TThe Prophet and the Priest

 Amos 7:7-15 is the First Reading appointed for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Mark.  As such it is paired with Mark's unusually detailed account of the beheading of John the Baptist at the hands of King Herod. The message clearly is, "Taking up Prophecy is a Dangerous Business!"  The Amos text, however, does not speak of any peril to Amos, but rather his rejection by the priest Amaziah.  The preacher of this text will be challenged to hear this rejection as our own.

(The following questions have been developed to underscore the function of the Word in the text.  This is a primary concern of Law and Gospel preachers since the way the Word functions in the text is the way the sermon must 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?  If the Word, functioning as Law, always seeks to raise up our need for a Savior, then this text is all about Law.  The opening vision is a vision of judgement as the Lord declares that "passing by" (i.e. overlooking) the sins of Israel will no longer be the case. In the short dialogue between Amaziah and Amos we see Amaziah, the priest, rejecting God's call to repentance.  Finally, in the last section, Amos simply states his call.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  The Word as Gospel, proclaiming God's grace, is certainly not present here. One will need to look in the Second Reading from Ephesians for a word of grace.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  It is tempting to identify with the hero of our story, Amos, but that will probably not serve us well, since the only word addressed to Amos is his call.  Most of this passage is addressed to the nation of Israel and its leaders.  That is whom we must identify with.

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 the Gospel.  We might consider Amos' call such a call, but the Word clearly does not function primarily in this way.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Without any Gospel word in this text, we must be quite inventive when it comes to couplets.  Some ideas:  judged/saved; dying/living; desolate/abundant.

6. Exegetical work:  The opening vision of the plumb line might be lost if one does not understand the end of verse 8.  In this ending phrase God says, "I will never again pass them by."  The word translated "pass by" is a common word often translated "forgive" or "overlook."  In other words, God's mercy is coming to an end.  God has measured the righteousness of Israel with the divine plumb line and found the nation crooked. This is in contrast to the first two visions of chapter 7 where God relents from punishing after Amos' plea.  These first two visions show clearly Amos' love for the nation.  The words of Amaziah are also important, and show clearly his heart as well.  First of all, he tells the king that Amos has "conspired" against him, an attempt to show Amos as a national threat.  He also claims that "the land is not able to bear his words," once again trying to portray Amos as a threat to national security.  Most damning of all are the ways that Amaziah describes God's house:  "...it is the king's sanctuary, and it is the temple of the kingdom."  Amaziah, a priest, is describing God's house as belonging to the king and the temple as belonging to the empire.  Clearly, the national piety is in deep trouble.

7.  Consider the insight of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Charles Rice emphasized the preacher's task of helping listeners recognize their shared story in this text.  Are there places that listeners could do this here?  That is a worthy question to ponder.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Celebrating God's Mercy

 

Lamentations 3:22-33 is the First Reading appointed for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Mark.  It is a rare reading in that we almost never read from Lamentations, but also because it is one of the few points in the five chapters of this book that announce good news.  As such, it will be the preacher's joy to share this good news:  God is merciful.

(The following questions have been developed to help the exegete understand the way the Word functions in the text.  This is important because the way the Word functions in the text will need to be the way the sermon functions in its spoken form.  This is particularly important to Law and Gospel preachers. For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in particular, 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 here primarily as Gospel, announcing God's mercy, steadfastness, and compassion.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There are only hints of God's Law here, places where the Word functions to reveal our need for a Savior. Near the end of the passage the writer acknowledges the grief that comes to us, even from God's hand, but then we are assured it is not God's intention to do this.

3. With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are those to whom this text is addressed.  We are the ones who say, in verse 21, prior to our reading, "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope."  Then we call to mind, not only our sufferings, but the mercies of God that sustain us each day.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  When we read in verses 26-30 that it is good to wait patiently, even in suffering, for the Lord's deliverance, we might think this is a call to obedience.  It is not; it is a call to faith.  The parenthetical comment in verse 29 shows us this:  "there may yet be hope."  A call to obedience is the call to live in a certain way in response to God's gifts. This call is not present here.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Using the vocabulary in this text we might invent several couplets.  Some ideas:  abandoned/provided for; rejected/embraced; despairing/hopeful.

6.  Exegetical work:  A translation of the Hebrew text provides a number of insights that will be helpful.  In the opening verse (vs. 22), we see the presence of a first person plural pronoun that is not noted in modern translations, but is present in the KJV:  "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."  To put a more positive spin on it, "Yahweh's deeds of kindness keep us alive, because his compassions fail not."  John Donne, the 17th century preacher and poet, compared God's mercies to the manna given the Israelites in the wilderness;  "Everyday he gives; early, every day his manna falls before the sun rises."  (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, OT, Vol. XI, p. 488).  Our understanding of verse 24 is also deepened by the Hebrew.  The word translated "portion" is a word associated with that tract of land, or share of the spoil, given to the tribes of Israel following a military victory, or as land is given out in the Promised Land.  It speaks of privilege. Those who have a "portion" are those who are recognized as belonging to God's people.  The last verse (vs. 33) is also opened up a bit by the Hebrew.  The text literally translates "God does not afflict from his heart, nor does he grieve the children of humanity."  "From his heart" is usually translated "willingly," but this phrase suggests that God's heart, God's innermost being, comes into play in our suffering.

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  This text would seem to be one in which Henry Mitchell would urge us to celebrate with gusto.  Mitchell was always about celebration and indeed insisted that the preacher should be the first to be thrown into ecstasy over God's grace.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Wisdom Out of the Whirlwind

Job 38:1-11 is the First Reading appointed for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Mark.  It is paired with the story of the stilling of the storm in Mark 4 and as such highlights God's sovereignty over all of creation. The Lord's opening line is the crux of it:  "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?"  This is an indictment of our hubris, our insistence that we know better than God.  This is a hard word that the preacher is called to share.

(The following questions have been developed to highlight 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 which explore other issues. 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 clear that the Law is at work here, calling into question Job's insistence that he knows best. (see 31:35-37)  Job and his friends are surely those who "darken counsel by words without knowledge."

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  Though numerous commentators have tried, it seems unlikely that a Word of Gospel can be found here, one that proclaims what God has done in Christ.  Luther, in his commentaries, often lifts up 38:8-11 as evidence that God sets boundaries for chaos and evil, not allowing them to overwhelm us.  This is certainly a gospel notion, but not one that is explicit here.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  It is always important to identify with those addressed by the Word, and this text is no different: we are those who also darken counsel by words without knowledge.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The implicit call in this text is the call to repentance, to humility, and to a new posture before God.  This is not the call to obedience, but to a renewal of faith.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Without a gospel word we shall have to supply the couplets from the vocabulary given. Some ideas: hubris/humility; ignorance/revelation.

6.  Exegetical work:  Biblical scholar Carol Newsom, in her commentary, The Book of Job: A Contest of Moral Imaginations, says that the simple summary of God's word here is "God is God, and Job is not."  That can be viewed as either good news or bad news.  It is good news in the sense that we don't have to pretend we are in charge anymore.  It is bad news in the sense that our illusions are shattered.  Having said that, it is always good when illusions are shattered.  Stan Mast, in his online commentary notes Richard Rohr's similar take on God's speech.  Rohr reportedly sums it up like this:  "Aw, shut up, Job."  Rohr goes on to say that when the Church tries to be the "answer box" it usually does more harm than good.  One contextual note:  Elihu's final line in his long rebuke of Job in chapters 32-37 ends with this line:  "[God] does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit." (37:24b).  Perhaps this is a hint of what is to come.

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Eugene Lowry always insisted that the work of the preacher was to bring the listeners from disequilibrium to equilibrium.  Because this text is so much about disequilibrium it will be even more important here to bring a word of Gospel that provides the listener equilibrium.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Beloved By not Beholden To

 

John 15:9-17 is the Gospel appointed for the Sixth Sunday of Easter in the Year of Mark.  As such it is clearly the continuation of last week's Gospel, John 15:1-8.  Even though that is the case, the images of vine and branches, fruit and pruning, are no longer present; instead the emphasis is wholly on love. Finally, near the end of the passage, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what love looks like - it looks like an enduring friendship.  It looks like a friendship that is deep, sacrificial, and vulnerable.  It looks like Jesus.  It will be the preacher's joyful task to announce this deep love of Jesus to the listeners.

(The following questions have been developed to highlight the way the Word functions in the text, a primary concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  These questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but can be used to good effect in conjunction with other fine sets of questions available in other methods.  To learn more about this method and about 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 functions here at first as Gospel.  Jesus announces God's love and his love for us.  He also announces that his goal is that our joy might be full, another word of Gospel.  Finally, Jesus announces that he has chosen us to be friends, not slaves. This changes everything.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is no word of Law here, a word that calls us to repentance, or lifts up our need for a Savior.  Even the conditional phrases in verses 10 and 14 are conditions of uncertainty, which necessitates an understanding of the verses akin to: "whenever you do what I command" you abide in my love.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are those to whom Jesus speaks.  We are the chosen ones, the ones called friends, not slaves, the ones commanded to love.  Jesus is talking to us directly.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  Much of what we have here is a call to obedience, which is the Word functioning to invite us to live in a certain way in response to God's love revealed in Christ.  Clearly the call here is to live in love, to live as friends of God, to live in a way that shows love for God through loving others.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet  is suggested by this text?  Couplets will need to be invented due to the lack of Law in this text.  Some ideas:  duty/joy; slavery/friendship.

6.  Exegetical work:  A key concept in this passage is the contrast between servant and friend.  Both of these terms are arguably less than robust.  The former term is doulos, perhaps better understood as "slave."  The latter term, philoi, is also not done justice by "friend," but perhaps better understood as "beloved one."  Raymond Brown, in his classic commentary, argues exactly this:  "The English word 'friend' does not capture suffciently this relationship of love."  "Rather vs. 14 is simliar to vs. 10, and the 'you are my philoi' of 14 is the equivalent of the 'You will remain in my love' of 10." Also, Brown writes, "In one way, 'slave' might be more appropriate here when the servile condition of the doulos is stressed - he follows orders without comprehending." (The Gospel According to John XIII-XXI, p. 664).  Gerard Sloyan, in his commentary, concurs:  "It is God's way with the human family. This sounds like what Aristotle and Aquinas called benevolentia, the love that wills another's good."  (Interpretation series, John, p. 189).  Sloyan further imagines Jesus saying this to his disciples:  "We shall be friends, you and I.  No more of this I up here and you down there, you the object of my affection and I the subject of your veneration.  We are both subjects enduring the passion and pain of love." (Ibid., p.190).  Finally, Craig Koester offers another word on this friendship:  "Jesus' friendship with his followers therefore is both the source and the norm for their relationship with each other."  (Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel, p.275).

7.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  Steven Kuhl, in his 2015 analysis, picks up the theme of servant/friend very nicely in his work.  He goes further, exploring more of the implications of these two identities.  To see the entire analysis, go to crossings.org/text-study and find it archived under its reference.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Life on the Vine

 

John 15:1-8, the Gospel appointed for the 5th Sunday of Easter in the Year of Mark, comes on the heels of the Great High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in the preceding chapters.  It seems out of place to have Jesus talk about remaining in Him when He has just said that he is leaving.  What is evident, then, is that it is the Resurrected One to whom we will be attached.  It is the Resurrected One and the Spirit of this One who will enable us to bear fruit in life.  Being fruitful in our union with Christ, that is the goal.  The preacher's task is to challenge the listeners to hear this call.

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but have been designed to highlight the function of the Word in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers. The function of the Word is important because the way the Word functions 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?  There is both Law and Gospel in this text, both promise and a call to repentance.  The Law is present as we hear the need for pruning and the dangers of becoming separated from the vine.  We need Jesus.  He is life for us.  The Gospel is present in the promises that fruit will be borne as we abide in Christ, and more than that, our prayers to God, as God's abiding ones, will be heard and answered.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are, as Augustine says, "the twigs."  We are the branches whose very life depends on being attached to the vine.  We are also those who are lovingly cut and pruned in order that God's will might be done in God's vineyard.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The primary call is to abide in Christ.  We who have been grafted into the vine are called to remain in this life-giving relationship.  Also implied in the first verses is that we must be open to the pruning that the Word does in us.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Using the language present here we might consider the following couplets to guide us:  separated from/attached to Christ; dead wood/fruitful branches; dirty/clean.

5.  Exegetical work:  The opening line is the last of the "I AM" statements of Jesus:  I am the true vine. The word translated "true" can also be translated "genuine" or "real."  This is a reminder to us that there are "fake" vines, other voices that offer to be our source of life.  None of them are capable of giving the life Christ gives.  Staying connected with this true vine, "abiding in" this vine is what is required of us.  Many ancient writers, reformers, and contemporary writers recognize this.  Augustine writes, "Why, your assertion that a person of himself works righteousness, that is the height of your self-elation...For whoever imagines that he is bearing fruit of himself is not in the vine, and whoever is not in the vine is not in Christ."  (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. IVb, p. 168).  The reformer, Oecolampadius says, "...in Christ is the divine Spirit that he transmits into his members and branches - that is, into his true disciples.  And as the branches bear fruit because of the sap...so we too do good works..." (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. V, p. 68).  Craig Koester, in his modern commentary writes, "...for the disciples to abide in Jesus means that they abide in his love like branches on a vine, drawing strength from the main stalk and thereby bearing fruit."  (Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel, p. 272).  Abiding is, however, not the only call in this text.  We are also called to be open to "pruning" by the Word.  Koester's commentary is particularly helpful in discussing this call:  "The need for pruning...assumes that sin remains an issue even for those who belong to Jesus, and God addresses the problem of sin through Jesus' word." "Cleansing by the word means confronting the sin that separates people from Jesus the vine."  "Pruning...is God's corrective judgement on sin rather than a final condemnation."  (Koester, p. 274).

6.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  Chris Repp, in his 2021 analysis, does a masterful job in describing our fruitlessness as lovelessness.  It is clear, then, that Jesus' love is the necessary antidote to our lovelessness.  Go to crossings.org/text-study for the entire analysis.

Blessings on your proclamation!

The Many-faceted Image of the Good Shepherd

 John 10:11-18, the Gospel lesson appointed for the 4th Sunday of Easter in the Year of Mark is well-known as part of the Good Shepherd text.  It is paired well with Psalm 23 which accompanies it on this Good Shepherd Sunday.  What is striking about this part of the Good Shepherd chapter is the writer's emphasis on Jesus' willingness to lay down his life, certainly an extraordinary criteria for a shepherd. To risk one's life might be required of a shepherd, but to lay it down?  Here is good news worthy of preaching!

(The following questions have been developed to help exegetes discover the way the Word functions in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers. These questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but are used best as part of a larger repertoire available to students of scripture.  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 clearly as both Law and Gospel in this text.  It functions as Gospel, announcing God's love and care, whenever the good shepherd is mentioned:  in laying down their life for the sheep, in knowing the sheep intimately, and in including sheep "that do not belong to this fold."  The Word functions as Law, showing us our need for a Savior, whenever the hired hand is mentioned:  in abandoning the sheep to the wolf, in not caring for the sheep, and in allowing the sheep to be scattered.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We have two choices in this text: we can either identify with the hired hands who are condemned for their cowardice and refusal to care for the sheep, or we can identify with the sheep who are being cared for by the shepherd.  If we choose the former, this text will call us to repentance.  If we choose the latter, this text will bring us hope and strength, knowing that our good shepherd is watching over us.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  There is no word here that invites us to live in a certain way in response to God's work in Christ.  We might see an invitation to be open to sheep that do not belong to the flock as a call to obedience, but that is not explicit.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  The metaphor of shepherding is rich with ideas for couplets.  A few suggestions:  snatched/rescued; scattered/reunited; abandoned/cared for.

5.  Exegetical work: Many scholars have tied the Pharisees in chapter 9 to the hired hands condemned in chapter 10.  Patristic writers and reformers alike have come to this conclusion.  Augustine is a good example:  "Who then is the hireling?  They are some in office in the church, of whom the apostle Paul says, 'Who seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's.'" (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. IVa, p. 346).  Lamar Williamson Jr. is an example of a modern scholar who falls into this line:  "Of all religious authorities who are more interested in their own prestige than in the welfare of God's flock, the text says: 'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.' (10:10a).  In contrast, Jesus offers himself as the entry way through which the sheep have free access to security on one hand and sustenance on the other." (Preaching the Gospel of John, p. 120).  Craig Koester, another modern scholar, offers an interesting analysis of John's use of this metaphor.  He notes that "the good shepherd imagery helps integrate the human, messianic, and divine dimensions of Jesus' identity into a coherent whole."  Noting how John's listeners/readers would have likely been familiar with the OT imagery in Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and other prophets, he argues that this shepherd image is multivalent, not only showing a contrast with the unfaithful 'shepherds' (i.e. Pharisees and scribes), but revealing Christ's unique exercise of power through giving up his life, and God's extraordinary gift of love in Christ. See Koester's work to read the entire analysis. (Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel, p. 109-116).

6.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  Mark Marius, in his April 17, 2021 post highlights the question of who we identify with in this text. Are we sheep, hired hands, or even wolves?  It's clear who Jesus is, but who are we? that's the question.  Go to crossings.org/text-study for the entire analysis.

Blessings on your proclamation!

The Rising of the Crucified One

 

Luke 24:36b-48 is a familiar text to any seasoned preacher.  It is the Gospel appointed for the 3rd Sunday of Easter in the Year of Mark, and so it appears every three years.  It follows a familiar pattern of Jesus appearing, the disciples disbelieving, food offered, and joy emerging from  the disciples.  In this particular resurrection story the emphasis is on the bodily nature of the Risen One.  It will be the preacher's task to lift this up as well.

(The following questions have been formulated to help the preacher discover how the Word is functioning in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  This is important because 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 functioning as both Law and Gospel in this text; as Law, by raising up the terror and doubts of the disciples; and as Gospel, in Christ's willingness to show them his physical body and open their minds.  The Law always functions to show us our need of a Savior; in this text, without a Savior we would be lost forever in terror and doubt. The Gospel always functions to show us Jesus, which is exactly what we have in this text.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are undoubtedly to identify with the disbelieving disciples.  We assume Jesus is dead and what we see is a ghost. We need to be reminded of what the Scriptures revealed regarding the Christ, and we need to have our minds opened.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience comes right at the end of this text as we are called to be witnesses of the resurrection of Christ, to preach repentance and forgiveness to all nations.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Several couplets immediately come to mind as we read this text:  doubt/faith; closed minds/open minds; despair/hope.

5.  Exegetical work:  As is obvious in the text, and Fred Craddock points out so clearly in his commentary, the theme of this text is "the corporality of the risen Christ." (Interpretation series, Luke, p. 289).  The ancients agree.  Ignatius, 2nd century bishop, noted that the risen Christ ate and drank with the disciples "as a real human being."  In the 5th century, Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome, in writing on this text, said that "the resurrection of the Lord was the resurrection of a real body."  Others concur.  This text is about Jesus being physically alive. (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. III, pp. 384-387).  Fred Craddock not only highlights the corporality of Christ but the crucial fact that the Risen One is also the Crucified One.  He argues that if the Christ we are called to follow is not the Crucified One, "then the Christian life can take on forms of spirituality that are without suffering for others, without a cross, without any engagement of issues of life in this world, all the while expressing devotion to a living, spiritual Christ." (Craddock, p. 290).  Reflecting on this may lead us to wonder with our listeners if a risen Christ who is also the Crucified One, is harder for us to embrace than a risen Christ who has neither suffered nor died.  Could it not be a temptation we all experience - to follow a Victorious One, but not one whose victory leads through Golgotha?

6.  How does the Crossings community model work with this text?  There are multiple examples of Law/Gospel analyses of this text on the crossings website, the most recent example being a very inventive one by Matt Metevelis, in which he uses a 2024 Super Bowl ad ("He Gets Us") to show how Jesus more than 'gets us;' he comes in our midst and stands with us.  See all the analyses by going to crossings.org/text-study.

Blessings on your proclamation!