Sermons Illustrations for Proper 13 | OT 18 (2013)
Illustration
Object:
Hosea 11:1-11
In the comic strip Frank & Ernest, those two motley characters are sitting behind a building next to a garbage dumpster. Frank says to his pal Ernest, "I spent years looking for the key to success -- and then I found out it's a combination lock."
Application: The people of Israel, though seeking after God, and at times drifting away from God, seldom seemed to understand God.
Ron L.
Hosea 1:1-11
The book of Hosea is all about forgiveness -- the forgiveness of the prostitute, of the whore Israel, and of us. John Calvin beautifully unpacks how God's forgiveness emerges even in the midst of all the talk of judgment in the Old Testament:
"And if any person be disposed to inquire how it comes to pass that the prophet, after treating the judgments and severity of God now makes mention of his loving-kindness, I answer, that his loving-kindness shines most conspicuously and occupies a very prominent place in all that he does; for he is naturally prone, to loving-kindness, but which also he draws us to himself" (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. VI/1, p. 267).
God's love draws us out of ourselves, and then tenderly excuses us. Late medieval English mystic Julian of Norwich made this point: "And so it goes with all of us who are sinners. But though it is true that we do this frequently, His goodness never allows us to be alone. Continuously he is with us, tenderly he excuses us, and always he shields us from blame in his sight" (The Revelation of Divine Love, p. 203).
Mark E.
Hosea 11:1-11
When people reach their teens, their twenties, and beyond, they often complain that their parents still view them as children. They have reason to be frustrated by this. Continuing to treat someone as a child once they are grown shows no respect to the adult that person has become. But here's what goes on in a parent's mind. Certain images always stay with you: your child's birth, their first day of school, teaching them to drive, prom night, graduation day. Every time a parent sees their adult child, they also see a baby, a toddler, an adolescent, and a teen. Seeing who the child was is part of seeing who the child is.
Scott B.
Colossians 3:1-11
If we claim Christ as our Lord, then we should set our minds on heavenly things. Is going to church a burden? Is Christ just our insurance policy that we can shut up and keep in our mental drawer? Does our mind immediately go back to earthly things when we walk out the door after a service or Bible study? Do we want to wait until we are a bit closer to the "checkout counter"? We don't know the hour or the day! People are killed or die in accidents or from diseases every day! Are we ready? Paul says that Christ should be the center of our lives now.
Does Christ want us to be enthusiasts who drive away everyone? Should we make ourselves a nuisance to others? This passage is pointed at us to purify ourselves! Even President Carter admitted "I have lusted" (which some say cost him the election).
When we see that list of sins, which start in the heart, how can we ever hope to purify ourselves? We know we can't do it without God's help, and Paul is telling us that that can only come if we spend our time putting our minds on things above and not just on earthly things.
I said "just" because there are earthly things we have to think of, but there are also thoughts that we have to avoid. Is there ever an election that did not involve anger and yes even greed? Do we weigh our desires to see if some are evil? Paul calls all these things idolatry. Idolatry means putting anything ahead of our devotion to God! Do we worship money? We need to examine ourselves and check our priorities. When we look at ourselves honestly it should encourage us to put our mind on heavenly things, on what God wants to put in our hearts.
Most of us can't remember a time before we were Christian. We were baptized as babies, but there are turning points as in confirmation. We are taught to lead a life with God as the center. It is very discouraging to see the number of those confirmed who may never be seen in church again! How often do we hear filthy language coming from some (when they don't think we are listening, of course)? Don't we even feel justified in feeling anger and slandering those who we feel are on the wrong side of our ideals or principles? We may even lie to prove our points! That certainly shows that we are not keeping our minds on things above -- as lofty as our principles might be! We need to remember that Jesus died for people and not principles. The Pharisees were the most principled people in Jesus' day. So don't divide us into all kinds of groups. Remember that Jesus is all and in all, so make a resolution to put him at the top of your list of things to think about.
Bob O.
Colossians 3:1-11
Scientists are always trying to unify observations into theories and then gather many theories into a higher view that explains several theories at once in the hope of arriving at "a theory of everything," unifying our understanding of the universe in a single equation, formula, or theorem. Newton's laws of gravitation explain much of the work of Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Boyle's law of gases. Quantum mechanics came along and united three of the four fundamental forces: electromagnetism, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force. Today, superstring theory holds the imagination of many in uniting the world of physics in one grand unified field theory, including the elusive gravitational field.
On a spiritual level, Paul is saying that in Christ we have a unified field perspective that oversees all human happenings -- those characteristics that get us into trouble and those that are godly. In Christ we are, as it were, above the nitty-gritty of the particularities of life, such that we can see how it should all fit together "all and in all" -- unified into one.
Mark M.
Luke 12:13-21
Matt Damon is a devoted husband and father. When he thinks of his four children, ages 2 to 14, he says, "My heart has grown seven sizes."
Application: When we store our treasures with God, our heart will grow seven sizes.
Ron L.
Luke 12:13-21
They say that you can't take it with you, but that hasn't stopped people from trying. People sneak things into coffins at funeral homes: flags and medals, hats and sports gear, stuffed animals, and pictures drawn by grandchildren. No one tried as hard to take it with them as the pharaohs of Egypt. They took furniture, musical instruments, jewelry, and even full-sized boats. We might succeed in taking our stuff to our graves. The pharaohs managed to get their treasure as far as museums. But none of these things are truly ours forever. The only thing that really goes with us is the grace of God.
Scott B.
Luke 12:13-21
The parable of the rich fool provides opportunity to reflect on the abuses of capitalism. John Calvin's reflections on the text remind us of how the parable provides a good opportunity for us to confess our sin:
"Do not all, on the contrary, regulate their life and arrange their schemes and employments in such a manner as to withdraw to the greatest distance from God, making their life to rest on a present abundance of good things?... The parable shows us, first, that the present life is short and transitory" (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XVI/2, p. 148).
But it is not as simple as giving up our bounty to share. Our sinful condition entails that what God wants for the world is more complex. Famed American social commentator and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr described this realistic approach well: "The church is sentimental when it simply says, 'Let us share.' We are not good enough to share everything that comes out of technical competence, but we must be good enough and wise enough to share the competence, the skill by which the abundance of things can be produced or created" (Justice and Mercy, pp. 67-68).
Mark E.
In the comic strip Frank & Ernest, those two motley characters are sitting behind a building next to a garbage dumpster. Frank says to his pal Ernest, "I spent years looking for the key to success -- and then I found out it's a combination lock."
Application: The people of Israel, though seeking after God, and at times drifting away from God, seldom seemed to understand God.
Ron L.
Hosea 1:1-11
The book of Hosea is all about forgiveness -- the forgiveness of the prostitute, of the whore Israel, and of us. John Calvin beautifully unpacks how God's forgiveness emerges even in the midst of all the talk of judgment in the Old Testament:
"And if any person be disposed to inquire how it comes to pass that the prophet, after treating the judgments and severity of God now makes mention of his loving-kindness, I answer, that his loving-kindness shines most conspicuously and occupies a very prominent place in all that he does; for he is naturally prone, to loving-kindness, but which also he draws us to himself" (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. VI/1, p. 267).
God's love draws us out of ourselves, and then tenderly excuses us. Late medieval English mystic Julian of Norwich made this point: "And so it goes with all of us who are sinners. But though it is true that we do this frequently, His goodness never allows us to be alone. Continuously he is with us, tenderly he excuses us, and always he shields us from blame in his sight" (The Revelation of Divine Love, p. 203).
Mark E.
Hosea 11:1-11
When people reach their teens, their twenties, and beyond, they often complain that their parents still view them as children. They have reason to be frustrated by this. Continuing to treat someone as a child once they are grown shows no respect to the adult that person has become. But here's what goes on in a parent's mind. Certain images always stay with you: your child's birth, their first day of school, teaching them to drive, prom night, graduation day. Every time a parent sees their adult child, they also see a baby, a toddler, an adolescent, and a teen. Seeing who the child was is part of seeing who the child is.
Scott B.
Colossians 3:1-11
If we claim Christ as our Lord, then we should set our minds on heavenly things. Is going to church a burden? Is Christ just our insurance policy that we can shut up and keep in our mental drawer? Does our mind immediately go back to earthly things when we walk out the door after a service or Bible study? Do we want to wait until we are a bit closer to the "checkout counter"? We don't know the hour or the day! People are killed or die in accidents or from diseases every day! Are we ready? Paul says that Christ should be the center of our lives now.
Does Christ want us to be enthusiasts who drive away everyone? Should we make ourselves a nuisance to others? This passage is pointed at us to purify ourselves! Even President Carter admitted "I have lusted" (which some say cost him the election).
When we see that list of sins, which start in the heart, how can we ever hope to purify ourselves? We know we can't do it without God's help, and Paul is telling us that that can only come if we spend our time putting our minds on things above and not just on earthly things.
I said "just" because there are earthly things we have to think of, but there are also thoughts that we have to avoid. Is there ever an election that did not involve anger and yes even greed? Do we weigh our desires to see if some are evil? Paul calls all these things idolatry. Idolatry means putting anything ahead of our devotion to God! Do we worship money? We need to examine ourselves and check our priorities. When we look at ourselves honestly it should encourage us to put our mind on heavenly things, on what God wants to put in our hearts.
Most of us can't remember a time before we were Christian. We were baptized as babies, but there are turning points as in confirmation. We are taught to lead a life with God as the center. It is very discouraging to see the number of those confirmed who may never be seen in church again! How often do we hear filthy language coming from some (when they don't think we are listening, of course)? Don't we even feel justified in feeling anger and slandering those who we feel are on the wrong side of our ideals or principles? We may even lie to prove our points! That certainly shows that we are not keeping our minds on things above -- as lofty as our principles might be! We need to remember that Jesus died for people and not principles. The Pharisees were the most principled people in Jesus' day. So don't divide us into all kinds of groups. Remember that Jesus is all and in all, so make a resolution to put him at the top of your list of things to think about.
Bob O.
Colossians 3:1-11
Scientists are always trying to unify observations into theories and then gather many theories into a higher view that explains several theories at once in the hope of arriving at "a theory of everything," unifying our understanding of the universe in a single equation, formula, or theorem. Newton's laws of gravitation explain much of the work of Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Boyle's law of gases. Quantum mechanics came along and united three of the four fundamental forces: electromagnetism, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force. Today, superstring theory holds the imagination of many in uniting the world of physics in one grand unified field theory, including the elusive gravitational field.
On a spiritual level, Paul is saying that in Christ we have a unified field perspective that oversees all human happenings -- those characteristics that get us into trouble and those that are godly. In Christ we are, as it were, above the nitty-gritty of the particularities of life, such that we can see how it should all fit together "all and in all" -- unified into one.
Mark M.
Luke 12:13-21
Matt Damon is a devoted husband and father. When he thinks of his four children, ages 2 to 14, he says, "My heart has grown seven sizes."
Application: When we store our treasures with God, our heart will grow seven sizes.
Ron L.
Luke 12:13-21
They say that you can't take it with you, but that hasn't stopped people from trying. People sneak things into coffins at funeral homes: flags and medals, hats and sports gear, stuffed animals, and pictures drawn by grandchildren. No one tried as hard to take it with them as the pharaohs of Egypt. They took furniture, musical instruments, jewelry, and even full-sized boats. We might succeed in taking our stuff to our graves. The pharaohs managed to get their treasure as far as museums. But none of these things are truly ours forever. The only thing that really goes with us is the grace of God.
Scott B.
Luke 12:13-21
The parable of the rich fool provides opportunity to reflect on the abuses of capitalism. John Calvin's reflections on the text remind us of how the parable provides a good opportunity for us to confess our sin:
"Do not all, on the contrary, regulate their life and arrange their schemes and employments in such a manner as to withdraw to the greatest distance from God, making their life to rest on a present abundance of good things?... The parable shows us, first, that the present life is short and transitory" (Calvin's Commentaries, Vol. XVI/2, p. 148).
But it is not as simple as giving up our bounty to share. Our sinful condition entails that what God wants for the world is more complex. Famed American social commentator and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr described this realistic approach well: "The church is sentimental when it simply says, 'Let us share.' We are not good enough to share everything that comes out of technical competence, but we must be good enough and wise enough to share the competence, the skill by which the abundance of things can be produced or created" (Justice and Mercy, pp. 67-68).
Mark E.
