently it did happen with the priesthood switching to Zadok, a descendent of Aaron's son Eleazar. The way it was often proved a person was a prophet was if his predictive word actually came true (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Samuel now has fulfilled this test and his public ministry as prophet began. The people recognized his divine calling from God through the rest of his life.
New Testament Lesson
2 Corinthians 4:5-12
Suffering For Christ's Sake
Note: We begin today reading from 2 Corinthians, which will continue for the next six weeks. Each Sunday the reading will take up where the last Sunday ended. 2 Corinthians was written some months after Paul had written 1 Corinthians to this congregation plagued with divisions and problems of many kinds. Paul does reveal his feelings a great deal in the Epistle, which moves from despair to joy. In the portion we will read this next six weeks (2 Corinthians 4:5--12:10) he explains his Apostolic ministry, makes a plea for the Christians at Jerusalem, and proves his Apostolic authority.
In today's passage we have the great thought of Paul that he does not promote himself but, rather, the Christ. And that he is a servant of that same Christ (v. 5). In verse 7 he reminds those critical Corinthians that the treasure is in a very imperfect container -- so they can be sure the power comes from God and not him. Then we have an exceptional list of human conditions countered by the fact that he is not beaten by them (vv. 8-9). Now comes the secret of his own life -- the reasons he can endure. He always carried with him the memory of what God had done with Jesus in the resurrection and he believed that his sufferings would lead others to the Christ. If one is convinced that what is happening to them is happening for Jesus' sake, one can indeed endure a lot! We all know exceptions to this idea, like victims of abuse.
The Gospel
Mark 2:23--3:6
Healing On The Sabbath
In this reading we have Jesus' teaching about the Sabbath and healing the man with the withered hand. They seem to be held together with the common focus of the religious of the day (Pharisees) being critical of this "wonder worker" who is gaining popularity with the people. Both stories have to do with so-called work on the Sabbath. It is a classic conflict between meticulous religious rules and living life and extending God's mercy. The way Mark records the "offense" in 2:23 is a caricature of the Pharisees' legalism. Verse 27 is remarkable and may have been the foundation for Gentile Christianity to abandon the Sabbath all together (which happened by the early second century).
Healing the man with the withered hand was, again, a violation of the Sabbath rules. You could give help only when life was in danger. In Matthew's account of this healing, Jesus' question in 3:4 is firmed up as a teaching by Jesus in Matthew 12:12.
Notice that Mark reports that after this the Pharisees and the Herodians conspired (v. 6). These two groups were otherwise enemies. But in hating, we humans take on strange bedfellows.
Preaching Possibilities
Because these next six weeks the Second Reading is from 2 Corinthians, please consider a sermon series these weeks. Here is a suggestion for titles and text. The theme could be Paul's advice for our ministry.
Proper
Sermon Title
Text
4
The power belongs to God
2 Corinthians 4:75
5
We do not lose heart
4:16
6
We walk by faith
5:7
7
Our hearts are wide open
6:11We excel in generosity
8:7bWith sufficient grace
12:9
It's a bit of a stretch, but we could take all three readings today and address a very common weakness in our practice of religion: criticism. Eli was criticized for not reining in his sons; Paul was criticized for not being a legitimate apostle; and Jesus was criticized for not observing the Jewish Sabbath laws even while doing acts of mercy.
Because I delight in preaching the healing miracles of Jesus, I will pursue the man with a withered hand.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
A. Begin by telling in your own words the story of the man with the withered hand.
B. Ask the question: Why do you think Mark wanted this story preserved for future generations of Christians to read and know?
C. Try to answer:
1. He wanted followers of Jesus to know that in Jesus there is compassion over religious rules and regulations.
2. He wanted us to know that unexplainable miracles can always happen in church. We should expect them.
3. He wanted us to know that when we follow Jesus even today there will be criticism.
4. He wanted us to know that, like the man with the withered hand, we can expect dramatic things to happen to us in church. Life is never the same again.
D. Tell of an experience when your life (or someone you know) was changed because of Jesus.
E. Give your own witness as to what you think could happen in your church if we all came expecting great things to take place this day.
F. Frame your sermon by returning to the healed man and supposing what the next hours were like for him.
G. Now read the Gospel from a Bible held in your hands so all can see it. (The author believes that a visible Bible in the pulpit adds power and authority to the proclamation.)
Prayer For The Day
We are very thankful today, dear God, for the compassion you have for us when we need your help. Give us a great sense of expectancy today in our church that you might be able to work miracles on and through us as well. And when the criticism comes of us for our faith, give us the peace and assurance to smile with confidence that you are with us and will see us through. In Christ, the healer's name. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
At the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Holiday Inn restaurant, I noticed an old homeless man looking in the window watching the well-dressed people eating their elegant and plentiful dinners. Perhaps we inside the church, all dressed up, look like that to those on the outside looking in.
A while back, ABC's PrimeTime told the story of two people seated next to each other on a Northwest Airlines flight. She was going to New Orleans to donate a kidney for her sister who desperately needed a liver for transplant. He was going to see his nephew who shot himself accidentally and was to be taken off life support. They arranged to have the boy's liver put in the sister and she survives well even today.
On a PBS television episode titled God and Politics: A Kingdom Divided, Joe Aldrich, a Methodist missionary in Honduras, said to Bill Moyers, "There is a profound relationship between our religion and our Sunday dinner."
It's easier to disconnect the inside of the church from the outside.
During the sermon at St. John's Lutheran in Des Moines, Iowa, a homeless vagrant came through the chancel door and knelt before the altar and crossed himself. The ushers were confused as to what to do. I told them to let him alone. "He could be the Christ in our midst." After a few minutes he got up and left the same way he came. I can't remember the sermon contents, but I remember that dirty, disheveled man in our chancel that morning and wonder -- could it really have been the Christ?
