Epiphany 7: "Perfect, Just Perfect!"

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18
Psalm Psalm 119:33-40

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23
Matthew 5:38-48

 

First Lesson: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

 

Challenges:

As I read this passage, I found very few challenges initially, but they soon began to crop up. One that came to mind was that many of these commands were geared toward a different society and economy (leaving food in the fields, etc.). Of course, it is totally appropriate to "update" these commands and to show that God expects society to care for everyone.  It is possible that there could be something of a brou-ha-ha over HOW exactly we care for those in need. Some might see this and say "Yep, farmers are supposed to help the poor, not the government!" Getting into the details of HOW we help the poor can put us into a quagmire of incriminations and unhealthy knee-jerk reactions.

Opportunities:

It is often maintained by opponents of "Religion" that our holy books are outdated and archaic. In fairness a great deal of Leviticus, with it's directions on how to slaughter which animal where, provides easy ammunition to the likes of Bill Maher.  But then you get something like this passage in Leviticus 19 and I HOPE that no matter who you are, this sounds like a good way to go. Justice, equity, community, and so much more.  To me these things aren't out of date or archaic.  They point to something amazing and life-giving.  If you are looking at this, perhaps you could joke about how crazy Leviticus is, until you get here and it sounds amazing.

The Good News: 

 

God could say, "Hey, I don't care what you do or how you treat each other as long as I get my nicely smelling sacrifices."  God DOESN'T say this.  God cares about how we treat each other, God cares about justice, God cares about you when you are being mistreated, cheated and oppressed. God cares.

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

Challenges:

 

These are wonderful verses, really wonderful. Hard to find a challenge here. The only thing to watch out for is the danger of not describing the actual statutes, decrees, commandments and promise.  What do they look like? What would it look like to live this way?

Opportunities:

This is a great chance to talk about following God's way as an actual "way of life."  It's a way that can change your life and, while not necessarily make it easier, it can make it better.  The Sochi Olympics have been in the news and on people's minds.  How can following God's way be like training as an athlete?  Is there a parallel? (The Apostle Paul certainly thought so!)

 

The Good News: 

 

Perhaps you are looking for a guide in life. Perhaps you feel like a rudderless ship and you need some direction. God provides us this direction, not only in God's Word but also with a community that helps us interpret and live out what's found there.

 

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

Challenges:

I mention in the opportunities below that the "you" being referred to in verse 16 is a plural "you" and this means that we're talking about the community here. As a Lutheran and thus a ecclesiastical descendant of the first Protestants, I have to admit that the breaking of community hits home. Of course we Protestants could say, "Well it was the Catholics who kicked us out!" And the Catholics could say, "No, it went this way..." but the point is there was a break in the community that led to individuals or whole groups to die in rather nasty ways.  Breaking community is a tricky thing. I'm not saying it's wrong to do so, I'm just saying it should never be done lightly. It also means that as Christians the burden of proof should be on those who are against ecumenism, rather than those who are for it.

 

Opportunities:

Very important to note that the "you" that is being addressed here is a plural "you" or, to quote my Southern Brethren, "y'all."  Verse 16 has often been used to talk about how you shouldn't drink alcohol or do anything else harmful to your body.  Of course, there's the whole question of what exactly is good or bad for your body (a glass of wine...or a tub of fried chicken), but that's a whole other conversation. This is talking about the community as the temple.  This is a great chance to talk about the value of community and how we can work together.  Perhaps you could show how it is easy to break one small stick, but if you put a bunch of small sticks together they are harder to break.

The Good News: 

The church in Corinth was holy because God made it holy. We are holy because God makes us holy.  The holiness is up to God and comes from God, not us.  We have a community that comes from God and we are not alone.  While it might be tempting to get worried about eloquent detractors of Christianity, it's good to remember that there have been such detractors from the beginning and yet we are still here and still holy because of God.

 

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-38

Challenges:

I'll admit it, I struggle with this one, especially about resisting evil-doers.  Self-defense is important.  Protecting your family is important.  I remember in college our campus ministry group sang a song called "One Tin Soldier" about two groups of people, the valley people and the mountain people. The valley people attacked the mountain people in order to get a treasure kept on the mountain and after all of the mountain people were slaughtered, the valley people discovered that the treasure was the statement "Peace on Earth." The point at the end of the song says, 'Go ahead and hate your neighbor...do it in the name of heaven, you can justify it in the end...but there won't be any trumpets blowing come the judgment day..." Of course the point of the song is that we should NOT be like the valley people.

I myself, take a second, unintended, point from the song: if you are the mountain people you should be prepared to defend yourself because there are valley people out there who will attack you.  Again, not what the writer of the song intended, but there it is. As a character in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings says, "It needs but one foe, not two, to start a war...and those without swords still die on them."

I get, I really do, the idea that revenge and conquest and "military glory" get us nowhere.  I also write this about hearing of unspeakable oppression and crimes against humanity coming out of North Korea. How do we stop this? I hope nonviolently.  But the reality is always complicated.  

Opportunities:

 

When it comes to "loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you" I have heard of congregations praying for Osama bin Laden and other hated individuals: I believe this can be powerful. Who is an individual that is hard for you or your congregation to pray for?  What would it be like to mention them in the Prayers of Intercession?  Who would you mention and how would people react?

And another thing, about this whole "perfection" thing in verse 48, there is a book you need to read. It's called Made for Goodness and it's by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu.  You can find it here.  When it was given to me I had my doubts, but as I read it was amazing.  They write an entire chapter on this idea of Godly perfection, which they see not as flawlessness, but rather WHOLENESS. Desmond Tutu remembers his Grandmother's home in the apartheid-era blacktownship of Stirtonville.  It was a home with a dirt floor and was held together with scraps of wire, but he says, "...to me, growing up, the house in Stirtonville was perfect.  It was a place in which we could live a good life.  It was a home that was loved in.  Our life in Stirtonville did not meet the usual definition of perfection.  But our life in that place was whole.  Caring and concern filled the gaps that circumstance created." (pg. 41)

He also says, "As you read "Be perfect" you may find your stomach coiling into an anxious knot as you wonder what is now to be demanded of you that you cannot achieve.  As human beings, we hear in the command to be perfect a demand for flawlessness.  But flawlessness is not the goal of God's invitation....But God's call to be perfect is not just a command-it is an invitation.  It is an invitation to something possible.  It is an invitation to something life-giving, to something joy-creating.  God invites us to a godly perfection.  Godly perfection is not flawlessness.  Godly perfection is wholeness." (pg. 42-43)
 

The Good News:

See above on what Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu have to say about "perfection."

Epiphany 6: Setting the Bar Very High

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 119:1-8
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Matthew 5:21-37

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Challenges:

If you are a Christian, especially a Lutheran, you have a very complicated and complex relationship with "the Law" of God.  For the most part, it'd be hard to deny the value of having the Law around: community, justice, love for neighbor, respect for God, etc. etc.  At the same time the most avid "nomian" (is that a word? "Antinomian" is, so why not "nomian?") has to admit that there is no way that anyone can follow the Law completely or perfectly.  So does this passage, with its blessings and curses lead us to despair? It very well might! Quite literally, thank God for Grace given to us through Jesus Christ! But then, there is a pesky issue of what do we do with the Law now?  Different people have different answers: some are good and some are...not as good.  It can all be confusing.

Opportunities:

A choice between life or death seems rather simple on the outside. It's much like British Comedian Eddie Izzard's "Cake or death?" routine, which you can see here. Of course we choose death all the time (both individually and collectively).  Destructive behaviors, destructive relationships, destructive economic systems.  How often do we always choose short term verses long term benefits? How often do we choose to be conveniently blind at the right moments?  There are so many examples of this, you might as well google "destructive behaviors:"I'm sure there will be plenty of hits.  Not only do we choose death, often we pay money for the opportunity! 

The Good News: 

Again and again throughout the Old Testament, it's important to see that GOD CARES.  It matters to God how we treat each other.  Other gods seem to not care about "petty little things" like, you know, ethical living.  But the God of Israel, the God of you, me and the entire Universe, cares deeply about oppression, corruption and dissolute living.  And as you read Deuteronomy and the prophets you get the true sense that this is because God actually has a heart for the poor, downtrodden, alien, etc.  Deuteronomy shows this to be true. It can be true today too.  Some people will say, "God doesn't care about football games or who wins."  Well, I don't think God really cares who wins, but I do believe that God cares deeply about HOW the games are played and HOW people treat each other.  That's God's M.O.  Thank God for that.

Psalm: Psalm 119:1-8

Challenges:

'Happy are those who..."  Yeah, sure must be nice being them.  In the meantime, give me a second to super-glue my good intentions back together...just so that they can get blown to pieces all over again.

Opportunities:

Maybe not this week, but at sometime it would makes sense to get a Jewish perspective on what Torah means to them: something tells me it'll be different from a Christian view!  (Note I didn't say THE Jewish perspective, there are certainly many different Jewish perspectives, like there are many Christian ones).  I imagine that Torah will look like a way of life that creates a meaningful life.  Connect this with the bold statement that Jesus came to fulfill the Law (see Matthew 5:17) and that packs a punch!

The Good News: 

Once again: Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, I have not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matt. 5:17) Jesus is in the fulfillment business and that's good news.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Challenges:

I completely see Paul's point here and I can only imagine what it was like to deal with this congregation in Corinth. At the same time, I find myself wondering when the transition from flesh to spirit will take place. In some ways we're still waiting. Don't we say today "I belong to Luther" and "I belong to Calvin" and "I belong to Rome?" Maybe we're STILL not ready for things of the spirit.  But again, Paul wasn't writing about an abstract, ethereal situation, he was writing to a certain group of people in a certain situation and had to make some sweeping comments and generalizations.

Opportunities:

I made reference to denominations in my "challenges" section, and verses 5-9 is an amazing statement for ecumenism.  If you plant or water, if you are eloquent in words or powerful in deeds (or a combination of all the above) what really matters is the One who gives growth.  This connects very, very nicely with last week's Gospel lesson and how Jesus' followers are to do good works so that others will see them and give glory to our Father in heaven.

Could our present-day denominations treat each other in similar ways?  If so, it would go well beyond "liking" each other.  I doubt Paul and Apollos "liked" each other that well. But Paul is able to see beyond personal likes and dislikes as well. If only we could do the same! I have often seen liberal mainline people make snide remarks about evangelicals, and I'm sure that evangelicals do the same.  Hopefully we can come to the point where we say, "Wow, I might not "like" you, but we don't have the luxury of pettiness.  There are too many important things going on to get distracted."

The Good News: 

It's so very easy to get entangled in tribalism, jealousy and competition when it comes to working with fellow servants of Jesus.  We love to tout numbers, programs, buildings and "relevance." There are too many problems to name with this situation, not the least of which is the fact that even if a Christian "wins" a competition with a fellow believer, they still "lose." Paul struggled with this as well.  He points us toward something new beyond these entanglements: the One who gives growth.  This gives us "common purpose" as he says, and that is transformative, liberating, and darn-right exciting.

Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37

Challenges:

These sayings of Jesus feel like a succession of jabs, uppercuts and hooks to my guilty spirit.  Of course, there's no way that we can live up to this.  Lutheran theology serves very well in a situation like this and I'm able to say "Well, this conviction leads me to the realization that I am saved by Grace through Faith."  Still, I find myself curious: the writer of the Gospel of Matthew was not a Lutheran (or even a mainline Protestant...shocking I know!) and so I wonder if in Matthew, we really ARE supposed to do these things.  Frankly, I just don't know.  And that's a challenge.

You're walking a very fine line with this Gospel Lesson: there's the danger of making people despair and think it's all hopeless and also the danger or people shrugging and saying, "Well, I'm saved by grace, who cares if I don't take any of this seriously?!?!" Holding things in tension is very good and important, but not always easy!

Opportunities:

Sometimes we often equate sin with actions that are "fun."  You know, messing around with someone else's girlfriend or boyfriend, fibbing here and there: that sort of thing.  Then there are the things that might not be "fun" but are still considered "good" or at least "understandible." Like "blowing off steam"or "getting something off your chest" when you are mad at someone.  Of course, many of the people listening to you preach will know full well that there is nothing "fun" about their spouse or partner being unfaithful, or being caught up in a lie, or to be placed into a mental or spiritual place that is dark and rotting because of that downward spiral of negativity that came from "blowing off steam."  Many people have been there.

This could be a chance to call sin what it is: brokeness, falling short, missing the mark.  Jesus is going right at the heart of things here: showing us that outward appearances can simply be a mask for a rotten heart underneath.  Jesus tells us to do good works (be salt and light and all that), so that people will see our good works and give glory to God, but what people see on the outside starts from the inside.

Also: a great opportunity to show how something we do in worship (pass the peace) comes from the teachings of Jesus (i.e. 5:

The Good News:

Finding Good News of "Gospel" in these specific passages is very difficult, unless you bring in other passages.  Of course, one way to look at these statements about anger, divorce and oaths is to say that they are invitations to a new and different life where you get the chance to put down all the baggage you've been carrying.  Look to Matthew 11:29-30.

I mentioned that this passage can be a chance to call sin what it is.  This can also be a good chance for us to look at the kind of life that Jesus is inviting us into.  It's the kind of life where women are not objectified, where people are filled with integrity and where you don't have to get caught up in a cycle of negativity because "that's just how it is."  Jesus is saying, "you don't have to live that way, there is an alternative."

The people behind the "Sermon Brainwave" podcast on the Working Preacher website always do a good job, but they really hit the ball out of the park in talking about this Gospel lesson. Be sure to listen by clicking here.

Epiphany 5: Salt and Light

Isaiah 58:1-9a [9b-12]

Psalm 112:1-9[10]
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16]
Matthew 5:13-20

Okay, before I even begin, perhaps we should just call this the "Sunday of the Brackets." Choices, choices, choices!  I say, go for all them, why not??

First Lesson: Isaiah 58:1-9a [9b-12]

Challenges:

Quite often, when I hear Scripture read in worship, especially when it does not involve a plot or storyline, it is very easy for the lector/reader to make all of the words string together into a mish-mash of bible-sounds.  This can be especially true if your lector/reader does not prepare beforehand. And I get that: life really is crazy and there are plenty of things to do. Have you ever considered doing a Lector Workshop that can help people figure out how to read the Bible out loud in a way that true communicates what being said? It can be a really fun thing to do!

Opportunities:

What is truly important? What really connects us with God's way?  Isaiah puts it really well. It's not empty or showy worship practices, it's righteous living.  And, yes, this can add a real weight or burden to us.  A passage like this can show us that we fall short constantly.  That's very important.  It can also show us a way to live, a path to follow.  As I was reading this Luther's explanation of the Lord's Prayer came to mind. "The good and gracious will of God is surely done without our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may be done also among us."  When it comes to removing yokes and not pointing the finger and offering food to the hungry, I believe it is a good thing to pray that I will be able to do these things with with help of God. (...or that God will do these things with my help)

The Good News: 

I can read this passage and feel depressed that I can't measure up. I can also read this passage and be inspired because I have seen a different way of living.  It's a way where there are no yokes and no pointing fingers, a way of light, strong bones and repaired breaches.  I can yearn after this way and pray that I can be a part of it.

Psalm: Psalm 112:1-9[10]

Challenges:

I read this psalm and it all felt so simple to me.  Fear the Lord and things will be okay!  Of course, then I look at the world around me and all that simplicity falls away. Not only do those who fear the Lord and do all of these things have a tough time, it's not really that simple to 'fear the Lord.' Paul hits the nail on the head when he says "I do not understand my own actions.  For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate..." (Romans 5:15)

Opportunities:

While, this psalm can seem really simplistic and naieve (see challenges above), it can also serve as an example of what it means to 'fear the Lord.' In other words people can ask you, "So what does it REALLY mean to love God, fear the Lord, be a Christian, etc." In other words, what does Christian living look like? Psalm 112 can be an example of that.

The Good News: 

Verse 8b says "...in the end they will look in triumph on their foes." If this hasn't happened yet, maybe it's not the end.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16]

Challenges:

This is a great chapter. In my opinion, anytime you read Chapter 2 and Paul's words about knowing nothing but Christ Crucified) you should remember Chapter 15 (i.e. statements on the Resurrection). It goes the opposite way as well: when you read Chapter 15 and his statements on Christ's Resurrection, it's very important to remember Chapter 2 (and Chapter 1 for that matter).  Cross and empty tomb, they go together.  You can't have one without the other.

Opportunities:

Sometimes in the church it's tempting to think that we just don't have the coolest, smartest, flashiest methods and that's why things aren't going well. I read Paul's comments about worldly wisdom and I realize that it was a "problem" in his day as well. What makes a difference, then and now? "a demonstration of the Spirit and of power."  That demonstration is not a flashy magic show which wows us all (that'd be worldly wisdom again), instead it is profound acts of community, generosity, selflessness, intergrity and righteousness. That makes people sit up and take notice.

The Good News: 

Flashy trends come and go, the Spirit isn't going anywhere...or maybe the Spirit IS going somewhere, and we get to come along for the ride.

Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20

Challenges:

The challenges here are twofold: first, while the other lessons have brackets and this one doesn't, I believe the Gospel lesson could actually use them.  Verses 13-16 form a section, while 17-20 form their own.  Of the two, verses 17-20 are much more challenging, chiefly because it will take quite a bit of time and effort to really unpack all sorts of weighty concepts like "the law," "least in the kingdom of heaven," or "righteousness." As in other gospel lessons, I feel like you should choose between 13-16 OR 17-20 as you emphasis.  That's what I'm doing, and I'll be going with 13-16.

Second, Jesus' words about 'letting our light shine' appear to contradict his statements in chapter six which say "beware practicing your piety before other in order to be seen my them." Of course, there really is no contradiction because the two actions (shining light and practicing piety) have different motivations AND results.

Second,

In verse 16, we are called to shine our light "...so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven." In Matthew 6:1, the motivation is "in order to be seen by them."  In other words, what are these actions trying to achieve? Glory for you or glory for God?  To quote the Knight from the Order of the Cruciform Sword in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade "why do you seek the cup of Christ? Is it for his glory or for yours?"  (well, that might not really be relevant, but any chance you get to reference Indiana Jones is a good thing)

The challenge comes with the fact that people will take part in Matthew 6:1 actions while believing they are doing Matthew 5:16 things. It's curious how much God's glory and our own glory can be so conveniently linked at times, isn't it?  I don't have a good cure for this except constant prayer and the grace of God.

Opportunities:

This passge has IMAGERY written all over it.  How about singing "This Little Light of Mine" as a Hymn of the Day.  How about using a flashlight as an example?  Lighthouses?  Whatever. 

Light can be useful in many different ways. It can guide us, it can protect us, it can encourage us.  It can even help us while being "unpleasant." It can show us things that we would rather keep in the darkness but really need to be seen.

Salt might be a bit more a stretch for some people: after all, it's that white stuff in the shaker on the table. You can go into the fact that before refrigeration, salt was used as a very important preservative.  Some people where even given their wages in the form of salt.  AND a little of salt goes a long way.

David Lose, in his preaching blog, talks about how this is a commissioning of the disciples to be who they already are. Lose says (and I wholeheartedly agree) that Jesus says they are ALREADY light and salt and that they should be who they ALREADY are.  A similar thing happens in 1 Corinthians 12 when Paul describes the 'Body of Christ.' He says to this rather disfunctional congregation "Now you ARE the Body of Christ," not 'you should become' or  'maybe you'll improve to be,' but rather YOU ARE.  It's the same way with salt and light.  Jesus is saying BE WHO I HAVE MADE YOU.

 

The Good News:

You could talk about the deep sense of satisfaction and meaning that we can get from having a purpose. We have been given a mission: to make things better, so that it will be to the glory of our Father in heaven. Will we fall short? Of course! Will this mess up God's plans? Nope. Something tells me that God has things well in hand. We just get to be a part of things: that's pretty exciting.

Plus, we always think about the need to be the light and the salt. There's truth to this. But think about it this way: say you're in darkness or you need something to keep your life from being rotten (i.e. salt).  Guess what? God is providing light and salt through the followers of his son Jesus.  If you are in trouble, help is on the way.  That sounds like good news.

Epiphany 4: Happy Cheesemakers

Micah 6:1-8
Psalm 15
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Matthew 5:1-12

First Lesson: Micah 6:1-8

Challenges:

Challenges? What challenges? This passage is awesome. The only challenge is having enough time to do this passage justice!  Well...there's more to it than that, I guess. Micah references stories and people from the Old Testament that many (if not most) in your congregation will not be familiar with at all.  Moses will be a relatively familiar guy and the mention of Egypt and slavery might ring a bell, but Balak of Moab and Balaam son of Beor will probably draw blank looks.

 

Opportunities:

Micah 6:8 is the perfect verse to have people memorize.  You could have it printed on little slips of paper, placed in bulletins for everyone to take home with them.  You could also talk about how this verse is the prophetic message is the prophetic message in a nutshell: religious ritual and observance is nothing compared to just and righteous (right-related) living.

The Good News: 

When looking at this passage through Lutheran eyes, it'd be easy to see this as all "law" or command of God that we cannot keep. Well, true, I'm never going to be able to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God in the way I should, not going to happen.  BUT, since Christ has freed me from sin, death and myself I can see this passage as an INVITATION to a new, full, meaningful and abundant life.

Psalm: Psalm 15

Challenges:

Yeah, if I read this psalm in a certain way it simply fills me with dread and fear.  I can't do this stuff, I just can't! Plus, there's this whole 'those...who do not lend money at interest..." line.  Uh...that kind of does a number on our entire financial system doesn't it?  While I DO believe that our financial system needs a major, major overhaul I don't think you can just glibly or lightly say to people who could work in finance, "Oh yeah, your entire career is unGodly," without a more indepth conversation.  You might be right, but that will do little good!

Opportunities:

I'll admit, I'm a bit stumped on opportunities here.  You could always take a few of these attributes and give examples of them in life today.  This will make it much more real.

The Good News: 

The notes in my study bible say of verse 5: "the closing promise cannot be understood to affirm that the righteous will be unopposed, but rather that they will have a secure foundation facing anything.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Challenges:

This is an amazing passage, but it's important not to go overboard. Yes, Paul says "not many of you were wise...not many were powerful...not many by noble birth..." But that doesn't mean that ALL Christians were the poor and destitute. Historian and sociologist Rodney Stark points out that there quite a few wealthy Christians in the first century.  He says that this isn't contradicted by Paul: Paul says "not MANY of you..." he DOESN't say "NONE of you."

Think of Acts 16 and Lydia, the purple cloth merchant: there were rich Christians. It doesn't meant that we should go along with a gospel of prosperity (BY NO MEANS!). It just means that the early church (like everything else in this world) was much more complex than many of us originally thought.  In a way this is rather amazing: it means that people of different backgrounds came together, which was especially amazing in the ancient world.

Opportunities:

Great imagery here: stumbling blocks, signs, foolishness, wisdom.  Really amazing.  Verse 25 is especially good in giving an almost spatial relationship to God and humanity. If you're going to preach on this passage: make it a vivid sermon!

The Good News: 

We have a source of life through Christ Jesus.  We are connected to the One whose foolishness is wiser than our wisdom. Boom!

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

Challenges:

These words are very familiar to many, even if they don't think about them too often. Any time we preach on a familiar passage our job is harder rather than easier because people often have their minds made up about what something means (at least I often do). It will take some effort to get people to look at and listen to this with fresh eyes and ears.

Opportunities:

There's some excellent stuff out there on the Beatitudes.  Check out Brian Stoffregen's thoughts, David Lose's thoughts and Amy Oden's thoughts.  If you have a comedically-minded congregation, they might enjoy it if you quote Monty Python's "Life of Brian," where people in the crowd say "What was that? I think he said, "Blessed are the cheesemakers!" "Well, it is obviously not supposed to be a literal translation, but rather makers of all dairy-products." Some might laugh, while some will look at you blankly.

I'm going to try to do a separate blog-post on the Sermon on the Mount, because it's so central and important. Just let me say here, there are a couple of different ways to look at these Beatitudes: is this a list of things that will give you a good life or a list of the unlikely people who God is coming to save.

I go with the later and was really changed by Mark Allan Powell's idea that the first four beatitudes: 1) poor in spirit 2) those who mourn 3) the meek 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are the people who need help and that the next four: 1) merciful 2) pure in heart 3) peacemakers 4) persecuted for righteousness sake are the ones who help them and for that action are persecuted too.  The final beatitude has to do specifically with Jesus' followers.

There is going to be a great reversal and it will come for those who have been oppressed and those are helping them. 

AND...if you are looking for an excellent example of "the peacemakers" look at this online article about Orthodox priests in the Ukraine who are standing between protestors and riot police in an attempt to curb violence in that country:  ORTHODOX PRIESTS

The Good News:

These are not the types of people who you would expect to be blessed and, frankly, if there is no God there is no blessing for these people, because experience has shown us that no one else is blessing them!  Again, back to Monty Python, when someone hears that the meek are blessed, she says "Oh that's nice...they've had a hell of a time!"  Yes, true! They have and God is doing something about it.  What is God doing? The answer is one word: Jesus.

Epiphany 3: Assembling the Team

Isaiah 9:1-4
Psalm 27:1, 4-9
1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Matthew 4:12-23

First Lesson: Isaiah 9:1-4

Challenges:

Another week, more Isaiah.  It's pretty obvious that this has been chosen due to the reference to the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, which points to our Gospel lesson and Jesus' ministry in Galilee.  As I have said in other posts, sometimes there are texts that don't seem to have many challenges and this is one of them: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light..." What could be the problem with that?!?!?! It's amazing.

The closest I could come with a challenge is that it can be hard to do such texts true justice in a sermon or Bible Study.  As a preacher you can look at a text like this and worry about your ability to get the true brilliance, meaning, and hope in this passage.  You want the import of what is being said to be relevant, yet not "dumbed down."  How do you do that?

Oh, and what exactly is the "day of Midian?"  People probably won't know...

Opportunities:

Again, this lesson can provide an excellent "assist" to the Gospel lesson.  There was enough corruption and oppression in Isaiah's, Jesus' and our day to make a phrase like "the people who have walked in darkness" make all too much sense. Perhaps you could give a short description of some of the corruption going on throughout the world (a google search should suffice for finding examples).  This could vividly describe the darkness.  It's one thing to talk about darkness in the abstract, it's another to be confronted by it in a flesh-and-blood example.

The Good News: 

There IS a lot of darkness out there: ink-black darkness that can feel very, very overwhelming. BUT, there is a great light. That light is provided by God through Jesus Christ.  The light might not always be pleasant (it can shine on things we are less than excited about), but it will be freeing.  As Rob Bell once said, "God is in the liberation business," and verse 4 bears this out.

 

Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 4-9

Challenges:

It always feels a bit weird when a psalm has been chopped up like this.  It's also too easy to spend all of our time complaining about how the RCL committee chopped it up and not get at what this psalm can say to us.  Complaints might make us all feel better and superior, but it is hardly productive.

One challenge that comes from this Psalm is the attitude toward the speaker's ("psalm-er's"?) enemies.  There's not much reconciliation here: it's very much an 'us versus them' message.  A lot of this is avoided by skipping verses 2-3, but you get a hint of it with verse 6.

This begs the question: what should our approach to our enemies be?  What's a 'biblical' approach?  While there might not be just one biblical approach, we can certainly look at Jesus' approach, and a study of this would certainly be worthwhile.

Opportunities:

Psalm 27:1 is one of those verses that can be very helpful to have memorized.  When a person (or community) has a verse like this in their 'vocabulary' or 'prayer arsenal' if you will, it can be very useful in both moments of joy and celebration as well as moment of deep need and darkness.  Maybe you could have this verse printed on little slips of paper that can be handed out to the congregation while you encourage everyone to carry it with them throughout the week.

The Good News: 

Again, if you are looking for the good news, just look at some of the words in this psalm: light, salvation, stronghold, beauty, shelter, cover, lifted, etc.  God is active and acting.  God is a God of help.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 

Challenges:

This is a very practical, timely and helpful passage for ANY time in church history, and our time is certainly not an exception.  BUT, we also see a bit of Paul's personality here.  If there is one thing that Paul has in spades, it's personality (and energy too, but that's a different post).  Some people don't find Paul's personality to be a problem. Others find him to be cantankerous, pushy and annoying.  I'm sure some people could be put off by the way Paul starts by saying that be baptized only Crispus and Gaius...and then adds a few more people after that. (Other people might find this rhetorical approach to be a bit funny, I'd be one of those).

The question is, how do we deal with someone whose personality is not necessarily to our liking, but who is still very definitely in the canon. 

Opportunities:

The opportunities here are endless.  How easy and appropriate would it be for us to add our own denominational leaders or founders into verse 13: "...Was Martin Luther/John Calvin/John Wesley/Billy Graham/whoever crucified for you?"  Another approach would be to talk about church division by starting with a seemingly 'silly' example (the color of the carpet, the position of the piano in the sanctuary, you name it) to get everyone in the mood, and then drive straight home with a truly deep and divisive issue which would be up to you (abortion, church-and-state, sexuality, you name it).  This could be an excellent chance to talk about how we are not united by agreeing 100% of the time, but rather by Christ.

Also, I use the Prepare/Enrich program for my premarital counseling and it points out an important truth for situations with conflict.  Strong, health relationships are not without conflict.  These relationships just know how to face them.  May that be the case for the church!

The Good News: 

I find hope in the fact that this sort of division happened 2,000 years ago and yet the church is still here.  Early Christians faced the same sorts of human problems that we face, just in a different context.  Christ came to save sinners and that's us. Thank God for that.  

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

Challenges:

The lectionary skips right over Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (we'll see it on the first Sunday of Lent).  It will be tempting to mention this, deal with this, etc.  It's quite possible that you could do this, but it could also prove to be a distraction. No need to take out your frustrations with the RCL Committee and whoever else on your congregation! 

Much like last week's lesson from John 1, it's as if we have two major emphases here: the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Galilee and then his calling of the first disciples.  The two are related, of course, but it does seem like this is a lot of ground to cover. It is perfectly fine to emphasize one over the other.  Personally, I'm going with the calling of the disciples, but that's me.

Opportunities:

If you are a fan of movies, you might be familiar the "gathering a team" motif in cinema.  You'll see it when a team is gathered together, usually by a key leader, in order to accomplish a specific task.  Many film critics believe that Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai" was the first of such films and that it inspired a myriad of other examples: "The Magnificient Seven," "The Guns of Navaronne," "The Dirty Dozen," "Oceans Eleven" are just a few examples.  See what Roger Ebert has to say about "The Seven Samurai" here.

I can't help but think of this motif when I read about Jesus calling his disciples.  Here we have the ultimate leader assembling a team for what will become the ultimate mission: the salvation of the world.  While the team he assembles has some initial issues (see Christ's ministry on earth, especially Holy Week), they are molded into an amazing force by the gift of the Holy Spirit in John 20/Acts 2 depending on your evangelist.

Drawing attention to this motif can be fun, exciting and inspiring.  After all, in baptism we are brought onto the team and are given a mission.

The Good News:

Again and again, as I read about Jesus' work, I am inspired by the idea that God cares.  God cares enough for us, that God sent God's Son.  And not just in such a way that everything would be easy, but where it would be hard.  N.T. Wright likes to describe the Incarnation as God's Rescue Mission: I think we really see that here.  Help is on the way!

Epiphany 2: On the Lamb

Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42

 

First Lesson: Isaiah 49:1-7

Challenges:

First of all, has anyone felt like the lectionary has given us A LOT of Isaiah lately? Not that you can really have too much Isaiah (the writers of the New Testament certainly didn't think you could, they were using it and the psalms all the time) but still...

Okay, for real this time: who is this passage referring to? Many see it as the second of the 'servant songs,' other people will say that it is referring to all of Israel (see verse 3). The first group will counter and say that the actual name "Israel" is missing in many early manuscripts and is probably a "gloss" (at least that's what the notes in my Oxford NRSV Study Bible say).  After the first group is done talking the people in the second group try to come up with a snappy comeback but can only say, "Oh yeah...well...the notes in MY study bible say something different!"

So is this a specific individual we're talking here or the nation of Israel?  Personally, I opt for the single, specific servant, but hey: I could be wrong!

Opportunities:

I don't want to go all triumphalist on this one but here we have a passage where Isaiah's says something will happen and it actually seems to have happened (at least this humble blogger's opinion).  Verse seven says that "Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves."  The very fact that the Jewish faith is still around while so many other religions have died out is nothing short of remarkable.  How are the Babylonians doing right now? The Assyrians?  Let's talk about the Roman Empire for that matter...anyone out there still ready to call Augustus divine?

Christianity, too, has shown it's power: many historians now feel that Constantine became a Christian mainly because he saw the way the wind was blowing and he wanted to be part of a growing faith.  A few years later in the late 300s Emperor Theodosius I actually did penance before Ambrose of Milan in order to receive communion.  The most amazing thing about these instances of Christian "power" is that neither involved Christians using weapons or violence. Instead, in these instances, the guys who used violence were curbed by the nonviolent.

Every once and awhile we do see a prostrate prince or two. 

The Good News: 

Okay, I guess I just gave the 'good news' in the opportunity section this time: so, uh, see the above.

Psalm: Psalm 40:1-11

Challenges:

Quite often I run into psalms where the challenges abound.  As I read through this one, however, I just couldn't find many.  I will admit that the language in verse six with all of its "sacrifice and offering..burnt offering and sin offering" would make much more sense in Old Testament times than it would now.  So what's a burnt offering and how is it different from a sin offering? Why does it matter? I guess it doesn't really, except to point out that both are things that people offer God...and here it says that they are not nearly worth as much our having delight in the Lord.

Opportunities:

 

This could be a good time to give a personal example or two of being rescued or delivered, much like the speaker of this psalm...let's call him David...was.  I always like the idea that the same person who wrote Psalm 51 ("I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me...) also wrote this one ("He drew me up from the desolate pit...He put a new song in my mouth...") and Psalm 22 ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?") I know I have different times in my life when each of these psalms would apply: moments of deliverance and victory, moments where confession is definitely in order and moments when I feel completely abandoned and lonely.  The psalms tap into something deep and true in the human condition.

The Good News: 

God is a God of deliverance who you don't have to "buy off" with expensive gifts (again look at verse 6-9).  God is all about relationship.  Allow yourself to just caught up in the joy and excitement of this psalm: a whoop, crow, or barbaric 'yawp' might be in order here.

Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Challenges:

This is the beginning of Paul's letter to the Corinthians and it can appear as perfunctory and dry.  It can feel like the part of the letter that doesn't really say anything: in your mind you just think "Blah, blah, blah...let's get on with it.") While this CERTAINLY NOT the case, it can appear that way.  

Opportunities:

This lesson is the first six lessons from 1 Corinthians that we'll hearing in the coming weeks.  Can anybody say "sermon series?" If so, you could go into a bit of background on the city of Corinth (it was the kind of place that would make you say, "What happens in Corinth stays in Corinth.") and what congregations looked like in Paul's day (house-churches, etc).  This could be a chance to 'set the table' so to speak.  Not that there isn't some good, meaty theology and faith here too! Just read verses 4-9: does it get any better than a line like "God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ."

The Good News: 

To start out, read verse 9 again: that's awesome.  I also see two distinct, yet connected messages in verses 4-9: God has given us grace, love and strength.  God has also given us spiritual gifts that can be used by us as we 'wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Paul talks about these two parallels again and again: we've been freed FROM sin, death and all evil FOR a purpose: the salvation and transformation of the world around us.  We have a purpose.

Gospel: John 1:29-42

Challenges:

Two points: first of all, we basically have emphases here: John's indentification of Jesus and the gathering of disciples around Jesus. The two are related, surely, but it seems wise to me that you should really emphasize one more than the other.  Which one you choose is, of course, up to you.

And secondly: "...the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Many of us sing John's words every week as we prepare to receive communion.  Christ the lamb is a very, very common image.  But what exactly does it  mean?  How can a lamb (or any animal for that matter) take away ANY sins, let alone the WORLD's sins?!?!?!).  Because we live in a culture that by and large no long practices animal sacrifice, this concept might need some explanation.

In his "Everyone" series, N.T. Wright talks about how John's Gospel makes a BIG deal of the fact that  Jesus is the Passover Lamb...so it stands to reason that this is what is being talked about here.  If you want to split hairs the Passover Lamb didn't take away sin, its blood showed God's angel that this was a house to pass over.

Personally, a quick survey of all the different types of sacrifices makes my head swim and doesn't really excite me anyway.  So, think about your audience: do they enjoy indepth looks at ancient Israelite and Judean Religion...or not?

 

Opportunities:

If you are emphasizing the whole "Lamb of God" theme, this actually could be a useful to talk about passover (it's a pretty exciting story).  Once I actually pretended to paint the doorposts and lintel that happened to be close to the pulpit where I was preaching.  This helped give people a spatial image to take with them.

If you are emphasizing the Jesus-and-disciples dynamic, a great thing to talk about is the challenge of evangelism: we're freaked out about the idea of sharing our faith or somehow getting someone to become a Christian.  I get that: I'm that way and I'm a pastor. It is wonderfully useful to know that sometimes all you have to say is, "Come and see" (like Jesus did) and let it start from there.

The Good News:

One piece of good news is rather obvious: THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD IS HERE! That's pretty big and good news.

 Also, from a Jesus-and-disciples emphasis, it is good to know that the disciples didn't have to have it all figured out before they could follow When he asks, "What are you looking for," it doesn't appear that they have a good answer does it? He then doesn't give them an entrance exam or anything like 'Pledge Week.'  He says "come and see."

When I read this it makes me want to...you guessed it...go and see. You can practically feel the force that drew them to Jesus: it's powerful.

Baptism: Confusing People Since AD 30

Isaiah 42:1-9

Psalm 29
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 3:13-17

First Lesson: Isaiah 42:1-9

Challenges:

And here we have the first of the four servant songs in Isaiah.  It is very easy to connect these songs with Jesus (personally I don't have a problem with this).  But when one does this, it's important to be careful about HOW that connection is made.  If you take a literalist approach, Jesus won't match up completely: "He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break..." doesn't sound like the guy who overturned the table of money-changers or called out pharisees.  But to say that really misses the point.  Really, trying to connect everything in a word-for-word, minute way really becomes a distraction.

I remember awhile back in college when a bunch of us were watching THE MATRIX (which was huge back in the late 90s).  Since the Neo character seemed very similar to Jesus many of my friends had heard that when Neo dies in the movie, he stays dead for 72 seconds of movie time and that 1 second of movie time equaled 1 hour of "real time" that made up the three days that Jesus was dead before he was resurrected.  So of course they all timed it and it actually didn't equal 72 seconds at all, but everyone agreed it would have been cool if it had.  Even more important is the point that Jesus wasn't dead for three 24 hour days anyway, hey, whatever...

The point is, it's very easy to get caught up in minutiae while missing the important message.

Opportunities:

What does it mean to give 'light to the nations' and 'sight to the blind.' We could be talking about literal light and sight (I have no problem with that either), but it could also mean something else too.  How many things do we miss, even while looking at them, because we didn't know what to look for?  Have you ever seen optical illusions that could either be one thing or another? 

I believe this is much like the 'light' and 'sight' that this servant will be bringing: eyes to see what God is up to.  Maybe, just maybe God's Kingdom is inside of us and we are missing it: we need someone to point it out to us. 

The Good News:

There are problems in the world (people who can't see or in prison for instance) but God has seen this and is doing something about it.  God's plan?  Jesus Christ. 

Psalm: Psalm 29

Challenges:

The notes in my study bible tell me that this psalm might have been appropriated from an earlier Canaanite hymn to Baal.  I could see it being the case, especially since there is no talk about the Lord helping widows, orphans, prisoners, the blind, etc.  I've said it before in the "challenges" section and I'm sure I'll say it again: does this really matter on a Sunday morning?  Even during Bible Study where you have a chance to flesh something out a bit more?   I don't think people wake themselves up on a Sunday morning, or make time on their Saturday evening, or take the time to click on a blog whenever JUST to learn that some of our psalms are appropriated Canaanite Hymns.  I doubt that this will make the souls of many sing with joy.  I'm not saying we should either hide the truth or even try to prove that it WASN'T APPROPRIATED, just we don't have to make it the main point of our sermons or studies.

Opportunities:

This psalm uses vivid imagery to describe the power of the Lord.  The images that are used must have felt very applicable to an ancient context. While they aren't completely foreign to us today, what are some ways you as the preacher could "update" the images?  What could fill in for the 'wilderness of Kadesh?'  I'm not saying you should change the psalm as it is read in worship! Just that it could be good chance to think of some images that would resonate with your audience.

The Good News: 

All of this is good news to me because I have learned and experienced God in other ways and know God (especially through Jesus Christ) to be loving, merciful, tranformative and grace-filled.  Because I know that, hearing that God is/does "powerful...full of majesty...breaks the cedars...shakes the wilderness...etc." If all of these things were done by a malevolent figure this psalm would cease to be good news and would fill me with dread and despair.  As it is, this psalm fills me with joy, wonder and hope. 

Second Lesson: Acts 10:34-43

Challenges:

The challenge for me is that I'm having trouble finding challenges in the text!  Well, when I really think about it, there is this: while good and true and worthwhile, this passage will probably be overshadowed by the Gospel lesson (which is the usual and sorry fate of many a second lesson).  At best it can hope to be used to "flesh out" some of what happens in Matthew's Gospel today.  As I type I realize at least one other "challenge:" we don't get to see the context around this speech.  This takes place in Cornelius' house: just after the Holy Spirit has played "match-maker" between the Roman Centurion and the Apostle.  I wish we had time to get Peter's other great line (which comes after the Holy Spirit descends on 'all who heard the word'): CAN ANYONE WITHHOLD THE WATER FOR BAPTIZING THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT JUST AS WE HAVE?"  

Opportunities:

Alright, so I might have already jumped the gun and started listing opportunities up in the challenges section...it happens.  The context of the second lesson is astounding and exciting.  If you are going to look at this lesson in your sermon or in a Bible Study or whenever, think about the awe and excitement that must have permeated the house of Cornelius as Peter was speaking.  Have there been profoundly spiritual moments that you have experienced that could set the stage for this?  Maybe a time of prayer, a special retreat, or a moment with an elderly relative?  This seems like one of those moments that are "heavy" with the Spirit.

The Good News: 

Again, the good news is spelled out right there in Peter's words.  In essence, this IS the gospel message in a nutshell. If memory serves the writer of Acts (heck, I'll call him Luke, why not?) gives the reader the central Gospel message of Jesus Christ again and again in slightly different words to different groups of people.  We hear it preached to Jews on Pentecost, the household of Cornelius here and Greeks Philosopher et. al. in Athens much later on.  While the wording might be SLIGHTLY different each time: the central message is always the same.  JESUS IS LORD. JESUS SAVES. 

Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17

Challenges:

So what exactly IS baptism?  That's a complicated and delicate question both back then AND today.  What does baptism do?  I can easily go to the Small Catechism (and usually do), but while we Lutheran-types see it and the rest of the Book of Concord as having quite a bit of authority, other denominations have their own documents as well.  What did John's baptism do? Even the Synoptic Gospels are slightly divided on that one: Mark says John proclaimed "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." (1:4b)  Matthew leaves out the forgiveness-through-baptism part, just that people were.  The point is, it's all confusing...

PLUS, why DID Jesus get baptized? He was without sin right?  And if you're like me, getting the answer "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness," doesn't really clear it all up for me (without study of course).

Opportunities:

First of all, if you are familiar with the Re:form material that comes out through Sparkhouse, they do an excellent segment on the question "Why did Jesus get baptized?" You can check out Re:form here.

This could be a good opportunity to talk about water and the power that water has in our lives and world.  I will probably tell the story of a train-ride during a 1996 high school trip to Europe.  While on an overnight train from Paris to Lucerne Switzerland, the aftershave in my toiletries bag broke open.  When I reached into the bag to get my toothbrush both of my hands became covered with the stuff.  Normally aftershave smells pretty good, but here it was overpowering and not pleasant at all. I couldn't get it all off and when we finally arrived in Lucerne, we learned that we couldn't get into our hotel for another few hours.  The smell of the aftershave became sickening.

With a group of fellow students I had the chance to walk down to a local park where there was a crystal-clear Alpine lake.  I remember walking to the edge and plunging my arms down into the amazing water.  It was a glorious moment. I felt clean. What's more the experience gave me added energy and changed my outlook on things.  While it would be an exaggeration to call this experience "life-changing," it certainly had an effect on me that day!

Do you have similar stories?  Similar images? 

And for good measure: when it comes to talking about our own baptism and water I am remembered of the common phrase, "A little water doesn't hurt anyone, but a lot will kill you."  While the actual amount of water in baptism (either a sprinkle or dunk, font or lake) doesn't really matter, I like the image of the deadly effects of water: baptismal water is indeed dangerous and deadly: to our old self.  It helps us die to ourselves and live in Christ.  So yeah, water can kill you, and in this case that's good news.

The Good News: 

Many commentators speak of how Jesus submitted himself to baptism, even though he didn't need it to have his [non-existent] sins washed away. I particularly like this explanation.  In this way Jesus' Baptism is yet another example of the INCARNATION: God coming down and taking up our condition.  Jesus COULD have stood aside smugly and said, "Well, baptism is a good idea for all of YOU people who need that sort of thing."  He doesn't do that.  

Later on, as he is being arrested in Gethsemane, Jesus says to a sword-wielding disciple, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen this way?" (26:53-54)  

God could have worked out our salvation in any number of ways.  Instead God chose a particular way, worked out in the scriptures, and Jesus followed that plan to the letter: and thank God that he did!