Sermon Illustrations For Epiphany 5 (2017)
Illustration
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
I’m a fan of the Beverly Hillbillies television show -- I enjoy watching the reruns whenever they happen to be on. The comedy of the show often centered on how the Clampett family brought good-old, down-home common sense to the complex issues of Beverly Hills, California. One episode had Mr. Drysdale planning a new addition to his bank. There was a big groundbreaking ceremony, and of course the Clampett clan and their money was involved. The problem was, though, that the dignitaries only intended to take a shovel full of dirt and call it a day. The Clampetts, though, were there to “raise a bank.” They were shocked at the lack of commitment of Mr. Drysdale’s other friends. They worked hard to get a “bank” up by nightfall.
The episode is humorous, but I think it has a point. There are times when people go through the motions of doing something that needs to be done. Seeing what needs to be done, feeling badly about it, but doing nothing is exactly that -- doing nothing. In Isaiah 58 the people are unhappy that their fasts seem to make no difference to God. God, through Isaiah’s words, is making it clear that their fast is not being done from the right motives, nor are they doing anything about the horrible conditions around them. A faith in the Lord motivates action. James 2:15-16 notes, “If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?”
If a bank needs to be built, then build a bank.
Bill T.
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
E.J. Flammer was a college student in 1993 when, along with other members of the Buffalo Bills booster club, he had the opportunity to photograph O.J. Simpson. They were gathered to organize a banquet in honor of the former great running back, who starred for the Bills during his playing career. For years the 30 color negatives taken by a college student went unnoticed. Then in 1994 Simpson went on trial for killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Blood stains at the scene of the crime came from a man wearing very expensive and rare size-12 Bruno Magli shoes. Simpson claimed he never wore “ugly” Burno Magli shoes, and none could be found at his residence. This lack of evidence was one of several factors that led to Simpson being acquitted of murder. During the subsequent civil trial, Flammer’s photos of Simpson wearing Bruno Magli shoes at the booster club meeting were discovered. The photographs of these shoes helped the jury find Simpson liable in a wrongful death lawsuit, with an award of $33.5 million in damages to the victims’ families.
Application: Isaiah informs us that justice will prevail.
Ron L.
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
Poverty and the prison population continue to grow in America. More than two million Americans are incarcerated, and 45.3 million are in poverty (up by eight million since 2008). This lesson makes it clear that these issues are the Church’s business. One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s comments makes that clear. He once directed us to “make of this world a new one” (A Knock at Midnight, p. 186). It is like Pope Francis has said: “I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”
To work in and for a Church that gets its hands dirty in engaging with and for the poor entails the need for courage and confidence. John Calvin suggests we have that courage because we know that God’s love is a fountain that never dries up, that just keeps flowing (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. VIII/2, p. 239). Martin Luther powerfully explains the joy that flows from this insight, and from the confidence we will need to get our hands dirty on behalf of the poor: “Therefore such a believer is so filled with joy and happiness that he does not allow himself to be terrified by any creature and is the master of all things... he is afraid of nothing that might happen to him” (quoted in Paul Althaus, The Theology of Martin Luther, p. 111).
Mark E.
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
As a pastor I have had the privilege of being with people at the beginning and at the end of their earthly lives. It is humbling to be called on to bless and anoint, both in baptism and in passing from this world. In this passage of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, we read about the Spirit of God, the Spirit that dwells within us. Anyone who has been with a person at the moment of their passing really knows this spirit exists. As you touch or hold the hand of the dying person, even before their breathing ceases, there is a sense of loss, of something absent in the face, in the eyes, and in the room. It is as if God has called the spirit back into unity with God’s self and the person has traveled an immeasurable distance into that unity. That spirit that is hidden and yet felt has left the earth and we feel it -- we know it in our own spirits and our souls. That is the movement back into unity with God, back from the place we were known before we were born, a marvelous completion of the cycle and circle of life.
Bonnie B.
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
Some call this the “Information Age.” Most would agree that on occasion there’s too much information. In order to avoid being absolutely overwhelmed by data, we often use filters.
For instance, our portal to the internet might be a particular news site, or a sports page, or it might be the webpage for our church. Our favorites may direct us immediately to pastimes or occupations that inspire or intrigue us. Social media might be the filter through which we view the world.
Throughout this second chapter of First Corinthians, Paul is talking about different filters through which we view the world and speak to each other. The major filter is Christ Crucified. The way we interact with each other, regardless of where we are at in our faith journey, and the way we perceive reality, is through the lens of Christ. At one point (1 Corinthians 2:9) Paul quotes Isaiah 64:4 -- “From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.” Both Isaiah and Paul view and understand the world through a God who is active in the world, and who sent his Son to die for us. Our best filter for life might be through the mind of Christ and the sacrifice of Jesus.
Frank R.
Matthew 5:13-20
What does it mean to be great? I suppose there are a lot of ways people might answer that question. Ben Zobrist was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2016 World Series, at least in part, because of the double he hit in the top of the tenth inning of game seven. He drove in the lead run for the Cubs, who hadn’t won a World Series for 108 years. That’s a great baseball accomplishment. Leonardo DiCaprio won an Academy Award for Best Actor this past year for his performance in The Revenant. That too would be a great achievement. Greatness is usually found in doing something that people deem extraordinary. However, in this Matthew passage we find a slightly different understanding of “great.”
Matthew 5:19 says: “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Whoever does what God commands and instructs, and teaches others to do the same, will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Greatness is not so much about doing something extraordinary as much as it is doing something that is rare in our society:
* The woman who reads her Bible to her grandchild and tries to live out what she reads;
* The Sunday school teacher who arduously prepares for a small class because he loves the Lord and loves the students;
* The student who knows what the Bible says and doesn’t compromise it to fit in with the crowd;
* The parent who insists that her family be built on something and someone other than what everyone else is doing.
None of these people will make headlines. None of them will be hailed as great by the world. There will be no new cars for them, nor will they get an award statue. God, though, says they are great in his eyes. How do you measure greatness?
Bill T.
Matthew 5:13-20
Memorabilia is important, for it helps us to remember our past and to give us hope for the future. One important example is the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, which are now at the Smithsonian Institute. These are not just any ordinary slippers, because with three clicks of these slippers Dorothy was whisked back to Kansas. The slippers allowed her to go home again. Since the slippers were meant only to be movie props they were made from inexpensive material. Over the years the ruby color has become a dull auburn, but their meaning has not changed.
Application: If we are to be the salt of the earth, we cannot allow ourselves to become a dull auburn.
Ron L.
Matthew 5:13-20
Salt is not just used in food preservation and for its flavor -- it also regulates water content in the body. Salt intake that is too high can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death. Jesus wants us to flavor the world, to be people who help preserve it. Human beings need just enough molecules of salt to stay healthy. But too much salt -- too much spirituality and not enough fun -- is not healthy for you, it seems. And so we need to mix our role as Christians in salting with earth with British author G. K. Chesterton’s observation that “the true object of all human life is play.” Contemporary psychologist Stuart Brown offers some interesting insights about play: “Play energizes and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.” When we look at Christian life, at our role of servers of Christ’s salt to others, in this way we will likely be more effective, energetic, more optimistic and creative.
Mark E.
1 Matthew, being for the Jewish Christians, is used to the Old Testament idea of going to the high places to meet with God -- so in his version Jesus sits at the top of a hill. Luke, being for the Gentile Christians, has Jesus at the bottom of the hill, which is the form that Greek and Roman amphitheaters use -- with the speaker on the stage, and the audience sitting on benches which rise up the hill.
I’m a fan of the Beverly Hillbillies television show -- I enjoy watching the reruns whenever they happen to be on. The comedy of the show often centered on how the Clampett family brought good-old, down-home common sense to the complex issues of Beverly Hills, California. One episode had Mr. Drysdale planning a new addition to his bank. There was a big groundbreaking ceremony, and of course the Clampett clan and their money was involved. The problem was, though, that the dignitaries only intended to take a shovel full of dirt and call it a day. The Clampetts, though, were there to “raise a bank.” They were shocked at the lack of commitment of Mr. Drysdale’s other friends. They worked hard to get a “bank” up by nightfall.
The episode is humorous, but I think it has a point. There are times when people go through the motions of doing something that needs to be done. Seeing what needs to be done, feeling badly about it, but doing nothing is exactly that -- doing nothing. In Isaiah 58 the people are unhappy that their fasts seem to make no difference to God. God, through Isaiah’s words, is making it clear that their fast is not being done from the right motives, nor are they doing anything about the horrible conditions around them. A faith in the Lord motivates action. James 2:15-16 notes, “If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?”
If a bank needs to be built, then build a bank.
Bill T.
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
E.J. Flammer was a college student in 1993 when, along with other members of the Buffalo Bills booster club, he had the opportunity to photograph O.J. Simpson. They were gathered to organize a banquet in honor of the former great running back, who starred for the Bills during his playing career. For years the 30 color negatives taken by a college student went unnoticed. Then in 1994 Simpson went on trial for killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Blood stains at the scene of the crime came from a man wearing very expensive and rare size-12 Bruno Magli shoes. Simpson claimed he never wore “ugly” Burno Magli shoes, and none could be found at his residence. This lack of evidence was one of several factors that led to Simpson being acquitted of murder. During the subsequent civil trial, Flammer’s photos of Simpson wearing Bruno Magli shoes at the booster club meeting were discovered. The photographs of these shoes helped the jury find Simpson liable in a wrongful death lawsuit, with an award of $33.5 million in damages to the victims’ families.
Application: Isaiah informs us that justice will prevail.
Ron L.
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
Poverty and the prison population continue to grow in America. More than two million Americans are incarcerated, and 45.3 million are in poverty (up by eight million since 2008). This lesson makes it clear that these issues are the Church’s business. One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s comments makes that clear. He once directed us to “make of this world a new one” (A Knock at Midnight, p. 186). It is like Pope Francis has said: “I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”
To work in and for a Church that gets its hands dirty in engaging with and for the poor entails the need for courage and confidence. John Calvin suggests we have that courage because we know that God’s love is a fountain that never dries up, that just keeps flowing (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. VIII/2, p. 239). Martin Luther powerfully explains the joy that flows from this insight, and from the confidence we will need to get our hands dirty on behalf of the poor: “Therefore such a believer is so filled with joy and happiness that he does not allow himself to be terrified by any creature and is the master of all things... he is afraid of nothing that might happen to him” (quoted in Paul Althaus, The Theology of Martin Luther, p. 111).
Mark E.
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
As a pastor I have had the privilege of being with people at the beginning and at the end of their earthly lives. It is humbling to be called on to bless and anoint, both in baptism and in passing from this world. In this passage of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, we read about the Spirit of God, the Spirit that dwells within us. Anyone who has been with a person at the moment of their passing really knows this spirit exists. As you touch or hold the hand of the dying person, even before their breathing ceases, there is a sense of loss, of something absent in the face, in the eyes, and in the room. It is as if God has called the spirit back into unity with God’s self and the person has traveled an immeasurable distance into that unity. That spirit that is hidden and yet felt has left the earth and we feel it -- we know it in our own spirits and our souls. That is the movement back into unity with God, back from the place we were known before we were born, a marvelous completion of the cycle and circle of life.
Bonnie B.
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
Some call this the “Information Age.” Most would agree that on occasion there’s too much information. In order to avoid being absolutely overwhelmed by data, we often use filters.
For instance, our portal to the internet might be a particular news site, or a sports page, or it might be the webpage for our church. Our favorites may direct us immediately to pastimes or occupations that inspire or intrigue us. Social media might be the filter through which we view the world.
Throughout this second chapter of First Corinthians, Paul is talking about different filters through which we view the world and speak to each other. The major filter is Christ Crucified. The way we interact with each other, regardless of where we are at in our faith journey, and the way we perceive reality, is through the lens of Christ. At one point (1 Corinthians 2:9) Paul quotes Isaiah 64:4 -- “From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.” Both Isaiah and Paul view and understand the world through a God who is active in the world, and who sent his Son to die for us. Our best filter for life might be through the mind of Christ and the sacrifice of Jesus.
Frank R.
Matthew 5:13-20
What does it mean to be great? I suppose there are a lot of ways people might answer that question. Ben Zobrist was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2016 World Series, at least in part, because of the double he hit in the top of the tenth inning of game seven. He drove in the lead run for the Cubs, who hadn’t won a World Series for 108 years. That’s a great baseball accomplishment. Leonardo DiCaprio won an Academy Award for Best Actor this past year for his performance in The Revenant. That too would be a great achievement. Greatness is usually found in doing something that people deem extraordinary. However, in this Matthew passage we find a slightly different understanding of “great.”
Matthew 5:19 says: “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Whoever does what God commands and instructs, and teaches others to do the same, will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Greatness is not so much about doing something extraordinary as much as it is doing something that is rare in our society:
* The woman who reads her Bible to her grandchild and tries to live out what she reads;
* The Sunday school teacher who arduously prepares for a small class because he loves the Lord and loves the students;
* The student who knows what the Bible says and doesn’t compromise it to fit in with the crowd;
* The parent who insists that her family be built on something and someone other than what everyone else is doing.
None of these people will make headlines. None of them will be hailed as great by the world. There will be no new cars for them, nor will they get an award statue. God, though, says they are great in his eyes. How do you measure greatness?
Bill T.
Matthew 5:13-20
Memorabilia is important, for it helps us to remember our past and to give us hope for the future. One important example is the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, which are now at the Smithsonian Institute. These are not just any ordinary slippers, because with three clicks of these slippers Dorothy was whisked back to Kansas. The slippers allowed her to go home again. Since the slippers were meant only to be movie props they were made from inexpensive material. Over the years the ruby color has become a dull auburn, but their meaning has not changed.
Application: If we are to be the salt of the earth, we cannot allow ourselves to become a dull auburn.
Ron L.
Matthew 5:13-20
Salt is not just used in food preservation and for its flavor -- it also regulates water content in the body. Salt intake that is too high can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death. Jesus wants us to flavor the world, to be people who help preserve it. Human beings need just enough molecules of salt to stay healthy. But too much salt -- too much spirituality and not enough fun -- is not healthy for you, it seems. And so we need to mix our role as Christians in salting with earth with British author G. K. Chesterton’s observation that “the true object of all human life is play.” Contemporary psychologist Stuart Brown offers some interesting insights about play: “Play energizes and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.” When we look at Christian life, at our role of servers of Christ’s salt to others, in this way we will likely be more effective, energetic, more optimistic and creative.
Mark E.
1 Matthew, being for the Jewish Christians, is used to the Old Testament idea of going to the high places to meet with God -- so in his version Jesus sits at the top of a hill. Luke, being for the Gentile Christians, has Jesus at the bottom of the hill, which is the form that Greek and Roman amphitheaters use -- with the speaker on the stage, and the audience sitting on benches which rise up the hill.
