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!

Malachi 4:1–2a
The language in this prophetic announcement plays with two types of light. The first we encounter is the intense heat of judgment on the wicked that leaves not root or branch. The other light we encounter is from the sun of righteousness that will rise. One purges, the other heals. It is interesting that the sun of righteousness does not rise with reward, but healing. Presumably this healing is for those who have been afflicted and injured. Because of Christ, we know that healing is the context by which we encounter God’s light (and perhaps it is most accurately new life rather than just healing). We see potential for transformation—God at work within us restoring and correcting. How is this experienced in each of us, in our relationships, and in our communities? Neglecting the healing aspect of God’s light makes us shortsighted when it comes to the work of the spirit among and around us. But part of living as people of the light (a New Testament term) means seeking that healing of our communities and neighbors. Though unspecified in this passage, we can envision the healing being relational, economic, spiritual and physical.

Believers who have chosen idleness instead of work are taken to task here. Those criticized are likely the ones who heard about the coming “day of the Lord” and decided to stop contributing to community life. Unfortunately phrases like “anyone unwilling to work should not eat,” sound like a politically charged declaration about limits of government benefits and in some cases may too readily be used as such. But a strictly political application is missing the point. Instead these words are a reminder that people of faith need to be engaged in their communities here and now.

The epistles show a deep concern for community life; both how the body of believers treat one another and how they should live amongst their neighbors. The fact that some here are criticized for trusting in “the day of the Lord” at the expense of their neighbor and present obligation reinforces the importance of seeing that everyone has something to contribute to the community. This also extends to those who may be seen as recipients of the charity or outreach of our congregations. How can their gifts be recognized an honored in the life of the church? At the very least, perhaps those who are hungry or in poverty have a valuable perspective about whether our congregations are idle or engaged when it comes to living “according to the tradition” that we have received.

Luke 21:5–19
Those who think this passage begins with an innocent observation about the temple soon find themselves in the midst of a rather foreboding prophecy. The terror Jesus explains is political, environmental, and geological—pretty much covering the spectrum of terror as it was understood in the ancient world. Even though the specter is cast, Jesus follows it up with a strange command given the context, “do not be terrified” (21:9). This seems odd since throughout the scriptures we learn of God’s concern for the poor and vulnerable, so we must consider the question: What does God expect will happen to the righteous or the poor and vulnerable as a result of the wars? Is not the feeling of terror a logical reaction to such things? Jesus’ words of comfort detailing what the righteous and faithful can expect sound like they could be for any individual who is trying to survive the ordeal on their own. But does it make a difference to hear these words directed to a community of faith rather than exclusive to individuals? Then we hear that words of wisdom will come to our faith communities, that they will be our families and support when we are betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives and friends (21:16), and that a community enduring these things is able to experience the life God gives. There is clearly an element of survival present, but if we hear these words in the context of community, there is a type of fellowship to which we are oriented. Hopefully this enables us to seek the care of the poor, hungry and vulnerable among us and trust God’s promise even when succumbing to fear seems like the natural thing to do.