Proper 12
Preaching
Preaching Luke's Gospel
A Narrative Approach
One of the basic agendas "on the way to Jerusalem" is instruction of the disciples. In the Gospel text appointed for this week prayer is the topic of instruction. The text begins with Jesus at prayer. Luke presents Jesus at prayer at many decisive moments of his earthly ministry (3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28).
In response to the disciples' request Jesus teaches them to pray first and foremost by teaching them the Lord's Prayer. Standard commentaries will have much information on the various petitions of this prayer. Prayer is a vital aspect of the Christian life. It may well be that this Sunday's sermon should be a teaching sermon on prayer.
The prayer Jesus teaches begins with an address to "Father."
The address of God as Father has troubled some people as too specifically male and authoritarian. Of course this prayer comes from a patriarchal culture, and the whole Gospel of Luke is a testimony to the authority and power of God's reign at work in Jesus. But Jesus' use of the word Father was probably shocking to first-century ears because it was not as authoritarian or regal as they expected. 1
We are reminded of Jeremias' emphasis on the uniqueness of Jesus' "Abba" prayers, though Luke uses the Greek word patros, not abba.
Jesus' instruction on prayer here not only begins with "Father," it ends with "Father" (v. 13). In Luke 10:21-22 we hear that God through Jesus has been revealed as "Father" to the disciples (babes). Prayer, therefore, is directed to the Father. But Luke gets more specific than this. Prayer to the Father elicits from the Father the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father which is to sustain the life of the disciple!
The Holy Spirit as the promise of the Father is a strong theme in Luke-Acts. This theme is enunciated by Jesus in his farewell address to his disciples (Luke 24:44-49). In these verses Jesus summarizes his mission on earth. He then commands the disciples to be witnesses preaching repentance and forgiveness beginning in Jerusalem. "And see, I am sending upon you what my father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (24:49). This theme is repeated in Acts 1:4: "... he (Jesus) ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father." The "promise of the Father" is the gift of the Holy Spirit on the occasion of Pentecost. At the conclusion of Peter's explanatory sermon on the gift of the Spirit at the first Pentecost (a sermon which is about Jesus!) he says: "[Jesus] being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear" (Acts 2:33).
Prayer in Jesus' name is made to the Father in order that disciples might receive the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, to answer our prayers! Acts 4:23-31 is a particularly clear passage that speaks of prayer as the prelude to the coming of the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we pray to God, God sends Godself in answer to our prayers! This is an incredible assertion. Prayer does not just get the attention of a far-off God who decides what to do with our petitions. Prayer to a God as near as a Father results in God joining Godself to the one who prays. God doesn't just answer prayers. God is the answer to our prayers. God allies Godself with us in the form of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
A central part of the Lord's prayer is prayer that God will deliver us from trials and temptations. In Luke 12:8-12 we hear that God will send the Holy Spirit to teach the disciples what to say in the hour of trial and temptation. "Lead us not into temptation," we are taught to pray. "I will be with you in the time of trial and temp-tation," is the answer to our prayers. "I will send myself in the form of the Holy Spirit to stand with you in times of trial." This is part of Jesus' answer to the request to be taught how to pray. Words such as those suggested here might form a proclamatory component to a teaching sermon on prayer for this week.
These verses in Luke 12 refer as well to the sin against the Holy Spirit. This text is not used in the Lukan year. Luke does tell stories (he thinks in stories) that give narrative shape to the truth of the sin against the Holy Spirit. Peter sins against Jesus by his denials in the courtyard. These sins against Jesus are forgiven! Ananias and Sapphira, on the other hand, sin against the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11). Note especially verses 3 and 9. Their sin is not forgiven! Simon the magician also sinned against the Holy Spirit by trying to get the power of the Spirit under his own control (Acts 8:9-24). Forgiveness for Simon is problematic. One must not presume to control or misuse the gift of the Spirit. Grave consequences may result.
Homiletical Directions
As suggested above, this week's text provides a wonderful opportunity to teach modern disciples something of the nature and meaning of prayer. Some of the narrative material which we have discussed could possibly be woven into your teaching.
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1.aDavid L. Tiede, Luke: Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament (Minne-apolis: Augsburg, 1988), p. 212.
In response to the disciples' request Jesus teaches them to pray first and foremost by teaching them the Lord's Prayer. Standard commentaries will have much information on the various petitions of this prayer. Prayer is a vital aspect of the Christian life. It may well be that this Sunday's sermon should be a teaching sermon on prayer.
The prayer Jesus teaches begins with an address to "Father."
The address of God as Father has troubled some people as too specifically male and authoritarian. Of course this prayer comes from a patriarchal culture, and the whole Gospel of Luke is a testimony to the authority and power of God's reign at work in Jesus. But Jesus' use of the word Father was probably shocking to first-century ears because it was not as authoritarian or regal as they expected. 1
We are reminded of Jeremias' emphasis on the uniqueness of Jesus' "Abba" prayers, though Luke uses the Greek word patros, not abba.
Jesus' instruction on prayer here not only begins with "Father," it ends with "Father" (v. 13). In Luke 10:21-22 we hear that God through Jesus has been revealed as "Father" to the disciples (babes). Prayer, therefore, is directed to the Father. But Luke gets more specific than this. Prayer to the Father elicits from the Father the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father which is to sustain the life of the disciple!
The Holy Spirit as the promise of the Father is a strong theme in Luke-Acts. This theme is enunciated by Jesus in his farewell address to his disciples (Luke 24:44-49). In these verses Jesus summarizes his mission on earth. He then commands the disciples to be witnesses preaching repentance and forgiveness beginning in Jerusalem. "And see, I am sending upon you what my father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (24:49). This theme is repeated in Acts 1:4: "... he (Jesus) ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father." The "promise of the Father" is the gift of the Holy Spirit on the occasion of Pentecost. At the conclusion of Peter's explanatory sermon on the gift of the Spirit at the first Pentecost (a sermon which is about Jesus!) he says: "[Jesus] being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear" (Acts 2:33).
Prayer in Jesus' name is made to the Father in order that disciples might receive the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, to answer our prayers! Acts 4:23-31 is a particularly clear passage that speaks of prayer as the prelude to the coming of the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we pray to God, God sends Godself in answer to our prayers! This is an incredible assertion. Prayer does not just get the attention of a far-off God who decides what to do with our petitions. Prayer to a God as near as a Father results in God joining Godself to the one who prays. God doesn't just answer prayers. God is the answer to our prayers. God allies Godself with us in the form of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
A central part of the Lord's prayer is prayer that God will deliver us from trials and temptations. In Luke 12:8-12 we hear that God will send the Holy Spirit to teach the disciples what to say in the hour of trial and temptation. "Lead us not into temptation," we are taught to pray. "I will be with you in the time of trial and temp-tation," is the answer to our prayers. "I will send myself in the form of the Holy Spirit to stand with you in times of trial." This is part of Jesus' answer to the request to be taught how to pray. Words such as those suggested here might form a proclamatory component to a teaching sermon on prayer for this week.
These verses in Luke 12 refer as well to the sin against the Holy Spirit. This text is not used in the Lukan year. Luke does tell stories (he thinks in stories) that give narrative shape to the truth of the sin against the Holy Spirit. Peter sins against Jesus by his denials in the courtyard. These sins against Jesus are forgiven! Ananias and Sapphira, on the other hand, sin against the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11). Note especially verses 3 and 9. Their sin is not forgiven! Simon the magician also sinned against the Holy Spirit by trying to get the power of the Spirit under his own control (Acts 8:9-24). Forgiveness for Simon is problematic. One must not presume to control or misuse the gift of the Spirit. Grave consequences may result.
Homiletical Directions
As suggested above, this week's text provides a wonderful opportunity to teach modern disciples something of the nature and meaning of prayer. Some of the narrative material which we have discussed could possibly be woven into your teaching.
____________
1.aDavid L. Tiede, Luke: Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament (Minne-apolis: Augsburg, 1988), p. 212.
