Moses and the New Prophet

 

Deuteronomy  18:15-20, the First Reading for the 4th Sunday after Epiphany in the Year of Mark, is matched very well with the Gospel Reading which centers on Jesus' emergence as the bringer of a "new teaching".  In this brief passage we hear Moses declare that God will raise up a new prophet and this one shall speak "everything that [the Lord] command[s]."  This new prophet is also an answer to prayer, according to Moses.  It is clearly, then, an act of grace.  It will be the preacher's task to make this clear to the listener.

(The following questions are meant to probe a fundamental question for Law and Gospel preachers, i.e. how does the Word function in the text? These questions are not meant to stand alone, but are best used in conjunction with other fine sets of questions that 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 functions first as a proclamation of God's grace in answering prayer. The people had prayed at Horeb for an alternative to the fearsome direct communication from God, and God has answered with a prophet to speak God's word. This is, then, a Gospel function, proclaiming good news.  The latter verses function as Law, telling of God's judgment upon those who fail to heed the words of God's prophet, as well as on any prophet who speaks words which are not from God.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are God's people, hearing this word of Law and Gospel from the mouth of Moses.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience is present here as the exhortation to heed the call of God's prophet.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Using the language from the text, we can imagine several couplets:  death/life; God's fire/God's grace.

5.  Exegetical work:  Second century theologian, Origen of Alexandria, clearly understood that God's concern about false prophets was an example of God's care for the people.  He wrote:  "We can be prepared to find some prophet of impiety - and perhaps not just one but several - who will tell us of a word of the Lord, which the Lord has not at all commanded, or a 'word of wisdom' which has nothing whatever to do with wisdom.  His purpose is to slay us by the word of his mouth." (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, OT vol. III, p. 304).  Martin Luther, in his extended Lectures on Deuteronomy, declares that this short passage is "the chief passage in this whole book and a clearly expressed prophecy of Christ as the new Teacher." (Luther's Works, vol. 9. p. 176).  He goes on to say that "it is necessary for this Prophet to bring a new word, a word which Moses has not taught, because here God promises that He will put words into His mouth."  Luther continues, "But there cannot be another word beyond the word of Moses, unless it is the Gospel, since everything that belongs to the teaching of the Law has been transmitted most perfectly and amply by Moses, so that nothing further can be added." (Ibid.).  Expanding on this idea, Luther says, "...since this Prophet finds Moses teaching [the Law] and is Himself set up as a Teacher next to him, His Word must teach something else.  But He cannot teach anything else than sin, wrath, and death unless he teaches righteousness, grace, and life. Therefore, it is necessary that He be a teacher of life, grace, and righteousness, just as Moses is a teacher of sin, wrath, and death."(Ibid., p. 178).  Again, Luther says, "Since, therefore, the future Prophet is to teach differently from Moses, His Word must not be the Word of the Law, which kills and terrifies, but a Word that makes alive and consoles." (Ibid., p. 182). 

6.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Henry Mitchell advised the preacher to seek the point in the text where the celebration takes place.  In this text there is much to celebrate.  It will be the wise preacher who raises this up.

Blessings on your proclamation!

The Miracle of Mercy

 

The book of Jonah is a story of miracles.  Unfortunately, a minor character - the great fish - gets all the press.  The miracles of note are the repentance of Nineveh, and, more importantly, the mercy of God.  This is the focus of Jonah 3:1-5,10, the First Reading for the Third Sunday after Epiphany in the Year of Mark.  It is a text as full of grace as any in the Old Testament.  It will be the preacher's delight to announce this grace.

(The following questions have been developed to get at some fundamental concerns of Law and Gospel preaching around the function of the Word.  For more about this method, and 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 functions primarily as Gospel, especially the last verse:  "God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them."  Even the brief message from Jonah is a signal of grace, for he announces that God's judgment will come in 40 days.  There is a 'grace period', as it were.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  While God's threatened judgment is certainly part of the story, there is really no word of Law here (i.e.  The Word functioning to expose our need for a Savior).  Jonah's five word sermon announces the Law, but the Law is not directed at the reader.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  Since it is always important to identify with those to whom the Word is addressed, we have two choices here.  We can identify with Jonah or with the Ninevites.  To Jonah the word is "Get up, go, proclaim." To the Ninevites, the word is, "Repent."

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The word to Jonah is a classic call to obedience.  Jonah is a called prophet of God's people.  He has a job to do and God calls him to it.  He, of course, famously tries to outrun the Lord in the first go-round, but eventually obeys.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  The obvious couplet in this story is judgment/mercy, or the city overthrown/the city saved.  God's grace is clear.

6.  Exegetical work:  From the ancients to modern day, scholars have marveled at the complete repentance of Nineveh.  4th century bishop and scholar, John Chrysostom had this to say:  "[The Ninevites] do not know the issue, and yet they do not neglect repentance.  They are unacquainted with the method of the lovingkindnesss of God, and they are changed amid uncertainty.  They had no other Ninevites to look to, who had repented and been saved.  They had not read the prophets or heard the patriarchs, or benefited by counsel, or partaken of instruction, nor had they persuaded themselves that they should altogether propitiate God by repentance.  For the threat did not contain this.  But they doubted and hesitated about this, and yet they repented with all carefulness." (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, OT, vol. XIV, p. 144).  For George Robinson, early 20th century commentator, the repentance of the Ninevites is overshadowed by the miracle of God's abundant mercy:  "The catholicity of divine grace - this is the chief lesson of this book...It is the Old Testament counterpart to John 3:16, "For God so loved the world." (The Twelve Minor Prophets, p. 90).  Modern day scholar, James Limburg, has this to say:  "The response of the citizens of this city has been held up as exemplary not only in Judaism.  Jesus commended them, 'because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah'... The Midrash on Jonah gives a number of concrete illustrations of Nineveh's repentance.  The Koran also holds up the Ninevites as exemplary because of their faith."  (The OT Library series, Jonah, pp. 87-88).

7.  How does the Crossings community model work with this text?  Dana Bjorlin does a nice job of separating this text into two parts:  Jonah's mission and God's mission.  Clearly, Jonah's mission is incomplete and lacking in every way; God's mission is perfect in every way.  See the complete analysis archived under its reference at crossings.org/text-study.

Blessings on your proclamation!

And A Little Child Shall Lead Them

 

The Call of Samuel is perhaps one of the most well-known stories in the Bible, for it is often included in children's Bibles.  I  Samuel 3:1-10 [11-20], the First Reading appointed for the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany in the Year of Mark, contains this story.  This story is anything but benign, however, for it contains within it God's fierce judgment on the house of Eli, the priest.  Remarkably, it is the boy Samuel who bears the news to Eli, now for the second time.  As such this story carries with it the heaviness of the Law, as well as assurance of God's care.  The preacher will need to let both messages speak.

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but they serve to answer some fundamental questions around the functioning of the Word, a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  For more on these questions, the method which underlies them, and Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available at wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  This story functions primarily as Law, in that there are consistent references as to the need of the nation and the priesthood of Eli to move towards repentance.  Immediately preceding this text, in chapter 2, we see more details regarding the exact nature of the sins that God has called into judgment.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  Glimpses of Gospel are rare in this text.  In two separate places we see the Spirit breaking through briefly as Eli acknowledges God's presence.  At the end of verse 8 we read that "Eli perceived the Lord was calling the boy."  Instead of hindering Samuel's attention to God's voice, Eli instructs him to listen closely.  At the end of the passage, again Eli acts in faith.  When Samuel finally tells him what God has said, Eli responds, "It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him."  Both of these passages hint at grace peaking through.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We could identify with either Samuel or Eli, for the Word is addressed to both.  If it is Samuel with whom we identify, then our challenge is to listen closely to the voice of God.  If it is Eli, then our challenge is to repent.

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 in response to God's grace.  We could interpret this whole story as such, i.e. we, who are God's servants, are called to always listen attentively to God's voice, and to avoid patterns which scandalize the Gospel.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? There are a number of terms in this text that lend themselves nicely to couplets.  A few examples:  the word of the Lord is rare/God's word is heard everywhere; dim eyesight/clarity of vision; lamp growing dim/lamp of God burning brightly.

6.  Exegetical work:  The second half of verse one states that "the word of the Lord was rare in those days, visions were not widespread."  It is instructive that the verb translated "widespread" is the common Hebrew verb "karatz", which is most often translated as "breaking through."  Here it is found in its passive form suggesting that divine communications were not allowed to "break through".  Visions were rare perhaps because spiritual 'cataracts', if you will, had grown over the eyes of the people of God.  Notice in verse two, special attention is given to Eli's eyesight which also was growing dim.  He, as leader of God's people was clearly no help.  To reinforce all this, verse 3 mentions that "the lamp of God had not yet gone out", suggesting once again that the people of God were going to have trouble seeing very well.  These opening verses very much suggest the spiritual state of the people.  

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  How do we bring the experience of the text to the listener?  This was always Fred Craddock's question.  Here, the preacher will need to enter into this story and invite others to enter in as well, in order to bring this experience to others.

Blessings on your proclamation!

The Beginning of the Good News

 

Genesis 1:1-5, the First Reading appointed for the Festival of the Baptism of our Lord in the year of Mark, is as familiar as any text in scriptures.  As such we are likely to miss its richness, assuming that its familiarity ensures understanding.  Could it be that these opening words of the Bible are both Law and Gospel proclaimed, even as we have begun to understand them embodied in Christ?  It will be the preacher's task to answer this question.

(The following questions have been developed to help answer fundamental questions surrounding the function of the Word in the text.  These questions are a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers, for as the text functions, so must the sermon.  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 amazing opening statement functions as both Law and Gospel.  It functions as Law in the sense that it announces that apart from God's work, the world is formless and void.  It functions as Gospel in that God initiates light, calls it good, and separates it from the darkness.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  It's a bit difficult to identify with any person in this unique text, but one tack might be to identify with the one to whom this is addressed - one needing faith.  There is no one whose life does not, at least at times, feel formless and void, chaotic, in need of divine intervention.  The proclamation that God comes amidst our chaotic lives is good news.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text? There is clearly no call to obedience here.  That will come later in this text, when God says, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it."

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  As stated above, this text is a condensed version of the cosmic story of grace.  Couplet language should reflect that:  darkness/light; chaos/order; unnamed/named; formless/formed by God.

5.  Exegetical work:  Nahum Sarna, in his excellent commentary, makes the case for translating the opening verse "When God began to create heaven and earth."  He then follows that up with the suggestion that verse 2 is parenthetical, "describing the state of things at the time when God first spoke."  The completion of the sentence Sarna understands to be in verse 3. So what we have is, "When God began to create heaven and earth - the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water - God said, 'Let there be light';  and there was light."  (The JPS Torah Commentary, Genesis, pp. 4-6).  This translation, I believe, captures well the Law/Gospel core of this text, as it highlights the work of God as bringing light into an unformed and void world.  Sarna is also attentive to the artistic ordering of the text, noting that "the opening proclamation contains seven words; the description of primal chaos is set forth in twice seven words;"etc. (Ibid., p. 4).  In Sarna's view, "the quintessential point of the narrative is the idea of ordering that is a result of divine intent."(Ibid, p. 6).  Walter Brueggemann, another esteemed scholar, agrees with Sarna that this text is primarily proclamation.  In speaking about the entire opening narrative of Genesis, Brueggemann says, "Our exposition will insist that these texts be taken neither as history nor as myth.  Rather, we insist that the text is a proclamation of God's decisive dealing with his creation."  (Interpretation series, Genesis, p. 16).  "[This text] makes a theological claim that a word has been spoken which transforms reality.  The word of God which shapes creation is an action which alters reality."  "It is important to hear this text as a declaration of the gospel." (Ibid., p. 26).  Brueggemann goes further:  "The good news found here is that there are beginnings.  There are not simply repetitions, moving pieces around, or copying. There are beginnings, and they are wrought by the speech of God which evokes among us a new world.  The church has discerned this good news in Jesus of Nazareth.  Through him, God's powerful speech is still being spoken.  God's powerful wind is still blowing." (Ibid., p. 38).

6.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Moving listeners from disequilibrium to equilibrium was the advice Eugene Lowry often gave to preachers.  With the evident chaos-to-order movement in this text, the preacher might find Lowry's advice most helpful. 

Blessings on your proclamation!