At least God is greater
Commentary
A newly minted pastor heads out for a pastoral visit to the home of one the saints in the church. The pastor had come to enjoy the visits with this member more than most. The pastor learned so much about the congregation and ministry and faith there in that living room. The church member often kept a little list on a notepad of things she wanted to talk to the pastor about. Those afternoon conversations in the overly warmed house that smelled of heating oil covered all kinds of topics: current events, biblical texts, church politics, family stories. The pastor found herself scheduling such visits on a more regular basis because she came away encouraged and feeling loved. As many pastors fresh out of seminary find out, such visits are priceless.
Perhaps you can easily imagine such a fictional scene that plays out somewhere in the kingdom of God these days. One particular afternoon the conversation turns to world events and the fear of terrorism and war. The young pastor finds herself silent as the wise old saint talks a bit about living through World War II. She describes various church families and their experience during Vietnam. The more the church member talks, the more discouraged she sounds about all the news and she wonders in full voice about whether people will ever learn. As she reaches for the tissue tucked up the sleeve of her sweater, the saint heaves a big sigh and says, "Well, at least God is greater. God is greater than our hearts." And the church member so full of lament offers the wide-eyed pastor the reference of the verse from 1 John that she memorized in Sunday school some 70 years before.
"God is greater than our hearts." That's a striking promise found in the third chapter of 1 John. Sometimes the richest promises of our resurrection faith can be heard in the readings for the weeks after Easter. The Easter morning proclamation of "He is Risen" fades and the gathering crowds are less. However, amid the tension of the world stage and with hearts full of lament at the state of humankind, the church still gathers on the weeks after the celebration of the Resurrection. At least God is greater than our hearts. It is a promise that affirms the presence of the Living God and that ultimate victory over sin and death.
Acts 4:5-12
The text from Acts 4 recounts Peter's address before the council of Jerusalem. Chapters 3 and 4 form something of a unit when read in light of the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate (3:1-10). Last week's assignment includes Peter's sermon offered to the crowds who witnessed the miracle (3:11-26). That healing is still fresh in mind when, at the beginning of chapter 4, Peter and John are arrested and placed in prison. This text for the day represents Peter's defense when he appears before Annas and Caiaphas and the other high priests who made up the council. Peter responds to the reaction caused by the prior healing and the question as posed in 4:7. "By what power or by what name did you do this?"
Remembering that we are reading Pentecost narratives in the book of Acts on these Sundays of Easter, the reader will note Luke's affirmation that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit (4:8). With the strongest of rhetorical style, Peter's address offers a direct answer. While some may question the good deed done to a sick man, let all now know that the healing occurred in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. With title and place, Peter leaves no doubt that he refers to the one whose resurrection from the dead has given birth to the church. The rhetoric only intensifies as Peter defines the Lord's death and resurrection in terms of agency: this Jesus "whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead" (4:10, italics added).
Peter follows up the clear setting of boundaries and responsibility with a quote from the book of Psalms. The quote from Psalm 118, one familiar to the council of Jerusalem, affirms the messianic role of this Jesus and suggests that his rejection at the hands of the rulers and high priests is simply a fulfillment of the sacred text. In rhetoric terms, Peter offers proof from that which is an authority in the world of his accusers.
At verse 12 Peter ends this address with a flourish. No doubt the affirmations related to "salvation in no one else" and no other name "by which we must be saved" become foundational statements in broader theological arguments about the uniqueness of Christ and the complexity of interfaith discussions. In the immediate context of these chapters in Acts that follow the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, the verse represents the exclamation point to two of Peter's sermons -- sermons intended to witness to the power of the Resurrection and respond to the accusers who have arrested them.
Peter and John's encounter with council of Jerusalem continues through the end of chapter 4. In addition, Luke's description of the formation of the church in response to the Resurrection continues in the chapters that follow. Of course the broader theological questions then continue throughout church history. But for the purpose of one Sunday sermon, these two chapters affirm that this healing of the lame man came in no other way than through the name and in the power of the Risen Christ. Questions about the validity of the Resurrection provide the subtext of this encounter with the rulers and high priests. Peter's rhetoric attempts to frame that healing as an Easter/Resurrection event.
1 John 3:16-24
This reading's opening verse, 1 John 3:16, is a fitting memory verse to accompany John 3:16, for it defines the God who so loved the world in terms of the love of the only Son. "We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us -- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another." With such an ethic at its core, this scripture lesson from 1 John places our affirmations about the Resurrection within the framework of a commitment to and an understanding of community. According to 1 John, the message that has been entrusted to the church is not simply that of the resurrection of Jesus. It is a message of the Risen Christ that then results in a call to love one another.
The lectionary break here at the beginning of the pericope avoids the reference to Cain and Abel (3:11-15). It may be true that the church's celebration of the Great Fifty Days of Easter is dampened a bit by hearing of that piece of our sordid past. So the assigned text begins not with murder and sibling relationship but with reference to the atoning love of Christ. It is in that self-emptying love of Christ that we most clearly see the love of God. Thus, the author of 1 John calls for a faith that is lived out in deed and in action.
Even with the salutation, the author's plea is set within the context of the nurturing, loving relationship of community; "Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action" (3:18). It is in our love for one another that we find assurance even when the failure of our hearts reveals our own condemnation. God's love is greater than ours. God's love is stronger than our failures. God's omnipotence and perfect love creates community despite humanity's best efforts to tear it apart. A casual reading might see something of works righteousness here in 1 John. That as we love and obey, we shall receive anything we ask. However, even here within the frail nature of community, God's promise is first. The existence of a community where love thrives is indeed pleasing to God. That community, in turn, provides a witness to the love of God that is greater than the hearts of the faithful.
The author affirms this promise in the language of commandment. "We should believe in the name of the Son Jesus Christ and love one another" (v. 23). The promise is that the Living Christ abides in us. We know that abiding presence, not because we obey his commandments but because God has given us the Spirit (v. 24). Our life together in love is a response of joyful obedience to the promised presence of Christ made known to us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 10:11-18
The gospel lection for the day is the first Sunday reading in this Eastertide when the assigned text does not portray an appearance of the Risen Christ. We have traveled from Easter morning to an encounter with Doubting Thomas to that Emmaus Road appearance. Now on this fourth Sunday of Easter, the lectionary takes us back to John's Gospel and the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. This development of one of the "I am" statements of Jesus presents a challenge when pondering any direct connection to Easter.
The teaching of Jesus related to the metaphor of the shepherd comes throughout all of chapter 10. The teaching comes amid a larger section of John's Gospel that is framed by the woman caught in adultery and the raising of Lazarus. An allegorical approach to the metaphor would want to notice the various themes Jesus develops: the voice of the shepherd, Jesus as the gate, the presence of a thief, and the comparison of the shepherd to a hired hand. At verse 11, Jesus begins that comparison by affirming that the shepherd is willing to lay down his life for the sheep.
In describing himself as the Good Shepherd, Jesus affirms both his love for and knowledge of the sheep. The love Christ has for those entrusted to him by God is analogous to the love and knowledge shared between God the Father and God the Son. Such intimate knowledge shared between Jesus and the sheep is balanced by the more inclusive theme of those other sheep that do not yet belong, those who do not yet know his voice (v. 16). Within the context of John's Gospel, the other sheep are Gentiles. The work of Christ widens the understanding of those known to be the children of God still within the framework of one flock and one shepherd. Broadening the scope of those who receive the promise contributes to the heightening tension between Jesus and the Jewish leadership so aptly described in the second half of chapter 10.
In verse 17, Jesus again returns to the theme of laying down his life. The shepherd lays down his life "in order to take it up again." The work of Christ, understood here as death and resurrection, is a command of God. In the steadfast obedience rooted in that love and knowledge of God the Father, the command comes with the divine power to bring life out of death. We should not read the references to love, command and power in verses 17 and 18 as saying that God loves Jesus because of that willingness to lay down his life. Works righteousness -- even assigned to Christ himself -- rests at the top of a slippery slope. True, the language of verse 17 is challenging "for this reason" and "because." However, it would seem that the reason for the great love of God bestowed upon the Son is that the love stretches from the depth of suffering and death all the way to that promised resurrection. Rather than a simple equation of cause and effect, divine love rests at the foundation of the relationship of Father and Son and the promise of salvation.
Application
As the church gathers on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, these lectionary texts challenge the preacher to proclaim the presence of the Risen Christ. Not surprisingly, the further we move away from Easter morning, the texts themselves point beyond those miraculous resurrection appearances. The texts from John's Gospel and his first epistle share the theme of Christ's self-sacrificing love and the relationships within the community bound by that love. For the people of God, any proclamation of the message of the Resurrection quickly turns to a proclamation of justice, righteousness and compassion.
The church that continues to celebrate the Great Fifty Days of Easter must affirm the miraculous presence of Christ there within the community. Beyond scarred hands and feet, the promised presence of Christ is revealed in acts of love and selfless compassion. The community itself, however, cannot sustain such a witness based on the quality of its life. As the church is moved to lament the state of the world, the church's life itself will inevitably cause heartache and hurt. History affirms the frailty of the church and the sinfulness of humanity's attempt at life together. The grace of resurrection hope and promise, however, is that God is greater than our hearts.
Within the sacramental life of the church, theology and tradition assert the presence of the Risen Christ in the Lord's Supper and in baptism. Of course, differences abound in how we understand that presence. The preacher's challenge in the weeks after Easter is to look into the community's life and name that promised presence of Christ. As young pastors learn from wise saints in the congregation, God is greater than the frailty of our hearts. In the brokenness of our life together, and despite the challenges facing the church and world, the darkness of evil and death shall not win. For the victory of abundant and eternal life belongs to God.
As we taste of the love of God and the love of another within the community of faith, we experience the Risen Lord in our midst. It is the same divine power and presence that made that lame man rise and walk at the Beautiful Gate in the Acts of the Apostles. The exclamation point in our life together may match that of Peter in his own preaching. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."
Alternative Applications
1) John 10:11-18: The context of John's Gospel establishes the boundaries of Jew and Gentile in terms of the other sheep that do not currently belong to the fold. Jesus affirms that such sheep (the Gentiles) indeed belong to him and that he must bring them and they will listen to his voice. With the image of the Good Shepherd, John expands that notion of the gospel and its intended audience. In a post-Easter context, the preacher may affirm that widening gospel and the inclusive love of Christ. In this pluralistic, tense world, a reading of John 10 might reframe interfaith discussions. Rather than approaching the world with a conquering evangelism, the ethic here may just be a steadfast love and compassion, like that of a shepherd tending to sheep not yet belonging to this fold. All answers to the vast theological questions of the uniqueness of salvation in Christ may not be answered here in John 10, but as we continue to celebrate Christ's ultimate victory over sin and death, we may seek to cultivate that selfless compassion and shepherd's love in Christianity's ongoing encounter with the world.
2) 1 John 3:16-24: The text from 1 John provides a clear vision statement for mission for the post-Easter church. The question about God's love abiding in anyone who refuses to help a brother or sister in need (3:17) ought to hang in the air. Similarly, the commandment from verse 23 that "we should believe in the name of God's Son Jesus Christ and love one another" may just be one of those sermon-less texts. Years ago I observed a preacher walk into the pulpit, say this verse, and then turn and sit down. He did it a second time and then a third time. It may not be the best advice as a homiletical technique, but some commands of God are just that clear. By God's grace, may the church have ears to hear.
3) Acts 4:5-12: The two sermons offered by Peter in chapters 3 and 4 are ripe for analysis. The sermons have such different audiences. Right after the healing of the lame man in chapter 3, Peter preaches to the gathered crowds who are astonished at the miracle. The second sermon is intended specifically for the accusers and those who demand to know by what power and in what name this healing occurred. A preacher today may thus compare the content of the two sermons and then reflect upon how the Sunday morning audience influences our proclamation of the Gospel message of the resurrected Christ.
Preaching The Psalm
Psalm 23
If asked how many images of God this most familiar of all psalms includes, most people would probably say one, that of shepherd. (And, while saying it, there's a good chance they'd actually be picturing Jesus with a lamb in his arms, thanks to the famous painting of that scene hanging in Sunday school rooms all over America.) But in fact, there are two images of God in this psalm -- the shepherd (vv. 1-4) and the host at a banquet in the temple (vv. 5-6).
Both images of God are appropriate and important, and, since many Christians already address this psalm to Jesus, it's worth noting that they are not mistaken to think of Jesus as both shepherd and host as well.
You can certainly use this psalm today to support the gospel and epistle readings, both of which speak of the shepherding work of Christ, but you could also use the psalm to invite people to think of what the hosting work of Christ is. It has to do, of course, with the invitation to the Communion table, but Christ is also the one who invites us to enjoy the hospitality of the kingdom, to sit down at the great feast, the celebration that conveys the joy of the kingdom.
One of the great hospitality stories of recent times comes from 9/11, when the country was reeling from the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. As the airspace over the U.S. was shut down, many flights already aloft were forced to land elsewhere. Some of these planes were rerouted to Newfoundland and grounded there for many long hours. The great hospitality those passengers received from the citizenry of Newfoundland has been told in e-mail accounts that circulated widely and was even described in The Wall Street Journal (November 7, 2001, A1.) We won't retell the story here, but will cite one of the stranded passengers, Thomas Werk, who was quoted in the Journal article. He said, "We realized that everything was totally out of our control, and that we were at the mercy of ... and strangers. They did everything for us." That is human hospitality, and it shone brightly during that emergency. Surely divine hospitality is all the greater, for we are given not just a home away from home, but an eternal home, where goodness and mercy will surely follow us.
Perhaps you can easily imagine such a fictional scene that plays out somewhere in the kingdom of God these days. One particular afternoon the conversation turns to world events and the fear of terrorism and war. The young pastor finds herself silent as the wise old saint talks a bit about living through World War II. She describes various church families and their experience during Vietnam. The more the church member talks, the more discouraged she sounds about all the news and she wonders in full voice about whether people will ever learn. As she reaches for the tissue tucked up the sleeve of her sweater, the saint heaves a big sigh and says, "Well, at least God is greater. God is greater than our hearts." And the church member so full of lament offers the wide-eyed pastor the reference of the verse from 1 John that she memorized in Sunday school some 70 years before.
"God is greater than our hearts." That's a striking promise found in the third chapter of 1 John. Sometimes the richest promises of our resurrection faith can be heard in the readings for the weeks after Easter. The Easter morning proclamation of "He is Risen" fades and the gathering crowds are less. However, amid the tension of the world stage and with hearts full of lament at the state of humankind, the church still gathers on the weeks after the celebration of the Resurrection. At least God is greater than our hearts. It is a promise that affirms the presence of the Living God and that ultimate victory over sin and death.
Acts 4:5-12
The text from Acts 4 recounts Peter's address before the council of Jerusalem. Chapters 3 and 4 form something of a unit when read in light of the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate (3:1-10). Last week's assignment includes Peter's sermon offered to the crowds who witnessed the miracle (3:11-26). That healing is still fresh in mind when, at the beginning of chapter 4, Peter and John are arrested and placed in prison. This text for the day represents Peter's defense when he appears before Annas and Caiaphas and the other high priests who made up the council. Peter responds to the reaction caused by the prior healing and the question as posed in 4:7. "By what power or by what name did you do this?"
Remembering that we are reading Pentecost narratives in the book of Acts on these Sundays of Easter, the reader will note Luke's affirmation that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit (4:8). With the strongest of rhetorical style, Peter's address offers a direct answer. While some may question the good deed done to a sick man, let all now know that the healing occurred in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. With title and place, Peter leaves no doubt that he refers to the one whose resurrection from the dead has given birth to the church. The rhetoric only intensifies as Peter defines the Lord's death and resurrection in terms of agency: this Jesus "whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead" (4:10, italics added).
Peter follows up the clear setting of boundaries and responsibility with a quote from the book of Psalms. The quote from Psalm 118, one familiar to the council of Jerusalem, affirms the messianic role of this Jesus and suggests that his rejection at the hands of the rulers and high priests is simply a fulfillment of the sacred text. In rhetoric terms, Peter offers proof from that which is an authority in the world of his accusers.
At verse 12 Peter ends this address with a flourish. No doubt the affirmations related to "salvation in no one else" and no other name "by which we must be saved" become foundational statements in broader theological arguments about the uniqueness of Christ and the complexity of interfaith discussions. In the immediate context of these chapters in Acts that follow the healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, the verse represents the exclamation point to two of Peter's sermons -- sermons intended to witness to the power of the Resurrection and respond to the accusers who have arrested them.
Peter and John's encounter with council of Jerusalem continues through the end of chapter 4. In addition, Luke's description of the formation of the church in response to the Resurrection continues in the chapters that follow. Of course the broader theological questions then continue throughout church history. But for the purpose of one Sunday sermon, these two chapters affirm that this healing of the lame man came in no other way than through the name and in the power of the Risen Christ. Questions about the validity of the Resurrection provide the subtext of this encounter with the rulers and high priests. Peter's rhetoric attempts to frame that healing as an Easter/Resurrection event.
1 John 3:16-24
This reading's opening verse, 1 John 3:16, is a fitting memory verse to accompany John 3:16, for it defines the God who so loved the world in terms of the love of the only Son. "We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us -- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another." With such an ethic at its core, this scripture lesson from 1 John places our affirmations about the Resurrection within the framework of a commitment to and an understanding of community. According to 1 John, the message that has been entrusted to the church is not simply that of the resurrection of Jesus. It is a message of the Risen Christ that then results in a call to love one another.
The lectionary break here at the beginning of the pericope avoids the reference to Cain and Abel (3:11-15). It may be true that the church's celebration of the Great Fifty Days of Easter is dampened a bit by hearing of that piece of our sordid past. So the assigned text begins not with murder and sibling relationship but with reference to the atoning love of Christ. It is in that self-emptying love of Christ that we most clearly see the love of God. Thus, the author of 1 John calls for a faith that is lived out in deed and in action.
Even with the salutation, the author's plea is set within the context of the nurturing, loving relationship of community; "Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action" (3:18). It is in our love for one another that we find assurance even when the failure of our hearts reveals our own condemnation. God's love is greater than ours. God's love is stronger than our failures. God's omnipotence and perfect love creates community despite humanity's best efforts to tear it apart. A casual reading might see something of works righteousness here in 1 John. That as we love and obey, we shall receive anything we ask. However, even here within the frail nature of community, God's promise is first. The existence of a community where love thrives is indeed pleasing to God. That community, in turn, provides a witness to the love of God that is greater than the hearts of the faithful.
The author affirms this promise in the language of commandment. "We should believe in the name of the Son Jesus Christ and love one another" (v. 23). The promise is that the Living Christ abides in us. We know that abiding presence, not because we obey his commandments but because God has given us the Spirit (v. 24). Our life together in love is a response of joyful obedience to the promised presence of Christ made known to us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 10:11-18
The gospel lection for the day is the first Sunday reading in this Eastertide when the assigned text does not portray an appearance of the Risen Christ. We have traveled from Easter morning to an encounter with Doubting Thomas to that Emmaus Road appearance. Now on this fourth Sunday of Easter, the lectionary takes us back to John's Gospel and the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. This development of one of the "I am" statements of Jesus presents a challenge when pondering any direct connection to Easter.
The teaching of Jesus related to the metaphor of the shepherd comes throughout all of chapter 10. The teaching comes amid a larger section of John's Gospel that is framed by the woman caught in adultery and the raising of Lazarus. An allegorical approach to the metaphor would want to notice the various themes Jesus develops: the voice of the shepherd, Jesus as the gate, the presence of a thief, and the comparison of the shepherd to a hired hand. At verse 11, Jesus begins that comparison by affirming that the shepherd is willing to lay down his life for the sheep.
In describing himself as the Good Shepherd, Jesus affirms both his love for and knowledge of the sheep. The love Christ has for those entrusted to him by God is analogous to the love and knowledge shared between God the Father and God the Son. Such intimate knowledge shared between Jesus and the sheep is balanced by the more inclusive theme of those other sheep that do not yet belong, those who do not yet know his voice (v. 16). Within the context of John's Gospel, the other sheep are Gentiles. The work of Christ widens the understanding of those known to be the children of God still within the framework of one flock and one shepherd. Broadening the scope of those who receive the promise contributes to the heightening tension between Jesus and the Jewish leadership so aptly described in the second half of chapter 10.
In verse 17, Jesus again returns to the theme of laying down his life. The shepherd lays down his life "in order to take it up again." The work of Christ, understood here as death and resurrection, is a command of God. In the steadfast obedience rooted in that love and knowledge of God the Father, the command comes with the divine power to bring life out of death. We should not read the references to love, command and power in verses 17 and 18 as saying that God loves Jesus because of that willingness to lay down his life. Works righteousness -- even assigned to Christ himself -- rests at the top of a slippery slope. True, the language of verse 17 is challenging "for this reason" and "because." However, it would seem that the reason for the great love of God bestowed upon the Son is that the love stretches from the depth of suffering and death all the way to that promised resurrection. Rather than a simple equation of cause and effect, divine love rests at the foundation of the relationship of Father and Son and the promise of salvation.
Application
As the church gathers on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, these lectionary texts challenge the preacher to proclaim the presence of the Risen Christ. Not surprisingly, the further we move away from Easter morning, the texts themselves point beyond those miraculous resurrection appearances. The texts from John's Gospel and his first epistle share the theme of Christ's self-sacrificing love and the relationships within the community bound by that love. For the people of God, any proclamation of the message of the Resurrection quickly turns to a proclamation of justice, righteousness and compassion.
The church that continues to celebrate the Great Fifty Days of Easter must affirm the miraculous presence of Christ there within the community. Beyond scarred hands and feet, the promised presence of Christ is revealed in acts of love and selfless compassion. The community itself, however, cannot sustain such a witness based on the quality of its life. As the church is moved to lament the state of the world, the church's life itself will inevitably cause heartache and hurt. History affirms the frailty of the church and the sinfulness of humanity's attempt at life together. The grace of resurrection hope and promise, however, is that God is greater than our hearts.
Within the sacramental life of the church, theology and tradition assert the presence of the Risen Christ in the Lord's Supper and in baptism. Of course, differences abound in how we understand that presence. The preacher's challenge in the weeks after Easter is to look into the community's life and name that promised presence of Christ. As young pastors learn from wise saints in the congregation, God is greater than the frailty of our hearts. In the brokenness of our life together, and despite the challenges facing the church and world, the darkness of evil and death shall not win. For the victory of abundant and eternal life belongs to God.
As we taste of the love of God and the love of another within the community of faith, we experience the Risen Lord in our midst. It is the same divine power and presence that made that lame man rise and walk at the Beautiful Gate in the Acts of the Apostles. The exclamation point in our life together may match that of Peter in his own preaching. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."
Alternative Applications
1) John 10:11-18: The context of John's Gospel establishes the boundaries of Jew and Gentile in terms of the other sheep that do not currently belong to the fold. Jesus affirms that such sheep (the Gentiles) indeed belong to him and that he must bring them and they will listen to his voice. With the image of the Good Shepherd, John expands that notion of the gospel and its intended audience. In a post-Easter context, the preacher may affirm that widening gospel and the inclusive love of Christ. In this pluralistic, tense world, a reading of John 10 might reframe interfaith discussions. Rather than approaching the world with a conquering evangelism, the ethic here may just be a steadfast love and compassion, like that of a shepherd tending to sheep not yet belonging to this fold. All answers to the vast theological questions of the uniqueness of salvation in Christ may not be answered here in John 10, but as we continue to celebrate Christ's ultimate victory over sin and death, we may seek to cultivate that selfless compassion and shepherd's love in Christianity's ongoing encounter with the world.
2) 1 John 3:16-24: The text from 1 John provides a clear vision statement for mission for the post-Easter church. The question about God's love abiding in anyone who refuses to help a brother or sister in need (3:17) ought to hang in the air. Similarly, the commandment from verse 23 that "we should believe in the name of God's Son Jesus Christ and love one another" may just be one of those sermon-less texts. Years ago I observed a preacher walk into the pulpit, say this verse, and then turn and sit down. He did it a second time and then a third time. It may not be the best advice as a homiletical technique, but some commands of God are just that clear. By God's grace, may the church have ears to hear.
3) Acts 4:5-12: The two sermons offered by Peter in chapters 3 and 4 are ripe for analysis. The sermons have such different audiences. Right after the healing of the lame man in chapter 3, Peter preaches to the gathered crowds who are astonished at the miracle. The second sermon is intended specifically for the accusers and those who demand to know by what power and in what name this healing occurred. A preacher today may thus compare the content of the two sermons and then reflect upon how the Sunday morning audience influences our proclamation of the Gospel message of the resurrected Christ.
Preaching The Psalm
Psalm 23
If asked how many images of God this most familiar of all psalms includes, most people would probably say one, that of shepherd. (And, while saying it, there's a good chance they'd actually be picturing Jesus with a lamb in his arms, thanks to the famous painting of that scene hanging in Sunday school rooms all over America.) But in fact, there are two images of God in this psalm -- the shepherd (vv. 1-4) and the host at a banquet in the temple (vv. 5-6).
Both images of God are appropriate and important, and, since many Christians already address this psalm to Jesus, it's worth noting that they are not mistaken to think of Jesus as both shepherd and host as well.
You can certainly use this psalm today to support the gospel and epistle readings, both of which speak of the shepherding work of Christ, but you could also use the psalm to invite people to think of what the hosting work of Christ is. It has to do, of course, with the invitation to the Communion table, but Christ is also the one who invites us to enjoy the hospitality of the kingdom, to sit down at the great feast, the celebration that conveys the joy of the kingdom.
One of the great hospitality stories of recent times comes from 9/11, when the country was reeling from the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. As the airspace over the U.S. was shut down, many flights already aloft were forced to land elsewhere. Some of these planes were rerouted to Newfoundland and grounded there for many long hours. The great hospitality those passengers received from the citizenry of Newfoundland has been told in e-mail accounts that circulated widely and was even described in The Wall Street Journal (November 7, 2001, A1.) We won't retell the story here, but will cite one of the stranded passengers, Thomas Werk, who was quoted in the Journal article. He said, "We realized that everything was totally out of our control, and that we were at the mercy of ... and strangers. They did everything for us." That is human hospitality, and it shone brightly during that emergency. Surely divine hospitality is all the greater, for we are given not just a home away from home, but an eternal home, where goodness and mercy will surely follow us.
