Proper 21, Pentecost 19, Ordinary Time 26
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII, Cycle A
Object:
Seasonal Theme
The teaching and ministry of Jesus the Christ.
Theme For The Day
God's presence in the times of our severe hardship.
Old Testament Lesson
Exodus 17:1-7
Water From The Rock
First, some comments about words. Wilderness of sin (v. 1) is an area where Mount Sinai is located at the southern portion of Palestine. Massah means "proving" or "ordeal" because here the people tested Yahweh. The word meribah means dissension. There was hard competition over water among the desert people. Verse 3 would be more accurate if it said "bring us up." That is used for the Exodus and better describes coming up from the Delta to the mountains of north Sinai and Palestine. Don't miss the fact that Paul refers to this incident in 1 Corinthians 10:3-4, where he claims the pre-existent Christ was the one who cared for the people with food and water.
It's interesting here that when the people complained about no water, Moses scolds the people for criticizing him and for testing Yahweh. He equates his leadership with that of Yahweh. Good argument, Moses; when the people question your leadership they are questioning God's wisdom! Moses is again to use his staff, which represents his authority from God. The heart of the entire narrative is the powerful intervention of God for God's people.
New Testament Lesson
Philippians 2:1-13
An Appeal For Unity
In this passage Paul appeals for unity among the Christians at Philippi. He gives four reasons for it in verse 1. In verse 2 he gives four ways to describe it; in verse 3, two negatives to avoid and two positives to follow. Then in verse 4 a negative and a positive. This king of unity is going to require real humility, folks!
Verses 5-11 deal with Christ as our example. Paul tells them about the humility of Christ and points to that as an example. He then uses an early Christian hymn (vv. 6-11) to make his point. The words of this hymn give us a good summary of what the early Christians believed about Christ's humanity and deity. All these words have the purpose of convincing the Philippians to give up any disunity, discord, or personal ambition. Verse 6 has been argued many ways. It could mean he was the same as God or it could mean the glory and honor of a position alongside God is his.
Verses 3 and 4 give us some strong reasons for diversity in congregations even today: selfish ambition, conceit, and our own interests -- perhaps the sermon for today begins here.
Verse 11 is such an important passage in all the Bible. It tells us the great goal of God is that one day everyone confesses that "Jesus Christ is Lord." It's a creed of the early church and the one the ecumenical churches have agreed on to this day. Evidently there were some in the Philippian church who wanted all the attention. To them Paul says it ought be to God's glory and not theirs (v. 11b).
The Gospel
Matthew 21:23-32
Two Sons
Matthew is following Mark's Gospel very closely here. All the extra ordinary things Jesus was doing caused the Jews to ask on what authority he performed these deeds. Instead of celebrating what he was doing, they ask this question of authority. He responded with what we call in debate a dilemma question. Either way they answered they were in trouble (vv. 25 and 26) and that caused them ignominy.
The second part of this reading is the parable of the two sons. The passage begins a series of three parables, this one being only in Matthew. Its message is easy to understand: the Jewish leaders were the son who claimed he would go but did not. The tax collectors and prostitutes were the son who said he would not go but later changed his mind (v. 29). Jesus' response is the gospel. God asked for repentance ("changed his mind") by those of us who need God's undeserved grace and who will say so. The facade of being an important church member is of little significance to God, unless we are sorry like the tax collectors.
Preaching Possibilities
A. If you haven't used the theme yet this Pentecost season, you could use all three readings today under the theme "dissension among the believers" for "complaints, complaints, complaints."
1. In the Old Testament Reading we have the chosen people on their way to their Promised Land complaining about not enough water and the hardships in the wilderness.
2. In the New Testament Reading Paul gives us the reason we often have dissension in the church.
3. In the Gospel we have a parable which Jesus told to let everyone know that the church is made up of sinners, not perfect people.
a. Unity in the church is prescribed in the New Testament Lesson in verses 1, 2, and 5. So we have complaints answered: by Moses to the Israelites, by Paul to the Philippians, and by Jesus to the chief priest and the elders.
b. Three cheers for the tax collectors and prostitutes who believed and because they knew they did not deserve God's grace did not complain!
B. Because it is such a compelling narrative and describes how we humans really are, I'm going with the Old Testament today.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
In narrative form, it could go like this:
1. Begin with Moses parting the Sea of Reeds and leading the people out of their slavery in Egypt. Describe how happy they must have felt to be free and how they danced the dance of Miriam.
2. Then move to the fact that freedom in the wilderness was not all that great -- little food, even less water. It was better back in Egypt!
3. Now tell how in their time of hunger, God provided quail for meat and manna for bread (last week's lesson).
4. So we are now up to today's lesson when they need water in a very dry place called Rephidini. God instructs Moses to take the rod which he used to part the Nile and go to the Rock of Horeb. He was promised if he struck the rock water would come out of it (Exodus 17:6). And God's people who were so thirsty in that dry land had water.
5. Now examine the story from the point of view of Moses, the Israelites, and God. Then we'll look at what it says to us.
a. For Moses. At a time when his leadership was being threatened and he was accused of bringing the people to a circumstance worse than their former one, he was given a rod and the gift of water. His leadership had been saved.
b. For the Israelites. The life of freedom wasn't as great as they had expected. Life was cruel in the wilderness. It was hot, dry, and no water. Where was God? Why were they having to continue to suffer if they were God's chosen? Had they followed the wrong leader? Then came water at the Rock of Horeb. Their choseness was re-affirmed and their thirst satisfied.
c. For God.
1. God had called a leader and gotten them out of their Egyptian bondage.
2. God had provided them a way through the sea and provided them meat and bread. Still they complained. Perhaps water would do the trick. So God charged up that rod of Moses again and gave the necessary directions for the finding of water. Even with all the complaining, all the self-centeredness, all the questioning of leadership and even questioning if God cared, God will still be patient with them. God would continue to love anyhow.
6. The implications for us are obvious.
a. There are times when we, like Moses, regret past decisions and worry if we have done the right thing. On days like that God is willing to give us new confidence and hand us a powerful rod also.
b. We are often tempted to question if God has deserted us (interesting word: deserted, left in the desert!). In dry times when we so need refreshment and drink, God will provide our Rock of Horeb with living water and we need not thirst again.
7. List out your dry times.
a. Perhaps medical problems, divorce, death of a loved one, loss of job, etc. In times like this, we have help.
b. This also tells us a lot about our God. God is patient with us. There is no limit to God's love for us. God never leaves us, and so on.
8. Now explain we have something the Israelites did not have. We have the Christ now off the cross for our forgiveness and as a demonstration of just how much God loves us. Use verses 7 and 8 in the Second Lesson to demonstrate all God has done for us.
9. Then frame the sermon by returning to the story of water at the Rock of Horeb and speculate on what the people did after getting their water.
a. Would they think their question of verse 7b was answered?
b. Did they hold a celebration asking Miriam to play her tambourine, sing her song, and invite the women to dance again?
c. Was Moses thanked?
d. And how about us who have our rock and the living water?
Prayer Of The Day
Help us to follow your called leaders and remove the need to complain from us. O God, some days are very hot and dry in our lives and we need a rock for living water, too. Be patient with us when we quarrel and disappoint you, and bless our congregational family with unity. In Christ's name. Amen.
Possible Stories
The Reverend Patrick Chan, chaplain of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong told me that during the Communists' persecution of Christians and Cultural Revolution in China, everyone was required to hang a large picture of Chairman Mao in their homes. His villagers did that but on the other side of the Mao picture was a picture of Jesus. They turned that out when it was safe to do so. In our safe culture it seems to me we flip the picture to the world's side way too often.
In the movie Schindler's List, Schindler is on the balcony of the home of the commandant of a prison camp where for sport the commandant would shoot prisoners walking in the prison yard. Schindler said to him, "Real power is when you have the power to shoot them if you want to, but you do not." When we have the power to get even and do not is when God's power of love and forgiveness is most real.
Henry Ward Beecher told of a woman who prayed for patience and God sent her a poor cook. The best answer to prayer in our time of need may be the vision and the strength to meet a circumstance or to assume a responsibility.
A shipwrecked man gathered what scraps of debris he could find to cobble together a cabin. Then lightening struck the cabin and it burned to the ground. He questioned God. The next day a ship arrived to rescue him. They had seen the smoke from the fire.
The teaching and ministry of Jesus the Christ.
Theme For The Day
God's presence in the times of our severe hardship.
Old Testament Lesson
Exodus 17:1-7
Water From The Rock
First, some comments about words. Wilderness of sin (v. 1) is an area where Mount Sinai is located at the southern portion of Palestine. Massah means "proving" or "ordeal" because here the people tested Yahweh. The word meribah means dissension. There was hard competition over water among the desert people. Verse 3 would be more accurate if it said "bring us up." That is used for the Exodus and better describes coming up from the Delta to the mountains of north Sinai and Palestine. Don't miss the fact that Paul refers to this incident in 1 Corinthians 10:3-4, where he claims the pre-existent Christ was the one who cared for the people with food and water.
It's interesting here that when the people complained about no water, Moses scolds the people for criticizing him and for testing Yahweh. He equates his leadership with that of Yahweh. Good argument, Moses; when the people question your leadership they are questioning God's wisdom! Moses is again to use his staff, which represents his authority from God. The heart of the entire narrative is the powerful intervention of God for God's people.
New Testament Lesson
Philippians 2:1-13
An Appeal For Unity
In this passage Paul appeals for unity among the Christians at Philippi. He gives four reasons for it in verse 1. In verse 2 he gives four ways to describe it; in verse 3, two negatives to avoid and two positives to follow. Then in verse 4 a negative and a positive. This king of unity is going to require real humility, folks!
Verses 5-11 deal with Christ as our example. Paul tells them about the humility of Christ and points to that as an example. He then uses an early Christian hymn (vv. 6-11) to make his point. The words of this hymn give us a good summary of what the early Christians believed about Christ's humanity and deity. All these words have the purpose of convincing the Philippians to give up any disunity, discord, or personal ambition. Verse 6 has been argued many ways. It could mean he was the same as God or it could mean the glory and honor of a position alongside God is his.
Verses 3 and 4 give us some strong reasons for diversity in congregations even today: selfish ambition, conceit, and our own interests -- perhaps the sermon for today begins here.
Verse 11 is such an important passage in all the Bible. It tells us the great goal of God is that one day everyone confesses that "Jesus Christ is Lord." It's a creed of the early church and the one the ecumenical churches have agreed on to this day. Evidently there were some in the Philippian church who wanted all the attention. To them Paul says it ought be to God's glory and not theirs (v. 11b).
The Gospel
Matthew 21:23-32
Two Sons
Matthew is following Mark's Gospel very closely here. All the extra ordinary things Jesus was doing caused the Jews to ask on what authority he performed these deeds. Instead of celebrating what he was doing, they ask this question of authority. He responded with what we call in debate a dilemma question. Either way they answered they were in trouble (vv. 25 and 26) and that caused them ignominy.
The second part of this reading is the parable of the two sons. The passage begins a series of three parables, this one being only in Matthew. Its message is easy to understand: the Jewish leaders were the son who claimed he would go but did not. The tax collectors and prostitutes were the son who said he would not go but later changed his mind (v. 29). Jesus' response is the gospel. God asked for repentance ("changed his mind") by those of us who need God's undeserved grace and who will say so. The facade of being an important church member is of little significance to God, unless we are sorry like the tax collectors.
Preaching Possibilities
A. If you haven't used the theme yet this Pentecost season, you could use all three readings today under the theme "dissension among the believers" for "complaints, complaints, complaints."
1. In the Old Testament Reading we have the chosen people on their way to their Promised Land complaining about not enough water and the hardships in the wilderness.
2. In the New Testament Reading Paul gives us the reason we often have dissension in the church.
3. In the Gospel we have a parable which Jesus told to let everyone know that the church is made up of sinners, not perfect people.
a. Unity in the church is prescribed in the New Testament Lesson in verses 1, 2, and 5. So we have complaints answered: by Moses to the Israelites, by Paul to the Philippians, and by Jesus to the chief priest and the elders.
b. Three cheers for the tax collectors and prostitutes who believed and because they knew they did not deserve God's grace did not complain!
B. Because it is such a compelling narrative and describes how we humans really are, I'm going with the Old Testament today.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
In narrative form, it could go like this:
1. Begin with Moses parting the Sea of Reeds and leading the people out of their slavery in Egypt. Describe how happy they must have felt to be free and how they danced the dance of Miriam.
2. Then move to the fact that freedom in the wilderness was not all that great -- little food, even less water. It was better back in Egypt!
3. Now tell how in their time of hunger, God provided quail for meat and manna for bread (last week's lesson).
4. So we are now up to today's lesson when they need water in a very dry place called Rephidini. God instructs Moses to take the rod which he used to part the Nile and go to the Rock of Horeb. He was promised if he struck the rock water would come out of it (Exodus 17:6). And God's people who were so thirsty in that dry land had water.
5. Now examine the story from the point of view of Moses, the Israelites, and God. Then we'll look at what it says to us.
a. For Moses. At a time when his leadership was being threatened and he was accused of bringing the people to a circumstance worse than their former one, he was given a rod and the gift of water. His leadership had been saved.
b. For the Israelites. The life of freedom wasn't as great as they had expected. Life was cruel in the wilderness. It was hot, dry, and no water. Where was God? Why were they having to continue to suffer if they were God's chosen? Had they followed the wrong leader? Then came water at the Rock of Horeb. Their choseness was re-affirmed and their thirst satisfied.
c. For God.
1. God had called a leader and gotten them out of their Egyptian bondage.
2. God had provided them a way through the sea and provided them meat and bread. Still they complained. Perhaps water would do the trick. So God charged up that rod of Moses again and gave the necessary directions for the finding of water. Even with all the complaining, all the self-centeredness, all the questioning of leadership and even questioning if God cared, God will still be patient with them. God would continue to love anyhow.
6. The implications for us are obvious.
a. There are times when we, like Moses, regret past decisions and worry if we have done the right thing. On days like that God is willing to give us new confidence and hand us a powerful rod also.
b. We are often tempted to question if God has deserted us (interesting word: deserted, left in the desert!). In dry times when we so need refreshment and drink, God will provide our Rock of Horeb with living water and we need not thirst again.
7. List out your dry times.
a. Perhaps medical problems, divorce, death of a loved one, loss of job, etc. In times like this, we have help.
b. This also tells us a lot about our God. God is patient with us. There is no limit to God's love for us. God never leaves us, and so on.
8. Now explain we have something the Israelites did not have. We have the Christ now off the cross for our forgiveness and as a demonstration of just how much God loves us. Use verses 7 and 8 in the Second Lesson to demonstrate all God has done for us.
9. Then frame the sermon by returning to the story of water at the Rock of Horeb and speculate on what the people did after getting their water.
a. Would they think their question of verse 7b was answered?
b. Did they hold a celebration asking Miriam to play her tambourine, sing her song, and invite the women to dance again?
c. Was Moses thanked?
d. And how about us who have our rock and the living water?
Prayer Of The Day
Help us to follow your called leaders and remove the need to complain from us. O God, some days are very hot and dry in our lives and we need a rock for living water, too. Be patient with us when we quarrel and disappoint you, and bless our congregational family with unity. In Christ's name. Amen.
Possible Stories
The Reverend Patrick Chan, chaplain of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong told me that during the Communists' persecution of Christians and Cultural Revolution in China, everyone was required to hang a large picture of Chairman Mao in their homes. His villagers did that but on the other side of the Mao picture was a picture of Jesus. They turned that out when it was safe to do so. In our safe culture it seems to me we flip the picture to the world's side way too often.
In the movie Schindler's List, Schindler is on the balcony of the home of the commandant of a prison camp where for sport the commandant would shoot prisoners walking in the prison yard. Schindler said to him, "Real power is when you have the power to shoot them if you want to, but you do not." When we have the power to get even and do not is when God's power of love and forgiveness is most real.
Henry Ward Beecher told of a woman who prayed for patience and God sent her a poor cook. The best answer to prayer in our time of need may be the vision and the strength to meet a circumstance or to assume a responsibility.
A shipwrecked man gathered what scraps of debris he could find to cobble together a cabin. Then lightening struck the cabin and it burned to the ground. He questioned God. The next day a ship arrived to rescue him. They had seen the smoke from the fire.
