Sermon Illustrations for Proper 27 | OT 32 (2021)
Illustration
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
There’s a branch of fantasy and science fiction that’s called Alternate History. Could history have come out differently? The Book of Ruth provides an alternative history to what we read in Judges and Samuel/Kings. One tradition is filled with violence without a king. The other, after the people beg for a king, is filled with violence with a king. The Book of Ruth demonstrates it doesn’t have to be this way. People can live within God’s law and act peaceably and righteously.
In the five verses from the third chapter Naomi sets up a situation that could end in sin and disaster. Having discovered that the field where Ruth was gleaning is owned by Boaz, a relative who should be their goel, the Hebrew word translated as Redeemer which refers to the guy in the family who fixes things, Naomi sends Ruth into a situation that could have ended with rape and rejection. Instead, everyone acts according to the law, and in due time the line of Naomi’s deceased husband is restored. Ultimately that line will include King David.
This is the alternative history where people are the best they can be. It’s possible. We can do this.
Frank R.
* * *
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Michael Shannon shares this wonderful story of redemption. A man named Joshua Allen Harris makes art out of trash bags and places them all over New York City. He will station them over air vents to give them a sense of life. Harris has made a sea serpent, giraffe, robot and bears. Whatever you may think of the value of this kind of art, it can be a kind of parable for those who think they are too bad to be redeemed. Ruth and Naomi were in a tight spot as we read in the book of Ruth. They needed a kinsman redeemer.
In the Old Testament an Israelite fell into slavery either because they went into debt or somehow they lost all of their possessions. In the case of Naomi, because her husband Elimelech and then her two sons died, she lost all the houses and lands and all the possessions that she had. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, was forced to go around into the fields. Naomi told Ruth to go find Boaz because he was their kinfolk. He was part of their family and had the legal right to redeem them. He could purchase the right to take them out of poverty. He could bring them back into prosperity.
In the Old Testament there were four conditions that had to be met before a kinsman redeemer could pay the price.
1. He had to be a kinsman. He had to be part of the family. There had to be a blood relationship.
2. He had to be acceptable to all the parties involved.
3. He had to be able to pay the price. He couldn’t, himself, be in debt, because if he were in debt he couldn’t pay the price of redemption.
4. He had to be willing.
Boaz met all for criterion and his marriage to Ruth is a beautiful ending to a story that had a sad beginning. We all have met people who thought they were too bad for God to love and use in his work. Maybe you think of yourself as trash, but God sees you as his masterpiece. Like Boaz did for Ruth, he wants to redeem you.
Bill T.
* * *
Hebrews 9:24-28
Christ’s sacrifice was a one and only experience; his death and resurrection was all that was and will ever be needed to realign our lives and spirits with God, to provide the opportunity for eternal life. The author of Hebrews writes, “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” For many this second coming is a rapture experience that happens in one moment, at one time. That is how people interpret this second coming and the resulting offering of eternal life to all the faithful. Another interpretation is that the sacrifice of Jesus allows each of us to have eternal life, to enter into that eternal life at the moment of our death, a sort of individual rapture experience. No matter what theological perspective you believe or understand, the reality is that we have been given the gift of eternal life through the single sacrifice, death and resulting resurrection of Jesus. Praise God it is so!
Bonnie B.
* * *
Hebrews 9:24-28
Martin Luther claimed it was of absolute importance to believe in Christ’s high priesthood. He wrote:
Therefore a Christian must be sure, yes, completely sure that Christ appears and is a priest before God in his behalf. (Luther’s Works, Vol.29, p.217)
Christ’s sacrifice is good, once for all, need not be repeated. On this matter John Calvin wrote:
... it is not required of a priest that he should be continually sacrificing; for even under the Law there were days appointed for the chief sacrifices every year... But as that only true sacrifice which Christ offered once for all is ever efficacious and thus perpetual in its effects, it is no wonder that on its virtue, which never fails, Christ’s eternal priesthood should be sustained. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.XXII/1, p.216)
Once born, a baby does to need to be physically born again. Once the Super Bowl or the seventh game of the World Series is over, there’s no replay. Likewise Jesus our High Priest does not need to perform other sacrifices. His completed Work has done the job for us all.
Mark E.
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
Oswald Chambers once said, “With Christ, it is not how much we give, but what we do not give that is the real test.”
Daniel Lioy tells this story in Lesson Commentary (September 2008-August 2009):
Marquis de Lafayette was a French officer who provided invaluable assistance to George Washington and the struggling American army. After the war was over, he returned to France and resumed his life as a farmer of many estates. In 1783, the harvest was a terrible one, and there were many who suffered as a result. Lafayette’s farms were unaffected by the devastating crop failures. One of his workers offered what seemed to be good advice to Lafayette, “The bad harvest has raised the price of wheat. This is the time to sell.” After thinking about the hungry peasants in the surrounding villages, Lafayette disagreed and said, “No, this is the time to give.”
“This is the time to give.” Those words seemed to be the driving force behind the widow of whom Jesus said, “Truly I tell you; this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (vs. 43-44) Will we recognize that today is a time to give?
Bill T.
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
In the first part of this passage Jesus warns against those who devour widow’s houses, leaving them with nothing. In the second part we witness the power of a widow who has nothing but still changes the world.
In that time it was important to be seen with powerful and influential people. They naturally gravitated to the best seats in the synagogue and at banquets, and all praised them. Yet in private, out of view, they took advantage of widows, who were a vulnerable population, seizing their property and leaving them penniless. Who did Jesus want to be seen with? Who does he point out? The widow who gives everything to the work of the Temple. Remember, only men were required to pay the temple tax. The widow was legally exempt, but she considered herself obligated and honored to give to God’s work. This passage is meant to shame us in our prosperity, and in our focus who those who are famous for being famous when it comes to the television shows we watch, the people we honor with our attention, the priorities we make as consumers of air time and social media.
Frank R.
There’s a branch of fantasy and science fiction that’s called Alternate History. Could history have come out differently? The Book of Ruth provides an alternative history to what we read in Judges and Samuel/Kings. One tradition is filled with violence without a king. The other, after the people beg for a king, is filled with violence with a king. The Book of Ruth demonstrates it doesn’t have to be this way. People can live within God’s law and act peaceably and righteously.
In the five verses from the third chapter Naomi sets up a situation that could end in sin and disaster. Having discovered that the field where Ruth was gleaning is owned by Boaz, a relative who should be their goel, the Hebrew word translated as Redeemer which refers to the guy in the family who fixes things, Naomi sends Ruth into a situation that could have ended with rape and rejection. Instead, everyone acts according to the law, and in due time the line of Naomi’s deceased husband is restored. Ultimately that line will include King David.
This is the alternative history where people are the best they can be. It’s possible. We can do this.
Frank R.
* * *
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Michael Shannon shares this wonderful story of redemption. A man named Joshua Allen Harris makes art out of trash bags and places them all over New York City. He will station them over air vents to give them a sense of life. Harris has made a sea serpent, giraffe, robot and bears. Whatever you may think of the value of this kind of art, it can be a kind of parable for those who think they are too bad to be redeemed. Ruth and Naomi were in a tight spot as we read in the book of Ruth. They needed a kinsman redeemer.
In the Old Testament an Israelite fell into slavery either because they went into debt or somehow they lost all of their possessions. In the case of Naomi, because her husband Elimelech and then her two sons died, she lost all the houses and lands and all the possessions that she had. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, was forced to go around into the fields. Naomi told Ruth to go find Boaz because he was their kinfolk. He was part of their family and had the legal right to redeem them. He could purchase the right to take them out of poverty. He could bring them back into prosperity.
In the Old Testament there were four conditions that had to be met before a kinsman redeemer could pay the price.
1. He had to be a kinsman. He had to be part of the family. There had to be a blood relationship.
2. He had to be acceptable to all the parties involved.
3. He had to be able to pay the price. He couldn’t, himself, be in debt, because if he were in debt he couldn’t pay the price of redemption.
4. He had to be willing.
Boaz met all for criterion and his marriage to Ruth is a beautiful ending to a story that had a sad beginning. We all have met people who thought they were too bad for God to love and use in his work. Maybe you think of yourself as trash, but God sees you as his masterpiece. Like Boaz did for Ruth, he wants to redeem you.
Bill T.
* * *
Hebrews 9:24-28
Christ’s sacrifice was a one and only experience; his death and resurrection was all that was and will ever be needed to realign our lives and spirits with God, to provide the opportunity for eternal life. The author of Hebrews writes, “Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” For many this second coming is a rapture experience that happens in one moment, at one time. That is how people interpret this second coming and the resulting offering of eternal life to all the faithful. Another interpretation is that the sacrifice of Jesus allows each of us to have eternal life, to enter into that eternal life at the moment of our death, a sort of individual rapture experience. No matter what theological perspective you believe or understand, the reality is that we have been given the gift of eternal life through the single sacrifice, death and resulting resurrection of Jesus. Praise God it is so!
Bonnie B.
* * *
Hebrews 9:24-28
Martin Luther claimed it was of absolute importance to believe in Christ’s high priesthood. He wrote:
Therefore a Christian must be sure, yes, completely sure that Christ appears and is a priest before God in his behalf. (Luther’s Works, Vol.29, p.217)
Christ’s sacrifice is good, once for all, need not be repeated. On this matter John Calvin wrote:
... it is not required of a priest that he should be continually sacrificing; for even under the Law there were days appointed for the chief sacrifices every year... But as that only true sacrifice which Christ offered once for all is ever efficacious and thus perpetual in its effects, it is no wonder that on its virtue, which never fails, Christ’s eternal priesthood should be sustained. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.XXII/1, p.216)
Once born, a baby does to need to be physically born again. Once the Super Bowl or the seventh game of the World Series is over, there’s no replay. Likewise Jesus our High Priest does not need to perform other sacrifices. His completed Work has done the job for us all.
Mark E.
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
Oswald Chambers once said, “With Christ, it is not how much we give, but what we do not give that is the real test.”
Daniel Lioy tells this story in Lesson Commentary (September 2008-August 2009):
Marquis de Lafayette was a French officer who provided invaluable assistance to George Washington and the struggling American army. After the war was over, he returned to France and resumed his life as a farmer of many estates. In 1783, the harvest was a terrible one, and there were many who suffered as a result. Lafayette’s farms were unaffected by the devastating crop failures. One of his workers offered what seemed to be good advice to Lafayette, “The bad harvest has raised the price of wheat. This is the time to sell.” After thinking about the hungry peasants in the surrounding villages, Lafayette disagreed and said, “No, this is the time to give.”
“This is the time to give.” Those words seemed to be the driving force behind the widow of whom Jesus said, “Truly I tell you; this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (vs. 43-44) Will we recognize that today is a time to give?
Bill T.
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
In the first part of this passage Jesus warns against those who devour widow’s houses, leaving them with nothing. In the second part we witness the power of a widow who has nothing but still changes the world.
In that time it was important to be seen with powerful and influential people. They naturally gravitated to the best seats in the synagogue and at banquets, and all praised them. Yet in private, out of view, they took advantage of widows, who were a vulnerable population, seizing their property and leaving them penniless. Who did Jesus want to be seen with? Who does he point out? The widow who gives everything to the work of the Temple. Remember, only men were required to pay the temple tax. The widow was legally exempt, but she considered herself obligated and honored to give to God’s work. This passage is meant to shame us in our prosperity, and in our focus who those who are famous for being famous when it comes to the television shows we watch, the people we honor with our attention, the priorities we make as consumers of air time and social media.
Frank R.
