Sermon Illustrations for Proper 7 | OT 12, Cycle B (2015)
Illustration
Object:
1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23) 32-49
What a story! In both our American Revolution and Napoleon’s attack on England, it seemed like America and Britain were facing giants -- but in the end they conquered their Goliaths with willpower and determination, not to mention the power of prayer in both battles.
I had a friend who fought in World War II against the Japanese, when the enemy had come out in strength and were doing us damage in the beginning -- but the will of our military and the power of prayer drove them back. I believe we felt that we were on the Lord’s side.
In Goliath’s case it was obvious that he had the military upper hand. The rest of the Philistine giants were behind him, but he was the greatest threat. It was put up or give up!
It is interesting that the Lord chose the least likely one to overcome him -- the little shepherd boy David. Why Saul trusted him with all that was at stake is another mystery, especially when David took off all of Saul’s armor and went out with nothing but a slingshot. But the point of the story is that whoever went to attack Goliath, it was the Lord who gave them victory. Always remember that in any war.
It is interesting to read about all the details of Biblical victories, but we can forget that in the end it was the Lord who gave those victories -- and he often made sure the military odds were with the enemy!
That is something for us to remember when we face what seem like overwhelming odds against us. We find out who is really in charge, though we like to credit our willpower and skill and other factors.
There is no “once for all” and that ends it. If it is not Goliath, someone else will come against us. No battle in the Bible is the last battle. The people’s sins often resulted in defeat and even being dragged away in exile to another country to do penance, but if the cause was just and the people put their trust in the Lord, they overcame.
Who is your Goliath? What is the greatest enemy in your life? Just be sure you are on the Lord’s side! Put your confidence in God, and not just in your skill and weaponry.
Bob O.
1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23) 32-49
David’s first taste of glory comes during a battle with the Philistines, when he defeats the giant Goliath with a few smooth stones from his sling (1 Samuel 17). The event has all the markings of ritual combat: the giant curses David by his gods, while Dvaid proclaims that he will “come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:4-5) and that, by his victory, “[a]ll the earth shall know that there is a God in Israel. And this whole assembly shall know that the Lord can give victory without sword or spear...” (1 Samuel 17:46-47).
(Michael Fishbane, Haftarot: The JPS Bible Commentary, p. 515)
Frank R.
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
In the spirit of this lesson, leading English Evangelical John Stott writes: “Instead of always being one of the chief bastions of the status quo, the Church is to develop a Christian counterculture with its own distinctive goals, values, standards, and lifestyle -- a realistic alternative to the contemporary technology that is marked by bondage, materialism, self-centeredness, and greed. Christ’s call to obedience is a call to be different, not conformist. Such a church -- joyful, obedient, loving, and free -- will do more than please God: it will attract the world” (Obeying Christ in a Changing World).
A 2011 Pew Research Center poll found that nearly half of American Christians (46%) felt it was more important to identify themselves as Christians than as Americans. Counterculturalism is not all dead in the American church.
We have something in our churches that can attract aging Baby Boomers, X-er and Millennial generations, if we package it right. Our counterculturalism is not found in how we dress, the English we speak, or the things we own.
No, as Martin Luther noted, our counterculturalism is found in how we offend logic with our attention to seemingly ordinary and poor things and people: “...Christ attracts all men by the knowledge and contemplation of himself and tears them away from things to which they clung to in the world” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 29, p. 132). “[T]he works of God are always unattractive and evil...” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 31, p. 44).
And about our freedom, Luther writes: “Rather we should with discretion and understanding adapt ourselves to that which promotes the neighbor’s welfare” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 4/1, p. 140). Christian values really go against American thinking. Christianity truly is a rebellious way of life!
Mark E.
Mark 4:35-41
Have you ever been in a situation that seemed hopeless? Those of us who are computer buffs have had times when our computer was down and there seemed no answer. I had one like that, and our son came over and pushed one button and it was fixed! We had no faith until he came. That was not life-threatening, but we had a situation last spring that made my wife and I very concerned. We had to move, but we had no place to go and we had no offers on our property. The storm was raging and it seemed like the Lord was sleeping -- and then two things happened. I was on the phone with a realtor up in Colorado who had a great property at a good price. While I was still on the phone with her, there was a knock at the door and our local realtor had just come to tell us that he had a sale for our property! What happened to the storm? How could the Lord calm our waters in the same moment?
I have talked with several friends who lived in the hurricane and tornado belts who told how they survived and attributed it to the Lord.
We should ask another question. What if our house were destroyed and there was nothing left of all that we had valued so much? What if we didn’t survive an earthly disaster? What if we went home to be with the Lord? How can we think of a greater blessing? Then our sea would be calmed for all eternity! When we think of what our faith teaches us about eternity with the Lord, why should we ever worry about anything? We are in the Lord’s hands, dead or alive! Let the storm rage! We flipped ahead and read the last chapter!
Is the Lord in your boat? Do you think he is sleeping and doesn’t care what happens to you? I’m not sure even I would have such faith that I wouldn’t cry out to him to save me. That is what it means to be human. The Lord may answer our prayer, but he still may ask us “Why didn’t you have faith? I was with you!”
Bob O.
Mark 4:35-41
For as many as are in the little ship of faith are sailing with the Lord; as many as are in the bark of holy church will voyage with the Lord across this wave-tossed life; though the Lord himself may sleep in holy quiet, he is but watching your patience and endurance: looking forward to the repentance, and to the conversion of those who have sinned. Come then to him eagerly, instant in prayer.
(Origen, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, p. 64)
Frank R.
What a story! In both our American Revolution and Napoleon’s attack on England, it seemed like America and Britain were facing giants -- but in the end they conquered their Goliaths with willpower and determination, not to mention the power of prayer in both battles.
I had a friend who fought in World War II against the Japanese, when the enemy had come out in strength and were doing us damage in the beginning -- but the will of our military and the power of prayer drove them back. I believe we felt that we were on the Lord’s side.
In Goliath’s case it was obvious that he had the military upper hand. The rest of the Philistine giants were behind him, but he was the greatest threat. It was put up or give up!
It is interesting that the Lord chose the least likely one to overcome him -- the little shepherd boy David. Why Saul trusted him with all that was at stake is another mystery, especially when David took off all of Saul’s armor and went out with nothing but a slingshot. But the point of the story is that whoever went to attack Goliath, it was the Lord who gave them victory. Always remember that in any war.
It is interesting to read about all the details of Biblical victories, but we can forget that in the end it was the Lord who gave those victories -- and he often made sure the military odds were with the enemy!
That is something for us to remember when we face what seem like overwhelming odds against us. We find out who is really in charge, though we like to credit our willpower and skill and other factors.
There is no “once for all” and that ends it. If it is not Goliath, someone else will come against us. No battle in the Bible is the last battle. The people’s sins often resulted in defeat and even being dragged away in exile to another country to do penance, but if the cause was just and the people put their trust in the Lord, they overcame.
Who is your Goliath? What is the greatest enemy in your life? Just be sure you are on the Lord’s side! Put your confidence in God, and not just in your skill and weaponry.
Bob O.
1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23) 32-49
David’s first taste of glory comes during a battle with the Philistines, when he defeats the giant Goliath with a few smooth stones from his sling (1 Samuel 17). The event has all the markings of ritual combat: the giant curses David by his gods, while Dvaid proclaims that he will “come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defied” (1 Samuel 17:4-5) and that, by his victory, “[a]ll the earth shall know that there is a God in Israel. And this whole assembly shall know that the Lord can give victory without sword or spear...” (1 Samuel 17:46-47).
(Michael Fishbane, Haftarot: The JPS Bible Commentary, p. 515)
Frank R.
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
In the spirit of this lesson, leading English Evangelical John Stott writes: “Instead of always being one of the chief bastions of the status quo, the Church is to develop a Christian counterculture with its own distinctive goals, values, standards, and lifestyle -- a realistic alternative to the contemporary technology that is marked by bondage, materialism, self-centeredness, and greed. Christ’s call to obedience is a call to be different, not conformist. Such a church -- joyful, obedient, loving, and free -- will do more than please God: it will attract the world” (Obeying Christ in a Changing World).
A 2011 Pew Research Center poll found that nearly half of American Christians (46%) felt it was more important to identify themselves as Christians than as Americans. Counterculturalism is not all dead in the American church.
We have something in our churches that can attract aging Baby Boomers, X-er and Millennial generations, if we package it right. Our counterculturalism is not found in how we dress, the English we speak, or the things we own.
No, as Martin Luther noted, our counterculturalism is found in how we offend logic with our attention to seemingly ordinary and poor things and people: “...Christ attracts all men by the knowledge and contemplation of himself and tears them away from things to which they clung to in the world” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 29, p. 132). “[T]he works of God are always unattractive and evil...” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 31, p. 44).
And about our freedom, Luther writes: “Rather we should with discretion and understanding adapt ourselves to that which promotes the neighbor’s welfare” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 4/1, p. 140). Christian values really go against American thinking. Christianity truly is a rebellious way of life!
Mark E.
Mark 4:35-41
Have you ever been in a situation that seemed hopeless? Those of us who are computer buffs have had times when our computer was down and there seemed no answer. I had one like that, and our son came over and pushed one button and it was fixed! We had no faith until he came. That was not life-threatening, but we had a situation last spring that made my wife and I very concerned. We had to move, but we had no place to go and we had no offers on our property. The storm was raging and it seemed like the Lord was sleeping -- and then two things happened. I was on the phone with a realtor up in Colorado who had a great property at a good price. While I was still on the phone with her, there was a knock at the door and our local realtor had just come to tell us that he had a sale for our property! What happened to the storm? How could the Lord calm our waters in the same moment?
I have talked with several friends who lived in the hurricane and tornado belts who told how they survived and attributed it to the Lord.
We should ask another question. What if our house were destroyed and there was nothing left of all that we had valued so much? What if we didn’t survive an earthly disaster? What if we went home to be with the Lord? How can we think of a greater blessing? Then our sea would be calmed for all eternity! When we think of what our faith teaches us about eternity with the Lord, why should we ever worry about anything? We are in the Lord’s hands, dead or alive! Let the storm rage! We flipped ahead and read the last chapter!
Is the Lord in your boat? Do you think he is sleeping and doesn’t care what happens to you? I’m not sure even I would have such faith that I wouldn’t cry out to him to save me. That is what it means to be human. The Lord may answer our prayer, but he still may ask us “Why didn’t you have faith? I was with you!”
Bob O.
Mark 4:35-41
For as many as are in the little ship of faith are sailing with the Lord; as many as are in the bark of holy church will voyage with the Lord across this wave-tossed life; though the Lord himself may sleep in holy quiet, he is but watching your patience and endurance: looking forward to the repentance, and to the conversion of those who have sinned. Come then to him eagerly, instant in prayer.
(Origen, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, p. 64)
Frank R.
