Sermon Illustrations for Advent 3 (2016)
Illustration
Object:
Isaiah 35:1-10
It really is like Oprah Winfrey says: “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is to celebrate.” This text and the theme of Advent 3 are words of celebration, reminders that the faithful celebrate in life. John Calvin points out that “the true and only rejoicing is to know that we are reconciled to God” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. VIII/1, p. 73). About this gospel Martin Luther claimed that “it is a message from Christ which says to the sinner, my son, be comforted and happy. Do not be frightened” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 5, p. 62). You should be joyful in Christ, he says: “Let him take care of you. For he assuredly does take care of you” (What Luther Says, p. 690). This is why we say “Merry Christmas!” Citing an old German proverb, the reformer proclaims: “A cheerful spirit is half of health.” (What Luther Says, p. 1245). Modern medicine bears out Luther’s last observation. Happiness and celebration make available more of the amphetamine-like chemical dopamine to the brain, which gives it pleasure and also stimulates more sociable behavior (Stefan Klein, The Science of Happiness, especially p. 62).
Mark E.
Isaiah 35:1-10
Catherine Booth, was the co-founder of the Salvation Army along with her husband William, died a painful death from cancer on October 4, 1890. Having difficulty speaking, in her final moments she pointed to the Bible verse that had been the text she lived by: “My grace is sufficient for thee.” As a devoted mother, her greatest concern was for her daughter Emma. This is why the last words that Catherine Booth spoke were “Lord, let the end be easy -- for Emma’s sake.”
Application: Isaiah presents us with that message that we are not to fear.
Ron L.
James 5:7-10
A friend of mine recently had a baby girl. It was a wonderful time of celebration for her and for all of her family and friends. The day the baby was born is one she talks about with great excitement, love, and fondness. She talks about seeing her little girl for the first time, holding her in arms after holding her in her womb. She delights in discussing her precious eyes, tiny hands, and chubby little face. To hear her talk about her baby now, it is a wonderful and celebratory experience. Babies tend to bring hope and happiness.
However, as all of you mothers know (including my friend), the journey of having a baby isn’t necessarily one of unbridled and continual joy. For nine months, give or take a few weeks, the mom must put up with different aches and pains. She will possibly experience a time of being sick. Clothes won’t fit right. Her moods and eating habits may be affected. I think I can speak for all men when I say that what a woman endures in pregnancy is something that most of us are thankful we don’t have to do.
So why am I bringing up a subject that I admittedly know so little about? As I looked at this text in James I was reminded of my friend’s story. The Greek word for “patient” in verse seven is from a root which means to endure or bear up long under suffering. James is encouraging his readers to endure the suffering they face, knowing that the coming of the Lord is near. Just as the farmer plants a crop and waits for the rains, so should the Christian wait for Jesus. The pain endured preceding Jesus’ coming will melt into insignificance when he appears.
I think most mothers would agree. The nine months of struggle fade away when the baby is born. Be patient and endure through the struggles of this life. Jesus’ coming is near.
Bill T.
James 5:7-10
Agricultural signs can vary from country to country, or even county to county. A good farmer needs to know what signs to look for in her or his region.
So when James the brother of Jesus urges patience while waiting for the Lord’s return, he likens it to the patience demonstrated by farmers in his area who must wait for the early and late rains before they harvest. This sort of wisdom is necessary and vital not only for Christians but for all people. The poet Hesiod, for instance, lived in Greece and not Palestine -- so the patterns of rain were different there than for James. So he advised farmers to wait until the Pleiades (sometimes called the Seven Sisters) began to rise in the morning sky before beginning the harvest (Works and Days, pp. 333-335).
Regardless of which signs you’re looking for, Hesiod emphasizes that we require not only the wisdom to look for the signs and the patience to wait for them but also the resolve to act when we see them. That’s why he writes “Work is not a disgrace. Not working is a disgrace” (line 11, my translation).
Centuries later, but before James wrote his words, the Latin poet Virgil wrote an agricultural poem set in Italy that he called the Georgics. In it he warns that those who wait too long to harvest will find their efforts come to nothing when a downpour washes away their crops: “A tremendous congregated mass of waters / Gathered from the topmost reach of the heavens into a hideous tempest of black clouds / Then suddenly all this wall of sky falls down upon the earth, and all its flooding water / Washes away the joyous crops and all / The work that men and oxen did together.” (Georgics, translated by David Ferry, p. 27).
Of course when James told us to watch and wait for the signs he wasn’t just talking about planting onions and tomatoes. He means for us to keep our eyes open for his brother, Jesus.
Frank R.
James 5:7-10
One of the hardest parts of our faith is patience. We want answers now! The illustration of the farmer is a good one. I’ve watched a farmer spend sometimes days plowing his ground and planting those little seeds. Then all he can do is sit there and wait months to see what he has accomplished. Even after the harvest there is much to do, such as storing the crop, cleaning and repairing the machinery, finding a market for his produce, loading it on trucks or rail cars, and hoping for his reward. He may be disappointed if one year a crop should fail, but he waits patiently for the next year.
During the dust bowl years many farmers gave up and went west to find success somewhere else, but it still took patience.
When school is out in the spring, our kids are very patient for the fall when it starts again. But then after it starts they are very impatient for spring -- or Christmas or spring holiday!
Life is full of “waiting.” A woman must wait about nine months for a child to be born. That could be the easy part. Then after a painful beginning comes years of training, preparing the growing children for what will face them in the world. We try to show them how important patience is. We need to show them an example of patience.
It is easy to be patient when you are enjoying life or have completed some important task -- but when we suffer for any reason, we can’t wait for our suffering to end.
Almost Jesus’ whole lifetime was filled with suffering -- he had nowhere to lay his head! So his life is an example of patience for us.
It takes patience to spend years in college before we find a fulfilling job. It takes patience to spend a long time exercising and training for the Olympics, but in both cases patience can be rewarded greatly. How much greater is the reward our Lord has for his faithful, patient servants.
Bob O.
Matthew 11:2-11
This is a story which highlights how Jesus and his ministry go against the grain, can offend reason or our social conventions. Famed modern theologian Karl Barth once wrote on this topic: “Remove from the Christian religion, as Christendom has done, its ability to shock, and Christianity, by becoming direct communication, is altogether destroyed. It then becomes a tiny superficial thing... to believe in Jesus is the most hazardous of all hazards... for all faith... presents the same embarrassment and the same promise; for all it is a leap into the void... for all it is equally impossible” (The Epistle to the Romans, pp. 98-99).
Martin Luther also affirmed the offensive character of Christ’s incarnation, how it emphasizes the weak or offensive aspects of his story: “It is because of [Christ’s] humanity and his incarnation that Christ becomes sweet to us, and through him God becomes sweet to us. Let us therefore begin to ascend step by step from Christ’s crying in his swaddling clothes up to his passion. Then we shall easily know God. I am saying this so that you do not begin to contemplate God from the top. But start with the weak elements” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 17, p. 331).
God fulfils his promises in ways we do not expect. This is also true of Christ. He does not show up as one expects him to be. Luther makes this point as he proclaims: “Yes, but what the Lord God has in mind is this: Man, you ought to accept Christ just as God sends him, not as you want him to be” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 5, p.81).
Luther provides insight about how offensive the gospel of Jesus is: “But look at a baby!... It is completely incapable of helping itself. It depends entirely on help from someone else.... Yet the infant still retains dominion over every creature, even though this may not be apparent. It still lives in hope” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 18, p. 363).
As the reformer puts it elsewhere: “Christ helps the world by confounding the world’s wisdom” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 22, p. 342).
Mark E.
Matthew 11:2-11
John Henry Jowett served congregations both in Britain and the United States in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a firm believer in the power of the gospel message and how it brings about redemption and social change. It is reported that that crime dropped while he was pastoring a church in Birmingham, England. Jowett was also known for his writings. In 1914 he shared a devotional based on 1 Kings 17 -- the story of the prophet Elijah being fed by a poor widow -- in his book My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year. Jowett wrote that the meal would mean little if it came from a person of wealth, but since it came from a widow who was poor the meal demonstrated the power of God. Jowett wrote of that meal: “That is the surprising way of the Lord. He delights to hang great weights on apparently slender wire, to have great events turn on seeming trifles.”
Application: As John was informed, we can see the great works of God.
Ron L.
It really is like Oprah Winfrey says: “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is to celebrate.” This text and the theme of Advent 3 are words of celebration, reminders that the faithful celebrate in life. John Calvin points out that “the true and only rejoicing is to know that we are reconciled to God” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. VIII/1, p. 73). About this gospel Martin Luther claimed that “it is a message from Christ which says to the sinner, my son, be comforted and happy. Do not be frightened” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 5, p. 62). You should be joyful in Christ, he says: “Let him take care of you. For he assuredly does take care of you” (What Luther Says, p. 690). This is why we say “Merry Christmas!” Citing an old German proverb, the reformer proclaims: “A cheerful spirit is half of health.” (What Luther Says, p. 1245). Modern medicine bears out Luther’s last observation. Happiness and celebration make available more of the amphetamine-like chemical dopamine to the brain, which gives it pleasure and also stimulates more sociable behavior (Stefan Klein, The Science of Happiness, especially p. 62).
Mark E.
Isaiah 35:1-10
Catherine Booth, was the co-founder of the Salvation Army along with her husband William, died a painful death from cancer on October 4, 1890. Having difficulty speaking, in her final moments she pointed to the Bible verse that had been the text she lived by: “My grace is sufficient for thee.” As a devoted mother, her greatest concern was for her daughter Emma. This is why the last words that Catherine Booth spoke were “Lord, let the end be easy -- for Emma’s sake.”
Application: Isaiah presents us with that message that we are not to fear.
Ron L.
James 5:7-10
A friend of mine recently had a baby girl. It was a wonderful time of celebration for her and for all of her family and friends. The day the baby was born is one she talks about with great excitement, love, and fondness. She talks about seeing her little girl for the first time, holding her in arms after holding her in her womb. She delights in discussing her precious eyes, tiny hands, and chubby little face. To hear her talk about her baby now, it is a wonderful and celebratory experience. Babies tend to bring hope and happiness.
However, as all of you mothers know (including my friend), the journey of having a baby isn’t necessarily one of unbridled and continual joy. For nine months, give or take a few weeks, the mom must put up with different aches and pains. She will possibly experience a time of being sick. Clothes won’t fit right. Her moods and eating habits may be affected. I think I can speak for all men when I say that what a woman endures in pregnancy is something that most of us are thankful we don’t have to do.
So why am I bringing up a subject that I admittedly know so little about? As I looked at this text in James I was reminded of my friend’s story. The Greek word for “patient” in verse seven is from a root which means to endure or bear up long under suffering. James is encouraging his readers to endure the suffering they face, knowing that the coming of the Lord is near. Just as the farmer plants a crop and waits for the rains, so should the Christian wait for Jesus. The pain endured preceding Jesus’ coming will melt into insignificance when he appears.
I think most mothers would agree. The nine months of struggle fade away when the baby is born. Be patient and endure through the struggles of this life. Jesus’ coming is near.
Bill T.
James 5:7-10
Agricultural signs can vary from country to country, or even county to county. A good farmer needs to know what signs to look for in her or his region.
So when James the brother of Jesus urges patience while waiting for the Lord’s return, he likens it to the patience demonstrated by farmers in his area who must wait for the early and late rains before they harvest. This sort of wisdom is necessary and vital not only for Christians but for all people. The poet Hesiod, for instance, lived in Greece and not Palestine -- so the patterns of rain were different there than for James. So he advised farmers to wait until the Pleiades (sometimes called the Seven Sisters) began to rise in the morning sky before beginning the harvest (Works and Days, pp. 333-335).
Regardless of which signs you’re looking for, Hesiod emphasizes that we require not only the wisdom to look for the signs and the patience to wait for them but also the resolve to act when we see them. That’s why he writes “Work is not a disgrace. Not working is a disgrace” (line 11, my translation).
Centuries later, but before James wrote his words, the Latin poet Virgil wrote an agricultural poem set in Italy that he called the Georgics. In it he warns that those who wait too long to harvest will find their efforts come to nothing when a downpour washes away their crops: “A tremendous congregated mass of waters / Gathered from the topmost reach of the heavens into a hideous tempest of black clouds / Then suddenly all this wall of sky falls down upon the earth, and all its flooding water / Washes away the joyous crops and all / The work that men and oxen did together.” (Georgics, translated by David Ferry, p. 27).
Of course when James told us to watch and wait for the signs he wasn’t just talking about planting onions and tomatoes. He means for us to keep our eyes open for his brother, Jesus.
Frank R.
James 5:7-10
One of the hardest parts of our faith is patience. We want answers now! The illustration of the farmer is a good one. I’ve watched a farmer spend sometimes days plowing his ground and planting those little seeds. Then all he can do is sit there and wait months to see what he has accomplished. Even after the harvest there is much to do, such as storing the crop, cleaning and repairing the machinery, finding a market for his produce, loading it on trucks or rail cars, and hoping for his reward. He may be disappointed if one year a crop should fail, but he waits patiently for the next year.
During the dust bowl years many farmers gave up and went west to find success somewhere else, but it still took patience.
When school is out in the spring, our kids are very patient for the fall when it starts again. But then after it starts they are very impatient for spring -- or Christmas or spring holiday!
Life is full of “waiting.” A woman must wait about nine months for a child to be born. That could be the easy part. Then after a painful beginning comes years of training, preparing the growing children for what will face them in the world. We try to show them how important patience is. We need to show them an example of patience.
It is easy to be patient when you are enjoying life or have completed some important task -- but when we suffer for any reason, we can’t wait for our suffering to end.
Almost Jesus’ whole lifetime was filled with suffering -- he had nowhere to lay his head! So his life is an example of patience for us.
It takes patience to spend years in college before we find a fulfilling job. It takes patience to spend a long time exercising and training for the Olympics, but in both cases patience can be rewarded greatly. How much greater is the reward our Lord has for his faithful, patient servants.
Bob O.
Matthew 11:2-11
This is a story which highlights how Jesus and his ministry go against the grain, can offend reason or our social conventions. Famed modern theologian Karl Barth once wrote on this topic: “Remove from the Christian religion, as Christendom has done, its ability to shock, and Christianity, by becoming direct communication, is altogether destroyed. It then becomes a tiny superficial thing... to believe in Jesus is the most hazardous of all hazards... for all faith... presents the same embarrassment and the same promise; for all it is a leap into the void... for all it is equally impossible” (The Epistle to the Romans, pp. 98-99).
Martin Luther also affirmed the offensive character of Christ’s incarnation, how it emphasizes the weak or offensive aspects of his story: “It is because of [Christ’s] humanity and his incarnation that Christ becomes sweet to us, and through him God becomes sweet to us. Let us therefore begin to ascend step by step from Christ’s crying in his swaddling clothes up to his passion. Then we shall easily know God. I am saying this so that you do not begin to contemplate God from the top. But start with the weak elements” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 17, p. 331).
God fulfils his promises in ways we do not expect. This is also true of Christ. He does not show up as one expects him to be. Luther makes this point as he proclaims: “Yes, but what the Lord God has in mind is this: Man, you ought to accept Christ just as God sends him, not as you want him to be” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 5, p.81).
Luther provides insight about how offensive the gospel of Jesus is: “But look at a baby!... It is completely incapable of helping itself. It depends entirely on help from someone else.... Yet the infant still retains dominion over every creature, even though this may not be apparent. It still lives in hope” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 18, p. 363).
As the reformer puts it elsewhere: “Christ helps the world by confounding the world’s wisdom” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 22, p. 342).
Mark E.
Matthew 11:2-11
John Henry Jowett served congregations both in Britain and the United States in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a firm believer in the power of the gospel message and how it brings about redemption and social change. It is reported that that crime dropped while he was pastoring a church in Birmingham, England. Jowett was also known for his writings. In 1914 he shared a devotional based on 1 Kings 17 -- the story of the prophet Elijah being fed by a poor widow -- in his book My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year. Jowett wrote that the meal would mean little if it came from a person of wealth, but since it came from a widow who was poor the meal demonstrated the power of God. Jowett wrote of that meal: “That is the surprising way of the Lord. He delights to hang great weights on apparently slender wire, to have great events turn on seeming trifles.”
Application: As John was informed, we can see the great works of God.
Ron L.
