LISTSERV 16.0 - HUNGERSERMONSTARTERS Archives

The lessons for each Sunday in the church year proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Also derived from a Sunday’s texts are lessons for the Christ-inspired and Christ-like life of God’s people. The comments here will help you find hunger-related threads – sermon starters – among the themes of this day’s texts. (We're presuming you have already done your exegetical work on the texts.) God bless your proclamation (and teaching) of what is most certainly true!

Since today is Mother’s day it would be an excellent opportunity to speak about the vital importance of women in alleviating hunger. The text from Revelation naturally leads to a discussion of how God stands against hunger (the Gospel of John, too, in its affirmation of familial love). Some statistics on women and hunger (pick and choose those that seem relevant):

§ “In India’s economic transformation of the past 15 years, the World Bank finds that states with the highest percentage of women in the labor force grew the fastest and had the largest reductions in poverty.”

This passage describes the coming of God’s kingdom. Several features of that kingdom are noteworthy, particularly in discussions of hunger and poverty. First the tree described in 22:2 bears fruit 12 months out of the year—food is always available. The image is borrowed from Ezekiel 47:12, but the twelve types of fruit is a new twist – perhaps emphasizing the abundance? The leaves of the tree are for “the healing of the nations.” Again, John has shifted the image from Ezekiel and added the phrase about the nations. These are the nations that had previously rebelled against God. They too now receive healing. This is a reminder of God’s promise to feed and heal. The last image is that of light—there is no need for lamps because God provides the light (22:5). In Matt 5:16 Jesus describes how our good deeds (our generosity) shine as a light to all people. While we wait for God to bring God’s kingdom, may we continue to shine by working with and on behalf of those who are poorest and most vulnerable.

The passage from John 14 holds two promises—first that God will make a home with those who keep Jesus’ command (and his command is to love—here concrete acts of love can be used as illustrations) and second, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit will come to work with us. As we strive to do God’s work with our hands, we are not alone. God promises the Holy Spirit to work with us and reminds us of all that we are called to do.

This curious story invites many hunger related reflections. The first and most obvious connection lies in the use of the slave girl for money making. Today, slavery continues to be an issue. According to the U.S. State Department, between 12 and 27 million people are trafficked each year for slave labor (the numbers are hard to pin down as it is an illegal, and therefore largely undocumented, practice). Most of those trafficked are women (according to the U.S. Justice Department approximately 70-80% of those trafficked are women and girls who are sold into sexual slavery) and children. Trafficking is often the result of poverty. For more on modern human trafficking and slavery (including worship and educational resources), visit www.elca.org/justiceforwomen. Click on the Human Trafficking Awareness Day link.

The second piece worth noting is the impetus for Paul’s response. He is not compassionate nor does he care about the plight of the girl. Rather, he is “greatly annoyed (diaponeô).” It is encouraging to see that we don’t always have to have our motivations right, or even our attitudes, to do good in the world (one may think of Jesus’ response to the leper in Mark 1:40-45 as a comparable scene—even Jesus was not always entirely compassionate!). Granted, we may wish that Paul would have responded out of better motives, but good still came out of his very human response.

A third piece worth noting is the financial loss that occurs to the owners of the girl. In our own struggle against hunger and poverty—in our giving, advocacy, and lifestyle choices—it may be that some systems are upset. Those in power may be uncomfortable with our positions. We ourselves may feel a sense of insecurity or loss. In spite of this, we are called to work with and on behalf of those who are poorest and most vulnerable. What are willing to work towards today?

Throughout the final chapters of Revelation we have seen how God will bring redemption to this earth in very concrete ways, e.g., in trees that bear fruit year round. In verse 17 of this passage, Jesus invites all who are thirsty to drink of the water of life (which can just as easily be understood to be a physical as well as a spiritual drink). This reference can be used to discuss the value of water to life and the fact that nearly 1 billion people in the world still do not have access to clean drinking water. What might water of life look like to those billion?

A second hunger reflection can be in what is actually not said (this may be a bit dicier—it is derived out of an implicit criticism of the lectionary). As we have read Revelation, we have seen many of the beautiful calls to repentance, the promises of redemption, and the care for human needs. The lectionary has kept from us many of the less promising passages—those that might make the modern reader uncomfortable—passages full of judgment, violence, death, and so on. This week is a perfect example. These omissions invite a reflection on those things that are not spoken because they make us uncomfortable. Talking about poverty and hunger can make us very uncomfortable. The statistics are daunting. The solutions are difficult. The whole problem in some or another may implicate you and I somehow. It takes courage to speak about these issues. It can even be dangerous (like it was for Paul when he healed the slave girl in this week’s lesson from Acts). Can we find the courage to stand with those who are poor and vulnerable?

In this high priestly prayer, Jesus prays that his followers may all be one. This of course has a particular value to the current context of the ELCA. A question worth asking is towards what we will be unified. The aim in Jesus’ prayer is that our unity will direct others to God. How often do we unify in ways that do not point others to God? What would it look like for God’s people to be unified in their voice with and on behalf of those who are hungry? Would not that witness be a clear pointer to God?