Sermon Illustrations for Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 (2022)
Illustration
Jeremiah 2:4-13, Psalm 81:1, 10-16
This story is attributed to Elisabeth Elliot, wife of slain missionary Jim Elliot. Speaking to a group one evening, she told them of her brother Thomas Howard. Their mother would let him play with paper bags she’d saved if he put them away afterwards. One day she walked into the kitchen to find them scattered all over the floor. Tom was out at the piano with his father, singing hymns. When confronted, he protested, “But Mom, I want to sing.” His father stated, “It’s no good singing God’s praise if you’re disobedient.”
Disobedience leads to consequences. Elisabeth’s brother Thomas found that out, and so did the people to whom Jeremiah prophesied. God’s people struggled with obeying and being faithful to the Lord. John H. Sammis wrote in 1887, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Israel struggled to learn that truth. Will we?
Bill T.
* * *
Jeremiah 2:4-13, Psalm 81:1,10-16
History lesson: God brought us out of Egypt. You’ve heard this story over and over, both Jeremiah and the psalmist remind the people. No one else tells a story like this. Why would you abandon your God now? But Jeremiah laments, you not only abandon “the fountain of living water,” you choose to replace God’s goodness with “cracked cisterns that hold no water.” What futility, and a bad strategy in a desert environment.
And we, who have inherited the good news, we not only have the exodus to inspire us – we have the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the promise of our own resurrection. Jesus is the living water. These other philosophies are cracked cisterns that don’t hold water. Jesus, the boy refugee, was led out of Egypt by divine will, to lead us to the forever land. Learn your history. Remember your history.
Frank R.
* * *
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
The lesson’s admonitions about love and how this relates to Christ point to the wisdom of John Calvin’s observations on the importance of stressing love. He wrote:
But still this percept is generally very needful, for nothing flows away so easily as love; when everyone thinks of himself more than he ought, he will allow others less than he ought; and then many offenses happen daily which cause separations. (Calvin’s Commentaries, XXlI/1, p. 339)
But this love is linked to Christ and the sacrifices of praise to him Christians offer. The great American Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards offers some comforting insights:
His love he formerly manifested to you, but it does not change; it has ever held up to the same height; his faithfulness never has failed to you; why then does your love so languish toward him, and why are you so unfaithful to him? (Works, Vol. 2, p. 953)
You may greatly comfort yourself that you have an unchangeable friend in Christ Jesus. (Works, Vol. 2, p. 954)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 14:1, 7-14
I came across this anecdote about Winston Churchill that has appeared in many different publications. It speaks, in a powerful and humorous way, about being humble.
Winston Churchill was once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?”
“It is quite flattering,” replied Churchill, “But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.”
Augustine once wrote, “If you plan to build a tall house of virtues, you must first lay deep foundations of humility.” In this passage, Jesus makes it clear how his disciples are to conduct themselves with respect to interactions with other people. His words resonate. “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (vs. 11). As Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12, “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 14:1, 7-14
There are layers and layers in the Book of Proverbs, the wisdom being drawn from several ages and sources. However, the central core, it is agreed, was compiled as a manual designed to be learned by heart, and to instruct young men (they were always men in those days) from the country how to behave in the big city of Jerusalem, in order to take part in the royal court.
Proverbs 25-6-7 reads: “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.”
This sounds similar to the advice Jesus gives in this passage, “…do not sit in the place of honor.” because you may be asked to sit elsewhere and that will be humiliating. It’s far better to sit towards the back and be invited forward into a place of honor.
Well, it wouldn’t be surprising for Jesus to quote scripture. He demonstrated his expertise to an unappreciative audience in Nazareth. But there’s also a tables-turned aspect to his allusion. The original proverb was presented by big city guys to teach small town boys how to behave in public. Jesus is very much in the public eye (“…they were watching him closely.” 14:1) when he, a small-town boy, teaches the big city guys how to behave.
Get it?
I’ve got one other question. Luke tells us, “When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable (14:7).”
Where was Jesus sitting when he observed this behavior? From the back or in the front?
Frank R.
This story is attributed to Elisabeth Elliot, wife of slain missionary Jim Elliot. Speaking to a group one evening, she told them of her brother Thomas Howard. Their mother would let him play with paper bags she’d saved if he put them away afterwards. One day she walked into the kitchen to find them scattered all over the floor. Tom was out at the piano with his father, singing hymns. When confronted, he protested, “But Mom, I want to sing.” His father stated, “It’s no good singing God’s praise if you’re disobedient.”
Disobedience leads to consequences. Elisabeth’s brother Thomas found that out, and so did the people to whom Jeremiah prophesied. God’s people struggled with obeying and being faithful to the Lord. John H. Sammis wrote in 1887, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Israel struggled to learn that truth. Will we?
Bill T.
* * *
Jeremiah 2:4-13, Psalm 81:1,10-16
History lesson: God brought us out of Egypt. You’ve heard this story over and over, both Jeremiah and the psalmist remind the people. No one else tells a story like this. Why would you abandon your God now? But Jeremiah laments, you not only abandon “the fountain of living water,” you choose to replace God’s goodness with “cracked cisterns that hold no water.” What futility, and a bad strategy in a desert environment.
And we, who have inherited the good news, we not only have the exodus to inspire us – we have the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the promise of our own resurrection. Jesus is the living water. These other philosophies are cracked cisterns that don’t hold water. Jesus, the boy refugee, was led out of Egypt by divine will, to lead us to the forever land. Learn your history. Remember your history.
Frank R.
* * *
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
The lesson’s admonitions about love and how this relates to Christ point to the wisdom of John Calvin’s observations on the importance of stressing love. He wrote:
But still this percept is generally very needful, for nothing flows away so easily as love; when everyone thinks of himself more than he ought, he will allow others less than he ought; and then many offenses happen daily which cause separations. (Calvin’s Commentaries, XXlI/1, p. 339)
But this love is linked to Christ and the sacrifices of praise to him Christians offer. The great American Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards offers some comforting insights:
His love he formerly manifested to you, but it does not change; it has ever held up to the same height; his faithfulness never has failed to you; why then does your love so languish toward him, and why are you so unfaithful to him? (Works, Vol. 2, p. 953)
You may greatly comfort yourself that you have an unchangeable friend in Christ Jesus. (Works, Vol. 2, p. 954)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 14:1, 7-14
I came across this anecdote about Winston Churchill that has appeared in many different publications. It speaks, in a powerful and humorous way, about being humble.
Winston Churchill was once asked, “Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?”
“It is quite flattering,” replied Churchill, “But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big.”
Augustine once wrote, “If you plan to build a tall house of virtues, you must first lay deep foundations of humility.” In this passage, Jesus makes it clear how his disciples are to conduct themselves with respect to interactions with other people. His words resonate. “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (vs. 11). As Paul wrote in Colossians 3:12, “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”
Bill T.
* * *
Luke 14:1, 7-14
There are layers and layers in the Book of Proverbs, the wisdom being drawn from several ages and sources. However, the central core, it is agreed, was compiled as a manual designed to be learned by heart, and to instruct young men (they were always men in those days) from the country how to behave in the big city of Jerusalem, in order to take part in the royal court.
Proverbs 25-6-7 reads: “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.”
This sounds similar to the advice Jesus gives in this passage, “…do not sit in the place of honor.” because you may be asked to sit elsewhere and that will be humiliating. It’s far better to sit towards the back and be invited forward into a place of honor.
Well, it wouldn’t be surprising for Jesus to quote scripture. He demonstrated his expertise to an unappreciative audience in Nazareth. But there’s also a tables-turned aspect to his allusion. The original proverb was presented by big city guys to teach small town boys how to behave in public. Jesus is very much in the public eye (“…they were watching him closely.” 14:1) when he, a small-town boy, teaches the big city guys how to behave.
Get it?
I’ve got one other question. Luke tells us, “When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable (14:7).”
Where was Jesus sitting when he observed this behavior? From the back or in the front?
Frank R.
