Boy Wonder

Luke 2:41-52, the gospel text appointed for the First Sunday of Christmas in the year of Luke, is the only story of Jesus' youth we have extant in canonical scripture.  There are non-canonical sources such as the Infancy Gospel of Thomas that record stories of a boy wonder, but only this story from Luke has been retained in the Church's accepted Scriptures.  One wonders why Luke, the consummate author of this "orderly account", decided to include this, when others did not.  To devote 11 verses to a story revealing the activity and words of a 12-year-old is remarkable.  Clearly for Luke this is more than the story about a boy.  Perhaps Jesus' words are a clue:  "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

(The following questions are some key questions which Law/Gospel preachers must ask.  A guide to this genre of preaching is in my book, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from Wipf & Stock, or at amazon.com)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The Word, in this text, is Jesus.  His words of gentle rebuke to his parents are the words which come to us:  "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"  These words bring to light our lack of understanding as to the true identity of the Christ.  This word, then, is a word of Law which shows our need for the enlightening Spirit of God, lest we, like the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus' day, fail to see the Christ for who he is.

2.   How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is no clear word of Gospel here, no clear word which says, "Here is Jesus."  Having said that, the fact that Jesus reveals himself as a son of the Father, is in itself a statement of Gospel.  It is Luke's way of pointing to Christ, and saying, "Here is the Son of God.  Here is Wisdom.  Here is the One through whom are all things."

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  In this story, two sets of characters are addressed by Jesus.  The first group is the teachers, sitting around Jesus in the temple.  The second group is Mary and Joseph.  Because we have words of dialogue between Jesus and his parents, it seems more helpful to identify with Mary and Joseph, although one could take the place of the learned ones who are "amazed at his understanding and his answers."  In any case, it is always important to identify with those addressed by the Word.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in the text?  The call to obedience is hard to find in this text, although the young Jesus' example could be considered such.  Luke tells us that Jesus was obedient to his parents, and he "increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor."
The call to us, then, might be to live peaceably, submitting to those in authority over us, and trusting God for God's wisdom and favor.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by the text?  Since the word of Law centers around Mary and Joseph's lack of understanding, several couplets suggest themselves: walking in confusion/walking in understanding; ignorance/enlightenment; darkness/light, foolishness/wisdom.

6.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  Archived under the First Sunday after Christmas for 2010 Year C Gospel, Norb Kabelitz does a nice job of lifting up Mary and Joseph's lostness.  He asks the question, "Who is lost in this story - Jesus or his parents?"  Also, in the prognosis part of the analysis he asks the question of us, "Do we find Jesus, or does Jesus find us?"  This also begs the question, "Who is doing the seeking?  God or us?"  This is a very helpful way of getting how the Word functions to lift up Mary and Joseph's need for God's Son, not their own son.  This example and many others can be found at crossing.org/text study.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Two women rejoicing

Luke 1:39-45, the gospel reading for the 4th Sunday in Advent in the Year of Luke, continues the extended story of John the Baptist which we have in this gospel, albeit now with another character added - Mary.  It is striking that the long opening chapter of Luke's gospel (80 verses) is almost entirely devoted to the pre-birth, birth, and introduction of John the Baptist.  It is easy to overlook the fact that of these 80 verses, nearly 60 of them have to do with John, and most of the rest of them have to do with Mary, and only a few have to do with Jesus.  This year of Luke, then, gives us a rare chance to explore this story in depth, and ponder why John's story was deemed so important by this gospel writer.

(The following questions are designed to unearth some of the key issues for Law/Gospel preachers.  For a further look at this type of preaching you are invited to purchase my guide to Law/Gospel preaching by clicking the image of the book on this page.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The Word here functions as pure gospel.  It is a scene of great joy.  This visitation, and the announcement that God's divine favor has been visited upon God's people is a scene of hilarious joy.  The people of God are no longer forgotten, no longer in exile (as it were), no longer sitting in anticipation of the Lord's coming, but the Word of the Lord has been fulfilled.

2. How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is no word of Law here at all.  There is no word that lifts up the need of humanity for the saving action of God.  All of the indications of joy in the text hint at the oppression under which these women have been living, but nothing in the text points directly at their own need of a saving Christ.  Mary's song of praise in the verses that follow this text (46-55) point out the context of these women and their fellow citizens - "lowly", "hungry", living under "the powerful" and "the proud."

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  Elizabeth, the one who says, "And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" is the one to whom the Word comes.  She is the one with whom we can most easily identify, not Mary.  We too stand agape as the Christ is sent to us to proclaim freedom, to forgive, and to bless.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience, the Word that says, "Follow Jesus" is not present here.  That word, which gives us guidance on how to live in light of the announcement that Christ has come for us, will have to come from different texts.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by the text?  We need to take our cue from Mary's song to answer this:  lowly/raised up, hungry/filled with good things, oppressed/delivered, forgotten/remembered.

6.  Exegetical work:  It is especially important in this text to read the verses that precede this account.  In earlier verses we see that John was said to be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth.  And so when Mary calls out her greeting to Elizabeth, the unborn John gives witness to the Christ's presence even before his mother does. And then, as if John had passed on the Spirit to his mother, Elizabeth cries out in a loud voice, "Blessed are you among women!"  It is telling to note that the redundancy present in the Greek text gives voice to the excitement of Elizabeth, when it says, literally, "She cried out loudly with a great shout."  The joy present was deafening!  It is also worth noting that Gabriel's appearance to Mary was only days before this visitation.  Luther surmises that the Christ was only 4 days in the womb when Mary reached Elizabeth's home!  Clearly it was not Mary's outward appearance that signaled the presence of the Christ, and even less her identity as "the mother of my Lord."  The presence of the Christ could only be signaled by the Holy Spirit.  It is perhaps worth pondering the question, "What signals for us the presence of the Christ amongst us?"

Blessings on your proclamation!

Good news and wrath

The gospel text for the 3rd Sunday in Advent, Luke 3:7-18, begins with a torrent of terrifying words as John lays into the crowd with this challenge:  "You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bear fruits worthy of repentance."  These same words, in Matthew, are addressed only to the Pharisees and Sadducees, but here they are spoken to the whole multitude.  This is an indication of the difference between the two gospels, where (as Mark Allan Powell points out) in Matthew the leaders are consistently viewed as evil and aligned with Satan, but in Luke the leaders are viewed sympathetically.  The real puzzle in the text is its last verse:  "So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people."  Good news?  Where?

(The following questions are a sample from the appendix in my guide to Law and Gospel preaching, which may be purchased by clicking on the image on this page.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  At first glance, the text seems to function almost completely as law.  Especially the opening volley suggests this.  But then John clues us in that his words are not about condemnation, but obedience.  He says, "Bear fruits worthy of repentance."  This is, in a nutshell, the call to obedience.  This word functions to say to the hearers, "Follow Jesus," not "You need Jesus," thus it is a call to obedience, not a word of Law.  This call to obedience is fleshed out even more when John specifically points out the fruits that different members of the crowd can bear.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  It is hard to discern a clear word of Gospel in this text, although clearly the Christ is presented in verses 16-17.  "One who is more powerful than I is coming... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."  The final verse, however, gives us pause, for the writer clearly views John's announcement as good news.  Is it a Gospel word that announces that Jesus will come and baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire?  Perhaps, if that spirit and fire are a cleansing and freeing agent.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are members of the multitude. We are people in the crowd.  We are the people who are "filled with expectation" and "questioning."  We are also those to whom John preaches good news.  Our reaction to John's words is likely the same reaction as the people of John's day:  repentance, questions of what to do, and questions about who Jesus is.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by the text?  The different scenes in the text suggest different couplets:  bearing no fruit/bearing fruit worthy of repentance, living unholy lives/living holy lives of service, questioning/believing.  Because this is a call-to-obedience text, the couplets are necessarily showing the contrast between a life that bears fruit and one that does not.

5. How does the Crossing Community model work with this text?  Marcus Felde does a nice job of exploring the Law/Gospel implications for this text.  In his analysis, archived under 2013 Year C Gospel for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, he shows how the text leads from a love problem to a faith problem to a hope problem, and how Christ rescues us from that.  Check out crossings.org/text study to see the whole analysis.

Blessings on your proclamation!

The Word of God came to John

In Luke 3:1-6, the gospel text appointed for the Second Sunday of Advent in the Year of Luke, we hear these words:  "The word of God came to John son of Zechariah n the wilderness."  This portrait of the young John by the Renaissance painter, Giuseppe Vermiglio, captures for me what that must have been like.  The light of Christ shines on the young prophet and he looks upward dumbfounded. Is he astonished that the word of God has come to him, or that the word of God has come to him?

(The following questions try to get at some key issues for Law and Gospel preachers.  For more on this mode of preaching you may purchase my recent book, pictured on this page, available through amazon.com).

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  This is a tricky question with this text because of verse 6:  "and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."  That all flesh shall see the salvation of God is certainly good news to many, but undoubtedly to some, this is not good news.  As the verses following these clearly show, these words caused alarm in many, as they said, "Teacher what should we do?"  So this word can definitely function as Law. Yet, ultimately, because all are promised that they shall see salvation, this is a Gospel word.  If we look back at John's father's glorious song of praise in Luke 1 we see that indeed this is good news, as John's words are meant to "give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  As I said above, I do not think this word functions primarily as Law, i.e.  "You need Jesus!"  It does exhort all to "prepare the way of the Lord" but I do not hear this as Law as much as invitation to be open to the Word of God coming amongst us.  Certainly there is a dying to our own ego and a letting go of control when we are open to the coming of the Word amongst us, but again, this seems somewhat different than how a word of Law functions in its hearers.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?   It might be an interesting perspective to identify with John as the word of God comes to him in the wilderness.  This might be a very fruitful way for a preacher to proceed.  Having said that, it will not go well if the preacher continues to identify with John as the preacher.  We need always to identify with those to whom the Word is spoken, and so our other choice is necessarily to identify with those who hear the words, "Prepare the way of the Lord."  If we succumb to the temptation to identify with the bearer of the word in the text, we are prone as preachers to forget that we too are addressed by this word.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience is the word that says, "Follow Jesus."  I do not hear that word in this text. If we wish to preach that word, we will need to look elsewhere for that.  The second lesson appointed for this Sunday, Philippians 1:3-11, speaks of the "harvest of righteousness." This might be an excellent place to start.

5. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Several couplets can be found in the text itself: crooked/straight, rough places/smooth.  Another way to go might be to think in terms of couplets like silence of God/word of God comes, or unprepared/prepared.

6.  Exegetical work:  There are any number of excellent commentaries on the book of Luke which offer insights.  Fred Craddock, in his excellent commentary (Interpretation series) notes that this introduction of the word coming to John is patterned after introductions of other prophets, notably Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea.  This would seem to lift up John's fulfillment of his father's announcement that he would be called "the prophet of the Most High." (Lk.1:76).  Gregory the Great, in his ancient commentary notes that "since John the Baptist preached one who was at once both king and priest, the evangelist Luke indicated the time of his preaching by referring to both the kingship and the high priesthood."  (ACCS, III, 56)  Ambrose, another of the early church fathers, notes that Luke "says that the Word of the Lord came to John... so that the church would not begin from a man but from the word."  (ACCS, III, 56)  Finally, Luther defined John's message with these words:  "To prepare the way of the Lord means to prepare ourselves for the Lord's activity in us, so that God may help us and our life may be the life of Christ." (LW, vol 17, 9)  I like that.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Your redemption is drawing near

Luke 21:25-36, the gospel text appointed for the First Sunday in Advent in the Year of Luke certainly bears a striking resemblance to Mark 13, a text from which we have just read for the Third Sunday of End Time in the Year of Mark.  Several noteworthy differences, however, between Luke's apocalypse and Mark's, lift up the different emphases of these two writers.  Luke adds a word of hope in verse 28:  "Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."  Also, Luke's ending is very specific: "Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

(The following series of questions is a sample found in the appendix to my guide to Law and Gospel preaching, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from amazon.com.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The words of Jesus in this text function in all the ways that the Word can function:  law, gospel, and a call to obedience.  We hear the word of Law (You need Jesus!) in the opening verses as Jesus describes how "People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world."  Countering that, we hear a clear word of Gospel (Here is Jesus!) as Jesus describes the fig tree and how its green leaves signal the coming of summer.  Finally, we have also a call to obedience (Follow Jesus!) as Jesus warns his followers to "be on guard" so that "that day does not catch you unexpectedly."

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  This is an interesting question because we are all both sinners and saints.  We are both those who have reason to "faint from fear" at the coming of the Son of man, and those who can rejoice because our "redemption is drawing near."  It is important to note that disciples of Christ are not here exempted from suffering.  There is no talk of a rapture when God's people are carried off unscathed while the world groans in agony.  For this reason, because followers of Jesus suffer along with the nations, it will be important for the preacher to recognize both the listeners' need for redemption as well as the promise of redemption.

3.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by the text?  Because of the presence of both Law and Gospel in this text, several examples readily come to mind:  cowering in fear/raising our heads; winter/summer; heaven and earth passing away/a new heaven and earth formed.

4.  How does the Crossing Community model work with this text?  Archived under 2013 Year C Gospel for the First Sunday in Advent, you will find an excellent example of the crossing model working with this text.  Timothy Hoyer lays out clearly the external, internal, and eternal problems and solutions lifted up by this text.    I particularly like his emphasis on God's action by which "the powers of the heavens will be shaken."  He presents this as the eternal problem, and then, just as effectively, shows us how the redemption we have in Christ provides the eternal solution.  All this can be found at crossings.org/text study.

5.  Exegetical Work:  Fred Craddock's insightful commentary on Luke (Interpretation series) provides some wonderful counsel summarizing this text:  "Whether we go or he comes, personal theological preferences do not alter eschatology, and contemplation of that fact should have some sanctifying influence.  Such thinking should keep our souls athletically trim, free of the weight  of the excessive and useless.  Such thinking should aid us in keeping gains and losses in proper perspective.  Such thinking should chase away the demons of dulling dissipation and cheer us with the news not only that today is a gift of God but also that tomorrow we stand in the presence of the Son of man."

Blessings on your proclamation!

Beginning of the Birth Pangs

Mark 13 is widely viewed as a description of the destruction of the Great Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE.  The first 8 verses of this chapter, which constitute the gospel reading appointed for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost - also called the Third Sunday of End Time, Saints Triumphant - end with a surprising and hopeful twist.  Could it be the promise of resurrection?

(The following questions help get at several core issues for Law/Gospel preachers who understand their task to "do" what the text "does" in their preaching.  For more information on this method, see my book Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  When we see the word "beware" or we note that the entire text is an exhortation to remain vigilant, we know we are encountering a word of Law, the word that says, in short, "You need Jesus!"  In this case, after the disciples indicate how impressed they are with the Great Temple, Jesus brings them up short by predicting its destruction.  As later verses in this chapter make clear, soon there will be a time when endurance will be sorely needed.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  A word of Gospel (Here is Jesus!) is absent here.  Indeed, Jesus talks about many who will say "I am he" and will lead people astray, because they are not the Christ.  The only hint of hope is at the end of this introductory paragraph to the Little Apocalypse, where Jesus speaks of "birth pangs."  This hints at God's ability to bring life from death, hope from despair, a new community from the rubble.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  It is always important to identify with the ones whom are being addressed by the Word, and in this case those are the disciples.  We too are so often impressed by "large stones and large buildings" when all this is passing away.  We too are likely to be led astray by false messiahs, and found frozen in fear at the prospect of suffering.  We too need the hope of God's ability to bring life from death.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in the text?  The call to obedience, which is the Word functioning to say, "Follow Jesus," is not present in this opening paragraph.  It comes soon enough as the next section talks about the need for endurance.  In this text the call is to repentance and faith, which precede any call to obedience.  Once the call to faith has been answered, then the call to the acts of obedience such as testimony, charity, and endurance can be heeded.

5. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by the text?  Returning to the function of the text, which is to warn us of the time to come, several couplets come to mind:  faulty vision/full vision, trust in temples/trust in God, suffering/new birth.

6.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  If you go to crossings.org/ text study you will find archived there many fine examples of the work of the Crossings Community. In the case of this text, a very clear example can be found under 2012 Year B Gospel for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost.  Here Mark Marius starts out in the diagnostic phase, by revealing the "building blocks" and "shaky structures" we build, which then, "God throws down."  In the prognosis, he nicely reveals Christ as the stone which the builders rejected, which is our hope, and then goes on to show how the sacraments can be a "sign" for us as we continue on, and we "rise, build and birth."  This is an excellent example of the clarity this model can bring to a text.

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic.  Eugene Lowry often insisted that what every sermon needs is a plot line that introduces tension, leading to release.  This text is filled with tension, and revealing Christ as "the stone the builders rejected" might be an excellent way to target the release.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Priceless or Worthless

The story of the widow's mite from Mark 12:38-44 has long been a vehicle for stewardship sermons.  It hasn't worked very well probably because the story can be viewed, on one hand, as an excuse for people who give little and say, "See, in this story the amount doesn't matter," and on the other hand by others (mostly those of us who depend upon the offering plate for our wages!) who say, "See, she gave everything she had!"  Perhaps a closer look at this story will reveal that this story is about larger things like hypocrisy and faith, pretense and love, and the distinction between priceless and worthless.

(The following questions are important to Law and Gospel preachers as we attempt to "do" in our preaching what the text "does" in our hearing.  A complete explanation of this method can be found in my book Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The primary function of this text is hinted at in Jesus' first word: "Beware."  Later he talks about the "greater condemnation."  This is clearly the Law at work.  The text is lifting up our human tendency toward showy piety, our view of the world in which market value is assumed to be God's value, and our failure to recognize faith when we see it.  This word shows us clearly our bondage to sin and our need for God's grace.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  A word of Gospel is hard to find in this story, although I think there is a hint of it in Jesus' commendation of the woman's actions.  When he says that the widow "out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on," Jesus is pointing out the amazing freedom of this woman.  He is pointing out her confidence in God's provision. He is lifting her up as an example of one who is filled with faith, so although Christ's work is not shown in this story, it can perhaps be assumed.

3. With whom are you identifying in the text?  This is an interesting question.  Our first choice is always those who are being addressed by the Word, whom in this case, are the hypocritical scribes.  Another choice, however, could be the disciples who are being instructed.  They, undoubtedly, would have assumed that the greater offerings were being given by the wealthy.  But finally, how about identifying with the woman?  Is it possible to identify with the person Jesus is commending?  This is always tricky, but it might be a vehicle for lifting up an anonymous individual of modest means who is an example of freedom in giving.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  In a sense, this entire text is a call to obedience.  The call to obedience in the text is always the Word functioning to say, "Follow me." It is the call to discipleship which follows our experience of grace.  The call to live in the freedom of the Gospel is really what this text is about.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Several couplets readily come to mind:  hypocrisy/repentance, bondage to fear/freedom to give, worthless gifts/priceless gifts.  The final couplet could lead quite nicely into the Gospel word about Christ's priceless gift of his very life.

6.  Exegetical work?  A word study of the Greek terms in this brief story unearths a few nuggets that can become sermons in themselves:  The widow is described as one of the "ptoxos" - a destitute person, most likely subsisting by begging.  This word seems purposely chosen to contrast with the "plousioi" - the wealthy, who put large sums into the offering boxes.  Another term which is rich in meaning comes at the end of the passage where Jesus says she puts in "all she had to live on." The term is well known to us:  "bios." It means one's whole life.  This woman has put her "whole life" into the offering plate.

Another source of rich commentary that doesn't pertain only to this story, but to any that have to do with liberality is Ernst Kasemann's book Jesus Means Freedom.  In this book the author points out that "for [Jesus], the attitude that man has to express is primarily that of need, which is not surpassed even by worship." (p. 32). Kasemann also reminds us how "Luther spoke of  the man outside grace as the homo in se incurvatus, the man inescapably imprisoned and entangled in himself." (p. 39)  This work is a rich source of thought on freedom for any text.

Blessings on your proclamation!