Proper 25
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VI, Cycle A
COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS
Lesson 1: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 (C)
This passage raises several interesting historical questions. We have here the account of the death of Moses. I suppose some literalists will have a problem with the argument that Moses wrote this book, then somehow managed to report about his own death. Or, one could assume that this final chapter is a late addition. Most of us subscribe, more or less, to the belief that the first several books of the Bible were written in several versions by several authors, then more or less shuffled together. What really matters here is a changing of the guard. I rather doubt that Moses really lived to be 120 years old. Deducting the forty years in the wilderness, that still made him eighty at the start. Take it from me, even allowing for folks being hardy outdoor types in those days, no eighty-year-old is going to do what Moses did. And as for his unimpaired sight, well ... perhaps a bit of wishful thinking there. It has been suggested by some that age was measured differently in those days. For any readers who consider such speculation sacrilegious, forgive me. The important matter at hand is that while Moses received good news and bad news -- he couldn't go on with the people, but he could retire in good health -- a new and vigorous leader was now raised up. Later events would prove Joshua a much more warlike leader, prepared to lead his people into raging battles, now that the aimless wandering was over. A new era was now to begin, and God was really in command.
Lesson 1: Exodus 22:20-26 (RC); Exodus 22:21-27 (E)
Compassion. That's what God calls for from his people. They are not in any way to oppress other people, aliens among them, but are to remember what it feels like to be mistreated. Among themselves, they are to be generous, exacting no interest when lending money, just generally being thoughtful.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 (C, E)
Paul has apparently suffered persecution in Phillipi which might have caused an ordinary person to have second thoughts about trying to preach the gospel somewhere else. But that didn't stop him. He and his entourage had come incarnating the gospel, giving of himself, treating the people with gentleness. They (unlike a tragic number of religious leaders in our time) came seeking nothing for themselves. They were there to demonstrate with their very lives what Christ makes it possible for us to be.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 (RC)
(See Proper 24)
Gospel: Matthew 22:34-46 (C, E); Matthew 22:34-40 (RC)
The Pharisees again, trying to catch Jesus in some kind of punishable comment. Remember, they eventually demonstrated the clout to bring about his death. True, the Romans ran things, but the Roman governor was charged by the emperor with keeping peace in this volatile community, and the Pharisees were the most politically influential force. This meant they had a great deal of influence with the governor, who had the power to order executions.
The question, which is the most important commandment, seems unanswerable to them. No matter which Jesus might choose, they could argue for the others. Jesus, however, replies with an answer which to this day summarizes the conflict between law and grace: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself." All law, and all religious preachment, is summarized by those words. It is the twofold commandment.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "Character"
Text: Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Theme: My first reaction is to feel sorry for Moses. But really, who ever had a more exciting and worthwhile life? It's what all of us want, is it not? Moses had a sense of mission, a purpose larger than mere self-centered living. He had a sense of being led and empowered by God. People followed him. He had problems, yes, but he overcame those problems. He was a worthy man, a man who faced life with courage, who was faithful to his call, who was admirable in every way. Was he ever happy? I don't know that anyone is ever really happy unless he tries to live as Moses did. 120 years? Who knows? If we accept the account, he remained healthy late into his life and went to his death a man of honor. What a grand outcome when you think about it, something all of us could wish for ourselves. The life of Moses could very well be a pattern for anyone's life.
1. Moses lived for others. He ran risks, endured hardships, faced up to those who opposed him, not unlovingly, but wishing the best for all his people.
2. Moses was faithful to what he believed, even when to do so was costly to him.
3. Moses trusted God, even when things were going wrong. As a result, God was able to work in Moses' life, since the short run is never a good way to judge God's action in our lives.
4. Moses endured. His calling was for life. He kept the faith. He never sold out, never settled for any cheap rewards. So, he was honored in life and in death.
Title: "Authentic Christianity"
Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Theme: Paul never ceases to amaze me. I realize he is believed to have had some psychological hangups. But to have been as adventurous as he was, as fearless in the face of constant danger, yet to have unfailingly treated everyone with kindness and respect is really amazing. Only with God's help, I do believe, could anyone accomplish that. In this passage, Paul seems to be emphasizing the importance of what we might call "authentic Christianity." I'm reluctant to recite again the litany of malfeasance among clergy in America, never mind the laity. False religion abounds, and if we're honest, we probably border on it ourselves. A friend told me the other day of sitting on a personnel committee in a Methodist church, and hearing one of the pastors blatantly ask for more money, even though he was living in relative splendor compared to most of his members. That is simply inexcusable. I have read again and again about clergy who are in trouble because of their moral or their financial excesses. God forgive us if we're in this for those reasons. Anyway, Paul extols the real thing here, qualities like:
1. Kindness. To repeat, Bishop Fulton Sheen of the Catholic Church wisely observed that there are three characteristics of Christianity: kindness, kindness, and kindness. Paul practiced that. It means so many things. The thoughtful preacher can think of many examples.
2. Integrity. Not just ordinary honesty which everyone should take for granted, but honor; unshakeable faithfulness to a commitment promises never ever broken; refusal to trade on the respect and deference which goes with our calling to profit in any way. It means never-broken confidences, constant availability when needed, no matter how weary we may be (as clergy), or trustworthy fidelity in any endeavor.
3. Acceptance of others regardless of differences. We saw that in one of our Old Testament passages, never mistreat an alien (the kind from another country). Never mistreat someone who is different, who dances to a different tune -- including gay people.
4. Courage. We all run into various forms of opposition in our chosen callings. Once we cave into threats or opposition, we lose something valuable within ourselves. Every preacher encounters this. Stand up. Don't flinch from what you believe. You will never lose genuine church members by doing so, no matter how much they may disagree. Everyone respects courage.
Title: "Excellent Love"
Text: Matthew 23:34-46
Theme: The twofold commandment. We have already acknowledged that we still need laws so that we imperfect people can know what is right in a given situation. But the ideal, that for which Jesus wanted us to strive, is an exalted level of love which could, if perfected, make laws unnecessary. Meanwhile, love of neighbor is important, but it begins with the love of God. Jesus told us the elements in that. We are to love God with all our --
1. Heart. In other words, feelings, emotions. We can't really control this, as we like some people, possibly dislike an occasional person and wonderfully, love a few. But we are to submit our love relationships to God. The wedding ceremony is an example. I think it's difficult to love God in the abstract, so Jesus came as a person, someone we could relate to. We can love him. Likewise, we love individuals and can learn from that feeling what God's love for us must be like.
2. Soul. In other words, our religious feelings. All of us have these. Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee." Wordsworth said, "Trailing clouds of glory do we come from God who is our home." Every one of us, even the worst, has an instinctive impulse for the divine, the Almighty. We are to worship, to pray. We may not feel like doing so. I have Sunday mornings when I really don't want to go to church. Jesus would tell us, I believe, that whether we feel like it or not, we are to worship God, give praise to him, and say our prayers.
3. Mind. In other words, our will. Our intellect. This means, among other things, our choice of vocation and avocations. It also includes integrity, our decision as to how we will act in any given situation.
To truly "love" God requires that we involve our feelings, our religious impulses, and our wills in serving and honoring him.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Some time ago, I saw a television play in which a child was born retarded. The parents were shattered. Both were unable to adapt to their tragedy. Unfortunately, this resulted in conflict between the two of them. The young husband, unable to accept what had happened, left. The doctor trying to help them remembered the case of another couple who had suffered the same tragedy. He contacted them and asked their advice. They went to visit both the mother and the father of the newborn. By renewing their own suffering in the presence of these unhappy people, they made them realize that others suffered as they did. The story ended with the parents reunited, having found others who shared their pain. That second couple had done a work of love by allowing their own wounds to be reopened.
____________
One day, when I was still in seminary, I encountered a fellow student in the lounge. He shared with me a tragedy which he had just witnessed. A classmate from college had called him when the man had learned that their child was critically ill. My friend went to be with them and spent two days with them in their horrible vigil at the bedside of their son. At last, the little fellow died. I said to my friend, "That must be a terrible feeling, knowing there was nothing you could do." He replied: "There was one thing I could do. I could cry with them."
____________
"Someone once asked me
To name the time
Our friendship stopped
And love began.
Oh, my darling,
That's the secret.
Our friendship
Never stopped."
____________
"Whenever there is silence around me
By day or by night --
I am startled by a cry.
It came down from the cross --
The first time I heard it,
I went out and searched --
And found a man in the throes of crucifixion,
And I said, 'I will take you down.'
And I tried to take the nails out of his feet,
But he said, 'Let them be,
For I cannot be taken down
Until every man, every woman, every child
Come together to take me down.'
And I said, 'But I cannot bear to hear you cry.
What can I do?'
And he said, 'Go about the world,
Tell everyone that you meet --
There is a man on the cross.' "
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 90:1-6,13-17 (C) -- "Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations."
Psalm 18:2-4 (RC) -- "I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised."
Psalm 1 (E) -- "Their delight is in the law of the Lord."
Prayer Of The Day
God of love, thou hast given us the capacity to love, yet we have fallen short, been selfish and sinful. We have hurt those whom we might have loved, been selfish toward the very ones who have meant the most to us. We repent of this, our failure to love. We pray for a new selflessness, for a vision of that which is our best self and our brightest hope, to share this life in joy with the very ones you have led to us, for forgiveness, and for kindly love to reign, at last, in our hearts. In Christ's name we pray Amen.
Lesson 1: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 (C)
This passage raises several interesting historical questions. We have here the account of the death of Moses. I suppose some literalists will have a problem with the argument that Moses wrote this book, then somehow managed to report about his own death. Or, one could assume that this final chapter is a late addition. Most of us subscribe, more or less, to the belief that the first several books of the Bible were written in several versions by several authors, then more or less shuffled together. What really matters here is a changing of the guard. I rather doubt that Moses really lived to be 120 years old. Deducting the forty years in the wilderness, that still made him eighty at the start. Take it from me, even allowing for folks being hardy outdoor types in those days, no eighty-year-old is going to do what Moses did. And as for his unimpaired sight, well ... perhaps a bit of wishful thinking there. It has been suggested by some that age was measured differently in those days. For any readers who consider such speculation sacrilegious, forgive me. The important matter at hand is that while Moses received good news and bad news -- he couldn't go on with the people, but he could retire in good health -- a new and vigorous leader was now raised up. Later events would prove Joshua a much more warlike leader, prepared to lead his people into raging battles, now that the aimless wandering was over. A new era was now to begin, and God was really in command.
Lesson 1: Exodus 22:20-26 (RC); Exodus 22:21-27 (E)
Compassion. That's what God calls for from his people. They are not in any way to oppress other people, aliens among them, but are to remember what it feels like to be mistreated. Among themselves, they are to be generous, exacting no interest when lending money, just generally being thoughtful.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 (C, E)
Paul has apparently suffered persecution in Phillipi which might have caused an ordinary person to have second thoughts about trying to preach the gospel somewhere else. But that didn't stop him. He and his entourage had come incarnating the gospel, giving of himself, treating the people with gentleness. They (unlike a tragic number of religious leaders in our time) came seeking nothing for themselves. They were there to demonstrate with their very lives what Christ makes it possible for us to be.
Lesson 2: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 (RC)
(See Proper 24)
Gospel: Matthew 22:34-46 (C, E); Matthew 22:34-40 (RC)
The Pharisees again, trying to catch Jesus in some kind of punishable comment. Remember, they eventually demonstrated the clout to bring about his death. True, the Romans ran things, but the Roman governor was charged by the emperor with keeping peace in this volatile community, and the Pharisees were the most politically influential force. This meant they had a great deal of influence with the governor, who had the power to order executions.
The question, which is the most important commandment, seems unanswerable to them. No matter which Jesus might choose, they could argue for the others. Jesus, however, replies with an answer which to this day summarizes the conflict between law and grace: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself." All law, and all religious preachment, is summarized by those words. It is the twofold commandment.
SERMON SUGGESTIONS
Title: "Character"
Text: Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Theme: My first reaction is to feel sorry for Moses. But really, who ever had a more exciting and worthwhile life? It's what all of us want, is it not? Moses had a sense of mission, a purpose larger than mere self-centered living. He had a sense of being led and empowered by God. People followed him. He had problems, yes, but he overcame those problems. He was a worthy man, a man who faced life with courage, who was faithful to his call, who was admirable in every way. Was he ever happy? I don't know that anyone is ever really happy unless he tries to live as Moses did. 120 years? Who knows? If we accept the account, he remained healthy late into his life and went to his death a man of honor. What a grand outcome when you think about it, something all of us could wish for ourselves. The life of Moses could very well be a pattern for anyone's life.
1. Moses lived for others. He ran risks, endured hardships, faced up to those who opposed him, not unlovingly, but wishing the best for all his people.
2. Moses was faithful to what he believed, even when to do so was costly to him.
3. Moses trusted God, even when things were going wrong. As a result, God was able to work in Moses' life, since the short run is never a good way to judge God's action in our lives.
4. Moses endured. His calling was for life. He kept the faith. He never sold out, never settled for any cheap rewards. So, he was honored in life and in death.
Title: "Authentic Christianity"
Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Theme: Paul never ceases to amaze me. I realize he is believed to have had some psychological hangups. But to have been as adventurous as he was, as fearless in the face of constant danger, yet to have unfailingly treated everyone with kindness and respect is really amazing. Only with God's help, I do believe, could anyone accomplish that. In this passage, Paul seems to be emphasizing the importance of what we might call "authentic Christianity." I'm reluctant to recite again the litany of malfeasance among clergy in America, never mind the laity. False religion abounds, and if we're honest, we probably border on it ourselves. A friend told me the other day of sitting on a personnel committee in a Methodist church, and hearing one of the pastors blatantly ask for more money, even though he was living in relative splendor compared to most of his members. That is simply inexcusable. I have read again and again about clergy who are in trouble because of their moral or their financial excesses. God forgive us if we're in this for those reasons. Anyway, Paul extols the real thing here, qualities like:
1. Kindness. To repeat, Bishop Fulton Sheen of the Catholic Church wisely observed that there are three characteristics of Christianity: kindness, kindness, and kindness. Paul practiced that. It means so many things. The thoughtful preacher can think of many examples.
2. Integrity. Not just ordinary honesty which everyone should take for granted, but honor; unshakeable faithfulness to a commitment promises never ever broken; refusal to trade on the respect and deference which goes with our calling to profit in any way. It means never-broken confidences, constant availability when needed, no matter how weary we may be (as clergy), or trustworthy fidelity in any endeavor.
3. Acceptance of others regardless of differences. We saw that in one of our Old Testament passages, never mistreat an alien (the kind from another country). Never mistreat someone who is different, who dances to a different tune -- including gay people.
4. Courage. We all run into various forms of opposition in our chosen callings. Once we cave into threats or opposition, we lose something valuable within ourselves. Every preacher encounters this. Stand up. Don't flinch from what you believe. You will never lose genuine church members by doing so, no matter how much they may disagree. Everyone respects courage.
Title: "Excellent Love"
Text: Matthew 23:34-46
Theme: The twofold commandment. We have already acknowledged that we still need laws so that we imperfect people can know what is right in a given situation. But the ideal, that for which Jesus wanted us to strive, is an exalted level of love which could, if perfected, make laws unnecessary. Meanwhile, love of neighbor is important, but it begins with the love of God. Jesus told us the elements in that. We are to love God with all our --
1. Heart. In other words, feelings, emotions. We can't really control this, as we like some people, possibly dislike an occasional person and wonderfully, love a few. But we are to submit our love relationships to God. The wedding ceremony is an example. I think it's difficult to love God in the abstract, so Jesus came as a person, someone we could relate to. We can love him. Likewise, we love individuals and can learn from that feeling what God's love for us must be like.
2. Soul. In other words, our religious feelings. All of us have these. Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee." Wordsworth said, "Trailing clouds of glory do we come from God who is our home." Every one of us, even the worst, has an instinctive impulse for the divine, the Almighty. We are to worship, to pray. We may not feel like doing so. I have Sunday mornings when I really don't want to go to church. Jesus would tell us, I believe, that whether we feel like it or not, we are to worship God, give praise to him, and say our prayers.
3. Mind. In other words, our will. Our intellect. This means, among other things, our choice of vocation and avocations. It also includes integrity, our decision as to how we will act in any given situation.
To truly "love" God requires that we involve our feelings, our religious impulses, and our wills in serving and honoring him.
ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Some time ago, I saw a television play in which a child was born retarded. The parents were shattered. Both were unable to adapt to their tragedy. Unfortunately, this resulted in conflict between the two of them. The young husband, unable to accept what had happened, left. The doctor trying to help them remembered the case of another couple who had suffered the same tragedy. He contacted them and asked their advice. They went to visit both the mother and the father of the newborn. By renewing their own suffering in the presence of these unhappy people, they made them realize that others suffered as they did. The story ended with the parents reunited, having found others who shared their pain. That second couple had done a work of love by allowing their own wounds to be reopened.
____________
One day, when I was still in seminary, I encountered a fellow student in the lounge. He shared with me a tragedy which he had just witnessed. A classmate from college had called him when the man had learned that their child was critically ill. My friend went to be with them and spent two days with them in their horrible vigil at the bedside of their son. At last, the little fellow died. I said to my friend, "That must be a terrible feeling, knowing there was nothing you could do." He replied: "There was one thing I could do. I could cry with them."
____________
"Someone once asked me
To name the time
Our friendship stopped
And love began.
Oh, my darling,
That's the secret.
Our friendship
Never stopped."
____________
"Whenever there is silence around me
By day or by night --
I am startled by a cry.
It came down from the cross --
The first time I heard it,
I went out and searched --
And found a man in the throes of crucifixion,
And I said, 'I will take you down.'
And I tried to take the nails out of his feet,
But he said, 'Let them be,
For I cannot be taken down
Until every man, every woman, every child
Come together to take me down.'
And I said, 'But I cannot bear to hear you cry.
What can I do?'
And he said, 'Go about the world,
Tell everyone that you meet --
There is a man on the cross.' "
____________
Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 90:1-6,13-17 (C) -- "Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations."
Psalm 18:2-4 (RC) -- "I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised."
Psalm 1 (E) -- "Their delight is in the law of the Lord."
Prayer Of The Day
God of love, thou hast given us the capacity to love, yet we have fallen short, been selfish and sinful. We have hurt those whom we might have loved, been selfish toward the very ones who have meant the most to us. We repent of this, our failure to love. We pray for a new selflessness, for a vision of that which is our best self and our brightest hope, to share this life in joy with the very ones you have led to us, for forgiveness, and for kindly love to reign, at last, in our hearts. In Christ's name we pray Amen.
