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!

Wisdom, Delight of the Creator

 Proverbs 8: 1-4, 22-31 is the First Reading appointed for Trinity Sunday in the Year of Luke.  It is a fascinating reading in that Wisdom, personified as a woman, is front and center as one who was with the Creator prior to all things.  One of the most delightful parts of this reading is near the end when the writer notes that Wisdom is daily the Creator's delight.  It will be the preacher's task to bring this delight to the listeners.

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but simply offer a method to discern what the Word is doing in the text, a fundamental concern of 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 from wipfandstock.com and amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The Word is functioning primarily to announce the credentials that Wisdom brings:  she was with the Creator before all things. This is good news, therefore a Gospel function.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text? There is no word of Law here, no word that exposes our need for a Savior.  One hint of our need is the language used to express the urgency of wisdom's call: "she cries out," "my cry is to all that live."

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are those who overhear Wisdom's call and the Creator's endorsement of her place in all things.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience imbedded in this text in verses 5-21:  "Listen to what Wisdom says!"  Here, in this text, the call is not present.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  The couplets that come to mind are simply ignoring/delighting in wisdom; resisting/celebrating wisdom.

6.  Exegetical work:  It is interesting that the verb in verse 22 is translated as "created" but the Hebrew word is closer to "acquired."  Kravitz and Olitzky translate the term "acquired" and understand that Wisdom is the Torah.  The Torah is then what, in verse 30, is translated as "master worker."  Torah was, in other words, guiding the Creator in creation. (Mishlei, A Modern Commentary on Proverbs, p,80-86).  Ancient Christian writers have a predictably different take on these verses.  Origen of Alexandria, the influential 3rd century exegete, follows the text faithfully, observing the feminine forms of each verb:  "What must we say of wisdom which 'God created at the beginning of his ways for his works?'  Her Father rejoiced at her, rejoicing in her manifold spiritual beauty which only spiritual eyes see. Wisdom's divine heavenly beauty invites the one who contemplates it to love."  (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, OT, vol. IX, p. 62).  Other commentators consistently ignore the feminine verbs and see Christ as the one being described as Wisdom.  Eusebius of Caesarea will serve as an example:  "The divine and perfect essence existing before things begotten, the rational and first-born image of the begotten nature, the true and only-begotten Son of the God of the universe, being one with many names, and one called God by many  titles, is honored in this passage under the style and name of wisdom, and we have learned to call him Word of God, light, life, truth, and to crown all, 'Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.'" (Ibid.)

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Charles Rice always asked the question, "What is the listener's shared story in this text?"  That might be an important question to ask in approaching this text, particularly because it is a difficult question to answer.

Blessings on your proclamation!

A Heavenly View of God's People

 The Easter season in the Year of Luke includes an extensive selection of  readings from St. John's great revelation, and this Sunday is no exception, as the Second Reading appointed for this Fourth Sunday of Easter is Revelation 7:9-17, the vision of the great multitude.  The text is a visual one, giving us a "heavenward" glimpse of the innumerable saints of God who have endured tribulation and now stand before the throne of the Lamb, praising God forever.  This glorious vision of praise will be one which the preacher is privileged to lift up and enter into, as well.

(The following questions have been developed to unearth 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 particular method and on Law and Gospel preaching, 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 Word is showing us a great vision of the people of God through time who have endured a great tribulation and now stand in God's presence praising.  There is also the assurance that the Lamb on the throne will be their shepherd, leading them to springs of living water, and wiping away every tear from their eyes. All of this is the Word in Gospel function.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is no word of Law here, no call to repentance or word which exposes our need for a Savior. This will need to come from other texts.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are invited to identify with the multitude who have come through the great ordeal.  We may be hesitant to do so, wondering what ordeal that would be for us who have no experience with martyrdom.  Yet, the text reminds us that those assembled are washed not in their own blood, but the blood of the Lamb, as are we in the sacraments.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The Word does not function here to invite us to live in response to the Gospel. That call to obedience can be heard in other texts.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? Without a Law component to this text, we shall need to use our imaginations to create couplets.  Some ideas:  in tribulation/in ecstasy; doubt/faith; despair/praise.

6.  Exegetical work:  In Kittel's analysis of thilipsis "tribulation", he says this:  "The martyrs before the throne of God, whom the divine sees coming out of the great tribulation, have also suffered in the sufferings of Christ. They are the host of those who in the tribulation of the last time have been washed, not in their own blood, but in the blood of the Lamb, i.e., who in their own sufferings for Jesus Christ have borne witness to the sufferings which he himself endured." (TDNT, vol. III, p. 144).  Kittel goes on later in his discussion to remind us that Scripture shows that tribulation "is inseparable from Christian life in this world." (Ibid.)  Ancient writers also remind us that it is not only the martyrs who stand amongst this great throng, but the whole people of God.  Caesarius of Arles, 5th century bishop, writes, "These are not, as some think, only martyrs, but rather the whole people in the church.  For it does not say that they washed their robes in their own blood, but in the blood of the Lamb, that is, in the grace of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord." (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. XII, p. 114.)  Primasius, 6th century African bishop, says this:  "There are those who are proven to be martyrs before God by their inner character, even though they are not martyrs by way of a public act." (Ibid.)  Eugene Boring, in his contemporary commentary suggests the same:  "The robes of the martyrs are white because they are washed in the blood of the Lamb... It is Christ's death, not their own courage and determination, which has given them their victor's garment." (Interpretation series, Revelation, p. 131).    

7.  How does the Crossing Community model work with this text?  Robin Morgan's 2014 analysis lifts up the "great ordeal" as the presence of the Law in this text, highlighting how prone we are to despair and doubt in the face of any tribulation.  Waiting proves fruitful, however, as the Lamb emerges to shepherd us and wipe the tears from our eyes. See the entire analysis at crossings.org/text-study, archived under its reference.

8.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  George Mitchell's advice is most appropriate here in that Mitchell consistently reminded us of the need for celebration in a sermon.  Since this text is all celebration, our sermon should be that as well.

Blessings on your proclamation!

The Ever-expanding Identity of Christ

 

The Second Sunday of Easter brings with it well-known texts, some containing insights about the Christ that go well beyond what Jesus claimed for himself during his earthly ministry.  Revelation 1:4-8, the Second Reading appointed for this day in the Year of Luke, is a good example of this.  The text contains multiple titles for Jesus, which continue to proclaim Christ's sovereignty and mercy.  It will be the preacher's joy to proclaim this.

(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 highlight the way the Word functions in the text, a fundamental concern of 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 from wipfandstock.com and amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  Primarily this text proclaims the identity of Christ as faithful witness, first-born from the dead, ruler of the kings of the earth, as well as Christ's work as divine lover who freed us from our sins and made us to be a kingdom of priests, serving Almighty God.  This is all a Gospel function.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is almost no hint of Law here, the only place being verse 7 where the writer declares that all the tribes of the earth, especially those "who pierced him," will wail at his appearance.  

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are John's first hearers, needing to be reminded that we have a Lord who loves us, has freed us, and calls us to be priests of the Most High.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  If there is a call to obedience in this text, it is the reminder that we are to be priests in service of God.  In other words, we are not loved and freed only for our own sakes, but for the sake of the world.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Since the only hint of Law is in verse 7, we might start with our couplets there. Some suggestions:  wailing ones/rejoicing ones; fear/trust.

6.  Exegetical work:  Eugene Boring, in his contemporary commentary, reminds us that the identity of Jesus as far as the Church goes, has been transforming since the first Easter.  John's Revelation has typically been thought to have been written late in the first century, so what we have in this text is evidence of some of the growth in Jesus' identity.  Boring writes:  "John ascribes to Jesus a combination of traditional and innovative christological titles: 'Christ' was already traditional, but 'the faithful witness,' 'the first-born of the dead,' and 'the ruler of the kings of the earth' are new. The church continued to develop its understanding of the significance of Jesus after his death and resurrection.  The post-Easter church's increased  christological insight included the attribution of titles to Jesus he had never used of himself." (Interpretation series, Revelation, p.75).  

7.  How does the Crossings community model work with this text?  Michael Hoy, in his 2014 analysis of this text, points to the "tribes of the earth who wail" as the primary evidence of law in this text.  He then points to the names for Christ as the evidence of gospel.  His entire analysis can ben seen at crossings.org/text-study, archived under its reference.

Blessings on your proclamation!