Sermon Illustrations for Proper 18 | OT 23 (2015)
Illustration
Object:
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Think for a moment about your reputation. What do family and friends think about you? Are you viewed as competent, compassionate, selfish, generous, egotistical, kind, angry, or loving? Do you put a lot of stock in these opinions of you? Do you seek the approval of others or increased status through the opinions of others?
Proverbs often has wisdom for us. In these verses we are reminded that the Lord is maker of us all: rich or poor, highly valued or not valued, good or bad, humble or egotistical. Rather, what the Lord is seeking from us is to act with justice and generosity. How do you measure up to God’s expectations? Maybe we would be better off thinking about how God values us than instead of about what other human beings do. Maybe we should be focusing on offering God’s mercy to others through our acts of generosity and justice. Now there’s a thought for today.
Bonnie B.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
The most recent figures supplied by the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that 45 million Americans (14.5% of the population) are in poverty. Our lesson is concerned with this matter. Yahweh is said to plead the cause of the poor. An African theologian of the early church, Lactantius, has some advice about what we in the middle and upper classes might do about the matter: “Riches also 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; and they who seem to be poor on this account are rich, because they are not in want, and desire nothing” (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, p. 151).
Martin Luther’s comments on wealth are also relevant for this text: “Riches are the most insignificant things on earth, the smallest gift God can give a man. What are they in comparison with the Word of God? In fact, what are they in comparison with gifts of the mind? And yet we act as if this were not so! The matter, form, effect, and goal of riches are worthless. That’s why our Lord God generally gives riches to crude asses to whom he doesn’t give anything else” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 54, p. 452).
Mark E.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
Surely we would not do this in our churches! I read of a church in New York where the ushers pushed out a beggar who came to the door during worship. It brought shame on that church when people read the article. Maybe that fellow who got thrown out didn’t take a bath! Where would we put him if he came to our church? They didn’t want to scare away the big contributors!
We hope we would do better than our government officials who bend to any rich who give to their reelection campaigns yet make it hard for the poor to be able to vote. Is it right to mention politics in a sermon? You decide.
I still try to be selective. My church in Weehawken was right across from a small restaurant. When beggars came to my door (which was often), I gave them one of my cards and put their name on it. Then I could run upstairs and watch them either eat or try to sell my card to another beggar. I didn’t want it to go for alcohol. The owner of the restaurant was told to send the one who went there over to my church, where I gave him a new card -- but I told the manager never to give the other fellow anything if he appeared again.
The elevator operator across the street from my church would send the needy over to me, but he checked them out to see if they were genuine.
BUT if they came to church, as some did, they were welcomed in warmly.
God will look in our hearts and see our motives. Another alternative is to give to one of the charities the church supports and let others do the sorting... as long as our heart is in it.
In this age of people out of work, it may not be hard to find a neighbor who desperately needs help. Be as generous as you can, and you will find a reward one day.
I have lived in wealthy parishes as well as parishes that were near the slums. Just offering to pray for those in need may not be enough. God may want you to do even more than just give a contribution. Let God’s Spirit guide you! Even if it is just a cup of water, it may be like giving it to our Lord!
Bob O.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
In August 2015 Religion News Service published a lengthy article on the accuracy of religious polls indicating how many people are believers, what is their theological leaning, and other associated items. Rather than cite all of the scholars interviewed and their personal assessments, several summary statements from the article can be made. Everyone interviewed agreed that the polls are not as accurate as desired. Some thought that the polls are so inaccurate as to be useless, since the sample size is always too small and the questions miss the depth and nuance of faith. Others concluded that the polls keep us from operating blind since they provide valuable information. Robert Wuthnow of Princeton University, who recently published a book titled Inventing American Religion: Polls, Surveys, and the Tenuous Quest for a Nation’s Faith, is opposed to all polls as being of “dubious value or validity.” Wuthnow said that if we truly want to understand the religious commitment in our nation, then “It’s all about stories and narratives and the imagination. We don’t get these with surveys.”
Application: James wrote that if we are to understand an individual’s faith, then we must first understand his or her work or actions. We will not truly understand the religious commitment of the American people through surveys, but rather by witnessing how Christians are engaged in their communities and the larger global community.
Ron L.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
Though, therefore, in lowliness of mind we are on an equality, the free with slaves, and the rich with the poor, nevertheless in the sight of God we are distinguished by virtue. And every one is more elevated in proportion to his greater justice. For if it is justice for a man to put himself on a level even with those of lower rank, though he excels in this very thing, that he made himself equal to his inferiors; yet if he has conducted himself not only as an equal, but even as an inferior, he will plainly obtain a much higher rank of dignity in the judgment of God.
(Lactinius, The Divine Institutes, chapter xvi [fourth Christian century]; in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VII, p. 151)
Frank R.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
I was walking in the garden and I turned my thoughts towards an elm and a vine, and contrasted them and their fruits, when the Shepherd came up to me and said, “What do you think about the elm and the vine?”
“As far as I can tell, sir, they suit each other well,” I said.
“These two plants represent two different kinds of God’s slaves,” he said.
“I want to know what types of plants they are,” I said....
“The vine,” he said, “bears fruit but the elm does not have fruit. But the vine is not able to bear much fruit... but when the vine is wrapped around the elm it bears fruit for itself and the elm.... [T]his parable is about the poor and rich slaves of God.”
“How, sir?” I said. “Make it known to me.”
“Listen up,” he said. “The rich person has riches, but is poor in the things of the Lord, weighed down by wealth, and his prayers and confessions towards the Lord are nothing, small, and weak and powerless.... [B]ut the prayer and the confession of the poor is rich.... So both fulfill their work. The poor are powerful with prayer, which was received from the Lord and given back to the Lord. And in the same way the rich one immediately shares wealth received from the Lord with the poor.”
(“Another Parable” [Similitude 2] in The Shepherd of Hermas [late first, early second Christian century]; translation by the author)
Frank R.
Mark 7:24-37
Have you heard the expression “I didn’t see that coming?” We use that phrase to describe something unexpected. We might say it at the end of a movie or while reading a book, but we’ll come to a certain part and almost audibly gasp. Whoa! Didn’t see that coming! That feeling is one of surprise, shock, and disbelief. Someone has acted in a particular way or something has happened that is way outside the box of normalcy. It startles us. We pause to think about what just took place. What does it mean? What is that all about?
I didn’t see that coming. This might have been the thought of those who were with Jesus as he entered Tyre and Sidon. In the first scene Jesus shows grace and compassion to one who many thought didn’t deserve it. In the second scene Jesus miraculously heals, but wants no one to know it. It’s hard to understand either of these things. It’s difficult to grasp that the scope of Jesus’ mission or that the reasons why he came might be more and greater than what they appear to be. Jesus seemed to regularly astonish and amaze the people around him. Does he still amaze you?
Bill T.
Mark 7:24-37
John Calvin claims that this text entails a reminder that we obtain both speech and hearing from Christ: “For he pours his energy into our tongues and pierces our ears with his fingers” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. XVI/2, p. 272). In the same vein Martin Luther proclaimed in a sermon: “The ears and tongues of Christians are thus different from the ears and tongues of the world. Or of unbelievers, caring naught for silver or gold, but only for that which is said of Christ and how to speak and teach of Jesus” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 2/2, p. 386). Luther said that Christians are “the fingers of our Lord God” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 6, p. 400). Our tongues, arms, legs, and hearts now by the grace of God have the ability to reach out to the poor, to those different from us.
Mark E.
Mark 7:24-37
As a professional woman, a clergywoman, I have faced similar prejudices as the Syrophoenician woman -- not due to nationality or race, but due to gender. I was the first woman called to a number of churches, and I always felt as though I was forced to be super-competent since all other women would be judged in my stead. Why couldn’t I just be valued as myself? Why the burden of my gender?
But here in this gospel story the stakes are even higher -- the woman’s daughter may die (at worst) or be ostracized by society (at best). She is desperate to have her daughter healed, so desperate she will come to the Jewish healer and teacher Jesus, knowing he will likely dismiss her -- but who did Jesus expect to meet in Tyre, a Phoenician city, except non-Jews? The mother has her arguments ready -- even the dogs get the scraps. Was the argument for Jesus, or was it for the Jewish witnesses who claimed Jesus was solely for them? Jesus performs this miracle of healing without even touching or seeing the girl. Jesus defies expectations, allows a woman to win an argument, and heals a foreign girl without seeing her. Maybe the lesson for us here is not to allow our expectations of justice and comfort go the way of tradition, but rather the way of Jesus.
Bonnie B.
Think for a moment about your reputation. What do family and friends think about you? Are you viewed as competent, compassionate, selfish, generous, egotistical, kind, angry, or loving? Do you put a lot of stock in these opinions of you? Do you seek the approval of others or increased status through the opinions of others?
Proverbs often has wisdom for us. In these verses we are reminded that the Lord is maker of us all: rich or poor, highly valued or not valued, good or bad, humble or egotistical. Rather, what the Lord is seeking from us is to act with justice and generosity. How do you measure up to God’s expectations? Maybe we would be better off thinking about how God values us than instead of about what other human beings do. Maybe we should be focusing on offering God’s mercy to others through our acts of generosity and justice. Now there’s a thought for today.
Bonnie B.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
The most recent figures supplied by the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that 45 million Americans (14.5% of the population) are in poverty. Our lesson is concerned with this matter. Yahweh is said to plead the cause of the poor. An African theologian of the early church, Lactantius, has some advice about what we in the middle and upper classes might do about the matter: “Riches also 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; and they who seem to be poor on this account are rich, because they are not in want, and desire nothing” (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7, p. 151).
Martin Luther’s comments on wealth are also relevant for this text: “Riches are the most insignificant things on earth, the smallest gift God can give a man. What are they in comparison with the Word of God? In fact, what are they in comparison with gifts of the mind? And yet we act as if this were not so! The matter, form, effect, and goal of riches are worthless. That’s why our Lord God generally gives riches to crude asses to whom he doesn’t give anything else” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 54, p. 452).
Mark E.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
Surely we would not do this in our churches! I read of a church in New York where the ushers pushed out a beggar who came to the door during worship. It brought shame on that church when people read the article. Maybe that fellow who got thrown out didn’t take a bath! Where would we put him if he came to our church? They didn’t want to scare away the big contributors!
We hope we would do better than our government officials who bend to any rich who give to their reelection campaigns yet make it hard for the poor to be able to vote. Is it right to mention politics in a sermon? You decide.
I still try to be selective. My church in Weehawken was right across from a small restaurant. When beggars came to my door (which was often), I gave them one of my cards and put their name on it. Then I could run upstairs and watch them either eat or try to sell my card to another beggar. I didn’t want it to go for alcohol. The owner of the restaurant was told to send the one who went there over to my church, where I gave him a new card -- but I told the manager never to give the other fellow anything if he appeared again.
The elevator operator across the street from my church would send the needy over to me, but he checked them out to see if they were genuine.
BUT if they came to church, as some did, they were welcomed in warmly.
God will look in our hearts and see our motives. Another alternative is to give to one of the charities the church supports and let others do the sorting... as long as our heart is in it.
In this age of people out of work, it may not be hard to find a neighbor who desperately needs help. Be as generous as you can, and you will find a reward one day.
I have lived in wealthy parishes as well as parishes that were near the slums. Just offering to pray for those in need may not be enough. God may want you to do even more than just give a contribution. Let God’s Spirit guide you! Even if it is just a cup of water, it may be like giving it to our Lord!
Bob O.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
In August 2015 Religion News Service published a lengthy article on the accuracy of religious polls indicating how many people are believers, what is their theological leaning, and other associated items. Rather than cite all of the scholars interviewed and their personal assessments, several summary statements from the article can be made. Everyone interviewed agreed that the polls are not as accurate as desired. Some thought that the polls are so inaccurate as to be useless, since the sample size is always too small and the questions miss the depth and nuance of faith. Others concluded that the polls keep us from operating blind since they provide valuable information. Robert Wuthnow of Princeton University, who recently published a book titled Inventing American Religion: Polls, Surveys, and the Tenuous Quest for a Nation’s Faith, is opposed to all polls as being of “dubious value or validity.” Wuthnow said that if we truly want to understand the religious commitment in our nation, then “It’s all about stories and narratives and the imagination. We don’t get these with surveys.”
Application: James wrote that if we are to understand an individual’s faith, then we must first understand his or her work or actions. We will not truly understand the religious commitment of the American people through surveys, but rather by witnessing how Christians are engaged in their communities and the larger global community.
Ron L.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
Though, therefore, in lowliness of mind we are on an equality, the free with slaves, and the rich with the poor, nevertheless in the sight of God we are distinguished by virtue. And every one is more elevated in proportion to his greater justice. For if it is justice for a man to put himself on a level even with those of lower rank, though he excels in this very thing, that he made himself equal to his inferiors; yet if he has conducted himself not only as an equal, but even as an inferior, he will plainly obtain a much higher rank of dignity in the judgment of God.
(Lactinius, The Divine Institutes, chapter xvi [fourth Christian century]; in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VII, p. 151)
Frank R.
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17
I was walking in the garden and I turned my thoughts towards an elm and a vine, and contrasted them and their fruits, when the Shepherd came up to me and said, “What do you think about the elm and the vine?”
“As far as I can tell, sir, they suit each other well,” I said.
“These two plants represent two different kinds of God’s slaves,” he said.
“I want to know what types of plants they are,” I said....
“The vine,” he said, “bears fruit but the elm does not have fruit. But the vine is not able to bear much fruit... but when the vine is wrapped around the elm it bears fruit for itself and the elm.... [T]his parable is about the poor and rich slaves of God.”
“How, sir?” I said. “Make it known to me.”
“Listen up,” he said. “The rich person has riches, but is poor in the things of the Lord, weighed down by wealth, and his prayers and confessions towards the Lord are nothing, small, and weak and powerless.... [B]ut the prayer and the confession of the poor is rich.... So both fulfill their work. The poor are powerful with prayer, which was received from the Lord and given back to the Lord. And in the same way the rich one immediately shares wealth received from the Lord with the poor.”
(“Another Parable” [Similitude 2] in The Shepherd of Hermas [late first, early second Christian century]; translation by the author)
Frank R.
Mark 7:24-37
Have you heard the expression “I didn’t see that coming?” We use that phrase to describe something unexpected. We might say it at the end of a movie or while reading a book, but we’ll come to a certain part and almost audibly gasp. Whoa! Didn’t see that coming! That feeling is one of surprise, shock, and disbelief. Someone has acted in a particular way or something has happened that is way outside the box of normalcy. It startles us. We pause to think about what just took place. What does it mean? What is that all about?
I didn’t see that coming. This might have been the thought of those who were with Jesus as he entered Tyre and Sidon. In the first scene Jesus shows grace and compassion to one who many thought didn’t deserve it. In the second scene Jesus miraculously heals, but wants no one to know it. It’s hard to understand either of these things. It’s difficult to grasp that the scope of Jesus’ mission or that the reasons why he came might be more and greater than what they appear to be. Jesus seemed to regularly astonish and amaze the people around him. Does he still amaze you?
Bill T.
Mark 7:24-37
John Calvin claims that this text entails a reminder that we obtain both speech and hearing from Christ: “For he pours his energy into our tongues and pierces our ears with his fingers” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. XVI/2, p. 272). In the same vein Martin Luther proclaimed in a sermon: “The ears and tongues of Christians are thus different from the ears and tongues of the world. Or of unbelievers, caring naught for silver or gold, but only for that which is said of Christ and how to speak and teach of Jesus” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 2/2, p. 386). Luther said that Christians are “the fingers of our Lord God” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 6, p. 400). Our tongues, arms, legs, and hearts now by the grace of God have the ability to reach out to the poor, to those different from us.
Mark E.
Mark 7:24-37
As a professional woman, a clergywoman, I have faced similar prejudices as the Syrophoenician woman -- not due to nationality or race, but due to gender. I was the first woman called to a number of churches, and I always felt as though I was forced to be super-competent since all other women would be judged in my stead. Why couldn’t I just be valued as myself? Why the burden of my gender?
But here in this gospel story the stakes are even higher -- the woman’s daughter may die (at worst) or be ostracized by society (at best). She is desperate to have her daughter healed, so desperate she will come to the Jewish healer and teacher Jesus, knowing he will likely dismiss her -- but who did Jesus expect to meet in Tyre, a Phoenician city, except non-Jews? The mother has her arguments ready -- even the dogs get the scraps. Was the argument for Jesus, or was it for the Jewish witnesses who claimed Jesus was solely for them? Jesus performs this miracle of healing without even touching or seeing the girl. Jesus defies expectations, allows a woman to win an argument, and heals a foreign girl without seeing her. Maybe the lesson for us here is not to allow our expectations of justice and comfort go the way of tradition, but rather the way of Jesus.
Bonnie B.
