Sermon Illustrations for Christ the King / Proper 29 (2016)
Illustration
Object:
Jeremiah 23:1-6
(This illustration is a general commentary on principles of effective leadership. It was written early in the presidential primary season, when the candidates for office had not yet been decided. Nothing in this illustration should be construed as a commentary on specific candidates or an election that had not completed at the time it was written.)
I was attending a conference on pastoral ministry. The facilitator was one of the best-known church consultants of the era. Having written more than 60 books, he was frequently described as never having had an unpublished thought.
At a coffee break, I found myself standing in line behind this fellow. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, I conjured what I thought was a good topic for line-waiting conversation. With brow furled to suggest a serious thought, I asked: “What is required to renew a congregation?” Without hesitating he turned and responded “Leadership!” I thought my question might spark at least a ten-minute dialogue, but he dispatched my question with one word: “leadership.”
The consultant was, of course, absolutely correct. Healthy, visionary, optimistic, realistic, uniting, creative, hopeful, fear-dispersing, courage-building leadership is central to renewing a congregation, a denomination, a community, a state, a country, or for that matter the world.
When we drill down into the message of Jeremiah, this was the species of leadership that the Hebrew people needed in that chaotic time. Not much has changed for the world in our chaotic time.
Let us pray that those elected a couple weeks ago will provide leadership that uplifts and renews by bringing people together.
R. Robert C.
Jeremiah 23:1-6
All Christian denominations would do well to affirm with the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2444) that “the Church’s love for the poor... is part of her constant tradition.” Why does the Church keep doing its thing with all the poverty that surrounds us, since God has promised a messiah who would bring about righteousness and justice in our land? Martin Luther King Jr. explained why, in a manner that still well describes our situation: “And the tragedy is so often these... [poor] people are invisible because America is so affluent, so rich; because our expressways carry us away from the ghetto, we don’t see the poor” (A Testament of Hope, p. 273).
We don’t see the poor because we are too busy shopping for the latest gadget we don’t need, and because we don’t live in their neighborhood. And even if the poor are near us, we don’t like mixing with them much.
Kurt Vonnegut in Slaughterhouse-Five explained our situation well: “Americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue. Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money. They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and, therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say Napoleonic times. Many novelties have come from America. The most startling of these, a thing without precedent, is a mass of undignified poor. They do not love one another because they do not love themselves.”
In essence, our lesson tells us that we need leaders (that God will get us and our leaders) to see what Warren Buffett has noted: “There’s a class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”
Mark E.
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Jean Nidetch founded Weight Watchers in 1963. Nidetch always had trouble losing weight, and then maintaining her weight once it was lost. When she finally discovered a secret for her successful weight loss program, she created Weight Watchers so that others could also lose those unwanted pounds. Nidetch said of her program: “Food is not your remedy for your problems. Food is not going to change your life.... If you are going to lose weight, you have to do it by changing your way of thinking about food. It cannot be the highlight of your life.” She then went to say, “I used to eat my rewards. Now, the reward is self-respect.”
Application: Jeremiah discusses that we can always have hope if we are able to change our way of thinking.
Ron L.
Colossians 1:11-20
We like hierarchies in our world. We like to know where we stand in the hierarchy. Are we at the top of the pyramid, or at the bottom, or maybe somewhere in the middle? There was and perhaps still is a hierarchical view of the Trinity as well. First there is God the Creator, then Jesus the Savior, and finally the Holy Spirit. In our hierarchical minds, that works fine. However, scripture tells us something entirely different about the Trinity, and in this passage particularly about Jesus. Jesus is before all things, holding things together. Jesus then is with the Creator, the Father God to whom we pray. Jesus is not less then. Rather, Jesus is the manifestation of God, the incarnation of God, the head of the body of the faithful, part of the beginning and the end. Jesus is not less than, nor more than, Creator or Spirit. We celebrate Jesus as the one who lived among us, who taught us through human interaction to live as faithful men and women seeking to be aligned with God.
This Christ the King Sunday, let us view Jesus the Christ as God and Man, as Holy and Human, as partner with God and the Spirit in the gathering together of the faithful.
Bonnie B.
Colossians 1:11-20
One of the greatest and most well-known athletes of the modern era was a man named Cassius Clay. You might know him better as Muhammad Ali. He was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world three different times, and was the first to accomplish that. He compiled a record of 56 wins and 5 losses, with 37 knockouts. He was a great fighter, no doubt, but he was most known for his colorful and fascinating interviews. He once said: “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.” Speaking of his fearlessness, he said: “I’ve wrestled with alligators / I’ve tussled with a whale / I done handcuffed lightning / And thrown thunder in jail.” Ali was a showman and a fighter. He usually backed up whatever words he said in prefight interviews. Ali is at the top of the charts of the greatest fighters of all time.
We like to honor, categorize, and list the greatest in a particular area. Who is the greatest athlete? What is the best movie? Who was the greatest political leader? As we consider greatness, this passage comes into focus. Jesus is the head, the firstborn from the dead, and in him all things hold together. He is to have first place in everything. Jesus is worthy of all accolades that we can give him. He merits all praise. He is the greatest. Compared to him, there is no other.
Bill T.
Colossians 1:11-20
Colossae was located in Asia Minor, along the road that connected the seven cities of Revelation. It was fairly close to Laodicae, which is specifically addressed by Jesus through John the Revelator. Some manuscripts identify Laodicea as the city addressed in this letter. You may remember that the sin of the Laodiceans was that they were neither hot nor cold. They were lukewarm, fit only to be spit out of the mouth. This seems to be part of the problem addressed in Paul’s letter to the Colossians -- they are practicing something sometimes called Syncretism. They did not choose solely to follow Jesus -- they wanted to pick and choose from among the faiths of their neighbors, taking what they liked and rejecting what didn’t suit them. In other words, all of the above. That’s why the apostle insists that Jesus is the way to know God. In words that remind me a lot of the Logos hymn in the first chapter of John, we learn that Christ is the perfect image of God, was present at the creation of all things, and that all the other rulers, earthly or heavenly, are subordinate to Jesus. Something important to remember on this Christ the King Sunday!
Frank R.
Luke 23:33-43
How can Christ be king as he hangs on the cross? How can he be king as war still rages, as we have become a nation that endures one mass shooting after another (Orlando, Sacramento, Sandy Hook)? The ancient African monk Macarius refers to the captivating character of this paradox. It is something that captures our attention to the point of becoming mesmerizing: “If I say carnal persons so desire the glory of an earthly king, how much more those in whom the touch of the divine Spirit of life has touched and whose heart divine love has pierced with a desire for Christ, the heavenly king who have been captivated by his beauty and ineffable glory and by the incorruptible comeliness and incomprehensible riches of the true and eternal king, Christ! They are held captive by desire and longing for him” (Pseudo-Macarius, p. 65).
Captivated by this king, all the questions we have about him begin to wither. But for those questions that remain, French Catholic theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Methodist founder John Wesley have images that explain Christ’s reign over the universe profoundly. Chardin speaks of Christ as the flame which sets the earth on fire. It is penetrated by this fire to the core of the tiniest atom, flooding every element and energy (Hymn of the Universe, pp. 21,23-24). Of course, in a fire permeating a structure some things don’t burn as much as the fire as a whole; they are consumed at a slower rate. Does that help explain why evil is still around while Christ reigns? And Wesley says Christ is the cement of the universe (Commentary on the Bible, p. 546). Cement keeps buildings together, but windows get shattered and doors knocked in. So Christ reigns, but evil remains.
Mark E.
Luke 23:33-43
Just five days prior to his death several months ago, the legendary musician Prince appeared at a local dance party near his home. The cancellations of two recent concerts had given rise to a rumor that he had died, and Prince wanted to set the record straight. He told the crowd that he had a lingering case of the flu. He concluded with an eerily foreshadowing comment: “Wait a few days before you waste any prayers.”
Even though those last words of Prince are open to various interpretations, society has tended to give weight to the last words of famous people. Some even claim that last words can be a source of insight into the character of that dying person or even express profound wisdom.
That, of course, is not always true. Ginger Alden, Elvis Presley’s fiancée, reported during a long night of sleeplessness that Elvis’ last words were “I’m going to the bathroom to read.” Certainly these are last words that offer no insight into the man’s character.
When his physician tried to comfort him by saying “General, I fear the angels are waiting,” Ethan Allen, a hero of the American Revolution said: “Waiting, are they? Well, let ’em wait.” Interesting last words, but they are not particularly profound.
On the other hand, in 1603 the last words of Queen Elizabeth I were: “All my possessions for a moment of time.” In addition to being one of the richest people in the world, this queen of England was one of the important people in the history of western civilization. With her last words she underscored a universal truth.
American president Grover Cleveland revealed a great deal about his character when he uttered his last: “I have tried so hard to do the right.” Would that everyone could come to the end of life rightfully making the same claim.
The gospel lesson for this week references a few of the last words of our Lord. Jesus’ last words are powerful reminders that indeed this one on the cross is Christ the King.
R. Robert C.
Luke 23:33-43
Hector Babenco was best known as the director of the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman, adapted from a novel by Manuel Puig. The film’s setting is an Argentinian jail cell occupied by two men -- one a homosexual who solicited minors; the other a political prisoner. At the center of the story is the developing relationship between two men who at first seem ideologically incompatible. Babenco’s challenge as the film’s director is that the two characters had to be talking all the time, so in his words: “My task was to make it fresh and open and dynamic.”
Application: We learn from the crucifixion that mocking can be replaced by open and dynamic dialogue.
Ron L.
(This illustration is a general commentary on principles of effective leadership. It was written early in the presidential primary season, when the candidates for office had not yet been decided. Nothing in this illustration should be construed as a commentary on specific candidates or an election that had not completed at the time it was written.)
I was attending a conference on pastoral ministry. The facilitator was one of the best-known church consultants of the era. Having written more than 60 books, he was frequently described as never having had an unpublished thought.
At a coffee break, I found myself standing in line behind this fellow. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, I conjured what I thought was a good topic for line-waiting conversation. With brow furled to suggest a serious thought, I asked: “What is required to renew a congregation?” Without hesitating he turned and responded “Leadership!” I thought my question might spark at least a ten-minute dialogue, but he dispatched my question with one word: “leadership.”
The consultant was, of course, absolutely correct. Healthy, visionary, optimistic, realistic, uniting, creative, hopeful, fear-dispersing, courage-building leadership is central to renewing a congregation, a denomination, a community, a state, a country, or for that matter the world.
When we drill down into the message of Jeremiah, this was the species of leadership that the Hebrew people needed in that chaotic time. Not much has changed for the world in our chaotic time.
Let us pray that those elected a couple weeks ago will provide leadership that uplifts and renews by bringing people together.
R. Robert C.
Jeremiah 23:1-6
All Christian denominations would do well to affirm with the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2444) that “the Church’s love for the poor... is part of her constant tradition.” Why does the Church keep doing its thing with all the poverty that surrounds us, since God has promised a messiah who would bring about righteousness and justice in our land? Martin Luther King Jr. explained why, in a manner that still well describes our situation: “And the tragedy is so often these... [poor] people are invisible because America is so affluent, so rich; because our expressways carry us away from the ghetto, we don’t see the poor” (A Testament of Hope, p. 273).
We don’t see the poor because we are too busy shopping for the latest gadget we don’t need, and because we don’t live in their neighborhood. And even if the poor are near us, we don’t like mixing with them much.
Kurt Vonnegut in Slaughterhouse-Five explained our situation well: “Americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue. Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money. They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and, therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say Napoleonic times. Many novelties have come from America. The most startling of these, a thing without precedent, is a mass of undignified poor. They do not love one another because they do not love themselves.”
In essence, our lesson tells us that we need leaders (that God will get us and our leaders) to see what Warren Buffett has noted: “There’s a class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”
Mark E.
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Jean Nidetch founded Weight Watchers in 1963. Nidetch always had trouble losing weight, and then maintaining her weight once it was lost. When she finally discovered a secret for her successful weight loss program, she created Weight Watchers so that others could also lose those unwanted pounds. Nidetch said of her program: “Food is not your remedy for your problems. Food is not going to change your life.... If you are going to lose weight, you have to do it by changing your way of thinking about food. It cannot be the highlight of your life.” She then went to say, “I used to eat my rewards. Now, the reward is self-respect.”
Application: Jeremiah discusses that we can always have hope if we are able to change our way of thinking.
Ron L.
Colossians 1:11-20
We like hierarchies in our world. We like to know where we stand in the hierarchy. Are we at the top of the pyramid, or at the bottom, or maybe somewhere in the middle? There was and perhaps still is a hierarchical view of the Trinity as well. First there is God the Creator, then Jesus the Savior, and finally the Holy Spirit. In our hierarchical minds, that works fine. However, scripture tells us something entirely different about the Trinity, and in this passage particularly about Jesus. Jesus is before all things, holding things together. Jesus then is with the Creator, the Father God to whom we pray. Jesus is not less then. Rather, Jesus is the manifestation of God, the incarnation of God, the head of the body of the faithful, part of the beginning and the end. Jesus is not less than, nor more than, Creator or Spirit. We celebrate Jesus as the one who lived among us, who taught us through human interaction to live as faithful men and women seeking to be aligned with God.
This Christ the King Sunday, let us view Jesus the Christ as God and Man, as Holy and Human, as partner with God and the Spirit in the gathering together of the faithful.
Bonnie B.
Colossians 1:11-20
One of the greatest and most well-known athletes of the modern era was a man named Cassius Clay. You might know him better as Muhammad Ali. He was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world three different times, and was the first to accomplish that. He compiled a record of 56 wins and 5 losses, with 37 knockouts. He was a great fighter, no doubt, but he was most known for his colorful and fascinating interviews. He once said: “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.” Speaking of his fearlessness, he said: “I’ve wrestled with alligators / I’ve tussled with a whale / I done handcuffed lightning / And thrown thunder in jail.” Ali was a showman and a fighter. He usually backed up whatever words he said in prefight interviews. Ali is at the top of the charts of the greatest fighters of all time.
We like to honor, categorize, and list the greatest in a particular area. Who is the greatest athlete? What is the best movie? Who was the greatest political leader? As we consider greatness, this passage comes into focus. Jesus is the head, the firstborn from the dead, and in him all things hold together. He is to have first place in everything. Jesus is worthy of all accolades that we can give him. He merits all praise. He is the greatest. Compared to him, there is no other.
Bill T.
Colossians 1:11-20
Colossae was located in Asia Minor, along the road that connected the seven cities of Revelation. It was fairly close to Laodicae, which is specifically addressed by Jesus through John the Revelator. Some manuscripts identify Laodicea as the city addressed in this letter. You may remember that the sin of the Laodiceans was that they were neither hot nor cold. They were lukewarm, fit only to be spit out of the mouth. This seems to be part of the problem addressed in Paul’s letter to the Colossians -- they are practicing something sometimes called Syncretism. They did not choose solely to follow Jesus -- they wanted to pick and choose from among the faiths of their neighbors, taking what they liked and rejecting what didn’t suit them. In other words, all of the above. That’s why the apostle insists that Jesus is the way to know God. In words that remind me a lot of the Logos hymn in the first chapter of John, we learn that Christ is the perfect image of God, was present at the creation of all things, and that all the other rulers, earthly or heavenly, are subordinate to Jesus. Something important to remember on this Christ the King Sunday!
Frank R.
Luke 23:33-43
How can Christ be king as he hangs on the cross? How can he be king as war still rages, as we have become a nation that endures one mass shooting after another (Orlando, Sacramento, Sandy Hook)? The ancient African monk Macarius refers to the captivating character of this paradox. It is something that captures our attention to the point of becoming mesmerizing: “If I say carnal persons so desire the glory of an earthly king, how much more those in whom the touch of the divine Spirit of life has touched and whose heart divine love has pierced with a desire for Christ, the heavenly king who have been captivated by his beauty and ineffable glory and by the incorruptible comeliness and incomprehensible riches of the true and eternal king, Christ! They are held captive by desire and longing for him” (Pseudo-Macarius, p. 65).
Captivated by this king, all the questions we have about him begin to wither. But for those questions that remain, French Catholic theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Methodist founder John Wesley have images that explain Christ’s reign over the universe profoundly. Chardin speaks of Christ as the flame which sets the earth on fire. It is penetrated by this fire to the core of the tiniest atom, flooding every element and energy (Hymn of the Universe, pp. 21,23-24). Of course, in a fire permeating a structure some things don’t burn as much as the fire as a whole; they are consumed at a slower rate. Does that help explain why evil is still around while Christ reigns? And Wesley says Christ is the cement of the universe (Commentary on the Bible, p. 546). Cement keeps buildings together, but windows get shattered and doors knocked in. So Christ reigns, but evil remains.
Mark E.
Luke 23:33-43
Just five days prior to his death several months ago, the legendary musician Prince appeared at a local dance party near his home. The cancellations of two recent concerts had given rise to a rumor that he had died, and Prince wanted to set the record straight. He told the crowd that he had a lingering case of the flu. He concluded with an eerily foreshadowing comment: “Wait a few days before you waste any prayers.”
Even though those last words of Prince are open to various interpretations, society has tended to give weight to the last words of famous people. Some even claim that last words can be a source of insight into the character of that dying person or even express profound wisdom.
That, of course, is not always true. Ginger Alden, Elvis Presley’s fiancée, reported during a long night of sleeplessness that Elvis’ last words were “I’m going to the bathroom to read.” Certainly these are last words that offer no insight into the man’s character.
When his physician tried to comfort him by saying “General, I fear the angels are waiting,” Ethan Allen, a hero of the American Revolution said: “Waiting, are they? Well, let ’em wait.” Interesting last words, but they are not particularly profound.
On the other hand, in 1603 the last words of Queen Elizabeth I were: “All my possessions for a moment of time.” In addition to being one of the richest people in the world, this queen of England was one of the important people in the history of western civilization. With her last words she underscored a universal truth.
American president Grover Cleveland revealed a great deal about his character when he uttered his last: “I have tried so hard to do the right.” Would that everyone could come to the end of life rightfully making the same claim.
The gospel lesson for this week references a few of the last words of our Lord. Jesus’ last words are powerful reminders that indeed this one on the cross is Christ the King.
R. Robert C.
Luke 23:33-43
Hector Babenco was best known as the director of the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman, adapted from a novel by Manuel Puig. The film’s setting is an Argentinian jail cell occupied by two men -- one a homosexual who solicited minors; the other a political prisoner. At the center of the story is the developing relationship between two men who at first seem ideologically incompatible. Babenco’s challenge as the film’s director is that the two characters had to be talking all the time, so in his words: “My task was to make it fresh and open and dynamic.”
Application: We learn from the crucifixion that mocking can be replaced by open and dynamic dialogue.
Ron L.
