Sermons Illustrations for Proper 24 | OT 29 (2022)
Illustration
Jeremiah 31:27-34
We are often trapped by our past, like generational poverty keeps families poor, for even when their members are ambitious the lack of inherited wealth easily keeps them out of college and traps them into a lifetime of expensive renting fees. Famed New Testament scholar Rudolf Bultmann speaks of the “enslaving chains of the past” from which faith frees us, a faith which makes us open to the future and gives us the courage to break with the past (Jesus Christ and Mythology, p.78).
This text proclaims the freedom we receive in the New Covenant. We are set free by having the law inserted in our hearts. Thus, Bultmann calls freedom “free obedience.” (Ibid., p. 43) Martin Luther describes such freedom in a similar manner:
A human liberty has been achieved when laws are changed while men remain unchanged. But a Christian liberty has been achieved when men are changed when the law remains unchanged, so that the same law which formerly was hateful to free will now becomes welcome, because through the Holy Spirit love has been diffused in our hearts. (What Luther Says, p. 777)
Mark E.
* * *
Psalm 119:97-104
The psalm teaches the way of wisdom. About that matter and our folly John Calvin once wrote:
As the whole world are given to folly, those who wander astray plead in excuse, that it is difficult for them to guard against the allurements of vice. But the remedy will be near at hand if... instead of leaning on our own wisdom, we seek understanding from the Word of God. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.VI/1, p. 478)
To this point, Martin Luther adds that the church has wisdom, is wiser than teachers not informed by scripture (Luther’s Works, Vol.11, p. 460). Or as he puts it elsewhere in a sermon on the Gospel of Luke: “If we want to be wise, we must become fools and let God’s word be the eternal truth.” (What Luther Says, p. 1455)
Mark E.
* * *
2 Timothy 3:14--4:5
I found this anecdotal story about our nation’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson. It speaks to his resilience and strength. Jackson was the first president to be born in a log cabin. He grew up on the frontier of the Carolinas. His resilience was apparent during the Revolutionary War. Thirteen-year-old Jackson and his younger brother both served in the army and were captured by the British. When a British commander ordered Jackson to scrub his boots, he refused. He argued he had rights as a prisoner of war. The commander got angry and lashed out with his sword. Jackson tried to protect himself with his arms. Jackson’s hand was cut to the bone, and he suffered a gash to the head. Soon after, Jackson and his brother were forced to march forty miles to a military prison. Both contracted smallpox in prison. Jackson survived, but his brother was not so fortunate. Eventually, Jackson’s mother arranged for his freedom. Tragically, she died soon after. “I felt utterly alone,” Jackson said years later about losing his family. Jackson stayed active in the military until he reached the age of 54. He was elected president in 1828.
C.S. Lewis wrote, “God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them.” Paul urged Timothy to stand for and preach the truth, despite the opposition that he would face. He concludes his comments with words that should resonate today, too. “Carry out your ministry fully” (2 Timothy 4:5).
Bill T.
* * *
2 Timothy 3:14--4:5
Having just informed his fellow worker Timothy that, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…(3:16),” Paul proves the truth of this remark with the staggeringly contemporary statement that could have been stuffed into a time capsule (or one of Jeremiah’s earthenware jars) that “…the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teacher to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths (4:3-4).”
In recent months we have been confronted with incontrovertible scientific truth, with facts, with life giving information, and people, good people, have rejected it, clinging to myths. To say this may be offensive to some, but truth is truth.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 18:1-8
Concerning this text, John Wesley claims that it is about avoiding the two extremes with prayer, both faintness and self-confidence (Commentary On the Bible, p. 449). The solution is to practice the persistence in requesting and praying to God, like the widow in our story. Founder of the Reformed Church in Scotland John Knox well expressed the reasons how and why we should get over our hesitancy about regularly and continually praying: “Let no man think himself unworthy to call and pray to God, because he hath grevouslie offend it His Majestie in tymis past...” (Works, 3, p. 91)
Martin Luther explains the need for persistence in prayer:
Open your eyes and look into your life and the life of all Christians, particularly the spiritual estate, and you will find that faith, hope, love, obedience, chasteness, and all virtues are languishing... Then you will see that there is need to pray throughout the world every hour, without ceasing. (What Luther Says, p. 1084)
Mark E.
We are often trapped by our past, like generational poverty keeps families poor, for even when their members are ambitious the lack of inherited wealth easily keeps them out of college and traps them into a lifetime of expensive renting fees. Famed New Testament scholar Rudolf Bultmann speaks of the “enslaving chains of the past” from which faith frees us, a faith which makes us open to the future and gives us the courage to break with the past (Jesus Christ and Mythology, p.78).
This text proclaims the freedom we receive in the New Covenant. We are set free by having the law inserted in our hearts. Thus, Bultmann calls freedom “free obedience.” (Ibid., p. 43) Martin Luther describes such freedom in a similar manner:
A human liberty has been achieved when laws are changed while men remain unchanged. But a Christian liberty has been achieved when men are changed when the law remains unchanged, so that the same law which formerly was hateful to free will now becomes welcome, because through the Holy Spirit love has been diffused in our hearts. (What Luther Says, p. 777)
Mark E.
* * *
Psalm 119:97-104
The psalm teaches the way of wisdom. About that matter and our folly John Calvin once wrote:
As the whole world are given to folly, those who wander astray plead in excuse, that it is difficult for them to guard against the allurements of vice. But the remedy will be near at hand if... instead of leaning on our own wisdom, we seek understanding from the Word of God. (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.VI/1, p. 478)
To this point, Martin Luther adds that the church has wisdom, is wiser than teachers not informed by scripture (Luther’s Works, Vol.11, p. 460). Or as he puts it elsewhere in a sermon on the Gospel of Luke: “If we want to be wise, we must become fools and let God’s word be the eternal truth.” (What Luther Says, p. 1455)
Mark E.
* * *
2 Timothy 3:14--4:5
I found this anecdotal story about our nation’s seventh president, Andrew Jackson. It speaks to his resilience and strength. Jackson was the first president to be born in a log cabin. He grew up on the frontier of the Carolinas. His resilience was apparent during the Revolutionary War. Thirteen-year-old Jackson and his younger brother both served in the army and were captured by the British. When a British commander ordered Jackson to scrub his boots, he refused. He argued he had rights as a prisoner of war. The commander got angry and lashed out with his sword. Jackson tried to protect himself with his arms. Jackson’s hand was cut to the bone, and he suffered a gash to the head. Soon after, Jackson and his brother were forced to march forty miles to a military prison. Both contracted smallpox in prison. Jackson survived, but his brother was not so fortunate. Eventually, Jackson’s mother arranged for his freedom. Tragically, she died soon after. “I felt utterly alone,” Jackson said years later about losing his family. Jackson stayed active in the military until he reached the age of 54. He was elected president in 1828.
C.S. Lewis wrote, “God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them.” Paul urged Timothy to stand for and preach the truth, despite the opposition that he would face. He concludes his comments with words that should resonate today, too. “Carry out your ministry fully” (2 Timothy 4:5).
Bill T.
* * *
2 Timothy 3:14--4:5
Having just informed his fellow worker Timothy that, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…(3:16),” Paul proves the truth of this remark with the staggeringly contemporary statement that could have been stuffed into a time capsule (or one of Jeremiah’s earthenware jars) that “…the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teacher to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths (4:3-4).”
In recent months we have been confronted with incontrovertible scientific truth, with facts, with life giving information, and people, good people, have rejected it, clinging to myths. To say this may be offensive to some, but truth is truth.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 18:1-8
Concerning this text, John Wesley claims that it is about avoiding the two extremes with prayer, both faintness and self-confidence (Commentary On the Bible, p. 449). The solution is to practice the persistence in requesting and praying to God, like the widow in our story. Founder of the Reformed Church in Scotland John Knox well expressed the reasons how and why we should get over our hesitancy about regularly and continually praying: “Let no man think himself unworthy to call and pray to God, because he hath grevouslie offend it His Majestie in tymis past...” (Works, 3, p. 91)
Martin Luther explains the need for persistence in prayer:
Open your eyes and look into your life and the life of all Christians, particularly the spiritual estate, and you will find that faith, hope, love, obedience, chasteness, and all virtues are languishing... Then you will see that there is need to pray throughout the world every hour, without ceasing. (What Luther Says, p. 1084)
Mark E.
