Sermon Illustrations for Proper 18 | OT 23 (2012)
Illustration
Object:
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
During the Communist witch hunt, led by Senator Joe McCarthy, many individuals in the film industry were falsely classified as Communists. In so doing, they could no longer work. In order to continue in their profession, they hid from detection by using pseudonyms.
When Kirk Douglas was acting in the film production of Spartacus, the story of an escaped Roman slave who rose up an army to secure independence and freedom, the screenwriter was Dalton Trumbo. But Trumbo was on the blacklist for being a Communist, so he was working under a pseudonym.
Douglas realized he was participating in a terrible falsehood. While portraying a character who charged forth for freedom, he allowed the screenwriter to be enslaved by a false identity. So at the risk of having the movie production halted, Douglas made public that the screenwriter was Dalton Trumbo.
Application: Proverbs discusses the importance of having a good name and worthy reputation. Sometimes, in order to protect that reputation, we must take risks.
Ron L.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Someone asked me one day, "How much do you earn a year?" I answered him, "I earn about $750,000." He was shocked! "I didn't think they paid pastors that much!" To which I replied, "They only pay me about $40,000, but you asked how much did I earn." There can be a great difference between what a person earns and what he takes home. A pastor has the weight of maybe hundreds of souls on his mind and his heart. He councels them for marriage, he helps them grieve over a death, he supports them when there is illness, when they lose a job, when there are other tragedies in the family. He is with them in times of joy and sadness.
He is available night and day 24/7. He creates messages for the pulpit that hopefully will inspire his people. How much do you earn?
Bob O.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Generosity is a cardinal ethical virtue uplifted in many houses of faith. Paul describes it for the Christian as one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). In Mahayana Buddhism, it is the first of the Six Perfections for a Bodhisattva (an enlightened spiritual leader who has taken a vow to help others on their spiritual path). The Hindus tell a tale titled Kings for Breakfast; it is about two kings, both highly esteemed by the people, who tried to outdo one another in their generosity for the common folks. In Islam, the miser and the spendthrift are condemned for not using their wealth "in the way of Allah" (Surah 9.34) and for the good of the people. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, acclaimed interpreter of the Qur'an, comments, "Do not hoard or bury or amass wealth for its own sake but use it freely for good, whether for yourself or for your neighbors."
Mark M.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
If I say "dandelion," what do you think of? (an ugly weed)
If I say "rose," what do you think of? (a beautiful, aromatic flower)
Now if I say "Adolf Hitler," that name conjures up pictures of a murderous German dictator, a demonic being.
But when I say the name "Mother Teresa," we might picture a wrinkled, old woman reaching out to the poorest of the poor in India, a humble servant of God, an angel in a nun's habit.
What would you rather be -- a dandelion or a rose? An Adolf Hitler or a Mother Teresa? The psalmist wrote "A good name is more desirable than great riches" (Proverbs 22:1a NIV). In Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare wrote, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The message: names of things don't matter, only what things are.
Cynthia C.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
Statistics released by the Corporation for Economic Development reveal the number of poor families has increased by 21% since 2009, so that now 1 in 4 American families is poor! The church needs to be more concerned about this reality. Though not a Christian, Mahatma Gandhi was on target when he wrote: "There are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread."
Our neglect of the poor relates to our mad chase of more wealth for ourselves. Having money feels good and makes us feel important. That's why we devalue the poor. But a theologian of the church's first centuries named Lactantius gets our priorities straight: "Riches do not render men illustrious, except that they are able to make them more conspicuous by good works. For men are rich, not because they possess riches, but because they employ them on works of justice..." (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, p. 151).
Money makes you somebody, when you use it to help others!
Mark E.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 Leonard Sweet brings the Letter of James up-to-date in his criticism of those who favor the rich over the poor. Sweet writes: "Jesus really did have strange tastes. He especially liked being around the poor, the marginalized, the forgotten. Who should be invited to the table? The disabled, the outcast, the overlooked -- precisely those people excluded from the table by certain religious communities. For Jesus it was not 'Poor people and other outcasts, find yourself a church'; it was 'church people, find yourself the poor and the outcasts.'
"The New Testament teaches that the church is the body of Christ. Jesus teaches that the victims of hatred and oppression are Jesus. 'Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' So if the church refuses to identify with the poor and the forgotten, it is turning its back on Jesus. It cannot become one body with Christ." (Out of the Question into the Mystery, p. 137)
Richard H.
Mark 7:24-37
In 1993, mountaineer Greg Mortenson failed to climb K2, second-highest mountain on earth, located on the Pakistan-China border in the Himalayas, referred to as the rooftop of the world. In his best-selling book Three Cups of Tea, he writes how on his descent, having become separated from his climbing party, he stumbled into a remote village that extended great hospitality to him. They were open to his presence and he was open to their kindness, which nursed him back to health. The problem is that this story is not true. He fabricated it, as well as many other portions of his book, like the story when he said he was captured by the Taliban. There is a lawsuit against him now for fraud as well as for mismanagement of the millions of dollars he has received for his charity organization, Central Asia Institute. CBS "60 Minutes" did an expose on him, revealing many sad, shady truths about his apparent untruths. Although many have been captivated by the story he tells, one wonders now how there probably was no genuine prayer guiding him into what could have been a great humanitarian venture. Some of the schools claimed to have been built were never built and others lie abandoned. Was his heart not filled with the prayers that would have received the power of God to shape his humanity for unquestioned good? James writes, "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."
Mark M.
Mark 7:24-37
Tucker, the family pet, had a bad eating habit. At supper he would sneak under the table waiting for a tasty crumb to fall. When a little hand appeared with an offering of buttered garlic bread or a string of spaghetti, Tucker quickly grabbed it and disappeared under the couch to enjoy it.
"Garrett, don't feed Tucker scraps from the table," his mother chastised.
"But he's so hungry, Mommy," replied the child, defending his action as a few more food crumbs hit the floor.
"We have to stop letting Tucker interrupt our meals. What if we had guests?" Mom asked.
"They can feed him too!" Garrett giggled.
Garrett's motivation to give was produced by a love for his pet. God's motivation to give is produced by a love for all people.
Cynthia C.
Mark 7:24-37
Some expect God to perform a healing when they pray for a person. We want him to wave his hand over the sick, but in our gospel Jesus goes through a little ritual with his fingers and his spit. Why do we tell God how to do his thing? I had a healing service using the Occasional Service Book from Synod, and a member came forward who was to have heart surgery the next week. We prayed for him, but he was not healed instantly. When he was in the operating room, there was another doctor visiting that day who told about a procedure called angioplasty that he had just perfected back east. It was far less invasive and our member was home in a day. That doctor's unexpected visit, we felt was a miracle. We can't tell God how he is to perform his healings! So don't try!
Bob O.
Mark 7:24-37
Barbara Van Dahan is addressing a problem that has been basically ignored by society, and that is the need for soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder to receive proper medical care. She has founded an organization called Give an Hour. Through this program she has mobilized thousands of mental health professionals to volunteer countless hours of counseling for those in need of treatment. Through this program she is also removing the stigma of seeking help.
Application: Mark reports the stories of the miraculous healings performed by Jesus. We can be a part of that healing ministry by participating in healing programs offered by the church and community.
Ron L.
During the Communist witch hunt, led by Senator Joe McCarthy, many individuals in the film industry were falsely classified as Communists. In so doing, they could no longer work. In order to continue in their profession, they hid from detection by using pseudonyms.
When Kirk Douglas was acting in the film production of Spartacus, the story of an escaped Roman slave who rose up an army to secure independence and freedom, the screenwriter was Dalton Trumbo. But Trumbo was on the blacklist for being a Communist, so he was working under a pseudonym.
Douglas realized he was participating in a terrible falsehood. While portraying a character who charged forth for freedom, he allowed the screenwriter to be enslaved by a false identity. So at the risk of having the movie production halted, Douglas made public that the screenwriter was Dalton Trumbo.
Application: Proverbs discusses the importance of having a good name and worthy reputation. Sometimes, in order to protect that reputation, we must take risks.
Ron L.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Someone asked me one day, "How much do you earn a year?" I answered him, "I earn about $750,000." He was shocked! "I didn't think they paid pastors that much!" To which I replied, "They only pay me about $40,000, but you asked how much did I earn." There can be a great difference between what a person earns and what he takes home. A pastor has the weight of maybe hundreds of souls on his mind and his heart. He councels them for marriage, he helps them grieve over a death, he supports them when there is illness, when they lose a job, when there are other tragedies in the family. He is with them in times of joy and sadness.
He is available night and day 24/7. He creates messages for the pulpit that hopefully will inspire his people. How much do you earn?
Bob O.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Generosity is a cardinal ethical virtue uplifted in many houses of faith. Paul describes it for the Christian as one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). In Mahayana Buddhism, it is the first of the Six Perfections for a Bodhisattva (an enlightened spiritual leader who has taken a vow to help others on their spiritual path). The Hindus tell a tale titled Kings for Breakfast; it is about two kings, both highly esteemed by the people, who tried to outdo one another in their generosity for the common folks. In Islam, the miser and the spendthrift are condemned for not using their wealth "in the way of Allah" (Surah 9.34) and for the good of the people. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, acclaimed interpreter of the Qur'an, comments, "Do not hoard or bury or amass wealth for its own sake but use it freely for good, whether for yourself or for your neighbors."
Mark M.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
If I say "dandelion," what do you think of? (an ugly weed)
If I say "rose," what do you think of? (a beautiful, aromatic flower)
Now if I say "Adolf Hitler," that name conjures up pictures of a murderous German dictator, a demonic being.
But when I say the name "Mother Teresa," we might picture a wrinkled, old woman reaching out to the poorest of the poor in India, a humble servant of God, an angel in a nun's habit.
What would you rather be -- a dandelion or a rose? An Adolf Hitler or a Mother Teresa? The psalmist wrote "A good name is more desirable than great riches" (Proverbs 22:1a NIV). In Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare wrote, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The message: names of things don't matter, only what things are.
Cynthia C.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
Statistics released by the Corporation for Economic Development reveal the number of poor families has increased by 21% since 2009, so that now 1 in 4 American families is poor! The church needs to be more concerned about this reality. Though not a Christian, Mahatma Gandhi was on target when he wrote: "There are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread."
Our neglect of the poor relates to our mad chase of more wealth for ourselves. Having money feels good and makes us feel important. That's why we devalue the poor. But a theologian of the church's first centuries named Lactantius gets our priorities straight: "Riches do not render men illustrious, except that they are able to make them more conspicuous by good works. For men are rich, not because they possess riches, but because they employ them on works of justice..." (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, p. 151).
Money makes you somebody, when you use it to help others!
Mark E.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17 Leonard Sweet brings the Letter of James up-to-date in his criticism of those who favor the rich over the poor. Sweet writes: "Jesus really did have strange tastes. He especially liked being around the poor, the marginalized, the forgotten. Who should be invited to the table? The disabled, the outcast, the overlooked -- precisely those people excluded from the table by certain religious communities. For Jesus it was not 'Poor people and other outcasts, find yourself a church'; it was 'church people, find yourself the poor and the outcasts.'
"The New Testament teaches that the church is the body of Christ. Jesus teaches that the victims of hatred and oppression are Jesus. 'Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' So if the church refuses to identify with the poor and the forgotten, it is turning its back on Jesus. It cannot become one body with Christ." (Out of the Question into the Mystery, p. 137)
Richard H.
Mark 7:24-37
In 1993, mountaineer Greg Mortenson failed to climb K2, second-highest mountain on earth, located on the Pakistan-China border in the Himalayas, referred to as the rooftop of the world. In his best-selling book Three Cups of Tea, he writes how on his descent, having become separated from his climbing party, he stumbled into a remote village that extended great hospitality to him. They were open to his presence and he was open to their kindness, which nursed him back to health. The problem is that this story is not true. He fabricated it, as well as many other portions of his book, like the story when he said he was captured by the Taliban. There is a lawsuit against him now for fraud as well as for mismanagement of the millions of dollars he has received for his charity organization, Central Asia Institute. CBS "60 Minutes" did an expose on him, revealing many sad, shady truths about his apparent untruths. Although many have been captivated by the story he tells, one wonders now how there probably was no genuine prayer guiding him into what could have been a great humanitarian venture. Some of the schools claimed to have been built were never built and others lie abandoned. Was his heart not filled with the prayers that would have received the power of God to shape his humanity for unquestioned good? James writes, "The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."
Mark M.
Mark 7:24-37
Tucker, the family pet, had a bad eating habit. At supper he would sneak under the table waiting for a tasty crumb to fall. When a little hand appeared with an offering of buttered garlic bread or a string of spaghetti, Tucker quickly grabbed it and disappeared under the couch to enjoy it.
"Garrett, don't feed Tucker scraps from the table," his mother chastised.
"But he's so hungry, Mommy," replied the child, defending his action as a few more food crumbs hit the floor.
"We have to stop letting Tucker interrupt our meals. What if we had guests?" Mom asked.
"They can feed him too!" Garrett giggled.
Garrett's motivation to give was produced by a love for his pet. God's motivation to give is produced by a love for all people.
Cynthia C.
Mark 7:24-37
Some expect God to perform a healing when they pray for a person. We want him to wave his hand over the sick, but in our gospel Jesus goes through a little ritual with his fingers and his spit. Why do we tell God how to do his thing? I had a healing service using the Occasional Service Book from Synod, and a member came forward who was to have heart surgery the next week. We prayed for him, but he was not healed instantly. When he was in the operating room, there was another doctor visiting that day who told about a procedure called angioplasty that he had just perfected back east. It was far less invasive and our member was home in a day. That doctor's unexpected visit, we felt was a miracle. We can't tell God how he is to perform his healings! So don't try!
Bob O.
Mark 7:24-37
Barbara Van Dahan is addressing a problem that has been basically ignored by society, and that is the need for soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder to receive proper medical care. She has founded an organization called Give an Hour. Through this program she has mobilized thousands of mental health professionals to volunteer countless hours of counseling for those in need of treatment. Through this program she is also removing the stigma of seeking help.
Application: Mark reports the stories of the miraculous healings performed by Jesus. We can be a part of that healing ministry by participating in healing programs offered by the church and community.
Ron L.
