Sermon Illustrations for Christ the King (Proper 29) (2019)
Illustration
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Sixteenth century preacher and reformer Hugh Latimer may provide a sterling example of accountability and responsibility. Latimer was thought of as a great preacher and, one day, was called to preach before the King Henry VIII of England. As he thought about his great responsibility to bring a message before the king, he realized that the message that God laid on his heart was not the message that the king would want to hear.
He thought, “Latimer! Latimer! Do you remember that you are speaking before the high and mighty King Henry VIII; who has power to command you to be sent to prison, and who can have your head cut off, if it please him? Will you not take care to say nothing that will offend royal ears?”
Immediately after, though, he thought, “Latimer! Latimer! Do you not remember that you are speaking before the King of kings and Lord of lords; before Him, at whose throne Henry VIII will stand; before Him, to whom one day you will have to give account yourself? Latimer! Latimer! Be faithful to your Master and declare all of God’s Word.”
Latimer did preach God faithfully. Later, he was burned at the stake by Henry VIII’s daughter Mary on October 16, 1555.
Would that God’s shepherds always preach the Word faithfully despite what may come; shepherds who would really shepherd (vs. 4).
Bill T.
* * *
Jeremiah 23:1-6
It certainly wasn’t Lance Armstrong standing as a shepherd when he was interviewed by Orphrey Winfrey on January 1, 2013. After years of denial that he used performance enhancing drugs, Armstrong chose to make his public confession before the warm and fuzzy talk show host Oprah Winfrey. Though Winfrey was not restricted in her questioning, she cannot be categorized as an investigative reporter. David Howman, the director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said of Armstrong, “He’s got to follow a certain course. That is not talking to a talk show host.” Howman went on to say, “Only when Mr. Armstrong makes a full confession under oath — and tells the anti-doping authorities all he knows about doping activities — can the legal and proper process for him to seek reopening or reconsideration of his lifetime ban commence.” A testimony under oath would also require Armstrong to reveal the names of all of those involved in the doping scheme and make him liable to those who financially promoted his cycling team and contracted him for advertising endorsements. The farthest Armstrong got into the field to protect the sheep was a far distance from watching over them.
Ron L.
* * *
Jeremiah 23:1-6
The ideal for a king as portrayed in the Hebrew scriptures was to be a shepherd, one who, like David in Psalm 23, led the sheep to good pasture and clean water, and stood with the people in death and life. Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd, and of failed leaders as false shepherds. These words speak of false shepherds who have scattered the flock and caused harm that only God can repair with the calling of a new and better shepherd. When Jeremiah wrote these words King Zedekiah reigned. Zedekiah's name means "Righteous Is Our Lord." To demonstrate the reversal needed in history and in our leaders Jeremiah reverses the order of the words, telling us that our new Davidic King is "The Lord (is) our Righteousness" (cf Jeremiah 23:6). I'm sure Zedekiah got it, and wasn't happy about it.
Frank R.
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Interconnected as we are, all the polls indicate that Americans feel more lonely and isolated from each other than ever before. A 2018 poll conducted by MarketWatch revealed that nearly half of us (46%) feel alone in the world. According to John Wesley this text provides comfort and hope for us in the midst of our sense of isolation. Commenting on v.17 he writes:
The original expression [that in Christ all things hold together] not only implies that He sustains all things in being, but more directly all things were and are compacted in Him into one system. He is the cement as well as support of the universe. (Commentary On the Bible, p.546)
Famed Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards helps us better understand how the kingly rule of Christ holds all creation together and brings us into fellowship with him:
He [God] is every where present with His all-seeing eye. He is in heaven and in hell, and in and through every part of the creation. He is where every devil is; and where every damned soul is, He is Present by His knowledge and His essence. He not only knows as well as those in heaven Who sees at a distance; but He knows as perfectly as those who feel the misery. He seeth into the innermost recesses of the hearts of those miserable spirits. He seeth all the sorrow and anguish that are there; for He upholds them in being. (Works, Vol.2, p.69)
Mark E.
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
All that is in our world, all that will be in our world, all that was in our world, Jesus has been a part of, has had a role in it. We are called by Jesus, redeemed by Jesus, and restored by Jesus, into a faithful people of God. All the fullness of God dwelt in and dwells in Jesus. We are not alone in our humanness, because for all the divinity of Jesus, there is also the humanness of Jesus. The man who was born into the world as infant, who lived as the ordinary man who then went into ministry, the one who healed and taught, nurtured and challenged, who died and who rose was as human as you or I. Jesus understands our humanness, our fears, our pain, our disappointments and calls us to be faithful. With Jesus, we live into the fullness of humanity as inheritors as the kingdom of God.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Jesus has created our church and is in charge. How can we expect to find him if we ignore his church?
God gives all the strength we need to survive. I assume that means we will eventually be living in the eternal house the Lord has created for us.
God is invisible to us, but God’s disciples saw him so the only way he is visible to us is in his word.
God created all things both visible and invisible so he created his holy word. He also lives in our heart. We feel him every time we pray.
We only see God when we look in the faces of those who are experiencing him who could be in our church. I have seen him in the faces of some of my fellow clergy in Nepal and even in our country.
Bob O.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
Cynthia Riggs was an 81-year-old mystery writer and owner of a bed and breakfast in Martha’s Vineyard. After living by herself for decades, she received a strange coded note in the mail. She was pretty sure she knew who sent the note and what the note said. It was, in fact, a person from her youth. It was from Howard Attebery, a man she had worked with at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography when she was 18. They had used the code as a kind of fun game to make comments about what was going on in the office. No romance developed between them. She had not heard from Howard for 63 years.
The letter led to phone conversations, which led to a visit, which led one hour later to an engagement, which led to marriage in 2013. The bride was 81, and the groom was 91. What did the coded note say? It said, “I have never stopped loving you.” Howard told CBS news, “Love is a great place to spend the rest of your life.”
“A great place to spend the rest of your life” is a phrase that struck me. As I read this story, I was also reminded that it’s never too late. Both of those ideas emerge from Jesus’ conversation with a thief on a cross next to his. In a swirling sea of chaos, confusion and anger, came a voice of defense and truth. “We’re getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then came a cry that speaks of hope, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Paradise is a great place to spend life after death and it’s never too late to reach out to Jesus.
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
In March 2011, Kelly Bush has started a publicity agency called “ID,” for “Identity.” It was her desire to give her clients an identity in the celebrity network of movies and television. She especially specialized in giving a new identity to those whose behavior has brought them disfavor among the public. One of her greatest success stories is actor Paul Reubens. The Pee-wee Herman star was arrested and found guilty on an embarrassing sexual charge. As an actor for a children’s show, everyone deemed his career to be over. Bush was able to reestablish Reubens’ identity and popularity, and he then was able to embark on a children’s Broadway show. Many may think that Reubens should never have returned to acting as Pee-wee Herman. But then, is not the message of Good Friday that of receiving a new identity?
Ron L.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
Although I'm sure there are many people mentioned in scripture who are saved, the only person who we know for certain made it to heaven isn't named, wasn't baptized, and stated clearly he was guilty of all charges. He wasn't led through a membership course. What he did do was stand by Jesus and stand up for Jesus.
The unnamed thief on the cross is only mentioned in Luke's gospel. In the play "Waiting for Godot," by Samuel Beckett, two tramps are waiting by the side of a road waiting for someone who never comes. One of the two tramps, trying to make conversation, notes that only one of the four evangelists talks of a thief being saved. "One out of four. Of the other three, two don't mention any thieves at all and the third says that both of them abused him."
Beckett once said that he liked the shape of a sentence he attributed to Augustine. "Do not despair. One of the thieves was saved. Do not presume. One of the thieves was damned." No one has been able to find this quote, so it is presumed that the saying actually belongs to Beckett.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
It seems to me that the supreme sacrifice is to offer one’s life for one’s friends. Jesus did even more than that. Jesus offered his life for those who wanted him crucified, for his friend who betrayed him, for his friend who denied him, and for his friends who deserted him. Jesus went to the cross and could have, maybe even deserved to be, resentful and angry. Rather we are reminded of the depth of love God has for us, for Jesus went to the cross seeking forgiveness for those who were killing him, not just those who were struggling to believe and follow him. That sacrifice and depth of love is unimaginable to me. When you reflect on this passage from Luke, what stands out for you? Is it the level of ridicule, the hostility, or the affirmation of Jesus’ love? Reflecting on the life, ministry, and death or Jesus on this Reign of Christ Sunday is a good thing. Shall we?
Bonnie B.
Sixteenth century preacher and reformer Hugh Latimer may provide a sterling example of accountability and responsibility. Latimer was thought of as a great preacher and, one day, was called to preach before the King Henry VIII of England. As he thought about his great responsibility to bring a message before the king, he realized that the message that God laid on his heart was not the message that the king would want to hear.
He thought, “Latimer! Latimer! Do you remember that you are speaking before the high and mighty King Henry VIII; who has power to command you to be sent to prison, and who can have your head cut off, if it please him? Will you not take care to say nothing that will offend royal ears?”
Immediately after, though, he thought, “Latimer! Latimer! Do you not remember that you are speaking before the King of kings and Lord of lords; before Him, at whose throne Henry VIII will stand; before Him, to whom one day you will have to give account yourself? Latimer! Latimer! Be faithful to your Master and declare all of God’s Word.”
Latimer did preach God faithfully. Later, he was burned at the stake by Henry VIII’s daughter Mary on October 16, 1555.
Would that God’s shepherds always preach the Word faithfully despite what may come; shepherds who would really shepherd (vs. 4).
Bill T.
* * *
Jeremiah 23:1-6
It certainly wasn’t Lance Armstrong standing as a shepherd when he was interviewed by Orphrey Winfrey on January 1, 2013. After years of denial that he used performance enhancing drugs, Armstrong chose to make his public confession before the warm and fuzzy talk show host Oprah Winfrey. Though Winfrey was not restricted in her questioning, she cannot be categorized as an investigative reporter. David Howman, the director general of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said of Armstrong, “He’s got to follow a certain course. That is not talking to a talk show host.” Howman went on to say, “Only when Mr. Armstrong makes a full confession under oath — and tells the anti-doping authorities all he knows about doping activities — can the legal and proper process for him to seek reopening or reconsideration of his lifetime ban commence.” A testimony under oath would also require Armstrong to reveal the names of all of those involved in the doping scheme and make him liable to those who financially promoted his cycling team and contracted him for advertising endorsements. The farthest Armstrong got into the field to protect the sheep was a far distance from watching over them.
Ron L.
* * *
Jeremiah 23:1-6
The ideal for a king as portrayed in the Hebrew scriptures was to be a shepherd, one who, like David in Psalm 23, led the sheep to good pasture and clean water, and stood with the people in death and life. Jesus speaks of himself as the Good Shepherd, and of failed leaders as false shepherds. These words speak of false shepherds who have scattered the flock and caused harm that only God can repair with the calling of a new and better shepherd. When Jeremiah wrote these words King Zedekiah reigned. Zedekiah's name means "Righteous Is Our Lord." To demonstrate the reversal needed in history and in our leaders Jeremiah reverses the order of the words, telling us that our new Davidic King is "The Lord (is) our Righteousness" (cf Jeremiah 23:6). I'm sure Zedekiah got it, and wasn't happy about it.
Frank R.
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Interconnected as we are, all the polls indicate that Americans feel more lonely and isolated from each other than ever before. A 2018 poll conducted by MarketWatch revealed that nearly half of us (46%) feel alone in the world. According to John Wesley this text provides comfort and hope for us in the midst of our sense of isolation. Commenting on v.17 he writes:
The original expression [that in Christ all things hold together] not only implies that He sustains all things in being, but more directly all things were and are compacted in Him into one system. He is the cement as well as support of the universe. (Commentary On the Bible, p.546)
Famed Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards helps us better understand how the kingly rule of Christ holds all creation together and brings us into fellowship with him:
He [God] is every where present with His all-seeing eye. He is in heaven and in hell, and in and through every part of the creation. He is where every devil is; and where every damned soul is, He is Present by His knowledge and His essence. He not only knows as well as those in heaven Who sees at a distance; but He knows as perfectly as those who feel the misery. He seeth into the innermost recesses of the hearts of those miserable spirits. He seeth all the sorrow and anguish that are there; for He upholds them in being. (Works, Vol.2, p.69)
Mark E.
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
All that is in our world, all that will be in our world, all that was in our world, Jesus has been a part of, has had a role in it. We are called by Jesus, redeemed by Jesus, and restored by Jesus, into a faithful people of God. All the fullness of God dwelt in and dwells in Jesus. We are not alone in our humanness, because for all the divinity of Jesus, there is also the humanness of Jesus. The man who was born into the world as infant, who lived as the ordinary man who then went into ministry, the one who healed and taught, nurtured and challenged, who died and who rose was as human as you or I. Jesus understands our humanness, our fears, our pain, our disappointments and calls us to be faithful. With Jesus, we live into the fullness of humanity as inheritors as the kingdom of God.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Colossians 1:11-20
Jesus has created our church and is in charge. How can we expect to find him if we ignore his church?
God gives all the strength we need to survive. I assume that means we will eventually be living in the eternal house the Lord has created for us.
God is invisible to us, but God’s disciples saw him so the only way he is visible to us is in his word.
God created all things both visible and invisible so he created his holy word. He also lives in our heart. We feel him every time we pray.
We only see God when we look in the faces of those who are experiencing him who could be in our church. I have seen him in the faces of some of my fellow clergy in Nepal and even in our country.
Bob O.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
Cynthia Riggs was an 81-year-old mystery writer and owner of a bed and breakfast in Martha’s Vineyard. After living by herself for decades, she received a strange coded note in the mail. She was pretty sure she knew who sent the note and what the note said. It was, in fact, a person from her youth. It was from Howard Attebery, a man she had worked with at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography when she was 18. They had used the code as a kind of fun game to make comments about what was going on in the office. No romance developed between them. She had not heard from Howard for 63 years.
The letter led to phone conversations, which led to a visit, which led one hour later to an engagement, which led to marriage in 2013. The bride was 81, and the groom was 91. What did the coded note say? It said, “I have never stopped loving you.” Howard told CBS news, “Love is a great place to spend the rest of your life.”
“A great place to spend the rest of your life” is a phrase that struck me. As I read this story, I was also reminded that it’s never too late. Both of those ideas emerge from Jesus’ conversation with a thief on a cross next to his. In a swirling sea of chaos, confusion and anger, came a voice of defense and truth. “We’re getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then came a cry that speaks of hope, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Paradise is a great place to spend life after death and it’s never too late to reach out to Jesus.
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
In March 2011, Kelly Bush has started a publicity agency called “ID,” for “Identity.” It was her desire to give her clients an identity in the celebrity network of movies and television. She especially specialized in giving a new identity to those whose behavior has brought them disfavor among the public. One of her greatest success stories is actor Paul Reubens. The Pee-wee Herman star was arrested and found guilty on an embarrassing sexual charge. As an actor for a children’s show, everyone deemed his career to be over. Bush was able to reestablish Reubens’ identity and popularity, and he then was able to embark on a children’s Broadway show. Many may think that Reubens should never have returned to acting as Pee-wee Herman. But then, is not the message of Good Friday that of receiving a new identity?
Ron L.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
Although I'm sure there are many people mentioned in scripture who are saved, the only person who we know for certain made it to heaven isn't named, wasn't baptized, and stated clearly he was guilty of all charges. He wasn't led through a membership course. What he did do was stand by Jesus and stand up for Jesus.
The unnamed thief on the cross is only mentioned in Luke's gospel. In the play "Waiting for Godot," by Samuel Beckett, two tramps are waiting by the side of a road waiting for someone who never comes. One of the two tramps, trying to make conversation, notes that only one of the four evangelists talks of a thief being saved. "One out of four. Of the other three, two don't mention any thieves at all and the third says that both of them abused him."
Beckett once said that he liked the shape of a sentence he attributed to Augustine. "Do not despair. One of the thieves was saved. Do not presume. One of the thieves was damned." No one has been able to find this quote, so it is presumed that the saying actually belongs to Beckett.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 23:33-43
It seems to me that the supreme sacrifice is to offer one’s life for one’s friends. Jesus did even more than that. Jesus offered his life for those who wanted him crucified, for his friend who betrayed him, for his friend who denied him, and for his friends who deserted him. Jesus went to the cross and could have, maybe even deserved to be, resentful and angry. Rather we are reminded of the depth of love God has for us, for Jesus went to the cross seeking forgiveness for those who were killing him, not just those who were struggling to believe and follow him. That sacrifice and depth of love is unimaginable to me. When you reflect on this passage from Luke, what stands out for you? Is it the level of ridicule, the hostility, or the affirmation of Jesus’ love? Reflecting on the life, ministry, and death or Jesus on this Reign of Christ Sunday is a good thing. Shall we?
Bonnie B.
