God provides for our needs, if we but trust him
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series V, Cycle A
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 32:22--31 (C)
Jacob returns home with his wives, children and flocks but, fearing the wrath of his brother Esau, he sends them on before him, remaining by himself. He wrestles with an angel of God until daybreak. The angel cannot overcome Jacob and asks to be let go. Jacob refuses until he receives a blessing. The heavenly visitor notes that Jacob has striven with God and man but has prevailed.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:1--3 (RC); Isaiah 55:1--5 (L)
Like a hawker on the street, God bids his people to come to him for spiritual food and drink, which will satisfy the deepest longing of their souls.
Lesson 1: Nehemiah 9:16--20 (E)
The people have returned from captivity in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple. In this passage, Ezra, Nehemiah and all the people assemble to reaffirm the covenants that God established with Abraham and Moses. The story of God's redeeming love is read to the people. The people confess their sins and the sins of their forebears and pledge to be loyal to the Lord.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5 (C)
Paul expresses his anguish for the salvation of his fellow Jews. If possible, he would even exchange his own salvation for that of his people.
Lesson 2: Romans 8:35, 37--39 (RC); Romans 8:35--39 (E, L)
Paul writes words of encouragement for the besieged Christian Church. No one or no thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ: not even the seven forms of sufferings and the ten demonic powers which Paul names. Therefore, we are more than conquerors through the power of Christ. The Christian is not free from suffering or death but is given the spiritual resources with which to wrestle and prevail against these dark powers.
Gospel: Matthew 14:13--21 (C, RC, E, L)
Jesus tries to find some solitude but the crowds of needy folks find him. His compassion prompts him to heal the sick but it is getting toward evening and the disciples want to dismiss them so they can find food for supper. Jesus asks them to do the apparently impossible, provide food for all these people. ''You give them something to eat'' (v. 16). Astonished, they reply: ''We have only five loaves and two fish'' (v. 17). Jesus commands that they be brought to him. He blesses the food and the disciples distribute it to the multitudes. All are fed, with 12 baskets
257
left over. The miracle not only shows the miraculous power of Jesus but God's compassion for the needs of people. It also demonstrates that all needs can be met if we but share with God and with one another that which he has placed in our grasp.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 17:1--7, 15 (C) - ''I shall behold your face in righteousness'' (v. 15).
Psalm 78:1--29 (E) - ''Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance'' (v. 25).
Psalm 104:24--30 (L) - ''These all look to you to give them their food in due season; when you give to them, they gather it up ...'' (vv. 27--28).
Prayer Of The Day
Gracious God, you have lavishly spread your bounteous table before us, that we might eat our fill, and you have given your Son as food for our souls. Free us to share from your great storehouse that all people might eat, live, and return thanks unto you. This we ask in the name of the Bread of Life, Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 32:22--31
Wrestling with God. The text indicates that Jacob was wrestling with God or an angel of the Lord, but I wonder if he wasn't also wrestling with his conscience. He had tricked his brother and seized the birthright and his father's blessing. Esau acted stupidly but he had justification for his anger against his brother. Our struggles with God are directly tied to our wrestling with moral and ethical issues that surround our relationships.
Clinging to God. Jacob would not let go of the angel that he was wrestling with, until he secured a divine blessing. The believer needs to be persistent in his or her endeavor to lay hold of the Lord's blessings.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:1--5
Come to and through the water. The prophet issues God's invitation to come to him, the water of life. Jesus picks up this metaphor when he says: ''I am the fountain of the water of life.'' Water is to the body as God's Spirit is to the soul. In another sense, we come to God through the waters, the waters of baptism. God is the goal and the way to eternal life.
Be a picky eater. The Lord urges: ''Listen carefully to me and eat what is good'' (v. 2b). We consume a lot of things that aren't food, which don't satisfy: countless material gadgets and trinkets, music which arouses our aggression, magazines which fill our minds with garbage. God's Word is that which truly satisfies our deepest hunger.
God's Word is what we need. In verse 1, we are encouraged to let the Lord satisfy the thirst of our souls. In verse 2, we are invited to come to God for food. In verse 3, we are told to turn the inner ear of our souls to God and heed the Word of the Lord, so that we might live. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, after he had fasted, he rebuked Satan by saying: ''Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'' (Matthew 4:4). When we listen to the Word of God, we have all that we need to live.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5
See Lesson 2 (RC, E, L), for Pentecost 12
Lesson 2: Romans 8:35--39
A nonbreakable bond. Christ is the cement that binds us to God. When we are baptized into Christ, that bond cannot be broken by any external force. No demonic powers, earthly powers or misfortunes can separate us from God's love.
258
More than conquerors? Paul claims that Christians are more than conquerors through the power of Christ. How can one be more than a conqueror? We think that being the victor, the one who comes out at the top of the heap, is the ultimate experience. What could be more important than beating someone else or even accomplishing your cherished goal? Experiencing God's love and grace and sharing the same with others.
Surpassing victory. After listing a litany of dark powers which afflict believers, Paul makes what, to some, seems like an absurd statement. He says, ''No, in all these we are more than conquerors through him who loved us'' (v. 37). In the eyes of the world, there can be no greater attainment than to be a conqueror. We are taught that winning the victory is everything. How can one be more than a conqueror? Think about it. A conqueror is one who imposes his power on somebody else; he gets to write the rules because of his superior strength or skill. However, he will not enjoy an open and free relationship with another; he can never know what it means to give oneself in love, for that would make him vulnerable. God could overwhelm us with his power at any time, but in Christ he has chosen a course that surpasses victory.
Gospel: Matthew 14:13--21
Send the crowds away. Jesus was attempting to get away for a period of rest and spiritual recharging by going to a lonely spot across the lake, but the crowds followed him. There was no escape. Rather than feeling exasperation, as many of us might, he felt only compassion. Later on, the disciples came to Jesus and wanted him to send the crowds away. Put the needy ones out of sight and mind, so that we might get some needed rest. Jesus would not dismiss them until they had been fed, physically and spiritually.
The responsibilities of being a host. The disciples wanted to send the crowd away, forgetting that the people were their guests and they were the hosts. That's why Jesus told them: ''You give them something to eat'' (v. 16). You don't ask your guests to go out and obtain their own food. When the needy ones come to the Church of Jesus Christ, it is up to us to do what we can to feed them, heal them and provide for their needs.
Excuses, excuses, excuses. ''We have only five loaves and two fish'' (v. 17). The disciples were looking for an excuse to send the crowd away. Their meager provisions did look woefully inadequate, but had they not recently witnessed miraculous things from the hand of Jesus? Our excuses keep us from investing our talents in the lives of others.
Offer it to Jesus. Jesus asked that the five loaves and two fish be brought to him. If we offer up to Jesus all that we have, whether it be much or little, Christ blesses it and multiplies its effect.
God's generous gifts of grace. Everyone ate until they were full and still there were 12 baskets of bread left over. God doesn't merely supply a maintenance diet but feeds us until we are full. There is nothing stingy about God's grace.
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 32:22--31
Sermon Title: A Tenacious Faith
Sermon Angle: Jacob had a tenacious faith in himself, his future and, finally, his God. He entered the world clinging to the heels of his brother. Esau had the privilege of being firstborn but Jacob wrestled it away from him. He worked and struggled hard with his Uncle Laban for his wives and flocks. Now, as he returns home, he wrestles with God and comes out the victor. Jacob had a tenacious faith that would not let go until he won a blessing.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:1--5
Sermon Title: Real Food For Real People
Sermon Angle: The Lord invites his people to come to the supermarket, which would satisfy the deepest hunger of their soul. Much of what they consumed was junk food; it could not satisfy
259
(v. 2). God and his word could build them up, if they would but partake. The eats which God offers, free of charge, remain real food for real people.
Outline:
1. We are warned against the dangers of junk food
2. Junk food fills without satisfying or nourishing
3. All that we take into our hearts and minds is food
- some of it is junk food
- God and his word are real food for real people
Lesson 1: Nehemiah 9:16--20
Sermon Title: Renewing The Covenant
Sermon Angle: As the Jews reforged their nation, their leaders realized the necessity of ratifying the covenant that Abraham had established with the God of their forebears. They recited the history of God's acts of liberating his people. In response to God's blessings and gifts, the people were asked to reaffirm their loyalty to the God of their ancestors and to the covenant. As Christians, the covenant that forms us into a people was written with the blood of Christ. Each generation must reaffirm their loyalty to that covenant, if our faith is going to continue to live.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5
See Lesson 2 (RC, E, L), for Pentecost 12.
Lesson 2: Romans 8:35--39
Sermon Title: The Unbreakable Bond
Sermon Angle: The bonds of relationships are broken with regularity in our culture. Studies show that one of every two marriages will eventually end in divorce. Our mobility makes for plug--in and plug--out relationships. Yet there is one bond that can never be broken, except if we would completely turn our backs on God: namely, the bond of faith which God established with us in our baptism. It is a bond of unbreakable love. What good news in a teflon (nonstick) society!
Outline:
1. Do you seek a love that will last eternally?
2. Such love is difficult to come by
- tribulations and hardships can separate us from each other (v. 35)
- demonic powers try to destroy our relationship with God (vv. 38--39)
3. The love of God stands as an unbreakable bond (vv. 38--39)
Sermon Title: Beyond Winning And Losing
Sermon Angle: The Church of Paul's day had won some great victories, but it faced some formidable foes. Because of persecutions and hardships, they were in constant danger of losing everything. Paul throws out the worst that life can mete out and then concludes that nothing in this world or beyond this world can separate us from God's love. Winning and losing do not ultimately matter, they are among the passing things of this world. Loving, grounded in God's eternal love, remains the only thing that lasts.
Gospel: Matthew 14:13--21
Sermon Title: When Compassion Isn't Enough
Sermon Angle: When Jesus saw the crowds that had tailed him, the gospel writer says that he had compassion for them (v. 14). Compassion means feeling the pain of other people, entering their sorrows. Many of us feel the pain of others but we don't act on it. Jesus shows us that real compassion issues in acts of love - healing, feeding and the like.
260
Outline:
1. Great crowds were attracted to Jesus' compassion
2. For Jesus, compassion went from feeling to action
3. Jesus also went beyond what was expected - fed the multitudes
4. If Christ is in us, we will go beyond feeling to action
Sermon Title: God's Mathematics
Sermon Angle: The disciples added up the resources, five loaves and two fish, and came up short. We do the same. We add up one plus one and get two, concluding that we don't have enough resources with which to act. God is not limited to simple addition or subtraction. He can multiply that which we give, manyfold.
Sermon Title: Eucharist
Sermon Angle: When the five loaves and two fish were brought to Jesus, he blessed and broke them; then gave them to the disciples who distributed the food to the crowd. This was a Eucharist and Jesus was both the celebrant and the bread. The foundation of Jesus' power rested on the conviction that God was the giver of every gift, so we must give thanks to him and bless his Holy Name. Once God blesses something, it must be broken and shared.
Outline:
1. Jesus gave thanks to God for the loaves and fish
2. When we offer our loaves and our lives in thanksgiving, God blesses
3. Holy Communion is a Eucharist (meal of thanksgiving)
4. Christian life is also one continuous Eucharist
[For other approaches on the theme of the Gospel and for illustrations, see Corpus Christi, Roman Catholic.]
261
Lesson 1: Genesis 32:22--31 (C)
Jacob returns home with his wives, children and flocks but, fearing the wrath of his brother Esau, he sends them on before him, remaining by himself. He wrestles with an angel of God until daybreak. The angel cannot overcome Jacob and asks to be let go. Jacob refuses until he receives a blessing. The heavenly visitor notes that Jacob has striven with God and man but has prevailed.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:1--3 (RC); Isaiah 55:1--5 (L)
Like a hawker on the street, God bids his people to come to him for spiritual food and drink, which will satisfy the deepest longing of their souls.
Lesson 1: Nehemiah 9:16--20 (E)
The people have returned from captivity in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple. In this passage, Ezra, Nehemiah and all the people assemble to reaffirm the covenants that God established with Abraham and Moses. The story of God's redeeming love is read to the people. The people confess their sins and the sins of their forebears and pledge to be loyal to the Lord.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5 (C)
Paul expresses his anguish for the salvation of his fellow Jews. If possible, he would even exchange his own salvation for that of his people.
Lesson 2: Romans 8:35, 37--39 (RC); Romans 8:35--39 (E, L)
Paul writes words of encouragement for the besieged Christian Church. No one or no thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ: not even the seven forms of sufferings and the ten demonic powers which Paul names. Therefore, we are more than conquerors through the power of Christ. The Christian is not free from suffering or death but is given the spiritual resources with which to wrestle and prevail against these dark powers.
Gospel: Matthew 14:13--21 (C, RC, E, L)
Jesus tries to find some solitude but the crowds of needy folks find him. His compassion prompts him to heal the sick but it is getting toward evening and the disciples want to dismiss them so they can find food for supper. Jesus asks them to do the apparently impossible, provide food for all these people. ''You give them something to eat'' (v. 16). Astonished, they reply: ''We have only five loaves and two fish'' (v. 17). Jesus commands that they be brought to him. He blesses the food and the disciples distribute it to the multitudes. All are fed, with 12 baskets
257
left over. The miracle not only shows the miraculous power of Jesus but God's compassion for the needs of people. It also demonstrates that all needs can be met if we but share with God and with one another that which he has placed in our grasp.
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 17:1--7, 15 (C) - ''I shall behold your face in righteousness'' (v. 15).
Psalm 78:1--29 (E) - ''Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance'' (v. 25).
Psalm 104:24--30 (L) - ''These all look to you to give them their food in due season; when you give to them, they gather it up ...'' (vv. 27--28).
Prayer Of The Day
Gracious God, you have lavishly spread your bounteous table before us, that we might eat our fill, and you have given your Son as food for our souls. Free us to share from your great storehouse that all people might eat, live, and return thanks unto you. This we ask in the name of the Bread of Life, Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 32:22--31
Wrestling with God. The text indicates that Jacob was wrestling with God or an angel of the Lord, but I wonder if he wasn't also wrestling with his conscience. He had tricked his brother and seized the birthright and his father's blessing. Esau acted stupidly but he had justification for his anger against his brother. Our struggles with God are directly tied to our wrestling with moral and ethical issues that surround our relationships.
Clinging to God. Jacob would not let go of the angel that he was wrestling with, until he secured a divine blessing. The believer needs to be persistent in his or her endeavor to lay hold of the Lord's blessings.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:1--5
Come to and through the water. The prophet issues God's invitation to come to him, the water of life. Jesus picks up this metaphor when he says: ''I am the fountain of the water of life.'' Water is to the body as God's Spirit is to the soul. In another sense, we come to God through the waters, the waters of baptism. God is the goal and the way to eternal life.
Be a picky eater. The Lord urges: ''Listen carefully to me and eat what is good'' (v. 2b). We consume a lot of things that aren't food, which don't satisfy: countless material gadgets and trinkets, music which arouses our aggression, magazines which fill our minds with garbage. God's Word is that which truly satisfies our deepest hunger.
God's Word is what we need. In verse 1, we are encouraged to let the Lord satisfy the thirst of our souls. In verse 2, we are invited to come to God for food. In verse 3, we are told to turn the inner ear of our souls to God and heed the Word of the Lord, so that we might live. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, after he had fasted, he rebuked Satan by saying: ''Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'' (Matthew 4:4). When we listen to the Word of God, we have all that we need to live.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5
See Lesson 2 (RC, E, L), for Pentecost 12
Lesson 2: Romans 8:35--39
A nonbreakable bond. Christ is the cement that binds us to God. When we are baptized into Christ, that bond cannot be broken by any external force. No demonic powers, earthly powers or misfortunes can separate us from God's love.
258
More than conquerors? Paul claims that Christians are more than conquerors through the power of Christ. How can one be more than a conqueror? We think that being the victor, the one who comes out at the top of the heap, is the ultimate experience. What could be more important than beating someone else or even accomplishing your cherished goal? Experiencing God's love and grace and sharing the same with others.
Surpassing victory. After listing a litany of dark powers which afflict believers, Paul makes what, to some, seems like an absurd statement. He says, ''No, in all these we are more than conquerors through him who loved us'' (v. 37). In the eyes of the world, there can be no greater attainment than to be a conqueror. We are taught that winning the victory is everything. How can one be more than a conqueror? Think about it. A conqueror is one who imposes his power on somebody else; he gets to write the rules because of his superior strength or skill. However, he will not enjoy an open and free relationship with another; he can never know what it means to give oneself in love, for that would make him vulnerable. God could overwhelm us with his power at any time, but in Christ he has chosen a course that surpasses victory.
Gospel: Matthew 14:13--21
Send the crowds away. Jesus was attempting to get away for a period of rest and spiritual recharging by going to a lonely spot across the lake, but the crowds followed him. There was no escape. Rather than feeling exasperation, as many of us might, he felt only compassion. Later on, the disciples came to Jesus and wanted him to send the crowds away. Put the needy ones out of sight and mind, so that we might get some needed rest. Jesus would not dismiss them until they had been fed, physically and spiritually.
The responsibilities of being a host. The disciples wanted to send the crowd away, forgetting that the people were their guests and they were the hosts. That's why Jesus told them: ''You give them something to eat'' (v. 16). You don't ask your guests to go out and obtain their own food. When the needy ones come to the Church of Jesus Christ, it is up to us to do what we can to feed them, heal them and provide for their needs.
Excuses, excuses, excuses. ''We have only five loaves and two fish'' (v. 17). The disciples were looking for an excuse to send the crowd away. Their meager provisions did look woefully inadequate, but had they not recently witnessed miraculous things from the hand of Jesus? Our excuses keep us from investing our talents in the lives of others.
Offer it to Jesus. Jesus asked that the five loaves and two fish be brought to him. If we offer up to Jesus all that we have, whether it be much or little, Christ blesses it and multiplies its effect.
God's generous gifts of grace. Everyone ate until they were full and still there were 12 baskets of bread left over. God doesn't merely supply a maintenance diet but feeds us until we are full. There is nothing stingy about God's grace.
PREACHING APPROACHES WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Lesson 1: Genesis 32:22--31
Sermon Title: A Tenacious Faith
Sermon Angle: Jacob had a tenacious faith in himself, his future and, finally, his God. He entered the world clinging to the heels of his brother. Esau had the privilege of being firstborn but Jacob wrestled it away from him. He worked and struggled hard with his Uncle Laban for his wives and flocks. Now, as he returns home, he wrestles with God and comes out the victor. Jacob had a tenacious faith that would not let go until he won a blessing.
Lesson 1: Isaiah 55:1--5
Sermon Title: Real Food For Real People
Sermon Angle: The Lord invites his people to come to the supermarket, which would satisfy the deepest hunger of their soul. Much of what they consumed was junk food; it could not satisfy
259
(v. 2). God and his word could build them up, if they would but partake. The eats which God offers, free of charge, remain real food for real people.
Outline:
1. We are warned against the dangers of junk food
2. Junk food fills without satisfying or nourishing
3. All that we take into our hearts and minds is food
- some of it is junk food
- God and his word are real food for real people
Lesson 1: Nehemiah 9:16--20
Sermon Title: Renewing The Covenant
Sermon Angle: As the Jews reforged their nation, their leaders realized the necessity of ratifying the covenant that Abraham had established with the God of their forebears. They recited the history of God's acts of liberating his people. In response to God's blessings and gifts, the people were asked to reaffirm their loyalty to the God of their ancestors and to the covenant. As Christians, the covenant that forms us into a people was written with the blood of Christ. Each generation must reaffirm their loyalty to that covenant, if our faith is going to continue to live.
Lesson 2: Romans 9:1--5
See Lesson 2 (RC, E, L), for Pentecost 12.
Lesson 2: Romans 8:35--39
Sermon Title: The Unbreakable Bond
Sermon Angle: The bonds of relationships are broken with regularity in our culture. Studies show that one of every two marriages will eventually end in divorce. Our mobility makes for plug--in and plug--out relationships. Yet there is one bond that can never be broken, except if we would completely turn our backs on God: namely, the bond of faith which God established with us in our baptism. It is a bond of unbreakable love. What good news in a teflon (nonstick) society!
Outline:
1. Do you seek a love that will last eternally?
2. Such love is difficult to come by
- tribulations and hardships can separate us from each other (v. 35)
- demonic powers try to destroy our relationship with God (vv. 38--39)
3. The love of God stands as an unbreakable bond (vv. 38--39)
Sermon Title: Beyond Winning And Losing
Sermon Angle: The Church of Paul's day had won some great victories, but it faced some formidable foes. Because of persecutions and hardships, they were in constant danger of losing everything. Paul throws out the worst that life can mete out and then concludes that nothing in this world or beyond this world can separate us from God's love. Winning and losing do not ultimately matter, they are among the passing things of this world. Loving, grounded in God's eternal love, remains the only thing that lasts.
Gospel: Matthew 14:13--21
Sermon Title: When Compassion Isn't Enough
Sermon Angle: When Jesus saw the crowds that had tailed him, the gospel writer says that he had compassion for them (v. 14). Compassion means feeling the pain of other people, entering their sorrows. Many of us feel the pain of others but we don't act on it. Jesus shows us that real compassion issues in acts of love - healing, feeding and the like.
260
Outline:
1. Great crowds were attracted to Jesus' compassion
2. For Jesus, compassion went from feeling to action
3. Jesus also went beyond what was expected - fed the multitudes
4. If Christ is in us, we will go beyond feeling to action
Sermon Title: God's Mathematics
Sermon Angle: The disciples added up the resources, five loaves and two fish, and came up short. We do the same. We add up one plus one and get two, concluding that we don't have enough resources with which to act. God is not limited to simple addition or subtraction. He can multiply that which we give, manyfold.
Sermon Title: Eucharist
Sermon Angle: When the five loaves and two fish were brought to Jesus, he blessed and broke them; then gave them to the disciples who distributed the food to the crowd. This was a Eucharist and Jesus was both the celebrant and the bread. The foundation of Jesus' power rested on the conviction that God was the giver of every gift, so we must give thanks to him and bless his Holy Name. Once God blesses something, it must be broken and shared.
Outline:
1. Jesus gave thanks to God for the loaves and fish
2. When we offer our loaves and our lives in thanksgiving, God blesses
3. Holy Communion is a Eucharist (meal of thanksgiving)
4. Christian life is also one continuous Eucharist
[For other approaches on the theme of the Gospel and for illustrations, see Corpus Christi, Roman Catholic.]
261
