Lent 2
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, SERIES II
for use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Comments on the Lessons
There is near consensus on the Genesis reading which begins with verse 1 in the oracle-of-salvation style. The problems of childlessness and land, two key aspects of the covenant, are dealt with, and the covenant is "cut" between God and Abram. The Jeremiah reading is an account of the reaction to Jeremiah's temple sermon. There is consensus on the Philippians reading, which is fitting for Lent, with its call for maturing in the faith and standing firm in the Lord. The Luke 13:31-35 passage deals with Jesus' words to Herod and Jesus' lament over Jerusalem. The Luke 9:28-36 reading was dealt with on Transfiguration Sunday, but is included as a reading for this Sunday by those churches which have a tradition of reading a Transfiguration Gospel on this Sunday. It will not be dealt with again in the commentary today.
Commentary
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (C) (RC)
Chapter 15 is thought to be the oldest statement of Abrahamic faith, from which all extant others are derived. It is a pivotal chapter, and perhaps the most important one of the whole collection in the Abrahamic tradition. Paul used this chapter in his teaching on justification by faith. Two crucial themes of the chapter are faith and covenant.
Land and heirs are the two key ingredients of the covenant God made with Abraham, and are central themes of this passage: "Behold, you have given me no offspring ..." verse 3; "And he said to him, 'I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to
possess.' " (v. 7)
God ratifies the covenant with Abraham, even though Abraham still has not been given an heir, one of the rewards promised in the covenant. (12:1ff) In verse 1 "your shield" means divine protector, as in Psalm 28:7; 33:20.
The promise of God stands over against barrenness, a barrenness which persists into this chapter and is the issue here. It is delayed to the point of doubt on Abram's part. Here is an example of the struggle of our own faith, a faith by which we believe the promise and hope against barrenness, although we must at the same time live with the barrenness. So the question is posed: How does one continue to believe in God's promise when the evidence is against the promise?
Walter Brueggemann, in his commentary on Genesis, outlines the crisis of faith and movement of verses 1-16 as follows:
Verse 1 - Yahweh's fundamental promise
Verses 2-3 - Abraham's protest
Verses 4-5 - Yahweh's response
Verse 6 - Abraham's acceptance
Notice the sharp exchanges of the passage. Abraham stands face to face with God as he tries to refute the promise and resist the assurance. Abraham is called not to a pious, easy faith, but to a hard-fought and deeply argued conviction. Compare his freedom here with the freedom of the creation in Genesis 1:1--2:4a. God invites but does not coerce. The reward God promises is not a prize which is earned, but a special recognition given to a servant for performing bold or risky service. This reward theme is one of the most difficult issues in interpreting the passage. Trusting in God is not the cause of God's fulfillment of promise, yet only those who hope will be given the gift. We learn this as an experience of God's grace. This is not a logical matter, but is a key insight of biblical teaching.
The reward of land requires having heirs. While there is historical evidence of slaves being adopted as heirs in the case of childlessness, a slave is no sign of the future. Slaves symbolize necessity, fate, and compulsion - while what is called for here is an heir to break the power of necessity.
God gives Abraham a vision of the stars in the sky. Psalm 8 makes the point that, if the stars and heavens are awe-filled, then how much greater must be God's concern for human beings? The God who makes stars beyond number can also make a son for this barren family of Abram and Sarah.
The result of this vision was that Abram believed! Verse 6 is the focus of the passage: "And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness." This was a key text for Paul and Martin Luther, and has been for the understanding of salvation by grace through faith. But Abram's faith is not an achievement; it is a miracle from God. It was not even a moral decision. Compare Abram's experience with Peter's in Matthew 16:15-17. Both make a leap of faith. Jesus tells Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven' Abraham came to faith this way too, not by persuasion or knowledge, but by the power of God, who both reveals and causes revelations to be accepted. This verse is a revolutionary, pivotal moment in the history of faith. God created us to be righteous through trusting in God, trusting God's future even against the evidence. This verse had a great influence on New Testament Scripture, perhaps more than any other Old Testament text. Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, 21.
The cutting of the covenant is based on an early tradition of an ancient ritual - making a covenant by cutting animals in two (Jeremiah 34:17-19) and passing between the parts. Note that Abram fell into a deep sleep when he received the revelation. The smoking pot and flaming torch were symbolic of the God of fire. The covenant is not between equals but rather between a superior (God) and an inferior, human being (Abram). It was a solemn and weighty binding of the two parties to each other. Verse 17 indicates that the mysterious and unseen presence of God is involved. The implication in the cutting of a covenant was that if one of the parties broke the covenant, then death would be the penalty, even as the animals were cut in half for the making of the covenant. No conditions are imposed in this covenant. There is the implication that the covenant would stand as long as Abram's descendents continued to follow the example set by him when he believed the Lord. (See Brueggeman's commentary on Genesis for a detailed discussion of this passage.)
Jeremiah 26:8-15 (L)
Chapter 24 records Jeremiah's temple sermon and the response to it. Jeremiah's sermon is so unpalatable to his listeners that it causes a near riot. It was his own colleagues, the priests and prophets, who sparked the violence, leading the people to lay hold of Jeremiah and say, "You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying ...?" (vv. 8-9) Jeremiah was in the minority, but was not completely alone as verses 20-24 tell us. But his message goes against the grain and is radically different from the popular message which people expected. He appears to be an "enemy of the people."
The sermon was apparently delivered during the Feast of Booths (September-October) 609 B.C. The nation was in a state of shock following the death of Josiah and Judah's vassalage to Pharaoh Neco. Many commentators (among them Bright and Thompson) take chapter 26 as a real event in the life of Jeremiah. Note the contingent word of Jeremiah's message in verses 3-6, 13, and the absolute word in verses 9, 11-12. Jerusalem's fate is inevitable, not only because it actually happened, but as punishment for a long history of rejection of the prophetic word. (v. 5)
Jeremiah stands in the temple courtyard. He boldly announces the word to all the cities of Judah as they congregate there. He speaks a curse against the city within the environment of the temple, a powerful act. Such a curse releases awful forces against its object (recall the Hebrew understanding of the connection of word and its fulfillment in deed). No wonder the priests and prophets lead the people in seizing Jeremiah and charging him with a capital offense. This kind of speech was cause for the speaker to face the penalty for blasphemy. Both city and temple were thought of as the property of God, and to speak against either was to blaspheme God, the God of Israel.
Notice that the story changes in verse 10 with the introduction of the princes. They have no jurisdiction here, for it is the priests' turn. The princes are introduced into the story in order to turn the proceedings into a kind of trial. In the ancient village, judgment was rendered in the gate, with the sacral proceedings occurring in the temple. Thus, in Jeremiah's case, both princes from the royal court and priests combine. There are five parties to the dispute: Jeremiah, priests, prophets, people, and the princes. Note that Jeremiah is the accused; the priests, prophets, and people are the accusers; and the princes are the judges. But in verse 11 the people seem to become part of the judges, or at least cease to be part of the accusers. The princes are the civic rulers, and they intervene to stop the riot and hear the charge. Jeremiah offers as his defense that his message is a true word from God, and that if he must he will die rather than withhold his message. (vv. 12-15) Now if the magistrates condemn Jeremiah they will be guilty of spilling innocent blood. (v. 15)
Jeremiah calls the people to amend their lives, a theme of Lent for the preacher today. He calls them to obey the voice of the Lord their God, and promises that if they do, God will repent of the evil which he has pronounced on them. Jeremiah makes an impressive defense in the face of a mob screaming out for his death, while standing before a tribunal with the power to execute him. The editors of this material show us a very brave man, a model for preachers of God's word in all ages! Our pericope ends at verse 15, before Jeremiah's vindication by the princes. The preacher should read the whole chapter in order to interpret the pericope properly.
The defender of Jeremiah was Ahikam, who kept him from being given over to the people to be put to death. In contrast, Jesus has no such defender, but is given over to the authorities and crucified. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is also without a defender after his prophetic sermon, and so is put to death.
Phiippians 3:17--4:1
This section is a confession and exhortation. The "many" of verses 18-19 are presumably professing Christians, but are not Judaizers. The identity of this group cannot be determined with certainty, but they seem to be Jewish Christian Gnostics. Like most congregations, the Philippian one probably contained various groups with a variety of points of view, and individual Christians may have held composite religious views with something of Jewish, Christian, and Gnostic ideas. "Our commonwealth" of verse 20 refers to our real homeland, heaven.
Paul invites his readers to join in imitating him. Paul wanted to be seen as one who embodied his own message, rather than one who failed to practice what he preached. He was not just a propagandist of religious notions, but one who modeled the Christian life. And his message was the Cross and Resurrection. He allowed his life to be so transparent that others might see the power of the Gospel. It is this transparency that Paul wants his readers to see and imitate. He also invites the congregation to follow those who are already doing this. While some might see Paul's invitation to join in imitating him as egotistical to the point of discomfort, the fact is that role models are today recognized as critically important for children and young people, especially those from underprivileged families. In Paul's time imitation of the teacher by the pupil was a pedagogical principle highly valued and widely practiced. The lifestyle, as well as the words, of the teachers have a profound effect upon the followers. In verse 17 the word "live" might be translated "walk." The earliest name for the Christian faith was "the Way," indicating more than ideas, but rather a walk through life, involving both beliefs and actions.
In Paul's day there were no precedents, nor history, of the Christian faith. There was as yet no New Testament, and only a few traveling preachers were out struggling to preach the Gospel in a pagan culture. So Paul set forth for new Christians the best textbook of all, the lives who stood before them as leaders.
This is an appropriate reading for Lent since it contrasts two ways of living: that of the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose "god is the belly," versus that of Paul and other Christian leaders. Lent has too often been associated with giving up alcohol, candy, or some other thing. But the Christian life is not a matter of partaking or abstaining; it is rather, as Paul writes to the Romans, "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (14:16-17)
Paul speaks of the lowly body which will be changed to be like Christ's glorious body, and seeks to explain what this transformed body will be like in 1 Corinthians 15:35-50. He sides with his opponents in depreciating the physical body, and regards it as the seat, but not cause, of human problems. "Their god is the belly," says Paul of his opponents. But Paul affirms that God created human beings as bodies, not spirits imprisoned in bodies. For Paul salvation is not release but transformation, and he calls the Corinthians to "glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:20)
For Paul, his opponents were enemies of the Cross; "Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things." (vv. 18-19) Food and sex are like gods to them. They focus on the body and its pleasures, but the end of such self-worship
is destruction of the body. The preacher today will find ample ways to apply this point to health faddists, "me-ism," and the pleasure cult of American life.
Paul concludes in 4:1 by urging his hearers to stand firm in the Lord, calling them his beloved. This resembles his counsel to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 3:8-1:
For now we live, if you standfast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you, for all the joy which we feel for your sake before our God, praying earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
Notice that Paul expresses his love for his congregation and what they mean to him. Paul enjoyed his churches and so ought the preacher today. Ministers may fail to tell their congregations that they love them, and instead follow the example of the man who was asked if he told his wife he loved her. He replied, "Why should I tell her? She knows it." Paul didn't assume this, but referred to the congregation as "my beloved."
If the Philippians stand firm in their faith they will live in the true homeland, the commonwealth in heaven. There Christ will change our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body. Notice the triumphant note here. Christ will come from heaven to bring about this transformation. Philippi was a Roman colony with great patriotism. So Christians should look to their true homeland, heaven, rather than make this world their goal, with the belly as their god. Christians who stand firm in the Lord will be given citizenship in the heavenly city, the commonwealth of heaven.
Luke 13:31-35 (C) (L)
This passage contains two sections: verses 3l-33 consists of a warning from the Pharisees and Jesus' words to Herod Antipas; verses 34-35 record Jesus' lament over Jerusalem. Jesus refuses to be intimidated by the threats of a third-rate politician like Herod. He declares the priority of his mission: "and on the third day I finish my course." (v. 32) Jesus' goal is his consecration and enthronement into the messianic office. He knows this will be accomplished through his death on the cross, and therefore he must meet his appointment in Jerusalem.
Note that the incident of verses 31-33 is found only in Luke and is followed by a lament found also in Matthew 23:37ff. Jesus' lament over Jerusalem is the sequel to the prophecy about Jerusalem in verse 33. Understand that Jerusalem's sin is not just in killing the prophet Jesus, but includes the city's repeated rejection of God's appointed messengers of old.
In verse 31 "hour" does not necessarily connect this passage with the previous episode. "Here" refers to the territory of Herod, which was Galilee or Transjordan. Herod seems to fear that another John the Baptizer has arisen, for he disliked any kind of upheaval in his jurisdiction.
Jesus says, "Go and tell that fox ..." (v. 32) which indicates Herod has sent a direct message to Jesus. Jews and Greeks used "fox" as a metaphor for a cunning person or deceiver. Here the word could also refer to an unimportant person as it often did in rabbinical writings. The point is that Jesus is not going to be deterred because of fear of Herod. Jesus refuses to be stopped in his work by Herod, although it has become increasingly clear that his work may lead to his death.
"Today, tomorrow, and the third day" form a Semitic idiom for a short indefinite period, followed by a certain event which is about to happen. "The third day" for Luke's readers would be a reminder of Jesus' resurrection, and this meaning is confirmed by "finish" in verse 32. This refers to his consecration, by his death and resurrection, to his High Priestly work.
"A prophet should perish" (v. 33) is a second passion prediction to which Luke adds a third prophecy against Jerusalem in verse 34f. A prophet was often a martyr (witness) who by death confirmed the authenticity of the message delivered.
In verse 34 Jesus uses the image of a hen gathering her brood under her wings to show his desire to protect and nurture the people of Jerusalem, but they refuse his care. This is a feminine image of mothering and caring which reveals the quality of love Jesus has for people.
In verse 35 "house" is often thought to refer to the temple, but in the Old Testament and other Jewish writings the temple is almost always described as "God's house." Here it means the city, or possibly the nation. God has taken away his protection because Jerusalem has rejected God's prophets.
In verse 35b there is a prediction that the people of Jerusalem will not see Jesus again until they acknowledge the advent of Messiah ("he who comes in the name of the Lord"). "Blessed be he who comes ..." is from Psalm 1 18:26 and is thought to come from the coronation of David. It was to be offered at the coming of Messiah.
We cannot tell whether verse 35 is a prophecy that anticipates that Jerusalem will "see" Jesus in a future conversion, or rather in a recognition of his lordship which comes too late. Matthew locates this whole section during Jesus' last days in Jerusalem and takes these words as a prediction of Jesus' return as glorified Son of man. Some think the passage refers to the triumphal entry of 19:38, but others do not agree with this. If we take the preceding sayings as authentic words of Jesus then the last saying is almost certainly a Christian addition.
Theological Reflections
The Genesis reading is the oldest tradition of the covenant cutting between God and Abram. The problem of heirs and land is central to the fulfillment of the covenant. Abraham believes the Lord, despite the fact that there is no sign of an heir. "And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness" (v. 6) is one of the key verses of all Scripture, one which reveals the nature of justification by grace through faith. Jeremiah calls the people to amend their ways and doings, and to obey the voice of the Lord their God (v. 13) and as result God will repent of the evil which he has pronounced against the people. Jeremiah puts his life on the line as a messenger of God, a model for preachers of the Word in any age. Third-World Christians, especially in Central America, Blacks in South Africa, and Christians in Marxist countries are showing Western Christians what it means to speak and live as God directs, in opposition to the political powers that govern. They often literally put their lives on the line, and in doing so they, like Jeremiah, authenticate their message. Paul, writing to the Philippians, contrasts two ways of living: (1) the life of those whose minds are set on earthly things; and (2) Paul and his associates, who model the Christian life, and who await a Savior who will change their lowly bodies to be like Christ's glorious body. The life of destruction is sharply contrasted with the life of standing firm in the Lord. Luke gives Jesus' bold reply to Herod who threatened his life, and tells of Jesus' lament over Jerusalem who killed the prophets. There is a reference to the consecration of Jesus by his death and resurrection in the reference to the third day, when Jesus finishes his course. Jesus would like to have protected and cared for the people of Jerusalem as a hen cares for her chicks, but they refused and so they are desolate. The prophets had perished in Jerusalem and Jesus, too, was going there to die. That the people would not see him again until they had acknowledged him as Messiah is one interpretation of verse 35.
Homiletical Moves
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (C) (RC)
Abram Trusts God When There is No Evidence
1. God ratified his promise with Abram, although he still had no heir as God promised he would be given
2. God also promised land (v. 7ff) which is the substance of the promise
3. Faith allows Abram to trust God and God to be trusted, in spite of the delay in fulfillment of the promises
4. Abram's trust of God was reckoned to him as righteousness
5. Our faith in God through Jesus Christ is reckoned to us as righteousness
6. Let us put our trust in God even when we are called to wait a long time for God's fulfillment, for the future belongs to God alone
Jeremiah 26:8-15 (L)
Amend Your Ways and Obey the Lord!
1. Jeremiah called the people to amend their ways and doings, and to obey the voice of the Lord, that God might repent of his judgment against them
2. Lent is a season of spiritual stock-taking, repentance, and spiritual growth
3. Let us amend our ways and doings, and turn to the Lord, that he may have mercy upon us through Jesus Christ
This Preacher's Preference
Philippians 3:17--4:1
The preacher may want to develop this passage by contrasting the two lifestyles which Paul describes: (1) his and those who live as Christians, and (2) those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ, whose god is the belly, and whose minds are set on earthly things. The Christians are those whose commonwealth is in heaven. If there are members of the congregation who have moved back to their home state to retire, this could be an analogy for persons who live in this world but whose commonwealth is heaven, to which they will go at death. The preacher can have a field day in describing the fixation of Americans, whose god is the belly with all its sensual pleasures, on earthly things. Enemies of the Cross are those who reject Christ's death, and refuse to repent and believe in him. On the other hand, Christians are waiting for a Savior who will change their lowly bodies to be like Christ's glorious body. Therefore Christians should stand firm in the Lord. The minister may want to express love for the congregation ("my joy and crown, my beloved"), as Paul did for the Philippian congregation. The image of the pupil imitating the teacher is a vivid one for beginning the sermon. Recent research into the development of children reveals the powerful influence of role models, persons who embody values and influence others by their lifestyles, as Paul invited the Philippians to imitate him and those with him. This is an excellent passage for developing a Lenten sermon, since it calls both for repentance and for turning to God and standing firm in the Lord.
Stand Firm in the Lord
1. Join in imitating Paul and other Christians who embody the Christian faith, for what they do speaks louder than their words
2. Turn away from the lifestyle of those who are enemies of the cross, whose god is the belly, who glory in their shame, with minds fixed on earthly things whose end is destruction
3. Stand firm in the Lord, knowing your commonwealth is in heaven, from which we await a Savior who will change our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body by his omnipotent divine power
Luke 13:31-35 (C) (L)
Come to Jesus and Do Not Reject Him
1. Herod threatened to kill Jesus, but his threat did not deter Jesus from his work as Messiah
2. Jerusalem had killed the prophets and it would also kill Jesus
3. Turn from your sins which crucify Jesus anew, making us sing "Yes, I was there when they crucified my Lord!"
4. Come to Jesus who gathers his people as a hen gathers her brood to protect and nurture them
Hymn for Lent 2: The God of Abr'am Praise
Prayer
Gracious God, who cut a covenant with Abram and fulfilled it with the gift of Isaac and the promised land, teach us to be faithful as we wait for the fulfillment of your promises. May we so trust you that our trust may be reckoned as righteousness. Grant that we may imitate those strong Christians who, like Paul of old, stoodfirm in the faith, awaiting a Savior from our commonwealth in heaven. May we so amend our ways and doings that we may turn and obey your voice this Lenten season. By your Spirit may we be able to hear Christ's call to come unto him when he calls us, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. Amen
There is near consensus on the Genesis reading which begins with verse 1 in the oracle-of-salvation style. The problems of childlessness and land, two key aspects of the covenant, are dealt with, and the covenant is "cut" between God and Abram. The Jeremiah reading is an account of the reaction to Jeremiah's temple sermon. There is consensus on the Philippians reading, which is fitting for Lent, with its call for maturing in the faith and standing firm in the Lord. The Luke 13:31-35 passage deals with Jesus' words to Herod and Jesus' lament over Jerusalem. The Luke 9:28-36 reading was dealt with on Transfiguration Sunday, but is included as a reading for this Sunday by those churches which have a tradition of reading a Transfiguration Gospel on this Sunday. It will not be dealt with again in the commentary today.
Commentary
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (C) (RC)
Chapter 15 is thought to be the oldest statement of Abrahamic faith, from which all extant others are derived. It is a pivotal chapter, and perhaps the most important one of the whole collection in the Abrahamic tradition. Paul used this chapter in his teaching on justification by faith. Two crucial themes of the chapter are faith and covenant.
Land and heirs are the two key ingredients of the covenant God made with Abraham, and are central themes of this passage: "Behold, you have given me no offspring ..." verse 3; "And he said to him, 'I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to
possess.' " (v. 7)
God ratifies the covenant with Abraham, even though Abraham still has not been given an heir, one of the rewards promised in the covenant. (12:1ff) In verse 1 "your shield" means divine protector, as in Psalm 28:7; 33:20.
The promise of God stands over against barrenness, a barrenness which persists into this chapter and is the issue here. It is delayed to the point of doubt on Abram's part. Here is an example of the struggle of our own faith, a faith by which we believe the promise and hope against barrenness, although we must at the same time live with the barrenness. So the question is posed: How does one continue to believe in God's promise when the evidence is against the promise?
Walter Brueggemann, in his commentary on Genesis, outlines the crisis of faith and movement of verses 1-16 as follows:
Verse 1 - Yahweh's fundamental promise
Verses 2-3 - Abraham's protest
Verses 4-5 - Yahweh's response
Verse 6 - Abraham's acceptance
Notice the sharp exchanges of the passage. Abraham stands face to face with God as he tries to refute the promise and resist the assurance. Abraham is called not to a pious, easy faith, but to a hard-fought and deeply argued conviction. Compare his freedom here with the freedom of the creation in Genesis 1:1--2:4a. God invites but does not coerce. The reward God promises is not a prize which is earned, but a special recognition given to a servant for performing bold or risky service. This reward theme is one of the most difficult issues in interpreting the passage. Trusting in God is not the cause of God's fulfillment of promise, yet only those who hope will be given the gift. We learn this as an experience of God's grace. This is not a logical matter, but is a key insight of biblical teaching.
The reward of land requires having heirs. While there is historical evidence of slaves being adopted as heirs in the case of childlessness, a slave is no sign of the future. Slaves symbolize necessity, fate, and compulsion - while what is called for here is an heir to break the power of necessity.
God gives Abraham a vision of the stars in the sky. Psalm 8 makes the point that, if the stars and heavens are awe-filled, then how much greater must be God's concern for human beings? The God who makes stars beyond number can also make a son for this barren family of Abram and Sarah.
The result of this vision was that Abram believed! Verse 6 is the focus of the passage: "And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness." This was a key text for Paul and Martin Luther, and has been for the understanding of salvation by grace through faith. But Abram's faith is not an achievement; it is a miracle from God. It was not even a moral decision. Compare Abram's experience with Peter's in Matthew 16:15-17. Both make a leap of faith. Jesus tells Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven' Abraham came to faith this way too, not by persuasion or knowledge, but by the power of God, who both reveals and causes revelations to be accepted. This verse is a revolutionary, pivotal moment in the history of faith. God created us to be righteous through trusting in God, trusting God's future even against the evidence. This verse had a great influence on New Testament Scripture, perhaps more than any other Old Testament text. Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, 21.
The cutting of the covenant is based on an early tradition of an ancient ritual - making a covenant by cutting animals in two (Jeremiah 34:17-19) and passing between the parts. Note that Abram fell into a deep sleep when he received the revelation. The smoking pot and flaming torch were symbolic of the God of fire. The covenant is not between equals but rather between a superior (God) and an inferior, human being (Abram). It was a solemn and weighty binding of the two parties to each other. Verse 17 indicates that the mysterious and unseen presence of God is involved. The implication in the cutting of a covenant was that if one of the parties broke the covenant, then death would be the penalty, even as the animals were cut in half for the making of the covenant. No conditions are imposed in this covenant. There is the implication that the covenant would stand as long as Abram's descendents continued to follow the example set by him when he believed the Lord. (See Brueggeman's commentary on Genesis for a detailed discussion of this passage.)
Jeremiah 26:8-15 (L)
Chapter 24 records Jeremiah's temple sermon and the response to it. Jeremiah's sermon is so unpalatable to his listeners that it causes a near riot. It was his own colleagues, the priests and prophets, who sparked the violence, leading the people to lay hold of Jeremiah and say, "You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying ...?" (vv. 8-9) Jeremiah was in the minority, but was not completely alone as verses 20-24 tell us. But his message goes against the grain and is radically different from the popular message which people expected. He appears to be an "enemy of the people."
The sermon was apparently delivered during the Feast of Booths (September-October) 609 B.C. The nation was in a state of shock following the death of Josiah and Judah's vassalage to Pharaoh Neco. Many commentators (among them Bright and Thompson) take chapter 26 as a real event in the life of Jeremiah. Note the contingent word of Jeremiah's message in verses 3-6, 13, and the absolute word in verses 9, 11-12. Jerusalem's fate is inevitable, not only because it actually happened, but as punishment for a long history of rejection of the prophetic word. (v. 5)
Jeremiah stands in the temple courtyard. He boldly announces the word to all the cities of Judah as they congregate there. He speaks a curse against the city within the environment of the temple, a powerful act. Such a curse releases awful forces against its object (recall the Hebrew understanding of the connection of word and its fulfillment in deed). No wonder the priests and prophets lead the people in seizing Jeremiah and charging him with a capital offense. This kind of speech was cause for the speaker to face the penalty for blasphemy. Both city and temple were thought of as the property of God, and to speak against either was to blaspheme God, the God of Israel.
Notice that the story changes in verse 10 with the introduction of the princes. They have no jurisdiction here, for it is the priests' turn. The princes are introduced into the story in order to turn the proceedings into a kind of trial. In the ancient village, judgment was rendered in the gate, with the sacral proceedings occurring in the temple. Thus, in Jeremiah's case, both princes from the royal court and priests combine. There are five parties to the dispute: Jeremiah, priests, prophets, people, and the princes. Note that Jeremiah is the accused; the priests, prophets, and people are the accusers; and the princes are the judges. But in verse 11 the people seem to become part of the judges, or at least cease to be part of the accusers. The princes are the civic rulers, and they intervene to stop the riot and hear the charge. Jeremiah offers as his defense that his message is a true word from God, and that if he must he will die rather than withhold his message. (vv. 12-15) Now if the magistrates condemn Jeremiah they will be guilty of spilling innocent blood. (v. 15)
Jeremiah calls the people to amend their lives, a theme of Lent for the preacher today. He calls them to obey the voice of the Lord their God, and promises that if they do, God will repent of the evil which he has pronounced on them. Jeremiah makes an impressive defense in the face of a mob screaming out for his death, while standing before a tribunal with the power to execute him. The editors of this material show us a very brave man, a model for preachers of God's word in all ages! Our pericope ends at verse 15, before Jeremiah's vindication by the princes. The preacher should read the whole chapter in order to interpret the pericope properly.
The defender of Jeremiah was Ahikam, who kept him from being given over to the people to be put to death. In contrast, Jesus has no such defender, but is given over to the authorities and crucified. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is also without a defender after his prophetic sermon, and so is put to death.
Phiippians 3:17--4:1
This section is a confession and exhortation. The "many" of verses 18-19 are presumably professing Christians, but are not Judaizers. The identity of this group cannot be determined with certainty, but they seem to be Jewish Christian Gnostics. Like most congregations, the Philippian one probably contained various groups with a variety of points of view, and individual Christians may have held composite religious views with something of Jewish, Christian, and Gnostic ideas. "Our commonwealth" of verse 20 refers to our real homeland, heaven.
Paul invites his readers to join in imitating him. Paul wanted to be seen as one who embodied his own message, rather than one who failed to practice what he preached. He was not just a propagandist of religious notions, but one who modeled the Christian life. And his message was the Cross and Resurrection. He allowed his life to be so transparent that others might see the power of the Gospel. It is this transparency that Paul wants his readers to see and imitate. He also invites the congregation to follow those who are already doing this. While some might see Paul's invitation to join in imitating him as egotistical to the point of discomfort, the fact is that role models are today recognized as critically important for children and young people, especially those from underprivileged families. In Paul's time imitation of the teacher by the pupil was a pedagogical principle highly valued and widely practiced. The lifestyle, as well as the words, of the teachers have a profound effect upon the followers. In verse 17 the word "live" might be translated "walk." The earliest name for the Christian faith was "the Way," indicating more than ideas, but rather a walk through life, involving both beliefs and actions.
In Paul's day there were no precedents, nor history, of the Christian faith. There was as yet no New Testament, and only a few traveling preachers were out struggling to preach the Gospel in a pagan culture. So Paul set forth for new Christians the best textbook of all, the lives who stood before them as leaders.
This is an appropriate reading for Lent since it contrasts two ways of living: that of the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose "god is the belly," versus that of Paul and other Christian leaders. Lent has too often been associated with giving up alcohol, candy, or some other thing. But the Christian life is not a matter of partaking or abstaining; it is rather, as Paul writes to the Romans, "righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (14:16-17)
Paul speaks of the lowly body which will be changed to be like Christ's glorious body, and seeks to explain what this transformed body will be like in 1 Corinthians 15:35-50. He sides with his opponents in depreciating the physical body, and regards it as the seat, but not cause, of human problems. "Their god is the belly," says Paul of his opponents. But Paul affirms that God created human beings as bodies, not spirits imprisoned in bodies. For Paul salvation is not release but transformation, and he calls the Corinthians to "glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:20)
For Paul, his opponents were enemies of the Cross; "Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things." (vv. 18-19) Food and sex are like gods to them. They focus on the body and its pleasures, but the end of such self-worship
is destruction of the body. The preacher today will find ample ways to apply this point to health faddists, "me-ism," and the pleasure cult of American life.
Paul concludes in 4:1 by urging his hearers to stand firm in the Lord, calling them his beloved. This resembles his counsel to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 3:8-1:
For now we live, if you standfast in the Lord. For what thanksgiving can we render to God for you, for all the joy which we feel for your sake before our God, praying earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
Notice that Paul expresses his love for his congregation and what they mean to him. Paul enjoyed his churches and so ought the preacher today. Ministers may fail to tell their congregations that they love them, and instead follow the example of the man who was asked if he told his wife he loved her. He replied, "Why should I tell her? She knows it." Paul didn't assume this, but referred to the congregation as "my beloved."
If the Philippians stand firm in their faith they will live in the true homeland, the commonwealth in heaven. There Christ will change our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body. Notice the triumphant note here. Christ will come from heaven to bring about this transformation. Philippi was a Roman colony with great patriotism. So Christians should look to their true homeland, heaven, rather than make this world their goal, with the belly as their god. Christians who stand firm in the Lord will be given citizenship in the heavenly city, the commonwealth of heaven.
Luke 13:31-35 (C) (L)
This passage contains two sections: verses 3l-33 consists of a warning from the Pharisees and Jesus' words to Herod Antipas; verses 34-35 record Jesus' lament over Jerusalem. Jesus refuses to be intimidated by the threats of a third-rate politician like Herod. He declares the priority of his mission: "and on the third day I finish my course." (v. 32) Jesus' goal is his consecration and enthronement into the messianic office. He knows this will be accomplished through his death on the cross, and therefore he must meet his appointment in Jerusalem.
Note that the incident of verses 31-33 is found only in Luke and is followed by a lament found also in Matthew 23:37ff. Jesus' lament over Jerusalem is the sequel to the prophecy about Jerusalem in verse 33. Understand that Jerusalem's sin is not just in killing the prophet Jesus, but includes the city's repeated rejection of God's appointed messengers of old.
In verse 31 "hour" does not necessarily connect this passage with the previous episode. "Here" refers to the territory of Herod, which was Galilee or Transjordan. Herod seems to fear that another John the Baptizer has arisen, for he disliked any kind of upheaval in his jurisdiction.
Jesus says, "Go and tell that fox ..." (v. 32) which indicates Herod has sent a direct message to Jesus. Jews and Greeks used "fox" as a metaphor for a cunning person or deceiver. Here the word could also refer to an unimportant person as it often did in rabbinical writings. The point is that Jesus is not going to be deterred because of fear of Herod. Jesus refuses to be stopped in his work by Herod, although it has become increasingly clear that his work may lead to his death.
"Today, tomorrow, and the third day" form a Semitic idiom for a short indefinite period, followed by a certain event which is about to happen. "The third day" for Luke's readers would be a reminder of Jesus' resurrection, and this meaning is confirmed by "finish" in verse 32. This refers to his consecration, by his death and resurrection, to his High Priestly work.
"A prophet should perish" (v. 33) is a second passion prediction to which Luke adds a third prophecy against Jerusalem in verse 34f. A prophet was often a martyr (witness) who by death confirmed the authenticity of the message delivered.
In verse 34 Jesus uses the image of a hen gathering her brood under her wings to show his desire to protect and nurture the people of Jerusalem, but they refuse his care. This is a feminine image of mothering and caring which reveals the quality of love Jesus has for people.
In verse 35 "house" is often thought to refer to the temple, but in the Old Testament and other Jewish writings the temple is almost always described as "God's house." Here it means the city, or possibly the nation. God has taken away his protection because Jerusalem has rejected God's prophets.
In verse 35b there is a prediction that the people of Jerusalem will not see Jesus again until they acknowledge the advent of Messiah ("he who comes in the name of the Lord"). "Blessed be he who comes ..." is from Psalm 1 18:26 and is thought to come from the coronation of David. It was to be offered at the coming of Messiah.
We cannot tell whether verse 35 is a prophecy that anticipates that Jerusalem will "see" Jesus in a future conversion, or rather in a recognition of his lordship which comes too late. Matthew locates this whole section during Jesus' last days in Jerusalem and takes these words as a prediction of Jesus' return as glorified Son of man. Some think the passage refers to the triumphal entry of 19:38, but others do not agree with this. If we take the preceding sayings as authentic words of Jesus then the last saying is almost certainly a Christian addition.
Theological Reflections
The Genesis reading is the oldest tradition of the covenant cutting between God and Abram. The problem of heirs and land is central to the fulfillment of the covenant. Abraham believes the Lord, despite the fact that there is no sign of an heir. "And he believed the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness" (v. 6) is one of the key verses of all Scripture, one which reveals the nature of justification by grace through faith. Jeremiah calls the people to amend their ways and doings, and to obey the voice of the Lord their God (v. 13) and as result God will repent of the evil which he has pronounced against the people. Jeremiah puts his life on the line as a messenger of God, a model for preachers of the Word in any age. Third-World Christians, especially in Central America, Blacks in South Africa, and Christians in Marxist countries are showing Western Christians what it means to speak and live as God directs, in opposition to the political powers that govern. They often literally put their lives on the line, and in doing so they, like Jeremiah, authenticate their message. Paul, writing to the Philippians, contrasts two ways of living: (1) the life of those whose minds are set on earthly things; and (2) Paul and his associates, who model the Christian life, and who await a Savior who will change their lowly bodies to be like Christ's glorious body. The life of destruction is sharply contrasted with the life of standing firm in the Lord. Luke gives Jesus' bold reply to Herod who threatened his life, and tells of Jesus' lament over Jerusalem who killed the prophets. There is a reference to the consecration of Jesus by his death and resurrection in the reference to the third day, when Jesus finishes his course. Jesus would like to have protected and cared for the people of Jerusalem as a hen cares for her chicks, but they refused and so they are desolate. The prophets had perished in Jerusalem and Jesus, too, was going there to die. That the people would not see him again until they had acknowledged him as Messiah is one interpretation of verse 35.
Homiletical Moves
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (C) (RC)
Abram Trusts God When There is No Evidence
1. God ratified his promise with Abram, although he still had no heir as God promised he would be given
2. God also promised land (v. 7ff) which is the substance of the promise
3. Faith allows Abram to trust God and God to be trusted, in spite of the delay in fulfillment of the promises
4. Abram's trust of God was reckoned to him as righteousness
5. Our faith in God through Jesus Christ is reckoned to us as righteousness
6. Let us put our trust in God even when we are called to wait a long time for God's fulfillment, for the future belongs to God alone
Jeremiah 26:8-15 (L)
Amend Your Ways and Obey the Lord!
1. Jeremiah called the people to amend their ways and doings, and to obey the voice of the Lord, that God might repent of his judgment against them
2. Lent is a season of spiritual stock-taking, repentance, and spiritual growth
3. Let us amend our ways and doings, and turn to the Lord, that he may have mercy upon us through Jesus Christ
This Preacher's Preference
Philippians 3:17--4:1
The preacher may want to develop this passage by contrasting the two lifestyles which Paul describes: (1) his and those who live as Christians, and (2) those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ, whose god is the belly, and whose minds are set on earthly things. The Christians are those whose commonwealth is in heaven. If there are members of the congregation who have moved back to their home state to retire, this could be an analogy for persons who live in this world but whose commonwealth is heaven, to which they will go at death. The preacher can have a field day in describing the fixation of Americans, whose god is the belly with all its sensual pleasures, on earthly things. Enemies of the Cross are those who reject Christ's death, and refuse to repent and believe in him. On the other hand, Christians are waiting for a Savior who will change their lowly bodies to be like Christ's glorious body. Therefore Christians should stand firm in the Lord. The minister may want to express love for the congregation ("my joy and crown, my beloved"), as Paul did for the Philippian congregation. The image of the pupil imitating the teacher is a vivid one for beginning the sermon. Recent research into the development of children reveals the powerful influence of role models, persons who embody values and influence others by their lifestyles, as Paul invited the Philippians to imitate him and those with him. This is an excellent passage for developing a Lenten sermon, since it calls both for repentance and for turning to God and standing firm in the Lord.
Stand Firm in the Lord
1. Join in imitating Paul and other Christians who embody the Christian faith, for what they do speaks louder than their words
2. Turn away from the lifestyle of those who are enemies of the cross, whose god is the belly, who glory in their shame, with minds fixed on earthly things whose end is destruction
3. Stand firm in the Lord, knowing your commonwealth is in heaven, from which we await a Savior who will change our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body by his omnipotent divine power
Luke 13:31-35 (C) (L)
Come to Jesus and Do Not Reject Him
1. Herod threatened to kill Jesus, but his threat did not deter Jesus from his work as Messiah
2. Jerusalem had killed the prophets and it would also kill Jesus
3. Turn from your sins which crucify Jesus anew, making us sing "Yes, I was there when they crucified my Lord!"
4. Come to Jesus who gathers his people as a hen gathers her brood to protect and nurture them
Hymn for Lent 2: The God of Abr'am Praise
Prayer
Gracious God, who cut a covenant with Abram and fulfilled it with the gift of Isaac and the promised land, teach us to be faithful as we wait for the fulfillment of your promises. May we so trust you that our trust may be reckoned as righteousness. Grant that we may imitate those strong Christians who, like Paul of old, stoodfirm in the faith, awaiting a Savior from our commonwealth in heaven. May we so amend our ways and doings that we may turn and obey your voice this Lenten season. By your Spirit may we be able to hear Christ's call to come unto him when he calls us, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. Amen
