Third Sunday In Lent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
The Third Sunday in Lent had the quality of "looking toward God" in trust, as the introit put it, "Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord" (Psalm 25:6, 2b, 22, 1, 2a), in the classic set of propers. The other readings and parts of the propers concentrated on the preparation of the catechumens for baptism at Easter; this Sunday was known as dominica exorcismi - exorcism Sunday - when the lectionary and the church year were beginning to develop. It also had the title of renunciation Sunday (dominici abrenuntiationis), because it was the time that the initiation of the catechumens actually began; they were to renounce their old life and the ways of the world and turn toward the Lord in total trust and surrender. Time has taken away the original meanings and purposes of this Sunday, although preparation for the renewal of our baptism is a fundamental theological motif of Lent; Lent should remind us that the gifts God has given us in baptism need to be renewed again in the celebration of Easter and, especially, in the Easter eucharist. This day celebrates the love and concern and patience that God has for his repentant people, and it keeps us moving toward the cross and the empty tomb so that, as we find our faith and hope renewed in the risen Lord, we may become profitable servants of the Lord. From this perspective, I think of this Sunday as "little Christs" Sunday: God is patient with us, because he is not only busy saving us, but through his word is attempting to transform us into "little Christs" who serve the Lord.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for this Sunday reflects something of the spiritual situation that catechumens found themselves in centuries ago: "We beseech thee, Almighty God, to look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defense against all our enemies; through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
At least one of the contemporary prayers (LBW) takes this petition beyond personal help and salvation into the area of bold witness and loving service in the name of the Lord: "Eternal Lord, your kingdom has broken into our troubled world through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son. Help us to hear your Word and obey it, so that we become instruments of your redeeming love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 103:1-11 (E); 103:1-8, 11 (RC) - This is another of the psalms finding multiple use in the lectionary; it was appointed for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (or the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, or Proper Nineteen, depending on which lectionary one happens to be following); The Book Of Common Prayer also places this psalm in the liturgy for Ash Wednesday. It is set on this Third Sunday in Lent because it reflects the theme of the readings, particularly the Gospel for the Day, as it moves from verses 1 and 2
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul
and forget not all his benefits.
- to verse 11, which cuts the psalm in half and culminates on the heart of today's theme, God's patience and mercy for his people:
For as the heavens
are high above the earth,
so is his mercy
great upon those who fear him.
The cross of Christ, the good news, tells us that!
Psalm 126 (L) - The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are, from a Christian perspective, built into this psalm that was written long before he lived and died. It declares almost the middle of Lent and in anticipation of the Easter celebration:
The Lord has done great things for us
and we are glad indeed.
It is the song of these, the baptized, who know how patient and merciful God has been toward his people and believe that they will always have a reason for rejoicing in the crucified and risen Lord.
Psalm prayer - (Psalm 103 - LBW) - "Lord, you have compassion for the sinner, as a father has compassion for his children. Heal the weakness of your people and save us from everlasting death, that with the saints and angels we may praise and glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever."
The psalm prayer for Psalm 126 focuses on the cross/exodus event of Christianity and the message of this day: "Lord Jesus, our life and our resurrection, the tears you sowed in the sorrow of your Passion brought the earth to flower on Easter morning. Renew the wonders of your power in the church, so that after the sorrows of our exile, we may come home to you in gladness and praise you now and forever."
The Readings
Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 (RC); 3:1-8b, 10-15 (L); 3:1-15 (E, C) - The familiar story of Moses' encounter with the "burning bush" and God is told in the first reading for this day. That the bush was not consumed by the flames intrigued Moses more than the angel of the Lord who appeared in the burning bush, so he turned "aside" to watch, apparently to see how long the bush would burn without being destroyed. That action caught God's attention, so God called Moses by name, warned him not to get too close to the flames, and ordered him to take off his shoes for the "place on which you are standing is holy ground." When the voice spoke, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," Moses "hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." The "I am God" theme runs through the readings of this Sunday, coupled with the exodus motif in the escape from Egypt, and the Christian exodus in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is an intriguing sermon, as suggested below, in this reading.
1 Corinthians 10:1-8, 13-15 (RC); 10:1-8b, 10-15 (L); 10:1-15 (E, C) - Paul had problems, great problems, with the congregation at Corinth, one of which was that they were so "sacramentally oriented" in baptism and the eucharist that they thought that the fullness of salvation had already been experienced by them. They had lost the "parousia perspective" of Christianity, and Paul had to correct this. He did it by "Christianizing" the exodus, comparing that event and the food and drink God supplied "supernaturally" with the sacraments of the church, going so far as to tell them that the Rock "from which they (the Israelites) drank" in the wilderness was Jesus Christ! They didn't know that, and they sinned and had to die in the wilderness.
He declares the experiences of the Israelites a "warning" to the Corinthians, who seem to believe that they are "sinless." Informed and initiated Christians, who live by the grace, faithfulness, and patience of God, are genuinely humble, because they know that salvation is God's gift in Christ, of which no one is worthy: "Therefore let any one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." On the other hand, God strengthens the humble and helps them to be faithful in all temptations encountered in life.
Luke 13:1-9 (RC, E, L, C) - Scholars have long wondered about the source of the first part of this pericope; how did Jesus learn about these two tragedies, the first of which was the deliberate work of a cruel despot, the other a construction accident? In both instances, the people were innocent; at least, Jesus says that they didn't deserve death more than any other people in Israel. But the fate of unrepentant people, who do not hear and heed his message about the coming of the kingdom of God in himself, will be the same as that of the people who were the victims in his two examples: "I tell you ... unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
The parable about the unproductive fig tree is pertinent to individual Christians and the church, too. God expects his people, the church, to win converts to Jesus. In this, he is most patient, but we have to wonder how long his patience will last! The members of the body of Christ have to ask themselves, "Have I done everything I could for the Lord?" And then they have to get on with his work!
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 13:1-9 (RC, E, L, C) - "Two Tragedies And A Tree." - The world has always been full of tragedies in which the victims are "innocent," that is, they don't deserve what happens to them any more than anyone else. One such tragedy occurred recently and is typical of how the "innocent" become victims. An African, who was here with his wife and family to pursue graduate studies at the University of Minnesota, was returning home one night with his four children. A drunken driver in a pick-up truck, didn't see him as he, in his small car, attempted to make a left-hand turn into the street on which they were living. The driver in the truck was speeding and never even slowed down; he hit the compact car broadside and killed all of the occupants. In no way did they deserve their fate, nor did the grieving wife and mother ever do anything to earn such suffering and pain as she knew. M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) had the remains of that car embedded in a bill-board on one of the main thoroughfares of St. Paul as part of their campaign to eradicate drunk driving from the roads of our country and spare the innocent unnecessary suffering.
1. From one perspective, there is no such thing as an "innocent" person, save, perhaps, newborn children (despite the doctrine of original sin). "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." That's all too evident.
2. Every person "deserves" death, in one sense. That's the price of sinning. And so, all people are in need of the gracious forgiveness of God in Jesus Christ. Only through Christ can our sins be forgiven and can we be delivered from death, the fate we all deserve.
3. Amazingly, God gives us time to repent, on one hand, and to become productive for him, on the other. Here's where the fig tree comes in, assuring us of the patience of God with us.
4. Shouldn't we ask, "How long, O Lord, will you be patient with us? How long will you put up with our reluctance to repent and enter the fullness of your kingdom and its work?"
5. A tree with the body of the Christ nailed to it has delivered us from the ultimate tragedy. Thank the Lord every day and do his work in the world.
Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 (RC); 3:1-8b, 10-15 (L); 3:1-15 (E, C) - "On Ignoring An Angel." - In one of Charles Schultz's comic strips, he pictures Lucy standing before a desk in what is obviously the office of a television preacher. She says to the woman who is at the desk but remains unseen: "Yes, Ma'am, I'd like to see the preacher, please ... the one I see on TV all the time." In the second frame, she adds: "I thought maybe he'd be interested in a miracle that I personally know of ..." And in the third sequence: "He's busy? I'm sure he is, but this was quite a miracle ... A butterfly landed on my nose, see, and ..." The fourth glimpse of Lucy finds her reaching for a piece of paper on the edge of the desk: "A Sunday school paper? Yes, Ma'am, I'll take it ... But now let me tell you about the angel ..."
1. The angel in this "burning bush" story didn't get much more attention from Moses than Lucy and her angel got from the televangelist's secretary. It was the bush, not the angel, that claimed his attention: "I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." Was the angel attempting to speak to him? Were his eyes so wide open that his ears were closed? Who really believes in angels anyway? Aren't they the stuff of which myths are made? And, even in the Bible, don't they usually appear to people in dreams?
2. So God had to insert himself into the picture and speak directly to Moses, "Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground," adding, "I am the God of your father, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." That Voice and those words really got his attention, even if the angel hadn't, and Moses was really afraid!
3. Now, here's the irony in this story beyond the "ignored angel," whom he apparently saw. Moses had the chance to see God for himself, something that nearly all of us would like to do, but his fear cost him the opportunity of seeing God face to face!
4. Don't we, like Moses, dismiss the angels, God's messengers, and occupy ourselves with watching "bushes burn?" And isn't that one reason why he had to send his Son, Jesus, to speak and teach us and die to get our attention so that he might give us life?
5. Lucy, unlike Moses, really saw and maybe heard what the angel had to say. This much is clear: the angels were right when they heralded his birth and announced to the world, "To you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord." And God says, "This is my beloved son, listen to him!"
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 (RC); 10:1-13 (E, L, C) - "The End Of The Story."
1. The exodus story has a "bitter end" to it; the people of Israel, ungrateful to God for his deliverance and sinful, as always, weren't allowed to enter the Promised Land. They died in the wilderness, unrepentant sinners.
2. According to Paul, their fate should be a warning to all believers, sending them down to their knees in repentance, asking for the continuation of the grace and mercy of the Lord God, as they wait for "the coming of the Lord."
3. Only then will believers be equipped to "finish the race" and stand in the presence of God and our Lord, Jesus Christ. To Mary and all the saints, living and dead, we cry out, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death!"
The Third Sunday in Lent had the quality of "looking toward God" in trust, as the introit put it, "Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord" (Psalm 25:6, 2b, 22, 1, 2a), in the classic set of propers. The other readings and parts of the propers concentrated on the preparation of the catechumens for baptism at Easter; this Sunday was known as dominica exorcismi - exorcism Sunday - when the lectionary and the church year were beginning to develop. It also had the title of renunciation Sunday (dominici abrenuntiationis), because it was the time that the initiation of the catechumens actually began; they were to renounce their old life and the ways of the world and turn toward the Lord in total trust and surrender. Time has taken away the original meanings and purposes of this Sunday, although preparation for the renewal of our baptism is a fundamental theological motif of Lent; Lent should remind us that the gifts God has given us in baptism need to be renewed again in the celebration of Easter and, especially, in the Easter eucharist. This day celebrates the love and concern and patience that God has for his repentant people, and it keeps us moving toward the cross and the empty tomb so that, as we find our faith and hope renewed in the risen Lord, we may become profitable servants of the Lord. From this perspective, I think of this Sunday as "little Christs" Sunday: God is patient with us, because he is not only busy saving us, but through his word is attempting to transform us into "little Christs" who serve the Lord.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for this Sunday reflects something of the spiritual situation that catechumens found themselves in centuries ago: "We beseech thee, Almighty God, to look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defense against all our enemies; through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
At least one of the contemporary prayers (LBW) takes this petition beyond personal help and salvation into the area of bold witness and loving service in the name of the Lord: "Eternal Lord, your kingdom has broken into our troubled world through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son. Help us to hear your Word and obey it, so that we become instruments of your redeeming love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 103:1-11 (E); 103:1-8, 11 (RC) - This is another of the psalms finding multiple use in the lectionary; it was appointed for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (or the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, or Proper Nineteen, depending on which lectionary one happens to be following); The Book Of Common Prayer also places this psalm in the liturgy for Ash Wednesday. It is set on this Third Sunday in Lent because it reflects the theme of the readings, particularly the Gospel for the Day, as it moves from verses 1 and 2
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul
and forget not all his benefits.
- to verse 11, which cuts the psalm in half and culminates on the heart of today's theme, God's patience and mercy for his people:
For as the heavens
are high above the earth,
so is his mercy
great upon those who fear him.
The cross of Christ, the good news, tells us that!
Psalm 126 (L) - The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are, from a Christian perspective, built into this psalm that was written long before he lived and died. It declares almost the middle of Lent and in anticipation of the Easter celebration:
The Lord has done great things for us
and we are glad indeed.
It is the song of these, the baptized, who know how patient and merciful God has been toward his people and believe that they will always have a reason for rejoicing in the crucified and risen Lord.
Psalm prayer - (Psalm 103 - LBW) - "Lord, you have compassion for the sinner, as a father has compassion for his children. Heal the weakness of your people and save us from everlasting death, that with the saints and angels we may praise and glorify you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever."
The psalm prayer for Psalm 126 focuses on the cross/exodus event of Christianity and the message of this day: "Lord Jesus, our life and our resurrection, the tears you sowed in the sorrow of your Passion brought the earth to flower on Easter morning. Renew the wonders of your power in the church, so that after the sorrows of our exile, we may come home to you in gladness and praise you now and forever."
The Readings
Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 (RC); 3:1-8b, 10-15 (L); 3:1-15 (E, C) - The familiar story of Moses' encounter with the "burning bush" and God is told in the first reading for this day. That the bush was not consumed by the flames intrigued Moses more than the angel of the Lord who appeared in the burning bush, so he turned "aside" to watch, apparently to see how long the bush would burn without being destroyed. That action caught God's attention, so God called Moses by name, warned him not to get too close to the flames, and ordered him to take off his shoes for the "place on which you are standing is holy ground." When the voice spoke, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," Moses "hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." The "I am God" theme runs through the readings of this Sunday, coupled with the exodus motif in the escape from Egypt, and the Christian exodus in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is an intriguing sermon, as suggested below, in this reading.
1 Corinthians 10:1-8, 13-15 (RC); 10:1-8b, 10-15 (L); 10:1-15 (E, C) - Paul had problems, great problems, with the congregation at Corinth, one of which was that they were so "sacramentally oriented" in baptism and the eucharist that they thought that the fullness of salvation had already been experienced by them. They had lost the "parousia perspective" of Christianity, and Paul had to correct this. He did it by "Christianizing" the exodus, comparing that event and the food and drink God supplied "supernaturally" with the sacraments of the church, going so far as to tell them that the Rock "from which they (the Israelites) drank" in the wilderness was Jesus Christ! They didn't know that, and they sinned and had to die in the wilderness.
He declares the experiences of the Israelites a "warning" to the Corinthians, who seem to believe that they are "sinless." Informed and initiated Christians, who live by the grace, faithfulness, and patience of God, are genuinely humble, because they know that salvation is God's gift in Christ, of which no one is worthy: "Therefore let any one who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." On the other hand, God strengthens the humble and helps them to be faithful in all temptations encountered in life.
Luke 13:1-9 (RC, E, L, C) - Scholars have long wondered about the source of the first part of this pericope; how did Jesus learn about these two tragedies, the first of which was the deliberate work of a cruel despot, the other a construction accident? In both instances, the people were innocent; at least, Jesus says that they didn't deserve death more than any other people in Israel. But the fate of unrepentant people, who do not hear and heed his message about the coming of the kingdom of God in himself, will be the same as that of the people who were the victims in his two examples: "I tell you ... unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
The parable about the unproductive fig tree is pertinent to individual Christians and the church, too. God expects his people, the church, to win converts to Jesus. In this, he is most patient, but we have to wonder how long his patience will last! The members of the body of Christ have to ask themselves, "Have I done everything I could for the Lord?" And then they have to get on with his work!
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 13:1-9 (RC, E, L, C) - "Two Tragedies And A Tree." - The world has always been full of tragedies in which the victims are "innocent," that is, they don't deserve what happens to them any more than anyone else. One such tragedy occurred recently and is typical of how the "innocent" become victims. An African, who was here with his wife and family to pursue graduate studies at the University of Minnesota, was returning home one night with his four children. A drunken driver in a pick-up truck, didn't see him as he, in his small car, attempted to make a left-hand turn into the street on which they were living. The driver in the truck was speeding and never even slowed down; he hit the compact car broadside and killed all of the occupants. In no way did they deserve their fate, nor did the grieving wife and mother ever do anything to earn such suffering and pain as she knew. M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) had the remains of that car embedded in a bill-board on one of the main thoroughfares of St. Paul as part of their campaign to eradicate drunk driving from the roads of our country and spare the innocent unnecessary suffering.
1. From one perspective, there is no such thing as an "innocent" person, save, perhaps, newborn children (despite the doctrine of original sin). "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." That's all too evident.
2. Every person "deserves" death, in one sense. That's the price of sinning. And so, all people are in need of the gracious forgiveness of God in Jesus Christ. Only through Christ can our sins be forgiven and can we be delivered from death, the fate we all deserve.
3. Amazingly, God gives us time to repent, on one hand, and to become productive for him, on the other. Here's where the fig tree comes in, assuring us of the patience of God with us.
4. Shouldn't we ask, "How long, O Lord, will you be patient with us? How long will you put up with our reluctance to repent and enter the fullness of your kingdom and its work?"
5. A tree with the body of the Christ nailed to it has delivered us from the ultimate tragedy. Thank the Lord every day and do his work in the world.
Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 (RC); 3:1-8b, 10-15 (L); 3:1-15 (E, C) - "On Ignoring An Angel." - In one of Charles Schultz's comic strips, he pictures Lucy standing before a desk in what is obviously the office of a television preacher. She says to the woman who is at the desk but remains unseen: "Yes, Ma'am, I'd like to see the preacher, please ... the one I see on TV all the time." In the second frame, she adds: "I thought maybe he'd be interested in a miracle that I personally know of ..." And in the third sequence: "He's busy? I'm sure he is, but this was quite a miracle ... A butterfly landed on my nose, see, and ..." The fourth glimpse of Lucy finds her reaching for a piece of paper on the edge of the desk: "A Sunday school paper? Yes, Ma'am, I'll take it ... But now let me tell you about the angel ..."
1. The angel in this "burning bush" story didn't get much more attention from Moses than Lucy and her angel got from the televangelist's secretary. It was the bush, not the angel, that claimed his attention: "I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." Was the angel attempting to speak to him? Were his eyes so wide open that his ears were closed? Who really believes in angels anyway? Aren't they the stuff of which myths are made? And, even in the Bible, don't they usually appear to people in dreams?
2. So God had to insert himself into the picture and speak directly to Moses, "Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground," adding, "I am the God of your father, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." That Voice and those words really got his attention, even if the angel hadn't, and Moses was really afraid!
3. Now, here's the irony in this story beyond the "ignored angel," whom he apparently saw. Moses had the chance to see God for himself, something that nearly all of us would like to do, but his fear cost him the opportunity of seeing God face to face!
4. Don't we, like Moses, dismiss the angels, God's messengers, and occupy ourselves with watching "bushes burn?" And isn't that one reason why he had to send his Son, Jesus, to speak and teach us and die to get our attention so that he might give us life?
5. Lucy, unlike Moses, really saw and maybe heard what the angel had to say. This much is clear: the angels were right when they heralded his birth and announced to the world, "To you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord." And God says, "This is my beloved son, listen to him!"
1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12 (RC); 10:1-13 (E, L, C) - "The End Of The Story."
1. The exodus story has a "bitter end" to it; the people of Israel, ungrateful to God for his deliverance and sinful, as always, weren't allowed to enter the Promised Land. They died in the wilderness, unrepentant sinners.
2. According to Paul, their fate should be a warning to all believers, sending them down to their knees in repentance, asking for the continuation of the grace and mercy of the Lord God, as they wait for "the coming of the Lord."
3. Only then will believers be equipped to "finish the race" and stand in the presence of God and our Lord, Jesus Christ. To Mary and all the saints, living and dead, we cry out, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death!"
