Sermon illustrations for Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 (2010)
Illustration
Object:
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
David's family had gone though some hard times. His father died after a long illness when he was seven years old. That same week their house burned to the ground. Clearly it was the worst of times for his mother, brother, and sisters.
David vividly recalls Thanksgiving that year, "despite living through the darkest time of my life, where hope seemed to be a luxury for those more favored, my mother saved her money to make sure this first Thanksgiving meal was special." The meal consisted of orange flavored Jell-O with fruit mixed in. "I remember eating the scoop of orange, and its cold tangy sweetness," David says. Because it was inexpensive he and his brother and sisters could eat as much as they wanted. It was a moment of pure joy, "it was hope dished out in plenty with no fear of loss."
Jell-O became a family favorite for this family every Thanksgiving for the next couple of decades. David and his siblings knew that it would always be there. Several times over the years his mother suggested a more traditional meal but David always rejected the idea. Thanksgiving Jell-O became the symbol or the foundation for that family. They found hope to continue.
It was the worst of times for the people, certainly a low point in Judah's history. With the threat of invasion Jeremiah purchased property. While his contemporaries might have thought that buying land at that time was foolish, Jeremiah did so to instill a sense of confidence that with God there would indeed be a future.
Tim S.
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
There have been many stories of individuals or families cashing in because a family member bought stocks in certain companies or war savings bonds or some other investment. The people who made those investments in the first place had faith that the money they were losing now would reap dividends for themselves or their descendents down the road. They had faith that their money was well placed. That is the nature of the stock market -- making purchases now that you believe will pay off in the end.
What Jeremiah does in this passage isn't so unlike buying stocks or bonds today. He agreed to buy a piece of land while that land was under siege by invaders. However, while investors, stock brokers, and market analysts look at market trends and other statistics to make their decisions, Jeremiah had the promise of God backing him up on this investment: "For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land" (v. 15).
Craig K.
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Julie of Bradenton, Florida, wrote an inspiring letter to Abigail Van Buren, better known to us as Dear Abby. Julie's grandmother died at the age of 101, and the family was confronted with the all too common problem of distributing her personal possessions and household goods. It was a question of who got what and what was kept and what was disposed of. Having walked through the home, Julie decided that "a healthy alternative to keeping 'things' in place of memories." So, before the items were dispersed, photographs were taken of every room, hallway, closet, outside views, and made into a photo album of memories. To have Grandma's special chair is nice, but it does not compare to slowly going through the album and reliving the memories of the warmth of the home. The chair preserved in the corner of a grandchild's room is a nice keepsake, but it lacks the poignancy of seeing it in Grandma's house and all the joyful memories that engulfed it. Julie wrote, "Looking at my photo album is even better than having the actual items, because everything is in the setting I remember." She went on to conclude, "Now I have an album of photographs that makes me feel like I'm standing in the middle of it again." Abby replied, "I'm sure that looking at your album brings back a multitude of happy memories."
In our lectionary reading we have a phrase that is often quoted, so often in fact that most people probably do not realize that it is scriptural. Paul wrote this familiar line, "For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it." We cannot take anything out of this world, but we can leave behind something most precious of all -- memories.
Ron L.
1 Timothy 6:6-19
The book Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein is a well-known book of children's poetry. One of the poems in the book is called "The Garden." The poem is about a gardener named Simon who plants precious jewels in his garden. Instead of growing regular fruits and vegetables, Simon's garden grows priceless treasures: silver potatoes, emerald tomatoes, corn of real gold, even platinum weeds. Despite all the wealth provided by Simon's fantastic garden, however, Simon himself is not satisfied. The end of the poem reads thus: "Old man Simon/ digging in his diamonds/ stops and rests and thinks about/ one… real… peach."
Leah T.
Luke 16:19-31
Ashley never knew her mother, her parents divorced when she was very young. Her father never talked about her mother. As she got older she and her brother began searching for their mother. "We wanted to know who she was," Ashley explains.
After months of searching they found their mother. She was remarried living in another country. "My heart was pounding so fast," Ashley says, "I never thought this was possible." Ashley and her brother along with other family members traveled to meet their birth mother. Ashley did not know what to expect or what to say. When she finally found her mother, she gave her children a big hug as tears were flowing down her face. "Seeing those tears made me realize that mom did love us," Ashley reflects, "and had been waiting for that moment for a very long time." Mother and children maintain regular contact via email and occasional phone calls.
Ashley never thought she would meet her mother, but was fortunate to find her. She says it is "never too late."
Jesus told of a rich person who had everything in life. However, he neglected the person in need at his gate. The well-to-do person should have cared for the poor man but he did not. Sadly he realized this after had had died, when it was too late. From Hades he pleads, "I beg you to send him to my father's house -- for I have five brothers -- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment." Contemporaries of Jesus failed to realize his status -- that he was the Son of God. May we not make that same mistake. May we continue to share the good news before it is too late for those we care about.
Tim S.
Luke 16:19-31
So many people only look to immediate, short-term gratification. Consider Shakespeare's Macbeth, who upon hearing from witches that he would be king of Scotland, proceeded to assassinate the rightful king, only to descend into tyranny and, ultimately, death. His ambition did not let him look past the prospect of the throne, and while he had it for a short time, his life ended up a tragedy.
The parable in Luke also talks about perspective. Lazarus suffered terrible hardship in this life. He had no possessions, no home, nothing of worth in this world. Compare that with the rich man, who had all that this world had to offer. Yet, while they played those roles in this life, the roles would be reversed in eternity. As Christians, we must maintain that heavenly perspective. Why go after the world and miss out on eternity?
Craig K.
David's family had gone though some hard times. His father died after a long illness when he was seven years old. That same week their house burned to the ground. Clearly it was the worst of times for his mother, brother, and sisters.
David vividly recalls Thanksgiving that year, "despite living through the darkest time of my life, where hope seemed to be a luxury for those more favored, my mother saved her money to make sure this first Thanksgiving meal was special." The meal consisted of orange flavored Jell-O with fruit mixed in. "I remember eating the scoop of orange, and its cold tangy sweetness," David says. Because it was inexpensive he and his brother and sisters could eat as much as they wanted. It was a moment of pure joy, "it was hope dished out in plenty with no fear of loss."
Jell-O became a family favorite for this family every Thanksgiving for the next couple of decades. David and his siblings knew that it would always be there. Several times over the years his mother suggested a more traditional meal but David always rejected the idea. Thanksgiving Jell-O became the symbol or the foundation for that family. They found hope to continue.
It was the worst of times for the people, certainly a low point in Judah's history. With the threat of invasion Jeremiah purchased property. While his contemporaries might have thought that buying land at that time was foolish, Jeremiah did so to instill a sense of confidence that with God there would indeed be a future.
Tim S.
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
There have been many stories of individuals or families cashing in because a family member bought stocks in certain companies or war savings bonds or some other investment. The people who made those investments in the first place had faith that the money they were losing now would reap dividends for themselves or their descendents down the road. They had faith that their money was well placed. That is the nature of the stock market -- making purchases now that you believe will pay off in the end.
What Jeremiah does in this passage isn't so unlike buying stocks or bonds today. He agreed to buy a piece of land while that land was under siege by invaders. However, while investors, stock brokers, and market analysts look at market trends and other statistics to make their decisions, Jeremiah had the promise of God backing him up on this investment: "For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land" (v. 15).
Craig K.
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Julie of Bradenton, Florida, wrote an inspiring letter to Abigail Van Buren, better known to us as Dear Abby. Julie's grandmother died at the age of 101, and the family was confronted with the all too common problem of distributing her personal possessions and household goods. It was a question of who got what and what was kept and what was disposed of. Having walked through the home, Julie decided that "a healthy alternative to keeping 'things' in place of memories." So, before the items were dispersed, photographs were taken of every room, hallway, closet, outside views, and made into a photo album of memories. To have Grandma's special chair is nice, but it does not compare to slowly going through the album and reliving the memories of the warmth of the home. The chair preserved in the corner of a grandchild's room is a nice keepsake, but it lacks the poignancy of seeing it in Grandma's house and all the joyful memories that engulfed it. Julie wrote, "Looking at my photo album is even better than having the actual items, because everything is in the setting I remember." She went on to conclude, "Now I have an album of photographs that makes me feel like I'm standing in the middle of it again." Abby replied, "I'm sure that looking at your album brings back a multitude of happy memories."
In our lectionary reading we have a phrase that is often quoted, so often in fact that most people probably do not realize that it is scriptural. Paul wrote this familiar line, "For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it." We cannot take anything out of this world, but we can leave behind something most precious of all -- memories.
Ron L.
1 Timothy 6:6-19
The book Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein is a well-known book of children's poetry. One of the poems in the book is called "The Garden." The poem is about a gardener named Simon who plants precious jewels in his garden. Instead of growing regular fruits and vegetables, Simon's garden grows priceless treasures: silver potatoes, emerald tomatoes, corn of real gold, even platinum weeds. Despite all the wealth provided by Simon's fantastic garden, however, Simon himself is not satisfied. The end of the poem reads thus: "Old man Simon/ digging in his diamonds/ stops and rests and thinks about/ one… real… peach."
Leah T.
Luke 16:19-31
Ashley never knew her mother, her parents divorced when she was very young. Her father never talked about her mother. As she got older she and her brother began searching for their mother. "We wanted to know who she was," Ashley explains.
After months of searching they found their mother. She was remarried living in another country. "My heart was pounding so fast," Ashley says, "I never thought this was possible." Ashley and her brother along with other family members traveled to meet their birth mother. Ashley did not know what to expect or what to say. When she finally found her mother, she gave her children a big hug as tears were flowing down her face. "Seeing those tears made me realize that mom did love us," Ashley reflects, "and had been waiting for that moment for a very long time." Mother and children maintain regular contact via email and occasional phone calls.
Ashley never thought she would meet her mother, but was fortunate to find her. She says it is "never too late."
Jesus told of a rich person who had everything in life. However, he neglected the person in need at his gate. The well-to-do person should have cared for the poor man but he did not. Sadly he realized this after had had died, when it was too late. From Hades he pleads, "I beg you to send him to my father's house -- for I have five brothers -- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment." Contemporaries of Jesus failed to realize his status -- that he was the Son of God. May we not make that same mistake. May we continue to share the good news before it is too late for those we care about.
Tim S.
Luke 16:19-31
So many people only look to immediate, short-term gratification. Consider Shakespeare's Macbeth, who upon hearing from witches that he would be king of Scotland, proceeded to assassinate the rightful king, only to descend into tyranny and, ultimately, death. His ambition did not let him look past the prospect of the throne, and while he had it for a short time, his life ended up a tragedy.
The parable in Luke also talks about perspective. Lazarus suffered terrible hardship in this life. He had no possessions, no home, nothing of worth in this world. Compare that with the rich man, who had all that this world had to offer. Yet, while they played those roles in this life, the roles would be reversed in eternity. As Christians, we must maintain that heavenly perspective. Why go after the world and miss out on eternity?
Craig K.
