2016-01-31-epiphany4c-luke.4.21-30.doc

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THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

Year C

January 31, 2016

Vou!e 20, Nu!"er #ISSN 10$1%##62

CONTENTS&

A T'ou(') on Prea*'+n( T+)e Ser!on +n a Sen)en*e S*r+)ure -+"+*a Co!!en)ary C'+.ren/ Ser!on Ser!on ore Ser!on on )'+ Te) T'ou(') Proo4er Hy!n 5 Hy!n S)ory -+"+o(ra'y

A THOUHT ON PREACHIN& The English author, Aldous Huxley, said thateffective public speakers create a zeal "whose intensity depends not on the rationality of

what is said or the goodness of the cause that is being advocated, but solely on the

propagandist's skill in using! words in an exciting way"

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$lergy are apt to turn up their noses at that kind of zealousness, which, ad%ittedly, can

lend itself to de%agoguery However, we need to realize that zealous preaching is a tool

which can be used for good&&and then we need to practice it in behalf of preaching theospel

TIT7E& A (er%on )e *on't )ant To Hear+

SERON IN A SENTENCE& $hrist calls us to broaden our vision of od's %ercy toinclude those who% we don't like

SCRIPTURE& uke -./#012

-I-7ICA7 COENTARY&

LUKE 4:14-30. 3E(4(' 56(6T T7 THE 8A9A:ETH (;8A74E

The co%%on lectionary divides the story of 3esus' visit to his ho%etown synagogue.

< 5erses #-0/# Epiphany 1$! tell of 3esus' initially favorable reception and his reading

fro% the scroll of 6saiah

< 5erses /#012 Epiphany -$! continue 3esus' re%arks and record the hostile response of

the congregation

As noted in the exegesis last week, uke places this story at the very beginning of 3esus'

%inistry, not because of concern for chronology, but because this story is a paradig% for3esus' %inistry and for the %inistry of the church in the book of Acts also written by

uke! 6t is the story of 3esus and the early church writ s%all so we %ight see it at a

glance

< 3esus first co%es to the 3ewish people in a stable in the city of *avid %acrocos%!= now

he co%es to the synagogue in his ho%etown %icrocos%!

< 3ust as the 3ewish people will receive 3esus favorably because of his teachings and

%iracles %acrocos%!, so also the people of 8azareth "wondered at the gracious wordswhich proceeded out of his %outh" %icrocos%!

< 3ust as the crowds, at the instigation of the religious leaders, will turn on 3esus and

de%and his crucifixion %acrocos%!, so also the people of 8azareth beco%e enraged athis preaching and try to throw hi% off a cliff %icrocos%!

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< 3ust as 3esus' resurrection will overco%e the crucifixion %acrocos%!, so also "he,

passing through their %idst, went his way" %icrocos%!

This is also the basic outline of the book of Acts 6n that book.

< The apostles begin their %inistry in 3erusale%&&every 3ew's ho%etown

< The people receive the% favorably on the day of >entecost, and three thousand peopleare baptized Acts /!

< The story ?uickly turns, and the church is persecuted, often severely

< 8evertheless, the church spreads rapidly The book of Acts concludes with >aul in

:o%e, where he spends two years welco%ing "all who were co%ing to hi%, preaching

the @ingdo% of od, and teaching the things concerning the ord 3esus $hrist with all

boldness, without hindrance" Acts /.1201#!

LUKE 4:21-24. T7*A;+

21 He began to tell them, "Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 22 All

testified about him reek. emarturoun auto &&was testifying or bearing witness to hi%! ,and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said,

"Isn't this Joseph's son" 23 He said to them, "!oubtless you will tell me this parable,

'hysician, heal yourself# $hate%er we ha%e heard done at &apernaum, do also here in your hometown.'" 24 He said, "ost certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable reek.

de(tos &&welco%e! in his hometown."

"Today this scripture has been fufied in your hearin!" v /#! 3esus' preaching

begins with the word "Today" The prophets conveyed pro%ises for the future, but 3esusconveys pro%ises for today The waiting is over The ti%e has co%e The (pirit of the

ord is upon 3esus now He brings good news to the poor today He proclai%s, at this

very %o%ent, release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind He has already

begun to let the oppressed go free to proclai% the year of the ord's favor v #! 6n thisospel, 3esus will speak on several occasions of the kingdo% of od as being already

present ##./2= #B.#B= #C./20/#!

The 3ewish people have waited centuries for the %essiah They have seen od work

%iracle after %iracle throughout their history, fro% the parting of the :ed (ea to the

incineration of the prophets of Daal, so we would expect the% to be ready to receive the%essiah &&but we would be wrong As we will see in this ospel lesson, they are

anything but ready 6t has been four hundred years since they have seen a prophet, except

for 3ohn the Daptist who is now preaching in the wilderness, and they don't expect today

to be the day 6t has been a long ti%e&&centuries&&since od pro%ised a %essiah, and

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they have grown weary of waiting&&like a guard fallen asleep at his post 3esus says,

"T7*A; this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" T7*A;+ Dut they aren't

ready today+ They begin by speaking well of 3esus v //!, but al%ost i%%ediately turnon hi% and try to kill hi% v 12!

This story should be instructive to us 3esus has pro%ised to co%e again 6t has been along ti%e since he %ade that pro%ise, and our guard is down&&we have grown weary of

waiting The day will co%e when 3esus will announce, "T7*A;+"&&and everything will

hinge on our readiness to receive hi% "3esus' clai% that 'today this scripture is fulfilledin your hearing' places both listeners and readers in the position of having to %ake a

choice 8o fence0sitting is possible" Dock, C!

" testified about hi#$ and %ondered at the !racious %ords %hich proceeded out

of his #outh$ and they said$ &'sn&t this (oseph&s son)&" v //! (o%e scholars think of

this co%%ent as negative )ho does 3esus think he is Has he gotten too big for his

britches The reference to 3oseph could point to the e%barrassing circu%stances of

3esus' birth Fatthew #1.G-0GB and Fark B./01 reinforce this by characterizing the people's response as negative fro% the beginning However, in uke's telling, this

ho%etown crowd "wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his %outh"6t see%s that they are surprised at the kid fro% down the block who has begun an exciting

work and whose presence now fills their pulpit

"'sn&t this (oseph&s son)" v //b! reen characterizes this as a "subtle oke between

narrator and reader, because! we uke's readers! know that 3esus is (on of od, not

son of 3oseph= he co%es to fulfill the purpose of od, not to be restricted either by the

de%ands of the devil -.#0#1! or, now, by those of his own townspeople" reen, /#G!

"*oubtess you %i te #e this parabe$ &+hysician$ hea yoursef, hateer %e

hae heard done at /apernau#$ do aso here in your ho#eto%n&" v /1! uke hasnot yet reported on the things that 3esus did in $apernau%, but instead has 3esus going to

$apernau% i%%ediately after this visit to 8azareth vs 1#! However, as noted above,

uke places the story of 3esus' visit to 8azareth earlier than do either Fark or Fatthew because his interest is e%phasis rather than chronology Fatthew tells us that 3esus left

8azareth "and lived in $apernau%, which is by the sea" at the very beginning of his

%inistry, even before he called his disciples Fatthew -.#1! Fark has hi% teaching and

working %iracles in $apernau% at the very beginning of his %inistry Fark #./#01-!3ohn has hi% going to $apernau% i%%ediately after working his first %iracle in $ana

3ohn /.#/! 6t see%s al%ost certain that, by the ti%e 3esus addresses the 8azareth

congregation, he is living in $apernau% rather than 8azareth

3esus' co%%ent %akes it clear that he has done wonderful things in $apernau%, and the

ho%etown folk expect hi% to do at least as %uch for the% 6t is a call for 3esus to %atchhis "gracious words" v //! with great deeds $apernau% has %any entiles a%ong its

population and is thus in 3ewish %inds! less deserving 8ow that 3esus is a%ong his

own people&&od's people&&8azareth expects great things of hi%

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6n context, the phrase "+hysician$ cure yoursef," v /1! appears to %ean, "6f you were

able to heal the undeserving people of $apernau%, you should be able to do even better

for your own people" 6t is a call for loyalty to the in0crowd At the cross, scoffers willrespond to 3esus in %uch this sa%e way They will eer, "He saved others et hi% save

hi%self, if this is the $hrist of od, his chosen one+" /1.1G!

"ost certainy ' te you$ no prophet is acceptabe in his ho#eto%n" v /-! 3esus

cannot accept the narrowing of his %ission that the people of 8azareth would i%pose on

hi% He cannot reserve his generosity for ho%etown folk He cannot devote hi%self tothe local arena 6nstead, he %ust tell these ho%etown folk a truth that they do not want to

hear, and he can predict their response They are not going to be happy

6ndeed, 6srael has a long history of reecting prophets / $hronicles 1B.#B= 3ere%iah /.12=A%os /.#/= Fatthew /1.1C= uke #1.1-= # Thessalonians /.#G= Hebrews ##.1/ ff!

>rophets are seldo% popular, because od sends the% to say unpopular things They tell

of udg%ent and call people to %ake changes that they don't want to %ake

LUKE 4:2-2. THE:E )E:E FA8; )6*7)( 68 6(:AE

25 ")ut truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of *li+ah, when the

s(y was shut up three years and si months, when a great famine came o%er all the land.26 *li+ah was sent to none of them, ecept to -arephath, in the land of Sidon, to a womanwho was a widow. 27 There were many lepers in Israel in the time of *lisha the prophet,

yet not one of them was cleansed, ecept aaman, the Syrian."

"ut truy ' te you$ there %ere #any %ido%s in 'srae in the days of Eiah5Eiah

%as sent to none of the#$ e6cept to 7arephath$ in the and of 8idon$ to a %o#an %ho

%as a %ido%" vs /G0/B! This story fro% # @ings #C would be fa%iliar to this crowd

6n the %idst of a life0threatening drought, od sent Eliah to 9arephath to ask a poor

widow for water and bread (he protested that she had ust enough for one loaf forherself and her son, and then they were going to die Eliah asked her to obey in faith,

pro%ising, "The ar of %eal shall not e%pty, neither shall the ar of oil fail, until the day

that ;ahweh sends rain on the earth" # @ings #C.#-! (he responded as re?uested, and

was duly rewarded ater her son died, and Eliah prayed successfully that his life %ight be restored There is only one proble% with this lovely story The widow was a entile

"There %ere #any epers in 'srae in the ti#e of Eisha the prophet$ yet not one of

the# %as ceansed$ e6cept 9aa#an$ the 8yrian" v /C! This story fro% / @ings G.#0

#- is e?ually fa%iliar, but subect to the sa%e flaw&&8aa%an was also a entile 3esus'

%ention of 8aa%an %ust be especially galling to this 8azareth crowd, because 8aa%anwas a (yrian ar%y co%%ander, and the %ention of his na%e would bring to %ind the

:o%an soldiers who now occupy 6srael

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uke already reported 3ohn's warning to the 3ewish crowds in the wilderness, "Dring

forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and don't begin to say a%ong yourselves, ')e

have Abraha% for our father=' for 6 tell you that od is able to raise up children toAbraha% fro% these stones+" 1.! The 3ewish people %ust not consider their

relationship with od to be an exclusive franchise 3esus reinforced that %essage by

beginning his work in $apernau% see Fatthew -.#1!, a place where %any entiles liveThe 8azareth crowd has not yet reected 3esus, because they expect that he will do even

%ore wonderful things in 8azareth 8ow, however, he speaks clearly and decisively,

drawing fro% their own scriptures to dash their expectations They cannot expectexclusive privileges ust because they are 3ewish

LUKE 4:2-30. THE; )E:E A I6E* )6TH ):ATH

28They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things. 29They rose

up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built

on, that they might throw him off the cliff.

30

)ut he, passing through their midst, went hisway.

"They %ere a fied %ith %rath in the syna!o!ue$ as they heard these thin!s" v

/! 3ewish people think of 6saiah B#.#, which 3esus ?uotes at 8azareth vv #0#J!, as a pro%ise to 6srael&&that the %essiah will bring good news to oppressed 6srael, will bind up

the brokenhearted of 6srael, and proclai% liberty to captive 6srael They think of the

phrase, "the day of vengeance of our od" in 6saiah B#./&&which 3esus did not include in

his ?uotation&&as pro%ising udg%ent on 6srael's ene%ies 6n other words, they expectthe %essiah to deliver 6srael and to wreak vengeance on 6srael's ene%ies However, 3esus

re%inds the% of a low point in their history, when od brought fa%ine on 6srael as a

udg%ent but saved a entile widow 3esus also re%inds the% of od's %ercy on entile 8aa%an His %essage is the opposite of the one that they expect to hear, and they are

furious )e should not udge the% too harshly, however, because we, too, are easily

angered when so%eone tells a truth that we don't want to hear

"They rose up$ thre% hi# out of the city$ and ed hi# to the bro% of the hi that

their city %as buit on$ that they #i!ht thro% hi# off the ciff" v /J! This could be

a stoning procedure&&acco%plished by pushing a person over a cliff or into a low placeso that the crowd can stand above and throw stones eviticus /-.#- re?uired such

stonings to take place outside of town see also Acts C.G= #-.#J! (toning is appropriate

for a false prophet *euterono%y #1.#0##! However, it is also possible that the crowd issi%ply functioning as an enraged %ob with no agenda other than venting rage and

eli%inating its source

As stated above, this story is a paradig% for the rest of 3esus' %inistry&&and also for the

%inistry of the early church in the book of Acts 6t prepares us for.

< 3esus' continuing e%phasis on %inistry to out0groups

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< The growing opposition to 3esus by 3ewish leaders and the crowd's insistence that 3esus

be crucified /1.#!

< The persecution of the church in the book of Acts also written by uke!

< The eventual acceptance of entiles into the church that will begin with >eter's vision in

Acts #2

< >aul's state%ent, "De it known therefore to you, that the salvation of od is sent to the

nations They will also listen" Acts /./!

"ut he$ passin! throu!h their #idst$ %ent his %ay" vs 12! uke will tell otherstories of %iraculous escapes.

< An angel will free >eter fro% prison Acts #/.B0##!

< The crowds will stone >aul and leave hi% for dead, but he will revive and continue to

*erbe where he will resu%e his %inistry Acts #-.#J0/2!

< An earth?uake will free >aul and (ilas fro% prison, resulting in the conversion of the

ailer and his household Acts #B./G01-!

< Iorty 3ews will for% a conspiracy against >aul and bind the%selves to an oath to kill

hi%, but they were unable to lay a hand on hi% Acts /1.#/0//!

>erhaps we could su%%arize by saying that, when a person responds faithfully to od's

call, od will not allow interlopers to thwart that call That falls short of total protection

od's servants have been i%prisoned, stoned, shipwrecked, beaten, and even %artyred&& but they have not been stopped As 3ulian of 8orwich put it. "od said not, 'Thou shalt

not be te%pested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be afflicted,' but he said,

'Thou shalt not be overco%e'"

CHI7DREN/S SERON& All (poke )ell of Hi%Dy ois >arker Edstro%

7bect suggested. Fe%ento or picture of a well0known person specific to your area

*o you know of a fa%ous person who grew up in your town >erhaps there is a street

na%ed after that person or a %useu% that contains infor%ation about a well0known person fro% your area

6n %y s%all town the fa%ous person is a sea captain who sailed fro% the east coast of the

4nited (tates, around the tip of (outh A%erica, to the west coast of the 4nited (tates Hesettled on an island in >uget (ound and our s%all town is na%ed after hi%

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(tories have been told about the fa%ous sea captain because he was brave and

adventurous He helped early settlers for% a co%%unity where they could live together, build a church, start a school, and set up businesses Tell the story of a well0known

person who is uni?ue to your location!

>eople beco%e fa%ous for %any reasons )e know of those who are fa%ous because

they invent things= others are great artists, %usicians, writers, or actors= still others %ay

excel at sports or have discovered a cure for a troubleso%e illness

3esus beca%e fa%ous because he brought od's love to the world He traveled to %any

towns, teaching and preaching the good news of od's love He healed people of their

illnesses, brought sight to the blind, and set people free

As an adult he traveled back to his ho%etown where people had known hi% as a boy Ior

hundreds of years prophets people who talked about what would happen in the future!

had spoken about the (on of od who would co%e to bring od's love to all people

The people of his ho%etown could hardly believe that 3esus was this fa%ous person ofwho% the prophets had spoken, but he told the%, "Today, this (cripture has been fulfilled

in your hearing" -./#! This %eant that what the prophets had foretold was happening

for all to see & 3esus offering od's love to all people

The Dible tells us that "All testified spoke well! about hi%, and wondered at the gracious

words which proceeded out of his %outhK" -.//! ;ou can learn %ore about 3esus in

the Dible

SERON&

3esus spoke in his ho%etown synagogue He started off all right+ He read a passage fro%

6saiah about good news for the poor and freedo% for the oppressed, and the people lovedit They figured that he was talking about the% He was bringing the% good news He

was bringing the% freedo% fro% oppression uke says, "All testified about hi%, and

wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his %outh" v //! )asn't this

3oseph's son+ )asn't he the kid fro% down the block+ How had he grown up to beso%ebody )here did he get his talent

Dut then so%ething went wrong 3esus spoke ust a little longer Dy the ti%e he wasfinished, they were ready to lynch hi%+ The ho%etown crowd was ready to throw hi%

over a cliff+ His friends and neighbors wanted to kill hi%+ )hat happened )hat

caused this sudden loss of support )hy did the people of 8azareth turn against 3esus

The answer is very si%ple 3esus had worked %iracles in $apernau%, a town not far

fro% 8azareth&&and not very refined by 8azareth standards ots of entiles lived there


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6t would be going too far to call $apernau% ">aganland," but that is how the people of

8azareth felt about it They looked down their noses at $apernau%

8ow that 3esus had returned to 8azareth&&returned ho%e&&the people expected that he

would work even greater %iracles They were not sure why he had started his %inistry in

$apernau%&&perhaps he was ust war%ing up there&&but they were sure that he wouldgive 8azareth a special dose of his %agic )hen he read the scriptures about good news

for the poor and freedo% for the oppressed, they said, ";es+" ive us so%e good news+

ive us so%e freedo%+ ay it on us+

Dut then 3esus disappointed the%+ He told the% that they were expecting a great deal

fro% hi% now that he was back ho%e, but he said, "Fost certainly 6 tell you, no prophet

is acceptable in his ho%etown" v /-! Then he told the% two stories fro% theirscriptures They were very fa%iliar stories to that synagogue crowd, but they are

probably less fa%iliar to you

The first story was about Eliah There was a great fa%ine >eople were starving odtold Eliah to go to a widow in 9arephath, and he did so The wo%an was in a pitiful

situation (he had a young son, and the fa%ine had ruined the% He had only a handfulof %eal and a bit of oil&&ust enough for one pitiful %eal for herself and her son 7nce

they ate that, she had nothing else The cupboard was bare They were doo%ed to

starvation

)hen Eliah found the widow, he asked her for so%ething to eat (he told hi% that she

couldn't help hi% (he told hi% of her handful of %eal and her little bit of oil (he told

hi% that she and her son would soon die of starvation Eliah told her not to be afraidHe told her to go ahead with her plans, but he told her to bring hi% a s%all cake of %eal

first Then he %ade her this pro%ise He said, "Ior thus says the od of 6srael, 'The ar

of %eal shall not e%pty, neither shall the ar of oil fail, until the day that od! sends rainon the earth'" # @ings #C.#-! The widow did as Eliah had asked, and his pro%ise ca%e

to pass "The ar of %eal didn't e%pty, neither did the ar of oil fail, according to the

word of the ord!, which he spoke by Eliah" # @ings #C.#B!

6t was a lovely story&&a story guaranteed to tug at the heart of any parent who had ever

despaired of providing for their children There was only one flaw in the story The

wo%an was a entile 3esus told the people of 8azareth that there had been plenty ofneedy 3ewish widows, but od had sent Eliah to help this entile widow

Then he told the% about 8aa%an, a (yrian ar%y general with leprosy A servant girl told 8aa%an's wife that there was a prophet in (a%aria who could cure the leprosy 8aa%an

went to Elisha, who ordered hi% to bathe seven ti%es in the 3ordan :iver 8aa%an was

not pleased Dathing in a river would not cure leprosy Desides that, they had betterrivers in (yria than this %uddy strea% in (a%aria 6f bathing in a river would cure

leprosy, 8aa%an would have bathed in one of the *a%ascus rivers He started to leave in

a huff

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Dut one of 8aa%an's servants ca%e to hi% and said, 6f the prophet had asked you to do

so%ething difficult you would have done it (ince he asked you to do so%ething easy, at

least give it a chance+ *on't give up+ Try it+ (o 8aa%an bathed in the 3ordan seventi%es The first six ti%es, nothing happened Then, after he i%%ersed hi%self a seventh

ti%e, he ca%e up out of the water and his skin was "restored like the flesh of a young boy,

and he was clean" / @ings G.#-!

Again, a lovely story There was only one flaw in it 8aa%an was a entile 3esus told

the people of 8azareth that there were plenty of 3ewish lepers, but od had decided tocure this (yrian leper

The people of 8azareth were not stupid They knew that two plus two e?uals four They

could read 3esus' lips He had started his %inistry a%ong entiles, and now he wasre%inding the% of od's special grace to entiles

< 3esus was telling the% that, as 3ews, they had no exclusive franchise on od's love or

%ercy

< He was telling the% that they, as his ho%etown neighbors and his country%en, had nospecial clai% on his affections

< He was telling the% that he was bringing good news&&and he was bringing it toentiles as well as 3ews

And they didn't like it+ They didn't like it one little bit+ They had assu%ed all their lives

that they had a corner on religion They had od locked up+ They %ight not be a greatnation like Egypt or Dabylonia or :o%e, but they had od in their pocket+ od was on

their side, and that %eant that od was against everyone else The ene%ies of 6srael were

od's ene%ies od would lift the 3ews up and grind their ene%ies down

Dut 3esus said, 8o+ od loves the entiles too+ ;our own scriptures tell you that+ 3ust

look at the%+ 3ust look at the widow of 9arapheth+ 3ust look at 8aa%an+ *on't theirstories tell you anything+

And the people of 8azareth got so angry that they tried to kill 3esus They tried to throw

hi% off a cliff They tried to dash hi% on the rocks He had preached a ser%on that theydidn't want to hear, and they tried to silence his voice forever

And we say, How stupid+ How parochial+ They had ears, but they could not hear+ Theyhad eyes, but they could not see+ $ouldn't they understand that od is big enough to get

his ar%s around all of us+ $ouldn't they see that od can be generous to one person

without taking it away fro% another person+ $ouldn't they understand the i%plications of their own scriptures+

Dut are we any better Are we

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(o%e years ago, Fartin uther @ing, 3r said, "I have a dream that one day thisnation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We holdthese truths to be self-evident; that all men were created equal.'" ndpeople got very angry.

!ing said "I have a dream that one day on the red hills of #eorgia thesons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be ableto sit down together at the table of brotherhood." nd they put him in $ail.

%e said "I have a dream that one day even the state of &ississippi astate sweltering with the heart of in$ustice sweltering with the heat ofoppression will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and $ustice."nd they brought out the dogs.

%e said "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in

a nation where they will not be $udged according to the color of theirsin but by the content of their character." nd they bombed a churchand illed little girls.

%e said "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be e(altedevery hill and mountain shall be made low the rough places will bemade plain and the crooed places will be made straight and theglory of the )ord shall be revealed and all *esh shall see it together."nd they pointed a ri*e and pulled the trigger.

In those days I was the pastor of a small church. +ne of the elders in

that congregation said "If &artin )uther !ing is such a ,ne man whydoes trouble brea out wherever he goes" I said "ut he doesn'tcause the trouble/" %e said "ut trouble follows him wherever hegoes/" I said "What about 0esus 1rouble followed him too/" ut that $ust made him angry. I could see it in his face. 1hat elder would havebeen happy to hurl me o2 a cli233preferably right behind &artin )uther!ing 0r. It was a di4cult time for me personally33and a terrible timefor our country.

We can say 1hose days are behind us. 1han #od we don't have to gothrough that again. ut those days are not over. 1hose days will not

be over until we can get our arms around the people whom #od loves.We aren't even close.

I was taling with friends about the problems of violence in prisons.%ow do you control a violent population +ne of my friends said thathe could solve it/ 0ust bring in guns and mow them down/ +ur armsare not very long yet and our hearts need ,lling with love.

##


12/17

+ur nation is preparing to elect a new president but we are so divided.5an we pull together/ 5an we mae decisions based on what is rightfor the nation rather than what is right for a particular group I don'tnow/ +ur arms are not very long yet.

1he situation in the &ideast is about as tense as it has ever been. It isa powder eg surrounded by people trying to light the fuse. Is thereany hope I don't now. +ur arms are not very long yet and we6re notinclined to reach out to those who are di2erent than we are.

)e would like 3esus to s%ooth all the rough places in the road&&and %ake our lives

easier (o%eti%es 3esus does %ake our lives easier 6 a% convinced that %y lifeti%e

walk with 3esus has conferred blessing upon blessing on %e 6 a% often able to sleep atnight after turning a proble% over to 3esus 7ften 6 awake with the solution lighting up

%y horizon

Dut 3esus did not co%e to bless us with an easy life 6nstead, he has co%e to give us a lifefull of purpose and %eaning et us never forget to pray for guidance&&and let us never

forget 3esus said that the %ost i%portant co%%and%ent is to love od&&and a second

co%%and%ent is like it&&to love our neighbor 6f we will do those two things, we can beassured that 3esus will bless us in ways that we could never have i%agined on our own

FOR ORE SERONS ON THIS TE8T&

o to http.LLwwwlectionaryorgL

7n the EIT side, under (E:F78(, click on the "Dy Dook of Dible" link

Then click on the "uke" link in the right0hand colu%n

THOUHT PROVO9ERS&

6f 3esus $hrist were to co%e today, people would not even crucify hi%

They would ask hi% to dinner,

and hear what he had to say,

and %ake fun of it

Tho%as $arlyle

M M M M M M M M M M

To this day the fact re%ains that when a %an is brought face to face with 3esus $hrist,

he %ust either hate hi% or love hi%=

he %ust either sub%it to hi%, or desire to destroy hi% 8o %an who realizes what 3esus $hrist de%ands can possibly be neutral

#/

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13/17

He %ust either be his lover or his foe

)illia% Darclay

M M M M M M M M M M

The only real 3esus is one who is larger than life, who escapes our categories,

who eludes our atte%pts to reduce hi% to %anageable proportions so that we can clai% hi%for our cause

Any 3esus who has been %ade to fit our for%ula ceases to be appealing

precisely because he is no longer wondrous, %ysterious, surprising)e %ay reduce hi% to a right0wing :epublican conservative or a gun0toting Farxist

revolutionary

and thus rationalize and ustify our own political ideology

Dut having done so, we are dis%ayed to discover that whoever we have signed on as anally is not 3esus

$ategorize 3esus and he isn't 3esus any%ore

Andrew reeley's introduction to loyd $ *ouglas's The /obe

M M M M M M M M M M

7ur society has taken 3esus and recreated hi% in our own cultural i%age

)hen 6 hear 3esus being proclai%ed fro% the television stations across our country, fro% pulpits hither and yon,

he co%es across not as the biblical 3esus, not as the 3esus described in the Dible,

but as a white, Anglo0(axon, >rotestant :epublican

od created us in his i%age, but we have decided to return the favor and create a od who is in our i%age

Tony $a%polo

M M M M M M M M M M

A %an who really thought of nothing but getting safe to heaven

would be as bad as a %an in a shipwreck who thought of nothing but getting hi%self safeinto a boat

Dernard Dosan?uet

M M M M M M M M M M

6 have three English walnuts, and both %y sons want two of the%

6n every real%, that's the %aor proble% in the world today

#1


14/17

Abraha% incoln

M M M M M M M M M M

HYNS&

Daptist Hy%nal DH!$halice Hy%nal $H!

$ollegeville Hy%nal $7!

$o%%on >raise $>!Evangelical utheran )orship E)!

ather $o%prehensive $!

3ourney(ongs 3(!

utheran Dook of )orship D)!utheran (ervice Dook (D!

utheran )orship )!>resbyterian Hy%nal >H!The Iaith )e (ing TI)(!

The Hy%nal #J/ TH!

The 8ew $entury Hy%nal T8$H!4nited Fethodist Hy%nal 4FH!

5oices 4nited 54!

)ith 7ne 5oice )75!

)onder ove and >raise )>!)orship N :eoice ):!

ATHERIN&

Iro% All That *well Delow the (kies DH O#1= $H O-J= $7 OGB1= $> O1--= 3( O--C=D) OGG2= (D O#B= ) O--2= >H O//J= TH O12= T8$H O/C= 4FH O#2#!

How Iir% a Ioundation DH O11= $H OB#= $7 O-G/= $> OG/C= E) OCJB= $ OB2B=3( O-2-= D) OG2C= (D OC/= ) O-##= >H O1B#= TH OB1B, B1C= T8$H O-2C= 4FH

OG/J= 54 OBB2= ): O-##!

PROC7AIIN&

Iather, )e Thank ;ou, for ;our Have >lanted $7 O1C-= $> O#= E) O-C= $ OGB=(D OBG/= TH O12/0121= 4FH OGB1,GBG= )75 OC2-!

Also known as "Iather, )e Thank Thee"

od of race and od of lory $H O-B-= $> OGCC= E) OC2G= D) O-#G= (D OG2=

) O1J= >H O-/2= TH OGJ-, GJG= T8$H O-1B= 4FH OGCC= 54 OBB= ): OGBJ!

#-


15/17

od of ove and od of >ower 4FH OGC!

Help us Accept Each 7ther $H O-C= >H O1G= T8$H O1= 4FH OGB2= ): OGJB!

6n $hrist, There 6s 8o East or )est DH O1G= $H OBC= $7 OBG2= $> O--= E) OBG2=$ OC1= 3( O--1= D) O1GJ= (D OBG1= >H O-1J0--2= TH OG/J= T8$H O1J-, 1JG=

4FH OG-= 54 OB2B= ): OB21!

ord $hrist, )hen Iirst Thou $a%'st to Earth $7 OB#C= E) OC/C= D) O-/#= >H OC=

TH OGJ!

ord of the *ance $7 OG/C= $ OC2= 3( OGG-= >H O12/= 4FH O/B#= 54 O1G/= ):O##!

Also known as 6 *anced in the Forning

ord, (peak to Fe DH OGB= E) OBCB= D) O-21= >H O-/B= T8$H OG1#= 4FHO-B1= 54 OGJ= ): OGJ1!

Also known as ord, (peak to 4s

7 ;oung and Iearless >rophet $H OBBJ= 4FH O---!

Thou Art the )ay, to Thee Alone $> OG#G= D) O-B-= ) /1= TH O-GC!

SENDIN&

Here 6 A%, ord $H O-G/= E) OGC-= $ OBB= 3( OG/= >H OG/G= 4FH OGJ1= 54

OG2J= )> O#/= )75 OCG/= ): OGGJ!

7 ove That )ilt 8ot et Fe o DH O/J/= $H OG-2= D) O1/-= >H O1-= T8$H

O-G= 4FH O-2= 54 OBG= ): O--B!

HYN STORY& ord, (peak to Fe

Irances :idley Havergal wrote the hy%n, "ord, (peak to Fe" (he also wrote other

hy%ns, the best known being "Take Fy ife and et 6t De"

The daughter of an Anglican clergy%an who devoted hi%self to the i%prove%ent of

church %usic, Irances was a gifted poet, pianist, and singer who followed in hisfootsteps Her passion was bringing people to $hrist Her char%ing personality helped

her to do that, and her %usical gifts continue to nurture our faith even today

#G


16/17

Her original title for this hy%n was "A )orker's >rayer" )hen you read the words of the

hy%n, it beco%es clear that she was speaking of a $hristian worker&&a worker for the

@ingdo% of od

The hy%n is a prayer that od will speak to us so that we %ight, in turn, speak for od

6t is a prayer that od will teach us so that we %ight be able to teach others 6t is a prayer that od will fill us until our hearts overflow with kind thoughts, glowing words, love,

and praise 6t is a prayer that od will use us however he chooses until that day when we

see hi% face to face

et us %ake this hy%n our prayer

87TE. (ee other hy%n stories at http.LLwwwlectionaryorgLhy%nstoriesht%

($:6>T4:E P47TAT678( are fro% the )orld English Dible )ED!, a public do%ain no copyright!

%odern English translation of the Holy Dible The )orld English Dible is based on the A%erican (tandard

5ersion A(5! of the Dible, the Diblia Hebraica (tutgartensa 7ld Testa%ent, and the reek Faority Text 8ew Testa%ent The A(5, which is also in the public do%ain due to expired copyrights, was a very good

translation, but included %any archaic words hast, shineth, etc!, which the )ED has updated )e are

using the )ED because we believe it to be the best public do%ain version of the Dible available

-I-7IORAPHY&

Darclay, )illia%, The !aily Study )ible, The 0ospel of 1u(e Edinburgh. (aint Andrew

>ress, #JG1!

Dock, *arrell , The I2 ew Testament &ommentary Series3 1u(e, 5ol, 1 *owners

rove, 6llinois, 6ntervarsity >ress, #JJ-!

Dorg, Farcus 3, 1ectionary )ible Studies3 The 4ear of 1u(e, (tudy Dook

$ousar, $harles D= aventa, Deverly := Fc$ann, 3 $linton= and 8ewso%e, 3a%es *,

Tets for reaching3 A 1ectionary &ommentary )ased on the /S254ear & ouisville.

)est%inster 3ohn @nox >ress, #JJ-!

$raddock, Ired D, Interpretation3 1u(e ouisville. 3ohn @nox >ress, #JJ2!

$raddock, Ired D= Hayes, 3ohn H= Holliday, $arl := and Tucker, ene F, reachingThrough the &hristian 4ear, & 5alley Iorge. Trinity >ress, #JJ-!

$ulpepper, : Alan, The ew Interpreter's )ible, 5olu%e 6Q 8ashville. Abingdon,#JJG!

Evans, $raig A, ew International )iblical &ommentary3 1u(e >eabody, FA,

Hendrickson >ublishers, 6nc, #JJ2!

#B

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17/17

Evans, $raig A, in 5an Harn, :oger ed!, The 1ectionary &ommentary3 Theological

*egesis for Sunday's Tet. The Third /eadings3 The 0ospels rand :apids. )illia%D Eerd%ans >ublishing $o, /22#!

Iitz%yer, 3oseph A, (3, The Anchor )ible3 The 0ospel According to 1u(e 6I7I89 8ew;ork. *oubleday, #JC2!

il%our, ( Facean N Dowie, )alter :ussell, The Interpreter's )ible, 5olu%e 8ashville. Abingdon, #JG/!

reen, 3oel D, The ew International &ommentary on the ew Testament3 The 0ospel of

1u(e rand :apids. )illia% D Eerd%ans >ublishing $o%pany, #JJC!

Hendriksen, )illia%, ew Testament &ommentary3 1u(e rand :apids. Daker Dook

House, #JC!

3ohnson, uke Ti%othy, Sacra agina3 The 0ospel of 1u(e $ollegeville. iturgical

>ress, #JJ#!

8ickle, @eith I, reaching the 0ospel of 1u(e ouisville. )est%inster 3ohn @nox,

/222!

8olland, 3ohn, $ord )iblical &ommentary3 1u(e :55;3ress!

(tein, :obert H, The ew American &ommentary3 1u(e 8ashville. Droad%an >ress,

#JJ/!

Tannehill, :obert $, Abingdon ew Testament &ommentaries3 1u(e 8ashville.

Abingdon, #JJB!

wwwlectionaryorg

$opyright /2#B, :ichard 8iell *onovan

#C
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