Seventh Sunday After The Epiphany
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII, Cycle B
Seasonal Theme
Jesus grows up and it begins to dawn on some who and what he is.
Theme For The Day
Jesus wants to forgive us our sins and un-paralyze us so we might bring others to him and overcome the barriers which prevent it.
Old Testament Lesson
Isaiah 43:18-25
God Forgives That Which Is Undeserved
This passage begins with the advice to not just dwell in the past (v. 18) and then announces something new God is about to begin in verse 19. The literal translation is "even now it sprouts up." God's future mercies are already beginning. The former president of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong tells how, when he came across this very verse (v. 19), he decided he was to build a new seven million dollar seminary on Tau Fong Shan mountain. And he did!
Verses 22-24 list the many acts of devotion which the people had neglected to do. Then, verse 25 announces that even though they had neglected to worship God or deserve God's mercy, God would forgive them and "... not remember their sins" (v. 25). Whew! That's a relief!
New Testament Lesson
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
The Down-Payment
A little background is necessary to understand what Paul is writing here. Paul had promised to revisit them. But things got so bad that he postponed it so as not to cause them more pain (v. 23). Then his enemies charged him with not being able to count on him and that his "yes"es were sometimes "no"s. In addition, they said that if they couldn't rely on Paul's little promises everyday, they could not trust what he had told them about God. This passage is Paul's answer. He states simply that we can trust God's promises. And that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, proclaimed to them by himself, Timothy, and Sylvanus was a "yes" (vv. 19b-20). Great! "Amen" means "it shall be so" and we finish our prayers with it, confident that because of what Jesus did, we can count on God's promises -- Jesus is our guarantee (v. 20b). Verse 22 tells us of Paul's belief that he was commissioned as an apostle by the Holy Spirit's seal. The Greek word is arrabon which is a down-payment, the first installment of a contract. So the kind of life we have in the spirit is the first installment of our life in heaven. How about that "yes" promise, folks? Our life in the Spirit now promises and pledges greater things to come.
The Gospel
Mark 2:1-12
Jesus Heals A Paralytic
The background is worthwhile. Jesus was back at Simon Peter's mother-in-law's home in Capernaum, which served as his headquarters when he was in Galilee. It was the same house that is, perhaps, 100 yards from the synagogue where he drove the demons out of the possessed man. And it is the home in which Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law of malaria. So now the people crowded in to see this wonder-worker. This house was flat-roofed with a side stairs outside to the roof. The roof was made of sticks and mud: easily removed.
We don't know if this paralytic even wanted to be there. And we don't know on whose faith he was healed, if any. Verse 5 seems to indicate that it was the mat bearers' faith. It would be an interesting happening if Mark means that this man was healed on the basis of someone else's faith and not his own. In my book, The Miracles Of Jesus And Their Flip Side, I have dealt with this story at length. The fact that Jesus connects sin and illness and forgives the man's sins is an interesting thought.
The scribes must be considered here. The paralyzed man is healed and all they can do, instead of celebrating the miracle, is criticize Jesus, that he had the audacity to forgive sins (v. 7)! See my first metaphor listed after the Prayer For The Day. What a sight it must have been in Capernaum after one of their own would get up and walk again. Then I wonder who had to patch up the roof that evening on the little house? Perhaps Peter and Andrew, supervised by their mother-in-law.
Preaching Possibilities
Isaiah 43:18-25: Perhaps we look back too much rather than look forward. What new things is God doing in our lives and in our congregational life together? We also neglect to worship God as those did back then. Still, God removes our sins and will not hold them against us. Selah!
2 Corinthians 1:18-22: If you want to use the New Testament Reading, consider the following points: God's "yes" is always stronger then the world's "no." Jesus is the great "Amen" to God's promise to forgive us. God's Holy Spirit in our hearts is the first payment to us as to how it will be for us in heaven. To what things and promises does Jesus say Amen for us?
1. We have forgiveness for our sins.
2. God knows our struggles and wants to help.
3. We can start over again and again.
4. We are part of His body, the church.
5. We are secure right into eternal life.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
A. Begin by picturing brothers Peter and Andrew patching a hole in their mother-in-law's roof, supervised by Peter's wife.
B. Review the events leading up to this miracle of healing of someone let down by his neighbors through a hole in the roof:
1. John baptized his cousin, Jesus, in the Jordan.
2. Jesus was tempted and decided on his style of ministry.
3. The disciples were enlisted.
4. Demons were driven out in the synagogue.
5. Peter's mother-in-law was healed of malaria.
6. Sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus.
7. The crowds got bigger and bigger.
8. A man with a skin disease was cured and told everyone.
9. Now this story of guilt, forgiveness, overcoming obstacles and severe criticism while doing the right thing.
C. Retell the story of the four bringing this man to Jesus and letting him down through the roof.
D. Now ask -- "What can we learn from this event?"
1. It pays not to give up, like these four mat bearers.
2. Jesus will forgive our sins, which can paralyze us, too.
E. Refer to Old Testament Lesson -- Isaiah 43:19-25
F. Now consider the flip side of the story. There is the misery of those scribes who came to criticize rather than celebrate. And there is the presence of Jesus in our homes. Jesus teaching in the synagogue down the street is one thing -- taking him home where the forgiveness and healing can take place is another!
G. Then imagine what the celebration was like in Capernaum that night and finish by returning to Peter and Andrew finishing patching the roof and the appearance of their mother-in-law making the final inspection.
Prayer For The Day
God of compassion and forgiveness, help us to overcome the barriers which keep others from Jesus. Show us those whom we might be able to bring to Jesus, and who need his compassion and forgiveness. And God, forgive and remove the sins which now paralyze us as a congregation and as your individual daughters and sons. We pray in Jesus Christ who is our Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
The Germans have a very strong word, schadenfreude, which means "gloating" or "the human impulse to take pleasure in the misfortune of others," according to an article in Newsweek. Schaden means to do harm or damage. Freude means pleasure of joy. I have been looking for this word which seems to me to describe well a tendency in our sinful human nature. It instructs and warns me -- schadenfreuden!
At the Cathedral of the Virgin of Guadeloupe in Mexico, there is a long narthex hall full of hand-painted plaques representing the miracles occurring in individual lives. An example is a picture of a boat on fire, or a car hitting a pedestrian, or a person getting out of a hospital bed.
What miracles of our members could we paint on the walls of our church narthexes?
A hole-patched Capernaum roof reminded many who saw
one paralyzed with guilt and near bitterness of life,
whom friends willingly transported on invalid's stretcher.
We, too, must give up fault finding and celebrate healing.
-- JLS
I went to the optometrist. I learned a blind spot in my vision is where the optic nerve is. So I took a Humphrey peripheral vision test, punching a button when a dot appears. We certainly all have our own blind spots, recognized or not, about ourselves or others or certain circumstances.
Jesus grows up and it begins to dawn on some who and what he is.
Theme For The Day
Jesus wants to forgive us our sins and un-paralyze us so we might bring others to him and overcome the barriers which prevent it.
Old Testament Lesson
Isaiah 43:18-25
God Forgives That Which Is Undeserved
This passage begins with the advice to not just dwell in the past (v. 18) and then announces something new God is about to begin in verse 19. The literal translation is "even now it sprouts up." God's future mercies are already beginning. The former president of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong tells how, when he came across this very verse (v. 19), he decided he was to build a new seven million dollar seminary on Tau Fong Shan mountain. And he did!
Verses 22-24 list the many acts of devotion which the people had neglected to do. Then, verse 25 announces that even though they had neglected to worship God or deserve God's mercy, God would forgive them and "... not remember their sins" (v. 25). Whew! That's a relief!
New Testament Lesson
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
The Down-Payment
A little background is necessary to understand what Paul is writing here. Paul had promised to revisit them. But things got so bad that he postponed it so as not to cause them more pain (v. 23). Then his enemies charged him with not being able to count on him and that his "yes"es were sometimes "no"s. In addition, they said that if they couldn't rely on Paul's little promises everyday, they could not trust what he had told them about God. This passage is Paul's answer. He states simply that we can trust God's promises. And that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, proclaimed to them by himself, Timothy, and Sylvanus was a "yes" (vv. 19b-20). Great! "Amen" means "it shall be so" and we finish our prayers with it, confident that because of what Jesus did, we can count on God's promises -- Jesus is our guarantee (v. 20b). Verse 22 tells us of Paul's belief that he was commissioned as an apostle by the Holy Spirit's seal. The Greek word is arrabon which is a down-payment, the first installment of a contract. So the kind of life we have in the spirit is the first installment of our life in heaven. How about that "yes" promise, folks? Our life in the Spirit now promises and pledges greater things to come.
The Gospel
Mark 2:1-12
Jesus Heals A Paralytic
The background is worthwhile. Jesus was back at Simon Peter's mother-in-law's home in Capernaum, which served as his headquarters when he was in Galilee. It was the same house that is, perhaps, 100 yards from the synagogue where he drove the demons out of the possessed man. And it is the home in which Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law of malaria. So now the people crowded in to see this wonder-worker. This house was flat-roofed with a side stairs outside to the roof. The roof was made of sticks and mud: easily removed.
We don't know if this paralytic even wanted to be there. And we don't know on whose faith he was healed, if any. Verse 5 seems to indicate that it was the mat bearers' faith. It would be an interesting happening if Mark means that this man was healed on the basis of someone else's faith and not his own. In my book, The Miracles Of Jesus And Their Flip Side, I have dealt with this story at length. The fact that Jesus connects sin and illness and forgives the man's sins is an interesting thought.
The scribes must be considered here. The paralyzed man is healed and all they can do, instead of celebrating the miracle, is criticize Jesus, that he had the audacity to forgive sins (v. 7)! See my first metaphor listed after the Prayer For The Day. What a sight it must have been in Capernaum after one of their own would get up and walk again. Then I wonder who had to patch up the roof that evening on the little house? Perhaps Peter and Andrew, supervised by their mother-in-law.
Preaching Possibilities
Isaiah 43:18-25: Perhaps we look back too much rather than look forward. What new things is God doing in our lives and in our congregational life together? We also neglect to worship God as those did back then. Still, God removes our sins and will not hold them against us. Selah!
2 Corinthians 1:18-22: If you want to use the New Testament Reading, consider the following points: God's "yes" is always stronger then the world's "no." Jesus is the great "Amen" to God's promise to forgive us. God's Holy Spirit in our hearts is the first payment to us as to how it will be for us in heaven. To what things and promises does Jesus say Amen for us?
1. We have forgiveness for our sins.
2. God knows our struggles and wants to help.
3. We can start over again and again.
4. We are part of His body, the church.
5. We are secure right into eternal life.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
A. Begin by picturing brothers Peter and Andrew patching a hole in their mother-in-law's roof, supervised by Peter's wife.
B. Review the events leading up to this miracle of healing of someone let down by his neighbors through a hole in the roof:
1. John baptized his cousin, Jesus, in the Jordan.
2. Jesus was tempted and decided on his style of ministry.
3. The disciples were enlisted.
4. Demons were driven out in the synagogue.
5. Peter's mother-in-law was healed of malaria.
6. Sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus.
7. The crowds got bigger and bigger.
8. A man with a skin disease was cured and told everyone.
9. Now this story of guilt, forgiveness, overcoming obstacles and severe criticism while doing the right thing.
C. Retell the story of the four bringing this man to Jesus and letting him down through the roof.
D. Now ask -- "What can we learn from this event?"
1. It pays not to give up, like these four mat bearers.
2. Jesus will forgive our sins, which can paralyze us, too.
E. Refer to Old Testament Lesson -- Isaiah 43:19-25
F. Now consider the flip side of the story. There is the misery of those scribes who came to criticize rather than celebrate. And there is the presence of Jesus in our homes. Jesus teaching in the synagogue down the street is one thing -- taking him home where the forgiveness and healing can take place is another!
G. Then imagine what the celebration was like in Capernaum that night and finish by returning to Peter and Andrew finishing patching the roof and the appearance of their mother-in-law making the final inspection.
Prayer For The Day
God of compassion and forgiveness, help us to overcome the barriers which keep others from Jesus. Show us those whom we might be able to bring to Jesus, and who need his compassion and forgiveness. And God, forgive and remove the sins which now paralyze us as a congregation and as your individual daughters and sons. We pray in Jesus Christ who is our Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
The Germans have a very strong word, schadenfreude, which means "gloating" or "the human impulse to take pleasure in the misfortune of others," according to an article in Newsweek. Schaden means to do harm or damage. Freude means pleasure of joy. I have been looking for this word which seems to me to describe well a tendency in our sinful human nature. It instructs and warns me -- schadenfreuden!
At the Cathedral of the Virgin of Guadeloupe in Mexico, there is a long narthex hall full of hand-painted plaques representing the miracles occurring in individual lives. An example is a picture of a boat on fire, or a car hitting a pedestrian, or a person getting out of a hospital bed.
What miracles of our members could we paint on the walls of our church narthexes?
A hole-patched Capernaum roof reminded many who saw
one paralyzed with guilt and near bitterness of life,
whom friends willingly transported on invalid's stretcher.
We, too, must give up fault finding and celebrate healing.
-- JLS
I went to the optometrist. I learned a blind spot in my vision is where the optic nerve is. So I took a Humphrey peripheral vision test, punching a button when a dot appears. We certainly all have our own blind spots, recognized or not, about ourselves or others or certain circumstances.
