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!

These words come at the end of Moses’ speech to the people of Israel, who are about to leave a life of wilderness and enter into the land of promise. In a very real way they are in a place of poverty when they hear this message. A life of stability is ahead of them but not a current reality for the sojourners. The choice is put before them in quite simple terms- obey the Lord God and have life or turn away and perish.

In common parlance we often hear about both the “hunger trap” and the “poverty trap.” It is also a common view that personal choices either drive one deeper into hunger and poverty or free someone from these traps. How do these images impact how we interpret this scripture reading? What difference does having a choice make when we think of our ministry with those in hunger and poverty?

Onesimus has found himself in a tough spot and needs an advocate. There is enough in the letter to suggest that Onesimus was not on the best terms with Philemon when he left. It is interesting to note that the person he appeals to, Paul, is in prison—not the most likely place to find someone who can help someone out of a jam. Even from this place, Paul is willing to vouch for Onesimus and stands in the gap for any would be debt that has accrued.

Paul offers some good insight as to what it means to be an advocate. He has been attentive to Onesimus and recognizes that he is in a place where he can help him. As congregations, are we aware of the relationships where we could be potential advocates? Who do we currently advocate for and are there others for whom we could advocate for more intentionally?

The analogies about what it means to follow Jesus come just after the story about a great dinner, where the ones who were first invited seem to find better things to do and in their place the poor and disadvantaged are welcomed to the meal. The image quickly shifts from a welcoming meal to cross-carrying. The juxtaposition of the images is striking and provides an honest look at what God hopes for and the costliness that is involved.

To illustrate his point Jesus uses the images of the tower builder and king, who both must thoughtfully consider the costs and anticipate an outcome before making a decision. The final sentence clues us in on what God is doing through Christ and what we are to do if we choose to be faithful disciples. This is a life of giving things up—reorienting to God means forsaking some of the practices and comforts that have caused divisions and created enclaves. Finding the right things to give up is not self-evident, as demonstrated in previous story about the dinner guests who declined the invitation. But how does the gospel inspire us to reorient our mission priorities?