Sermon Illustrations for Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 (2016)
Illustration
Object:
Joel 2:23-32
C.S. Lewis wrote the powerful Chronicles of Narnia series, which has spawned a number of movies. One of the more popular novels in that series is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Near the end of the story, after the White Witch has been defeated, Aslan (the lion) is walking along the seacoast. Lucy and Mr. Beaver are in a balcony overlooking the sea and notice him leaving. Lucy considers Aslan, knowing his strength and pondering whether he is safe. Mr. Beaver has a quick reply. “Safe? Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
As we look at our text in the book of Joel this week, we see the return of God’s people. Like in Narnia, it is a time of celebration. The last four verses of this passage, though, are a vivid reminder of God’s power. Visible signs of the Spirit on sons and daughters; signs in the heavens and on earth: blood, fire, and smoke; the sun and moon will be altered. These are jarring words. Reading or hearing those words would make anyone stop and think. Considering the awesomeness of God, we can join in with Mr. Beaver. Is he safe? Well, no, not really. But he is good. He is the King and he is good. Will you trust him?
Bill T.
Joel 2:23-32
I desire only peace and plenty. That seems like a reasonable request -- after all, I am a person of faith. I try to live by the gospel. Why do bad things happen to me? What have I ever done to deserve them?
I’ve thought these thoughts -- haven’t you? Whatever did I do that caused me to deserve grief, or loss, or unemployment, or hunger, or illness? I hear this all the time. I think this some of the time. We often wonder why we people of faith experience the same trials and tribulations as those who don’t have a faith practice or even a belief in God. The Israelites, I am almost positive, thought the same things. Why were they a conquered and dispersed people? Why did it seem that God was cursing them?
Human beings suffer. We fail, we fall, we go hungry, we start and participate in wars, we are hurt and injured, and we die. It is the nature of human existence to experience tribulation as well as joy. Joel’s prophecy reminds the Israelites and us that God is still present, that better times are coming, that there is more ahead of us than the human challenges we have. Joel’s message is one of hope. Let’s live into hope. It can make all the difference.
Bonnie B.
Joel 2:22-32
“Rain” is a symbol of God’s righteousness -- without his righteousness there would be no crop. The more rain the better! With God there will be a big crop. It sounds like this rain and the big crop is to make up for the disastrous years of “locusts.” God makes up for the troubles we have (some say troubles he gives us!). Sometimes this is to make us grow up and be stronger. It also makes us more dependent on God!
Even if God is testing us here, it will make us stronger in spirit and one day we will be with him forever. Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved and belong to him.
Each one may take things differently. Some will look sad and defeated -- even crying and looking for support. On the other hand, I have seen people happy at funerals. They might be happy because a loved one’s pain has ended, or they may be happy because they know where the deceased are going and that they will join them one day.
God promises to pour out his Spirit on all people -- including us -- so that we will find hope and even joy in him. It is in our churches that we receive this Spirit. We should feel joy as well as support for our weaknesses.
Bob O.
Joel 2:23-32
The sacred poet John Donne, in his more worldly years, asked (in the poem “Go and Catch a Falling Star”): “Tell me where all past years are.” It’s just one of the impossible demands he makes in the poem.
This feeling that time past is time lost weighed even more heavily on him when he later wrote, imagining the Judgment Day when all would rise and be reunited with their bodies:
But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space,
For if above all these my sins abound,
’Tis late to ask abundance of thy grace
When we are there; here on this lowly ground
Teach me how to repent; for that’s as good
As if thou hadst seal’d my pardon with thy blood.
In this scripture passage, though the hopes of the people lie in tatters in the wake of devastation following a plague of insects, God would restore those lost years. That seems impossible. Following a financial crash or a bad investment or the loss of friends and family, how can what is lost be restored? Even so, there seems to be a promise that the contentment that will follow will restore heart’s ease and also restore the lost sense of security that was also a victim of the natural disaster.
Frank R.
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
November 2, 2002, was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was attending the Kentucky-LSU football game. As nationally ranked defending Southeastern Conference (SEC) champions, the visiting LSU Tigers were heavily favored -- and by early in the fourth quarter they led Kentucky by ten points.
The home team, however, mounted an unexpected comeback and tied LSU late in the game. Then, with only 15 seconds remaining the Wildcats drove the ball deep into LSU territory and kicked a field goal to go ahead by three points. After the ensuing kickoff, LSU started on its own 9 yard-line. A sideline pass advanced the ball to the 26 yard-line.
With only two seconds remaining, the Kentucky victory seemed so inevitable that the Big Blue players dumped a five-gallon container of Gatorade on the head coach while 60,000 home team fans went wild. On the last play, as the LSU quarterback was scrambling in the backfield, Kentucky fans began to storm the field in the anticipation of triumph.
Before either Kentucky players or fans could stop him, the LSU quarterback heaved the ball as hard and far as he could. Nearly 60 yards downfield, it descended in a crowd of mostly Kentucky players before being caught by an LSU Tiger who raced to the end zone.
I watched this scene in disbelief from near the top of the stadium. The home team had lost on the last play. LSU fans refer to that game as “The Miracle in the Bluegrass.” Kentucky fans remember it as the day that confirmed the truth of Yogi Berra’s comment: “It ain’t over until it’s over.”
There is much to learn from Yogi’s observation. Don’t count the victory until the game is over. Finish the game. Finish the race. That principle has wide application to life in general. Stay in the game until the end. Don’t quit early on the joy of living.
R. Robert C.
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
William Gaines was a prize-winning investigative reporter who wrote for the Chicago Tribune. Gaines decided to become an investigative reporter when he realized that he needed to do more than just report the news; he also wanted make a difference in society because of the news. Gaines said: “I discovered that I would have to be an investigative reporter to satisfy my quest for finding and reporting the news. In this role I could investigate and then report my findings. I could help by revealing wrongdoing.”
Application: Paul says we are to fight the good fight, and in doing so we are to make a difference in society.
Ron L.
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Franklin Roosevelt’s comments during the Depression are still right today: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” American writer James Baldwin analyzed fear and its implications for racism and hate: “I imagine the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.” These comments seem to explain the Trump phenomenon. Scared of our new neighbors and the poor, we are led to hate them so much as to find ways to get them or keep them out.
Martin Luther gives good advice on how faith gives courage, helps us overcome fear like Paul did. Faith gets us away from our feelings and so our fears: “...Formerly I have often said that feeling and believing are different in kind. The nature of faith is not to feel but to let reason go, close the eyes, and simply surrender to the Word.... Therefore feeling is opposed to faith; faith to feeling” (What Luther Says, pp. 512-513).
Christ’s overcoming of our fears in this way sets us free. And then we can recognize the wisdom of Aristotle: “He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.” America will be a lot freer and inclined to welcome strangers as faith gets us over our fears of the future and each other.
Mark E.
Luke 18:9-14
Linked with the Joel 2 passage from this week’s lectionary, we can delve once again into our human sense of entitlement. We have been faithful, so we deserve the most rewards. The Pharisee sees himself as worthy. He does all the right things. He follows all the guidelines of the Law. He is a righteous man deserving of respect. Why, he is even more generous than he needs to be with his offering to the church. That should earn him some respect and recognition!
Not so in the eyes of Jesus. There is no humility in the attitude of the Pharisee, no gratefulness for the abundance he has. Rather there is judgment for those who have, and who in the opinion of the Pharisee are, less.
It is the humility, the repentance, the dependence on God’s grace expressed by the tax collector that pleases Jesus. Those of us -- and I’ll bet this includes most of us at one time or another -- who believe in our worthiness and our superior faithfulness need to remember humility as a great gift from God, a gift that reminds us that God’s grace pours over us and those with less and with more. That is truly living into our faith and our righteousness.
Bonnie B.
Luke 18:9-14
In the 2006 Pixar movie Cars, Lightning McQueen (the main character/car) believes that he is better than all the other cars. There is a line from the movie in which McQueen is quoted as saying, “I’m a very famous race car!” Now, if you’re familiar with this animation classic then you know that the movie progresses to teach McQueen some humility and the value of looking at what others contribute -- especially my favorite tow truck, Mater.
Humility can be an elusive thing. The temptation to compare ourselves to others and to brag about coming out on top is powerful. How many times have we looked over at the neighbor’s house or yard and thought “mine’s better”? How many times have we looked at someone else’s kids and shook our heads, knowing that our kids would never do that? Have we ever stepped back and analyzed just how good or valuable we are to our family, our work, or our church? The Pharisee in today’s reading struggled with the same thing. He couldn’t get his eyes off of himself. The old Mac Davis song is right -- it is hard to be humble. It was hard for Lightning McQueen. It was hard for the Pharisee. Is it hard for you?
Bill T.
Luke 18:9-14
This passage reminds me of the time when I was a jail chaplain in addition to my pastorate. When I brought any of the prisoners to church, I could hear some of the members thanking the Lord that they were not like those wicked prisoners! Some only showed it with their mouth when they sneered at them. I used this passage to wake them up to their need for humility. Sometimes I even risked telling them about one of my sins. I reminded them that sins are not just in actions -- they are in thought and word as well as deed.
I saw one of my councilmen glance over at a very pretty young woman. His gaze was riveted on her. I knew what was going through his mind (it might have been going through mine as well!). I met my new wife when I spotted a pretty woman whom I had not met before come into the church. I went to see her the next day with my evangelism chairman. When we left, he said, “Next time you go back alone!” He saw what I was thinking. He was our best man when we were married the next year.
It can be hard for a pastor to be humble -- we like it when others exalt us! But when we go back home in the evening, we should give it all back to the Lord.
It is a constant up-and-down battle we face. Do you face it?
Bob O.
Luke 18:9-14
Tax collectors rule; Pharisees drool. Slam dunk. Game over.
But when it comes to this familiar parable, let’s be honest. Isn’t the Pharisee the perfect church member? He is a tither who can pray in public. He’s a familiar face at church and is probably well connected. He’d be great as a worship leader and a stewardship chair, wouldn’t he?
And how many of us really want an outcast, a hated collaborator with the enemy, to start coming to church? Even if he is forgiven by God, we’re not sure we want to be seen with him. We’re sure not going to photobomb his selfie!
Jesus sure makes things hard!
Frank R.
C.S. Lewis wrote the powerful Chronicles of Narnia series, which has spawned a number of movies. One of the more popular novels in that series is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Near the end of the story, after the White Witch has been defeated, Aslan (the lion) is walking along the seacoast. Lucy and Mr. Beaver are in a balcony overlooking the sea and notice him leaving. Lucy considers Aslan, knowing his strength and pondering whether he is safe. Mr. Beaver has a quick reply. “Safe? Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
As we look at our text in the book of Joel this week, we see the return of God’s people. Like in Narnia, it is a time of celebration. The last four verses of this passage, though, are a vivid reminder of God’s power. Visible signs of the Spirit on sons and daughters; signs in the heavens and on earth: blood, fire, and smoke; the sun and moon will be altered. These are jarring words. Reading or hearing those words would make anyone stop and think. Considering the awesomeness of God, we can join in with Mr. Beaver. Is he safe? Well, no, not really. But he is good. He is the King and he is good. Will you trust him?
Bill T.
Joel 2:23-32
I desire only peace and plenty. That seems like a reasonable request -- after all, I am a person of faith. I try to live by the gospel. Why do bad things happen to me? What have I ever done to deserve them?
I’ve thought these thoughts -- haven’t you? Whatever did I do that caused me to deserve grief, or loss, or unemployment, or hunger, or illness? I hear this all the time. I think this some of the time. We often wonder why we people of faith experience the same trials and tribulations as those who don’t have a faith practice or even a belief in God. The Israelites, I am almost positive, thought the same things. Why were they a conquered and dispersed people? Why did it seem that God was cursing them?
Human beings suffer. We fail, we fall, we go hungry, we start and participate in wars, we are hurt and injured, and we die. It is the nature of human existence to experience tribulation as well as joy. Joel’s prophecy reminds the Israelites and us that God is still present, that better times are coming, that there is more ahead of us than the human challenges we have. Joel’s message is one of hope. Let’s live into hope. It can make all the difference.
Bonnie B.
Joel 2:22-32
“Rain” is a symbol of God’s righteousness -- without his righteousness there would be no crop. The more rain the better! With God there will be a big crop. It sounds like this rain and the big crop is to make up for the disastrous years of “locusts.” God makes up for the troubles we have (some say troubles he gives us!). Sometimes this is to make us grow up and be stronger. It also makes us more dependent on God!
Even if God is testing us here, it will make us stronger in spirit and one day we will be with him forever. Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved and belong to him.
Each one may take things differently. Some will look sad and defeated -- even crying and looking for support. On the other hand, I have seen people happy at funerals. They might be happy because a loved one’s pain has ended, or they may be happy because they know where the deceased are going and that they will join them one day.
God promises to pour out his Spirit on all people -- including us -- so that we will find hope and even joy in him. It is in our churches that we receive this Spirit. We should feel joy as well as support for our weaknesses.
Bob O.
Joel 2:23-32
The sacred poet John Donne, in his more worldly years, asked (in the poem “Go and Catch a Falling Star”): “Tell me where all past years are.” It’s just one of the impossible demands he makes in the poem.
This feeling that time past is time lost weighed even more heavily on him when he later wrote, imagining the Judgment Day when all would rise and be reunited with their bodies:
But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space,
For if above all these my sins abound,
’Tis late to ask abundance of thy grace
When we are there; here on this lowly ground
Teach me how to repent; for that’s as good
As if thou hadst seal’d my pardon with thy blood.
In this scripture passage, though the hopes of the people lie in tatters in the wake of devastation following a plague of insects, God would restore those lost years. That seems impossible. Following a financial crash or a bad investment or the loss of friends and family, how can what is lost be restored? Even so, there seems to be a promise that the contentment that will follow will restore heart’s ease and also restore the lost sense of security that was also a victim of the natural disaster.
Frank R.
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
November 2, 2002, was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was attending the Kentucky-LSU football game. As nationally ranked defending Southeastern Conference (SEC) champions, the visiting LSU Tigers were heavily favored -- and by early in the fourth quarter they led Kentucky by ten points.
The home team, however, mounted an unexpected comeback and tied LSU late in the game. Then, with only 15 seconds remaining the Wildcats drove the ball deep into LSU territory and kicked a field goal to go ahead by three points. After the ensuing kickoff, LSU started on its own 9 yard-line. A sideline pass advanced the ball to the 26 yard-line.
With only two seconds remaining, the Kentucky victory seemed so inevitable that the Big Blue players dumped a five-gallon container of Gatorade on the head coach while 60,000 home team fans went wild. On the last play, as the LSU quarterback was scrambling in the backfield, Kentucky fans began to storm the field in the anticipation of triumph.
Before either Kentucky players or fans could stop him, the LSU quarterback heaved the ball as hard and far as he could. Nearly 60 yards downfield, it descended in a crowd of mostly Kentucky players before being caught by an LSU Tiger who raced to the end zone.
I watched this scene in disbelief from near the top of the stadium. The home team had lost on the last play. LSU fans refer to that game as “The Miracle in the Bluegrass.” Kentucky fans remember it as the day that confirmed the truth of Yogi Berra’s comment: “It ain’t over until it’s over.”
There is much to learn from Yogi’s observation. Don’t count the victory until the game is over. Finish the game. Finish the race. That principle has wide application to life in general. Stay in the game until the end. Don’t quit early on the joy of living.
R. Robert C.
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
William Gaines was a prize-winning investigative reporter who wrote for the Chicago Tribune. Gaines decided to become an investigative reporter when he realized that he needed to do more than just report the news; he also wanted make a difference in society because of the news. Gaines said: “I discovered that I would have to be an investigative reporter to satisfy my quest for finding and reporting the news. In this role I could investigate and then report my findings. I could help by revealing wrongdoing.”
Application: Paul says we are to fight the good fight, and in doing so we are to make a difference in society.
Ron L.
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Franklin Roosevelt’s comments during the Depression are still right today: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” American writer James Baldwin analyzed fear and its implications for racism and hate: “I imagine the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.” These comments seem to explain the Trump phenomenon. Scared of our new neighbors and the poor, we are led to hate them so much as to find ways to get them or keep them out.
Martin Luther gives good advice on how faith gives courage, helps us overcome fear like Paul did. Faith gets us away from our feelings and so our fears: “...Formerly I have often said that feeling and believing are different in kind. The nature of faith is not to feel but to let reason go, close the eyes, and simply surrender to the Word.... Therefore feeling is opposed to faith; faith to feeling” (What Luther Says, pp. 512-513).
Christ’s overcoming of our fears in this way sets us free. And then we can recognize the wisdom of Aristotle: “He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.” America will be a lot freer and inclined to welcome strangers as faith gets us over our fears of the future and each other.
Mark E.
Luke 18:9-14
Linked with the Joel 2 passage from this week’s lectionary, we can delve once again into our human sense of entitlement. We have been faithful, so we deserve the most rewards. The Pharisee sees himself as worthy. He does all the right things. He follows all the guidelines of the Law. He is a righteous man deserving of respect. Why, he is even more generous than he needs to be with his offering to the church. That should earn him some respect and recognition!
Not so in the eyes of Jesus. There is no humility in the attitude of the Pharisee, no gratefulness for the abundance he has. Rather there is judgment for those who have, and who in the opinion of the Pharisee are, less.
It is the humility, the repentance, the dependence on God’s grace expressed by the tax collector that pleases Jesus. Those of us -- and I’ll bet this includes most of us at one time or another -- who believe in our worthiness and our superior faithfulness need to remember humility as a great gift from God, a gift that reminds us that God’s grace pours over us and those with less and with more. That is truly living into our faith and our righteousness.
Bonnie B.
Luke 18:9-14
In the 2006 Pixar movie Cars, Lightning McQueen (the main character/car) believes that he is better than all the other cars. There is a line from the movie in which McQueen is quoted as saying, “I’m a very famous race car!” Now, if you’re familiar with this animation classic then you know that the movie progresses to teach McQueen some humility and the value of looking at what others contribute -- especially my favorite tow truck, Mater.
Humility can be an elusive thing. The temptation to compare ourselves to others and to brag about coming out on top is powerful. How many times have we looked over at the neighbor’s house or yard and thought “mine’s better”? How many times have we looked at someone else’s kids and shook our heads, knowing that our kids would never do that? Have we ever stepped back and analyzed just how good or valuable we are to our family, our work, or our church? The Pharisee in today’s reading struggled with the same thing. He couldn’t get his eyes off of himself. The old Mac Davis song is right -- it is hard to be humble. It was hard for Lightning McQueen. It was hard for the Pharisee. Is it hard for you?
Bill T.
Luke 18:9-14
This passage reminds me of the time when I was a jail chaplain in addition to my pastorate. When I brought any of the prisoners to church, I could hear some of the members thanking the Lord that they were not like those wicked prisoners! Some only showed it with their mouth when they sneered at them. I used this passage to wake them up to their need for humility. Sometimes I even risked telling them about one of my sins. I reminded them that sins are not just in actions -- they are in thought and word as well as deed.
I saw one of my councilmen glance over at a very pretty young woman. His gaze was riveted on her. I knew what was going through his mind (it might have been going through mine as well!). I met my new wife when I spotted a pretty woman whom I had not met before come into the church. I went to see her the next day with my evangelism chairman. When we left, he said, “Next time you go back alone!” He saw what I was thinking. He was our best man when we were married the next year.
It can be hard for a pastor to be humble -- we like it when others exalt us! But when we go back home in the evening, we should give it all back to the Lord.
It is a constant up-and-down battle we face. Do you face it?
Bob O.
Luke 18:9-14
Tax collectors rule; Pharisees drool. Slam dunk. Game over.
But when it comes to this familiar parable, let’s be honest. Isn’t the Pharisee the perfect church member? He is a tither who can pray in public. He’s a familiar face at church and is probably well connected. He’d be great as a worship leader and a stewardship chair, wouldn’t he?
And how many of us really want an outcast, a hated collaborator with the enemy, to start coming to church? Even if he is forgiven by God, we’re not sure we want to be seen with him. We’re sure not going to photobomb his selfie!
Jesus sure makes things hard!
Frank R.
