The Word Made Flesh - WOW!

 

John 1:[1-9]10-18, the gospel lesson appointed for the 2nd Sunday of Christmas, is as rich and multivalent as any text in the Bible.  There are so many images, so many concepts worth exploring, that the preacher is hard pressed to decide on what to focus on in the sermon.  Nevertheless, decide one must and so it behooves the preacher to find a focus and stick with it. As the old adage goes:  "The preacher that is determined to exhaust a subject will only succeed in exhausting the listener."

(The following questions have been developed to explore the function of the Word in a text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  These questions are best used in conjunction with other fine sets of questions that explore other concerns.  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 opening verses (10-11) function primarily as Law, alerting us to the fact that it is possible to neither recognize nor accept the Word.  Verses 12-18 function as Gospel in that they announce what God has done and is doing in the face of the world's rejection of the Word.  In order then, God gives power to become children of God; the Word becomes flesh and lives with us full of grace and truth;  all receive grace upon grace from God's 'superabundance'; grace and truth come through Christ; God makes known the Son who is close to the Father's heart.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are those who are addressed by both the Law and the Gospel in this text.  We are those who are capable of not knowing the Word and rejecting that same Word.  We are also those whom God desires to make children of God. We are those who have been given the gift of the Word made flesh in all of its superabundance.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  We might think that verse 12, "but to all who received him who believed in his name," is a call to obedience, but it is not.  It is a call to faith.  The call to obedience is the Word functioning to invite us to live in a certain way in response to God's work in our life, (e.g. acts of love and compassion).  The Word does not function in this way here.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  There is plenty of vocabulary in this text that lends itself well to couplets.  A couple of suggestions:  dead/alive; cursed/graced; deceit/truth.

5.  Exegetical work:  Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament is a treasure trove of information on just about any important word in the New Testament, but the extensive article on 'logos' is worth the price of the set itself.  Here are just a few of the insights from this extensive article:  "Logos is that which gives the event its theme and content." (TDNT, vol. IV, p. 101).  "It is obvious that the main emphasis of the term is always on saying something."  "Logos...is always a spoken word."  "Even in the Prologue to John...it always contains the living concept of a spoken word, in this case the word spoken by God in the world."  "As a genuine word, it always finds its essence and meaning in the fact that it points to Him who spoke it." (Ibid., p.102).  "One of the most serious errors...would be to make this 'logos tou theo' a concept or abstraction." (Ibid., p. 119).  "At the head of the train of thought sketched by the term logos, there stands, not a concept, but the event which has taken place, and in which God declares himself, causing his Word to be enacted." (Ibid., p. 125).  "Jesus is not just the One who brings the Word but the One who incorporates it in His person." (Ibid., p. 126).  "The new thing [in John's prologue] is that the logos is the pre-existent Christ, and that the transition from pre-existence to history is the true theme." (Ibid., p. 129).  "The sole concern [of the NT] is with what has taken place in the name of Jesus." (Ibid., p. 131).  

6.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  In a recent analysis, Nathan Hall terms our lostness as alienation, and God's rescue project as connection.  We are disconnected from those around us, the truth, and ultimately from God in our lostness.  In Christ God reaches out and reconnects us to Godself, to truth, and finally to one another.  To see all the details of this insightful analysis, go to crossings.org/text-study.

Blessings on your proclamation!

What Time is It?

 

Galatians 4:4-7, the Second Reading appointed for the First Sunday of Christmas in the Year of Mark, begins with the phrase, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son..."  This phrase, 'the fullness of time' coincides with the opening phrase of the Gospel lesson appointed for this day which begins, "When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses..."  This juxtaposition begs the question, what time is it?  Is it time for the Law or the Gospel?  It will be the preacher's task to decide.

(The following questions have been developed in order to explore issues related to the functioning of the Word, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers. These questions are best used in conjuction with other fine sets of questions available to exegetes.  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?  This brief text is primarily an announcement of the Gospel.  Coming as it does, amidst a theological argument about our condition without Christ and apart from faith, it is the point in the argument when the Gospel is announced.  God is clearly the actor - the One who alone has determined that 'the time' has come.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  Although our need for a Savior is everywhere implied in this text, the Word here is not functioning as Law.  We are reminded that we are under the Law apart from Christ and that we are slaves and not children, but the Word does not function here to call us to repentance.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are clearly those whom Paul is addressing.  We are those who lie under the weight of the Law apart from Christ. We are those who are slaves and have no inheritance apart from Christ.  We are children of God only by grace.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  There is no call to obedience in this brief text.  Later in the book of Galatians, Paul is regularly making calls of obedience (e.g. "Live by the Spirit!" 5:16), but here there is none of that language.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  The language in this text lends itself quite easily to couplets.  For example:  under the law/free from the law; slaves/children; enslaved/redeemed.

6.  Exegetical work:  Much ink has been spilt in discussion of the phrase "the fullness of time."  For example, Marius Victorinus, 3rd century scholar writes, "So in the same way the fullness of time was achieved when all had become ripe for faith and sins had increased to the utmost, so that a remedy was necessarily sought in the judgment of all things."  (Ancient Christian Commentary on the Scriptures, NT, vol. VIII, p. 54).  John Calvin wrote that "the time ordained by God was seasonable and fit.  The right time for the Son of God to be revealed to the world was for God alone to determine."  (Reformation Commentary on the Scriptures, NT, vol. X, p. 134).  Luther, in his extensive commentary, suggests that the fullness of time is the time when the law was fulfilled, i.e. its purpose was achieved.  (Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians, p. 353).  Charles Cousar, contemporary exegete, says that "God is the prime figure.  He determines the appropriate moment for the new age to break into the old." (Interpretation series, Galatians, p. 94).  So whether it was urgency, fitness, purpose, or the breaking in of a new age, that caused God to act, it is clear that the timing of the Christ event was up to God.  Perhaps as Erik Heen said in his online commentary in 2014 on Working Preacher "If God has sent the Christ of Israel to redeem the world, then the fullness of time has come."  In other words, the Christ event makes this the right time.

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Since we are dealing with a theological treatise here, it will be more important than ever to heed Charles Rice' advice to help listeners recognize their shared story here.  How does the Jesus story intersect theirs? That is an important question to be mindful of in this sermon.

Blessings on your proclamation!

A Child? Here?

Isaiah 9:2-7, the First Reading appointed for Christmas Eve, can hardly be read without hearing Handel's rendering of "For Unto Us a Child is Born" in the background.  This text, delightful as it is, is a classic example of God's power made present in weakness.  How is it that a mere child can provide light to the nations, give joy as at the harvest, break the yokes of oppression, and bring peace to the tramping warriors whose garments are rolled in blood?  It will be the preacher's great joy to announce this miracle.

(The following questions have a particular focus - how is the Word functioning in the text?  This, of course, is not the only way one can look at a text, but it is of special concern to Law and Gospel preachers, for how the Word functions informs how the sermon will 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? There is nothing but good news - Gospel - in this text.  Darkness has been vanquished, light has shined, nations are multiplied, joy and exultation abound, oppressors are broken, and an era of endless peace, justice and righteousness has begun.  How?  By the birth of a child.  Miraculous?  No doubt.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is no Law here, no word that exposes our need for Christ.  That being said, the evidence of our need for a Savior is everywhere implied:  deep darkness, yokes of burden, oppressors, tramping warriors (i.e. war).  Yet, there is no call to repentance here.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We have our choice as to whom we would most closely identify with here.  Are we those who have known deep darkness?  Do we bear yokes of burden or oppression?  Have we known bloody wars?  Whatever suffering we have encountered, this word comes to us in the midst of it and assures us of God's presence - Immanuel.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience, the Word functioning to invite us into a certain way of living, is not present here.  Titus 2:11-14, the Second Reading for this day, is a good example of a call to obedience.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  There is plenty of language in this text which can be used to create couplets.  A few possibilities:  darkness/light; sorrow/joy; oppression/freedom.

6.  Exegetical work:  It is noteworthy that the open sentence involves a present tense participle and a perfect verb.  This gives us a bit different opening sentence:  Those who are walking (presently) in darkness have seen (accomplished fact) a great light. This gives the sense that a glorious event has broken into the ongoing march of existence.  God has broken in with the announcement of a child.  It is also worth noting that the 'deep darkness' is the same term translated in Psalm 23:4 as "the shadow of death."  This term, a metaphor for deep gloom, is common in the psalter (e.g. Psa 44:19, 107:10, 14). Another item of interest is that the words translated as 'authority' in verses 6 and 7, in the KJV translated as 'government,' are to be found nowhere else in the OT.  This begs the question of whether the prophet is intentionally entering the political arena here.  Certainly the text is full of images of battle, wars, and political power plays. Luther, in his Christmas sermons, centered in on the personal nature of these words.  He saw beyond the wide political context down to what is at stake for each believer.  Note his words in his sermon on Luke 2:[1-14]: "This is the meaning of Isaiah 9[:6]: 'To us a child is born, and to us a son is given.'  To us, to us, born to us and given to us.  Therefore see to it that you derive from the Gospel not only enjoyment of the story as such, for that does not last long.  Nor should you derive from it only an example, for that does not hold up without faith.  But see to it that you make his birth your own, and that you make an exchange with him, so that you rid yourself of your birth and receive, instead, his.  This happens, if you have this faith."  (LW, vol.  52, p. 16).

7.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  I very much appreciate Eric Evers' 2015 analysis of this text, entitled "This is No Place for Children."  He lifts up the absurdity of God's plan of salvation, once again underscoring the deep darkness that this Child overcomes.  We are without hope, stuck, and cursed, says Evers.  Only the Child can bring us out of this.  See the entire analysis, archived under its reference at crossings.org/text-study.

Blessings on your proclamation!

An Everlasting Kingdom - Plan B

It might seem odd to appoint a text from Second Samuel for the 4th Sunday in Advent, but that is what we have been given:  II Samuel 7:1-11, 16.  As is often the case with these First Readings, it ties quite directly to the word spoken to Mary in the gospel lesson from Luke 1:  "[The one to be born in you] will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."  Like the word given to Mary, the word in this text given to King David through the prophet Nathan assures him of God's steadfast love and the establishment of a kingdom that cannot be overthrown.  The preacher is privileged to share this good word.

(The following questions have been developed to answer some fundamental questions around the function of the Word.  These questions are a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers, and are best used in conjunction with other sets of questions which have other concerns.  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?  This text begins in one way and goes in quite another.  It begins with a brief dialogue between David and Nathan concerning building a temple, and it ends with God declaring that David's throne will be established forever.  Since the bulk of the text is promise to David, it functions as Gospel.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is little Law here, certainly no call to repentance.  It is noteworthy that Nathan presumes to know God's will in regards to the building of the temple, and that may be a warning to anyone who presumes such things.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  As always we identify with those who are being addressed by the Word, which in this case is King David.  We are being told that our future is to be part of God's everlasting household and kingdom.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience, which is most often an invitation to live in a certain way in response to God's work, is absent here.  As noted above, it might be implied that God's people should not presume to know God's will, but that is not a central theme.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  With the absence of any language of Law, we will have to invent our own couplets for this text based on the gospel language present.  Some suggestions:  unsure and in decline/sure forever; being overthrown/established forever.

6.  Exegetical work:  The key verse in this text, at least in the sense that it is tied with the gospel reading for this Sunday, is verse 16 where we read, "Your house [O David] and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever."  This is the promise that the angel Gabriel reiterated to Mary in Luke 1. This is the promise that ties the Christ to the line of David.  It is puzzling why those who appointed this text did not include verses 12-15, where the promises to Solomon are made. These verses are the ones that have excited the most commentary through the ages.  Note several, all of which assume that these promises refer to Christ not Solomon.  Tertullian, 3rd century apologist, wrote: "But is not Christ here designated the seed of David, as of that womb which was derived from David, that is, Mary's?...Christ rather than David's son Solomon was to be looked for as the Son of God.  Then, again, the throne forever with the kingdom forever is more suited for Christ than to Solomon, a mere temporal king."  (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, OT, Vol. IV, p. 351).  Martin Luther, in his writing centuries later, assumes the same, as do other reformers:  "We do not deny that word for word this text can be understood as referring both to Solomon and to Christ.  Nevertheless, as one can gather from the text itself, then from the prophets, who repeat the same text so often and proclaim it with the greatest diligence, especially in the Psalms, it can be abundantly shown that it has been stated as well as understood concerning Christ alone."  (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, OT, Vol. V, p. 176).  

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Fred Craddock, the dean of the New Homiletic, encouraged preachers to help bring the listener into the experience of the text.  With this text, one tack may be to ask the listeners to consider experiences of their own where letting go of one's own plans and listening for God's leading, leads to an unimagined future.

Blessings on your proclamation!

The Good News of Slow Growth

 

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11, the First Reading appointed for the 3rd Sunday in Advent in the Year of Mark, is in the very middle of an extended "promise section" which is part of the larger Lament-Warrior-Promise-Warrior-Lament structure of Isaiah 59-64.  As such it is no surprise that this text is full of good news.  It is yet another example of a Gospel word coming through the Old Testament prophet.  It will be the preacher's joyful task to proclaim this gospel.

(The following questions are best used in conjunction with other fine sets of questions available to exegetes, e.g., narrative, contextual, historical analyses.  The questions provided here are a vehicle for discovering the way the Word functions in a text - a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  For more on this method or 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?  There is perhaps no more clear example of Old Testament gospel than this text.  From the outset we hear the joyful announcement that the prophet has been anointed to "bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives... to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  In verse 10, the prophet even celebrates the fact that the Lord "has clothed me with the garments of salvation."

2.  How does the Word not function in the text?  Is there any word of Law here?  Barely.  Clearly the devastation that Israel has endured is in memory:  "ancient ruins...former devastations...ruined cities, the devastations of many generations."  Also, there is a direct word on the Lord's perspective:  "I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing."  Yet, there is no call to repentance. A word that exposes our need for a Savior is not here, except implicitly.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We have two choices here:  either we are the prophet that God calls to speak words of gospel, or we are those who are receiving this good news.  Both parties receive a word from the Lord.  The one voice which is not ours to assume is God's.  We must identify with those whom are addressed by the Word.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The Word functions as a call to obedience when it invites us to live in a certain way in response to God's work in our lives.  If we identify with the prophet who is called here to speak good news, the opening verses could be thought of as a call to obedience, albeit indirectly.  Primarily, however, this text is not a call to obedience.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Because of the lack of Law language in this text, we will need to use our imaginations to come up with couplets for this text.  Here are a few options:  ruined/built up; devastated/raised up.

6.  Exegetical work:  As is typical of prophetic texts, the voices we hear in this text are varied.  Initially, it is the prophet who speaks:  "The spirit of the Lord is upon me..."  This is an individual speaking.  This voice continues through verse 4.  In verses 8-9, it is the Lord who is speaking: "I the Lord love justice..."  In verses 10-11, the speaker is once again the prophet:  "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord... for he has clothed me... he has covered me."  Claus Westermann, in his excellent commentary, makes an interesting choice in his translation, by continuing use of the second person plural, begun in verse 5 (not in our text), throughout verses 8-9:  "I faithfully give you your recompense, and make an everlasting covenant with you.  Your descendants shall be known among the peoples, and your offspring in the midst of the nations.  All who see you shall acknowledge you, that you are the seed which Yahweh has blessed." (The OT Library, Isaiah 40-66, p. 368).  This gives more continuity and clarity to the passage, gratefully, yet Westermann is not clear how it is he is authorized to make this change.  Several observations Westermann makes are very helpful, however.  He notes the difference between the tasks of Second Isaiah, and now, Third Isaiah. The former writer in chapters 40-55, coming out of the context of the Exile, writes about the return of God's people from Babylon to Israel.  In contrast, Third Isaiah, writing in post-exilic times, writes about the rebuilding of God's people and the temple of God. (Ibid., p. 370).  This distinction is important.  Another observation Westermann makes is that God's saving work here is not described as a "once-for-all act of deliverance", but rather as "the steady and uneventful effecting of blessing." (Ibid., pp. 370-371).  When one looks at the passage with this in mind, one starts to notice several examples of the ongoing, long-term work of God :  "they will be called oaks of righteousness" (talk about slow growth!), "the planting of the Lord", "For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations."

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  David Buttrick was a champion for the listener.  He consistently reminded preachers that a listener can only endure so many 'moves' and there must be a coherent 'structure.'  It is never too late to consider how well we are doing at this.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Old Testament Evangelism

 

There is perhaps no greater preacher of good news than the prophet known by scholars as Deutero-Isaiah.  The First Reading for the Second Sunday in Advent in the Year of Mark is the opening of this preacher's great work:  Isaiah 40:1-11.  Some have called this section the prologue to all that follows through chapter 55.  In any case, this is a  majestic piece of proclamation, that will challenge the preacher to bring it to life once again.

(The following questions have been developed in order to ferret out a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers, i.e. how does the Word function in this text?  This is a central concern because the manner in which the Word functions very much informs how the sermon will 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 or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  There is much gospel in this text.  Indeed the message of the whole of Second Isaiah is encapsulated in the second verse:  "Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins."  But there are other promises as well: in verses 4-5 where the leveling of the world is announced; in verse 8b where we hear that "the word of our God will stand forever"; and in the last two verses where we hear of a mighty God who comes with power, but also comes as a shepherd who gently cares for the sheep.

2.  How does the Word not function in the text?  There is little in terms of Law here, even though we can catch a few glimpses.  Certainly verses 6b-8a which highlight the mortal nature of human beings come closest to announcing our need for a Savior, without coming right out and saying it.  There is no call to repentance here, but only a reminder that all things human will pass away, while the Word of our God will endure.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  This text is unusual in that there are different voices addressing differing audiences, so one must simply choose which audience we will identify with.  We could identify with the ones being called to bring the good news of comfort to those in exile. Or we could identify with those who are receiving this good news.  A third choice is that we identify with those who are called to prepare the way of the Lord.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  This text could be read as a call to God's people to bring the good news of God's deliverance to those in the exile of despair.  The context for this prophetic writing is the people of God exiled in Babylon, so a preacher would be well within the intent of this text to preach this as a call to evangelism.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Using the language provided in the text, we can imagine a number of appropriate couplets.  Some suggestions:  in prison/penalty is paid; uneven/level; dying/standing forever.

6.  Exegetical work:  It is important to realize that the opening verbs in the announcement of the good news in verse 2 are all perfect tense:  "she has served her term...her penalty is paid...she has received double for all her sins."  This perfect tense has the sense that something has been accomplished and the effect of that is not only on the present, but continuing on infinitum into the future.  In other words, God is not going to change God's mind on this subject!  Abraham Heschel, in describing the effect of these words, says, "The message of Second Isaiah... is of no age.  It is prophecy tempered with human tears, mixed with joy that heals all scars, clearing a way for understanding the future in spite of the present.  No words have ever gone further in offering comfort when the sick world cries."(The Prophets, p. 145).  Claus Westermann, in his commentary, ties these words of good news to the Exodus story:  "The first Exodus, too, began with a cry to depart from bondage; then, too, there was the voice of one crying, with the function of proclaiming release on which God had resolved; then, too, the decisive move towards this was the making of the way through the wilderness."  (The OT Library series, Isaiah 40-66, p. 33).  Westermann also identifies three characteristics of the preaching of Second Isaiah that are important to note: 1)  This preaching announces "an event regarded as already come about;... the great change of judgment to salvation was already accomplished fact." 2)  "His gospel spontaneously evokes joy." and 3)  This is "an oracle of salvation addressed to an individual." (Ibid., pp. 11-12).  This last characteristic is most interesting given the communal nature of much proclamation.

7.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  Ronald Neustadt picks up on the central piece of Gospel in this text, that "the word of our God stands forever," and imagines, as its counterpart, "a withering word." This withering word is one which cannot save, yet one which we are often seduced by.  Neustadt's entire analysis is archived under its reference at crossings.org/text-study.

Blessings on your proclamation!