Proper 7
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
Since it is now over three months since the church celebrated Easter, the memories of the joy and gladness of that festival may have grown rather dim. Easter, the heart of the Gospel, has a way of fading away and disappearing into the not-too-distant past. When that happens, the genius of Sunday - the "little Easter" celebration - is revealed; the death and resurrection of the Lord are remembered again and become central to our worship and all areas of our lives. With the remembrance of Easter and all that it means for salvation and life, the memory of our baptism into the death and resurrection of the Lord also be-comes real again. Sunday reminds us that we have died with Jesus and have been raised with him in his resurrection. And when we know that - and really believe it through the grace of the Holy Spirit - we may assuredly live with that!
The Prayer of the Day
This collect in the Lutheran Book of Worship applies the Gospel of the Day to human life in a very practical manner.
O God our defender, storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us all from unbelief; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 48 (C); Psalm 107:1-32 (E); 107:1-3, 23-32 (L, E); 107:23-26, 28-31 (R) - As usual, the various lectionaries and books of worship (sacramentaries, for some) are engaged in their biblical tug of war, ranging from the use of the entire psalm as a responsory to the first lesson to eight verses, in the case of the Roman Catholic Church. All include one part of the psalm, verses 23 to 29 (except verse 27, Roman Catholic), which tells of those who went to sea and experienced the wonders of the sea, a great storm that scared the wits out of the sailors. They called upon the Lord and, the psalmist says, "He stilled the storm to a whisper and quieted the waves of the sea." Here is where the psalm "connects" the first reading from Job to the Gospel for the Day.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord God, youflll the hungry with good things and break the sinner's chains. Hear your people who call to you in their need, and lead your church from the shadows of death. Gather us from sunset to sunrise, that we may grow together in faith and love, and may give thanks for your kindness in Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
Job 38:1, 8-11 (R); 38:1-11 (L); 38:1-11, 16-18 (E)
Job is still looking for a rational reason for all of the suffering that he has endured. His friends have not been able to comfort him or solve the dilemma, which puzzled him. Job, like many people, thought that because he was upright, honest, and godly he should have been exempt from suffering. Job's is an "I didn't deserve that" kind of story. It was then that God spoke to him out of the whirlwind, asserting that he, the God who created the heavens and the earth at the beginning, remains in charge of all things. God's ways are always beyond human understanding; the cross proves such a contention. But this reading was chosen to harmonize with the Gospel, because God speaks about his creation of the sea - and his control of it: "Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed." Christ exhibits that same sort of control over the sea in the Gospel for the Day.
2 Samuel 5:1-12 (C)
The reign of David as King of Israel began with something of a blood bath. Several people, including Ishbosheth, Saul's surviving son, who were possible threats to the kingship of David, were murdered, much to David's chagrin. This reading tells of the consolidation of his reign at Hebron, where the tribes of Israel came to David and swore a kind of allegiance to him, convinced that God had appointed him king over Israel. David's reign began when he was thirty years of age and lasted for forty years; seven-and-a-half years were spent at Hebron and thirty-three at Jerusalem. David "took" the city, conquering the Jebusites, who used the blind and the lame "to ward off" David. They, in turn, were rejected by David, forbidden to enter and dwell in his city. He built up the city and, according to Samuel, "became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him." A rival king, Hiram of Tyre, provided lumber and carpenters to build a house for David, obviously as a gesture of friendship and allegiance. David, convinced that he was ruling by God's intention, served God and the people quite well and ruled over them with justice and wisdom.
2 Corinthians 5:14-17 (R); 5:14-21 (E, L); 5:18--6:2 (C)
As he continued to defend his ministry and mission for Jesus Christ against false teachers who had almost won the hearts and minds - and imaginations - of the congregation at Corinth, Paul asserts that everything he does is controlled by the love of Jesus Christ. That same love led Jesus to the cross - where he died. It is at the cross and in baptism that true believers also die. The sacrificial love of Christ, coupled with his resurrection, changes everything. Just as Christ was raised from the dead and became a "new creation," so, too, says Paul, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come." That's how it is, and is supposed to be, with everyone who calls himself/herself a true Christian. Christians are controlled - in all that they do - by the love of Jesus Christ because they have become "new creations" in him.
Mark 4:35-41 (R, L, C); 4:35-41 (5:1-20) (E)
(Note: Mark 5:1-20 is an alternate long form of this reading, intended, perhaps, to tell more of the story of what happened as Jesus and the disciples criss-crossed the Sea of Galilee at the very beginning of his ministry.)
Jesus had been teaching in parables to the great crowds that had gathered by the sea when he said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." He explained everything privately to his disciples, but they did not really comprehend who he was and what his mission was in the world. Tired from a long day of teaching and ministering to people, he fell asleep - and then a terrible storm struck. It frightened the disciples so badly that they awakened him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" And so, as God had often done in the past, and as the prophets before him had calmed several storms, Jesus said, "Peace! Be still!" -
and a calm settled over the sea. He rebuked the disciples, disappointed by their lack of comprehension, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" The disciples were more puzzled than ever about his identity: "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" It took the cross and the empty tomb before they received a complete and satisfying answer to their question.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 4:35-41 - "Out of Control."
In the classic film, The African Queen, Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn make their way down a treacherous river, surviving rapids and even going over a waterfall in the boat until they must pull the boat through the reeds in the delta of the Bora River that empties into a great lake. When the German steamer, Louisa (armed with a great cannon and dominating travel on the lake) is sighted, they make their final plans to ram and sink it. The next night, after the German boat returns, they start out on the last part of their adventure, but a tremendous storm hits them. As they take on water, through the holes in the hull near the water-line where two home-made torpedoes jut out, Bogart does everything he can to save the boat and complete their mission; he fails. The African Queen capsizes and they are thrown into the water as the boat begins to sink. Temporarily, that was the end of the African Queen - and Hepburn and Bogart are rescued by the Germans and condemned to death by a court martial. (The African Queen did not sink completely and the German ship accidentally rammed it and sank, allowing the heroes to escape from the hangman's noose in the process.)
The striking thing about that great lake is that it appeared to be so peaceful and placid, much the way that many people have experienced the Sea of Galilee. Of course, when tourist boats cross the lake, they do so on calm days, but, even so, the lake appears to be a harmless body of water. It isn't - and it wasn't on the occasion when Jesus said to the disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." The fishermen who "worked" the lake regularly had never experienced a storm like it; small wonder that, terrified, they awakened Jesus Christ to still the storm.
1. When the wind and the waves had calmed down, the disciples were left with the question that plagued them until after his death and resurrection: "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" They called him "Teacher," but no teacher they knew could control the forces of nature the way that he did. That's the question put to you and me today, "Who is this Jesus, anyway?"
2. Only one who has the power of God Almighty could possibly control the forces of nature; such control has to be classified as an act of God. As usual, the disciples didn't comprehend. They were not very perceptive people, were they? But Jesus was. He knew that God has "the whole world in his hands" - and it might just be that this experience enabled him to place his life in God's hands when the time for his death drew near. That's a tall order for human beings, isn't it - to entrust one's life to someone else in the hope that that person is able to protect and preserve it? We'd rather control our own destinies and be in charge of our own lives, wouldn't we?
3. The disciples did have some idea that Jesus was something more than a teacher; why else would they have awakened him and cried out, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" They were so typical of desperate people whose lives have suddenly gone out of control. Can God, if there really is a God, do anything to restore normality to our impossible situations? Can God really help people who are in deep trouble in this life? Is he available when we need him?
4. Jesus' words, "Peace! Be still," and the calm that settled over those troubled waters and tortured souls, prove that God was in control - and he still is! He gives us the necessary faith to believe that he is God of life and death - that he controls everything. With Jesus, he frees us from fear and disbelief, so that we can live our lives to the fullest, controlled only by God himself.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Job 38:1-11 (L); 1-11, 16-18 (E); 38:1, 8-11 (R) - "Divine Interrogation."
A former colleague, Dr. David Belgum, wrote a book many years ago whose title could have come from the mouth of Job himself; the title was Why Did It Happen to Me? Many books and articles have been written and published since then, using that same or a very similar title. Most people of faith who have attempted to live a godly and righteous life, will, when undeserved tragedy enters their lives, ask that question, "Why did this happen to me?" Life can seem to be very unfair, at times, and when it is we cannot help but ask, "Why?"
1. The answer that Job received was that God, the God who created the earth and everything in it, is in control of all the forces of nature. He even controls the "springs of the sea" and has placed limits upon its incursion upon the dry land. The God of creation is still in control - and even today, in this age of incredible scientific advances, we have to relearn this truth. God controls the destiny of the world through the laws of nature.
2. God intends good for all human beings, not evil. That's why he governs the earth in an intelligible and orderly manner. He has created order out of chaos - and he wants it to continue that way. There are all sorts of reasons why evil comes into our lives, ranging from accidents to disease to deliberate harm inflicted by people who may hate us. But God doesn't do us harm. His actions, when understood, reject questioning him as though he were at fault, "Why did this happen to me?" - Which really means, "Why did you do this to me? I don't think I deserve this sort of treatment from you, O Lord."
3. Neither does God! Despite the reality of our sins and disobedience, God has mercy upon us and wishes us well. The cross assures us of God's love and concern for us better than anything else that we can know. Would a God, who wanted to punish people, actually give his only begotten Son over to a cruel death on a cross? God is merciful and kind. He does not react to sinners the way that we react to those who hurt us! God loves us and forgives us - and because he is a God of love, he can do us no evil.
4. This much we know from the Job story: God was there when Job was suffering, supporting him, sharing in his pain, and shoring up his faith so that he could believe that God would see him through that time of trial. Jesus said something like that before he ascended to heaven, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." That means that God is still in charge - and always will be. We can bank on that!
2 Samuel 5:1-12 (C) - "The Conference and the Covenant."
1. It was a kind of pow-wow; the tribes of Israel gathered together at Hebron for a conference with their new king, David. Saul had been king, but it was David who was in control of the destiny of Israel in the latter days of Saul's reign. The people knew it and told him so. They knew that God wanted it to be that way, for he had chosen David and had him anointed as king.
2. For his part, David responded in a godly manner, making a covenant with them. His covenant paralleled God's, who had said to Israel, "I will be your God, and you will be my people." David was saying, "I will be your king, and you will be my subjects." He was promising to be as faithful to them as God had been to Israel. He intended to be so - but the problem was that David, like all of us, was a sinner. With Paul, he might have said, "The good I would, I do not, and the evil I would not, that I do." That's rather familiar territory for you and me, isn't it?
3. David, at least, tried to be obedient to God and to be a faithful king and shepherd to God's people, Israel. He was aware that God was active in his life and that God had his hand upon his shoulder - at least early in his reign over Israel. His problem - like ours - was that he ignored God, at times, and responded to Satan's suggestions and deceptive and devious ways. David, King of Israel, was - with all of us - a sinner, and in time he came to know and admit it.
4. Exaltation has a way of leading people away from true repentance and faith. Exaltation is very "heavy" stuff, as David found out later in his reign. But it can't last forever, because it has a way of deceiving us and misleading us by making us think that we have been totally responsible for our own success and salvation. Success comes with hard work and, more often than not, with a little luck. Salvation is always a matter of grace and mercy, calling for rejoicing in Christ and exalting his holy name - as grateful and repentant sinners - in the world. That's one of the hard lessons we need to learn from David's experience as king of Israel.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (E, L); 5:14-17 (R); 5:18--6:2 (C)
- "Who Controls Our Lives and Destinies?"
1. The Love of Christ controls the whole life of the Christian because true believers have, in a way, died with him and have risen to new life in him. That new life is a life of Christ-like love. That love takes the shape of reconciliation, for that was what God was doing at Calvary. He reconciled the world to himself in the death of Jesus Christ, his Son.
2. Those people who believe, as some of the members of the congregation at Corinth must have believed, that they control their own destiny are really controlled by the great deceiver, Satan. (Break out the C. S. Lewis classic, The Screwtape Letters for excellent examples/illustrations of how this happens.)
3. Regardless of how bad things seem to be, Christians live in a new world, a new age - the age of reconciliation. Christ has made those who believe in him his ambassadors in the world. That's how his love controls us and compels us to obey him by living out our lives in his gracious and abiding and powerful love.
The Prayer of the Day
This collect in the Lutheran Book of Worship applies the Gospel of the Day to human life in a very practical manner.
O God our defender, storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us all from unbelief; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 48 (C); Psalm 107:1-32 (E); 107:1-3, 23-32 (L, E); 107:23-26, 28-31 (R) - As usual, the various lectionaries and books of worship (sacramentaries, for some) are engaged in their biblical tug of war, ranging from the use of the entire psalm as a responsory to the first lesson to eight verses, in the case of the Roman Catholic Church. All include one part of the psalm, verses 23 to 29 (except verse 27, Roman Catholic), which tells of those who went to sea and experienced the wonders of the sea, a great storm that scared the wits out of the sailors. They called upon the Lord and, the psalmist says, "He stilled the storm to a whisper and quieted the waves of the sea." Here is where the psalm "connects" the first reading from Job to the Gospel for the Day.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord God, youflll the hungry with good things and break the sinner's chains. Hear your people who call to you in their need, and lead your church from the shadows of death. Gather us from sunset to sunrise, that we may grow together in faith and love, and may give thanks for your kindness in Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
Job 38:1, 8-11 (R); 38:1-11 (L); 38:1-11, 16-18 (E)
Job is still looking for a rational reason for all of the suffering that he has endured. His friends have not been able to comfort him or solve the dilemma, which puzzled him. Job, like many people, thought that because he was upright, honest, and godly he should have been exempt from suffering. Job's is an "I didn't deserve that" kind of story. It was then that God spoke to him out of the whirlwind, asserting that he, the God who created the heavens and the earth at the beginning, remains in charge of all things. God's ways are always beyond human understanding; the cross proves such a contention. But this reading was chosen to harmonize with the Gospel, because God speaks about his creation of the sea - and his control of it: "Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed." Christ exhibits that same sort of control over the sea in the Gospel for the Day.
2 Samuel 5:1-12 (C)
The reign of David as King of Israel began with something of a blood bath. Several people, including Ishbosheth, Saul's surviving son, who were possible threats to the kingship of David, were murdered, much to David's chagrin. This reading tells of the consolidation of his reign at Hebron, where the tribes of Israel came to David and swore a kind of allegiance to him, convinced that God had appointed him king over Israel. David's reign began when he was thirty years of age and lasted for forty years; seven-and-a-half years were spent at Hebron and thirty-three at Jerusalem. David "took" the city, conquering the Jebusites, who used the blind and the lame "to ward off" David. They, in turn, were rejected by David, forbidden to enter and dwell in his city. He built up the city and, according to Samuel, "became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him." A rival king, Hiram of Tyre, provided lumber and carpenters to build a house for David, obviously as a gesture of friendship and allegiance. David, convinced that he was ruling by God's intention, served God and the people quite well and ruled over them with justice and wisdom.
2 Corinthians 5:14-17 (R); 5:14-21 (E, L); 5:18--6:2 (C)
As he continued to defend his ministry and mission for Jesus Christ against false teachers who had almost won the hearts and minds - and imaginations - of the congregation at Corinth, Paul asserts that everything he does is controlled by the love of Jesus Christ. That same love led Jesus to the cross - where he died. It is at the cross and in baptism that true believers also die. The sacrificial love of Christ, coupled with his resurrection, changes everything. Just as Christ was raised from the dead and became a "new creation," so, too, says Paul, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come." That's how it is, and is supposed to be, with everyone who calls himself/herself a true Christian. Christians are controlled - in all that they do - by the love of Jesus Christ because they have become "new creations" in him.
Mark 4:35-41 (R, L, C); 4:35-41 (5:1-20) (E)
(Note: Mark 5:1-20 is an alternate long form of this reading, intended, perhaps, to tell more of the story of what happened as Jesus and the disciples criss-crossed the Sea of Galilee at the very beginning of his ministry.)
Jesus had been teaching in parables to the great crowds that had gathered by the sea when he said to his disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." He explained everything privately to his disciples, but they did not really comprehend who he was and what his mission was in the world. Tired from a long day of teaching and ministering to people, he fell asleep - and then a terrible storm struck. It frightened the disciples so badly that they awakened him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" And so, as God had often done in the past, and as the prophets before him had calmed several storms, Jesus said, "Peace! Be still!" -
and a calm settled over the sea. He rebuked the disciples, disappointed by their lack of comprehension, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" The disciples were more puzzled than ever about his identity: "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" It took the cross and the empty tomb before they received a complete and satisfying answer to their question.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 4:35-41 - "Out of Control."
In the classic film, The African Queen, Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn make their way down a treacherous river, surviving rapids and even going over a waterfall in the boat until they must pull the boat through the reeds in the delta of the Bora River that empties into a great lake. When the German steamer, Louisa (armed with a great cannon and dominating travel on the lake) is sighted, they make their final plans to ram and sink it. The next night, after the German boat returns, they start out on the last part of their adventure, but a tremendous storm hits them. As they take on water, through the holes in the hull near the water-line where two home-made torpedoes jut out, Bogart does everything he can to save the boat and complete their mission; he fails. The African Queen capsizes and they are thrown into the water as the boat begins to sink. Temporarily, that was the end of the African Queen - and Hepburn and Bogart are rescued by the Germans and condemned to death by a court martial. (The African Queen did not sink completely and the German ship accidentally rammed it and sank, allowing the heroes to escape from the hangman's noose in the process.)
The striking thing about that great lake is that it appeared to be so peaceful and placid, much the way that many people have experienced the Sea of Galilee. Of course, when tourist boats cross the lake, they do so on calm days, but, even so, the lake appears to be a harmless body of water. It isn't - and it wasn't on the occasion when Jesus said to the disciples, "Let us go across to the other side." The fishermen who "worked" the lake regularly had never experienced a storm like it; small wonder that, terrified, they awakened Jesus Christ to still the storm.
1. When the wind and the waves had calmed down, the disciples were left with the question that plagued them until after his death and resurrection: "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" They called him "Teacher," but no teacher they knew could control the forces of nature the way that he did. That's the question put to you and me today, "Who is this Jesus, anyway?"
2. Only one who has the power of God Almighty could possibly control the forces of nature; such control has to be classified as an act of God. As usual, the disciples didn't comprehend. They were not very perceptive people, were they? But Jesus was. He knew that God has "the whole world in his hands" - and it might just be that this experience enabled him to place his life in God's hands when the time for his death drew near. That's a tall order for human beings, isn't it - to entrust one's life to someone else in the hope that that person is able to protect and preserve it? We'd rather control our own destinies and be in charge of our own lives, wouldn't we?
3. The disciples did have some idea that Jesus was something more than a teacher; why else would they have awakened him and cried out, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" They were so typical of desperate people whose lives have suddenly gone out of control. Can God, if there really is a God, do anything to restore normality to our impossible situations? Can God really help people who are in deep trouble in this life? Is he available when we need him?
4. Jesus' words, "Peace! Be still," and the calm that settled over those troubled waters and tortured souls, prove that God was in control - and he still is! He gives us the necessary faith to believe that he is God of life and death - that he controls everything. With Jesus, he frees us from fear and disbelief, so that we can live our lives to the fullest, controlled only by God himself.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Job 38:1-11 (L); 1-11, 16-18 (E); 38:1, 8-11 (R) - "Divine Interrogation."
A former colleague, Dr. David Belgum, wrote a book many years ago whose title could have come from the mouth of Job himself; the title was Why Did It Happen to Me? Many books and articles have been written and published since then, using that same or a very similar title. Most people of faith who have attempted to live a godly and righteous life, will, when undeserved tragedy enters their lives, ask that question, "Why did this happen to me?" Life can seem to be very unfair, at times, and when it is we cannot help but ask, "Why?"
1. The answer that Job received was that God, the God who created the earth and everything in it, is in control of all the forces of nature. He even controls the "springs of the sea" and has placed limits upon its incursion upon the dry land. The God of creation is still in control - and even today, in this age of incredible scientific advances, we have to relearn this truth. God controls the destiny of the world through the laws of nature.
2. God intends good for all human beings, not evil. That's why he governs the earth in an intelligible and orderly manner. He has created order out of chaos - and he wants it to continue that way. There are all sorts of reasons why evil comes into our lives, ranging from accidents to disease to deliberate harm inflicted by people who may hate us. But God doesn't do us harm. His actions, when understood, reject questioning him as though he were at fault, "Why did this happen to me?" - Which really means, "Why did you do this to me? I don't think I deserve this sort of treatment from you, O Lord."
3. Neither does God! Despite the reality of our sins and disobedience, God has mercy upon us and wishes us well. The cross assures us of God's love and concern for us better than anything else that we can know. Would a God, who wanted to punish people, actually give his only begotten Son over to a cruel death on a cross? God is merciful and kind. He does not react to sinners the way that we react to those who hurt us! God loves us and forgives us - and because he is a God of love, he can do us no evil.
4. This much we know from the Job story: God was there when Job was suffering, supporting him, sharing in his pain, and shoring up his faith so that he could believe that God would see him through that time of trial. Jesus said something like that before he ascended to heaven, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." That means that God is still in charge - and always will be. We can bank on that!
2 Samuel 5:1-12 (C) - "The Conference and the Covenant."
1. It was a kind of pow-wow; the tribes of Israel gathered together at Hebron for a conference with their new king, David. Saul had been king, but it was David who was in control of the destiny of Israel in the latter days of Saul's reign. The people knew it and told him so. They knew that God wanted it to be that way, for he had chosen David and had him anointed as king.
2. For his part, David responded in a godly manner, making a covenant with them. His covenant paralleled God's, who had said to Israel, "I will be your God, and you will be my people." David was saying, "I will be your king, and you will be my subjects." He was promising to be as faithful to them as God had been to Israel. He intended to be so - but the problem was that David, like all of us, was a sinner. With Paul, he might have said, "The good I would, I do not, and the evil I would not, that I do." That's rather familiar territory for you and me, isn't it?
3. David, at least, tried to be obedient to God and to be a faithful king and shepherd to God's people, Israel. He was aware that God was active in his life and that God had his hand upon his shoulder - at least early in his reign over Israel. His problem - like ours - was that he ignored God, at times, and responded to Satan's suggestions and deceptive and devious ways. David, King of Israel, was - with all of us - a sinner, and in time he came to know and admit it.
4. Exaltation has a way of leading people away from true repentance and faith. Exaltation is very "heavy" stuff, as David found out later in his reign. But it can't last forever, because it has a way of deceiving us and misleading us by making us think that we have been totally responsible for our own success and salvation. Success comes with hard work and, more often than not, with a little luck. Salvation is always a matter of grace and mercy, calling for rejoicing in Christ and exalting his holy name - as grateful and repentant sinners - in the world. That's one of the hard lessons we need to learn from David's experience as king of Israel.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 (E, L); 5:14-17 (R); 5:18--6:2 (C)
- "Who Controls Our Lives and Destinies?"
1. The Love of Christ controls the whole life of the Christian because true believers have, in a way, died with him and have risen to new life in him. That new life is a life of Christ-like love. That love takes the shape of reconciliation, for that was what God was doing at Calvary. He reconciled the world to himself in the death of Jesus Christ, his Son.
2. Those people who believe, as some of the members of the congregation at Corinth must have believed, that they control their own destiny are really controlled by the great deceiver, Satan. (Break out the C. S. Lewis classic, The Screwtape Letters for excellent examples/illustrations of how this happens.)
3. Regardless of how bad things seem to be, Christians live in a new world, a new age - the age of reconciliation. Christ has made those who believe in him his ambassadors in the world. That's how his love controls us and compels us to obey him by living out our lives in his gracious and abiding and powerful love.
