Proper 28
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
It takes some digging to find any theological clues in the church year for this Sunday; it is seldom observed and celebrated, thus it is a "silent Sunday" - muted motifs and theological clues. Memories of the last Sundays of Cycle/Series A and B come to mind and the lections - particularly the gospels - provide theological clues for the churches and their preachers to supplement the inherent content of each and every Sunday, the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While this may be Ordinary Time, from one perspective, God's redeeming activities always are central to the liturgical actions of the church and make worship and preaching extraordinary. The church celebrates the most special event in the history of humanity when it comes together on Sunday for its eucharistic worship of the risen Lord.
On the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Year/Cycle/Series A, the Gospel for the Day, Matthew 25:1-13, the parable of the 10 maidens, orients the church toward the celebration of the last things. This Sunday sets the theological tone for these last Sundays of the church year. It reminds us that they are eschatological, announcing loudly and clearly the hope of the church that Jesus will come again, as he said he would. So the church in its worship and work is to remember Jesus' promise, to be prepared for his return, and to be about his business - the proclamation of the gospel - in the meantime.
The Prayer Of The Day
The Prayer of the Day in the LBW specifically speaks of the last things, even of the end of the world. It, too, has the "stir up" theme contained in it: "Lord God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by your Holy Spirit that, always keeping in mind the end of all things and the day of judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of life here and may live with you forever in the world to come, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 82 (C) - The psalmist was speaking in a time of spiritual decline among the Israelites. He asserts the uniqueness of God as "God of gods," judging all those who claim to be gods and threatening them with the death experienced by mortals. There is a call for justice and mercy - "Save the weak and the orphan; defend the humble and needy; rescue the weak and the poor...." The last verse - almost a "Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly" - accommodates the theological theme for this and the other Sundays that close out the church year: "Arise, O God, and rule the earth, for you shall take all nations for your own."
Psalm 98 (RC, E, L) - This psalm was used in worship on Christmas Day. Comments may be located in this volume in the liturgical/homiletical materials for Christmas.
Psalm prayer (82 - LBW) - "Jesus, our Lord and our God, by your death you gave life to the dead; by your resurrection you give strength to the weak. Rise up to rule the earth, and at the end of the world, when the secrets of the heart are revealed, make us glad to celebrate your justice now and forever."
The Readings
Malachi 3:13--4:2a, 5-6 (E); 3:19-20 (4:1-2) (RC); 4:1-2a (L); 4:1-6 (C) - Malachi is a man of mystery, known only as "the messenger." Virtually nothing is known about him - where he came from, who he was, but what prompted him to write the little book that finds its place among the minor prophets is patently clear - he had an eschatological vision of the coming "day of Yahweh." It will be a terrible day for many, a day of judgment for all people. The wicked will be punished, but the righteous and faithful have nothing to fear. The rule of the Lord God will be established for all time - in the return of Christ to the earth. He not only comes in judgment, but "with healing in (his) wings," thus his "day" will be a time of joy for penitent believers. The preacher will want to read the last portion of this book (4:2b-6), and note its climax in the Elijah figure who will be sent "before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes." He may want, if permissible, to read that part of the lection, especially if the sermon is based upon it.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (E, L, C); 3:7-12 (RC) - Paul issues a call to "well-doing" in the Christian community when he addresses one of the major problems that existed in Thessalonika; some of the believers thought that the "day of the Lord" had already come. They believed that they had experienced resurrection and had been received into God's heavenly realm. Therefore, they did no work, simply setting out to enjoy what this life had to offer them. So Paul is not directing the faithful simply to isolate themselves from such people, nor is he attempting to establish a Christian work ethic; rather, he believes that Christians should love one another - all the time. True believers must be about the business of the kingdom until the Christ returns to the world at the end of time, and this involves doing what one can for unbelievers or those who misinterpret the gospel. That's why he urges the faithful at Thessalonika to "have nothing to do" with such people "that (they) may be ashamed" (and repent of their false thinking and improper actions). He wants to assure them that the Lord shall return - at God's signal. Of that, he is positive.
Luke 21:5-19 (RC, E, L, C) - Scholars contend that, as apocalyptic writing, the original sayings of Jesus have been expanded by others. There are not many clear lines of demarcation between "genuine" predictions of Christ and the additions of others. He did declare that the temple would be destroyed, just as it was, and this prediction was part of the "evidence" offered against him at his trial. And it is equally true that the Lord expected his disciples to be persecuted for their zeal in believing and proclaiming his gospel to the world. Some of this had occurred, as in the martyrdom of Peter and Paul during the 60's, before Luke wrote his version of the gospel. He probably said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them." Jesus believed that he would return soon, and that there would be cataclysmic and cosmic signs of his second coming. He also believed that his return would be soon, but he was wrong in this. The message to the church today, in this pericope, is that the Lord will fulfill his word and return in good time. His followers are to believe this, despite the "time lag" that has occurred, and continue praying, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly" - even as they do his work in the world.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 21:5-19 (RC, E, L, C) - "Costly Christianity." - One of the main things Jesus said in this long speech was that he would come again, but that Christianity would be a costly faith to hold and pursue in the meantime. He has risen from the dead, and he has ascended from the earth to be with God, so why shouldn't he be able to return at the end of time and bring in the fullness of God's kingdom. Fr. Gerard Sloyan tells one of Sholom Aleichem's stories in his Nothing Of Yesterday Preaches. It is about "the return of a husband to his home in a little Russian town for the Passover. He has been away all year."
The "husband" tells the story: "The first one to greet me was my mother-in-law, bless her. She is the same as ever, she has not changed in the least. She was in the front yard, standing over a wooden cot.... In one hand she held a can of kerosene, in the other a brush. She was pickling bedbugs. When she saw me, she managed to control her joy. She kept right on working, muttering to herself: 'Well, well! You mention the Messiah - and look who comes! Here he is, my bird of Paradise.... If he doesn't spoil, he'll find his way back home. Goats run away, chickens get lost, but men always come back.... The only place they don't return from is the Other World.' "
Jesus already has returned from the realm of the dead, and he has promised to come back from the other side of death - a second coming. In the meantime, those who believe his gospel call and follow him - ordinary persons, missionaries, preachers - will have to pay a high price to sustain the faith. And people have willingly paid that price, not simply with service or financial sacrifices, but with their lives. November is the month of saints and martyrs; the entire month, not just All Saints' and All Souls' Days, belong to them, in a way, because they paid such a high price to pass on the faith to people in our day.
So Jesus warned his disciples about the persecutions the faithful would experience in his name. They heard, but they became believers and preachers and missionaries, very ordinary people who did an extraordinary act: They laid down their lives for Jesus and the gospel. The questions that ought to occupy our minds is whether or not modern Christians are willing and able to make any kind of sacrifice for the Lord. The end of the church year ought to encourage us to find an answer to that question, especially if we believe that he will come again.
Malachi 3:13--4:2a, 5-6 (E); 3:19-20, 4:1-2a (RC); 4:1-2a (L); 4:1-6 (C) - "The Day Of The Lord."
1. It will surely come, just as God has promised through his prophets.
2. It will be a day of judgment; the wicked will be separated from the righteous, and they will pay the price of their sinfulness.
3. But it will be a day of blessing for the children of God, for he will come with "healing on his wings."
4. We will know him, when he comes, not because he is simply an Elijah figure who, like John the Baptist, preached to sinners to turn their hearts to God, but because he will come as the risen and ever living Lord Jesus Christ. We will see him as he truly is - and know him, even as he knows us.
(Note: The first and second readings almost beg to be combined into a single sermon. That is probably what I would do with them.)
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (E, L, C); 3:7-12 (RC) - "A Bad Time For Jesus' Return." - In a piece, "How would Jesus compete with false idols?" which he wrote for the Hartford Courant, James Endst declared: "I've always wanted to meet Jesus Christ. See him. Hear him. Speak to him. Ever since I was a child, I've wondered, especially when Christmas nears, why Christ could not have been born in my lifetime?" He might very well have said the same things about Christ's promised second coming. What he is really getting at is whether Jesus would have a chance of revealing his true self to the world, or would his image be distorted by the primary communication medium, television. So he asks, "What would it be like, I sometimes imagine, if Christ ... came down in the age of television - not to judge but simply to walk among us and be seen through the television eyes of the world? Would we see the true light, or just television's?"
The people of Thessalonika - some of them, at least, had given up on the idea of actually seeing Jesus Christ; they had given up the word of promise and hope; they thought that their faith had already transported them to God's heavenly realm, and that it was theirs to enjoy - no work, no toil, no sweat. That's why Paul had to do something radical to set them straight so that they would live by the word of the Lord, rejecting any false prophets or teachers who tried to teach them differently. The real Jesus had "faded out" - his image had diminished for them; he wasn't quite real.
Things aren't much different in this age. The parousia isn't high on our Christian "wish list," is it? Who would want to see him come as judge and Lord of all? Wouldn't we want him to, or don't we want him, to come to us on our own terms? James Endst suggests: "A messiah would be turned (in this age), in essence into Jesus Christ Superstar; television news anchors would become latter-day Herods and Pontius Pilates. Ratings would be used as some sort of perverse measure of the messiah's popularity, of our belief, our judgment of the Word of God."
So he adds, "And if seeing all of this (our age and the golden calves we have worshiped, our sins), judgment did come, and the skies parted and the end approached, would we just sit and watch, slack-jawed and hypnotized, instead of asking forgiveness? Or would we just try to change the channel?" We might just be as badly off as the Thessalonikan Christians who had done just that - changed the channel - the gospel word - because it didn't please them. If so, Lord, have mercy upon us.
It takes some digging to find any theological clues in the church year for this Sunday; it is seldom observed and celebrated, thus it is a "silent Sunday" - muted motifs and theological clues. Memories of the last Sundays of Cycle/Series A and B come to mind and the lections - particularly the gospels - provide theological clues for the churches and their preachers to supplement the inherent content of each and every Sunday, the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While this may be Ordinary Time, from one perspective, God's redeeming activities always are central to the liturgical actions of the church and make worship and preaching extraordinary. The church celebrates the most special event in the history of humanity when it comes together on Sunday for its eucharistic worship of the risen Lord.
On the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Year/Cycle/Series A, the Gospel for the Day, Matthew 25:1-13, the parable of the 10 maidens, orients the church toward the celebration of the last things. This Sunday sets the theological tone for these last Sundays of the church year. It reminds us that they are eschatological, announcing loudly and clearly the hope of the church that Jesus will come again, as he said he would. So the church in its worship and work is to remember Jesus' promise, to be prepared for his return, and to be about his business - the proclamation of the gospel - in the meantime.
The Prayer Of The Day
The Prayer of the Day in the LBW specifically speaks of the last things, even of the end of the world. It, too, has the "stir up" theme contained in it: "Lord God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by your Holy Spirit that, always keeping in mind the end of all things and the day of judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of life here and may live with you forever in the world to come, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 82 (C) - The psalmist was speaking in a time of spiritual decline among the Israelites. He asserts the uniqueness of God as "God of gods," judging all those who claim to be gods and threatening them with the death experienced by mortals. There is a call for justice and mercy - "Save the weak and the orphan; defend the humble and needy; rescue the weak and the poor...." The last verse - almost a "Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly" - accommodates the theological theme for this and the other Sundays that close out the church year: "Arise, O God, and rule the earth, for you shall take all nations for your own."
Psalm 98 (RC, E, L) - This psalm was used in worship on Christmas Day. Comments may be located in this volume in the liturgical/homiletical materials for Christmas.
Psalm prayer (82 - LBW) - "Jesus, our Lord and our God, by your death you gave life to the dead; by your resurrection you give strength to the weak. Rise up to rule the earth, and at the end of the world, when the secrets of the heart are revealed, make us glad to celebrate your justice now and forever."
The Readings
Malachi 3:13--4:2a, 5-6 (E); 3:19-20 (4:1-2) (RC); 4:1-2a (L); 4:1-6 (C) - Malachi is a man of mystery, known only as "the messenger." Virtually nothing is known about him - where he came from, who he was, but what prompted him to write the little book that finds its place among the minor prophets is patently clear - he had an eschatological vision of the coming "day of Yahweh." It will be a terrible day for many, a day of judgment for all people. The wicked will be punished, but the righteous and faithful have nothing to fear. The rule of the Lord God will be established for all time - in the return of Christ to the earth. He not only comes in judgment, but "with healing in (his) wings," thus his "day" will be a time of joy for penitent believers. The preacher will want to read the last portion of this book (4:2b-6), and note its climax in the Elijah figure who will be sent "before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes." He may want, if permissible, to read that part of the lection, especially if the sermon is based upon it.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (E, L, C); 3:7-12 (RC) - Paul issues a call to "well-doing" in the Christian community when he addresses one of the major problems that existed in Thessalonika; some of the believers thought that the "day of the Lord" had already come. They believed that they had experienced resurrection and had been received into God's heavenly realm. Therefore, they did no work, simply setting out to enjoy what this life had to offer them. So Paul is not directing the faithful simply to isolate themselves from such people, nor is he attempting to establish a Christian work ethic; rather, he believes that Christians should love one another - all the time. True believers must be about the business of the kingdom until the Christ returns to the world at the end of time, and this involves doing what one can for unbelievers or those who misinterpret the gospel. That's why he urges the faithful at Thessalonika to "have nothing to do" with such people "that (they) may be ashamed" (and repent of their false thinking and improper actions). He wants to assure them that the Lord shall return - at God's signal. Of that, he is positive.
Luke 21:5-19 (RC, E, L, C) - Scholars contend that, as apocalyptic writing, the original sayings of Jesus have been expanded by others. There are not many clear lines of demarcation between "genuine" predictions of Christ and the additions of others. He did declare that the temple would be destroyed, just as it was, and this prediction was part of the "evidence" offered against him at his trial. And it is equally true that the Lord expected his disciples to be persecuted for their zeal in believing and proclaiming his gospel to the world. Some of this had occurred, as in the martyrdom of Peter and Paul during the 60's, before Luke wrote his version of the gospel. He probably said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them." Jesus believed that he would return soon, and that there would be cataclysmic and cosmic signs of his second coming. He also believed that his return would be soon, but he was wrong in this. The message to the church today, in this pericope, is that the Lord will fulfill his word and return in good time. His followers are to believe this, despite the "time lag" that has occurred, and continue praying, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly" - even as they do his work in the world.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 21:5-19 (RC, E, L, C) - "Costly Christianity." - One of the main things Jesus said in this long speech was that he would come again, but that Christianity would be a costly faith to hold and pursue in the meantime. He has risen from the dead, and he has ascended from the earth to be with God, so why shouldn't he be able to return at the end of time and bring in the fullness of God's kingdom. Fr. Gerard Sloyan tells one of Sholom Aleichem's stories in his Nothing Of Yesterday Preaches. It is about "the return of a husband to his home in a little Russian town for the Passover. He has been away all year."
The "husband" tells the story: "The first one to greet me was my mother-in-law, bless her. She is the same as ever, she has not changed in the least. She was in the front yard, standing over a wooden cot.... In one hand she held a can of kerosene, in the other a brush. She was pickling bedbugs. When she saw me, she managed to control her joy. She kept right on working, muttering to herself: 'Well, well! You mention the Messiah - and look who comes! Here he is, my bird of Paradise.... If he doesn't spoil, he'll find his way back home. Goats run away, chickens get lost, but men always come back.... The only place they don't return from is the Other World.' "
Jesus already has returned from the realm of the dead, and he has promised to come back from the other side of death - a second coming. In the meantime, those who believe his gospel call and follow him - ordinary persons, missionaries, preachers - will have to pay a high price to sustain the faith. And people have willingly paid that price, not simply with service or financial sacrifices, but with their lives. November is the month of saints and martyrs; the entire month, not just All Saints' and All Souls' Days, belong to them, in a way, because they paid such a high price to pass on the faith to people in our day.
So Jesus warned his disciples about the persecutions the faithful would experience in his name. They heard, but they became believers and preachers and missionaries, very ordinary people who did an extraordinary act: They laid down their lives for Jesus and the gospel. The questions that ought to occupy our minds is whether or not modern Christians are willing and able to make any kind of sacrifice for the Lord. The end of the church year ought to encourage us to find an answer to that question, especially if we believe that he will come again.
Malachi 3:13--4:2a, 5-6 (E); 3:19-20, 4:1-2a (RC); 4:1-2a (L); 4:1-6 (C) - "The Day Of The Lord."
1. It will surely come, just as God has promised through his prophets.
2. It will be a day of judgment; the wicked will be separated from the righteous, and they will pay the price of their sinfulness.
3. But it will be a day of blessing for the children of God, for he will come with "healing on his wings."
4. We will know him, when he comes, not because he is simply an Elijah figure who, like John the Baptist, preached to sinners to turn their hearts to God, but because he will come as the risen and ever living Lord Jesus Christ. We will see him as he truly is - and know him, even as he knows us.
(Note: The first and second readings almost beg to be combined into a single sermon. That is probably what I would do with them.)
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (E, L, C); 3:7-12 (RC) - "A Bad Time For Jesus' Return." - In a piece, "How would Jesus compete with false idols?" which he wrote for the Hartford Courant, James Endst declared: "I've always wanted to meet Jesus Christ. See him. Hear him. Speak to him. Ever since I was a child, I've wondered, especially when Christmas nears, why Christ could not have been born in my lifetime?" He might very well have said the same things about Christ's promised second coming. What he is really getting at is whether Jesus would have a chance of revealing his true self to the world, or would his image be distorted by the primary communication medium, television. So he asks, "What would it be like, I sometimes imagine, if Christ ... came down in the age of television - not to judge but simply to walk among us and be seen through the television eyes of the world? Would we see the true light, or just television's?"
The people of Thessalonika - some of them, at least, had given up on the idea of actually seeing Jesus Christ; they had given up the word of promise and hope; they thought that their faith had already transported them to God's heavenly realm, and that it was theirs to enjoy - no work, no toil, no sweat. That's why Paul had to do something radical to set them straight so that they would live by the word of the Lord, rejecting any false prophets or teachers who tried to teach them differently. The real Jesus had "faded out" - his image had diminished for them; he wasn't quite real.
Things aren't much different in this age. The parousia isn't high on our Christian "wish list," is it? Who would want to see him come as judge and Lord of all? Wouldn't we want him to, or don't we want him, to come to us on our own terms? James Endst suggests: "A messiah would be turned (in this age), in essence into Jesus Christ Superstar; television news anchors would become latter-day Herods and Pontius Pilates. Ratings would be used as some sort of perverse measure of the messiah's popularity, of our belief, our judgment of the Word of God."
So he adds, "And if seeing all of this (our age and the golden calves we have worshiped, our sins), judgment did come, and the skies parted and the end approached, would we just sit and watch, slack-jawed and hypnotized, instead of asking forgiveness? Or would we just try to change the channel?" We might just be as badly off as the Thessalonikan Christians who had done just that - changed the channel - the gospel word - because it didn't please them. If so, Lord, have mercy upon us.
