Login / Signup

Free Access

Dramatic Irony

Commentary
Agatha Christie’s mystery play The Mousetrap opened in 1952, and it has been running longer than any other drama. When the show is over the cast asks the audience not to reveal the surprise ending so that others can enjoy the play. For the most part that’s worked.

There was no need for any such plea when it came to ancient Greek drama. Their plays were all based on familiar stories everyone already knew. The tension didn’t come from a surprise ending. So how did the dramatist maintain tension and suspense, much less interest, in a play where everyone knew how it would come out? It came from a technique known as “dramatic irony.” That means that while you know the ending, the characters in the play do not. How will they respond to the challenges? (There’s some of that in a movie like the Star Wars film Rogue One. Anyone who saw the original Star Wars which opened in 1977 already knows that the plans for the Death Star were smuggled to the princess. So we know how Rogue One must end. What we haven’t a clue about is what transformations the characters will go through, and who will live and who will die.)

There’s dramatic irony aplenty in these three texts. We know that even as the people pledge to be faithful to their Savior God, some will stray. Many of them will fail. That’s kind of our story too -- we’ve pledged to be faithful to a victorious God. We know the story of God’s history will end gloriously -- but how will it be for us?

In this widely misinterpreted passage from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians the apostle strives to make it clear, despite rumors spread among the Christians that those who die before Jesus returns are lost, that all the followers of Jesus are destined for glory when the Lord returns. That’s assuming, of course, that we are followers of Jesus.

In the gospel passage we know that Jesus will return. In this parable we also know that sooner or later the bridegroom will arrive -- but just as only half the bridesmaids are ready with oil-filled lamps, so too we have to ask: Will we be ready when Jesus returns?

Dramatic irony -- despite appearances, history is going to end well. The question remains, will it end well for us?

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
This scene in many ways looks like a Greek drama. Joshua is the main character. His lines go on at length. The people of God are the chorus, who listen and respond. Jacob recounts God’s salvation history with the people, from the Patriarchs through the exodus from Egypt and continuing through the conquest in Canaan. While they are no longer isolated in the wilderness, dependent on that God for food and water, they are still surrounded by many nations and many gods. The temptation still exists to serve not only their God but other gods as well. Many would feel it could do no harm to offer sacrifices to agricultural gods or fertility gods as long as they still worshiped the Lord. Joshua makes it clear that this is unacceptable. He concludes with a challenge: “Choose this day whom you will serve... as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

It’s like a horror movie. We want to cover our eyes and moan “I can’t look!” We already know they will stray as individuals and as a nation many times, until at last some are scattered by the Assyrians and others are taken into exile to Babylon.

Despite our hindsight, we can be thankful that God’s grace will redeem the people, the covenant will be renewed and restored, God will never forget them, and will forgive them.

Us too.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
One of the characteristics of the Gentile world was a total lack of hope in the hereafter. The classic myths thought of the afterlife as a shadowy place where, regardless of whether was one good or evil in life, one lived a vague existence of longing for the bright sun of the world. Occasionally a terrible punishment might be reserved for the worst of the worst, but the end of life was the end of real living. By Paul’s time many in the Roman empire believed the sleep of death was eternal.

But in Thessalonica the believers had a new hope. Paul writes to tell the believers that when Jesus returned it will be a time of glory. Everyone would share in the glory of Jesus’ return, regardless of whether they were alive at that moment or had already died.

The images of a trumpet sounding and believers rising in the air are inspired in part by the book of Daniel. This was a favorite of the early Christians. The Ancient of Days is seated on one throne, and the one like a Son of Man sits on the other. The Son of Man descends on the clouds to earth. Books like Enoch, Fourth Ezra, and even a stone tablet associated with the Dead Sea community make it clear that God’s eternal kingdom would be established not by might of arms but by humble suffering according to God’s will.

Paul uses these images from Daniel and other books of that time for his own purposes, to assure believers that when the trumpet sounds we’ll rise in the air as the Son of Man descended. It’s glory in both directions!

Matthew 25:1-13
Just what were the wedding customs like in Jesus’ day? Experts don’t always agree, but the scenario described in this parable has its supporters. It is thought that after the betrothal the groom would go out to work, save, and prepare a house for his bride. Without advance warning he and his attendants would return at sunset -- days later, weeks later, months later. There was no telling when. The bride would prepare for the wedding, ready for whenever he appeared, and her bridesmaids, who would take part in the wedding procession that followed would have lamps filled with oil ready for the big day. The groom is coming back sooner or later. The question is which bridesmaids will be ready and which will not. It’s the same question we have to answer for ourselves -- are we ready for the Bridegroom’s return?

People in Jesus’ time looked forward to Day of the Lord like a bride looked forward to her bridegroom’s return. On the Day of the Lord God’s reign would be known to all the nations, and the people of God would be vindicated. But Joel, Amos, Isaiah, and others asked the people pointedly to be careful what you wish for. If you are not doing what God expects, the Day of the Lord will not be glorious for you, it will be a day of gloom and darkness.

In this parable the bridal attendants who were not ready were ultimately locked out. This is, of course, not merely advice to the bridesmaids. The parable asks if we are ready for the Day of the Lord.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 10 | OT 15 | Pentecost 5
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 11 | OT 16 | Pentecost 6
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 12 | OT 17 | Pentecost 7
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity.

Note: You will need to select six children to play roles in this activity. If you have a smaller group, you might ask some older youth or even adults to play the parts of the two attackers and the man being attacked. I will give suggestions for how they can play their roles, but feel free to help your children make the story as fun and memorable as you can. I have used boys and girls in the various roles, but you can change those however you want to change them.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
For July 13, 2025:
  • Samaritans Among Us by Dean Feldmeyer based on Acts 2:1-21. Samaritans were despised and dismissed by the original audience who first heard Jesus tell this parable. Who are the Samaritans in our lives and how does this parable apply today?
  • Second Thoughts: The Helpers by Katy Stenta based on Amos 7:7-17.

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
I say, “You are gods,
    children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals
    and fall like any prince….”
(vv. 6-7)

There have been any number of brother-sister acts that achieved a measure of fame. Take the Carpenters, famed for their singing, musicianship, and songwriting skills. Also worthy of mention are John and Joan Cusack who have acted together in over sixteen films.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
An ancient legend tells of a remote mountain village where people used to send their senior citizens out into the woods to die. The villagers had an eye to the future; they felt that those beyond a certain age would only slow down progress or use up valuable resources to no economically profitable end. Those who reached a certain age weren’t “put out to pasture” or “put out of their misery”; they were simply put out of other people’s way.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Amos 7:7-17 and Psalm 82
The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It is more than 2,700 feet high—over half a mile tall. It has 160 floors and is twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. It is home to the world’s fastest elevator which reaches speeds of forty miles an hour. The Burj Khalifa also hosts the world’s highest outdoor observation deck (on the 124th floor) and the world’s highest swimming pool (on the 76th floor).

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Mabel hummed a familiar hymn tune as she made her way to church. She always enjoyed her Sunday morning walk. It was one of the few times she felt safe to walk alone through the inner city, for she knew nobody would be up at 7.45 in the morning. Today was a particularly beautiful morning, with blue sky, warm sunshine, and the song of a few intrepid blackbirds who still inhabited the city.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Often, a distinction is made between the pastoral or priestly work of the church and the prophetic work. Pastoral care has to do with the care of souls, the offering of comfort in times of loss. The priestly character of pastoral work seeks to mediate the presence of God to those who are hurting.

Schuyler Rhodes
Trusting is never easy. Even in the best of relationships, people step into trust slowly. There is wariness -- questioning -- worry. What happens if trust is betrayed? What if this doesn't work? Sometimes it's like a dance. We step in and out of trust, moving to the rhythms of fear. For many, the routine is achingly familiar. Indeed, it's not easy to trust.
John Jamison
It was back in the days when the railroad was the most common mode of transportation. There were automobiles, and some airplanes, but the steam locomotive was the way most folks traveled and the way that most of the goods were distributed around the country. After dinner, people sat in the drawing room and listened to the radio programs, fading in and out from some faraway location, over the magical broadcasting signal.
Robert Leslie Holmes
Not many tourists to Washington, D.C., look for the Federal Bureau of Standards offices. It's the Capitol and the White House, the Supreme Court Building or the Smithsonian most of us want to see when we go there. Yet, at the Bureau of Standards offices something very important is stored, something that impacts your life and mine every single day. Have you ever bought the materials for a new project? When you did, most likely you purchased so many inches or feet or yards. Or, you stopped to buy gasoline for your car and purchased it at a certain price per gallon.
David O. Bales
I have the two best jobs in the world. I teach social studies at Leon Griffith Junior High School (a fairly small junior high) and I am Sunday School Superintendent at Calvary Presbyterian Church (an enormous church school). Each job is my vocation. I tell people that at school they'll find my room where the halls cross. At church they can look but probably won't find me. I'll be in someone's classroom. At each job I practice what I most deeply believe: it's how you see the world that determines how you respond to it. I'll give you an example, actually, two examples.
Erskine White
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed,
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
(Stuart K. Hine)

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL