The Seal of our Inheritance

 

Ephesians 1:11-23 is a lovely reading for All Saints Sunday, assigned in the Year of Luke.  In this passage we are assured of God's gracious work of election, not only for our sake but for the sake of the world.  We are also assured that we are sealed (in baptism) with the Spirit, which is God's "earnest money" assuring us of our eternal inheritance. It will be the preacher's privilege to share this glorious good news with those who hear.

(The following questions have been developed to highlight the way the Word functions in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers. These questions are best used in conjunction with other fine sets of questions available to exegetes.  For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in particular, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available at wipfandstock.com or any independent bookseller or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  There is no doubt that the Word is functioning as Gospel here.  Over and over we hear the promises of God towards us, and the announcement of the sovereignty of Christ, "the fullness of him who fills all in all."

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is no word of Law in this text.  We shall have to turn to our Old Testament lesson for the day in Daniel 7 where we hear of the four beasts in Daniel's vision who terrify him.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are the ones comforted by this writer, assured of our inheritance in Christ, and the pledge of our inheritance as God's people.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  Just as there is no Law here, so there is no Call to Obedience. There is nothing but praise and promise.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  With all the emphasis on our inheritance, we can invent several couplets: outsiders/family; outcasts/heirs.

6.  Exegetical work:  The term arrabon, translated 'pledge' in verse 14, can also be translated, according to MacDonald, as "first installment, deposit, downpayment... that...secures a legal claim to the article in question."  He goes on to say, "...the term clearly refers to God's pledge to complete the process of bestowing the gifts of salvation of which believers have already received a first installment." (Sacra Pagina series, Colossians, Ephesians, p.205).  Ralph Martin, in his commentary, builds on this, saying, "[Our hope]... is fastened to the reality of God's power and providence to bring to completion what has begun." "God's saving purposes in Christ have already appeared in the life of the church, but the end is not yet."  "For Ephesians the end is not yet in sight; but the final chapter of God's story, while it may contain surprises, may be guessed from what has happened and is continuing." (Interpretation series, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, p.20).  II Corinthians 1:21-22 concurs: "But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a arrabon."  Ancient scholars and reformers also agree.  Fourth century bishop, John Chrysostom, wrote:  "By this seal God shows great forethought for humanity.  He not only sets apart a people and gives them an inheritance, but secures it as well.  It is just as if someone might stamp his heirs plainly in advance, so God set us apart to believe and sealed us for the inhieritance of future glory." (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. VIII. p.118).  David, Dickson, the Scottish reformer, said this:  "The gift of the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, to wit, the pledge and part of our happiness that shall be consumate hereafter." (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. X, p.262).

Blessings in your proclamation!

Prayer Posture Challenged?

 Luke 18:1-8, the Gospel lesson appointed for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Luke, may be one of the most difficult parables in the Bible.  It seems to compare God to an unjust judge and a widow to any person hoping for an answer to prayer.  Neither person in the parable is all that commendable. What is God trying to draw our attention to here? That will be the question the preacher must wrestle with.

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but are best used in conjunction with other fine sets of questions available to exegetes. These questions have been developed to lift up the way the Word functions in the text, a fundamental consideration for Law and Gospel preachers. For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available through any bookstore or through Amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The Word here seems to function primarily as Gospel, identifying our tendency to "lose heart" in the face of injustice, and encouraging us to believe that God will "grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night."

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is no call to repentance here, thus the Word is not functioning as Law except in the last verse, when the Lord asks, "And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"  Here, we hear again a warning lest we abandon our God when our prayers seem to go unanswered.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  It seems clear that we are to identify with the widow who is not giving up although her voice seems unheard.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience is the Word functioning to invite us to live in a certain way because of God's work in Christ. The call here is not a call to obedience, but a call to insistent, bold faith.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  The text provides at least one ready-made couplet:  losing heart/finding faith. One of Herman Stuempfle's classic couplets could also work well: despair/hope.

6.  Exegetical work:  There is no shortage of commentary on this puzzling parable.  Most read this parable as a conflict between a rather defenseless widow and a powerful and impassive judge. (e.g. Buttrick, Jeremias).  Bernard Brandon Scott focuses on the context of this teaching, saying that "this parable is woven into the context of an eschatological discourse that begins in Luke 17:20 with the pharisees' question on the coming of the kingdom. The question about the coming of the kingdom generates a warning concerning the days of the Son of Man's Parousia, a time of danger and stress." (Hear Then the Parable: A Commentary on the Parables of Jesus, p.176).  Amy-Jill Levine takes quite a different tack.  She notes that nowhere in the parable is anything said that indicates the widow is poor or defenseless.  Indeed, her persistence is evidence of her agency. Also, although this parable is often entitled "the Unjust Judge," there is no evidence the judge is wicked, only indifferent.  Levine suggests that the parable is challenging our stereotypes of both God and praying folk. (Short Stories by Jesus, pp.221-245).  Ben Stiller, in his brief commentary would seem to concur, saying, "In this parable, bold tenacity is treated as a form of religious piety and godly faith." (Preaching Parables to Postmoderns, p.133).

7.  How does the Crossings community model work with this text?  Chris Repp does a nice job of showing what is at stake here in his 2019 analysis.  He lifts up our lack of prayer in the face of injustice, suggesting this may even lead us to blaming God. God responds, however, by defeating injustice on the Cross, taking injustice upon himself. Go to crossings.org/text-study for the entire analysis.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Lost and Found

 

Luke 15:1-10 is the Gospel appointed for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Luke.  It contains two very familiar parables, the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.  What is interesting is that the "lost ones" (i.e. tax collectors and sinners) are the ones drawn to Jesus, while the religious folk are the ones repelled by him.  What is front and center, however, is the divine joy over the redemption of the lost.  It will be the preacher's joy to proclaim this divine joy.

(The following questions have been formulated to bring to the fore the way the Word functions in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers. This is important because the way the Word functions in the text is the way the sermon, at least in part, must function.  For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available at wipfandstock.com, amazon, or any independent bookstore.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The primary function of the Word here is to proclaim God's joy over the redemption of the lost. This is, of course, a Gospel function.  The Law is present as well, however, as Jesus calls into question the Pharisaic tendency to dismiss as worthless those individuals who do not meet our piety standards.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  It is usually important to identify with those to whom the Word is directed, in this case, the Pharisees.  They are portrayed as those who do not know that 1) God loves all people deeply, aside from their sins, and 2) They themselves are sinners, the lost ones.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience here might be implied in that since God leaves out no one, neither should we; we should welcome all to the table.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Couplets come readily to mind in this text: lost/found; unwelcomed/welcomed; judged/redeemed.

5.  Exegetical work: It is important to note the opening verse:  "Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him."  This indicates that these "undesirables", clearly judged and condemned by the Pharisees, did not feel judged or condemned by Jesus.  This is an important contextual note.  Joachim Jeremias, in his classic commentary, understands these people in this way:  "The term 'sinners' means 1) People who led an immoral life (e.g. adulterers, swindlers...) and 2) People who followed a dishonorable calling (i.e. an occupation which notoriously involved immorality or dishonesty)...For example, excise men, tax collectors, shepherds, donkey-drivers, pedlars, and tanners." (The Parables of Jesus, p.132)   Amy-Jill Levine says that in today's economy, these undesirables would be "arms dealers, loansharks, [and] insider traders." (The New Cambridge Bible Commentary, The Gospel of Luke, p.410).  David Buttrick observes the excessive celebration present in the parables.  Calling in the neighbors upon finding one sheep?  One coin?!  "Each of the two 'lost' parables strains credulity... An audience would be surprised by both parables.  Surprise doubles when a preacher adds, 'Just like God!'" (Speaking Parables; A Homiletic Guide, p.198).  Bernard Brandon Scott speaks to this as well:  "In the two parables the lost sheep or coin has little intrinsic value.  Rather its value is in being found, in the joy of its recovery.  In the transition to the larger narrative cycle of Luke 15, the value and joy are in repentance."  (Hear Then the Parable; A Commentary on the Parables of Jesus, p.407).

6.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text? There are a number of examples of exegetical work using the Crossings model.  Timothy Hoyer's analysis centers on the worth or worthlessness of the lost, showing how Jesus became lost in order that we might be found. Go to crossings.org/text-study to see all the examples.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Open Table

 

The Gospel text appointed for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Luke is Luke 14:1, 7-14.  It is an interesting text because it can be interpreted in a number of ways.  On one hand, it functions much like the OT reading for this Sunday from Proverbs 25:  "... it is better to be told, 'Come up here,' than to be put lower in the presence of a noble."  On the other hand, Jesus uses the familiar language of a wedding banquet in both of his exhortations to his listeners, so one can't help but here "kingdom of God" language here.  It will be the preacher's task to decide how to proceed.

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but have been developed to highlight the way the Word functions in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers. The reason this is important is because the way the Word functions is the way the sermon must, at least in part, function as well.  For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  It is curious that Luke tells us Jesus is going to tell his hearers a parable, but then he does nothing of the sort.  He simply instructs them in humility.  Perhaps hidden here is the Word functioning to announce the way God's kingdom operates.  (i.e. God's reign is one where all have seats of honor).  This is certainly good news, a Gospel function.  There is also an element of rebuke here:  "Those who exalt themselves will be humbled."  This is a Law function, calling us to repentance.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We identify with Jesus' listeners, those who are prone to believe that 1) When it comes to honor, we must take matters into our own hands; 2) Life is transactional - you grease one person's palm and they grease yours, and 3) God's kingdom is like this as well.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  As pointed out above, this text could be read as simply an exhortation to humility.  Taken as such, this is a call to obedience, the invitation to live in a certain way in response to the good news.  It seems much more likely, however, that Jesus is holding up "kingdom behavior" as something that comes from faith. This text is then more a call to faith than a call to obedience.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  A number of couplets come readily to mind from this text:  having no place/having a place of honor; outsider/insider; dishonored/exalted.

5.  Exegetical work:  In a sermon on this text, Luther understands this text primarily as a call to obedience, saying that humility causes "peace and unity to follow, while strife and discord decrease.  However, such pride can come when we believe that the gifts of God are grown in our own garden." (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. III, p. 297).  In contrast, several contemporary exegetes follow the Law/Gospel format.  Amy-Jill Levine writes, "...in the Gospel of Luke is the theme of status reversal, the idea that the current power structures and values of this world will be turned upside down by the reign of God." (New Cambridge Bible Commentary, The Gospel of Luke, p.395).  Fred Craddock concurs: "...Luke gives ample evidence that the subject here is the kingdom of God."  Craddock goes on, however, seeing the call to obedience as well:  "Since God is host of us all, we as hosts are really behaving as guests, making no claims, setting no conditions, expecting no return." (Interpretation series, Luke, pp.176-77).

6.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  There are a number of fine examples of exegesis on this text, archived under its reference.  Mark Marius sees the grace in this text, saying "We are those invited to the banquet who cannot pay the host."  That's grace! Go to crossings.org/text-study to see multiple examples.

Blessings on your proclamation!

God Distant or Near?

Jeremiah 23:23-29 is the First Lesson appointed for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Luke.  As such, it pairs well with the gospel lesson from Luke 12 where Jesus announces that he has not come to bring peace but division.  Both of these texts portray God as One who will not be manipulated or cajoled.  It will be the preacher's task to present this "tough love" in a way that can be heard.

(The following questions have been developed to highlight the function of the Word in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  These questions are best used with other fine sets of questions with other concerns.  For more on this particular method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wiptandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  There is no question that this is a Law-based text. The false prophets who are plaguing Israel are particularly lifted up for judgement.  The God portrayed here is a God of fierce judgement who will not tolerate false uses of the divine name.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  The Gospel is really hidden here. A hint of it may be found in verse 27 where God shows concern that God's people will forget God's name.  This is a hint of the eternal love of God, and God's grief over sin.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We identify with those who are being warned in this text. We are often those who, like the false prophets, assume that God is "near" (i.e. just like us, our buddy), when, in fact, God is very, very much "distant" (unlike us, holy, wholly other).

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call here is the call to repentance, not the call to obedience. The call to obedience is God's invitation to live in a certain way in response to the Gospel.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Given that the call to repentance is the function of this text, the classic couplet sin/forgiveness is definitely in order.  More specific to this text, we might add falsity/truth telling.

6.  Exegetical work: The opening verse in this text presents a puzzle.  Since there is no indication in the Hebrew that the sentence is in interrogative form, the opening verse may read "I am a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off," or it may read (as in the NRSV), "Am I a God nearby, says the Lord, and not a God far off."  Or, alternatively, (as in the NIV), "Am I only a God nearby, declares the Lord, and not a God far away?"  Robert Carroll, in his excellent commentary on this passage, lifts up what is at stake here.  He notes that both God's transcendence and God's immanence are in play here, curiously leading us to the same place.  If Yahweh is distant, then God sees everything because of God's transcendence.  If Yahweh is near, God's nearness allows God to see everything clearly becaue God is immanent.  In both cases, God sees everything.  But these characteristics also speak of God's accessibility.  Carroll writes:  "The interrogative form may then reflect the theology of the prophets who believe in a near god to whom they have access (i.e. the god of the national shrine, cult, palace.)  On the contrary, asserts v. 23:  Yahweh is a distant god, beyond reach and control.  The distant god is one which cannot be manipulated or with which one cannot horse-trade." "[God's] accessibility is strictly limited: an important point in the debate with the prophets and one which prophetic manipulation and confidence appear to have forgotten. The fragments therefore represent an extract from a theological perspective diametrically opposed to the prophetic behaviour which can manipulate the diety or is at ease in the divine presence." (The OT Library series, Jeremiah, pp.464-468).

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Charles Rice always urged the preacher to help listeners recognize their shared story in a text. Here, in order to do that, the preacher will have to be willing to let the listeners be uncomfortable for a while. Their shared story will be them coming to the conclusion that they too have presumed upon "a God who is near."

Blessings on your proclamation!

Faith Celebrated

 

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 is the Second Lesson appointed for the 9th Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Luke.  It matches well with the Gospel reading from Luke 12 where we hear Jesus say, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  The Hebrew passage contains the beginning of the "honor roll of faith", but unfortunately, Sarah is barely mentioned in some translations even though she is the one conceiving and bearing a child in her old age. This passage declares the miracle of faith, something to celebrate.

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but have been developed to help exegetes uncover the function of the Word in the text.  This is a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers since the way the Word functions is the way the sermon must function, at least in part. For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The Word is celebrating what faith is, "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen."  We are given examples of how faith has been lived out in people of faith, all because they "consider him faithful who had promised."  This is a Gospel function.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is no explicit word of Law in this text, no word that calls one to repentance or announces one's need of a Savior.  A hint of Law is found in verse 13 where we are reminded that people of faith are "strangers and foreigners on earth," a hint to our vulnerabilty.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  This text addresses no one, but declares the "honor roll of faith."  We are bold to identify with Sarah and Abraham, recognizing also their foibles, revealed in other passages.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  There is a call to faith, but not a call to obedience, the Word functioning to invite us into a certain lifestyle in response to God's gifts.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Perhaps by borrowing some of the language in the passage we might come up with some appropriate couplets.  For example, strangers/friends; foreigners/citizens, or perhaps better, as good as dead/alive through faith.

6.  Exegetical work: A translation of the text reveals the importance of Sarah to this passage, though neither the NRSV nor the NIV acknowledge her.  An example of a translation that does is the classic KJV: "Through faith Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised."   One of the most interesting discussions surrounds the meaning of the Greek word hypostasis, here in 11:1 translated "substance."  According to Bauer, Gingrich, and Danker, "Among the meanings that can be authenticated, the one that seems to fit best here is realization; ... in faith things hoped for become realized or things hoped for become reality."  (A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT and other Early Christian Literature, p.847). William Perkins, the English reformer, seems to agree: "...faith gives to those things which yet are not (after a sort) a substance or subsistence in the heart of the believer, so that that thing which never had nor yet had a being in itself, by this faith it has a being in the heart of the believer." (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. XIII, p.157).  The modern exegete, Tom Long, gives an even clearer understanding of this term:  "The word translated 'assurance' in this verse, hypostasis, was used earlier to describe how the Son is the expression of God's hypostasis, God's 'very being' (1:3).  In other words, faith is the 'very being' of God's promises.  It is more than the inner confidence that the powers of this world ... will eventually yield..., it is the reality of those promises moving as an advance force and operating behind enemy lines."  "Faith as an inward reality sings 'We Shall Overcome.'  Faith as an outward reality marches at Selma." (Interpretation series, Hebrews, p.113).

Blessings on your proclamation!

Jesus, a Savior or a Threat?

 

Luke 8:26-39 is the Gospel text appointed for the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Luke. This text is unusual in that Jesus' authority is both a cause of healing and a cause for dread.  It will be the task of the preacher to help listeners find themselves in the text and, whether they are initially enthralled or frightened by Jesus' authority, to finally be drawn into Jesus' healing power.

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but have been developed to highlight the way the Word functions in the text.  This is a primary concern of Law and Gospel preachers because the way the Word functions in the text is the way the sermon must, at least in part, function. For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com and amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The text clearly functions to announce the authority Jesus has over evil. The demons are completely under his control, begging him to be merciful to them.  Whether this authority of Jesus is viewed as good news (gospel) or bad news (law) depends on the listener. To the possessed man, Jesus' authority is good news, to the demons and the people of the city, it is terrifying.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  Again, this depends on whether one identifies with those who rejoice in Jesus' authority or those who fear Jesus' authority.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  It may be that we identify with both those who rejoice and those who fear Jesus' authority. On one hand we wish to be healed, on the other hand, we are often comfortable with our demons.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  It certainly is not a central part of this text, but the last scene could be taken as a call to obedience to us all, "Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you."

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  There are several obvious couplets here:  bound/freed; possessed by evil/possessed by God; ill/healed.

6.  Exegetical work:  More than one commentator has noted the irony of the response of the townspeople to this exorcism.  Phillip Melanchthon is one.  He says, "The devils confess Jesus to be the Christ, just like all the reprobate, but they do not believe that they may be saved by this Jesus.  On the contrary, they think he has come to torment, trouble, and taunt them."  In short, they mistrust Jesus. (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. III, p.  181).  Konrad Pellikan, another German reformer, agrees:  "Then a certain fear seized them all, when it would instead have been proper for them to glorify God and embrace his power, who had restored to health one so deplorably wretched..."  Pellikan sums it up:  "...they were afraid of his power but did not understand his goodness." (Ibid., p.183).  Fred Craddock, in his contemporary commentary, concurs:  "Now the power of God comes to their community and it disturbs a way of life they had come to accept."  "Even when it is for good, power that can neither be calculated nor managed is frightening.  What will God do next?"  "The Gerasene people are not praising God that a man is healed; they are counting the cost and finding it too much." (Interpretation series, Luke, p. 117f).

7.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  James Squire, in his 2025 analysis, lifts up a commonplace in our broken society that is highlighted by this story:  throwaway people.  He goes onto say that Jesus becomes one of these these "throwaways" to save us. See the entire analysis at crossings.org/text-study.

8.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Charles Rice urged preachers to help listeners recognize their shared story in a text. This would be a great chance to lift up the fear that has 'seized' us in our day and age and call upon Jesus to free us from this bondage.  This could be our shared story.

Blessings on your proclamation!