Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.11UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.11UNLIKELY
Fear
0.09UNLIKELY
Joy
0.55LIKELY
Sadness
0.58LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.75LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.37UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.86LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.73LIKELY
Extraversion
0.14UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.85LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.62LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Intro:
Lessons are sometimes best given in stares of 3
- In The Three Little Pigs, we learn that under preparation and construction can be your downfall.
(In the original story, the first two pigs do get eaten!)
- In Goldilocks and the Three Bears we find that preferences are fine, but presumption is perilous.
- In Three Billy Goats Gruff we see that knowing when to quite might keep you from getting the boot!
(Notice How I gave three stories?!)
Today’s passage contains the third of three people who share some things in common, but others are drastically different.
Let’s learn the lessons they have to teach.
Pary
The Woman Who Sought Jesus
From the north east to the west, and further north.
The region of Tyre and Sidon.
(Tyre first, then north to Sidon)
Gentile area - This also would be unclean, just like the handwashing last week.
Wanted to stay hidden - vacation?
retreat?
Woman learns of Him
If by word of mouth, why didn’t others flock to Him as well.
Possibly by word from possessed daughter.
We don’t really know.
But we do know she immediately and purposefully goes to Jesus.
And she’s persistent!
The Interaction
Jesus hesitates (not hesitant).
In Matt.
15 this prelude gives more insight.
The Disciples want her sent away, and Jesus reminds them all that He was sent for the people of Israel.
She persists, like the woman before the Judge who has her case heard because she wont take “go away” for an answer.
Children and dogs (little dogs, as Dale pointed out)
Jesus’ purpose didn’t confine His actions, but defined them.
Her faith was impelling enough for Jesus to act outside that definition.
Grace overflows!
Hearing her plea, healing her daughter, bringing peace - even to the gentiles!
This was story three.
Now a review of the first two stories and then see the lessons we can draw.
Three Cananite Women
To find these other two stories - other two women - we head back to 1 Kings 16 and 17. [turn to passage] It’s the time in Israels history after they have taken the promised land.
They were supposed to drive out all the inhabitants, but they did a rather poor job.
This would come back to haunt them again and again.
The time as after the time of David and Soleman, after the nation of Israel split into two nations.
Both nations suffered from evil kings.
The Southern Kingdom had some Godly kings.
This is where Jerusalem was, it was called Judah.
The Northern Kingdom had almost exclusively wicked kings.
It was called Samaria, or Ephraim, or Israel...
One of the northern kings was as wicked as His wicked father, but also married a very wicked woman - Jezebel of the Sidonians.
Jezebel of the Sidonians: Contended
1 Kings 16:29-21:29
Sidon was a holdout of the Cananite cultures that God had commanded Israel to eradicate.
They worshiped other God’s would be a stumbling block to the Israelites.
So when Ahab, King of Israel, takes Jezebel as His wife, He also takes her gods and establishes them in Israel.
This angers God!
The King, the people, and most of the priests were worshiping Baal and other gods.
But there ware some who were faithful to the Lord, chief among them, the prophet Elijah.
Jezebel sought to drive out the worship of the Lord.
And she really hated Elijah.
You would likely recognize stories with her.
She seemed to have an influence and drive with the priests of Baal.
When Elijah confronted and mocked them, everyone saw God show His power by consuming a sacrifice soaked in water.
With God’s power manifest, Elijah ordered the priest of Baal killed.
Rather than acknowledge God, Jezebel retaliated in rage seeking to kill Elijah.
Jezebel refused to recognize God, even when she was directly confronted with His power.
She drew others away from God.
She had the opposite of faith in Him.
At one point in Elijah’s ministry, he prophesied a three year drought.
It happened just as He had said, but Jezebel still didn’t believe.
During this drought (when God did not send water), God sent Elijah to the north east to the region near Galilee.
God provided food and water though the drought affected everyone else.
Then the water ran out and the food stopped.
Then the word of the Lord told him to go west.
Toward the sea to Zarephath.
Pictures of the two maps
Notice the similarities of travel.
Jesus is mirroring Elijah’s journey.
We can see He is mirroring two encounters with gentiles - both a man and a woman.
While Elijah prophecies three years of drought, Jesus ministers for three years as the living water.
We find a better example in our second story today.
1 Kings 17:8-24
When Elijah gets to Zarephath (near the area of Tyre), he encounters a widow.
The Widow of Zarephath: Considered
1 Kings 17
She’s affected by the drought.
She and her son are about to starve to death, with but one meals worth of groceries left.
When it’s gone, they’ll starve.
Elijah probably doesn’t know the full extent of her plight, so he asks for a drink and some bread.
This widow tells him their situation.
But, discerning from the Lord, Elijah asks her an impossible question - Feed me too with that tiny remanent.
He promises that if she does, the jar of flour wont run empty nor the oil run dry until the day for Lord sends rain again.
We saw Jezebel refuse to believe even with plan proof.
What does this widow do?
She believes with nothing more than the word of God’s messenger!
Later, this woman's son get sick and dies - “there’s no breath in him”.
What does she do?
She had seen God’s prophet speak truth, and saw God’s miraculous provision.
But she still didn’t trust God’s goodness.
She said to Elijah, who seems to still be staying with her, why have you brought evil?
Elijah takes the question to God - why did you let her son die?
It’s not wrong to bring these questions to God.
He want’s our brokenness.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9