Third Sunday In Lent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Cycle A, THIRD EDITION
THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7 (C, E); Exodus 17:3--7 (RC)
Upon Yahweh's direction, Moses brings water out of a rock for the wilderness people. God's people are in the wilderness and are thirsty. This is one of a series of complaints of the Israelites during their forty--year stay in the wilderness. This episode follows the pattern of the others: The people complain to Moses, Moses takes the complaint to Yahweh, and Yahweh graciously answers the need. In this case, Moses is directed to strike a rock out of which comes water. The account points out the faithlessness of the people by threatening Moses and by putting God to the test, the obedience of Moses, and the goodness of God in answering the need. In this instance, there was the sin of putting God to the test: Is God with us or not?
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11 (C, E); Romans 5:1--2, 5--8 (RC)
Christians have peace with God through the reconciliation made possible by the cross. This pericope is a part of a transition from justification by faith to a life of faith beginning with chapter 6. Hence we have Paul's "therefore." By grace through faith, we are one with God in peace and harmony. Out of this relationship come reasons to rejoice: we share in the glory of God (v. 2); we experience suffering that eventuates in hope (vv. 3, 4); and we are reconciled to God through Christ (v. 11). In our suffering, sin, and weakness, God comes to us in love expressed in the death of Christ.
Gospel: John 4:5--42 (C, RC); John 4:5--26 (27--38) 39--42 (E)
Jesus offers living water to a Samaritan woman to whom he reveals himself as the Messiah. In this Gospel Lesson we are given several important subjects: the attitude of Jesus toward a Samaritan woman, Jesus' humanity in wanting a drink and offering living water, the moral condition of the woman, the proper place and nature of worship, Jesus' declaration that he is the Messiah, and the woman's response of witnessing. In relation to the other pericopes, the main theme of the Gospel is that Jesus is the water of life giving eternal life. He can give this living water because he is the Messiah.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 95 (C, RC, E) - "Harden not your hearts, as at Meribah ... when your fathers tested me" (vv. 8, 9).
Prayer Of The Day
"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."
Hymn Of The Day
"God, Whose Almighty Word"
Theme Of The Day: Water Is Life
Gospel - Jesus is the water of eternal life - John 4:5--42
Lesson 1 - Water is necessary for physical life - Exodus 17:1--7
Lesson 2 - Life flows from Justification - Romans 5:1--11
The Gospel and Lesson 1 are obviously connected because of the theme of water, physical and spiritual water. Lesson 2 has no reference to water, but to the life that follows justification by faith: peace, access, hope, and joy. Justification is based on the love of God shown in Christ's dying for the ungodly. Psalm 95 is closely related to Lesson 1 because it refers to the Israelites' putting God to the test.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel: John 4:5--42
1. The dual nature of Jesus. The passage gives an insight into the human--divine Jesus. We see his humanity: He is tired from walking and thirsty from the noonday heat. Like any of us, he asks for a drink of water. On the other hand, his divinity shows: he offers living water of eternal life, teaches about true worship of God, and admits he is the Messiah.
2. The universality of Jesus. Today's Gospel lesson shows us that Jesus has universal views. He cannot be localized nor sectarianized. He breaks down the sex barrier by speaking to a Samaritan woman. He breaks through the moral problem by accepting a woman of doubtful character. He does not isolate himself from a sinner. His concept of God and worship has no bounds - God as spirit can be worshiped anywhere in spirit and truth.
3. Worship. Jesus makes no rules about proper worship. The only two requirements are spirit and truth. Worship does not depend on vestments, setting, nor liturgies.
4. Roots of salvation. "Salvation is from the Jews." Our salvation has its roots in the history of the Hebrews. It began with Abraham. Through the centuries God has been writing a salvation history through words and events culminating in Jesus the Jew. The New Testament cannot be fully understood apart from the Old.
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7
1. Thirsted (v. 3). The problem for over 600,000 people in a wilderness was the lack of water for themselves and their herds. The seriousness of the problem can be realized when we remember how we felt when our water supply was shut off for several hours while a main pipe was repaired. We cannot live without water, and rapidly the world's fresh water supply is decreasing. While physical water is necessary, spiritual water is even more essential. Would that our soul thirsted for God!
2. Did so (v. 6). Think of the crisis Moses faced. Over 600,000 people demanded that he get them water or they would kill him. Who could measure up to that demand? Moses takes the matter to Yahweh who tells him to do a seemingly impossible task: Get water for the people by taking his rod and beating a solid rock. Ever see water in a rock? Water runs over a rock, but never out of a rock. But, Moses "did so" - he was obedient regardless of how foolish it seemed to do it.
3. Proof (v. 7). Surely there was no sin in needing or asking for water. Why should they die of thirst? The sin of the people was putting God to the test, to proving whether he was with them or not. They wanted concrete, physical proof in terms of water. In another wilderness, Jesus told Satan, "You shall not tempt (test) the Lord thy God." To demand a sign or proof discloses a lack of faith.
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11
1. Have (v. 1). All of the good things God has earned for us through Christ are present possessions. Here and now we "have" peace with God. We have access to God's grace. We are reconciled. Consequently, the gospel is not "pie in the sky bye and bye." When Christ died for us, we were reconciled to God, and that reconciliation became a present reality by faith.
2. Peace (v. 1). Peace with God is not by treaty or truce. It is not a human accomplishment; peace is a by--product of God's redemption in Christ on the cross, and our acceptance of pardon by faith. The estrangement and hostility have ended. God and persons are now friends. The result in peace in terms of harmony resulting from reconciling love. Peace of soul is the foundation of peace of mind and heart. Peace with God is precondition of peace among people.
3. Yet (v. 8). We know Christ died for sinners. But what kind of sinners - repentant, converted sinners? "Yet" indicates that God's love was expressed on the cross even before people repented and turned to God. While we were yet sinners - going our own rebellious ways, denying and cursing God, and living like the devil. Christ died for us in love. Thus, we do not first repent and then come for mercy. Before we come, God has already had mercy and has forgiven us. Now we come because we have experienced God's mercy, and this leads us to repent.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Three Lessons: Exodus 17:1--7; Romans 5:1--11; John 4:5--42
Water Is Life.
Need: There are some things that are absolutely necessary for life here and hereafter. We cannot live without air, food, or water. Nor can we live in the hereafter without God. In today's Lessons we have this need expressed in terms of water. We need physical water which God the Creator provides. More so, we need spiritual water which Christ supplies. Our need is to realize that we need spiritual water as much, if not more so, than physical water. With physical water, we live on earth; without spiritual water we cannot live through eternity. The good news is that Christ is that spiritual water. Our problem is our lack of thirst for Christ.
Outline: Water is life now and forever -
a. Water is necessary for physical life on earth - Lesson 1.
b. Water is necessary for spiritual life in heaven - Gospel.
c. Christ is the water for life with God - Lesson 2.
Gospel: John 4:5--42
1. Liberation - Jesus Style. 4:5--26
Need: Liberation theology is presently at the forefront of our thinking, particularly the third world. We would be free from the evils of the day which oppress, deprive, and enslave. We would be free to be our true selves, to love and to live. In this passage, we see Jesus as the Liberator. Acceptance of him by faith would bring us liberation.
Outline: Consider the liberating power of Jesus.
a. Liberation from sexism - v. 9.
b. Liberation from physical concerns - v. 14.
c. Liberation from ignorance - vv. 25--26.
2. Life Without Life. 4:5--15
Need: Americans know how to extend but do not know how to enhance life. We have more life and less Life. According to the National Center for Health Statistics between 1970 and 2000, the life expectancy for men climbed from 67.1 to 74.4 and from 74.7 to 79.8 for women. In today's Gospel, Jesus offers a woman a new kind of life through water, the living water of life. Jesus is this water of life.
Outline: As the water of life, Jesus offers -
a. Water that is essential to true life - 4:14.
b. Water that cleanses - the water of baptism.
c. Water that is productive - Psalm 1:3.
d. Water that is satisfying - 4:14.
3. A Dialogue With A Wicked Woman. 4:5--26
Need: Jesus is known as a friend of sinners. He associated with them because he knew they needed him for a fuller life. In this passage, we find him talking with a loose woman of a despised race. It is interesting to see how Jesus deals with her to bring her to faith in him as the Messiah and to change her life. This sermon lends itself to a dialogue sermon by a pastor and a woman.
Outline: Witness and hear the dialogue.
a. What Jesus might have done - a monologue.
1. Refused to speak to a Samaritan woman, the custom of the day.
2. Condemned her for her immoral life and nationalism.
b. How Jesus guided the conversation.
1. Begins on common ground: water - vv. 7--9.
2. A transition to spiritual water - vv. 10--15.
3. The moral question - vv. 16--19.
4. Religious questions - vv. 20--24.
5. The Messiah - vv. 25--26.
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7
1. Give Me Water Or I Die! 17:2--6
Need: A person can literally die of thirst. Unrelieved thirst can cause agony as it did for Jesus while on the cross: "I thirst." When Schroeder, the second man ever to receive an artificial heart, came to consciousness after the operation, he said, "I want a beer." In this sermon we want to deal not only with today's growing crisis of having quantity and quality of water but with spiritual water and its source.
Outline: Questions about the water of life -
a. Are you thirsty? "The people thirsted" (v. 3).
b. For what are you thirsty? "Give us water to drink" (v. 2).
c. Where can you get a drink? "Strike the rock" (v. 6). Christ is the Rock - 1 Corinthians 10:4.
2. Is God With Us Or Not? 17:7
Need: Are we a God--abandoned people? When needs are not met, when adversity strikes, when God is silent and apparently absent, we question whether God is with us or not. That was the question of the thirsty Israelites at Massah. They were desperate to know. Their lives depended on the answer. If God is with us, why then is there no end of our suffering? As long as we have tribulation, we will be asking the question. In this sermon we will give the right and wrong ways to find the answer.
Outline: Is God with us or not?
a. The wrong way of testing God: Demand for proof of God's presence.
b. The right way of trusting God: God is with us - word, sacraments, spirit, answered prayer.
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11
1. The Joy Of Lent. 5:1--11
Need: Joy of Lent? Is it not a time of solemnity and a sharing of the sorrows of Jesus as he goes through the Passion? In this passage Paul deals with the cross and yet three times he refers to "rejoicing." Since Jesus refers to "the third day," he, too, could endure the cross with a sense of joy in the knowledge of a victorious ending. It is a joy but not in the sense of frivolity nor amusement.
Outline: In the face of the cross we can rejoice because -
a. We will share in God's glory - v. 2.
b. We suffer with hope - v. 4.
c. We are reconciled with God - v. 11.
2. When You've Said It All! 5:1
Need: A popular phrase for Paul, used twice in this pericope, is "our Lord Jesus Christ." When you say that, you say it all about Christ. The phrase sums up the total truth about Jesus.
Outline: When you say it all about Jesus -
a. Jesus is Lord (Sovereign King of kings) - "Lord" (v. 1).
b. Jesus is Jesus (human, finite) - "Jesus" (v. 1).
c. Jesus is the Christ (anointed Son of God, Savior) - "Christ" (v. 1).
d. Jesus is ours (personal possession by faith) - "Our" (v. 1).
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7 (C, E); Exodus 17:3--7 (RC)
Upon Yahweh's direction, Moses brings water out of a rock for the wilderness people. God's people are in the wilderness and are thirsty. This is one of a series of complaints of the Israelites during their forty--year stay in the wilderness. This episode follows the pattern of the others: The people complain to Moses, Moses takes the complaint to Yahweh, and Yahweh graciously answers the need. In this case, Moses is directed to strike a rock out of which comes water. The account points out the faithlessness of the people by threatening Moses and by putting God to the test, the obedience of Moses, and the goodness of God in answering the need. In this instance, there was the sin of putting God to the test: Is God with us or not?
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11 (C, E); Romans 5:1--2, 5--8 (RC)
Christians have peace with God through the reconciliation made possible by the cross. This pericope is a part of a transition from justification by faith to a life of faith beginning with chapter 6. Hence we have Paul's "therefore." By grace through faith, we are one with God in peace and harmony. Out of this relationship come reasons to rejoice: we share in the glory of God (v. 2); we experience suffering that eventuates in hope (vv. 3, 4); and we are reconciled to God through Christ (v. 11). In our suffering, sin, and weakness, God comes to us in love expressed in the death of Christ.
Gospel: John 4:5--42 (C, RC); John 4:5--26 (27--38) 39--42 (E)
Jesus offers living water to a Samaritan woman to whom he reveals himself as the Messiah. In this Gospel Lesson we are given several important subjects: the attitude of Jesus toward a Samaritan woman, Jesus' humanity in wanting a drink and offering living water, the moral condition of the woman, the proper place and nature of worship, Jesus' declaration that he is the Messiah, and the woman's response of witnessing. In relation to the other pericopes, the main theme of the Gospel is that Jesus is the water of life giving eternal life. He can give this living water because he is the Messiah.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 95 (C, RC, E) - "Harden not your hearts, as at Meribah ... when your fathers tested me" (vv. 8, 9).
Prayer Of The Day
"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."
Hymn Of The Day
"God, Whose Almighty Word"
Theme Of The Day: Water Is Life
Gospel - Jesus is the water of eternal life - John 4:5--42
Lesson 1 - Water is necessary for physical life - Exodus 17:1--7
Lesson 2 - Life flows from Justification - Romans 5:1--11
The Gospel and Lesson 1 are obviously connected because of the theme of water, physical and spiritual water. Lesson 2 has no reference to water, but to the life that follows justification by faith: peace, access, hope, and joy. Justification is based on the love of God shown in Christ's dying for the ungodly. Psalm 95 is closely related to Lesson 1 because it refers to the Israelites' putting God to the test.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel: John 4:5--42
1. The dual nature of Jesus. The passage gives an insight into the human--divine Jesus. We see his humanity: He is tired from walking and thirsty from the noonday heat. Like any of us, he asks for a drink of water. On the other hand, his divinity shows: he offers living water of eternal life, teaches about true worship of God, and admits he is the Messiah.
2. The universality of Jesus. Today's Gospel lesson shows us that Jesus has universal views. He cannot be localized nor sectarianized. He breaks down the sex barrier by speaking to a Samaritan woman. He breaks through the moral problem by accepting a woman of doubtful character. He does not isolate himself from a sinner. His concept of God and worship has no bounds - God as spirit can be worshiped anywhere in spirit and truth.
3. Worship. Jesus makes no rules about proper worship. The only two requirements are spirit and truth. Worship does not depend on vestments, setting, nor liturgies.
4. Roots of salvation. "Salvation is from the Jews." Our salvation has its roots in the history of the Hebrews. It began with Abraham. Through the centuries God has been writing a salvation history through words and events culminating in Jesus the Jew. The New Testament cannot be fully understood apart from the Old.
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7
1. Thirsted (v. 3). The problem for over 600,000 people in a wilderness was the lack of water for themselves and their herds. The seriousness of the problem can be realized when we remember how we felt when our water supply was shut off for several hours while a main pipe was repaired. We cannot live without water, and rapidly the world's fresh water supply is decreasing. While physical water is necessary, spiritual water is even more essential. Would that our soul thirsted for God!
2. Did so (v. 6). Think of the crisis Moses faced. Over 600,000 people demanded that he get them water or they would kill him. Who could measure up to that demand? Moses takes the matter to Yahweh who tells him to do a seemingly impossible task: Get water for the people by taking his rod and beating a solid rock. Ever see water in a rock? Water runs over a rock, but never out of a rock. But, Moses "did so" - he was obedient regardless of how foolish it seemed to do it.
3. Proof (v. 7). Surely there was no sin in needing or asking for water. Why should they die of thirst? The sin of the people was putting God to the test, to proving whether he was with them or not. They wanted concrete, physical proof in terms of water. In another wilderness, Jesus told Satan, "You shall not tempt (test) the Lord thy God." To demand a sign or proof discloses a lack of faith.
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11
1. Have (v. 1). All of the good things God has earned for us through Christ are present possessions. Here and now we "have" peace with God. We have access to God's grace. We are reconciled. Consequently, the gospel is not "pie in the sky bye and bye." When Christ died for us, we were reconciled to God, and that reconciliation became a present reality by faith.
2. Peace (v. 1). Peace with God is not by treaty or truce. It is not a human accomplishment; peace is a by--product of God's redemption in Christ on the cross, and our acceptance of pardon by faith. The estrangement and hostility have ended. God and persons are now friends. The result in peace in terms of harmony resulting from reconciling love. Peace of soul is the foundation of peace of mind and heart. Peace with God is precondition of peace among people.
3. Yet (v. 8). We know Christ died for sinners. But what kind of sinners - repentant, converted sinners? "Yet" indicates that God's love was expressed on the cross even before people repented and turned to God. While we were yet sinners - going our own rebellious ways, denying and cursing God, and living like the devil. Christ died for us in love. Thus, we do not first repent and then come for mercy. Before we come, God has already had mercy and has forgiven us. Now we come because we have experienced God's mercy, and this leads us to repent.
PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Three Lessons: Exodus 17:1--7; Romans 5:1--11; John 4:5--42
Water Is Life.
Need: There are some things that are absolutely necessary for life here and hereafter. We cannot live without air, food, or water. Nor can we live in the hereafter without God. In today's Lessons we have this need expressed in terms of water. We need physical water which God the Creator provides. More so, we need spiritual water which Christ supplies. Our need is to realize that we need spiritual water as much, if not more so, than physical water. With physical water, we live on earth; without spiritual water we cannot live through eternity. The good news is that Christ is that spiritual water. Our problem is our lack of thirst for Christ.
Outline: Water is life now and forever -
a. Water is necessary for physical life on earth - Lesson 1.
b. Water is necessary for spiritual life in heaven - Gospel.
c. Christ is the water for life with God - Lesson 2.
Gospel: John 4:5--42
1. Liberation - Jesus Style. 4:5--26
Need: Liberation theology is presently at the forefront of our thinking, particularly the third world. We would be free from the evils of the day which oppress, deprive, and enslave. We would be free to be our true selves, to love and to live. In this passage, we see Jesus as the Liberator. Acceptance of him by faith would bring us liberation.
Outline: Consider the liberating power of Jesus.
a. Liberation from sexism - v. 9.
b. Liberation from physical concerns - v. 14.
c. Liberation from ignorance - vv. 25--26.
2. Life Without Life. 4:5--15
Need: Americans know how to extend but do not know how to enhance life. We have more life and less Life. According to the National Center for Health Statistics between 1970 and 2000, the life expectancy for men climbed from 67.1 to 74.4 and from 74.7 to 79.8 for women. In today's Gospel, Jesus offers a woman a new kind of life through water, the living water of life. Jesus is this water of life.
Outline: As the water of life, Jesus offers -
a. Water that is essential to true life - 4:14.
b. Water that cleanses - the water of baptism.
c. Water that is productive - Psalm 1:3.
d. Water that is satisfying - 4:14.
3. A Dialogue With A Wicked Woman. 4:5--26
Need: Jesus is known as a friend of sinners. He associated with them because he knew they needed him for a fuller life. In this passage, we find him talking with a loose woman of a despised race. It is interesting to see how Jesus deals with her to bring her to faith in him as the Messiah and to change her life. This sermon lends itself to a dialogue sermon by a pastor and a woman.
Outline: Witness and hear the dialogue.
a. What Jesus might have done - a monologue.
1. Refused to speak to a Samaritan woman, the custom of the day.
2. Condemned her for her immoral life and nationalism.
b. How Jesus guided the conversation.
1. Begins on common ground: water - vv. 7--9.
2. A transition to spiritual water - vv. 10--15.
3. The moral question - vv. 16--19.
4. Religious questions - vv. 20--24.
5. The Messiah - vv. 25--26.
Lesson 1: Exodus 17:1--7
1. Give Me Water Or I Die! 17:2--6
Need: A person can literally die of thirst. Unrelieved thirst can cause agony as it did for Jesus while on the cross: "I thirst." When Schroeder, the second man ever to receive an artificial heart, came to consciousness after the operation, he said, "I want a beer." In this sermon we want to deal not only with today's growing crisis of having quantity and quality of water but with spiritual water and its source.
Outline: Questions about the water of life -
a. Are you thirsty? "The people thirsted" (v. 3).
b. For what are you thirsty? "Give us water to drink" (v. 2).
c. Where can you get a drink? "Strike the rock" (v. 6). Christ is the Rock - 1 Corinthians 10:4.
2. Is God With Us Or Not? 17:7
Need: Are we a God--abandoned people? When needs are not met, when adversity strikes, when God is silent and apparently absent, we question whether God is with us or not. That was the question of the thirsty Israelites at Massah. They were desperate to know. Their lives depended on the answer. If God is with us, why then is there no end of our suffering? As long as we have tribulation, we will be asking the question. In this sermon we will give the right and wrong ways to find the answer.
Outline: Is God with us or not?
a. The wrong way of testing God: Demand for proof of God's presence.
b. The right way of trusting God: God is with us - word, sacraments, spirit, answered prayer.
Lesson 2: Romans 5:1--11
1. The Joy Of Lent. 5:1--11
Need: Joy of Lent? Is it not a time of solemnity and a sharing of the sorrows of Jesus as he goes through the Passion? In this passage Paul deals with the cross and yet three times he refers to "rejoicing." Since Jesus refers to "the third day," he, too, could endure the cross with a sense of joy in the knowledge of a victorious ending. It is a joy but not in the sense of frivolity nor amusement.
Outline: In the face of the cross we can rejoice because -
a. We will share in God's glory - v. 2.
b. We suffer with hope - v. 4.
c. We are reconciled with God - v. 11.
2. When You've Said It All! 5:1
Need: A popular phrase for Paul, used twice in this pericope, is "our Lord Jesus Christ." When you say that, you say it all about Christ. The phrase sums up the total truth about Jesus.
Outline: When you say it all about Jesus -
a. Jesus is Lord (Sovereign King of kings) - "Lord" (v. 1).
b. Jesus is Jesus (human, finite) - "Jesus" (v. 1).
c. Jesus is the Christ (anointed Son of God, Savior) - "Christ" (v. 1).
d. Jesus is ours (personal possession by faith) - "Our" (v. 1).
