Proper 5
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle A
The church year theological clue
The broad, eschatological framework of the church year provides the only clue to the theme for worship and preaching on the Third Sunday after Pentecost. God's promise to bless all those who keep his commandments continues to be announced by the biblical elements assigned to the propers of this Sunday. The Gospel for the Day illustrates, as part of its theme, one example of complete and total adherence to the commands of Christ; when Jesus said, "Follow me," to Matthew, he meant it - so did Matthew, and he immediately obeyed the Lord.
The Prayer of the Day - This prayer, which was assigned to the First Sunday after Trinity in some of the pre-Vatican II propers, has been modernized and rewritten, but it retains much of the flavor of the original collect. "Trust in thee (God)" has been changed to "hope in you," reflecting the eschatological stance of the entire church year and, particularly, the Pentecost cycle/season. The petition asks for "the help of your grace," ("because in the weakness of our mortal nature we can do nothing good without you") so that we might please God in "will and deed" by keeping his commandments. The grace note of the gospel is clearly articulated in this lovely Prayer of the Day.
The Psalm of the Day - Psalm 50:1, 8, 12-15 (R); 50:1-15 (L); 50:1-24 (E) - This psalm, written by one called Asaph, spells out how God has spoken and revealed himself to his people, declaring, "Gather before me my loyal followers, those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice." God is not pleased by the ritualism of Hebrew worship with its animal sacrifices and burnt offerings; the earth and everything in it are God's - his for the taking ("If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the whole world is mine and all that is in it."). But God is pleased by true worship - the utter dependence of people upon the Lord their God and the self-sacrifices they made - and the psalm commands: "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and make good your vows to the Most High." A promise concludes the portions of this psalm used by the several liturgical churches in their worship: "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you (he has, in Jesus Christ!), and you shall honor me" - by your obedience and keeping of the covenant, the psalm suggests.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Heavenly Father, because Jesus your servant became obedient unto death, his sacrifice was greater than all the holocausts of old. Accept the sacrifice of praise we offer you through him, and help us show the effects of it in our lives by striving to do your will, until our whole life becomes adoration in spirit and truth; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 13 (C) - The psalmist asks four "how long" questions to God. How long: "will you forget me?"; "will you hide your face from me?"; "shall I have perplexity in my mind, and grief in my heart?"; "shall my enemy triumph over me?" He pleads, "Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God," asking God to give him new life and vindication before his enemies. Nevertheless, the last two verses of this brief psalm overshadow his earlier lament, as the psalmist speaks of his trust in God, the joy he knows because God has helped him, and, finally, he sings praises to God for his kindness and mercy: "I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly; I will praise the name of the Lord Most High."
The readings:
Genesis 22:1-18 (C)
This reading finds "multiple use" in the various lectionaries of the churches. It is read annually as one of the Old Testament selections of the Easter Vigil, and is assigned to the First Sunday in the Lutheran lectionary, Series B, and to the Second Sunday in Lent in Roman Catholic and Episcopalian scripture lists for Year B. The Common lectionary assigns Genesis 9:8-17 to the First Sunday in Lent, Genesis 17:1-10, 15-19 to the Second Sunday in Lent, preferring to place this reading in Pentecost as the second of the five readings from Genesis. It tells the familiar - and powerful - and near-gospel story of the sacrifice by Abraham of his son, Isaac. Abraham passed God's test when the Lord God commanded him to take his son to the "land of Moriah" and offer him there as a burnt offering; he was ready to plunge the knife into his son's breast when God intervened, commended him for his absolute obedience, and provided a ram for the burnt offering. In the gospel story, God does not intervene and the Son himself actually becomes the sacrifice offered by God - to God the Father - for the sins of the world.
Hosea 5:15--6:6 (E, L); 6:3-6 (R)
The last verse of Hosea 5 establishes the situation, in the context of the gospel, that the church is in; Jesus has "returned to his dwelling place" - God's right hand - and will remain there until the time when "they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress they seek me." Israel knew the nature and character of God and could say, with Hosea:
Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn, that he may heal us; he has stricken, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
This, the experience of the children of the covenant, has been repeated in the history of the Christian Church, not only in the sacrifices of the martyrs, but in the response of ordinary people to pain and suffering. "Fickle faith," like that of Judah, brings down God's wrath and judgment. God desires - from Hebrew and Christian alike - "steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings."
Romans 4:18-25
Paul was thoroughly convinced that God is a powerful God, able to do all that he promised to his people - even able to raise Jesus Christ from the dead. His belief in the ability of God to do what he said he would do was not based upon wishful thinking or empty flights of fancy; it was grounded in the past experience of the Hebrews with God, and, in this passage, on the promise God made to Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son in their old age. God took a seemingly impossible situation and turned it completely around in the conception and birth of Isaac. Thus, Paul supports his theological concept of the justification by faith alone; God is one who does those things for people which they cannot do for themselves, including reconciliation with himself and new life in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 9:9-13
All of the lectionaries bypass the eighth chapter of St. Matthew and move from Matthew 7:27 to Matthew 9:9. The apparent reason is that the church is eager to develop the story of the calling of the disciples instead of dealing with the five specific miracles listed and the "many cures" also mentioned in chapter eight, as well as the healing of the paralytic in chapter nine. It could be that the church didn't want to deal with the miracles that the Gospel says Jesus actually performed on the sick, the handicapped, and even on nature itself (stilling the storm). One could make an argument that these should be included, partly because they are reported in the Gospels, but also because - over against Romans 4 - God has done miraculous works, of which the chief display of God's amazing and miraculous power is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without that miracle, there would be no risen Lord to be-lieve in!
Nevertheless, the lectionaries all move to Matthew 9:9, which tells the story of Jesus' calling of the tax collector, Matthew, to follow him. He did - immediately! That really shook up the Pharisees; they wondered about Jesus' intelligence and his wisdom. He didn't call a single Pharisee to become a disciple, but he called a despised tax-collector; that was a blatant insult. And when Jesus followed up that insult with another - by accepting an invitation to eat with tax collectors and other sinners - it was too much for the Pharisees. They simply had to "put him on the spot" by asking his disciples, who in turn must have asked him, "Why?" The final insult came in Jesus' answer:
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
To the Pharisees, it must have appeared that Jesus had declared war on them, and from that point on in the gospel story they set out to win the battle by destroying him.
Sermon suggestions:
Matthew 9:9-13 - "Why me, Lord?"
Most of us, when friends learned that we were going to prepare for the ministry, have been greeted by statements of surprise, even amazement. "You are going to become a minister of the Gospel? You're going to be a preacher?" And most of us have been asked an accompanying question, "Why? What made you decide to become a pastor?" The answers to that question may be numerous, but they are all variations of one reply, "God has called me to the ministry of his church." Had anyone asked Matthew why he abandoned his lucrative job as a tax collector to follow Jesus, he could only have said one thing: "Jesus said, 'Follow me.' " He did.
1. God's call is pure grace. To be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - lay minister or ordained pastor - is always an act of grace on the part of God. Human beings never choose or decide by themselves to be servants of God; they simply obey and respond to his call.
2. Christ's choosing of Matthew demonstrates God's intention. Jesus came to save sinners. That's why he mingled with them, even accepted invitations to their homes. Shouldn't that give us encouragement and hope?
3. Come, follow Christ, and do the work of the kingdom. Christians who answer the call of the Lord and dare to follow him are to reach out for the lost and the lonely, the sick and the suffering, for all of the outcasts and sinners - in the name of Jesus.
4. Jesus himself commands us to do this. Love for God through Jesus Christ that expresses itself in service to humanity is what Jesus demands of those who call him Lord. He doesn't tell us why he calls us, but simply says to you and me, "Follow me!" - and he means it.
Genesis 22:1-18 - "The Supreme Sacrifice."
One of the most astounding stories of our time appeared in newspapers in Italy in 1972. Joseph Kramer, a Jew, gave a Torah scroll to a synagogue in Tel Aviv and dedicated it to his sixteen month old son, David, who had died in Latvia during World War II. Kramer broke down and cried during the ceremony - and with good reason. Almost three decades before, while he was living in Latvia, he had fashioned a bunker beneath his home for the express purpose of hiding Jews from the invading Nazi army. When the Nazis entered his town, he and his wife, their young son, and forty-five of their Jewish friends and neighbors, were hidden in the bunker. The noise of tanks and the tramping sounds of the foot-soldiers frightened the baby; Kramer and his wife did everything they could to calm the child and stop its crying, which was so loud and near-hysterical that the Nazis might have heard it and found the bunker. Desperate, Joseph Kramer did the only thing that he could do to save all those people; he put his hand across the nose and mouth of the child and smothered him. That's why he broke down when the scroll was dedicated in Tel Aviv. All of those in the bunker escaped, and some were there that day in Tel Aviv. This much is sure - none of them forgot the sacrifice that Joseph Kramer had made to save them; he must have seemed like Abraham offering Isaac to God - with the difference that Kramer completed the sacrifice of his son for the sake of others. Kramer's act was the very act of a loving God, to Christians, who gave his only-begotten Son to die for the salvation and survival of all people in the world.
1. Unbelievable obedience. The story of Abraham and Isaac - and a brush with death.
2. Fantastic faith. "God himself will provide the sacrifice." (He didn't realize what he was saying, did he? The cross tells us that.)
3. Abundant grace. At the last moment, God stopped the sacrifice Abraham was about to make in the death of Isaac and provided a lamb for the burnt offering. In the Gospels, of course, God's Son, the Lamb of God, becomes the sacrifice which saves us all from death. (See Bass [with Fred Kemper] You Are My Beloved, Concordia, for a complete sermon, "The Incredible Sacrifice," on this text.)
Hosea 5:15--6:6 - "Sacrifice - Plus...."
The Joseph Kramer story has deeper significance to it than the obvious dedication of a memorial to a son who had been dead a long time; it tells the tale of a man who had done a terrible thing when God didn't seem able to help him and his friends, but who still loves God! Kramer didn't ask, "Where were you, Lord, when I needed you?" And while the deed haunted him for three decades and what he did would be in his subconscious mind as long as he lived, he didn't blame God for what happened; he still loved and trusted God. Awful as his action was in the bunker when he smothered his son, the gift of the Torah in memory of his son must have pleased God because it answered his word given through Hosea. Joseph Kramer not only continued to love God - "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings" - He also turned to him to be healed. He was still the servant of the Lord God.
1. God heals every wound. Ours is to believe it, love him, turn to him, and trust him.
2. Love for God tends to dry up. Hosea says it is like a "morning cloud" or the "dew that goes away early." Fickle faith is a deterrent to love and obedience.
3. Keep our love steadfast, our faith strong. We cannot love God as we should, nor can we live out his commandments by ourselves. Help us to believe, to love, to obey, and to live as your servants, O Lord!
Romans 4:18-25 - "The Patriarch's Lesson."
1. Believe in God despite everything. He is a God of mercy, love, and compassion - and has power to help and heal.
2. Love God with all your heart. That's what God desires of us.
3. Entrust him with your life. Then we can really be his obedient servants in the world.
4. Cling to him - to the cross - as long as you live. It's the only hope of salvation we have.
The broad, eschatological framework of the church year provides the only clue to the theme for worship and preaching on the Third Sunday after Pentecost. God's promise to bless all those who keep his commandments continues to be announced by the biblical elements assigned to the propers of this Sunday. The Gospel for the Day illustrates, as part of its theme, one example of complete and total adherence to the commands of Christ; when Jesus said, "Follow me," to Matthew, he meant it - so did Matthew, and he immediately obeyed the Lord.
The Prayer of the Day - This prayer, which was assigned to the First Sunday after Trinity in some of the pre-Vatican II propers, has been modernized and rewritten, but it retains much of the flavor of the original collect. "Trust in thee (God)" has been changed to "hope in you," reflecting the eschatological stance of the entire church year and, particularly, the Pentecost cycle/season. The petition asks for "the help of your grace," ("because in the weakness of our mortal nature we can do nothing good without you") so that we might please God in "will and deed" by keeping his commandments. The grace note of the gospel is clearly articulated in this lovely Prayer of the Day.
The Psalm of the Day - Psalm 50:1, 8, 12-15 (R); 50:1-15 (L); 50:1-24 (E) - This psalm, written by one called Asaph, spells out how God has spoken and revealed himself to his people, declaring, "Gather before me my loyal followers, those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice." God is not pleased by the ritualism of Hebrew worship with its animal sacrifices and burnt offerings; the earth and everything in it are God's - his for the taking ("If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the whole world is mine and all that is in it."). But God is pleased by true worship - the utter dependence of people upon the Lord their God and the self-sacrifices they made - and the psalm commands: "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and make good your vows to the Most High." A promise concludes the portions of this psalm used by the several liturgical churches in their worship: "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you (he has, in Jesus Christ!), and you shall honor me" - by your obedience and keeping of the covenant, the psalm suggests.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Heavenly Father, because Jesus your servant became obedient unto death, his sacrifice was greater than all the holocausts of old. Accept the sacrifice of praise we offer you through him, and help us show the effects of it in our lives by striving to do your will, until our whole life becomes adoration in spirit and truth; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 13 (C) - The psalmist asks four "how long" questions to God. How long: "will you forget me?"; "will you hide your face from me?"; "shall I have perplexity in my mind, and grief in my heart?"; "shall my enemy triumph over me?" He pleads, "Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God," asking God to give him new life and vindication before his enemies. Nevertheless, the last two verses of this brief psalm overshadow his earlier lament, as the psalmist speaks of his trust in God, the joy he knows because God has helped him, and, finally, he sings praises to God for his kindness and mercy: "I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly; I will praise the name of the Lord Most High."
The readings:
Genesis 22:1-18 (C)
This reading finds "multiple use" in the various lectionaries of the churches. It is read annually as one of the Old Testament selections of the Easter Vigil, and is assigned to the First Sunday in the Lutheran lectionary, Series B, and to the Second Sunday in Lent in Roman Catholic and Episcopalian scripture lists for Year B. The Common lectionary assigns Genesis 9:8-17 to the First Sunday in Lent, Genesis 17:1-10, 15-19 to the Second Sunday in Lent, preferring to place this reading in Pentecost as the second of the five readings from Genesis. It tells the familiar - and powerful - and near-gospel story of the sacrifice by Abraham of his son, Isaac. Abraham passed God's test when the Lord God commanded him to take his son to the "land of Moriah" and offer him there as a burnt offering; he was ready to plunge the knife into his son's breast when God intervened, commended him for his absolute obedience, and provided a ram for the burnt offering. In the gospel story, God does not intervene and the Son himself actually becomes the sacrifice offered by God - to God the Father - for the sins of the world.
Hosea 5:15--6:6 (E, L); 6:3-6 (R)
The last verse of Hosea 5 establishes the situation, in the context of the gospel, that the church is in; Jesus has "returned to his dwelling place" - God's right hand - and will remain there until the time when "they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress they seek me." Israel knew the nature and character of God and could say, with Hosea:
Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn, that he may heal us; he has stricken, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.
This, the experience of the children of the covenant, has been repeated in the history of the Christian Church, not only in the sacrifices of the martyrs, but in the response of ordinary people to pain and suffering. "Fickle faith," like that of Judah, brings down God's wrath and judgment. God desires - from Hebrew and Christian alike - "steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings."
Romans 4:18-25
Paul was thoroughly convinced that God is a powerful God, able to do all that he promised to his people - even able to raise Jesus Christ from the dead. His belief in the ability of God to do what he said he would do was not based upon wishful thinking or empty flights of fancy; it was grounded in the past experience of the Hebrews with God, and, in this passage, on the promise God made to Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son in their old age. God took a seemingly impossible situation and turned it completely around in the conception and birth of Isaac. Thus, Paul supports his theological concept of the justification by faith alone; God is one who does those things for people which they cannot do for themselves, including reconciliation with himself and new life in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 9:9-13
All of the lectionaries bypass the eighth chapter of St. Matthew and move from Matthew 7:27 to Matthew 9:9. The apparent reason is that the church is eager to develop the story of the calling of the disciples instead of dealing with the five specific miracles listed and the "many cures" also mentioned in chapter eight, as well as the healing of the paralytic in chapter nine. It could be that the church didn't want to deal with the miracles that the Gospel says Jesus actually performed on the sick, the handicapped, and even on nature itself (stilling the storm). One could make an argument that these should be included, partly because they are reported in the Gospels, but also because - over against Romans 4 - God has done miraculous works, of which the chief display of God's amazing and miraculous power is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without that miracle, there would be no risen Lord to be-lieve in!
Nevertheless, the lectionaries all move to Matthew 9:9, which tells the story of Jesus' calling of the tax collector, Matthew, to follow him. He did - immediately! That really shook up the Pharisees; they wondered about Jesus' intelligence and his wisdom. He didn't call a single Pharisee to become a disciple, but he called a despised tax-collector; that was a blatant insult. And when Jesus followed up that insult with another - by accepting an invitation to eat with tax collectors and other sinners - it was too much for the Pharisees. They simply had to "put him on the spot" by asking his disciples, who in turn must have asked him, "Why?" The final insult came in Jesus' answer:
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
To the Pharisees, it must have appeared that Jesus had declared war on them, and from that point on in the gospel story they set out to win the battle by destroying him.
Sermon suggestions:
Matthew 9:9-13 - "Why me, Lord?"
Most of us, when friends learned that we were going to prepare for the ministry, have been greeted by statements of surprise, even amazement. "You are going to become a minister of the Gospel? You're going to be a preacher?" And most of us have been asked an accompanying question, "Why? What made you decide to become a pastor?" The answers to that question may be numerous, but they are all variations of one reply, "God has called me to the ministry of his church." Had anyone asked Matthew why he abandoned his lucrative job as a tax collector to follow Jesus, he could only have said one thing: "Jesus said, 'Follow me.' " He did.
1. God's call is pure grace. To be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ - lay minister or ordained pastor - is always an act of grace on the part of God. Human beings never choose or decide by themselves to be servants of God; they simply obey and respond to his call.
2. Christ's choosing of Matthew demonstrates God's intention. Jesus came to save sinners. That's why he mingled with them, even accepted invitations to their homes. Shouldn't that give us encouragement and hope?
3. Come, follow Christ, and do the work of the kingdom. Christians who answer the call of the Lord and dare to follow him are to reach out for the lost and the lonely, the sick and the suffering, for all of the outcasts and sinners - in the name of Jesus.
4. Jesus himself commands us to do this. Love for God through Jesus Christ that expresses itself in service to humanity is what Jesus demands of those who call him Lord. He doesn't tell us why he calls us, but simply says to you and me, "Follow me!" - and he means it.
Genesis 22:1-18 - "The Supreme Sacrifice."
One of the most astounding stories of our time appeared in newspapers in Italy in 1972. Joseph Kramer, a Jew, gave a Torah scroll to a synagogue in Tel Aviv and dedicated it to his sixteen month old son, David, who had died in Latvia during World War II. Kramer broke down and cried during the ceremony - and with good reason. Almost three decades before, while he was living in Latvia, he had fashioned a bunker beneath his home for the express purpose of hiding Jews from the invading Nazi army. When the Nazis entered his town, he and his wife, their young son, and forty-five of their Jewish friends and neighbors, were hidden in the bunker. The noise of tanks and the tramping sounds of the foot-soldiers frightened the baby; Kramer and his wife did everything they could to calm the child and stop its crying, which was so loud and near-hysterical that the Nazis might have heard it and found the bunker. Desperate, Joseph Kramer did the only thing that he could do to save all those people; he put his hand across the nose and mouth of the child and smothered him. That's why he broke down when the scroll was dedicated in Tel Aviv. All of those in the bunker escaped, and some were there that day in Tel Aviv. This much is sure - none of them forgot the sacrifice that Joseph Kramer had made to save them; he must have seemed like Abraham offering Isaac to God - with the difference that Kramer completed the sacrifice of his son for the sake of others. Kramer's act was the very act of a loving God, to Christians, who gave his only-begotten Son to die for the salvation and survival of all people in the world.
1. Unbelievable obedience. The story of Abraham and Isaac - and a brush with death.
2. Fantastic faith. "God himself will provide the sacrifice." (He didn't realize what he was saying, did he? The cross tells us that.)
3. Abundant grace. At the last moment, God stopped the sacrifice Abraham was about to make in the death of Isaac and provided a lamb for the burnt offering. In the Gospels, of course, God's Son, the Lamb of God, becomes the sacrifice which saves us all from death. (See Bass [with Fred Kemper] You Are My Beloved, Concordia, for a complete sermon, "The Incredible Sacrifice," on this text.)
Hosea 5:15--6:6 - "Sacrifice - Plus...."
The Joseph Kramer story has deeper significance to it than the obvious dedication of a memorial to a son who had been dead a long time; it tells the tale of a man who had done a terrible thing when God didn't seem able to help him and his friends, but who still loves God! Kramer didn't ask, "Where were you, Lord, when I needed you?" And while the deed haunted him for three decades and what he did would be in his subconscious mind as long as he lived, he didn't blame God for what happened; he still loved and trusted God. Awful as his action was in the bunker when he smothered his son, the gift of the Torah in memory of his son must have pleased God because it answered his word given through Hosea. Joseph Kramer not only continued to love God - "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings" - He also turned to him to be healed. He was still the servant of the Lord God.
1. God heals every wound. Ours is to believe it, love him, turn to him, and trust him.
2. Love for God tends to dry up. Hosea says it is like a "morning cloud" or the "dew that goes away early." Fickle faith is a deterrent to love and obedience.
3. Keep our love steadfast, our faith strong. We cannot love God as we should, nor can we live out his commandments by ourselves. Help us to believe, to love, to obey, and to live as your servants, O Lord!
Romans 4:18-25 - "The Patriarch's Lesson."
1. Believe in God despite everything. He is a God of mercy, love, and compassion - and has power to help and heal.
2. Love God with all your heart. That's what God desires of us.
3. Entrust him with your life. Then we can really be his obedient servants in the world.
4. Cling to him - to the cross - as long as you live. It's the only hope of salvation we have.
