Sermon Illustrations for Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 (2012)
Illustration
Object:
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
In the TV series 24, which aired several years ago, Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland) is a government agent who works on a counterterrorism unit, fighting those who would bring harm to the United States. In many of the plots throughout the eight years the series ran, Jack would be tortured in various ways to get him to give up certain information or people that he was sworn to protect. Being the hero of the series, Jack did not crack under the most intense and painful tortures. Job experienced tortures of spirit and body, yet remained faithful and "did not sin with his lips." Job has become a hero to many in trying situations, exemplifying how to remain patient, humble, and hopeful in relationship with God when the temptation to crack is so great.
Mark M.
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
One of my sons is getting his degree, and he sometimes complains about the tests he will have to take. "Some of these tests are just not fair!" he shouts. "Some of the questions are fine, but some are impossible!" I tell him that that is life. Job had to take the bitter with the batter as they say. It tests our mettle to see if we have the guts -- and the integrity -- to do what is right whatever is thrown at us by God or Satan.
I doubt if too many of us have been tested like Job, but have we always remained faithful to our God? Let us pray that we will be able to stand firm and to know what is from God and what is from Satan. Then let us pray that we will pass the test like Job.
Bob O.
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
Exploration of family background revealed that William Moore was born and raised in the territory of Quebec, Canada, migrating to the United States as a young man. After obtaining U.S. citizenship, he settled in northern Michigan where he built a log cabin for his family.
In his lifetime Bill saw the expansion of the West, the building of railroads, black and white televisions, as well as the exploration of space. As a railroad conductor, he was gone a lot. His absence left his wife and sons to provide for the family. He prayed daily for their protection, for life was tough. Without health care, babies died in infancy; afflictions of all sorts shortened life expectancy without discrimination. Yet, like Job, his life was filled with a reliance on God through the bad and good times.
Cynthia C.
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
There is a gentleman who quietly lives in Summerville, South Carolina, and goes unrecognized by his neighbors. The 35-year-old works as a computer programmer at a local firm and beyond that little is known of him. That is, of course, if you do not belong to the Council of Conservative Citizens, a white supremacist group for which he is their key editorialist. The Council opposes "all efforts to mix the races of mankind."
Kyle Rogers writes for the organization's website and their publication, The Citizens Informer, doing so because Kyle believes his work is "not only to fight for conservative values, but also to preserve my European and Southern heritage."
Application: Job was blindsided when Satan came into his life, disrupting and destroying everything he valued. Beware of Satan, for he may just be your quiet unassuming Summerville neighbor.
Ron L.
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Louis Cassels, in his Christian Primer, explains why God revealed himself in the way he did by telling the following story. One Christmas Eve a man stays home as his wife and children go to the midnight service. He is an unbeliever and thinks Christmas especially is filled with superstition.
As the man quietly reads a book he suddenly hears a thud at the window. Another thud quickly follows. When the man goes outside he notices a flock of birds lying in the snow; they had attempted to fly through the window in order to escape the snow. The man wants to help the stunned birds. He turns on a light in the barn, but the birds do not budge. He sprinkles a path of bread crumbs, hoping to entice them into the barn, but nothing happens. He even tries to shoo them into the barn, but they only scatter in all directions.
Finally he says: "If only I could be a bird for a few minutes, perhaps I could lead them to safety." In the background he hears the church bells ring, and he says: "Now I see why you had to do it."
Richard H.
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Famed preacher of the early church John Chrysostom [known as the one with a golden mouth] offers an intriguing insight into why Jesus suffered and died. Jesus tasted death, removing its fear from us, he says, like a caring doctor might inject himself with the medicine just prescribed in order to calm the patient's fears (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14, p. 384). What love! What empathy! To care so much for us that to still our fears of death Jesus actually took our medicine/punishment for us.
Mark E.
Mark 10:2-16
True or False: Eating pink pork will make you sick?
True -- once upon a time. The rule concerning cooking pork was that it should be well done. The reason: to kill off an ugly parasite called trichinosis. But who wants to eat dried-up pork chops? Today's government standards have all but eliminated that risk. In fact, it has been documented there have been only 12 reported cases from 1997-2001.
Culinary chefs, kitchen cooks, and master grillers recommend not overcooking pork. No more grey centers! Hear the oohs and ahhs as your guests cut into a chop's rosy center.
The test is in the eating. Tough, unchewable? Tender, melt-in-the-mouth good? Stand your ground against the opposition. Just look at today's gospel as the legalistic Pharisees tried to test Jesus.
Cynthia C.
Mark 10:2-16
In Kasto, Minnesota, there is a business called Drive-a-Tank. The twenty-acre site, located on an old limestone quarry, has eleven armored vehicles. For varying fees, one can chose an armored vehicle to drive and weapons to shoot. Special areas are set aside so you can drive a tank into a car or through a mobile home.
The director of the program, Tony Borglum, concedes that it is a visceral version of what millions of guys are doing everyday playing video games. The park, Borglum confesses, is ideal for satisfying one's inner Rambo.
Application: Perhaps we do have an inner Rambo, but its expression is not what Jesus expects of us. Instead, he placed a child on his lap as an example of how we are to come to him.
Ron L.
Mark 10:2-16
This is an uncomfortable text, no matter how one tries to read it. Fundamentally, Jesus is forbidding divorce, though in a later conversation there is acknowledgment of divorce (as a reality of the day), but then without remarriage as a condition. In other gospels, Jesus accepts "unchastity" as grounds for divorce. In the history of the church from early on, the church fathers listed other grounds for divorce that are not mentioned in scripture (for example, abandonment or parricide); plus, remarriage after divorce was eventually accepted. Regardless of one's approach to the issue of divorce, the words of Rabbi Eleazar (from the Talmud regarding Mishnah Gittin 90b) hold true: "[When a marriage ends in divorce], even the altar sheds tears."
Mark M.
Mark 10:2-16
I once wrote an essay "Can none Ph.D.s be saved?" I have friends who are Ph.D.s and I know they are humble, but I also know some who think that they have all the wisdom of God. The dean of my first seminary asked why we wanted to start a prayer group. It was like "If you want to know something, just ask me." Even some pastors act like we know everything, and if we don't know an answer to something we make one up to appear all-knowing. One little child leaving church asked the pastor, "Are you God?"
We should all read that passage in Mark where Jesus says we should come to him as a little child. Sometimes I have learned more from talking to a little child than I have from a Ph.D.! The most profound truths can be the simplest.
Bob O.
In the TV series 24, which aired several years ago, Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland) is a government agent who works on a counterterrorism unit, fighting those who would bring harm to the United States. In many of the plots throughout the eight years the series ran, Jack would be tortured in various ways to get him to give up certain information or people that he was sworn to protect. Being the hero of the series, Jack did not crack under the most intense and painful tortures. Job experienced tortures of spirit and body, yet remained faithful and "did not sin with his lips." Job has become a hero to many in trying situations, exemplifying how to remain patient, humble, and hopeful in relationship with God when the temptation to crack is so great.
Mark M.
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
One of my sons is getting his degree, and he sometimes complains about the tests he will have to take. "Some of these tests are just not fair!" he shouts. "Some of the questions are fine, but some are impossible!" I tell him that that is life. Job had to take the bitter with the batter as they say. It tests our mettle to see if we have the guts -- and the integrity -- to do what is right whatever is thrown at us by God or Satan.
I doubt if too many of us have been tested like Job, but have we always remained faithful to our God? Let us pray that we will be able to stand firm and to know what is from God and what is from Satan. Then let us pray that we will pass the test like Job.
Bob O.
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
Exploration of family background revealed that William Moore was born and raised in the territory of Quebec, Canada, migrating to the United States as a young man. After obtaining U.S. citizenship, he settled in northern Michigan where he built a log cabin for his family.
In his lifetime Bill saw the expansion of the West, the building of railroads, black and white televisions, as well as the exploration of space. As a railroad conductor, he was gone a lot. His absence left his wife and sons to provide for the family. He prayed daily for their protection, for life was tough. Without health care, babies died in infancy; afflictions of all sorts shortened life expectancy without discrimination. Yet, like Job, his life was filled with a reliance on God through the bad and good times.
Cynthia C.
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
There is a gentleman who quietly lives in Summerville, South Carolina, and goes unrecognized by his neighbors. The 35-year-old works as a computer programmer at a local firm and beyond that little is known of him. That is, of course, if you do not belong to the Council of Conservative Citizens, a white supremacist group for which he is their key editorialist. The Council opposes "all efforts to mix the races of mankind."
Kyle Rogers writes for the organization's website and their publication, The Citizens Informer, doing so because Kyle believes his work is "not only to fight for conservative values, but also to preserve my European and Southern heritage."
Application: Job was blindsided when Satan came into his life, disrupting and destroying everything he valued. Beware of Satan, for he may just be your quiet unassuming Summerville neighbor.
Ron L.
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Louis Cassels, in his Christian Primer, explains why God revealed himself in the way he did by telling the following story. One Christmas Eve a man stays home as his wife and children go to the midnight service. He is an unbeliever and thinks Christmas especially is filled with superstition.
As the man quietly reads a book he suddenly hears a thud at the window. Another thud quickly follows. When the man goes outside he notices a flock of birds lying in the snow; they had attempted to fly through the window in order to escape the snow. The man wants to help the stunned birds. He turns on a light in the barn, but the birds do not budge. He sprinkles a path of bread crumbs, hoping to entice them into the barn, but nothing happens. He even tries to shoo them into the barn, but they only scatter in all directions.
Finally he says: "If only I could be a bird for a few minutes, perhaps I could lead them to safety." In the background he hears the church bells ring, and he says: "Now I see why you had to do it."
Richard H.
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Famed preacher of the early church John Chrysostom [known as the one with a golden mouth] offers an intriguing insight into why Jesus suffered and died. Jesus tasted death, removing its fear from us, he says, like a caring doctor might inject himself with the medicine just prescribed in order to calm the patient's fears (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14, p. 384). What love! What empathy! To care so much for us that to still our fears of death Jesus actually took our medicine/punishment for us.
Mark E.
Mark 10:2-16
True or False: Eating pink pork will make you sick?
True -- once upon a time. The rule concerning cooking pork was that it should be well done. The reason: to kill off an ugly parasite called trichinosis. But who wants to eat dried-up pork chops? Today's government standards have all but eliminated that risk. In fact, it has been documented there have been only 12 reported cases from 1997-2001.
Culinary chefs, kitchen cooks, and master grillers recommend not overcooking pork. No more grey centers! Hear the oohs and ahhs as your guests cut into a chop's rosy center.
The test is in the eating. Tough, unchewable? Tender, melt-in-the-mouth good? Stand your ground against the opposition. Just look at today's gospel as the legalistic Pharisees tried to test Jesus.
Cynthia C.
Mark 10:2-16
In Kasto, Minnesota, there is a business called Drive-a-Tank. The twenty-acre site, located on an old limestone quarry, has eleven armored vehicles. For varying fees, one can chose an armored vehicle to drive and weapons to shoot. Special areas are set aside so you can drive a tank into a car or through a mobile home.
The director of the program, Tony Borglum, concedes that it is a visceral version of what millions of guys are doing everyday playing video games. The park, Borglum confesses, is ideal for satisfying one's inner Rambo.
Application: Perhaps we do have an inner Rambo, but its expression is not what Jesus expects of us. Instead, he placed a child on his lap as an example of how we are to come to him.
Ron L.
Mark 10:2-16
This is an uncomfortable text, no matter how one tries to read it. Fundamentally, Jesus is forbidding divorce, though in a later conversation there is acknowledgment of divorce (as a reality of the day), but then without remarriage as a condition. In other gospels, Jesus accepts "unchastity" as grounds for divorce. In the history of the church from early on, the church fathers listed other grounds for divorce that are not mentioned in scripture (for example, abandonment or parricide); plus, remarriage after divorce was eventually accepted. Regardless of one's approach to the issue of divorce, the words of Rabbi Eleazar (from the Talmud regarding Mishnah Gittin 90b) hold true: "[When a marriage ends in divorce], even the altar sheds tears."
Mark M.
Mark 10:2-16
I once wrote an essay "Can none Ph.D.s be saved?" I have friends who are Ph.D.s and I know they are humble, but I also know some who think that they have all the wisdom of God. The dean of my first seminary asked why we wanted to start a prayer group. It was like "If you want to know something, just ask me." Even some pastors act like we know everything, and if we don't know an answer to something we make one up to appear all-knowing. One little child leaving church asked the pastor, "Are you God?"
We should all read that passage in Mark where Jesus says we should come to him as a little child. Sometimes I have learned more from talking to a little child than I have from a Ph.D.! The most profound truths can be the simplest.
Bob O.
