A call to spiritual renewal and cleansing
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series V, Cycle B
Theme For The Day: A call to spiritual renewal and cleansing. Since God has come to us as holy redeeming love, our response is to be cleansed of our sins and live holy lives. The Ten Commandments (First Lesson) are guidelines for such lives. Jesus' cleansing of the temple (Gospel) constitutes a call to moral and spiritual renewal, beginning with God's house and God's people.
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 20:1--17 (C, E, RC)
The decalogue, the Ten Commandments, is presented as Israel's response to God's act of redemption through the Exodus (v. 2). In the Hebrew form, they were originally very brief, two words long, and called the "Ten Words." According to this account, God spoke first to all the people but they didn't want to hear God's voice directly (v. 19) and so God gave the commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in written form. Both Jews and Christians regard them as the direct revelation of God's will. The Lutherans and Roman Catholics count the commandments differently than in Reformed tradition. In the former case, the command against graven images is viewed as an extension of the command not to have any other gods before the Lord. The command about coveting is divided into two commands - the ninth and tenth commandments. The Reformed tradition takes the opposite approach. The commandments are also divided into the so--called two tables of the law. The first three or four (depending how we count them) compose the first table of the law, having to do with duties toward God. The last six or seven focus on our relationship with other people.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:18--25 (C); 1 Corinthians 1:22--25 (RC)
Paul receives reports of factions in the Corinthian church (v. 11). Different people claimed to possess the correct philosophy. The apostle informs them that a person cannot come to know God through human wisdom but through what the world considers foolishness, the gospel of Christ. We come to experience God not through the power of our intellect but through the power of the cross (v. 18). The Jews regard the cross as a stumbling block (scandal) and the Greeks viewed it as foolishness. For Christians the cross of Christ is both the wisdom and power of God (v. 24).
Lesson 2: Romans 7:13--25 (E)
The law of God remains good and pure, even though it exposes human sin. Paul discusses the inner spiritual conflict of his soul between his sinful human nature and God's will as revealed in the law. In this passage Paul seems to regard sin as an outside power which invades the human heart (v. 20). This would seem to relieve humans of responsibility for their actions. However, elsewhere in his epistles he maintains our accountability for our actions. These verses reveal our powerlessness to consistently do God's will, even if it is our fervent desire.
Gospel: John 2:13--22 (C, E); John 2:13--25 (RC)
In the synoptic gospels this account of the cleansing of the temple comes toward the end of Jesus' life, conducted after he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This came as the immediate cause of his arrest. In John's gospel the cleansing of the temple takes place toward the onset of our Lord's ministry and leads to the Jews questioning his authority to commit such an act. The sign Jesus gave was the destruction of the temple and its rebuilding in three days, an allusion to his death and resurrection. In the synoptics Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee but John has Jesus launching out in Jerusalem after an initial miracle at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. The act of overturning the money changers should not be viewed as an explosion of anger but of divine judgment against spiritual corruption, especially that of making the worship of God a big business.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 19 (C); Psalm 19:7--14 (E) - "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul" (v. 7).
Psalm 18 (RC)
Prayer Of The Day
Lord Christ, cleanse our hearts and minds of all impurity just as you cleansed the temple of the money changers and merchants. May our worship of You not stem from any base motive but only from a heart of gratitude for your gift of eternal life. In the pure and precious name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 20:1--17
Indicative--imperative. The Ten Commandments begin with the indicative: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt...." The commandments of God, which become the moral imperatives of human existence, are grounded in the divine Being. In other words, they are grounded in that which is foundational for all existence. Some seek to base that which is good on custom, consensus or human volition but none of these is universal or ultimate. The Ten Commandments are built on God's very being. From this locus of authority issue the imperatives of life. God first reveals himself redemptively to his people and then calls for a response of obedience.
We are not free agents (v. 2). The first two verses in this passage indicate that we belong to the Lord ("your God"), not the other way around. In the atomistic philosophy popular in our culture, millions of folks think of themselves as free agents, at liberty to contract with the highest bidder. Not so, by virtue of the Lord's acts of creation and redemption; we belong with the Lord's team eternally.
Coveting underlies all the commandments. The Ten Commandments end with the commandments to abstain from coveting the neighbor's house, spouse, servants and so forth. But they also begin with the command not to covet the neighbor's gods (no other gods before him, no graven images). We are not to covet the authority that belongs to our parents or the time that belongs to God (Sabbath day). We are not to kill, which stems from coveting the authority which belongs to God alone, or commit adultery, coveting your neighbor's spouse. We all know that stealing derives from covetous desires for that which belongs to the neighbor. Well, you get the picture. All sin derives from the inordinate desire to possess that which is not rightly ours.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:18--25
Mind and miracles. Paul wrote that the Greeks sought wisdom, to apprehend God with the mind, while the Jews sought to experience God through powerful miracles (signs). The entire Christian Church can still be found on a continuum between the polarities of mind and miracle. Those on the left flank seek to understand God and the mysteries of life rationally before they commit themselves to the Lord. Those on the right seek to experience God through the medium of powerful signs. However, contact with God cannot be established through mind or miracles until we first encounter Him in the cross of Christ. For us the cross is both the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The weakness of God (v. 25). We normally attribute to God the trait of omnipotence. We derive comfort from the thought that God is all--powerful. Perhaps we need to rethink this concept. If God is all--powerful, why do we have wars? Why do so many innocents suffer? We might answer with the concept of human freedom. Sin and evil are negative outcomes of this freedom. God apparently is not strong enough to create us free and sinless all at once. The cross is the ultimate demonstration of God's weakness, which, through faith, becomes our strength and God's. God is able to make us into a new creation through a demonstration of weakness.
Gospel: John 2:13--22
Under the law (v. 13). Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover, even though he lived far enough away that he wasn't required to. He put himself under the dictates of the Jewish law, even though he was God in the flesh, just as it was his custom to worship in the synagogue every Sabbath.
Jesus overturns the tables (v. 15). Once Jesus invades our lives, it's never business as usual. Jesus overturns the tables on conventional religion. He becomes angry when he observes how some humans corrupt the faith, using God for material gain rather than being used by God for their spiritual gain.
Whose church is it? As Jesus overturned the tables of business in the temple courtyard, he identified the temple as "his Father's house" (v. 16). Some church members seem to feel that their congregation is their private domain, while some pastors feel the same way. Other folks don't feel that the church belongs to them and so they keep away. Let us remember that the church is God's house and offer hospitality to all who seek forgiveness and grace.
SERMON APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 20:1--17
Sermon Title: Love And The Law
Sermon Angle: When parents lay down the law for their kids, children feel that their folks are being mean. After they gain maturity they can see that the prohibitions are motivated by love. Likewise, God gave the law to his people because of his love for them. God's love does not have limits but his love does set limits. The law of God is not negative, as many detractors charge.
Sermon Title: Knowing Your Boundaries
Sermon Angle: The Ten Commandments are about boundaries. Humans seem to have trouble locating their boundaries. The boundaries that we constantly transgress are those between God and humans and the boundaries between my life and those of my brothers and sisters. Since God has made known our boundaries, we are accountable for our actions. If we abide by the boundaries that God has ordained we will experience joy and well--being.
Outline:
1. Most people feel more comfortable when they know their boundaries.
2. God sets our boundaries with the Ten Commandments.
3. We transgress those boundaries regularly and become alienated from God and each other.
4. The cross of Christ is God's way of restoring boundaries and relationships.
__________
Hundreds of Christians gathered on the lawn of the county courthouse in Gladsen, Alabama, to demonstrate their support for Judge Roy Moore, who finds himself embroiled in a dispute with the American Civil Liberties Union. Judge Moore has been accused of transgressing the boundaries of church and state. His accusers object to a wood carving of the Ten Commandments which hangs on the Etowah County Courthouse wall. His detractors also disapprove of his practice of prayer on the day when the jury is organized. April 10, 1995, a crowd estimated to be about 500 gathered about the court house to lend their support to Judge Moore. The judge believes that he has done nothing wrong and that he is merely exercising his constitutional rights. He stated that the constitution was never intended to keep God out of the government but to prevent the government from interfering with the church.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:18--25
Sermon Title: The Foolishness Of The Cross
Sermon Angle: The message of the cross is still regarded as foolishness today, even as it was in Paul's day. People prefer the so--called wisdom of our day and age, something more logical. The wisdom of God still comes through the foolishness of the cross.
Outline:
1. How does one come to know God?
2. The Jews thought they could know God through knowledge of his laws.
3. The Greeks thought they could know God through philosophy.
4. The gospel informs us that we can only know God through the foolishness of the cross.
__________
At the notorious Re--Imagining conference, the cross of Christ was subjected to derision. One of the speakers,who attempted to empty the cross of its meaning and centrality for the Christian faith,was Beverly Williams, who declared: "I don't think we need a theory of atonement at all. I don't think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff." According to an article in Christianity Today, Ingeline Nielsen, a Swiss missionary to Zimbabwe, attacked the hymn "Lift High The Cross" as presenting an oppressing view of God. A professor of English, Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, claimed that the cross symbolizes an abusive parent. These women offer their supposedly enlightened wisdom in place of the foolishness of the cross. This attack on the central symbol of our faith was launched not by hostile outsiders but by those who claim the title of believer. Can anything be more destructive than attacks from those inside the family of faith?
Gospel: John 2:13--22
Sermon Title: Cleansing The Lord's House: An Exercise You Must Do At Church
Sermon Angle: Lent offers a time for spiritual and moral cleansing. We usually view this as an exercise for individuals but the church as an institution also needs to be washed clean of corruption. The history of Christianity bears eloquent witness to this truth. The Crusades, the Inquisition, the Reformation, the silence of the German church during the Nazi era are but a few outstanding examples of the corrupting of the church and the need for spiritual cleansing. The corruption in your congregation may not be nearly so dramatic. Perhaps it takes the form of lack of zeal for the Lord's house, apathy, or an unwillingness to serve those in need.
Outline:
1. The Lord attacked the merchants for corrupting the house of God.
2. Religion has a tendency to become corrupt, like all other institutions.
3. The church must ever be reforming and renewing.
4. What are the sinful institutional practices that need to be purged from your church?
__________
Our local newspaper showed members of the Southern Baptist Convention with linked hands; they were people of different color. The denomination had officially repented of the sin of racism, which led them to support the practice of slavery during the Civil War era. A little late, you say? Better late than never. Pope John Paul, on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, has also sought forgiveness for the church's lack of action during the Nazi holocaust. Repentance is the first step in dealing with institutional corruption.
Sermon Title: We Are God's House
Sermon Angle: After Jesus cleansed the temple, irate merchants and temple officials demanded to know the source of his authority to do such a radical act. They demanded a sign, some credentials that authorized him to do this. Jesus responded: "Destroy the temple and in three days I will raise it up" (v. 19). As is often the case in the fourth gospel, there is a double meaning. The officials understood the temple to be the one in Jerusalem. Jesus was speaking of his body as a temple, which would be destroyed and raised again. Too often we identify the church with brick and mortar. Instead, we should think of it as a living organism, a body. God dwells not in buildings but in people, in particular, the people of God, the church. Our hearts are Christ's throne; the community of the faithful is the place where Christ has affixed His holy Name. The hymn "Built On A Rock" says it well: "We are God's house of living stones, built for his own habitation."
Outline:
1. The Jews thought that the temple was the place to worship God.
2. Jesus refers to his body as the holy temple, which would be razed and then raised.
3. The church is the Body of Christ, a holy place of worship.
- The church is not so much a material structure but a community.
- As Christ's body, we must die to sin and be raised to eternal life.
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 20:1--17 (C, E, RC)
The decalogue, the Ten Commandments, is presented as Israel's response to God's act of redemption through the Exodus (v. 2). In the Hebrew form, they were originally very brief, two words long, and called the "Ten Words." According to this account, God spoke first to all the people but they didn't want to hear God's voice directly (v. 19) and so God gave the commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai in written form. Both Jews and Christians regard them as the direct revelation of God's will. The Lutherans and Roman Catholics count the commandments differently than in Reformed tradition. In the former case, the command against graven images is viewed as an extension of the command not to have any other gods before the Lord. The command about coveting is divided into two commands - the ninth and tenth commandments. The Reformed tradition takes the opposite approach. The commandments are also divided into the so--called two tables of the law. The first three or four (depending how we count them) compose the first table of the law, having to do with duties toward God. The last six or seven focus on our relationship with other people.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:18--25 (C); 1 Corinthians 1:22--25 (RC)
Paul receives reports of factions in the Corinthian church (v. 11). Different people claimed to possess the correct philosophy. The apostle informs them that a person cannot come to know God through human wisdom but through what the world considers foolishness, the gospel of Christ. We come to experience God not through the power of our intellect but through the power of the cross (v. 18). The Jews regard the cross as a stumbling block (scandal) and the Greeks viewed it as foolishness. For Christians the cross of Christ is both the wisdom and power of God (v. 24).
Lesson 2: Romans 7:13--25 (E)
The law of God remains good and pure, even though it exposes human sin. Paul discusses the inner spiritual conflict of his soul between his sinful human nature and God's will as revealed in the law. In this passage Paul seems to regard sin as an outside power which invades the human heart (v. 20). This would seem to relieve humans of responsibility for their actions. However, elsewhere in his epistles he maintains our accountability for our actions. These verses reveal our powerlessness to consistently do God's will, even if it is our fervent desire.
Gospel: John 2:13--22 (C, E); John 2:13--25 (RC)
In the synoptic gospels this account of the cleansing of the temple comes toward the end of Jesus' life, conducted after he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This came as the immediate cause of his arrest. In John's gospel the cleansing of the temple takes place toward the onset of our Lord's ministry and leads to the Jews questioning his authority to commit such an act. The sign Jesus gave was the destruction of the temple and its rebuilding in three days, an allusion to his death and resurrection. In the synoptics Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee but John has Jesus launching out in Jerusalem after an initial miracle at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. The act of overturning the money changers should not be viewed as an explosion of anger but of divine judgment against spiritual corruption, especially that of making the worship of God a big business.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 19 (C); Psalm 19:7--14 (E) - "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul" (v. 7).
Psalm 18 (RC)
Prayer Of The Day
Lord Christ, cleanse our hearts and minds of all impurity just as you cleansed the temple of the money changers and merchants. May our worship of You not stem from any base motive but only from a heart of gratitude for your gift of eternal life. In the pure and precious name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 20:1--17
Indicative--imperative. The Ten Commandments begin with the indicative: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt...." The commandments of God, which become the moral imperatives of human existence, are grounded in the divine Being. In other words, they are grounded in that which is foundational for all existence. Some seek to base that which is good on custom, consensus or human volition but none of these is universal or ultimate. The Ten Commandments are built on God's very being. From this locus of authority issue the imperatives of life. God first reveals himself redemptively to his people and then calls for a response of obedience.
We are not free agents (v. 2). The first two verses in this passage indicate that we belong to the Lord ("your God"), not the other way around. In the atomistic philosophy popular in our culture, millions of folks think of themselves as free agents, at liberty to contract with the highest bidder. Not so, by virtue of the Lord's acts of creation and redemption; we belong with the Lord's team eternally.
Coveting underlies all the commandments. The Ten Commandments end with the commandments to abstain from coveting the neighbor's house, spouse, servants and so forth. But they also begin with the command not to covet the neighbor's gods (no other gods before him, no graven images). We are not to covet the authority that belongs to our parents or the time that belongs to God (Sabbath day). We are not to kill, which stems from coveting the authority which belongs to God alone, or commit adultery, coveting your neighbor's spouse. We all know that stealing derives from covetous desires for that which belongs to the neighbor. Well, you get the picture. All sin derives from the inordinate desire to possess that which is not rightly ours.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:18--25
Mind and miracles. Paul wrote that the Greeks sought wisdom, to apprehend God with the mind, while the Jews sought to experience God through powerful miracles (signs). The entire Christian Church can still be found on a continuum between the polarities of mind and miracle. Those on the left flank seek to understand God and the mysteries of life rationally before they commit themselves to the Lord. Those on the right seek to experience God through the medium of powerful signs. However, contact with God cannot be established through mind or miracles until we first encounter Him in the cross of Christ. For us the cross is both the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The weakness of God (v. 25). We normally attribute to God the trait of omnipotence. We derive comfort from the thought that God is all--powerful. Perhaps we need to rethink this concept. If God is all--powerful, why do we have wars? Why do so many innocents suffer? We might answer with the concept of human freedom. Sin and evil are negative outcomes of this freedom. God apparently is not strong enough to create us free and sinless all at once. The cross is the ultimate demonstration of God's weakness, which, through faith, becomes our strength and God's. God is able to make us into a new creation through a demonstration of weakness.
Gospel: John 2:13--22
Under the law (v. 13). Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover, even though he lived far enough away that he wasn't required to. He put himself under the dictates of the Jewish law, even though he was God in the flesh, just as it was his custom to worship in the synagogue every Sabbath.
Jesus overturns the tables (v. 15). Once Jesus invades our lives, it's never business as usual. Jesus overturns the tables on conventional religion. He becomes angry when he observes how some humans corrupt the faith, using God for material gain rather than being used by God for their spiritual gain.
Whose church is it? As Jesus overturned the tables of business in the temple courtyard, he identified the temple as "his Father's house" (v. 16). Some church members seem to feel that their congregation is their private domain, while some pastors feel the same way. Other folks don't feel that the church belongs to them and so they keep away. Let us remember that the church is God's house and offer hospitality to all who seek forgiveness and grace.
SERMON APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Exodus 20:1--17
Sermon Title: Love And The Law
Sermon Angle: When parents lay down the law for their kids, children feel that their folks are being mean. After they gain maturity they can see that the prohibitions are motivated by love. Likewise, God gave the law to his people because of his love for them. God's love does not have limits but his love does set limits. The law of God is not negative, as many detractors charge.
Sermon Title: Knowing Your Boundaries
Sermon Angle: The Ten Commandments are about boundaries. Humans seem to have trouble locating their boundaries. The boundaries that we constantly transgress are those between God and humans and the boundaries between my life and those of my brothers and sisters. Since God has made known our boundaries, we are accountable for our actions. If we abide by the boundaries that God has ordained we will experience joy and well--being.
Outline:
1. Most people feel more comfortable when they know their boundaries.
2. God sets our boundaries with the Ten Commandments.
3. We transgress those boundaries regularly and become alienated from God and each other.
4. The cross of Christ is God's way of restoring boundaries and relationships.
__________
Hundreds of Christians gathered on the lawn of the county courthouse in Gladsen, Alabama, to demonstrate their support for Judge Roy Moore, who finds himself embroiled in a dispute with the American Civil Liberties Union. Judge Moore has been accused of transgressing the boundaries of church and state. His accusers object to a wood carving of the Ten Commandments which hangs on the Etowah County Courthouse wall. His detractors also disapprove of his practice of prayer on the day when the jury is organized. April 10, 1995, a crowd estimated to be about 500 gathered about the court house to lend their support to Judge Moore. The judge believes that he has done nothing wrong and that he is merely exercising his constitutional rights. He stated that the constitution was never intended to keep God out of the government but to prevent the government from interfering with the church.
Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 1:18--25
Sermon Title: The Foolishness Of The Cross
Sermon Angle: The message of the cross is still regarded as foolishness today, even as it was in Paul's day. People prefer the so--called wisdom of our day and age, something more logical. The wisdom of God still comes through the foolishness of the cross.
Outline:
1. How does one come to know God?
2. The Jews thought they could know God through knowledge of his laws.
3. The Greeks thought they could know God through philosophy.
4. The gospel informs us that we can only know God through the foolishness of the cross.
__________
At the notorious Re--Imagining conference, the cross of Christ was subjected to derision. One of the speakers,who attempted to empty the cross of its meaning and centrality for the Christian faith,was Beverly Williams, who declared: "I don't think we need a theory of atonement at all. I don't think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff." According to an article in Christianity Today, Ingeline Nielsen, a Swiss missionary to Zimbabwe, attacked the hymn "Lift High The Cross" as presenting an oppressing view of God. A professor of English, Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, claimed that the cross symbolizes an abusive parent. These women offer their supposedly enlightened wisdom in place of the foolishness of the cross. This attack on the central symbol of our faith was launched not by hostile outsiders but by those who claim the title of believer. Can anything be more destructive than attacks from those inside the family of faith?
Gospel: John 2:13--22
Sermon Title: Cleansing The Lord's House: An Exercise You Must Do At Church
Sermon Angle: Lent offers a time for spiritual and moral cleansing. We usually view this as an exercise for individuals but the church as an institution also needs to be washed clean of corruption. The history of Christianity bears eloquent witness to this truth. The Crusades, the Inquisition, the Reformation, the silence of the German church during the Nazi era are but a few outstanding examples of the corrupting of the church and the need for spiritual cleansing. The corruption in your congregation may not be nearly so dramatic. Perhaps it takes the form of lack of zeal for the Lord's house, apathy, or an unwillingness to serve those in need.
Outline:
1. The Lord attacked the merchants for corrupting the house of God.
2. Religion has a tendency to become corrupt, like all other institutions.
3. The church must ever be reforming and renewing.
4. What are the sinful institutional practices that need to be purged from your church?
__________
Our local newspaper showed members of the Southern Baptist Convention with linked hands; they were people of different color. The denomination had officially repented of the sin of racism, which led them to support the practice of slavery during the Civil War era. A little late, you say? Better late than never. Pope John Paul, on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, has also sought forgiveness for the church's lack of action during the Nazi holocaust. Repentance is the first step in dealing with institutional corruption.
Sermon Title: We Are God's House
Sermon Angle: After Jesus cleansed the temple, irate merchants and temple officials demanded to know the source of his authority to do such a radical act. They demanded a sign, some credentials that authorized him to do this. Jesus responded: "Destroy the temple and in three days I will raise it up" (v. 19). As is often the case in the fourth gospel, there is a double meaning. The officials understood the temple to be the one in Jerusalem. Jesus was speaking of his body as a temple, which would be destroyed and raised again. Too often we identify the church with brick and mortar. Instead, we should think of it as a living organism, a body. God dwells not in buildings but in people, in particular, the people of God, the church. Our hearts are Christ's throne; the community of the faithful is the place where Christ has affixed His holy Name. The hymn "Built On A Rock" says it well: "We are God's house of living stones, built for his own habitation."
Outline:
1. The Jews thought that the temple was the place to worship God.
2. Jesus refers to his body as the holy temple, which would be razed and then raised.
3. The church is the Body of Christ, a holy place of worship.
- The church is not so much a material structure but a community.
- As Christ's body, we must die to sin and be raised to eternal life.
