Proper 14
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
The theological clue contained in this part of the church year continues to be kerygmatic, informing the church that it exists between the times; that is, between the resurrection and ascension of the Lord and his promised return. Built into this Gospel is the reminder that the people of God have been the recipients of God's mercy and grace in the orchestration of their salvation, and that God continues to bless them with Word and Spirit so as to effect the edification and sanctification of the faithful. The first reading and the Gospel for the Day usually combine to proclaim what it is that God has done and is doing today, while the second reading continues to call for a practical response by the people who call Jesus "Lord." As the Gospel for this Day indicates, the Lord is constantly feeding his people on himself to increase and support their faith and enable them to be faithful to him as long as they live. He always assures those who dare to trust him that he will take care of the rest, of eternity, as well as time.
The Prayer of the Day
The collect offered for this day in the Lutheran Book of Worship is simply a re-working of the classic prayer for this Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost:
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve. Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merit of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 34: (E); 34:1-8 (R, L, E) - There are two things that are unusual about the use of this psalm in the liturgy of the churches. First, the liturgical churches not only have selected the same psalm for this Sunday, which in itself is quite unusual, but they also have chosen the same verses as a responsory. Second, the psalm is appointed to the liturgy by two of the liturgical churches (Roman Catholic and Lutheran) for three Sundays in a row, although the portions that are assigned to the liturgies on the latter two Sundays vary as they usually do. (The Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches also use this psalm in Series C.) The theme of the psalm is general enough that it could be incorporated into the liturgy on almost any Sunday, especially the first three verses, which praise the "greatness" of God. The psalmist also gives his reasons for thanking and praising God: the Lord answered him, when he sought him, and delivered him from all his afflictions. The concept of a guardian angel is in verse 7. ("The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, and he will deliver them.") The last verse is a very appropriate response to the first reading and also points to the Gospel for the Day with its "I am the bread which came down from heaven." That verse continues to be employed as an invitation to participate in the table-meal of the Lord in Christian churches. ("Taste and see that the Lord is good.")
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord, graciously hear us, for we seek you alone. Calm our bodies and minds with the peace which passes understanding, and make us radiant with joy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
1 Kings 19:4-8 (R, L)
This story, which relates how Elijah's life was threatened by Jezebel after he had defeated the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, is assigned to this Sunday because it tells of another time that God fed one of his own servants. Exhausted and depressed, Elijah fell asleep under a broom tree, after praying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers." The God, to whom he had entrusted his life, heard and answered his prayer. An angel touched him and spoke, "Arise and eat," and, to his surprise, he found food - a "cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water" - by his side. He ate and drank and fell asleep again, only to have the visitation and the invitation repeated, "Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you." That food sustained him for forty days on his journey to Mount Horeb, where he found shelter and refuge in a cave.
Deuteronomy 8:1-10 (E)
In this recital of all the ways that God accompanied arid supported his people during their forty-year trek through the wilderness, there is specific mention of how God humbled the Israelites, let them go hungry, and then proceeded to feed them with manna, so that they might learn "that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." Their clothing did not wear out (but it surely must have been out of date!) and they had no food shortage during that long journey. And at the conclusion of it, God brought them into that land he had promised to them, "a good land, a land of brooks and water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing." The Lord God, who created the earth and all living things, is still the great Provider, caring for and supplying all of his people's needs.
2 Samuel 18:1, 5, 9-15 (C)
When David divided up his army into three sections - one part under the command of Joab, the second part under the command of Abishai, and the third under Ittai the Gittite's command - and sent them out to do battle against the forces of Absalom, he commanded them, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." After David's army had defeated the army of Absalom and routed it, Absalom was caught by his hair in an oak tree and left hanging there. One of David's servants reported this to Joab, who asked why he had not killed Absalom, and the servant told him that he, too, had heard David's order and would not kill him. So Joab went and stabbed Absalom in the heart with three darts, and twelve of his men completed the slaughter. Through this act of disobedience, the victory was turned into a time of mourning when David heard the news of Absalom's death.
Ephesians 4:25--5:2 (C); 4:(25-29)30--5:2 (E); 4:30--5:2 (R, L)
In this reading, "Paul" continues to give instructions, followed by an exhortation, about the nature of the Christian life. Because they have been "sealed" by the Holy Spirit in baptism, Christians are to be "imitators of God" in all of their relationships, intending only good for others and turning away from all of those attitudes and actions which hurt people and are also self-destructive. Christ's followers are to "walk in love," reflecting in their lives the love of the Lord, who gave himself for all of us, "a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." The Christian life, therefore, is cruciform in shape, exhibiting the self-sacrificing love toward others that God has offered to us in Jesus Christ.
John 6:41-51
The miraculous feeding of the five thousand created quite a clamor in the area around the Sea of Galilee. People followed Jesus from one side of the lake to the other, hoping -
no doubt - to be fed again by Jesus, and they were fed, not on bread and fish, but on the very word of God. When Jesus said, "I am the bread, which comes down from heaven," he really stirred up the "Jews," who "murmured" about him, much as the Israelites had "murmured" against God in the wilderness, during the Exodus. Jesus countered their question, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?", with: 1.) a rebuke - "Do not murmur among yourselves;" 2.) a lesson in the theology of the Gospel and grace, pointing out that only those whom the Father has called will come to him; 3.) the assurance that those who are "his" will receive eternal life; 4.) the "bread of life," which gives that eternal life and differs from the manna in the wilderness, because those who ate the manna had to die; and 5.) his flesh, the bread which he will give for "the life of the world." The eucharist is rather clearly alluded to in this reading, especially the last part of it.
A Sermon on the Gospel, John 6:41-51 - "The Crazy Claims of Jesus."
When Jesus said to the people who followed him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, "I am the bread, which came down from heaven," he made the first of a series of crazy claims - at least, that's how it seemed to those who heard him. The leaders of the Jews, in particular, were upset; they knew that he was an ordinary human being, the son of Joseph and Mary. Everything he said after that seemed rather ridiculous to them, but the problem was theirs, not Jesus'. They were locked into a religious attitude that was too small, that prevented spiritual and theological growth.
Spiritually, the opponents of Jesus were like the seven-year-old boy, who faced a life of terrible headaches and mental retardation, because a birth defect had caused his skull bones to fuse so that his brain could not grow normally. Dr. M. Judah Falkman, a pediatric surgeon at Children's Hospital Medical Center, in Boston, operated on him and created a new skull of living tissue for him. The doctor removed the top part of the boy's skull, pulverized it to a paste, then shaped it, using two pieces of rib bone "for scaffolding." The boy's body accepted the new tissue, which grew into healthy bone tissue within a year. He now has a chance to lead a relatively normal life, according to his physician. (Omni's Continuum, Little Brown, and Co., 1982) The Jews, who confronted and questioned Jesus, needed some sort of "spiritual operation" to make it possible for them really to hear what Jesus was saying. Spiritual and theological growth seemed to be an impossibility for them, simply because Jesus' claims were too crazy, too radical, for them.
1. Jesus claimed divine origin. "I am the bread, which came down from heaven." He didn't look like bread, let alone bread which resembled the manna of the Exodus.
2. He claimed that he would give eternal life to those drawn to him, those who ate the bread which gives eternal life - and that was even a crazier claim. How could believing in Jesus Christ - and eating that "bread" - possibly grant eternal life to mere mortals?
3. He claimed that he alone, among all people, had seen God the Father - the craziest claim of all. The Jews knew that no one had seen God, or ever would, at least in this life. Jesus believed that God would teach them who he was - the very Son of God - and bring the believers to him in whom they would see God.
4. Because his claims were so crazy, they were an impediment to the Jews, who relied more upon their efforts rather than the Spirit of God to instruct them theologically and spiritually.
5. God turned the crazy claims of Jesus into vivid truth in Jesus' death and resurrection. He really is the bread of life, and he actually does feed us on his flesh. Come, eat and drink
- and live forever in the Lord!
A Sermon on the First Lesson, 1 Kings 19:4-8 (R, L) - "Angel Food Cake."
1. When Elijah fell asleep under the broom tree, after fleeing from Jezebel, an angel of the Lord awakened him and gave him real angel food cake to nourish him. He ate and fell asleep again.
2. The angel visited him a second time, telling him, again, to "awake and eat" because this food would sustain him all the way to Mount Horeb, a forty-day journey. It did.
3. The angel food cake was very special indeed, yet it pales when compared with the bread which Jesus gave to the world in himself. That bread will nourish and sustain the faithful all the way to heaven and eternal life!
Deuteronomy 8:1-10 (E) - "Moses Recitation."
1. "God went with you on that forty-year trip through the wilderness; you were never completely alone!" said Moses to the people of Israel. "Lo, I am with you always," says our Lord to those who believe and trust him.
2. "God humbled you in the wilderness to test you and to determine if you would obey his commandments." This much we know: many people doubt God and rebel against him when they have to endure pain and suffering. But God, in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, never leaves our side!
3. "God also fed you in that wilderness march, so that you would not perish by yourselves." Doesn't he feed all who hunger and thirst after righteousness in Jesus Christ, so that we might not perish but have eternal life?
4. God will - he really will - lead us into a new land, a new life, at the end of this one. You and I may count on that - through Jesus Christ.
2 Samuel 18:1, 5, 9-15 (C) "Absalom Needed a Hair Cut."
1. It never would have happened, if Absalom had had shorter hair, perhaps a crew cut. He could have ridden safely under the broom tree and even escaped with his life.
2. But the real problem was Joab, not Absalom's hair, because Joab disobeyed King David and, with twelve soldiers, killed Absalom when he was hanging by his long hair. Bad things happen more from the evil in human hearts than they do by accident or chance.
3. Evil actions have a way of producing more evil, and that's the way it was then and now. Joab, once a murderer, was always a murderer. He never could turn to God and become a righteous person. Only true repentance turns sinners around toward God.
4. Hear the Word of the Lord - believe - and obey what he says in Jesus Christ.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Ephesians 4:25--5:2 (C); 4:(25-29)30--5:2 (E); 4:30--5:2 (R, L) - "Truth and Consequences."
1. Truth - God has loved us in Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's precious gift to the world.
The Consequence - We are to love others and give ourselves to others as we have been loved.
2. Truth - God has forgiven us our sins in the cross of Jesus Christ.
The Consequence - We have to forgive others as we have been forgiven. "Forgive us, as...."
3. Truth - Jesus lived a life of obedience and service.
The Consequence: We must live in imitation of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
4. Truth - God really has saved us, at the cost of Jesus' life.
The Consequence - We are to live as saved people, whatever the cost to us.
The Prayer of the Day
The collect offered for this day in the Lutheran Book of Worship is simply a re-working of the classic prayer for this Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost:
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve. Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merit of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 34: (E); 34:1-8 (R, L, E) - There are two things that are unusual about the use of this psalm in the liturgy of the churches. First, the liturgical churches not only have selected the same psalm for this Sunday, which in itself is quite unusual, but they also have chosen the same verses as a responsory. Second, the psalm is appointed to the liturgy by two of the liturgical churches (Roman Catholic and Lutheran) for three Sundays in a row, although the portions that are assigned to the liturgies on the latter two Sundays vary as they usually do. (The Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches also use this psalm in Series C.) The theme of the psalm is general enough that it could be incorporated into the liturgy on almost any Sunday, especially the first three verses, which praise the "greatness" of God. The psalmist also gives his reasons for thanking and praising God: the Lord answered him, when he sought him, and delivered him from all his afflictions. The concept of a guardian angel is in verse 7. ("The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, and he will deliver them.") The last verse is a very appropriate response to the first reading and also points to the Gospel for the Day with its "I am the bread which came down from heaven." That verse continues to be employed as an invitation to participate in the table-meal of the Lord in Christian churches. ("Taste and see that the Lord is good.")
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Lord, graciously hear us, for we seek you alone. Calm our bodies and minds with the peace which passes understanding, and make us radiant with joy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
1 Kings 19:4-8 (R, L)
This story, which relates how Elijah's life was threatened by Jezebel after he had defeated the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, is assigned to this Sunday because it tells of another time that God fed one of his own servants. Exhausted and depressed, Elijah fell asleep under a broom tree, after praying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers." The God, to whom he had entrusted his life, heard and answered his prayer. An angel touched him and spoke, "Arise and eat," and, to his surprise, he found food - a "cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water" - by his side. He ate and drank and fell asleep again, only to have the visitation and the invitation repeated, "Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you." That food sustained him for forty days on his journey to Mount Horeb, where he found shelter and refuge in a cave.
Deuteronomy 8:1-10 (E)
In this recital of all the ways that God accompanied arid supported his people during their forty-year trek through the wilderness, there is specific mention of how God humbled the Israelites, let them go hungry, and then proceeded to feed them with manna, so that they might learn "that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord." Their clothing did not wear out (but it surely must have been out of date!) and they had no food shortage during that long journey. And at the conclusion of it, God brought them into that land he had promised to them, "a good land, a land of brooks and water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing." The Lord God, who created the earth and all living things, is still the great Provider, caring for and supplying all of his people's needs.
2 Samuel 18:1, 5, 9-15 (C)
When David divided up his army into three sections - one part under the command of Joab, the second part under the command of Abishai, and the third under Ittai the Gittite's command - and sent them out to do battle against the forces of Absalom, he commanded them, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom." After David's army had defeated the army of Absalom and routed it, Absalom was caught by his hair in an oak tree and left hanging there. One of David's servants reported this to Joab, who asked why he had not killed Absalom, and the servant told him that he, too, had heard David's order and would not kill him. So Joab went and stabbed Absalom in the heart with three darts, and twelve of his men completed the slaughter. Through this act of disobedience, the victory was turned into a time of mourning when David heard the news of Absalom's death.
Ephesians 4:25--5:2 (C); 4:(25-29)30--5:2 (E); 4:30--5:2 (R, L)
In this reading, "Paul" continues to give instructions, followed by an exhortation, about the nature of the Christian life. Because they have been "sealed" by the Holy Spirit in baptism, Christians are to be "imitators of God" in all of their relationships, intending only good for others and turning away from all of those attitudes and actions which hurt people and are also self-destructive. Christ's followers are to "walk in love," reflecting in their lives the love of the Lord, who gave himself for all of us, "a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." The Christian life, therefore, is cruciform in shape, exhibiting the self-sacrificing love toward others that God has offered to us in Jesus Christ.
John 6:41-51
The miraculous feeding of the five thousand created quite a clamor in the area around the Sea of Galilee. People followed Jesus from one side of the lake to the other, hoping -
no doubt - to be fed again by Jesus, and they were fed, not on bread and fish, but on the very word of God. When Jesus said, "I am the bread, which comes down from heaven," he really stirred up the "Jews," who "murmured" about him, much as the Israelites had "murmured" against God in the wilderness, during the Exodus. Jesus countered their question, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?", with: 1.) a rebuke - "Do not murmur among yourselves;" 2.) a lesson in the theology of the Gospel and grace, pointing out that only those whom the Father has called will come to him; 3.) the assurance that those who are "his" will receive eternal life; 4.) the "bread of life," which gives that eternal life and differs from the manna in the wilderness, because those who ate the manna had to die; and 5.) his flesh, the bread which he will give for "the life of the world." The eucharist is rather clearly alluded to in this reading, especially the last part of it.
A Sermon on the Gospel, John 6:41-51 - "The Crazy Claims of Jesus."
When Jesus said to the people who followed him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, "I am the bread, which came down from heaven," he made the first of a series of crazy claims - at least, that's how it seemed to those who heard him. The leaders of the Jews, in particular, were upset; they knew that he was an ordinary human being, the son of Joseph and Mary. Everything he said after that seemed rather ridiculous to them, but the problem was theirs, not Jesus'. They were locked into a religious attitude that was too small, that prevented spiritual and theological growth.
Spiritually, the opponents of Jesus were like the seven-year-old boy, who faced a life of terrible headaches and mental retardation, because a birth defect had caused his skull bones to fuse so that his brain could not grow normally. Dr. M. Judah Falkman, a pediatric surgeon at Children's Hospital Medical Center, in Boston, operated on him and created a new skull of living tissue for him. The doctor removed the top part of the boy's skull, pulverized it to a paste, then shaped it, using two pieces of rib bone "for scaffolding." The boy's body accepted the new tissue, which grew into healthy bone tissue within a year. He now has a chance to lead a relatively normal life, according to his physician. (Omni's Continuum, Little Brown, and Co., 1982) The Jews, who confronted and questioned Jesus, needed some sort of "spiritual operation" to make it possible for them really to hear what Jesus was saying. Spiritual and theological growth seemed to be an impossibility for them, simply because Jesus' claims were too crazy, too radical, for them.
1. Jesus claimed divine origin. "I am the bread, which came down from heaven." He didn't look like bread, let alone bread which resembled the manna of the Exodus.
2. He claimed that he would give eternal life to those drawn to him, those who ate the bread which gives eternal life - and that was even a crazier claim. How could believing in Jesus Christ - and eating that "bread" - possibly grant eternal life to mere mortals?
3. He claimed that he alone, among all people, had seen God the Father - the craziest claim of all. The Jews knew that no one had seen God, or ever would, at least in this life. Jesus believed that God would teach them who he was - the very Son of God - and bring the believers to him in whom they would see God.
4. Because his claims were so crazy, they were an impediment to the Jews, who relied more upon their efforts rather than the Spirit of God to instruct them theologically and spiritually.
5. God turned the crazy claims of Jesus into vivid truth in Jesus' death and resurrection. He really is the bread of life, and he actually does feed us on his flesh. Come, eat and drink
- and live forever in the Lord!
A Sermon on the First Lesson, 1 Kings 19:4-8 (R, L) - "Angel Food Cake."
1. When Elijah fell asleep under the broom tree, after fleeing from Jezebel, an angel of the Lord awakened him and gave him real angel food cake to nourish him. He ate and fell asleep again.
2. The angel visited him a second time, telling him, again, to "awake and eat" because this food would sustain him all the way to Mount Horeb, a forty-day journey. It did.
3. The angel food cake was very special indeed, yet it pales when compared with the bread which Jesus gave to the world in himself. That bread will nourish and sustain the faithful all the way to heaven and eternal life!
Deuteronomy 8:1-10 (E) - "Moses Recitation."
1. "God went with you on that forty-year trip through the wilderness; you were never completely alone!" said Moses to the people of Israel. "Lo, I am with you always," says our Lord to those who believe and trust him.
2. "God humbled you in the wilderness to test you and to determine if you would obey his commandments." This much we know: many people doubt God and rebel against him when they have to endure pain and suffering. But God, in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, never leaves our side!
3. "God also fed you in that wilderness march, so that you would not perish by yourselves." Doesn't he feed all who hunger and thirst after righteousness in Jesus Christ, so that we might not perish but have eternal life?
4. God will - he really will - lead us into a new land, a new life, at the end of this one. You and I may count on that - through Jesus Christ.
2 Samuel 18:1, 5, 9-15 (C) "Absalom Needed a Hair Cut."
1. It never would have happened, if Absalom had had shorter hair, perhaps a crew cut. He could have ridden safely under the broom tree and even escaped with his life.
2. But the real problem was Joab, not Absalom's hair, because Joab disobeyed King David and, with twelve soldiers, killed Absalom when he was hanging by his long hair. Bad things happen more from the evil in human hearts than they do by accident or chance.
3. Evil actions have a way of producing more evil, and that's the way it was then and now. Joab, once a murderer, was always a murderer. He never could turn to God and become a righteous person. Only true repentance turns sinners around toward God.
4. Hear the Word of the Lord - believe - and obey what he says in Jesus Christ.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Ephesians 4:25--5:2 (C); 4:(25-29)30--5:2 (E); 4:30--5:2 (R, L) - "Truth and Consequences."
1. Truth - God has loved us in Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's precious gift to the world.
The Consequence - We are to love others and give ourselves to others as we have been loved.
2. Truth - God has forgiven us our sins in the cross of Jesus Christ.
The Consequence - We have to forgive others as we have been forgiven. "Forgive us, as...."
3. Truth - Jesus lived a life of obedience and service.
The Consequence: We must live in imitation of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
4. Truth - God really has saved us, at the cost of Jesus' life.
The Consequence - We are to live as saved people, whatever the cost to us.
