In the Ko-fi shop there is a series of sermon presentation files for a sermon series of ten messages on prayer, based on the teachings of Jesus. these are free to members.
Jesus Teaches Prayer
#1-Praying for God’s Kingdom Matthew 6:5-15. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
” If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
“Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”
RANDOM NOTES ON THESE FILES: These contain speaker’s notes which might be helpful — or not. They are only suggestions, to get you get started in thinking about how to develop the ideas on the slides. As always, you are free to use these however you wish. If there is something there you disagree with, BY ALL MEANS CHANGE IT! Don’t preach something you can’t defend during the week. I keep trying to get better at this, and will upload improved or updated files if I feel that is warranted. I am discovering that the ODP do not always look as good as I wish they did. I am still learning this format.
I am (of course) continuing my series on Amos but I have no idea (at this point) how many messages will be in that series. Other files will be going up also.
Review: You don’t see what the prophet is doing here until you see that Amos 1-2 is a unit. And, it is carefully structured. Verse 2 pictures the LORD (YHWH) roaring like a lion. Then a series or oracles of judgement follow. Each is for a different nation. They are introduced with this repeated formula:
עַל־שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ פִּשְׁעֵ֣י
“For three transgressions of _____________,
עַל־אַרְבָּעָ֖ה לֹ֣א אֲשִׁיבֶ֑נּוּ
and for four, I will not turn back….”
There is a certain rhetorical power in this repeated formula. But, this whole poetic prophecy is going somewhere. It’s building. It is going to end in an extended prophecy of judgement at the end (in our chapter 2). And, the weight of this prophecy of judgement is going to fall on Israel. In Chapter 1 verses 3-15 Amos mentions: Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, and the Ammonites. There is a pattern here. And, it starts to become clearer in this chapter. The prophecies are coming closer to home.
With Damascus, Gaza, and Tyre we simply have enemies. But, with Edom, and the Ammonites (and then, the Moabites, mentioned in this chapter) we have near-relatives. The Edomites were believed to be descendants of Israel’s brother Esau. And the Ammonites (like the Moabites) were believed to be descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot. So, as Amos moves along here, he is getting closer and closer to his real targets: Judah and Israel.
So, the list continues:
(6.) Against: Moab“because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom.”
• Consequences: “So I will send a fire on Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; I will cut off the ruler from its midst, and will kill all its officials with him…”
What is striking here is that their sin is an act of disrespect of the dead. This incident is not mentioned anywhere else in the Old testament history, so we don’t know anything more about it than what is told here.
(7.) Against: Judah“because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but they have been led astray by the same lies after which their ancestors walked.”
• Consequences: “So I will send a fire on Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem.”
This is where the prophecy takes a dramatic turn. We can still feel the power of this. Yes, the nations have done wrong. Their conduct in war has been cruel and disrespectful. But, this is as nothing before the sins of the Chosen People.
The atrocities recounted here are recognized by all peoples as crimes against humanity, so the nations are accountable to the Creator, the Lord. Since Judah and Israel have a revelation of God’s righteousness…, their guilt is greater than the nations’. Even Jerusalem, the site of God’s throne… is liable to judgment (2: 5).
It is worth noting at this point: Amos’ prophecies do not come out of nowhere. They are rooted in the particular history of the people of Israel. He assumes they know the story and they know what the law is. it is not a matter of the prophet simply saying: ‘This is true because I say so.’ He is reminding them of their history and the particular revelation of God that has been given to these particular people. The prophetic tradition assumes and builds upon the Mosaic tradition.
I realize that there is some uncertainty about the writing and editing of the Old Testament books as we have them in their present form. Certainly the exile and restoration of the nation are shaping influences on the books as we have them. but, the prophets remind us that they are much older than that. Before there could be an Amos calling the people back to faithfulness, there first had to be patriarchs and a law giver.
Like all true prophets Amos is a radical traditionalist. His word grows out of the words already given by others before him — but he radically applies the inner principles of that tradition to the times in which he lived.
What was Judah’s sin?
They rejected the Law of YHWH. They were under blood oath to keep this according to Exodus 24:8. It was part of their covenant with God. But, they had no respect for the Law.
They have not kept YHWH’s statutes. Of course, this phrase is typical Hebrew parallelism (redundancy), but it reminds us that the statutes of God are not only to be respected — they are to be followed.
They turned to Idolatry. Most commentators think that’s what the phrase “they have been led astray by the same lies after which their ancestors walked” means. They followed after false gods and false prophets.
When the truth is uncomfortable, the tendency is to turn to those with an easier message. As Jesus said, of those to whom much has been given, much will be required (Luke 12:48). Those who have received a revelation of God’s will have a responsibility to keep it.
The question for us is: how is the Church of Jesus Christ doing in keeping the teachings of Christ? Are we quick to condemn others when our own house is not in order?
Whoever is curious about the sins of others, or judges his brother on suspicion, has not yet laid the beginning of repentance and has not taken care to get to known his own sins, which are truly heavier than a lead weight of many pounds, and does not known why a man who loves vanity and seeks after falsehood becomes slow of heart (cf. Psalm 4:3), and therefore, as a man senseless and roaming in darkness, he, leaving his own sins, dreams of those of others, whether true or imagined on suspicion alone.
How quick we are to condemn! How slow we are to examine ourselves! But, Amos knew himself to be part of a people who were under the judgement of God — for he was himself a member of the tribe of Judah. But, the real crux of this prophecy is what comes next in verses 6-16. Amos primarily prophesied against the northern kingdom of Israel.
And to that we turn next….
For monthly supporters: there are sermon presentation files for a message on this passage (number #4 in the series on the prophet Amos) in the shop for free download here. They are in PPTX and ODP formats. You are free to edit, or modify these as you wish. Or: you can just use them as sermon starters.
The time in which the prophet Amos lived was a time of peace and prosperity. But, the prophet could hear God roaring like a lion — in anger.
Amos the prophet was certain that there was a God to whom the nations must give account. There was a moral judge of the world. No doubt this was a growing realization among the people of Israel. The God they worshiped was not a localized god — not simply their God, but the God of all the nations. YHWH was the God to whom all the nations were accountable. So, in these verses, the prophet begins with this notion: the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will call the nations to accountability.
(Sermon Presentation files for this passage can be found at: Patreon.)
It is important to see this parable as part of the larger category of Kingdom Parables, that begin in this chapter. In the Gospel of Matthew, there seems to be a clear turning from the clearer Kingdom teaching of (for example) the Sermon on the Mount to the strategy of teaching by parable.
These parables are not simple homespun illustrations from everyday life. They are very often startling or absurd stories — given to make a point. We have all become so familiar with them that they no longer startle us. So, preachers need to deliberately look for strange or startling elements to re-connect with them. Jesus may be showing us how different the ways of the Kingdom are to the ways of the world. Look for that. Also: look for the main point of the parable. Some of Jesus’ parables in the Gospels (like this one, actually) do have elements of allegory. But, don’t assume its an allegory.
So, while the Parable of the Sower does not itself mention the idea of the Kingdom of God, it should be viewed as being one of the parables that have this theme. Anyway, the idea of the Kingdom of God is the main theme of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel of Matthew.
Some people object to the idea of the “Kingdom of God” because it is archaic, and represents a tyrannical form of government, and because it smacks of patriarchy. This kind of issue is part of the whole task of taking ancient materials from another culture and trying to relate them to our won day and age. It is important to stress the ways God’s Kingdom is different than historic Kingdoms. Jesus took the familiar and gave it new meaning. God is not a tyrant. The Kingdom of God does not more forward by force, but by grace.
“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach.” — Matthew 13:1,2 NRSV.
Our attention is drawn here to Jesus’ popularity. It was necessary for him to get into the boat to be able to address the whole crowd. The sea served as his PA system.
Καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς πολλὰ ἐν παραβολαῖς…. — Matthew 13:3a
“And he told them many things in parables….” — Matthew 13:3a
John Wesley (1703–1791)
John Wesley remarks:
This way of speaking, extremely common in the eastern countries, drew and fixed the attention of many, and occasioned the truths delivered to sink the deeper into humble and serious hearers. At the same time, by an awful mixture of justice and mercy, it hid them from the proud and careless. In this chapter our Lord delivers seven parables; directing the four former (as being of general concern) to all the people; the three latter to his disciples.
These remarks are helpful as long as we remember the surprising or shocking elements Jesus included in his parables. As Wesley says, their goal was both to reveal and to conceal. The word παραβολή suggests a comparison (“a placing one thing by the side of another” — Mounce Greek Dictionary). Preachers who expound this passage can emphasize the contrast between God’s ways and (what are often) human ways.
“…saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’” — Matthew 13:3b-9 NRSV.
Seed is valuable to a farmer. No farmer would sow seed on the path, on rocky ground, or among thorns. Ideally, the farmer prepares the soil for the sowing of the seed. But, the Kingdom Christ came to inaugurate is different than that. Christ sows the seed of his message everywhere. See: Matthew 4:17: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” His concern and kindnesses were for everyone. See Matthew 11:4–5: “Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: he blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.’” Similarly, in the book of Acts, Jesus’ ministry is characterized this way: Acts 10:38 “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
So, this is the way of the Kingdom of God. We don’t first prepare the soil, we spread the seed wherever we go. We don’t wait for people to become worthy before we do them good. We spread good seed in what appears to be unlikely places.
Alexander Maclaren comments:
Dr Alexander McLaren (1826-1910).
It is folly to sow on the hard footpath, or the rocky ground, or among thorns; but Christ and His servants have to do that, in endless hope that these unreceptive hearts may become good soil. One lesson of the parable is, Scatter the seed everywhere, on the most unlikely places.
The parable alludes to the reality that many of Jesus’ hearers are not receptive. It’s as if he had said: “I think quite a few of you out there are not ready to receive this message I have to give.”
Nevertheless, there are some who are receptive — and they prove fruitful, beyond expectation. This is how the Kingdom of Christ advances.
“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” — Matthew 13:18-23 NRSV.
Here is the official explanation, where Jesus explains the allegorical elements of the parable: what is the intended meaning of the various “soils” in the story.
The message is essentially life-transforming if one hears it and understands it. It is transforming in and of itself. But, various conditions render the word ineffective. Jesus here is implying that the crowd he is addressing is not heeding the message. Maybe they have too much going on in their lives. Maybe they don’t allow the word to take root.
In and of itself the Kingdom teaching is transformative. Faith allows it to be transformative in the individual’s life. And, when the word takes root, the results are extraordinary: “in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” The older commentaries were very concerned to show how such a harvest was credible — but, that’s because they were still seeing the parables as “simple illustrations from everyday life” — and not the surprising stories about the way of God’s Kingdom.
So relate this back to both (1.) Jesus’ call to repentance in light of the coming of God’s Kingdom (Matthew 4:17), and (2.) Jesus’ instruction on the way of the Kingdom (Matthew 5-7). The preachers role here is to make the obscurity of the parable plain for the hearer.
This is a good basis for an evangelistic message: Hear and Heed God’s Message through Christ — it will change your life!
A FREE GIFT FOR PREACHERS:
Head over to my (temporary, I think) Patreon page to find a Presentation file for preaching on this passage. It is available in both Power Point (.pptx) or Open Document (.odp) formats. You will find this same article — scroll to the bottom and download the file you wish to use.
Psalm 135 is essentially a Psalm of praise. We are called into praise from the very opening “Hallelujah” (praise Yah).
It is a song of worship and it calls us into an attitude of worship. As Adam Clarke says: “It is an exhortation addressed to the priests and Levites, and to all Israel, to publish the praises of the Lord.”
The opening verses are an exhortation to worship. Verses 3-5, and 6, 7 extol God’s greatness. Verses 8-12 remind the people of Israel of God’s saving acts in their history: their deliverance from Egypt and the defeat of legendary kings. Then, they are called again to praise.
Remembrance has a significance for our faith. It is good to recount for ourselves the answered prayers we have experienced — and the unexpected blessing of God on our lives. The Bible is a book of remembrance: recounting the deeds of the Lord God in times past, as a way of illuminating our lives in the present. We know God through what God has done. For Christians, it is the story of Jesus — before any other — that calls forth our praise. And, so it is that in this psalm, the remembrance of God’s deliverance in the past, calls forth praise.
I remember the morning (many years ago) when Psalm 135 became memorable to me. I started reading and meditating on this psalm on a stormy morning. There was a thunderstorm raging outside. And, I slowly read these lines: “He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” (v.7 NRSV) So, now, when I read this again, I am reminded of that morning.
But, for now, let’s begin at the beginning. Notice how it starts.
There is a lion roaring, but only the prophet can hear. I said that the opening editorial note in the book of Amos (1:1) already raises an issue for me. The issue is: Who speaks for God? It may not be the person we thought was authorized to do so. Which also brings to mind another question: ‘To Whom (if anyone) does God speak?’” The prophet is the one who sees what others do not. There is an interesting detail in the way Amos 1:1 tells us about this prophecy: Amos spoke what he saw. “The words of Amos… which he saw….” Amos conveyed the sense of what he saw. But, in Amos 1:2 it is more a matter of what he heard:
The very opening words of the book of the prophet Amos raise a question for us. The question is this: Who Speaks for God?
The scholars often remind us that the prophets were people who spoke for God. Thus, they were primarily forth-tellers, not primarily fore-tellers. It is a point that needs to be repeated often. The word prophet does not mean “someone who predicts things.” It really means “someone who speaks the Word of God.” The prophets enabled the people to hear what God was saying to them at their own particular place and time in history.
For some reason, in the popular mind, prophesy has become connected with prediction. When popular preachers speak of what they call “Bible Prophesy” they are most often referring to Bible Apocalyptic: like the highly symbolic material in the book of Daniel or the book of Revelation. But, this is not the heart of prophesy. The heart of prophesy is: “Thus says the LORD.”
There are times when God seems absent. It seems that direction and blessing are gone. We have no sense that our prayers are being heard. We may be in a time of stress and trial, where there seems to be no relief in sight. Service that formerly brought us joy becomes dry and unrewarding. And we ask: Why?
Christian readers need to continually remind themselves: the Old Testament believers had no developed doctrine of the afterlife. In much of Christianity the idea of the afterlife — of rewards and punishments in the world to come — dominates the thinking of believers. In Christianity, this has become such a commonplace idea we must consciously remind ourselves that it is missing (for the most part) from the thinking of the Old Testament writers.
It’s not just Christians who may be surprised — or even shocked — by the absence of this theme. There are some observers who have theorized that religion exists as a way of addressing the fear of death. If that were the case, it would be impossible to account for the Jewish religion in Old Testament times (or: the religion of the ancient Greeks at the time of Homer, either. Just read The Iliad sometime.).
Because the believers of Old Testament times had no developed doctrine of the afterlife, they tended to see the issues of right & wrong / rewards & punishments as playing themselves out in this life. For example, you can see this clearly in the book of Proverbs: do right and things will go well for you, do wrong and you will suffer.
