Praising the Visitation of the Most High

 

Luke 1:68-79 is the psalm appointed for the 2nd Sunday in Advent in the Year of Luke. This follows a pattern during the Advent season of taking a psalm from Scripture other than the psalter.  This is a text easily overlooked, since Mary's song, just before it, is so often lifted up. This song of Zechariah, the aged priest and father, contains just as much good news as Mary's song.  It will be the preacher's joyful task to proclaim this good news.

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but have been developed to lift up the function of the Word 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 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 as pure gospel here. The actor is God who is redeeming, keeping promises, and visiting God's people.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  The Word barely functions as Law here.  The mention, at the end of the passage, of those "who sit in darkness and the shadow of death," is the only mention of our need for a Savior.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are those overhearing Zechariah's blessing, as well as his announcement to his new son, the infant John.  We are the ones overhearing the good news of God's promised visitation of God's people.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The Word functioning as an invitation to live in response to the Gospel is not here.  By inference, we might assume that John's call to proclaim the good news is our call as well.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Drawing on the vocabulary near the end of the passage, we might offer these couplets:  sitting in darkness/embraced by the light; walking in the shadow of death/living in the freedom of the Gospel.

6.  Exegetical work:  It is clear that the reformers viewed the enemies from whom we are saved (vs.71) as spiritual enemies, not physical ones.  An example of this is Johannes Brenz who said: "For Christ did not conquer the Egyptians or the Babylonians or even the Romans, ...but he overcame those enemies and delivered his people from all those things of which Paul speaks. The chief of these enemies is Satan, while the second is sin, into which Satan cast Adam by suggestion, and finally death and hell." (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. III, p. 41).  Amy-Jill Levine also turns in this direction:  "...here [in vs. 77] the job description changes; the salvation is determined by 'forgiveness of sins.'  The liberation is thus not (explicitly) from persecution or poverty, but from sin."  (New Cambridge Bible Commentary, The Gospel of Luke, p.47).  One important note from translating the text is the presence of the word "visited" in both verse 68 and 78.  In the NRSV vs. 68 is translated "looked favorably on" but the word, episkeptomai, can just as well be translated "visited."  Similarly in vs. 78, the same word is used, but this time it is translated in the NRSV as "will break upon us."  It might be helpful to ponder what a visitation by the Merciful Most High God might mean.

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Eugene Lowry insisted that a certain amount of tension or, as he said it, "disequilibrium," be part of any sermon.  How will this be done in this sermon of good news?

Blessings on your proclamation!

A Book of Comfort, A Promise of Affliction

 

Daniel 12:1-3 is the First Reading appointed for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Mark.  It is paired well with the "little apocalypse" from Mark 13, which is the appointed Gospel reading.  Scholars have long regarded the book of Daniel as a book of comfort and this brief passage is no exception.  It will be the preacher's task to bring this comfort to the listeners.

(The following questions have been developed to bring to light 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?  In this brief passage we see the Word functioning as both Law and Gospel.  As Law, when we hear the promise that "a time of anguish" like none ever experienced will come upon the earth, and some of those who sleep will awake "to shame and everlasting contempt," and "evil shall increase."  All these are evidence that we need a Savior.  The Word functions as Gospel in an equally robust manner by promising that, amidst the strife, God's people will be delivered, they will awake to everlasting life, and those who are righteous will shine "like the stars forever and ever."

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  As baptized people of God we can confidently identify with those who are "found written in the book."  We might also consider identifying with those who are called to repentance, not presuming that our identify suspends our fallen nature.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The invitation to live in a certain manner in response to God's grace is not present in this text. 

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  The language in the passage suggests the following couplets: shame and contempt/life eternal; darkness/brilliant light.

5.  Exegetical work:  The Lutheran Study Bible offers this summary of the book of Daniel, which may be especially relevant to this text from the final chapter:  "The message is clear: evil will not have the last word.  Usually seen here in the form of arrogant kings and kingdoms, evil is both upended in the stories and foreseen in the visions...in the short term the people of God live in a chaotic  and even violent world." (p. 1422).  John Calvin, in his commentary concurs:  "The church should be subject to most numerous and grievous calamities until the advent of Christ, but yet it should feel God's propitious disposition, insuring its own safety under his aid and protection."  (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, OT, vol. XII, p. 409).  Phillip Melanchthon summarizes the passage by stating four consolations he sees present in the text:  1) "... the church will not be completely destroyed but shall endure amid trials." 2) "... the future members of the church... are surrounded by the pure doctrine of the gospel [no matter where they are scattered]."  3) ... when the church endures persecution it is protected by the Son of God."  4) "... hardship will not continue forever."  (Ibid., pp. 409-410).

6.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Helping listeners recognize their shared story in the text was a key concern of Charles Rice.  We might ask how this text relates to our shared story in this moment in history.

Blessings on your proclamation!