Proper 18
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
At this juncture in the church year, which is now well into the second half of Pentecost, the preacher should remember that the church year provides a theological framework around the worship, readings, and preaching all year long. That framework is always kerygmatic, celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ every Sunday of the year, making an indelible mark - the cross - on each of the days of the year. Within this larger framework, there are the individual parts of the kerygma, each proclaiming one aspect of the Gospel: Advent pictures and predicts the three comings of Christ; Christmas depicts the incarnation; Epiphany magnifies the manifestation of Jesus Christ; Lent leads to the cross and the font; Easter announces the resurrection. Each proclaims the Good News not for a day, nor simply for a fifty-day season, but every Sunday of the year and every day of the week. Pentecost portrays the pilgrimage of God's people as they worship, witness, and work in the world in expectation of Christ's ultimate return. Thus, within the larger framework, there is a series of smaller frames with these gospel-representations within them, which are like, as I have pointed out before, one of those large portrait frames, which have a series of smaller "window" frames within them, which allows a family's history to be pictured. The theological clue, therefore, on this Sunday, speaks to the continuing pilgrimage of God's people, who pray for and look forward to the return of Christ and the day when he will begin his reign and set all things right here on earth - and who, in the meantime, need all the spiritual help that they can possibly obtain from God.
The Prayer of the Day
The Gospel for the Day, which tells of the healing of the deaf and dumb man near the Sea of Galilee, generated the theme of this prayer in the Lutheran Book of Worship:
Almighty and eternal God, you know our problems and our weaknesses better than we ourselves. In your love and by your power help us in our confusion and, in spite of our weakness, make us firm in faith; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 146 (E, L); 146:4-10 (E); 146:6-10 (R) - The responsory and the first reading from Isaiah 35 were both assigned to the Third Sunday in Advent, Year/Cycle/Series A in several lectionaries. In the opinion of at least one lectionary scholar, both are better suited to Advent than they are to Pentecost. Although Advent considers the three "comings" of Christ - in the flesh as incarnation, in word and sacrament, and at the end of time in the parousia - the larger framework of Advent is always the second coming of Christ to the earth. The first reading and the responsory, therefore, are suitable for the second half of Pentecost, when the church should be praying, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come, quickly!" This psalm, it should be noted, and because it is appropriate for any worship occasion, is used on other Sundays of the three-year lectionary, because it is a response to the grace and mercy of God: "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being." It is appropriately "paired" with Isaiah 35 on these two liturgical occasions. Commentary on the psalm is located in the material for the Third Sunday in Advent, Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
God of glory and power, happy indeed are those who have put their trust in you. Shine the brightness of your light upon us, that we may love you always with a pure heart and praise you forever."
The readings:
Isaiah 35:4-7a (R, E, L)
This reading has been "trimmed down" to less than half of that which comprised the first reading on the Third Sunday in Advent, Cycle A. Both readings are eschatological in nature, but the future eschatological dimension of the Advent reading has been highlighted by the manner in which the verses have been selected, as well as reduced in number. The manner in which it is formulated makes it perfect for Pentecost: "Say to those who are of a fearful heart, 'Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped....' " The reading points to the miraculous healing of the deaf and dumb man in the Gospel for the Day - and it surpasses it in scope by the totality of its promises and predictions. Since Isaiah looked for and expected God to perform a final and redemptive act, the early church, much as the church today, saw this passage pointing to the miraculous works done by Jesus during his lifetime. "He will come and save you" is the prophecy that connects most completely with the mission and mercy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Additional comments may be found in the Third Sunday in Advent, Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A, homiletical remarks.
Proverbs 2:1-8 (C)
The first readings for the next two Sundays of Pentecost in the Common lectionary move into the "wisdom" books of the Bible, drawing on two selections from the book of Proverbs. The long prologue, which includes this selection, to this book of "proverbs of Solomon" is probably post-exilic in origin, although parts (chapters 10-29) of the book are considered to belong to the period before the Exile. Some of the proverbs (1 Kings 4:32, RSV, reports that Solomon had invented some three thousand proverbs) are surely Solomon's, but not all of them. This selection was made, no doubt, because it could have been a speech of David to Solomon, calling upon him to embrace wisdom as he was about to ascend to the throne. Then he will understand what the fear of the Lord really is, and he will "discover the knowledge of God." He will come to know that God is the source of true wisdom, given to people to direct and support them in life. The selection complements last Sunday's first reading about David's last words to Solomon. David almost certainly didn't say these words in Proverbs 2, but, again he could have.
James 1:17-22 (23-25) 26-27 (L); 1:17-27 (E, C)
Homiletical commentary for these readings may be located in last week's material for the Roman Catholic Ordo first reading. The Roman Catholic Ordo is a week ahead of the other lectionaries for this week, too; the other three lectionaries "catch up" next Sunday by combining this week's first reading (James 2:1-5) from the Ordo with the Ordo's selection for next Sunday. (James 2:14-18) Those who have access to the so-called "trial lectionaries" will discover that at least one of them appointed James 2:1-5 for this Sunday. It was changed before the lectionary was finally adopted and printed, in this case, in the Lutheran Book of Worship.
James 2:1-5 (R)
According to the theory that the exhortations in the Book of James are based on the names of the twelve patriarchs listed in the 49th chapter of Genesis, this exhortation is based upon the name of Judah, which means "Lord of glory." Of course, it is Jesus who is known as the "Lord of glory." Christians are not to cater to the rich, ignoring the poor, but they are genuinely to be concerned about the plight of the poor, recognizing that the poor may be rich in the only way that counts - in faith as "heirs" [along with all other Christians, in baptism] of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him." Christians, like God himself, are to love (and serve) all people, the poor as well as the rich, and in that way live out the faith they have in Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
Mark 7:31-37
Mark alone has this miracle in his Gospel, along with the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida (8:22-26) for reasons that can only be surmised by scholars. At the first level of redaction, it is evident that Jesus performed some sort of a miracle - an exorcism - by which a deaf and dumb man was cured. It was unusual and miraculous enough that the people who witnessed it were absolutely astonished. Later, the church saw this miracle as a fulfillment of Isaiah 35, while still later the Greek church emphasized the power Jesus had to work miracles of healing. New Testament scholars believe that the story was placed where it is in the narrative to show that Jesus was opening the ears of the disciples, who were so slow (in Mark) to perceive who Jesus was and what he was doing, as well as what was yet to come. Mark was showing what had happened to the disciples, as he wrote from his historical purview. It was their ears that Jesus really opened so that they could really hear the Word, and their tongues which were "released" so that they could preach the Gospel and declare Jesus as the Messiah throughout the world they lived in. That this Gospel has an ultimate and eschatological concern is evident when it is seen from a parabolic point of view.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 7:31-37 - "Ephatha - Be Open!"
In the classic lectionary, this Gospel was appointed on the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, but among the liturgical churches, which followed the lectionary selections, only the Episcopal/Anglican communion called this Sunday Ephatha Sunday (over against Stir up Sunday in Advent; the Anglicans have become adept at allowing the Gospels to name their Sundays), and a day devoted to special concern for the deaf and dumb.
Just a few blocks from the church where my wife and I worship is a "church for the deaf;" we pass it every Sunday on our way to church, but it ought to be called Ephatha Church - the ears of the deaf who attend have been opened by a modern miracle - "signing," as the sign-language is called. These people - and countless thousands of other deaf persons - have learned to talk with their hands and hear with their eyes; they don't have to have a physical miracle happen to them in order to communicate with others without sound and, especially, to hear the Gospel of the Lord. There are other miracles now.
Just last night, at our summer get together at a neighbor's home on the lake, one of the men was telling several of us that his daughter was doing graduate work in speech and communications. Another man, a public school administrator who had studied at the University of Minnesota, asked whether the young woman was studying in the School of Speech and Communication or in the Department of Special Education, which is part of the university's School of Education. He said, "You know they teach speech in the Department of Special Education, too, so that those with speech malfunctions and disabilities can learn to communicate." They also teach reading in that same department, and for similar reasons. Beyond all of this, there are the miracles of surgery, which have "opened many ears" and have "released" many tongues so that people can actually hear and speak, who might otherwise be deaf and dumb. In Jesus' day, only a physical miracle could open ears and release tongues -
and Jesus was able to say, "Ephatha!" - and that was enough to accomplish a miracle.
1. Thank God for the modern miracles, which have opened the ears and loosed the tongues of deaf and dumb people today. They have been given a chance to live normally because they can "hear" and "speak," one way or another. "Ephatha!" reminds us that we have a reason to rejoice and give thanks to God for modern miracles, and especially for the people who have cared enough to devote themselves to helping people hear and speak.
2. So we also thank God that, as he opened the ears of the disciples, he has opened our ears to hear the Gospel - and to begin to understand it. In our own way, we are just as slow to comprehend what it means to embrace the Gospel and declare Jesus to be Lord as the disciples were. And so we pray that there will be a real "Ephatha" for us, so that we may fully understand the message and implications of the Gospel for us and all others.
3. Thank God, too, that he has opened our mouths and loosed our tongues, so that we might tell the tale of his life, death, and resurrection - in various ways - to the people of this world. And our witnessing will not always be with our voices; sometimes we, too, will engage in sign language, which will magnify the actual words that are spoken in the communication of the Gospel.
4. Thank God for Ephatha Sunday - and that we can have a part in modern miracles of hearing and speaking. But most of all, thank God that he has enabled us to hear the Good News and confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord - now and forever and for all people.
A Sermon on the Ffrst Lesson, isaiah 35:4-7a (R, E, L) - "Great Expectations."
1. It is too easy to live in this time, this world, and have few, if any, expectations. Life is too threatening; it seems that the human race - and all life - will have very little to look forward to. We are in trouble and getting deeper and deeper into trouble - environmentally, morally, ethically, and spiritually. We seem to have trapped ourselves, mortgaged our future with a price-tag we cannot hope to pay. What to do?
2. It is easy to say, with Isaiah, "Be strong, fear not!" Such talk is cheap - it may simply be bravado, macho talk by people who are whistling in the dark. To add, "Be strong in the Lord" might not help much. Where is God when so much is going wrong in the world? How can we be strong in him, in a God we can't see or hear?
3. But it is possible to "be strong" and to "fear not" - that is, to trust in the Lord, who not only made the heavens and the earth, but still is in charge - and always will be. His plans will not be thwarted by the wiles of Satan and the many forms that sin can take. He can be trusted - for God has shown his trustworthiness in Jesus' resurrection.
4. So, we can live expectantly - with great expectations - positive that God will fulfill his promise "to come [again] and save us" and to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. That is exactly what he is doing all the time through his Word and the Holy Spirit. God will make all things right - in his own time and in his own way. We can bank on that!
Proverbs 2:1-8 (C) - "Sage Advice."
1. A father speaks for God in this excerpt from Proverbs and he gives him advice - the advice of a sage: learn what true wisdom and understanding really are. Listen to the words of the sage. The plight of the proud and self-sufficient is their inability to listen to the words of others, particularly the Word of God.
2. Sage advice: seek insight, wisdom, and understanding. Seek and search for these gifts as if they were the most precious possessions you might obtain from life. And when you have found them - or they have "found" you - you will know what it means to fear the Lord and to find the knowledge of God.
3. True wisdom is a gift of grace, not an achievement of human intellect or willpower. God gives wisdom in his Word to anyone - and everyone - who will receive it. Godly wisdom is a totally free gift from the Lord, available to people of humility and faith.
4. God's wisdom enlightens and sustains human beings. It guides and guards God's people - and it enables people to hang on when life is difficult, because his ultimate gift of wisdom is in the ability he gives us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. Wisdom teaches us to trust and obey the Lord - as our Lord did - in the faith and hope that all of life's difficulties will be resolved finally by God.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, James 1:17-27 (E, C); 1:17-22 (23-25) 26-17 (L)
Last week's homiletical studies and commentary contain a "sermon suggestion" for this text.
James 2:1-5 (R)
1. "Paul's" exhortation to all Christians: draw no distinctions between people, especially between the rich and the poor, those who may be able to do something for you and those for whom you may have to do something. Look upon all people simply as children of God, equal in his sight.
2. God's example: He cares for rich and poor alike - loves all people, regardless of their economic condition (or their health, their brain poweer and cleverness, their influence or lack of it, and all other characteristics that may distinguish and divide us). Jesus died for all - not simply for the rich, or just for the faithful.
3. People may learn more about faith from the poor who may be rich spiritually, than from the rich who may be spiritually bankrupt. Remember that Jesus said, "It will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven." The poor widow, who has her counterpart in innumerable Christian congregations, "gave all of her living" when she dropped the two coins in the temple treasury.
4. Love - the love of God that comes to each of us in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit - sees all persons through the eyes of God and removes all of the improper distinctions people make between themselves and others in life. That love enables all persons to love as they have been loved by God.
The Prayer of the Day
The Gospel for the Day, which tells of the healing of the deaf and dumb man near the Sea of Galilee, generated the theme of this prayer in the Lutheran Book of Worship:
Almighty and eternal God, you know our problems and our weaknesses better than we ourselves. In your love and by your power help us in our confusion and, in spite of our weakness, make us firm in faith; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 146 (E, L); 146:4-10 (E); 146:6-10 (R) - The responsory and the first reading from Isaiah 35 were both assigned to the Third Sunday in Advent, Year/Cycle/Series A in several lectionaries. In the opinion of at least one lectionary scholar, both are better suited to Advent than they are to Pentecost. Although Advent considers the three "comings" of Christ - in the flesh as incarnation, in word and sacrament, and at the end of time in the parousia - the larger framework of Advent is always the second coming of Christ to the earth. The first reading and the responsory, therefore, are suitable for the second half of Pentecost, when the church should be praying, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come, quickly!" This psalm, it should be noted, and because it is appropriate for any worship occasion, is used on other Sundays of the three-year lectionary, because it is a response to the grace and mercy of God: "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being." It is appropriately "paired" with Isaiah 35 on these two liturgical occasions. Commentary on the psalm is located in the material for the Third Sunday in Advent, Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
God of glory and power, happy indeed are those who have put their trust in you. Shine the brightness of your light upon us, that we may love you always with a pure heart and praise you forever."
The readings:
Isaiah 35:4-7a (R, E, L)
This reading has been "trimmed down" to less than half of that which comprised the first reading on the Third Sunday in Advent, Cycle A. Both readings are eschatological in nature, but the future eschatological dimension of the Advent reading has been highlighted by the manner in which the verses have been selected, as well as reduced in number. The manner in which it is formulated makes it perfect for Pentecost: "Say to those who are of a fearful heart, 'Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped....' " The reading points to the miraculous healing of the deaf and dumb man in the Gospel for the Day - and it surpasses it in scope by the totality of its promises and predictions. Since Isaiah looked for and expected God to perform a final and redemptive act, the early church, much as the church today, saw this passage pointing to the miraculous works done by Jesus during his lifetime. "He will come and save you" is the prophecy that connects most completely with the mission and mercy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Additional comments may be found in the Third Sunday in Advent, Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A, homiletical remarks.
Proverbs 2:1-8 (C)
The first readings for the next two Sundays of Pentecost in the Common lectionary move into the "wisdom" books of the Bible, drawing on two selections from the book of Proverbs. The long prologue, which includes this selection, to this book of "proverbs of Solomon" is probably post-exilic in origin, although parts (chapters 10-29) of the book are considered to belong to the period before the Exile. Some of the proverbs (1 Kings 4:32, RSV, reports that Solomon had invented some three thousand proverbs) are surely Solomon's, but not all of them. This selection was made, no doubt, because it could have been a speech of David to Solomon, calling upon him to embrace wisdom as he was about to ascend to the throne. Then he will understand what the fear of the Lord really is, and he will "discover the knowledge of God." He will come to know that God is the source of true wisdom, given to people to direct and support them in life. The selection complements last Sunday's first reading about David's last words to Solomon. David almost certainly didn't say these words in Proverbs 2, but, again he could have.
James 1:17-22 (23-25) 26-27 (L); 1:17-27 (E, C)
Homiletical commentary for these readings may be located in last week's material for the Roman Catholic Ordo first reading. The Roman Catholic Ordo is a week ahead of the other lectionaries for this week, too; the other three lectionaries "catch up" next Sunday by combining this week's first reading (James 2:1-5) from the Ordo with the Ordo's selection for next Sunday. (James 2:14-18) Those who have access to the so-called "trial lectionaries" will discover that at least one of them appointed James 2:1-5 for this Sunday. It was changed before the lectionary was finally adopted and printed, in this case, in the Lutheran Book of Worship.
James 2:1-5 (R)
According to the theory that the exhortations in the Book of James are based on the names of the twelve patriarchs listed in the 49th chapter of Genesis, this exhortation is based upon the name of Judah, which means "Lord of glory." Of course, it is Jesus who is known as the "Lord of glory." Christians are not to cater to the rich, ignoring the poor, but they are genuinely to be concerned about the plight of the poor, recognizing that the poor may be rich in the only way that counts - in faith as "heirs" [along with all other Christians, in baptism] of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him." Christians, like God himself, are to love (and serve) all people, the poor as well as the rich, and in that way live out the faith they have in Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
Mark 7:31-37
Mark alone has this miracle in his Gospel, along with the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida (8:22-26) for reasons that can only be surmised by scholars. At the first level of redaction, it is evident that Jesus performed some sort of a miracle - an exorcism - by which a deaf and dumb man was cured. It was unusual and miraculous enough that the people who witnessed it were absolutely astonished. Later, the church saw this miracle as a fulfillment of Isaiah 35, while still later the Greek church emphasized the power Jesus had to work miracles of healing. New Testament scholars believe that the story was placed where it is in the narrative to show that Jesus was opening the ears of the disciples, who were so slow (in Mark) to perceive who Jesus was and what he was doing, as well as what was yet to come. Mark was showing what had happened to the disciples, as he wrote from his historical purview. It was their ears that Jesus really opened so that they could really hear the Word, and their tongues which were "released" so that they could preach the Gospel and declare Jesus as the Messiah throughout the world they lived in. That this Gospel has an ultimate and eschatological concern is evident when it is seen from a parabolic point of view.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Mark 7:31-37 - "Ephatha - Be Open!"
In the classic lectionary, this Gospel was appointed on the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, but among the liturgical churches, which followed the lectionary selections, only the Episcopal/Anglican communion called this Sunday Ephatha Sunday (over against Stir up Sunday in Advent; the Anglicans have become adept at allowing the Gospels to name their Sundays), and a day devoted to special concern for the deaf and dumb.
Just a few blocks from the church where my wife and I worship is a "church for the deaf;" we pass it every Sunday on our way to church, but it ought to be called Ephatha Church - the ears of the deaf who attend have been opened by a modern miracle - "signing," as the sign-language is called. These people - and countless thousands of other deaf persons - have learned to talk with their hands and hear with their eyes; they don't have to have a physical miracle happen to them in order to communicate with others without sound and, especially, to hear the Gospel of the Lord. There are other miracles now.
Just last night, at our summer get together at a neighbor's home on the lake, one of the men was telling several of us that his daughter was doing graduate work in speech and communications. Another man, a public school administrator who had studied at the University of Minnesota, asked whether the young woman was studying in the School of Speech and Communication or in the Department of Special Education, which is part of the university's School of Education. He said, "You know they teach speech in the Department of Special Education, too, so that those with speech malfunctions and disabilities can learn to communicate." They also teach reading in that same department, and for similar reasons. Beyond all of this, there are the miracles of surgery, which have "opened many ears" and have "released" many tongues so that people can actually hear and speak, who might otherwise be deaf and dumb. In Jesus' day, only a physical miracle could open ears and release tongues -
and Jesus was able to say, "Ephatha!" - and that was enough to accomplish a miracle.
1. Thank God for the modern miracles, which have opened the ears and loosed the tongues of deaf and dumb people today. They have been given a chance to live normally because they can "hear" and "speak," one way or another. "Ephatha!" reminds us that we have a reason to rejoice and give thanks to God for modern miracles, and especially for the people who have cared enough to devote themselves to helping people hear and speak.
2. So we also thank God that, as he opened the ears of the disciples, he has opened our ears to hear the Gospel - and to begin to understand it. In our own way, we are just as slow to comprehend what it means to embrace the Gospel and declare Jesus to be Lord as the disciples were. And so we pray that there will be a real "Ephatha" for us, so that we may fully understand the message and implications of the Gospel for us and all others.
3. Thank God, too, that he has opened our mouths and loosed our tongues, so that we might tell the tale of his life, death, and resurrection - in various ways - to the people of this world. And our witnessing will not always be with our voices; sometimes we, too, will engage in sign language, which will magnify the actual words that are spoken in the communication of the Gospel.
4. Thank God for Ephatha Sunday - and that we can have a part in modern miracles of hearing and speaking. But most of all, thank God that he has enabled us to hear the Good News and confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord - now and forever and for all people.
A Sermon on the Ffrst Lesson, isaiah 35:4-7a (R, E, L) - "Great Expectations."
1. It is too easy to live in this time, this world, and have few, if any, expectations. Life is too threatening; it seems that the human race - and all life - will have very little to look forward to. We are in trouble and getting deeper and deeper into trouble - environmentally, morally, ethically, and spiritually. We seem to have trapped ourselves, mortgaged our future with a price-tag we cannot hope to pay. What to do?
2. It is easy to say, with Isaiah, "Be strong, fear not!" Such talk is cheap - it may simply be bravado, macho talk by people who are whistling in the dark. To add, "Be strong in the Lord" might not help much. Where is God when so much is going wrong in the world? How can we be strong in him, in a God we can't see or hear?
3. But it is possible to "be strong" and to "fear not" - that is, to trust in the Lord, who not only made the heavens and the earth, but still is in charge - and always will be. His plans will not be thwarted by the wiles of Satan and the many forms that sin can take. He can be trusted - for God has shown his trustworthiness in Jesus' resurrection.
4. So, we can live expectantly - with great expectations - positive that God will fulfill his promise "to come [again] and save us" and to open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf. That is exactly what he is doing all the time through his Word and the Holy Spirit. God will make all things right - in his own time and in his own way. We can bank on that!
Proverbs 2:1-8 (C) - "Sage Advice."
1. A father speaks for God in this excerpt from Proverbs and he gives him advice - the advice of a sage: learn what true wisdom and understanding really are. Listen to the words of the sage. The plight of the proud and self-sufficient is their inability to listen to the words of others, particularly the Word of God.
2. Sage advice: seek insight, wisdom, and understanding. Seek and search for these gifts as if they were the most precious possessions you might obtain from life. And when you have found them - or they have "found" you - you will know what it means to fear the Lord and to find the knowledge of God.
3. True wisdom is a gift of grace, not an achievement of human intellect or willpower. God gives wisdom in his Word to anyone - and everyone - who will receive it. Godly wisdom is a totally free gift from the Lord, available to people of humility and faith.
4. God's wisdom enlightens and sustains human beings. It guides and guards God's people - and it enables people to hang on when life is difficult, because his ultimate gift of wisdom is in the ability he gives us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. Wisdom teaches us to trust and obey the Lord - as our Lord did - in the faith and hope that all of life's difficulties will be resolved finally by God.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, James 1:17-27 (E, C); 1:17-22 (23-25) 26-17 (L)
Last week's homiletical studies and commentary contain a "sermon suggestion" for this text.
James 2:1-5 (R)
1. "Paul's" exhortation to all Christians: draw no distinctions between people, especially between the rich and the poor, those who may be able to do something for you and those for whom you may have to do something. Look upon all people simply as children of God, equal in his sight.
2. God's example: He cares for rich and poor alike - loves all people, regardless of their economic condition (or their health, their brain poweer and cleverness, their influence or lack of it, and all other characteristics that may distinguish and divide us). Jesus died for all - not simply for the rich, or just for the faithful.
3. People may learn more about faith from the poor who may be rich spiritually, than from the rich who may be spiritually bankrupt. Remember that Jesus said, "It will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven." The poor widow, who has her counterpart in innumerable Christian congregations, "gave all of her living" when she dropped the two coins in the temple treasury.
4. Love - the love of God that comes to each of us in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit - sees all persons through the eyes of God and removes all of the improper distinctions people make between themselves and others in life. That love enables all persons to love as they have been loved by God.
