Sermon Illustrations for Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 (2015)
Illustration
Object:
Proverbs 31:10-31
What does it mean to be beautiful? The little girl was charged with a difficult task. Her mom had given her an assignment that sounded easy enough: “Write a short paragraph about someone who is beautiful, and tell why.” The writing of the paragraph was not the challenge. The hard part was determining what “beautiful” meant. For this third-grader, and for many adults, too, that’s tough. Complicating the assignment, she was told she couldn’t write about her mom, though she could have done so easily. Her mom had taken away the obvious option. She had to think a bit about what it meant to be beautiful.
What makes a person beautiful? Is it gorgeous looks? Many models and entertainers might be beautiful. Perhaps it is great talent or accomplishments that make a person beautiful. If that’s true, then there are plenty of superstars out there from which she could choose. Maybe beauty is not determined by looks at all. Maybe the most beautiful are the most popular. If so, then there are lots of well-known folks that could be called “beautiful.” What did the third grade girl do? How did she attempt to define “beautiful”? It turns out that, in her mind, beauty has nothing to do with appearance -- it has to do with how a person acts and what a person does. She wrote about one of her teachers at church. He was beautiful because he was kind to the kids, loved them, and taught them about Jesus. This third-grade girl seemed to understand the wisdom with which the writer of Proverbs writes. The last of the proverbs describes the beauty of a good wife. Funny, isn’t it, how it is a mirror -- not for the body, but for the soul.
Bill T.
Proverbs 31:10-31
Surveys indicate that women are waiting until they are older to get married, and more are not marrying at all. I wonder how much of this has to do with the expectations put on women and wives. While the 1960s women’s movement opened doors for women, we still don’t earn the same wages as men, or have equal representation in business or government. In much of the world human rights are not seen as women’s rights. And yet, here in Proverbs is the vision of a woman, a wife, who works, owns property, sells her wares, and is seen as a dignified and worthy wife.
No wonder we feel pressure to keep up! What do we need to do to receive praise? Well, in the 21st century we need to have perfect figures, perfect careers, perfect homes, perfect husbands, and perfect children.
Maybe we need God’s view, and remember that we are created in the image of God, our salvation is already accomplished; we are worthy and loved just as we are. Maybe we need to read this passage and wonder about this woman, this wife, but not compare ourselves to her. Maybe we need to remember that what makes this woman the most valuable is her fear, her awe of the Lord -- and do the same.
Bonnie B.
Proverbs 31:10-31
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote a fine introduction to this proverb: “A man’s wife has more power over him than the state has.” She is also precious to her husband, the proverb says. Alas, it is not working that way as much in America today. The most recent statistics reveal that 41% of first marriages end in divorce, and 60% of second marriages fail. Either women are not living up to the ideals of this psalm, or a lot of men are not recognizing what they have.
Martin Luther has some advice on making a marriage work; he is a realist about it: “...one must accept the evil days of marriage. This explains the saying ‘It takes a brave man to take a wife’; truly he must be brave, and no one is so capable of this as a devout Christian who lives by faith -- he can adapt himself to these evil days and not complain, cry out, and blaspheme God and his works, as do the foolish, blind smart alecks” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 128, p. 12).
John Wesley suggests that women are stronger and more tranquil (and this applies to men too) when they have a “just confidence in God’s gracious providence” (Commentary on the Bible, p. 312). If it is God who keeps marriages together, then we might paraphrase an old Norwegian saying about parenting and apply it to marriage: “If marriage turns out good, it is a miracle.” That insight makes it and our spouses even more precious.
Mark E.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk!
In every area of life, I have met some who I felt really knew the Lord by the way they lived. In Nepal the thing that won so many to Christ was the people who lived the life they had inherited from our Lord. They showed love and generosity. People were attracted to these gentle, loving people -- their actions spoke louder than their words. It was more than that they had memorized the rules of Christianity and practiced them. We have to feel genuine love and see it in action in those who claim to be Christian.
When I hear about someone who blew up their car to kill many innocent people and commit suicide, I know that they had no god and their example made me curse the name of their prophet.
We don’t want to commit acts like that as Christians, whether in war or peace. Instead of “getting even,” the new Christians in Nepal treated their abusers with love and forgiveness -- which often confused them so much that they wanted to learn more about our God. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to the Father who sent you. In other words, we do good not so that we may get the credit, but so that God may be glorified.
How sad it is to see Bill Cosby fall from grace. He was a hero for many of us, but then we found out that he did not walk the walk! Of course there is forgiveness, but he has ruined his image and even God will suffer.
Every pastor stands as an example. When my wife left me, I went to another congregation because -- regardless whose fault it was -- my image was hurt. Most of the ones who sympathized with me were others who had been through divorce. It hurt my message, so I moved on to a church that did not know me. If it was discovered, I took all the blame and told my people that there are no easy excuses -- there is only forgiveness.
It softened my preaching from bombastic absolute right or wrong to concentrating on a gracious God of forgiveness. Jesus’ death on a cross is surely a symbol that all of us are terrible sinners! We are not just good people like the Pharisees, who only needed a little encouragement and some good advice. Jesus’ suffering shows how sinful we are.
The more aware we are of our own sins, the more wisdom we have to guide others. Our words will show that we care and that we know what some others are feeling.
Only God can give us that wisdom through his Spirit. Pray for it!
Bob O.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
In contradistinction to this, heavenly wisdom is pure (v. 18), and furthermore peaceful, reasonable, etc. Characteristic of it is a positive, generous attitude toward the authorities and fellow men, without any partiality (cf. 2:1) or hypocrisy. It must be noted that neither the epistle of James nor other New Testament writings recommend this patient and peaceful wisdom because of a conservative respect for the government or the state. In the eyes of the author these possess no value in themselves. The exhortation in behalf of a constructive approach is prompted by the concern that the mind of the believers may be preserved from envy, bitterness, and filth. It is further emphasized that the fruit of righteousness is sown only by those who work for peace....
(Bo Reicke, The Epistles of James, Peter, and Jude [Anchor Bible, Vol. 37], p. 42)
Frank R.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
Lynn Anderson died on July 30, 2015, at the age of 67. She became famous for her song “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden.” She began her career as a singer on The Lawrence Welk Show. At that time she was the only performer singing country music on national television every week. That exposure secured her a contract with Columbia Records in Nashville. She also appeared in several television shows (such as Starsky and Hutch) and in the movie Country Gold. She also performed for four presidents: Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan. But it was “Rose Garden” that earned her a Grammy and the Country Music Association’s female vocalist of the year award in 1971. Anderson said of the song, “It was popular because it touched on emotions.” She concluded that it was an important song because people were trying to recover from the Vietnam War. Anderson then summarized the song by saying: “This song stated that you can make something out of nothing. You take it and go ahead.” One of the most noted lines from the song is: “So smile for a while and let’s be jolly; life shouldn’t be so melancholy.” (Note: If you have a screen, you may want to project the lyrics of “Rose Garden.” Also, if you have a good singing voice you may want to sing part of the song after telling the story behind its origin and author.)
Application: James instructs us that we are to give up “selfish ambition,” that we are not to “covet,” and that we are to seek “peace.” The lesson concludes by saying, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” If we draw near to God, we will be able to express the optimism that is the message of “Rose Garden.” As the lyrics of the song confess: “So smile for a while and let’s be jolly; life shouldn’t be so melancholy.”
Ron L.
Mark 9:30-37
I will admit it. I like being in charge, in control, the leader. I have a competitive streak when I play sports or games -- I like to win. I would likely have been one of those arguing about who was the greatest disciple, the most important, the closest friend to Jesus. When I read this passage I am ashamed of that competitive streak, afraid of my desire to be the best. Yet I also see myself as one who serves, who offers nurture and teaching and assistance. I seem to be a mix of the best and worst of humanity -- and maybe that’s the point of this reminder from Jesus. We need to strive to be those who welcome the least among us, for in this way we welcome Jesus into our lives and into our hearts.
Maybe I need to work harder at letting the competitive side ease away, and replace my sense of entitlement with compassion, with a hunger for justice, with a sense of humility. I have already received the most important blessings -- the love of God, the forgiveness of Christ, the strengthening of the Holy Spirit. What else do I need to strive for?
Bonnie B.
Mark 9:30-37
Willie Mays or Babe Ruth? Hank Aaron or Bobby Bonds? Sandy Koufax or Bob Gibson? Johnny Bench or Yogi Berra? Baseball fans will recognize these names, as they show up frequently in talks about who was the greatest -- the greatest player, home run hitter, pitcher, or catcher. There is something about us as a culture today that likes to make lists of “the greatest.” It goes far beyond sports, presidents, or movie stars. We even determine the greatest cheeseburger, the greatest ice cream cone, and (my favorite) the greatest gum for blowing bubbles. I suppose that we like to know what qualities make up “the greatest,” and just who or what it is that qualifies.
Jesus wants his disciples to know about “the greatest” too. After all, they’ve been discussing it and thinking about it. His description of who is the greatest, though, would probably not make it to your social media newsfeed. The greatest? Servant of all. In order to be first, you have to be last. Greatness has nothing to do with calling attention to yourself or accomplishing something no one else has and bragging about it. Greatness is seen in how well and how much you give up yourself for others. It sort of changes the way we think of greatness, doesn’t it?
Bill T.
Mark 9:30-37
Our lesson reminds us how twisted up we are. We are “curved in on ourselves,” Martin Luther once said (Luther’s Works, Vol. 25, p. 345). Even when we are apparently doing things for others, like serving God, we really do it to please ourselves, to get something out of it, or to prove how great we are. That kind of insidious selfishness does not make for happiness. As Benjamin Franklin once put it: “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”
Martin Luther King Jr. elaborated on Jesus’ antidote, his definition of service: “...recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant... by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great. Because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve.... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. And you can be that servant” (A Testament of Hope, pp. 265-266).
Martin Luther also offered reflections on how we can be sure that our sins of pride and selfishness have not precluded our forgiveness and ability with God’s grace to serve: “You say that the sins which we commit every day offend God, and therefore we are not saints. To this I reply: Mother love is stronger than the filth and scabbiness on a child and so the love of God toward us is stronger than the dirt that clings to us. Accordingly, although we are sinners, we do not lose our filial relation on account of our filthiness, nor do we fall from grace on account of our sin” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 54, p. 70).
Mark E.
What does it mean to be beautiful? The little girl was charged with a difficult task. Her mom had given her an assignment that sounded easy enough: “Write a short paragraph about someone who is beautiful, and tell why.” The writing of the paragraph was not the challenge. The hard part was determining what “beautiful” meant. For this third-grader, and for many adults, too, that’s tough. Complicating the assignment, she was told she couldn’t write about her mom, though she could have done so easily. Her mom had taken away the obvious option. She had to think a bit about what it meant to be beautiful.
What makes a person beautiful? Is it gorgeous looks? Many models and entertainers might be beautiful. Perhaps it is great talent or accomplishments that make a person beautiful. If that’s true, then there are plenty of superstars out there from which she could choose. Maybe beauty is not determined by looks at all. Maybe the most beautiful are the most popular. If so, then there are lots of well-known folks that could be called “beautiful.” What did the third grade girl do? How did she attempt to define “beautiful”? It turns out that, in her mind, beauty has nothing to do with appearance -- it has to do with how a person acts and what a person does. She wrote about one of her teachers at church. He was beautiful because he was kind to the kids, loved them, and taught them about Jesus. This third-grade girl seemed to understand the wisdom with which the writer of Proverbs writes. The last of the proverbs describes the beauty of a good wife. Funny, isn’t it, how it is a mirror -- not for the body, but for the soul.
Bill T.
Proverbs 31:10-31
Surveys indicate that women are waiting until they are older to get married, and more are not marrying at all. I wonder how much of this has to do with the expectations put on women and wives. While the 1960s women’s movement opened doors for women, we still don’t earn the same wages as men, or have equal representation in business or government. In much of the world human rights are not seen as women’s rights. And yet, here in Proverbs is the vision of a woman, a wife, who works, owns property, sells her wares, and is seen as a dignified and worthy wife.
No wonder we feel pressure to keep up! What do we need to do to receive praise? Well, in the 21st century we need to have perfect figures, perfect careers, perfect homes, perfect husbands, and perfect children.
Maybe we need God’s view, and remember that we are created in the image of God, our salvation is already accomplished; we are worthy and loved just as we are. Maybe we need to read this passage and wonder about this woman, this wife, but not compare ourselves to her. Maybe we need to remember that what makes this woman the most valuable is her fear, her awe of the Lord -- and do the same.
Bonnie B.
Proverbs 31:10-31
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote a fine introduction to this proverb: “A man’s wife has more power over him than the state has.” She is also precious to her husband, the proverb says. Alas, it is not working that way as much in America today. The most recent statistics reveal that 41% of first marriages end in divorce, and 60% of second marriages fail. Either women are not living up to the ideals of this psalm, or a lot of men are not recognizing what they have.
Martin Luther has some advice on making a marriage work; he is a realist about it: “...one must accept the evil days of marriage. This explains the saying ‘It takes a brave man to take a wife’; truly he must be brave, and no one is so capable of this as a devout Christian who lives by faith -- he can adapt himself to these evil days and not complain, cry out, and blaspheme God and his works, as do the foolish, blind smart alecks” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 128, p. 12).
John Wesley suggests that women are stronger and more tranquil (and this applies to men too) when they have a “just confidence in God’s gracious providence” (Commentary on the Bible, p. 312). If it is God who keeps marriages together, then we might paraphrase an old Norwegian saying about parenting and apply it to marriage: “If marriage turns out good, it is a miracle.” That insight makes it and our spouses even more precious.
Mark E.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
Don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk!
In every area of life, I have met some who I felt really knew the Lord by the way they lived. In Nepal the thing that won so many to Christ was the people who lived the life they had inherited from our Lord. They showed love and generosity. People were attracted to these gentle, loving people -- their actions spoke louder than their words. It was more than that they had memorized the rules of Christianity and practiced them. We have to feel genuine love and see it in action in those who claim to be Christian.
When I hear about someone who blew up their car to kill many innocent people and commit suicide, I know that they had no god and their example made me curse the name of their prophet.
We don’t want to commit acts like that as Christians, whether in war or peace. Instead of “getting even,” the new Christians in Nepal treated their abusers with love and forgiveness -- which often confused them so much that they wanted to learn more about our God. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to the Father who sent you. In other words, we do good not so that we may get the credit, but so that God may be glorified.
How sad it is to see Bill Cosby fall from grace. He was a hero for many of us, but then we found out that he did not walk the walk! Of course there is forgiveness, but he has ruined his image and even God will suffer.
Every pastor stands as an example. When my wife left me, I went to another congregation because -- regardless whose fault it was -- my image was hurt. Most of the ones who sympathized with me were others who had been through divorce. It hurt my message, so I moved on to a church that did not know me. If it was discovered, I took all the blame and told my people that there are no easy excuses -- there is only forgiveness.
It softened my preaching from bombastic absolute right or wrong to concentrating on a gracious God of forgiveness. Jesus’ death on a cross is surely a symbol that all of us are terrible sinners! We are not just good people like the Pharisees, who only needed a little encouragement and some good advice. Jesus’ suffering shows how sinful we are.
The more aware we are of our own sins, the more wisdom we have to guide others. Our words will show that we care and that we know what some others are feeling.
Only God can give us that wisdom through his Spirit. Pray for it!
Bob O.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
In contradistinction to this, heavenly wisdom is pure (v. 18), and furthermore peaceful, reasonable, etc. Characteristic of it is a positive, generous attitude toward the authorities and fellow men, without any partiality (cf. 2:1) or hypocrisy. It must be noted that neither the epistle of James nor other New Testament writings recommend this patient and peaceful wisdom because of a conservative respect for the government or the state. In the eyes of the author these possess no value in themselves. The exhortation in behalf of a constructive approach is prompted by the concern that the mind of the believers may be preserved from envy, bitterness, and filth. It is further emphasized that the fruit of righteousness is sown only by those who work for peace....
(Bo Reicke, The Epistles of James, Peter, and Jude [Anchor Bible, Vol. 37], p. 42)
Frank R.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
Lynn Anderson died on July 30, 2015, at the age of 67. She became famous for her song “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden.” She began her career as a singer on The Lawrence Welk Show. At that time she was the only performer singing country music on national television every week. That exposure secured her a contract with Columbia Records in Nashville. She also appeared in several television shows (such as Starsky and Hutch) and in the movie Country Gold. She also performed for four presidents: Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan. But it was “Rose Garden” that earned her a Grammy and the Country Music Association’s female vocalist of the year award in 1971. Anderson said of the song, “It was popular because it touched on emotions.” She concluded that it was an important song because people were trying to recover from the Vietnam War. Anderson then summarized the song by saying: “This song stated that you can make something out of nothing. You take it and go ahead.” One of the most noted lines from the song is: “So smile for a while and let’s be jolly; life shouldn’t be so melancholy.” (Note: If you have a screen, you may want to project the lyrics of “Rose Garden.” Also, if you have a good singing voice you may want to sing part of the song after telling the story behind its origin and author.)
Application: James instructs us that we are to give up “selfish ambition,” that we are not to “covet,” and that we are to seek “peace.” The lesson concludes by saying, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” If we draw near to God, we will be able to express the optimism that is the message of “Rose Garden.” As the lyrics of the song confess: “So smile for a while and let’s be jolly; life shouldn’t be so melancholy.”
Ron L.
Mark 9:30-37
I will admit it. I like being in charge, in control, the leader. I have a competitive streak when I play sports or games -- I like to win. I would likely have been one of those arguing about who was the greatest disciple, the most important, the closest friend to Jesus. When I read this passage I am ashamed of that competitive streak, afraid of my desire to be the best. Yet I also see myself as one who serves, who offers nurture and teaching and assistance. I seem to be a mix of the best and worst of humanity -- and maybe that’s the point of this reminder from Jesus. We need to strive to be those who welcome the least among us, for in this way we welcome Jesus into our lives and into our hearts.
Maybe I need to work harder at letting the competitive side ease away, and replace my sense of entitlement with compassion, with a hunger for justice, with a sense of humility. I have already received the most important blessings -- the love of God, the forgiveness of Christ, the strengthening of the Holy Spirit. What else do I need to strive for?
Bonnie B.
Mark 9:30-37
Willie Mays or Babe Ruth? Hank Aaron or Bobby Bonds? Sandy Koufax or Bob Gibson? Johnny Bench or Yogi Berra? Baseball fans will recognize these names, as they show up frequently in talks about who was the greatest -- the greatest player, home run hitter, pitcher, or catcher. There is something about us as a culture today that likes to make lists of “the greatest.” It goes far beyond sports, presidents, or movie stars. We even determine the greatest cheeseburger, the greatest ice cream cone, and (my favorite) the greatest gum for blowing bubbles. I suppose that we like to know what qualities make up “the greatest,” and just who or what it is that qualifies.
Jesus wants his disciples to know about “the greatest” too. After all, they’ve been discussing it and thinking about it. His description of who is the greatest, though, would probably not make it to your social media newsfeed. The greatest? Servant of all. In order to be first, you have to be last. Greatness has nothing to do with calling attention to yourself or accomplishing something no one else has and bragging about it. Greatness is seen in how well and how much you give up yourself for others. It sort of changes the way we think of greatness, doesn’t it?
Bill T.
Mark 9:30-37
Our lesson reminds us how twisted up we are. We are “curved in on ourselves,” Martin Luther once said (Luther’s Works, Vol. 25, p. 345). Even when we are apparently doing things for others, like serving God, we really do it to please ourselves, to get something out of it, or to prove how great we are. That kind of insidious selfishness does not make for happiness. As Benjamin Franklin once put it: “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”
Martin Luther King Jr. elaborated on Jesus’ antidote, his definition of service: “...recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant... by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great. Because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve.... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. And you can be that servant” (A Testament of Hope, pp. 265-266).
Martin Luther also offered reflections on how we can be sure that our sins of pride and selfishness have not precluded our forgiveness and ability with God’s grace to serve: “You say that the sins which we commit every day offend God, and therefore we are not saints. To this I reply: Mother love is stronger than the filth and scabbiness on a child and so the love of God toward us is stronger than the dirt that clings to us. Accordingly, although we are sinners, we do not lose our filial relation on account of our filthiness, nor do we fall from grace on account of our sin” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 54, p. 70).
Mark E.
