Did The Wise Men Sleep In The Stable?
Preaching
Lions And Cows Dining Together
And 111 Other Sermon Ideas
Object:
Purpose Statement: The Christian should be sensitive to, and concerned about, the abuse of privilege.
That special people get special treatment is a well-known fact. One fine example in our Old Testament concerns Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-5, 10). The Queen of Sheba paid Solomon a visit and felt compelled to bring him lavish gifts: jewels and spices by the camel load, and almost five tons of gold. If the gifts she brought didn't amaze her, the scriptures tell us she was breathless when she saw the splendor that surrounded him. You say why not, after all, he was the king. That's our point. People we consider special get preferential treatment, the more celebrated they are the greater the privilege. Consider the Wise Men who visited Jesus at his birth (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11). If there was no room in the inn, where do you suppose they stayed? They came from far off lands and would not have been able to travel back home without staying over. You say by the time they arrived, Jesus' family had found better quarters and accommodations had opened up in the inn, or they traveled on that day to a village down the road where rooms were available. Stop, you are spoiling my story. The point we are considering is that the Wise Men, wealthy and prestigious as they were, probably did not sleep in the stable, as did Mary and Joseph. Suddenly, a room in the inn would have become available. Privilege happens for special people.
a. Some have it. Privilege is all around us. Special treatment for important people, that is unattainable by the rest of us, is observed when someone with influence gets a table in a restaurant when we have been told the place has no tables available. We have heard of individuals who have friends working at sports events who let them into ball games free. How many times have we heard about traffic tickets being fixed by people knowing the right people? Recently in our community, a police officer was stopped for a traffic violation by another officer, but was not given a citation. We were told that it needed to be investigated later. I wonder if I can suggest that arrangement the next time (oops), I mean if I ever get stopped?
b. We resent it. If the person receiving preferential treatment is a friend or someone we like, we overlook their indulgence. However, if they are someone we don't know or care about, we will be incensed. Our sense of fair play resents someone receiving benefits denied the rest of us. Someone crowding in line ahead of us does not endear herself or himself to all those in line behind.
c. Unless we get it. Have you ever gotten into a movie or a sports event because you knew the ticket taker or a person at the gate? Be honest now, you felt pretty good about your coup. Part of the fun was being able to tell everyone about it afterward. "I know people; I got a special deal." If the friends, whom we tell about our good fortune, are very astute, they will feel the insult. Any special privilege we receive (an exemption, license, tax break, free admission to an event, or other benefits) is given, in fact, at their expense, or is something that has been denied them. When we find a clever or sneaky way of gaining advantage without supporting the cause, someone else will have to shoulder the cost. We might as well laugh in the faces of our friends with a, "Ha, ha, I got a special deal on a new car because I know someone. You, on the other hand, will pay more for your car to make up for what I didn't pay." When the Christian faith is able to maintain special privilege in our country with prayers in legislative sessions or having the Bible read in schools, we are taking advantage of being in the majority and thumbing our noses at the other religious groups. If we are interested in winning their cooperation, we are not going about it in the proper fashion. We must examine our feelings about privilege. Is it disturbing when someone else gets it, but a welcome gift when we are the beneficiaries? How would Jesus feel about it? One parable Jesus told illustrates the situation clearly. Matthew 18:23b-34 should be examined carefully.
That special people get special treatment is a well-known fact. One fine example in our Old Testament concerns Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-5, 10). The Queen of Sheba paid Solomon a visit and felt compelled to bring him lavish gifts: jewels and spices by the camel load, and almost five tons of gold. If the gifts she brought didn't amaze her, the scriptures tell us she was breathless when she saw the splendor that surrounded him. You say why not, after all, he was the king. That's our point. People we consider special get preferential treatment, the more celebrated they are the greater the privilege. Consider the Wise Men who visited Jesus at his birth (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11). If there was no room in the inn, where do you suppose they stayed? They came from far off lands and would not have been able to travel back home without staying over. You say by the time they arrived, Jesus' family had found better quarters and accommodations had opened up in the inn, or they traveled on that day to a village down the road where rooms were available. Stop, you are spoiling my story. The point we are considering is that the Wise Men, wealthy and prestigious as they were, probably did not sleep in the stable, as did Mary and Joseph. Suddenly, a room in the inn would have become available. Privilege happens for special people.
a. Some have it. Privilege is all around us. Special treatment for important people, that is unattainable by the rest of us, is observed when someone with influence gets a table in a restaurant when we have been told the place has no tables available. We have heard of individuals who have friends working at sports events who let them into ball games free. How many times have we heard about traffic tickets being fixed by people knowing the right people? Recently in our community, a police officer was stopped for a traffic violation by another officer, but was not given a citation. We were told that it needed to be investigated later. I wonder if I can suggest that arrangement the next time (oops), I mean if I ever get stopped?
b. We resent it. If the person receiving preferential treatment is a friend or someone we like, we overlook their indulgence. However, if they are someone we don't know or care about, we will be incensed. Our sense of fair play resents someone receiving benefits denied the rest of us. Someone crowding in line ahead of us does not endear herself or himself to all those in line behind.
c. Unless we get it. Have you ever gotten into a movie or a sports event because you knew the ticket taker or a person at the gate? Be honest now, you felt pretty good about your coup. Part of the fun was being able to tell everyone about it afterward. "I know people; I got a special deal." If the friends, whom we tell about our good fortune, are very astute, they will feel the insult. Any special privilege we receive (an exemption, license, tax break, free admission to an event, or other benefits) is given, in fact, at their expense, or is something that has been denied them. When we find a clever or sneaky way of gaining advantage without supporting the cause, someone else will have to shoulder the cost. We might as well laugh in the faces of our friends with a, "Ha, ha, I got a special deal on a new car because I know someone. You, on the other hand, will pay more for your car to make up for what I didn't pay." When the Christian faith is able to maintain special privilege in our country with prayers in legislative sessions or having the Bible read in schools, we are taking advantage of being in the majority and thumbing our noses at the other religious groups. If we are interested in winning their cooperation, we are not going about it in the proper fashion. We must examine our feelings about privilege. Is it disturbing when someone else gets it, but a welcome gift when we are the beneficiaries? How would Jesus feel about it? One parable Jesus told illustrates the situation clearly. Matthew 18:23b-34 should be examined carefully.
