Fourth Sunday In Lent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle A
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (C, E); 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 (RC)
Saul, having been finally rejected by God, has died. Samuel is sent to select another king. To allay suspicions and disarm the people, Samuel goes with the impression he has come for a religious sacrifice. He arranges that Jesse will have his sons stand inspection before Samuel as a choice is made. The people showed fear at Samuel's arrival, leaving us with the impression that he was not always benevolent. However, his intentions were only to carry out God's will in the selection of a king. Elijah seemed the most impressive of the boys, causing Samuel to assume he would be the choice. But God seems to have seen defects of character which disqualified Elijah despite his impressive appearance. In the seventh verse we find the heart of this passage for our purposes: "For the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." After examining the candidates, Samuel is warned by God that there is yet another son and he is to be chosen. Accordingly, Jesse summons his youngest, David, from his job caring for the sheep. It is he that is chosen and interestingly, though God is quoted as being unimpressed by appearance, David is described as having beautiful eyes and being handsome. Apparently, appearances don't take the place of character, but they are important.
Lesson 2: Ephesians 5:8-14 (C, RC); Ephesians 5:(1-7) 8-14 (E)
Paul again uses the imagery of light as goodness and darkness as evil. Thus, we are to refrain from living in darkness and are to live in the light, and therefore "Christ will shine on you."
Gospel: John 9:1-41 (C, RC); John 9:1-13 (14-27) 28-38 (E)
Jesus heals a blind man, enabling him to see again. The man, a familiar beggar on the streets of the city, seems unrecognizable to many of the bystanders who find it hard to believe it's the same man. He, however, insists he is the same person and some of the people seeing this are impressed. An important point is made at the outset, that the man's blindness was not the consequence of his own sin nor that of his family. Here we again see a rejection of the belief, which persists even to this day on the part of some people, that bad events are a punishment from God for wrongdoing. There is a disquieting note at the same time: Jesus is quoted as saying that the man was born blind "that God's work might be revealed in him." In our own time, we might question whether people are born handicapped for any reason other than happenstance or a disability on the part of a parent. This could simply have been Jesus' way of setting the stage for the healing without having to debate the theology of the situation. It is also possible that this remark was a later addition, reflecting the theology of John.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "It's What You Are That Counts"
Text: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Theme: Many studies have shown that appearance does count in the marketplace. Even David in our text, though chosen for kingship because of his character, was described as "handsome." I recall as a member of a fraternity in college seeing a candidate for membership blackballed because of his appearance. I became angry and made an appeal, pointing out that Abe Lincoln was homely, so, in fact, were most of the famous people of that portion of history recorded by photography. We revoted and again the fellow lost. Many years have passed and he led a successful life. But I have never forgotten that injustice which, I suspect, is repeated over and over again in the sororities and fraternities of our nation's universities and elsewhere. The preacher, if discussing this issue, would find it necessary not to offend nor hurt the feelings of those listeners who might not be handsome. Yet at the same time, the younger generation needs to hear how important it is that we evaluate people on the basis of character, not appearance.
There is a qualification to this. I do think appearance counts in some ways. I'm not referring to the genetic problems of bodily configuration (though some extremes could be offset with diet and exercise). I'm referring to dress and cleanliness. Obviously, this is the real world. People who dress inappropriately, or who ignore good hygiene, can't expect to get or succeed in a job against those who observe these social requirements. But clearly, character takes first place. The person who loses out in the early going because of disadvantageous appearance will almost always win the race of life at the end by dependable integrity and faithfulness to high moral standards and courageous undertakings.
Title: "Living In The Light"
Text: Ephesians 5:8-14
Theme: What does it mean to live in the light? Readers will agree that the besetting temptation of the preacher is to be too general, too unspecific in discussing such splendid ideas as this one of Paul's. Instead, let me share some practical ways to "live in the light," with gratitude to that grand pulpiteer of the early part of the century, Harry Emerson Fosdick. Here are six rules for a happy life, premised on some suggestions of Fosdick.
1. The Rule Of Common Sense. Is what you are about to do or say sensible? Does the teenager who is thinking of dropping out of school know the dead-end jobs that lie ahead for the next fifty years, compared to the great opportunities he'll one day meet, does it make sense? What about marriage without wise preparation? Do you enjoy the same things, the same kind of people? Do you share the same life goals? The same values? Maybe it would be better to wait. Sex? Drugs?
2. The Rule Of Sportsmanship. Is this the kind of person you really are? I have a friend with whom I played tennis for years. We must have played a thousand games and never once did I see him make a bad call. Invariably, he gave me the benefit of every doubt. So I trusted him in everything. That's how the game of life should be played.
3. The Rule Of Your Own Best Self. People eventually know you for what you are. I know a builder of shopping malls who received a delivery of bricks for a building. There were hundreds too many, but the delivery bill didn't show this. He called the company who had sent the bricks. They were sure they were right. My friend persisted, an agent came out, my friend was right. The excess bricks which could have been used in another project were returned. Since then, that man's integrity has been famous.
4. The Rule Of Publicity. Would you want your actions known to the people who admire you? Your best friend? Your daughter? Your pastor? Your dad and mom?
5. The Rule Of The Most Admired Person You Know. I have had two ministers, older than me, who influenced me tremendously in my early years. I think of them as men of unimpeachable character. Would what I am about to do be disillusioning if I found them doing it?
6. The Rule Of Foresight. What will be the effect on my life next year? Ten years from now? Is what I'm about to do something I'm willing to live with, to have on my conscience for the rest of my life?
Title: "The Question Of Suffering"
Text: John 9:2
Theme: The problem of suffering is raised here. Why is there suffering? We dealt with this recently when Paul said it produces character. But here the issue raised is that of retribution: does God punish in this life? The New Testament's firm position is that God does not. Jesus here says that. Still, we hear it often. Most clergy have heard the grief-stricken loved one at a funeral agonize over what he may have done wrong to lead God to take this loved one. I was taught in seminary that a funeral is a place where we should never debate religion. But it's hard to remain silent at such sentiments.
It seems to me the situation is complicated by quoting Jesus as saying the man was born blind so that God's work might be revealed in him. That still doesn't sound right. The poor fellow had been blind for a long time. He probably was unmarried, had missed a lot of fun in life because of his blindness. It's hard to believe that God would subject someone to that just so he could put on a show later, a show which didn't even impress most of the viewers.
The greater likelihood is that afflictions such as this man's, along with all of our physical and mental infirmities, are accidents of nature (except for the babies born to mothers of alcoholics, drug addicts, and so forth). A better way to depict this, one more consistent with the predominant teaching of the New Testament, is that what Jesus meant was that since the man was born blind, God could reveal his healing power. Also, a side issue is that of healing itself. We know today that many cases of blindness are emotionally induced as is true of much illness, sometimes by hysteria. Faith and the presence of Jesus in our lives can change our emotional outlook and no doubt result in healing.
1. Afflictions are not the will of God.
2. Wrongdoing may indeed cause tragic suffering, but it isn't God who causes it.
3. God will, however, bring to bear healing powers for those who do so suffer. This power is transmitted through faith in Jesus Christ.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Helen Keller, born without sight or hearing, is one of America's all-time heroic figures. Refusing to live in her tragic prison, she found her way out through the ministry of a dear friend. Toward the end of her life, "speaking" to a great gathering of students at a university which was honoring her, she said in halting speech: "Most people measure their happiness in terms of physical pleasure and possessions. But if happiness is so measured, then I who cannot see or hear have every reason to sit in a corner with folded hands and weep. As sinners sometimes stand up in a meeting to testify to the goodness of God, so one who is called afflicted may rise up in gladness to testify to his goodness. The struggle of life is one of our greatest blessings. It makes us patient, sensitive, godlike. It teaches us that although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."
____________
When I began seminary, there was a student who had worked in the "real world" for ten or so years prior to his commitment to the church. His family had moved into an apartment near the school. One day we were assembled for the final examination of a first semester course. A few minutes into the exam, we were shocked to see the professor walk to this man's desk and roughly tear the exam book from his hands and, with an angry look, throw the paper on his own desk. The student, his face flaming, gathered up his books and briefcase and left the room. We realized the professor had seen him cheat. I never saw that man again. I have often wondered what happened to him. What did he tell his wife and children? How did he explain to his sponsoring church, proud that one of their members was off to seminary, that he had left? What memories, what regrets, what sadness has cursed that man's life because, in an unwise moment, he decided to cheat?
____________
Knute Rockne had a poem on the wall of his team's locker room at Notre Dame. Its language is dated. But it's the code by which the man lived and is worth remembering. It read:
"In the battle that goes on for life,
I ask for a field that is fair.
A chance that is equal with all in strife.
The courage to do and to dare.
If I should win, let it be by the code,
My faith and my honor held high.
If I should lose, let me stand by the road,
And cheer as the winner rides by."
____________
Harry Emerson Fosdick told of the man who began attending Riverside Church in New York and approached Fosdick one day to thank him for the encouragement he had consistently received from Fosdick's preaching. Several months later, he realized he no longer saw the man at worship. Curious, he investigated and discovered that the man was in prison for fraud. Fosdick said he realized then that his preaching had lacked a firm stand on the call to moral excellence. He thereafter made that an important emphasis.
_____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 23 (C, RC, E) -- "The Lord is my Shepherd and my Host."
Prayer Of The Day
God of life, thou who walks with us each daily step, who grieves at our misdoings and cheers at our rightful victories, keep us mindful, we pray, of those things which are valuable in the long run. Help us discern the difference between pleasure and happiness, as we make those choices which are determining who we are and what we are becoming. In Christ's name we pray.
Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (C, E); 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 (RC)
Saul, having been finally rejected by God, has died. Samuel is sent to select another king. To allay suspicions and disarm the people, Samuel goes with the impression he has come for a religious sacrifice. He arranges that Jesse will have his sons stand inspection before Samuel as a choice is made. The people showed fear at Samuel's arrival, leaving us with the impression that he was not always benevolent. However, his intentions were only to carry out God's will in the selection of a king. Elijah seemed the most impressive of the boys, causing Samuel to assume he would be the choice. But God seems to have seen defects of character which disqualified Elijah despite his impressive appearance. In the seventh verse we find the heart of this passage for our purposes: "For the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." After examining the candidates, Samuel is warned by God that there is yet another son and he is to be chosen. Accordingly, Jesse summons his youngest, David, from his job caring for the sheep. It is he that is chosen and interestingly, though God is quoted as being unimpressed by appearance, David is described as having beautiful eyes and being handsome. Apparently, appearances don't take the place of character, but they are important.
Lesson 2: Ephesians 5:8-14 (C, RC); Ephesians 5:(1-7) 8-14 (E)
Paul again uses the imagery of light as goodness and darkness as evil. Thus, we are to refrain from living in darkness and are to live in the light, and therefore "Christ will shine on you."
Gospel: John 9:1-41 (C, RC); John 9:1-13 (14-27) 28-38 (E)
Jesus heals a blind man, enabling him to see again. The man, a familiar beggar on the streets of the city, seems unrecognizable to many of the bystanders who find it hard to believe it's the same man. He, however, insists he is the same person and some of the people seeing this are impressed. An important point is made at the outset, that the man's blindness was not the consequence of his own sin nor that of his family. Here we again see a rejection of the belief, which persists even to this day on the part of some people, that bad events are a punishment from God for wrongdoing. There is a disquieting note at the same time: Jesus is quoted as saying that the man was born blind "that God's work might be revealed in him." In our own time, we might question whether people are born handicapped for any reason other than happenstance or a disability on the part of a parent. This could simply have been Jesus' way of setting the stage for the healing without having to debate the theology of the situation. It is also possible that this remark was a later addition, reflecting the theology of John.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "It's What You Are That Counts"
Text: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Theme: Many studies have shown that appearance does count in the marketplace. Even David in our text, though chosen for kingship because of his character, was described as "handsome." I recall as a member of a fraternity in college seeing a candidate for membership blackballed because of his appearance. I became angry and made an appeal, pointing out that Abe Lincoln was homely, so, in fact, were most of the famous people of that portion of history recorded by photography. We revoted and again the fellow lost. Many years have passed and he led a successful life. But I have never forgotten that injustice which, I suspect, is repeated over and over again in the sororities and fraternities of our nation's universities and elsewhere. The preacher, if discussing this issue, would find it necessary not to offend nor hurt the feelings of those listeners who might not be handsome. Yet at the same time, the younger generation needs to hear how important it is that we evaluate people on the basis of character, not appearance.
There is a qualification to this. I do think appearance counts in some ways. I'm not referring to the genetic problems of bodily configuration (though some extremes could be offset with diet and exercise). I'm referring to dress and cleanliness. Obviously, this is the real world. People who dress inappropriately, or who ignore good hygiene, can't expect to get or succeed in a job against those who observe these social requirements. But clearly, character takes first place. The person who loses out in the early going because of disadvantageous appearance will almost always win the race of life at the end by dependable integrity and faithfulness to high moral standards and courageous undertakings.
Title: "Living In The Light"
Text: Ephesians 5:8-14
Theme: What does it mean to live in the light? Readers will agree that the besetting temptation of the preacher is to be too general, too unspecific in discussing such splendid ideas as this one of Paul's. Instead, let me share some practical ways to "live in the light," with gratitude to that grand pulpiteer of the early part of the century, Harry Emerson Fosdick. Here are six rules for a happy life, premised on some suggestions of Fosdick.
1. The Rule Of Common Sense. Is what you are about to do or say sensible? Does the teenager who is thinking of dropping out of school know the dead-end jobs that lie ahead for the next fifty years, compared to the great opportunities he'll one day meet, does it make sense? What about marriage without wise preparation? Do you enjoy the same things, the same kind of people? Do you share the same life goals? The same values? Maybe it would be better to wait. Sex? Drugs?
2. The Rule Of Sportsmanship. Is this the kind of person you really are? I have a friend with whom I played tennis for years. We must have played a thousand games and never once did I see him make a bad call. Invariably, he gave me the benefit of every doubt. So I trusted him in everything. That's how the game of life should be played.
3. The Rule Of Your Own Best Self. People eventually know you for what you are. I know a builder of shopping malls who received a delivery of bricks for a building. There were hundreds too many, but the delivery bill didn't show this. He called the company who had sent the bricks. They were sure they were right. My friend persisted, an agent came out, my friend was right. The excess bricks which could have been used in another project were returned. Since then, that man's integrity has been famous.
4. The Rule Of Publicity. Would you want your actions known to the people who admire you? Your best friend? Your daughter? Your pastor? Your dad and mom?
5. The Rule Of The Most Admired Person You Know. I have had two ministers, older than me, who influenced me tremendously in my early years. I think of them as men of unimpeachable character. Would what I am about to do be disillusioning if I found them doing it?
6. The Rule Of Foresight. What will be the effect on my life next year? Ten years from now? Is what I'm about to do something I'm willing to live with, to have on my conscience for the rest of my life?
Title: "The Question Of Suffering"
Text: John 9:2
Theme: The problem of suffering is raised here. Why is there suffering? We dealt with this recently when Paul said it produces character. But here the issue raised is that of retribution: does God punish in this life? The New Testament's firm position is that God does not. Jesus here says that. Still, we hear it often. Most clergy have heard the grief-stricken loved one at a funeral agonize over what he may have done wrong to lead God to take this loved one. I was taught in seminary that a funeral is a place where we should never debate religion. But it's hard to remain silent at such sentiments.
It seems to me the situation is complicated by quoting Jesus as saying the man was born blind so that God's work might be revealed in him. That still doesn't sound right. The poor fellow had been blind for a long time. He probably was unmarried, had missed a lot of fun in life because of his blindness. It's hard to believe that God would subject someone to that just so he could put on a show later, a show which didn't even impress most of the viewers.
The greater likelihood is that afflictions such as this man's, along with all of our physical and mental infirmities, are accidents of nature (except for the babies born to mothers of alcoholics, drug addicts, and so forth). A better way to depict this, one more consistent with the predominant teaching of the New Testament, is that what Jesus meant was that since the man was born blind, God could reveal his healing power. Also, a side issue is that of healing itself. We know today that many cases of blindness are emotionally induced as is true of much illness, sometimes by hysteria. Faith and the presence of Jesus in our lives can change our emotional outlook and no doubt result in healing.
1. Afflictions are not the will of God.
2. Wrongdoing may indeed cause tragic suffering, but it isn't God who causes it.
3. God will, however, bring to bear healing powers for those who do so suffer. This power is transmitted through faith in Jesus Christ.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Helen Keller, born without sight or hearing, is one of America's all-time heroic figures. Refusing to live in her tragic prison, she found her way out through the ministry of a dear friend. Toward the end of her life, "speaking" to a great gathering of students at a university which was honoring her, she said in halting speech: "Most people measure their happiness in terms of physical pleasure and possessions. But if happiness is so measured, then I who cannot see or hear have every reason to sit in a corner with folded hands and weep. As sinners sometimes stand up in a meeting to testify to the goodness of God, so one who is called afflicted may rise up in gladness to testify to his goodness. The struggle of life is one of our greatest blessings. It makes us patient, sensitive, godlike. It teaches us that although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."
____________
When I began seminary, there was a student who had worked in the "real world" for ten or so years prior to his commitment to the church. His family had moved into an apartment near the school. One day we were assembled for the final examination of a first semester course. A few minutes into the exam, we were shocked to see the professor walk to this man's desk and roughly tear the exam book from his hands and, with an angry look, throw the paper on his own desk. The student, his face flaming, gathered up his books and briefcase and left the room. We realized the professor had seen him cheat. I never saw that man again. I have often wondered what happened to him. What did he tell his wife and children? How did he explain to his sponsoring church, proud that one of their members was off to seminary, that he had left? What memories, what regrets, what sadness has cursed that man's life because, in an unwise moment, he decided to cheat?
____________
Knute Rockne had a poem on the wall of his team's locker room at Notre Dame. Its language is dated. But it's the code by which the man lived and is worth remembering. It read:
"In the battle that goes on for life,
I ask for a field that is fair.
A chance that is equal with all in strife.
The courage to do and to dare.
If I should win, let it be by the code,
My faith and my honor held high.
If I should lose, let me stand by the road,
And cheer as the winner rides by."
____________
Harry Emerson Fosdick told of the man who began attending Riverside Church in New York and approached Fosdick one day to thank him for the encouragement he had consistently received from Fosdick's preaching. Several months later, he realized he no longer saw the man at worship. Curious, he investigated and discovered that the man was in prison for fraud. Fosdick said he realized then that his preaching had lacked a firm stand on the call to moral excellence. He thereafter made that an important emphasis.
_____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 23 (C, RC, E) -- "The Lord is my Shepherd and my Host."
Prayer Of The Day
God of life, thou who walks with us each daily step, who grieves at our misdoings and cheers at our rightful victories, keep us mindful, we pray, of those things which are valuable in the long run. Help us discern the difference between pleasure and happiness, as we make those choices which are determining who we are and what we are becoming. In Christ's name we pray.
