God Delivers
Commentary
There are lots of reasons to be grateful!
2 Samuel 1:1,17-27
The First Lesson is found in a book of the Bible whose existence as a distinct text derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which divided the story of Israel’s monarchy into four sections (1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings). This book is probably the result of two or three sources: (1) early traditions about Samuel and Saul; (2) editor-molded materials brought together into a connected history, implying a critique of the events, deeming kingship as problematic; and (3) incorporating the previous strand into the more Deuteronomistic history (the result of the religious reforms under King Josiah n 621 BC). This last source entails that a central theme in the book is a struggle to remain obedient to the torah. This text is David’s lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan.
The scene is set after Saul’s death while David’s army had just defeated the Amalekites. Informed by a messenger (vv.2-4), David laments over Saul and his son Jonathan. He orders that the “Song of the Bow” from a lost book of Jashar (a collection of poetry praising Israel’s military victories) be taught in Judah (vv.17-18). This may be the oldest song in the Bible and is the one most likely to have been an authentic composition of David. The song begins with a lament concerning how the mighty [Israel’s glory who is Saul] have fallen (vv.19,27). The news is not to be shared with the Philistines. (Gath and Ashkelon were Philistine cities.) (v.20). Saul and Jonathan are praised (vv.22-23). The daughters of Israel are urged to weep, for Saul had clothed with luxury and expensive jewelry (v.24). David expresses deep love for Jonathan, a love more wonderful than the love of women (v.26).
Studies by Psychologist Robert Emmons are now widely accepted in the guild. Gratitude is good for you. It seems that adults keeping gratitude journals poll as happier and healthier (Special thanks to How the New Science of Gratitude Make You Happier). Maybe America has some reason for gratitude in view of the deliverance that new medications may provide from the pandemic.
David is the father of our faith in several ways, not just insofar as Jesus is in his line. He also teaches us how to believe, even though like David we are flawed human beings. In this lesson, he teaches us gratitude, and that gratitude involves more than just saying thank you to God for success. Despite all our trials in 2020 and in the present year, the fact that we continue to live, have hope of safety, and some even have continued to thrive is an occasion for thanking God (even if our gratitude is for seemingly smaller items than becoming king like David). But David also reflects on the contributions of Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, and with those he encountered along the way. Davidic gratitude, the gratitude of the faithful, includes being grateful for everything that gets you there. And so, David also celebrates Saul and Jonathan. Get your congregation thinking about those who made possible the job interview, the dates leading to marriage, extended family, the vaccine, and the like. This way of giving thanks, seeing God in all the events that led up to our present good fortune, is likely to make you happier, more content, and more inclined to act on that gratitude, because such narratives stimulate the release of the good-feeling, social-oriented brain chemical oxytocin in the mind (Paul Zak, Why Your Brian Loves Good Storytelling). Telling the story of David’s gratitude, helping people appreciate how it is a model for looking at our own lives, can become a celebration filled with joy which can lead to good works.
2 Corinthians 8:7-15
The Second Lesson is drawn from an epistle written by Paul to address relations with the Corinthian church which had further deteriorated during the period after I Corinthians was written. Chapters 10-13 are so different in style and tone from the first chapters as to lead many scholars to conclude that they may be the “severe letter” mentioned in 2:4.
The lesson is an exhortation to support the collection Paul was organizing for relief of the Jerusalem church. Praising the Corinthians’ faith in view of love for them, he urges their involvement in this collection as a test [dokimazo, literally “proving”] of the genuineness of their love, but not as command (vv.7-8). Paul speaks of Christ’s generosity, that though rich he became poor so that by his poverty we become rich (v.9). He notes that the offering begun in the previous year (presumably interrupted due to strained relations with the Corinthian church) should be completed (vv.10-11). The apostle refers to eagerness to give, regarding a gift as acceptable, not according to the amount. He proceeds to speak of the Corinthians’ abundance compared to other churches (vv.12-14). He cites Exodus 16:18 that one who had much did not have too much, and one with little did not have too little (v.15).
A 2018 LifeWay Research study found that two-thirds of Americans say God wants them to prosper. One in four of us say they must do something for God to receive material blessings in return. Sermons on this Lesson are needed in order to put these wrong-headed attitudes to rest. In this Lesson, Paul makes clear that God works in ways which seem to contradict reason, and in so doing he regularly confounds the ways of the world and what seems like common sense.
One way to proceed in this sermon is to reject the prosperity gospel of Joel Osteen, T. D. Jakes, and others who preach that Christianity can lead to material blessings (an approach to ministry which feeds the prevailing American attitudes just noted). Such wrongheaded thinking requires some reality-testing. In fact, we need to make clear that a lot of the faithful face hard times. Examples of those in the preacher’s congregation who have been lost to death or tragedies could be noted. Paul’s comments about Christ becoming poor could be reiterated. The nature of God is to take bad things and make good out of them. (This is what Martin Luther meant by the Theology of the Cross [Luther’s Works, Vol.31, pp.35-70].)
Remind hearers that we have a lot to be thankful about to God in the long-term. But an awful lot of times things start out looking bad. This is a good lesson to proclaim that Christians at least have the hope and confidence that “there ain’t nothin’ so bad that God can’t turn into good.”
Another angle for the sermon is of course to preach on stewardship and generous giving. If this is the direction taken, make clear that in contrast to prosperity gospel preaching, you will not be rewarded by the amount you give. Rather, it is the eagerness to give that counts, giving motivated not by our own goodness but by God’s goodness to us.
Mark 5:21-43
The gospel is the oldest of the synoptic gospels. Some speculate that this gospel’s original audience was the church in Rome (esp. Gentiles), as it presumes readers unfamiliar with Jewish customs and Palestinian geography (see 7:2-4,31), but it could also have been written for Palestinian Christians. This lesson is the story of the raising of Jairus’ daughter. More details are provided in Mark’s account than in the other synoptic equivalents (cf. Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:40-56).
Jesus and his disciples land their boat on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. He meets Jairus, a leader of a local synagogue, who pleads with Jesus to heal his daughter (vv.21-23). The request that Jesus heal by laying on hands was not characteristic of Jewish healing in this era but was typical of Jesus’ style (6:5; 7:32; 8:22,25). On the way to Jairus’ house, a healing of a woman suffering from hemorrhages transpires when she touches Jesus’ clothes (vv.24b-29). When confronted by him, she concedes in fear and trembling that she was the one healed and shows him homage. He praises her for her faith (vv.30-34). The Semitic farewell, “go in peace” suggests a wholeness involved in Jesus’ healings. Peace in ancient Jewish culture refers not just to a state of no combat, but to a state of well-being, of justice (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol.1, p.130).
Jairus is now informed that his daughter had died. Jesus hears the report and assures Jairus (vv.35-36). Only Peter, James, and John, the brother of James proceed to accompany Jesus (v.37). Mourning had already begun for the daughter when Jesus and his followers arrive. When he claims that she is merely sleeping, he is mocked (vv.37-40a). Jesus proceeds to raise the girl immediately. Only in the Markan version are Jesus’ actual Semitic/Aramaic words in the healing reported.” All are said to be amazed (v.42b). But Jesus orders them to keep the healing secret (v.43). (Matthew’s version [13:58] does not include the reference to the messianic secret – the Markan theme [1:33,44; 3:11-12; 7:36; 9:9,30) that Jesus’ messiahship is to remain a secret except among the faithful until the resurrection.)
Even with the Covid vaccines, Americans poll as anxious. As recently as in an October 2020 survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association found that four in ten of us fear that we might die from Covid, 62% are worried about family or loved one contracting the disease, 36% observe a mental health decline in themselves, and 57% of us are worried about personal financial repercussions.
Sermons on this lesson can address these fears. It is clear from the story that God in Christ has the ultimate power over death. It cannot have the final victory. With this sort of confidence that death can be overcome, the other trials of life do not have the same importance. The famed Roman Philosopher Marcus Aurelius once wrote that, “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” With the confidence in Jesus’ conquest of death on our behalf, we can be bolder in living, in facing the trails of life.
Another possibility for a sermon might be to focus on Jesus’ desire to keep the healing secret. We could then preach on how Jesus does not want to be known as a healer, that he wants to be known as Savior, not a miracle worker who grants our every wish.
Sermons on all these lessons will be about gratitude and how such gratitude both pleases God and is good for us.
2 Samuel 1:1,17-27
The First Lesson is found in a book of the Bible whose existence as a distinct text derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which divided the story of Israel’s monarchy into four sections (1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings). This book is probably the result of two or three sources: (1) early traditions about Samuel and Saul; (2) editor-molded materials brought together into a connected history, implying a critique of the events, deeming kingship as problematic; and (3) incorporating the previous strand into the more Deuteronomistic history (the result of the religious reforms under King Josiah n 621 BC). This last source entails that a central theme in the book is a struggle to remain obedient to the torah. This text is David’s lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan.
The scene is set after Saul’s death while David’s army had just defeated the Amalekites. Informed by a messenger (vv.2-4), David laments over Saul and his son Jonathan. He orders that the “Song of the Bow” from a lost book of Jashar (a collection of poetry praising Israel’s military victories) be taught in Judah (vv.17-18). This may be the oldest song in the Bible and is the one most likely to have been an authentic composition of David. The song begins with a lament concerning how the mighty [Israel’s glory who is Saul] have fallen (vv.19,27). The news is not to be shared with the Philistines. (Gath and Ashkelon were Philistine cities.) (v.20). Saul and Jonathan are praised (vv.22-23). The daughters of Israel are urged to weep, for Saul had clothed with luxury and expensive jewelry (v.24). David expresses deep love for Jonathan, a love more wonderful than the love of women (v.26).
Studies by Psychologist Robert Emmons are now widely accepted in the guild. Gratitude is good for you. It seems that adults keeping gratitude journals poll as happier and healthier (Special thanks to How the New Science of Gratitude Make You Happier). Maybe America has some reason for gratitude in view of the deliverance that new medications may provide from the pandemic.
David is the father of our faith in several ways, not just insofar as Jesus is in his line. He also teaches us how to believe, even though like David we are flawed human beings. In this lesson, he teaches us gratitude, and that gratitude involves more than just saying thank you to God for success. Despite all our trials in 2020 and in the present year, the fact that we continue to live, have hope of safety, and some even have continued to thrive is an occasion for thanking God (even if our gratitude is for seemingly smaller items than becoming king like David). But David also reflects on the contributions of Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, and with those he encountered along the way. Davidic gratitude, the gratitude of the faithful, includes being grateful for everything that gets you there. And so, David also celebrates Saul and Jonathan. Get your congregation thinking about those who made possible the job interview, the dates leading to marriage, extended family, the vaccine, and the like. This way of giving thanks, seeing God in all the events that led up to our present good fortune, is likely to make you happier, more content, and more inclined to act on that gratitude, because such narratives stimulate the release of the good-feeling, social-oriented brain chemical oxytocin in the mind (Paul Zak, Why Your Brian Loves Good Storytelling). Telling the story of David’s gratitude, helping people appreciate how it is a model for looking at our own lives, can become a celebration filled with joy which can lead to good works.
2 Corinthians 8:7-15
The Second Lesson is drawn from an epistle written by Paul to address relations with the Corinthian church which had further deteriorated during the period after I Corinthians was written. Chapters 10-13 are so different in style and tone from the first chapters as to lead many scholars to conclude that they may be the “severe letter” mentioned in 2:4.
The lesson is an exhortation to support the collection Paul was organizing for relief of the Jerusalem church. Praising the Corinthians’ faith in view of love for them, he urges their involvement in this collection as a test [dokimazo, literally “proving”] of the genuineness of their love, but not as command (vv.7-8). Paul speaks of Christ’s generosity, that though rich he became poor so that by his poverty we become rich (v.9). He notes that the offering begun in the previous year (presumably interrupted due to strained relations with the Corinthian church) should be completed (vv.10-11). The apostle refers to eagerness to give, regarding a gift as acceptable, not according to the amount. He proceeds to speak of the Corinthians’ abundance compared to other churches (vv.12-14). He cites Exodus 16:18 that one who had much did not have too much, and one with little did not have too little (v.15).
A 2018 LifeWay Research study found that two-thirds of Americans say God wants them to prosper. One in four of us say they must do something for God to receive material blessings in return. Sermons on this Lesson are needed in order to put these wrong-headed attitudes to rest. In this Lesson, Paul makes clear that God works in ways which seem to contradict reason, and in so doing he regularly confounds the ways of the world and what seems like common sense.
One way to proceed in this sermon is to reject the prosperity gospel of Joel Osteen, T. D. Jakes, and others who preach that Christianity can lead to material blessings (an approach to ministry which feeds the prevailing American attitudes just noted). Such wrongheaded thinking requires some reality-testing. In fact, we need to make clear that a lot of the faithful face hard times. Examples of those in the preacher’s congregation who have been lost to death or tragedies could be noted. Paul’s comments about Christ becoming poor could be reiterated. The nature of God is to take bad things and make good out of them. (This is what Martin Luther meant by the Theology of the Cross [Luther’s Works, Vol.31, pp.35-70].)
Remind hearers that we have a lot to be thankful about to God in the long-term. But an awful lot of times things start out looking bad. This is a good lesson to proclaim that Christians at least have the hope and confidence that “there ain’t nothin’ so bad that God can’t turn into good.”
Another angle for the sermon is of course to preach on stewardship and generous giving. If this is the direction taken, make clear that in contrast to prosperity gospel preaching, you will not be rewarded by the amount you give. Rather, it is the eagerness to give that counts, giving motivated not by our own goodness but by God’s goodness to us.
Mark 5:21-43
The gospel is the oldest of the synoptic gospels. Some speculate that this gospel’s original audience was the church in Rome (esp. Gentiles), as it presumes readers unfamiliar with Jewish customs and Palestinian geography (see 7:2-4,31), but it could also have been written for Palestinian Christians. This lesson is the story of the raising of Jairus’ daughter. More details are provided in Mark’s account than in the other synoptic equivalents (cf. Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:40-56).
Jesus and his disciples land their boat on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. He meets Jairus, a leader of a local synagogue, who pleads with Jesus to heal his daughter (vv.21-23). The request that Jesus heal by laying on hands was not characteristic of Jewish healing in this era but was typical of Jesus’ style (6:5; 7:32; 8:22,25). On the way to Jairus’ house, a healing of a woman suffering from hemorrhages transpires when she touches Jesus’ clothes (vv.24b-29). When confronted by him, she concedes in fear and trembling that she was the one healed and shows him homage. He praises her for her faith (vv.30-34). The Semitic farewell, “go in peace” suggests a wholeness involved in Jesus’ healings. Peace in ancient Jewish culture refers not just to a state of no combat, but to a state of well-being, of justice (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol.1, p.130).
Jairus is now informed that his daughter had died. Jesus hears the report and assures Jairus (vv.35-36). Only Peter, James, and John, the brother of James proceed to accompany Jesus (v.37). Mourning had already begun for the daughter when Jesus and his followers arrive. When he claims that she is merely sleeping, he is mocked (vv.37-40a). Jesus proceeds to raise the girl immediately. Only in the Markan version are Jesus’ actual Semitic/Aramaic words in the healing reported.” All are said to be amazed (v.42b). But Jesus orders them to keep the healing secret (v.43). (Matthew’s version [13:58] does not include the reference to the messianic secret – the Markan theme [1:33,44; 3:11-12; 7:36; 9:9,30) that Jesus’ messiahship is to remain a secret except among the faithful until the resurrection.)
Even with the Covid vaccines, Americans poll as anxious. As recently as in an October 2020 survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association found that four in ten of us fear that we might die from Covid, 62% are worried about family or loved one contracting the disease, 36% observe a mental health decline in themselves, and 57% of us are worried about personal financial repercussions.
Sermons on this lesson can address these fears. It is clear from the story that God in Christ has the ultimate power over death. It cannot have the final victory. With this sort of confidence that death can be overcome, the other trials of life do not have the same importance. The famed Roman Philosopher Marcus Aurelius once wrote that, “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” With the confidence in Jesus’ conquest of death on our behalf, we can be bolder in living, in facing the trails of life.
Another possibility for a sermon might be to focus on Jesus’ desire to keep the healing secret. We could then preach on how Jesus does not want to be known as a healer, that he wants to be known as Savior, not a miracle worker who grants our every wish.
Sermons on all these lessons will be about gratitude and how such gratitude both pleases God and is good for us.
