Sermon Illustrations for Proper 9 | OT 14 (2022)
Illustration
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
Naaman was not one to hide his emotions. In response to Elisha’s simple instructions to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River in order to be cured of his leprosy the “mighty warrior” flies into a rage! “I thought that for me he would surely come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!” Having admitted he had a problem and sought help from an expert, two positive steps, he reacts with anger because he wants healing accomplished with bells and whistles. Thankfully once he's called on it by his wife’s servant, the one who put him on to the prophet’s ability to cure, he comes to his senses and follows the regimen.
More is not necessarily better. I’m a bee keeper, and back in the 90’s, antibiotic strips were developed to combat a certain kind of mite that was afflicting our bee populations. The instructions were simple and direct. Put this many strips in a hive for this number of weeks, then take them out. However, some beekeepers figured if a little is good, more has to be better, so they doubled the number of strips they put in their hives and kept them in permanently. The result was that the mites developed a resistant strain, so that no antibiotics worked on them. We were stuck with the mites, and with hive loss. Follow the directions and get the desired result: Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Frank R.
* * *
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
I’ve been a football fan for a long time. Roger Staubach was one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He led the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl victory in 1971 and multiple playoff appearances. In an interview, he admitted that his position as a quarterback who didn’t call his own signals was a source of trial for him. Coach Tom Landry sent in every play. He told Roger when to pass, when to run, and only in emergency situations could he change the play. Even though Roger considered Coach Landry to have a “genius mind” when it came to football strategy, pride said that he should be able to run his own team.
Staubach had a decision to make. Would he allow pride to rule his life and ignore his coach, making himself the star? Or would he listen to the coach and do what he wanted? Staubach later said, “I faced up to the issue of obedience. Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment, and victory.”
“Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment and victory.” Those words resonate with this text. Naaman was insulted at Elijah’s instruction to dip in the Jordan River. “We have better rivers at home,” he fumed. His servants, though, offered wisdom. “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean?’” “Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment and victory.” That was true for Roger Staubach, and it was true for Naaman.
Bill T.
* * *
Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16
John Calvin offers some good advice regarding this lesson:
As we acknowledge that we are liable to sin, we more willingly grant that forgiveness to others which, in our turn, we expect will be extended to us. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. XXI/1, p. 172)
He adds that “there is no man by whom the smallest portion of praise is really deserved.” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. XXI/1, p. 175)
Martin Luther notes another way in which sin plays itself out in our lives. We become too concerned about how others judge us. Rather than seek acclaim, the first reformer would have us remain faithful to our vocations (the jobs to which God has called us). He adds, for “everyone should know that his work, regardless of the station of life in which he is, is a divine work.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 27, p.120) The lesson closes with a reference to the new creation (v.15), which Luther defines as “a work of the Holy Spirit, who implants a new intellect and will and confers the power to curb the flesh and to flee the righteousness and wisdom of the world.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 27, p.140)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
“I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.”
Say what? Back up. Say that again, Jesus. We just told you about our great success, stepping out in faith, carrying “no purse, no bag, no sandals,” and we found out “…in your name even the demons submit to us!” and you reply you saw Satan do what?
Don’t stop there. Tell us what happened. What did it look like? Did he make a noise as he fell? Who else was there? What started the whole mess, anyway?
This statement of Jesus always catches me up short. When I was a kid and opened the Bible for the first time the first thing I expected to read about was the rebellion of Lucifer and his angels and them casting out of heaven. Uh, not there.
It got worse. I learned that the serpent in the garden might have just been a snake and had nothing to do with Satan. And Satan looks like part of the paid staff, the prosecuting attorney, in the first two chapters of Job.
I think you have to go to Revelation 12 to see Lucifer casts out of heaven by the archangel Michael, and it’s not clear to me if that happened in the past, the present, the future and maybe in all times. But it’s clear it happened in eternity, and it’s final. And the result is that we should rejoice that our “…names are written in heaven.” In other words, its dangerous out there. Keep your head low because you’re caught in the crossfire. Our enemy is defeated but doesn’t seem to know it yet. But no matter what happens to us personally, we’re in.
So what weapon do we bring to this cosmic battle? Folks, when Jesus sent out these seventy disciples, he told them to bring the peace of Christ to every house they visited. The peace of Christ includes accepting hospitality, not trying to play one person against another to see what kind of deal you can get, allowing other people to give which means learning to receive, and working together as pairs and in larger groups to do the work of Christ instead of thinking of ourselves as lone guns who don’t need help.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Charles Spurgeon once said, “There is a marvelous medicinal power in joy. Most medicines are distasteful; but this, which is the best of all medicines, is sweet to the taste, and comforting to the heart. This blessed joy is very contagious. One dolorous spirit brings a kind of plague into the house; one person who is wretched seems to stop all the birds from singing wherever he goes . . . [But] the grace of joy is contagious. Holy joy will oil the wheels of your life’s machinery. Holy joy will strengthen you for your daily labor. Holy joy will beautify you and give you an influence over the lives of others.”
I found this anecdote in the Christopher News Notes of August 1993. Author Leo Buscaglia tells a story about his mother and their misery dinner. It was the night after his father came home and said it looked like he would have to go into bankruptcy. His partner had departed with their firm’s funds. Upon hearing that, Buscaglia’s mother went out and sold some jewelry to buy food for a sumptuous feast. Other members of the family scolded her for it, but she told them that “the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week.”
In this text, Jesus spoke of the time for joy and the reason for joy. The seventy had experienced and done so much, they returned with joy. However, Jesus makes it clear what the most important reason for joy is: your name is written in heaven.
Bill T.
Naaman was not one to hide his emotions. In response to Elisha’s simple instructions to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River in order to be cured of his leprosy the “mighty warrior” flies into a rage! “I thought that for me he would surely come out and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!” Having admitted he had a problem and sought help from an expert, two positive steps, he reacts with anger because he wants healing accomplished with bells and whistles. Thankfully once he's called on it by his wife’s servant, the one who put him on to the prophet’s ability to cure, he comes to his senses and follows the regimen.
More is not necessarily better. I’m a bee keeper, and back in the 90’s, antibiotic strips were developed to combat a certain kind of mite that was afflicting our bee populations. The instructions were simple and direct. Put this many strips in a hive for this number of weeks, then take them out. However, some beekeepers figured if a little is good, more has to be better, so they doubled the number of strips they put in their hives and kept them in permanently. The result was that the mites developed a resistant strain, so that no antibiotics worked on them. We were stuck with the mites, and with hive loss. Follow the directions and get the desired result: Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Frank R.
* * *
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
I’ve been a football fan for a long time. Roger Staubach was one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He led the Dallas Cowboys to the Super Bowl victory in 1971 and multiple playoff appearances. In an interview, he admitted that his position as a quarterback who didn’t call his own signals was a source of trial for him. Coach Tom Landry sent in every play. He told Roger when to pass, when to run, and only in emergency situations could he change the play. Even though Roger considered Coach Landry to have a “genius mind” when it came to football strategy, pride said that he should be able to run his own team.
Staubach had a decision to make. Would he allow pride to rule his life and ignore his coach, making himself the star? Or would he listen to the coach and do what he wanted? Staubach later said, “I faced up to the issue of obedience. Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment, and victory.”
“Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment and victory.” Those words resonate with this text. Naaman was insulted at Elijah’s instruction to dip in the Jordan River. “We have better rivers at home,” he fumed. His servants, though, offered wisdom. “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean?’” “Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment and victory.” That was true for Roger Staubach, and it was true for Naaman.
Bill T.
* * *
Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16
John Calvin offers some good advice regarding this lesson:
As we acknowledge that we are liable to sin, we more willingly grant that forgiveness to others which, in our turn, we expect will be extended to us. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. XXI/1, p. 172)
He adds that “there is no man by whom the smallest portion of praise is really deserved.” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. XXI/1, p. 175)
Martin Luther notes another way in which sin plays itself out in our lives. We become too concerned about how others judge us. Rather than seek acclaim, the first reformer would have us remain faithful to our vocations (the jobs to which God has called us). He adds, for “everyone should know that his work, regardless of the station of life in which he is, is a divine work.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 27, p.120) The lesson closes with a reference to the new creation (v.15), which Luther defines as “a work of the Holy Spirit, who implants a new intellect and will and confers the power to curb the flesh and to flee the righteousness and wisdom of the world.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 27, p.140)
Mark E.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
“I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.”
Say what? Back up. Say that again, Jesus. We just told you about our great success, stepping out in faith, carrying “no purse, no bag, no sandals,” and we found out “…in your name even the demons submit to us!” and you reply you saw Satan do what?
Don’t stop there. Tell us what happened. What did it look like? Did he make a noise as he fell? Who else was there? What started the whole mess, anyway?
This statement of Jesus always catches me up short. When I was a kid and opened the Bible for the first time the first thing I expected to read about was the rebellion of Lucifer and his angels and them casting out of heaven. Uh, not there.
It got worse. I learned that the serpent in the garden might have just been a snake and had nothing to do with Satan. And Satan looks like part of the paid staff, the prosecuting attorney, in the first two chapters of Job.
I think you have to go to Revelation 12 to see Lucifer casts out of heaven by the archangel Michael, and it’s not clear to me if that happened in the past, the present, the future and maybe in all times. But it’s clear it happened in eternity, and it’s final. And the result is that we should rejoice that our “…names are written in heaven.” In other words, its dangerous out there. Keep your head low because you’re caught in the crossfire. Our enemy is defeated but doesn’t seem to know it yet. But no matter what happens to us personally, we’re in.
So what weapon do we bring to this cosmic battle? Folks, when Jesus sent out these seventy disciples, he told them to bring the peace of Christ to every house they visited. The peace of Christ includes accepting hospitality, not trying to play one person against another to see what kind of deal you can get, allowing other people to give which means learning to receive, and working together as pairs and in larger groups to do the work of Christ instead of thinking of ourselves as lone guns who don’t need help.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Charles Spurgeon once said, “There is a marvelous medicinal power in joy. Most medicines are distasteful; but this, which is the best of all medicines, is sweet to the taste, and comforting to the heart. This blessed joy is very contagious. One dolorous spirit brings a kind of plague into the house; one person who is wretched seems to stop all the birds from singing wherever he goes . . . [But] the grace of joy is contagious. Holy joy will oil the wheels of your life’s machinery. Holy joy will strengthen you for your daily labor. Holy joy will beautify you and give you an influence over the lives of others.”
I found this anecdote in the Christopher News Notes of August 1993. Author Leo Buscaglia tells a story about his mother and their misery dinner. It was the night after his father came home and said it looked like he would have to go into bankruptcy. His partner had departed with their firm’s funds. Upon hearing that, Buscaglia’s mother went out and sold some jewelry to buy food for a sumptuous feast. Other members of the family scolded her for it, but she told them that “the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week.”
In this text, Jesus spoke of the time for joy and the reason for joy. The seventy had experienced and done so much, they returned with joy. However, Jesus makes it clear what the most important reason for joy is: your name is written in heaven.
Bill T.
