Sermon Illustrations For Easter 4 (2023)
Illustration
Acts 2:42-47
This vision of the followers of Jesus speaks to my heart deeply. How would the world be changed if we held similar beliefs in God and Jesus? What might the world be like if we shared from our abundance with those who had none? I read an editorial that spoke about the fact that the wealthy didn’t need to pay more taxes – they already paid enough – according to the author. Do we believe that is true? Do we believe that wealth is evenly distributed? Do we believe that we have the capacity to do better, to share more, to lift those with the least into a living situation that nurtures and feeds them – physically, mentally and spiritually? I wonder. I know the first century church is not likely to return. I wish, however, that the generosity of those days could.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Acts 2:42-47
The ten richest American families doubled their income since inflation began. And of course, the poor and the working class are always hurt worse than the rich by the inflation we’ve experienced. This text challenges our economic status quo in a way not unlike Martin Luther King urged us to consider:
We have moved into an era where we are called upon to raise certain basic questions about the whole society. We are still called upon to give aid to the beggar who finds himself in misery and agony on life’s highway. But one day we must ask the question of whether an edifice which produces beggars must not be restructured and refurbished.
In the spirit of our lesson, Martin Luther suggests a model for Christian living which might begin to address King’s concern. He wrote:
Therefore, we must use everything on earth in no other way than as a guest who travels across country, comes to an inn where he must spend the night... He does not say that the innkeeper’s property belongs to him. Thus, we must deal with temporal goods as if they did not belong to us. (Luther’s Works, Vol. 30, p.44)
In the same spirit, 17th-century French intellectual Jeanne Guyon wrote:
The soul now sees that whatever it owned formerly had been in its own possession; now it longer possesses but is possessed... and [when] he [God] is the principle of life, the soul can want nothing. (Amy Oden, ed., In Her Words, p.247)
Mark E.
* * *
Acts 2:42-47
There’s a lot of talk about what constitutes the fruits of the Spirit, based on lists in the New Testament. One that’s never mentioned in all those songs we teach kids to sing at Vacation Bible School is “having all things in common.” This radical redefinition of ownership is one of the direct results of the Pentecost experience. The new faith-family prays, breaks bread together, and cares for each other economically as well as spiritually. I don’t imagine that most of us are going to empty our bank accounts into a common debit card, but it might help if Christians weren’t so quick to condemn economic breaks given to others. It’s easy to say others don’t deserve it, quoting anecdotes or reporting the time we saw someone buy a bag of potato chips instead of a sack of potatoes with their food stamps, but we ought to be inspired, or perhaps shamed, enough to at least try to do our best to make an economic difference of any size among believers. Trust me — I’m not handing out my ATM password any time soon, but it’s possible we’re not challenging ourselves enough to consider the Body of Christ an economic as well as a spiritual powerhouse.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Peter 2:19-25
I find it very uncomfortable that this passage is directed towards slaves. We find the idea of slavery abhorrent. We believe no one should have to suffer unjust abuse. Coaches are no longer allowed to be verbally or physically abusive. Women in abusive marriages are encouraged to break free and we expect prosecution for those who abuse their station. Right? But this lectionary selection ignores what precedes it. “Slaves, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only those who are good and gentle but also those who are dishonest.” (1 Peter 2:18)
So rather than try to justify the existence of slavery (slavery in the ancient world was based on economics, not race, for instance), or, worse yet, perpetrate the lie that slavery is okay, I want to begin with a fact. The apostles could not change the world as it was two thousand years ago. A revolution might topple an emperor, but whoever took the place of a reigning ruler was not going to usher in an age of equality. Slavery was an ugly fact of life. We, however, live in a situation where we can change the economics of our system. We can support equal rights for all people, and open paths to economic improvement. We can stand up against injustice. Because there is injustice in this world.
The word translated as slaves in 2:18 is oiketai, which is built on the root word oikos, or house. These slaves were part of a household, as were the close and distant relatives, crafters, overseers, and others in an economic unit that produced a product by the hands of all who lived under the same roof. In some cases, it was a mighty big roof with over a hundred people. We share that same sort of household relationship with people in our churches, our towns, and our country. We are connected. There are times, as Peter tells us in this text, that we bear the marks of Christ more clearly than at other times! Our wounds are as visible as those of Jesus, and we may not deserve them any more than did Jesus. If we are bearing the sins of others, undeservedly, we might also, as the apostles urged household members, create new relationships based not on power but on our service in Christ.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Peter 2:19-25
Victory requires sacrifice. It is a principle that we know well. In Stephen Ambrose’s book Band of Brothers, there is an anecdote that highlights this principle. During World War II, a young soldier named David Webster of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne wrote his mother: "Please stop worrying about me. I joined the parachutists to fight. I intend to fight. If necessary, I shall die fighting, but don’t worry about this because no war can be won without young men dying. Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice."
The last line of the young man’s note resonates as I read this text. “Those things that are precious are only saved by sacrifice.” Jesus knew that, too. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (vs. 24). The sacrifice of Jesus redeemed and restored lost humanity. May we follow his example and give our lives in sacrifice.
Bill T.
* * *
John 10:1-10
Jesus calls us by name. Jesus opens the gate for us. The question is do we pay attention? Do we listen for the voice of Jesus calling us? Do we follow? Do we walk through the gates of possibility Jesus provides for us? Do we move into faithfulness, following, living into the potential God has laid before us? The Good Shepherd calls us by name, moves into our lives to lead us, to protect us, to urge us into our potential. What might we do to listen more effectively to Jesus? Perhaps our prayers need to be more about listening and less about speaking our desires into the universe. Perhaps we need to calm ourselves enough to hear, to really hear the voice of God calling to us. That is my prayer for myself and it is my prayer for you.
Bonnie B.
* * *
John 10:1-10
In examining some children’s literature, I came across a little book called Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan. The book is an interesting picture book that depicts two brothers discussing life. There is practical and odd advice scattered throughout this book. Things like “never leave a red sock on the clothesline” to “never ruin a perfect plan.” The ending of the book resonated most, though. The advice was simple and direct. “Always know the way home.”
That advice is good for kids and for all of us, really. It is the message Jesus has for his followers in John 10. He is the Good Shepherd. His sheep know his voice and know him. They will follow him, because they know him. He also says he is the gate. His sheep can only enter the pen through him. There is only one way home for Jesus’ flock. That’s through him. That’s the only way home. Always know the way home.
Bill T.
* * *
John 10:1-10
Concerning this account of Jesus the shepherd, John Calvin once wrote:
This passage ought to strike us with deepest shame; first, because we are so ill accustomed to the voice of the shepherd, there are hardly any who do not listen to it with indifference; and next, because we are so slow and indolent to follow Him. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.XVIII/2, p.400)
But John Wesley focused more on the good news of the text and its comfort, as he claimed, “And He [Christ] counts them his own, dearer than any friends or brother...” (Commentary On The Bible, p.463) And in the same spirit, Luther added that, “It follows from this that we are not now, nor ever will be, forsaken, no matter how many temptations and sorrows we have here in earth.” (Complete Sermons, Vol.6, p.74)
Mark E.
This vision of the followers of Jesus speaks to my heart deeply. How would the world be changed if we held similar beliefs in God and Jesus? What might the world be like if we shared from our abundance with those who had none? I read an editorial that spoke about the fact that the wealthy didn’t need to pay more taxes – they already paid enough – according to the author. Do we believe that is true? Do we believe that wealth is evenly distributed? Do we believe that we have the capacity to do better, to share more, to lift those with the least into a living situation that nurtures and feeds them – physically, mentally and spiritually? I wonder. I know the first century church is not likely to return. I wish, however, that the generosity of those days could.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Acts 2:42-47
The ten richest American families doubled their income since inflation began. And of course, the poor and the working class are always hurt worse than the rich by the inflation we’ve experienced. This text challenges our economic status quo in a way not unlike Martin Luther King urged us to consider:
We have moved into an era where we are called upon to raise certain basic questions about the whole society. We are still called upon to give aid to the beggar who finds himself in misery and agony on life’s highway. But one day we must ask the question of whether an edifice which produces beggars must not be restructured and refurbished.
In the spirit of our lesson, Martin Luther suggests a model for Christian living which might begin to address King’s concern. He wrote:
Therefore, we must use everything on earth in no other way than as a guest who travels across country, comes to an inn where he must spend the night... He does not say that the innkeeper’s property belongs to him. Thus, we must deal with temporal goods as if they did not belong to us. (Luther’s Works, Vol. 30, p.44)
In the same spirit, 17th-century French intellectual Jeanne Guyon wrote:
The soul now sees that whatever it owned formerly had been in its own possession; now it longer possesses but is possessed... and [when] he [God] is the principle of life, the soul can want nothing. (Amy Oden, ed., In Her Words, p.247)
Mark E.
* * *
Acts 2:42-47
There’s a lot of talk about what constitutes the fruits of the Spirit, based on lists in the New Testament. One that’s never mentioned in all those songs we teach kids to sing at Vacation Bible School is “having all things in common.” This radical redefinition of ownership is one of the direct results of the Pentecost experience. The new faith-family prays, breaks bread together, and cares for each other economically as well as spiritually. I don’t imagine that most of us are going to empty our bank accounts into a common debit card, but it might help if Christians weren’t so quick to condemn economic breaks given to others. It’s easy to say others don’t deserve it, quoting anecdotes or reporting the time we saw someone buy a bag of potato chips instead of a sack of potatoes with their food stamps, but we ought to be inspired, or perhaps shamed, enough to at least try to do our best to make an economic difference of any size among believers. Trust me — I’m not handing out my ATM password any time soon, but it’s possible we’re not challenging ourselves enough to consider the Body of Christ an economic as well as a spiritual powerhouse.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Peter 2:19-25
I find it very uncomfortable that this passage is directed towards slaves. We find the idea of slavery abhorrent. We believe no one should have to suffer unjust abuse. Coaches are no longer allowed to be verbally or physically abusive. Women in abusive marriages are encouraged to break free and we expect prosecution for those who abuse their station. Right? But this lectionary selection ignores what precedes it. “Slaves, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only those who are good and gentle but also those who are dishonest.” (1 Peter 2:18)
So rather than try to justify the existence of slavery (slavery in the ancient world was based on economics, not race, for instance), or, worse yet, perpetrate the lie that slavery is okay, I want to begin with a fact. The apostles could not change the world as it was two thousand years ago. A revolution might topple an emperor, but whoever took the place of a reigning ruler was not going to usher in an age of equality. Slavery was an ugly fact of life. We, however, live in a situation where we can change the economics of our system. We can support equal rights for all people, and open paths to economic improvement. We can stand up against injustice. Because there is injustice in this world.
The word translated as slaves in 2:18 is oiketai, which is built on the root word oikos, or house. These slaves were part of a household, as were the close and distant relatives, crafters, overseers, and others in an economic unit that produced a product by the hands of all who lived under the same roof. In some cases, it was a mighty big roof with over a hundred people. We share that same sort of household relationship with people in our churches, our towns, and our country. We are connected. There are times, as Peter tells us in this text, that we bear the marks of Christ more clearly than at other times! Our wounds are as visible as those of Jesus, and we may not deserve them any more than did Jesus. If we are bearing the sins of others, undeservedly, we might also, as the apostles urged household members, create new relationships based not on power but on our service in Christ.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Peter 2:19-25
Victory requires sacrifice. It is a principle that we know well. In Stephen Ambrose’s book Band of Brothers, there is an anecdote that highlights this principle. During World War II, a young soldier named David Webster of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne wrote his mother: "Please stop worrying about me. I joined the parachutists to fight. I intend to fight. If necessary, I shall die fighting, but don’t worry about this because no war can be won without young men dying. Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice."
The last line of the young man’s note resonates as I read this text. “Those things that are precious are only saved by sacrifice.” Jesus knew that, too. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (vs. 24). The sacrifice of Jesus redeemed and restored lost humanity. May we follow his example and give our lives in sacrifice.
Bill T.
* * *
John 10:1-10
Jesus calls us by name. Jesus opens the gate for us. The question is do we pay attention? Do we listen for the voice of Jesus calling us? Do we follow? Do we walk through the gates of possibility Jesus provides for us? Do we move into faithfulness, following, living into the potential God has laid before us? The Good Shepherd calls us by name, moves into our lives to lead us, to protect us, to urge us into our potential. What might we do to listen more effectively to Jesus? Perhaps our prayers need to be more about listening and less about speaking our desires into the universe. Perhaps we need to calm ourselves enough to hear, to really hear the voice of God calling to us. That is my prayer for myself and it is my prayer for you.
Bonnie B.
* * *
John 10:1-10
In examining some children’s literature, I came across a little book called Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan. The book is an interesting picture book that depicts two brothers discussing life. There is practical and odd advice scattered throughout this book. Things like “never leave a red sock on the clothesline” to “never ruin a perfect plan.” The ending of the book resonated most, though. The advice was simple and direct. “Always know the way home.”
That advice is good for kids and for all of us, really. It is the message Jesus has for his followers in John 10. He is the Good Shepherd. His sheep know his voice and know him. They will follow him, because they know him. He also says he is the gate. His sheep can only enter the pen through him. There is only one way home for Jesus’ flock. That’s through him. That’s the only way home. Always know the way home.
Bill T.
* * *
John 10:1-10
Concerning this account of Jesus the shepherd, John Calvin once wrote:
This passage ought to strike us with deepest shame; first, because we are so ill accustomed to the voice of the shepherd, there are hardly any who do not listen to it with indifference; and next, because we are so slow and indolent to follow Him. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.XVIII/2, p.400)
But John Wesley focused more on the good news of the text and its comfort, as he claimed, “And He [Christ] counts them his own, dearer than any friends or brother...” (Commentary On The Bible, p.463) And in the same spirit, Luther added that, “It follows from this that we are not now, nor ever will be, forsaken, no matter how many temptations and sorrows we have here in earth.” (Complete Sermons, Vol.6, p.74)
Mark E.
