Proper 18
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
The eschatological/kerygmatic motif of the gospel, which is injected into the liturgy of the church by its year, may become almost indistinguishable by this part of Pentecost, but once more the proximity of a minor festival renews the kerygmatic accent of Sunday worship. Depending on the lectionary followed and the calendar year, the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost will be near St. Michael and All Angels Day. St. Michael and All Angels is September 28; Saint Michael gets the preeminent place in Protestant calendars as one who has fought the good fight for God and has led in the defeat of Satan. The angels, who have given gospel (good news and warnings) messages from God to human beings for countless ages, are remembered for what they are, "heralds of the gospel," as James S. Stewart might call them. The proximity of this Sunday to St. Michael and All Angels Day recalls the kerygmatic emphasis of the Sunday liturgy, making the resurrection of Jesus and its ultimate promise - his return at the end of time - central to the worship of this and all Sundays. Equally important, this combination highlights the call for all Christians to be messengers of the gospel by their witness of the Lordship of Christ in their daily round of activities.
As September wanes and as Pentecost begins to complete its cycle in the church year, the fall activities of most local parishes will be in full swing. For many, the annual stewardship effort will soon be underway, sandwiched between St. Michael and All Angels Day and the first Sunday in Advent. It is theologically critical that a Christian perspective be maintained, so that stewardship will be a matter of responding thankfully to the grace of God in Christ Jesus with one's time, talents, and money, rather than a matter of establishing and meeting an operating and benevolence (and building) budget in the congregations. As the gospel of Jesus' death and resurrection is allowed to sound in the liturgy and preaching of this last part of Pentecost, it will make stewardship a legitimate part of the total liturgy of the church. And so the worship and work of God's people will be joined to the business of the very angels of God.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost calls for God's help in this life: "O Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy church; and because it cannot continue in safety without thy succor, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen." The classic prayer for St. Michael and All Angels Day has been revised and now, unintentionally, makes the above prayer more specific: "Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals. Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 1 (E) - This psalm was the responsory psalm for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, Cycle C. Comments on it may be found in the materials for that Sunday.
Psalm 10:12-15, 17-19 (L) - The Psalmist offers a lament to God, asking him why he remains "on the sidelines" and allows the wicked to get away with their evil deeds? And he calls upon God to "rise up ... (and) lift your hand" against them. He reminds God that he is the refuge of the helpless and the protector of orphans, asking him to stamp out injustice and establish his justice on the face of the whole earth forever.
Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17 (RC) - Many Christians would be familiar with this psalm from its use, along with Psalms 23 and 130, at funerals.
Psalm prayer 1 - (LBW) - "Lord God, in your loving wisdom you have set us beside the fountain of life, like a tree planted by running streams. Grant that the cross of your Son may become our tree of life in the paradise of your saints, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Psalm prayer 10 - (LBW) - "Faithful Lord, remember your people; do not hide your face from our troubles. Father of orphans, wealth of the poor, give us comfort in times of pain, that we might proclaim the joyous news of freedom in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Psalm prayer 90 - (LBW) - "Eternal Father of our mortal race, in Jesus Christ your grace has come upon us: For his sake, prosper the work of our hands until he returns to gladden our hearts forever."
The Readings
Wisdom 9:13-18 (RC) - Although this book has, in the past, been associated with Solomon, there is little or no chance that he wrote it; it was probably composed in the last century before Christ by an author who drew on the biblical references to Solomon and his wisdom to shape his writing. This specific passage is the last part of a prayer for Wisdom, in which the writer acknowledges that Wisdom which unlocks the secrets of "the will of the Lord" comes from God alone through his Holy Spirit. Left on their own, human beings cannot divine God's will or wisdom; they are beyond them, simply because they are finite and restricted by their very finitude, not simply by sin. The Spirit of God is equated with Wisdom, and is sent by God "from above" as revelation. Wisdom is a gift of the Spirit, freely given to those who will receive it from God. The writer prays for that gift in order to understand the mind and will of God.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (E) - The verses (9-14 and 10-14) immediately preceding this reading were assigned to the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost in the Lutheran, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic lectionaries, respectively. It is part of a call, possibly belonging to the period of the exile, to renew the covenant that God had made with his people. On God's part, his promise to bless his people who obey his will and his commandments is reiterated with a twist; God's law has to be transferred from the tablets of stone to the receptive hearts of his people. This is the beginning of the wisdom tradition, which finds its way into the writings of Paul to the Romans. (10:6 quotes the last verse of the reading for Pentecost 8, "But the word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it." Paul says "on your lips" and omits "so that you can do it.") God puts the words into the hearts and on the lips of the faithful, and promises that they shall live.
Proverbs 9:8-12 (L) - Buried in the middle of this reading is one of the most familiar passages of the Old Testament - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Those who fear and love the Lord have hearts and minds that are open to the word and will of their God; the writer of Proverbs declares that such people will accept the invitation of God to the banquet he has prepared for them (vv. 5, 6). Again, his promise to bless and renew the lives of those who are "wise" is enunciated by the writer of this portion of the book (which is probably post-exilic in origin). God has not only prepared the bread and wine (John 6 draws on this, in part), and issued the invitation to his table; he also sends the Spirit to enable people to be wise enough to accept his invitation to forgiveness and new life.
Ezekiel 33:1-11 (C) - This reading finds a place in the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost of the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopal lectionaries, Year/Cycle A (the Roman Catholic and Lutheran lectionaries use only verses 7-9, but the Episcopal lectionary makes verses 1-6 - a parable about the prophet as a watchman - optional, expanding the reading from verses 7 to 11). It spells out the responsibility of the prophet to point out the sins of the people and call them to repentance, making it clear that the prophet who does so has discharged his/her duty faithfully and will not be blamed if people ignore the prophecy. But the prophet who does not "blow the horn" and alert the people to their danger will be held accountable for the failure to be faithful to the prophets' call. Inherent in all of this is the responsibility of people of any age to hear the Word of God and respond appropriately to it.
Philemon 9b-10 (RC); (2-9) 10-21 (L); 1-20 (E, C) - In this little letter, written personally by Paul to Philemon, a Christian at Colossae, whose slave, Onesimus, had run away from him and become a follower of Paul, the apostle set the stage for the modern movement to abolish slavery. Paul did not establish any sort of underground railway, as occurred in the North during the Civil War, but he sent Onesimus back to Philemon, asking him to receive his slave as a brother in Christ. Paul really puts the pressure of the gospel upon Philemon, "our beloved fellow worker," and seems to be suggesting indirectly that Philemon might return him to Paul, who has become a kind of father to Onesimus in his imprisonment. The postscript to the letter shows how close Paul was to Philemon - he requested Philemon to prepare a guest room for him - and also that he soon expected to be released from prison and would return to Colossae (to plead for Onesimus in person).
Luke 14:25-33 (RC, E, L, C) - This is an appropriate gospel for this time of the year, when congregations are asking their members to consider the cost, in terms of stewardship, of being a Christian. The paradox is that Christ gives the kingdom to those who will receive it as a free gift, but that gift costs people their whole lives. For more than a few in the history of the church this means literally laying down their lives for Jesus Christ as martyrs. For all, it means counting the cost of being disciples of Jesus Christ, a cost that all must pay. The parable/example of the man who seeks to build the tower, and counts or does not count the cost, seems to be tailor-made for preaching about stewardship from the perspective of the gospel. It asks the questions, "Do you know the cost of being Christian?" and "Are you willing to pay that cost?"
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 14:25-33 (RC, E, L, C) - "The Costly Cross" (A Stewardship Sermon). - Christian stewardship usually has two main emphases in its annual emphasis: 1. The first is that the main thrust is upon securing enough monetary pledges to underwrite the congregational budget for the coming year; 2. The other is to develop, sell, and fulfill a plan to raise the needed money for congregational and benevolent work in and beyond the walls of the parish. Stewardship promotions today seem to depend on programs, some of which have been called "gimmicks" - clever schemes that will put the causes before the members of a congregation in such a way that they will respond to them. Years ago, when professional fund-raising organizations that worked mainly for church building fund efforts would ask its on-site professional to obtain a pledge from the pastor of the congregation and have him/her announce that pledge to the congregation at a Sunday worship service. One pastor was asked to make what to him was a significant pledge of money; he did so, announcing it according to the plan. A number of people responded positively to it; among them was one man who doubled his pledge, saying, "If the pastor can give that much to the building fund, I certainly can give this much." Actually, he could have done much more, the pastor told me, realizing that he had participated in a scheme to raise enough money to build a church and not in a genuine effort to promote Christian stewardship.
1. Salvation is a free gift from God, but Christianity is a costly religion. It requires people, who claim to love Jesus Christ, to face up to the cost of being disciples and decide whether or not they are willing to pay that price of being Christian.
2. The cross is the yardstick by which Christian stewardship is measured, not simply a dollar sign; Christians are required to lay their whole lives on the line for Jesus Christ. The cross demands total commitment to Christ and his gospel.
3. The church is sustained and flourishes when people are faithful to the Lord, when the faithful, who are martyrs, in a sense, commit their entire lives to the Lord. The church has been built upon the sacrifices of the believers, as well as the death of Jesus Christ at Calvary.
4. When people commit their lives to Christ and pick up their crosses in discipleship by works of love and mercy, as well as gifts of time, talents, and money, in thanksgiving for God's gift in Jesus, their stewardship will be acceptable to the Lord and useful in the work of the kingdom.
Wisdom 9:13-18 (RC) - "Saved By Wisdom."
1. God is the source of the Wisdom that saves people by revealing to his people the very intentions and plans of God for heaven and earth.
2. He sends Wisdom through the Holy Spirit. The Wisdom, which enlightens and enables them to receive salvation in Jesus Christ, is a gift of the Spirit of God, not a quality that is in-born or developed by human effort.
3. Wisdom is not a source of pride; people of limited mental ability may receive the Wisdom of God - his Spirit - and receive the accompanying gift, faith in Jesus Christ.
4. Christians, looking back to the writer of this book, may join his prayer for Wisdom, knowing that God always sends his Spirit and Wisdom to those who would know and love him in Jesus Christ.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (E) - "The Call To The Covenant."
1. It has never been enough for God to establish a covenant between himself and his people; he has to renew it by calling his people back to their covenantal relationship with himself, especially when they lived in exile.
2. But a renewed covenant with the people of Israel turned out to be insufficient to sustain that covenantal relationship between God and his people; he had to go further - establish a new covenant in Jesus' death on the cross.
3. As was the case with the Jews before Christ, Christians are called upon to recognize that special relationship they have with God through Jesus Christ in baptism and keep the covenant by their response to the gospel.
4. As Paul suggests, daily repentance as dying to sin and rising to new life through Christ constantly renews that covenant and triggers a genuine response to the gospel of Jesus Christ in faith and works.
Proverbs 9:8-12 (L) - "The Need To Fear God."
1. "The fear of the Lord" is not only the "beginning of wisdom;" it prepares people to be receptive to the wisdom of God that leads to the salvation of human beings. Wisdom is a gift of the Spirit of God to the faithful.
2. God offers people his Spirit; he never forces it upon them to fear him, because genuine fear - as awe and reverence and, even love - is born of hearing God's Word and seeing his works in the world.
3. To know God and "let God be God" (as Philip Watson would say) demands that people recognize their mortality and God's immortality. When that happens, we have reason to fear him. He is creator; we are his creatures, who seek the meaning of life and death, but can find no answers by ourselves.
4. The Spirit of God gives us the wisdom to fear God and to find the answers to our questions about life and death in the Cross of Christ and the faith to trust him as Lord and Savior.
Ezekiel 33:1-11 (C) - "Shared Responsibility."
1. Prophets and preachers bear the responsibility of proclaiming the will of God to people in terms of warning and promise, of law and gospel.
2. People, who call themselves children of God, bear the responsibility of hearing the Word and responding appropriately to God's call and claims.
3. In this day and age, the response of the people to God's Word tends to be colored by the manner in which the preachers live out the message they proclaim despite the fact that their primary responsibility is to preach the Word.
4. Both preachers and people, who claim to love the Lord, are responsible for living the faith they claim to accept, seeking to serve the Lord every day of their lives.
Philemon 9b-10, 12-17 (RC); 1 (2-9) 10-21 (L); 1-20 (E, C) - "An Answer To Discrimination."
1. What to do with Onesimus? That was Paul's problem. Should he keep him with him, or send him back to his owner, Philemon? (What to do about South Africa, which has maintained a form of slavery in Apartheid? Or other forms of discrimination that essentially represent variations of slavery?)
2. Paul's solution to his problem, and that of the modern world, lies in the gospel of the Lord; believers are to love one another as equals in the sight of God. The Christ we hold in common died for all people.
3. Social ills, such as the racial discrimination which breeds a type of slavery, are best solved by an "appeal" in Christian love, rather than by radical and violent actions on behalf of the disadvantaged. (Martin Luther King, Jr. was right, wasn't he, in his non-violent approach to equality? That was Jesus' way: to die on a cross, rather than to take other human life.)
4. As Christians learn to love each other and live together as equals in the name of Christ, treating all people with justice, the world may change and follow their example and may just come to know, love, and serve the One who is Lord of all.
The eschatological/kerygmatic motif of the gospel, which is injected into the liturgy of the church by its year, may become almost indistinguishable by this part of Pentecost, but once more the proximity of a minor festival renews the kerygmatic accent of Sunday worship. Depending on the lectionary followed and the calendar year, the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost will be near St. Michael and All Angels Day. St. Michael and All Angels is September 28; Saint Michael gets the preeminent place in Protestant calendars as one who has fought the good fight for God and has led in the defeat of Satan. The angels, who have given gospel (good news and warnings) messages from God to human beings for countless ages, are remembered for what they are, "heralds of the gospel," as James S. Stewart might call them. The proximity of this Sunday to St. Michael and All Angels Day recalls the kerygmatic emphasis of the Sunday liturgy, making the resurrection of Jesus and its ultimate promise - his return at the end of time - central to the worship of this and all Sundays. Equally important, this combination highlights the call for all Christians to be messengers of the gospel by their witness of the Lordship of Christ in their daily round of activities.
As September wanes and as Pentecost begins to complete its cycle in the church year, the fall activities of most local parishes will be in full swing. For many, the annual stewardship effort will soon be underway, sandwiched between St. Michael and All Angels Day and the first Sunday in Advent. It is theologically critical that a Christian perspective be maintained, so that stewardship will be a matter of responding thankfully to the grace of God in Christ Jesus with one's time, talents, and money, rather than a matter of establishing and meeting an operating and benevolence (and building) budget in the congregations. As the gospel of Jesus' death and resurrection is allowed to sound in the liturgy and preaching of this last part of Pentecost, it will make stewardship a legitimate part of the total liturgy of the church. And so the worship and work of God's people will be joined to the business of the very angels of God.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost calls for God's help in this life: "O Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy church; and because it cannot continue in safety without thy succor, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen." The classic prayer for St. Michael and All Angels Day has been revised and now, unintentionally, makes the above prayer more specific: "Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted in a wonderful order the ministries of angels and mortals. Mercifully grant that, as your holy angels always serve and worship you in heaven, so by your appointment they may help and defend us here on earth; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 1 (E) - This psalm was the responsory psalm for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, Cycle C. Comments on it may be found in the materials for that Sunday.
Psalm 10:12-15, 17-19 (L) - The Psalmist offers a lament to God, asking him why he remains "on the sidelines" and allows the wicked to get away with their evil deeds? And he calls upon God to "rise up ... (and) lift your hand" against them. He reminds God that he is the refuge of the helpless and the protector of orphans, asking him to stamp out injustice and establish his justice on the face of the whole earth forever.
Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17 (RC) - Many Christians would be familiar with this psalm from its use, along with Psalms 23 and 130, at funerals.
Psalm prayer 1 - (LBW) - "Lord God, in your loving wisdom you have set us beside the fountain of life, like a tree planted by running streams. Grant that the cross of your Son may become our tree of life in the paradise of your saints, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Psalm prayer 10 - (LBW) - "Faithful Lord, remember your people; do not hide your face from our troubles. Father of orphans, wealth of the poor, give us comfort in times of pain, that we might proclaim the joyous news of freedom in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Psalm prayer 90 - (LBW) - "Eternal Father of our mortal race, in Jesus Christ your grace has come upon us: For his sake, prosper the work of our hands until he returns to gladden our hearts forever."
The Readings
Wisdom 9:13-18 (RC) - Although this book has, in the past, been associated with Solomon, there is little or no chance that he wrote it; it was probably composed in the last century before Christ by an author who drew on the biblical references to Solomon and his wisdom to shape his writing. This specific passage is the last part of a prayer for Wisdom, in which the writer acknowledges that Wisdom which unlocks the secrets of "the will of the Lord" comes from God alone through his Holy Spirit. Left on their own, human beings cannot divine God's will or wisdom; they are beyond them, simply because they are finite and restricted by their very finitude, not simply by sin. The Spirit of God is equated with Wisdom, and is sent by God "from above" as revelation. Wisdom is a gift of the Spirit, freely given to those who will receive it from God. The writer prays for that gift in order to understand the mind and will of God.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (E) - The verses (9-14 and 10-14) immediately preceding this reading were assigned to the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost in the Lutheran, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic lectionaries, respectively. It is part of a call, possibly belonging to the period of the exile, to renew the covenant that God had made with his people. On God's part, his promise to bless his people who obey his will and his commandments is reiterated with a twist; God's law has to be transferred from the tablets of stone to the receptive hearts of his people. This is the beginning of the wisdom tradition, which finds its way into the writings of Paul to the Romans. (10:6 quotes the last verse of the reading for Pentecost 8, "But the word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it." Paul says "on your lips" and omits "so that you can do it.") God puts the words into the hearts and on the lips of the faithful, and promises that they shall live.
Proverbs 9:8-12 (L) - Buried in the middle of this reading is one of the most familiar passages of the Old Testament - "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." Those who fear and love the Lord have hearts and minds that are open to the word and will of their God; the writer of Proverbs declares that such people will accept the invitation of God to the banquet he has prepared for them (vv. 5, 6). Again, his promise to bless and renew the lives of those who are "wise" is enunciated by the writer of this portion of the book (which is probably post-exilic in origin). God has not only prepared the bread and wine (John 6 draws on this, in part), and issued the invitation to his table; he also sends the Spirit to enable people to be wise enough to accept his invitation to forgiveness and new life.
Ezekiel 33:1-11 (C) - This reading finds a place in the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost of the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopal lectionaries, Year/Cycle A (the Roman Catholic and Lutheran lectionaries use only verses 7-9, but the Episcopal lectionary makes verses 1-6 - a parable about the prophet as a watchman - optional, expanding the reading from verses 7 to 11). It spells out the responsibility of the prophet to point out the sins of the people and call them to repentance, making it clear that the prophet who does so has discharged his/her duty faithfully and will not be blamed if people ignore the prophecy. But the prophet who does not "blow the horn" and alert the people to their danger will be held accountable for the failure to be faithful to the prophets' call. Inherent in all of this is the responsibility of people of any age to hear the Word of God and respond appropriately to it.
Philemon 9b-10 (RC); (2-9) 10-21 (L); 1-20 (E, C) - In this little letter, written personally by Paul to Philemon, a Christian at Colossae, whose slave, Onesimus, had run away from him and become a follower of Paul, the apostle set the stage for the modern movement to abolish slavery. Paul did not establish any sort of underground railway, as occurred in the North during the Civil War, but he sent Onesimus back to Philemon, asking him to receive his slave as a brother in Christ. Paul really puts the pressure of the gospel upon Philemon, "our beloved fellow worker," and seems to be suggesting indirectly that Philemon might return him to Paul, who has become a kind of father to Onesimus in his imprisonment. The postscript to the letter shows how close Paul was to Philemon - he requested Philemon to prepare a guest room for him - and also that he soon expected to be released from prison and would return to Colossae (to plead for Onesimus in person).
Luke 14:25-33 (RC, E, L, C) - This is an appropriate gospel for this time of the year, when congregations are asking their members to consider the cost, in terms of stewardship, of being a Christian. The paradox is that Christ gives the kingdom to those who will receive it as a free gift, but that gift costs people their whole lives. For more than a few in the history of the church this means literally laying down their lives for Jesus Christ as martyrs. For all, it means counting the cost of being disciples of Jesus Christ, a cost that all must pay. The parable/example of the man who seeks to build the tower, and counts or does not count the cost, seems to be tailor-made for preaching about stewardship from the perspective of the gospel. It asks the questions, "Do you know the cost of being Christian?" and "Are you willing to pay that cost?"
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 14:25-33 (RC, E, L, C) - "The Costly Cross" (A Stewardship Sermon). - Christian stewardship usually has two main emphases in its annual emphasis: 1. The first is that the main thrust is upon securing enough monetary pledges to underwrite the congregational budget for the coming year; 2. The other is to develop, sell, and fulfill a plan to raise the needed money for congregational and benevolent work in and beyond the walls of the parish. Stewardship promotions today seem to depend on programs, some of which have been called "gimmicks" - clever schemes that will put the causes before the members of a congregation in such a way that they will respond to them. Years ago, when professional fund-raising organizations that worked mainly for church building fund efforts would ask its on-site professional to obtain a pledge from the pastor of the congregation and have him/her announce that pledge to the congregation at a Sunday worship service. One pastor was asked to make what to him was a significant pledge of money; he did so, announcing it according to the plan. A number of people responded positively to it; among them was one man who doubled his pledge, saying, "If the pastor can give that much to the building fund, I certainly can give this much." Actually, he could have done much more, the pastor told me, realizing that he had participated in a scheme to raise enough money to build a church and not in a genuine effort to promote Christian stewardship.
1. Salvation is a free gift from God, but Christianity is a costly religion. It requires people, who claim to love Jesus Christ, to face up to the cost of being disciples and decide whether or not they are willing to pay that price of being Christian.
2. The cross is the yardstick by which Christian stewardship is measured, not simply a dollar sign; Christians are required to lay their whole lives on the line for Jesus Christ. The cross demands total commitment to Christ and his gospel.
3. The church is sustained and flourishes when people are faithful to the Lord, when the faithful, who are martyrs, in a sense, commit their entire lives to the Lord. The church has been built upon the sacrifices of the believers, as well as the death of Jesus Christ at Calvary.
4. When people commit their lives to Christ and pick up their crosses in discipleship by works of love and mercy, as well as gifts of time, talents, and money, in thanksgiving for God's gift in Jesus, their stewardship will be acceptable to the Lord and useful in the work of the kingdom.
Wisdom 9:13-18 (RC) - "Saved By Wisdom."
1. God is the source of the Wisdom that saves people by revealing to his people the very intentions and plans of God for heaven and earth.
2. He sends Wisdom through the Holy Spirit. The Wisdom, which enlightens and enables them to receive salvation in Jesus Christ, is a gift of the Spirit of God, not a quality that is in-born or developed by human effort.
3. Wisdom is not a source of pride; people of limited mental ability may receive the Wisdom of God - his Spirit - and receive the accompanying gift, faith in Jesus Christ.
4. Christians, looking back to the writer of this book, may join his prayer for Wisdom, knowing that God always sends his Spirit and Wisdom to those who would know and love him in Jesus Christ.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (E) - "The Call To The Covenant."
1. It has never been enough for God to establish a covenant between himself and his people; he has to renew it by calling his people back to their covenantal relationship with himself, especially when they lived in exile.
2. But a renewed covenant with the people of Israel turned out to be insufficient to sustain that covenantal relationship between God and his people; he had to go further - establish a new covenant in Jesus' death on the cross.
3. As was the case with the Jews before Christ, Christians are called upon to recognize that special relationship they have with God through Jesus Christ in baptism and keep the covenant by their response to the gospel.
4. As Paul suggests, daily repentance as dying to sin and rising to new life through Christ constantly renews that covenant and triggers a genuine response to the gospel of Jesus Christ in faith and works.
Proverbs 9:8-12 (L) - "The Need To Fear God."
1. "The fear of the Lord" is not only the "beginning of wisdom;" it prepares people to be receptive to the wisdom of God that leads to the salvation of human beings. Wisdom is a gift of the Spirit of God to the faithful.
2. God offers people his Spirit; he never forces it upon them to fear him, because genuine fear - as awe and reverence and, even love - is born of hearing God's Word and seeing his works in the world.
3. To know God and "let God be God" (as Philip Watson would say) demands that people recognize their mortality and God's immortality. When that happens, we have reason to fear him. He is creator; we are his creatures, who seek the meaning of life and death, but can find no answers by ourselves.
4. The Spirit of God gives us the wisdom to fear God and to find the answers to our questions about life and death in the Cross of Christ and the faith to trust him as Lord and Savior.
Ezekiel 33:1-11 (C) - "Shared Responsibility."
1. Prophets and preachers bear the responsibility of proclaiming the will of God to people in terms of warning and promise, of law and gospel.
2. People, who call themselves children of God, bear the responsibility of hearing the Word and responding appropriately to God's call and claims.
3. In this day and age, the response of the people to God's Word tends to be colored by the manner in which the preachers live out the message they proclaim despite the fact that their primary responsibility is to preach the Word.
4. Both preachers and people, who claim to love the Lord, are responsible for living the faith they claim to accept, seeking to serve the Lord every day of their lives.
Philemon 9b-10, 12-17 (RC); 1 (2-9) 10-21 (L); 1-20 (E, C) - "An Answer To Discrimination."
1. What to do with Onesimus? That was Paul's problem. Should he keep him with him, or send him back to his owner, Philemon? (What to do about South Africa, which has maintained a form of slavery in Apartheid? Or other forms of discrimination that essentially represent variations of slavery?)
2. Paul's solution to his problem, and that of the modern world, lies in the gospel of the Lord; believers are to love one another as equals in the sight of God. The Christ we hold in common died for all people.
3. Social ills, such as the racial discrimination which breeds a type of slavery, are best solved by an "appeal" in Christian love, rather than by radical and violent actions on behalf of the disadvantaged. (Martin Luther King, Jr. was right, wasn't he, in his non-violent approach to equality? That was Jesus' way: to die on a cross, rather than to take other human life.)
4. As Christians learn to love each other and live together as equals in the name of Christ, treating all people with justice, the world may change and follow their example and may just come to know, love, and serve the One who is Lord of all.
