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!

Today’s reading from Jeremiah recounts his commission to speak God’s word to Israel. In spite of Jeremiah’s sense of inadequacy, God nonetheless commissions him to go forth in proclamation and graciously empowers him to accomplish the task set before him. We may feel similarly ill equipped to do the work God. In light of recent events—a global financial crisis, a massive humanitarian crisis in Haiti, and countless acts of violence, both small and large—it can feel like the job of living out the gospel faithfully is too overwhelming, that we are ill-equipped to do the work we are called to do. But God is still calling us, and promises to give us the strength to live into our identity as the people of God.

I am especially struck by verses 9 and 10: "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." First, these verses remind us of the power of our words. Using our voice (both as individuals and as the collective church) we can begin to challenge the systems and structures that stand against God and God’s kingdom. Second, and related, empowered by God to speak God’s word, Jeremiah will go forth to upset the status quo. For many of us in North America, if we speak as Jeremiah spoke, doing so will implicitly create a threat to our comforts and securities. Do we have the courage to speak and act in that way?

Psalm 71:1-6 (6)
The whole of Psalm 71 is a lament looking to God’s help in the midst of struggle. In spite of the difficulties in life, the psalmist continually reiterates his hope in God. I may be a powerful exercise to read the whole psalm through the eyes of a Haitian (or any person living in dire circumstances).

As noted in the sermon starter for January 24 above, Jesus’ sermon in Nazareth begins his public ministry. In many ways, the sermon spells out what his ministry will be about—bringing good news to those who are poor and setting free the oppressed. We may want to offer a spiritual interpretation of this (as Matthew does in his Gospel) but Luke has concrete realities in mind (see, e.g., Luke 6:20, 7:21-23, 14:12-14). It is also noteworthy that Jesus’ first word is “today,” which, for Luke does not refer to some day in the distant past, but to today, this day. God is still acting on behalf of those who are poor and vulnerable today. Today, how will we participate in God’s work with our hands?

This week’s passage narrates the people’s response to Jesus’ reading and interpretation. Jesus’ antagonism in the passage is somewhat surprising. A point perhaps worth exploring is Jesus’ reminder that God works both inside and outside the community. Sometimes people will complain about doing the work of the church overseas when there is so much need here in the United States. This text reminds us of God’s care and concern for all people who are vulnerable, regardless of where they live.

The Hebrew Scripture text this week begins a theme that pervades the readings of God’s glory breaking into the ordinary through human agency. Here the prophet Isaiah sees the Lord in a glorious vision in the temple. The famous phrase “Holy Holy Holy” describes God here. A preacher could introduce the meaning in Scripture of thrice repeated things indicating wholeness and totality. Another example is of the Apostle Paul as he speaks of his ‘thorn in the flesh,’ “Three times I appealed to the Lord about this…”

The intrusion of glory into the ordinary happens when this ineffable glory of the Lord, witnessed by Isaiah finds a human voice to carry the message. God relieves the prophet of his feelings of guilt and inadequacy, cleansing him through the “live coal” and the prophet offers his once unclean lips to prophecy.

The psalm for the day picks up some of the imagery introduced in the first reading. The temple is once again the focus of attention. Once again the glory of God is juxtaposed with ordinary human life in the phrase, “Though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly” (v. 6). There is a powerful image of God’s favor for the poor and humble here for the psalm continues, “but the haughty he perceives from far away.”

Though God is incorporeal, there are many idioms of body used for God: “mouth,” “hand,” and “right hand” are all mentioned here of God, reinforcing an image of God’s familiarity and closeness to us.

Some commentators describe verses 3 and 4 of this passage as drawing from a formal creed that predated Paul and probably modeled the later Apostles’ Creed. The message of the whole passage is carried in the words, “I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received” (v. 3); that is, the gospel is shared through human words and actions, even though handed down from on high. Paul underlines that he is an unworthy human vessel, “unfit to be called an apostle.” Nevertheless God’s grace works in him to result in others’ hearing and believing.

The theme begun in the first reading is brought to fullness in the Gospel lesson. God’s word needs human beings, such as they are, to carry it forth. The passage describes the calling of the first disciples. They are called from among ordinary people and tasked with spreading God’s word. Peter’s words mirror Isaiah’s when he says, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Interestingly, Jesus doesn’t cleanse Peter as the angel cleansed Isaiah with the hot coal. This means that God works through and calls people while still sinful. Real human beings, in all their frailty and failings are God’s instruments to bring help to the hungry and consolation to those in suffering.

Jesus commands Peter in the reading to “put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” A preacher could develop this idea by asking the congregation “Where is your deep water?” Is it a friend with whom you wish to share how the Good News has affected you? Is it a person in your family or neighborhood that others shun but who may need someone to listen to? Is it an injustice that you see but ignore because it seems too dangerous to confront? The preacher should remember as well that the craft of preaching itself is to push off into very deep water for Scripture reminds us that “the human heart and mind are deep.” (Ps. 64:6)

Most holy God, the earth is filled with your glory, and before you angels and saints stand in awe. Enlarge our vision to see your power at work in the world, and by your grace make us heralds of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.