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
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
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Anger
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Proper 4
Pentecost 2
Ordinary Time 9
3. Self-deception, Hearers And Doers
Matthew 7:21-29
"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my
Father in heaven.
22On that day many will say to me, 'Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in
your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' 23Then I
will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you
evildoers.'
24Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on
them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on
that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on
rock.
26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not
act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on
sand.
27The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew
and beat against that house, and it fellÄand great was its fall!"
28Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the
crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29for he taught them as
one having authority, and not as their scribes.
In the first part of 1994 heavy rains in California sent mud
slides down the hills near Los Angeles.
Houses were ruined by
the slides.
Heavy rains falling on areas that were denuded by
earlier forest fires caused the slides.
The persons who were
affected by the mud slides looked to the government to help them
rebuild their
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houses.
Should these people rebuild in the same locations?
If
they do, should those who have suffered by the mud slides get
government help to rebuild in the same locations?
Are they wise
to continue rebuilding there?
The same question could be raised about the persons who
build in the flood plain of the Mississippi River.
The federal
government declared the places where the river flooded a disaster
area, making those who were victims eligible for aid.
English, a town in southern Indiana, had the downtown area
flooded on a number of occasions because of the confluence of
several streams.
They decided after a recent flood to relocate
the town on higher ground.
With federal aid many of the
businesses have already relocated.
At this writing some of the
private residences are being built on the hill east of town.
A
whole new community is being created.
Perhaps the question could be raised: Who are the wise and
who the foolish persons or communities?
Context
Context of the Church Year
This parable occurs at the beginning of the Pentecost season
of the church year.
It is a time when preachers have the option
of choosing a variety of approaches for their sermons and for the
main emphasis of the worship service.
Choices include using some of the alternative readings for
the sermon.
Other alternatives would be to set up a series which
would be based on some theme or related topics of the preacher's
choice.
Context of the Sermon on the Mount
The parable comes at the conclusion of the Sermon on the
Mount and is a summary of the admonitions given in the sermon.
It calls on those who heard the Sermon to take the admonitions
seriously.
They are not just to be enjoyed as a mind game, but
to be
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translated in life.
The persons who understand that what the
Sermon on the Mount is calling them to do is the proper
foundation for life must also realize the admonitions have to
become operational, not merely accepted as general principles to
be believed.
Context of the Gospel Lesson
The parable is a short one, taking up only four verses in
the gospel lesson for today.
It leads to the conclusion which
Matthew draws in reporting the astonishment of the crowd who
heard it.
His teaching is contrasted with that of the scribes
who were legalistic and often pedantic.
Jesus demonstrated a
vitality and dynamic that came out of his own life and
experience.
The integrity of his own life contributed to the
validity of his message.
Context of the Parallel Parable
Both Matthew and Luke have the parable as the concluding
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