Sermon Illustrations for Advent 3 (2022)
Illustration
Isaiah 35:1-10
Isaiah proclaims days of hope, positive days that transform the whole of the world and all of existence. There is little or nothing to fear. Where do you find hope in these days? It’s challenging sometimes. This will be the second Christmas without my husband who died in October of 2021. We had been married almost 42 years and we were soulmates, loving each other deeply. The Advent and Christmas season was hard. It was difficult to find hope in those days. The promises of God in this passage were a comfort. God was with me, for me, mending what was broken and transforming the mournful moments with the knowledge that my husband was renewed, transformed, held in the arms of the loving God we both knew well. God was there, is here and therefore there is hope.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Isaiah 35:1-10
It’s that time of the year when, if we forget about the hassles of shopping and the like, and focus on the coming Lord, we’re filled with joy and celebration. It’s what God wants, according to Martin Luther:
God wants us to be cheerful, and he hates sadness, for had he wanted us to be sad, he would not have given us the sun, the moon, and the various fruits of the earth. All these he gave for our good cheer. (What Luther Says, p.689)
American actress Charlotte Rae offers a nice perspective on life as celebration. As she put it: “I want to tell everybody to celebrate every day, to savor the day and be good to yourself, love yourself, and then you can be good to others and be of service to others.” And American mega-pastor Joel Osteen nicely relates this life of celebration to the forthcoming Christmas. As he says:
Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the love of God and family and to create memories that will last forever. Jesus is God's perfect, indescribable gift. The amazing thing is that not only are we able to receive this gift, but we are able to share it with others on Christmas and every other day of the year.
Mark E.
* * *
Isaiah 35:1-10
The prophets prophesied doom. They also foretold return. The vulnerable, the weak, the struggling will be strengthened. This journey is for them, Isaiah says. But how will they know the way?
There was a commercial many years ago about a product that was “so easy, even a caveman could do it.” The caveman, far more sophisticated than he was given credit for, was insulted. Isaiah says: “…no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.” (Isaiah 35:8) We are insulted if the term is applied to us. But it is used here to suggest that the road back from exile will be so easy even we can’t get lost, if we follow the signs.
In our age of GPS and smart phones, it seems as if it’s nearly impossible for us to go astray, but still, we do. This verse suggests that with God’s good will those of us marching to Zion will get there, no matter how we insist we’re not going to ask for directions.
Is there a road back to the path of God?
Isaiah and Jesus both tell us there is a highway of return, which means that the people have not yet hit the point of no return. This is God’s doing, not our own, hence the term “the ransomed of the Lord.”
Who will lead the ransomed? Ok, the answer to every question is always Jesus. But in this case the answer might just be – us! The Hebrew word used in this passage is go’el, or redeemer. It kind of sounds like something out of a Superman comic. And maybe it is. The go’el, the redeemer, is the guy in the family you go to, to get things done. It’s the uncle you go to for bail. It’s the one who knows a guy who knows a guy at city hall. He’s the fixer, not because he’s dishonest, but because someone has to look out for the family. It might be the grandma or the aunt people rely on. It might be the youngest brother.
It's you. It’s me.
(This passage, like several others this quarter, is adapted from the author’s book No Room for The Inn, CSS 2022.)
Frank R.
* * *
James 5:7-10
Mrs. Elkins was my first-grade teacher at Muncie Elementary School, Muncie, Kansas in 1970. That’s been quite a while ago. However, I do have some memories of that little class. One of the activities we did was to take a milk carton, cut off the top, fill the bottom with dirt, and plant seeds. Other kids planted beans, but I planted carrots. I don’t remember why, but that’s what I did. Part of the assignment was to chart the growth of our little plant each day. I did not know it at the time, but beans grow much more quickly and visibly in a milk carton than carrots do. It was hard to look at the dirt in my milk carton and see nothing while other kids had a thin, green stalk shooting up from theirs. It was hard to wait.
That’s the image that comes to mind when I read this text. James is urging the Jewish Christians the same way Mrs. Elkins encourage me. “Wait. Be patient. It will come.” Eventually, little grass like shoots emerged from my dirt. As Christians, we are also called to wait for the coming of the Lord. It may seem like it is taking a long time, but that day will come. So, we wait expectantly.
Bill T.
* * *
James 5:7-10
Indeed, we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job…. (v. 11)
Although James (Jacob), the brother of Jesus, does not use the word endurance in today’s lectionary passage, it comes into play in the next verse and, to be honest, the whole passage is about endurance!
The life of James illustrates endurance – his endurance and the patient endurance of his brother, Jesus. When his older brother left the family and the family business and his duties as the oldest son to follow God’s calling, the lot fell on James, including the care of their mother. He seems to have accompanied her on those occasions when they followed and found Jesus out preaching to others. And when Jesus, told his mother and brothers were out there waiting for him, and he replied, “Who is my mother. Who are my family? Those who listen to me and do my word are my mother, brother, and family.” Well, that had to hurt. I’m sure it was the task for James to comfort their mother.
When James met his brother after he was raised from the dead he had to endure a real change in attitude – and purpose. The fact that his mother’s care was given over to the beloved disciple might have hurt at first, but it freed him up to be the leader of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. There were long years of poverty (the nickname for the Jerusalem Christians was “the poor”) still to be endured. And when in 62 AD, there was a gap between Roman governors and the religious authorities and it was decided this was the perfect time to murder the highly respected brother of Jesus, he endured being dragged up to the highest tower of the temple, from which his brother had been shown by Satan decades before all the kingdoms of the world, and cast off, not quite dying, and praying for forgiveness for his persecutors even as he was finally stoned to death.
Endurance. Endurance is not sprinting. It’s not about speed. It’s about steadiness. Our life of faith is a marathon. James knew what he was talking about.
Frank R.
* * *
Matthew 11:2-11
Preparation is sometimes difficult and time-consuming. If you think about it decorating for the upcoming holiday celebrations, cooking everyone’s special foods, not to mention housecleaning and preparing for guests can wear us out. So why bother? No one will notice a week after the celebrations anyway. John prepared the way for Jesus, and it surely wasn’t easy. It ended up with him in prison and beheaded. Yet, we needed the preparation. People needed to know that God was coming into the world, that we needed to be ready. My Mom used to spend weeks making candy, baking, preparing jams and jellies just so they could be shared with neighbors and friends. She was celebrating the coming of Jesus into the world, with the work of her hands, with her dedication and love, just as John used his hands, words, dedication and love to prepare the world for Jesus. I’m grateful he did so.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Matthew 11:2-11
We know that Christianity is growing fastest in poorer parts of the globe. And a 2014 New York Times survey indicated that religion is more vibrant in the poorer sections of the U.S. Our lesson indicates Jesus’ concern about the poor. In an Advent sermon Martin Luther provided an insight which relates to these dynamics:
It [the Gospel] is and remains a teaching which causes offense, not to ordinary people but to the self-righteous, the wise, the mighty of the earth. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, p.67)
God and Christian faith rarely do things the way we well-off Americans would do them. This lesson is an antidote to undue confidence we may have in our common sense and reason. Again Martin Luther offers good medicine and a thoughtful insight about this text and the meaning of the coming Christmas:
The person who wants to know God, free from unsubstantial speculation about him, must begin at the bottom and learn first to know the virgin Mary’s son born in Bethlehem. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, pp.212-213)
Mark E.
* * *
Matthew 11:2-11
As John Wesley was dying, he wrote this letter to William Wilberforce to encourage him in his fight against slavery in England:
Unless the divine power has raised you up.... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that [abominable practice of slavery], which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Go on in the name of God, and in the power of his might.
Encouragement goes a long way. Jesus told them to tell John, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me” (vv. 4-6). The gospel was being preached. The kingdom was coming. John had not labored in vain.
Bill T.
Isaiah proclaims days of hope, positive days that transform the whole of the world and all of existence. There is little or nothing to fear. Where do you find hope in these days? It’s challenging sometimes. This will be the second Christmas without my husband who died in October of 2021. We had been married almost 42 years and we were soulmates, loving each other deeply. The Advent and Christmas season was hard. It was difficult to find hope in those days. The promises of God in this passage were a comfort. God was with me, for me, mending what was broken and transforming the mournful moments with the knowledge that my husband was renewed, transformed, held in the arms of the loving God we both knew well. God was there, is here and therefore there is hope.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Isaiah 35:1-10
It’s that time of the year when, if we forget about the hassles of shopping and the like, and focus on the coming Lord, we’re filled with joy and celebration. It’s what God wants, according to Martin Luther:
God wants us to be cheerful, and he hates sadness, for had he wanted us to be sad, he would not have given us the sun, the moon, and the various fruits of the earth. All these he gave for our good cheer. (What Luther Says, p.689)
American actress Charlotte Rae offers a nice perspective on life as celebration. As she put it: “I want to tell everybody to celebrate every day, to savor the day and be good to yourself, love yourself, and then you can be good to others and be of service to others.” And American mega-pastor Joel Osteen nicely relates this life of celebration to the forthcoming Christmas. As he says:
Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the love of God and family and to create memories that will last forever. Jesus is God's perfect, indescribable gift. The amazing thing is that not only are we able to receive this gift, but we are able to share it with others on Christmas and every other day of the year.
Mark E.
* * *
Isaiah 35:1-10
The prophets prophesied doom. They also foretold return. The vulnerable, the weak, the struggling will be strengthened. This journey is for them, Isaiah says. But how will they know the way?
There was a commercial many years ago about a product that was “so easy, even a caveman could do it.” The caveman, far more sophisticated than he was given credit for, was insulted. Isaiah says: “…no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.” (Isaiah 35:8) We are insulted if the term is applied to us. But it is used here to suggest that the road back from exile will be so easy even we can’t get lost, if we follow the signs.
In our age of GPS and smart phones, it seems as if it’s nearly impossible for us to go astray, but still, we do. This verse suggests that with God’s good will those of us marching to Zion will get there, no matter how we insist we’re not going to ask for directions.
Is there a road back to the path of God?
Isaiah and Jesus both tell us there is a highway of return, which means that the people have not yet hit the point of no return. This is God’s doing, not our own, hence the term “the ransomed of the Lord.”
Who will lead the ransomed? Ok, the answer to every question is always Jesus. But in this case the answer might just be – us! The Hebrew word used in this passage is go’el, or redeemer. It kind of sounds like something out of a Superman comic. And maybe it is. The go’el, the redeemer, is the guy in the family you go to, to get things done. It’s the uncle you go to for bail. It’s the one who knows a guy who knows a guy at city hall. He’s the fixer, not because he’s dishonest, but because someone has to look out for the family. It might be the grandma or the aunt people rely on. It might be the youngest brother.
It's you. It’s me.
(This passage, like several others this quarter, is adapted from the author’s book No Room for The Inn, CSS 2022.)
Frank R.
* * *
James 5:7-10
Mrs. Elkins was my first-grade teacher at Muncie Elementary School, Muncie, Kansas in 1970. That’s been quite a while ago. However, I do have some memories of that little class. One of the activities we did was to take a milk carton, cut off the top, fill the bottom with dirt, and plant seeds. Other kids planted beans, but I planted carrots. I don’t remember why, but that’s what I did. Part of the assignment was to chart the growth of our little plant each day. I did not know it at the time, but beans grow much more quickly and visibly in a milk carton than carrots do. It was hard to look at the dirt in my milk carton and see nothing while other kids had a thin, green stalk shooting up from theirs. It was hard to wait.
That’s the image that comes to mind when I read this text. James is urging the Jewish Christians the same way Mrs. Elkins encourage me. “Wait. Be patient. It will come.” Eventually, little grass like shoots emerged from my dirt. As Christians, we are also called to wait for the coming of the Lord. It may seem like it is taking a long time, but that day will come. So, we wait expectantly.
Bill T.
* * *
James 5:7-10
Indeed, we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job…. (v. 11)
Although James (Jacob), the brother of Jesus, does not use the word endurance in today’s lectionary passage, it comes into play in the next verse and, to be honest, the whole passage is about endurance!
The life of James illustrates endurance – his endurance and the patient endurance of his brother, Jesus. When his older brother left the family and the family business and his duties as the oldest son to follow God’s calling, the lot fell on James, including the care of their mother. He seems to have accompanied her on those occasions when they followed and found Jesus out preaching to others. And when Jesus, told his mother and brothers were out there waiting for him, and he replied, “Who is my mother. Who are my family? Those who listen to me and do my word are my mother, brother, and family.” Well, that had to hurt. I’m sure it was the task for James to comfort their mother.
When James met his brother after he was raised from the dead he had to endure a real change in attitude – and purpose. The fact that his mother’s care was given over to the beloved disciple might have hurt at first, but it freed him up to be the leader of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. There were long years of poverty (the nickname for the Jerusalem Christians was “the poor”) still to be endured. And when in 62 AD, there was a gap between Roman governors and the religious authorities and it was decided this was the perfect time to murder the highly respected brother of Jesus, he endured being dragged up to the highest tower of the temple, from which his brother had been shown by Satan decades before all the kingdoms of the world, and cast off, not quite dying, and praying for forgiveness for his persecutors even as he was finally stoned to death.
Endurance. Endurance is not sprinting. It’s not about speed. It’s about steadiness. Our life of faith is a marathon. James knew what he was talking about.
Frank R.
* * *
Matthew 11:2-11
Preparation is sometimes difficult and time-consuming. If you think about it decorating for the upcoming holiday celebrations, cooking everyone’s special foods, not to mention housecleaning and preparing for guests can wear us out. So why bother? No one will notice a week after the celebrations anyway. John prepared the way for Jesus, and it surely wasn’t easy. It ended up with him in prison and beheaded. Yet, we needed the preparation. People needed to know that God was coming into the world, that we needed to be ready. My Mom used to spend weeks making candy, baking, preparing jams and jellies just so they could be shared with neighbors and friends. She was celebrating the coming of Jesus into the world, with the work of her hands, with her dedication and love, just as John used his hands, words, dedication and love to prepare the world for Jesus. I’m grateful he did so.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Matthew 11:2-11
We know that Christianity is growing fastest in poorer parts of the globe. And a 2014 New York Times survey indicated that religion is more vibrant in the poorer sections of the U.S. Our lesson indicates Jesus’ concern about the poor. In an Advent sermon Martin Luther provided an insight which relates to these dynamics:
It [the Gospel] is and remains a teaching which causes offense, not to ordinary people but to the self-righteous, the wise, the mighty of the earth. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, p.67)
God and Christian faith rarely do things the way we well-off Americans would do them. This lesson is an antidote to undue confidence we may have in our common sense and reason. Again Martin Luther offers good medicine and a thoughtful insight about this text and the meaning of the coming Christmas:
The person who wants to know God, free from unsubstantial speculation about him, must begin at the bottom and learn first to know the virgin Mary’s son born in Bethlehem. (Complete Sermons, Vol.5, pp.212-213)
Mark E.
* * *
Matthew 11:2-11
As John Wesley was dying, he wrote this letter to William Wilberforce to encourage him in his fight against slavery in England:
Unless the divine power has raised you up.... I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that [abominable practice of slavery], which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Go on in the name of God, and in the power of his might.
Encouragement goes a long way. Jesus told them to tell John, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me” (vv. 4-6). The gospel was being preached. The kingdom was coming. John had not labored in vain.
Bill T.
