Sermon Tone Analysis

A child is helpless and unable to reward the one who renders a favor or service.

Thus to serve a little child who cannot enhance a person’s stature or opportunity for recognition is to serve with no expectation of reward (see Luke 9:47–48).

The apostles thought of ruling masses of people; Jesus spoke of serving one little child.

In effect Jesus said that if you forget self-glory to serve in His name one whom the world regards with little importance, you will achieve kingdom greatness.

Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning.

Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and take them to heart that, by the patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life.

… through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Clearing up misconceptions

General Introduction: The Roman Empire was characterized by grotesque economic inequality.

There was nothing comparable to what would be called a “middle class”; rather, most people were either extremely rich (about 3 percent of the population) or extremely poor (about 90 percent).

Most of those who belonged to the latter group lived at or near subsistence level, making just enough to survive, with little hope of saving anything that would allow them to improve their position or provide them with a hedge against calamity.

The more fortunate of the impoverished might at least learn a trade (as was apparently the case with both Jesus and the apostle Paul), but for many people in rural areas, “subsistence” meant living off the land, so life was subject to the vicissitudes of agriculture.

Thus, for the least fortunate—beggars, widows, orphans, prisoners, unskilled day laborers—survival itself may have been frequently in question.

Modern estimates suggest that about 28 percent of the population of the Roman Empire during NT times lived “below subsistence level,” meaning they did not know from day to day whether they would be able to obtain the things necessary to sustain life.

Given the extremes of such a situation, attitudes toward wealth and poverty were a significant part of the social world.

Some religious people at the time of Jesus believed that wealth could be viewed as a sign of God’s blessing and that poverty could be understood as a consequence of divine displeasure (such an attitude might be reflected in the disciples’ surprise at Jesus’s remark in ).

It is difficult, however, to know how widespread this notion was.

What seems more certain is that virtually everyone in this time period held to what is now called a theory of “limited good.”

People believed that money and the things that money can buy were in short (or at least finite) supply; the common perception—in stark contrast to modern capitalism—was that acquisition of wealth or resources by some necessitated depletion of wealth or resources for others.

Simply put, virtually everyone in NT times believed that there was only so much “stuff” to go around and that the reason some people had less than they needed was because other people had more than they needed.

General Introduction: The Roman Empire was characterized by grotesque economic inequality.

There was nothing comparable to what would be called a “middle class”; rather, most people were either extremely rich (about 3 percent of the population) or extremely poor (about 90 percent).

Most of those who belonged to the latter group lived at or near subsistence level, making just enough to survive, with little hope of saving anything that would allow them to improve their position or provide them with a hedge against calamity.

The more fortunate of the impoverished might at least learn a trade (as was apparently the case with both Jesus and the apostle Paul), but for many people in rural areas, “subsistence” meant living off the land, so life was subject to the vicissitudes of agriculture.

Thus, for the least fortunate—beggars, widows, orphans, prisoners, unskilled day laborers—survival itself may have been frequently in question.

Modern estimates suggest that about 28 percent of the population of the Roman Empire during NT times lived “below subsistence level,” meaning they did not know from day to day whether they would be able to obtain the things necessary to sustain life.

Given the extremes of such a situation, attitudes toward wealth and poverty were a significant part of the social world.

Some religious people at the time of Jesus believed that wealth could be viewed as a sign of God’s blessing and that poverty could be understood as a consequence of divine displeasure (such an attitude might be reflected in the disciples’ surprise at Jesus’s remark in ).

It is difficult, however, to know how widespread this notion was.

What seems more certain is that virtually everyone in this time period held to what is now called a theory of “limited good.”

People believed that money and the things that money can buy were in short (or at least finite) supply; the common perception—in stark contrast to modern capitalism—was that acquisition of wealth or resources by some necessitated depletion of wealth or resources for others.

Simply put, virtually everyone in NT times believed that there was only so much “stuff” to go around and that the reason some people had less than they needed was because other people had more than they needed.

Ronald F. Hock and Mark Allan Powell, “Economics in the New Testament Period,” ed.

Mark Allan Powell, The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated) (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), 217–218.

If you listened to some people talk today, you would see that today, many people still view wealth the way it was viewed in Jesus’ day.

“If one person is incredibly wealthy,” they argue, it means that “many people are living on the edge of starvation, or at least in extreme misery.”

More importantly, on both ends of the political spectrum, we have people who equate wealth with morality.

The only difference is whether they think that those who are wealthy are “good” or “evil.”

Ronald F. Hock and Mark Allan Powell, “Economics in the New Testament Period,” ed.

Mark Allan Powell, The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated) (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), 217–218.

In last week’s Gospel text, Jesus told a young man who asked what he “should do in order that he should inherit eternal life,” to sell his possession, give the proceeds to the poor, thus gaining treasure in heaven, and then come follow Him.

The young man, a synagogue ruler according to , walked away rather than taking Jesus at His word.

It sounded like his problem was his possessions.

That lets those of us who don’t have much “off the hook.”

After all, we aren’t bound by our possessions, since we don’t have much.

Aren’t you glad that the Lord didn’t test you with riches?

We could have had a good time last week, because few of us in this room have his problem, right?

We don’t have “much in the way of possessions.”

If Jesus had said that to us, it would take us about 10 minutes to sell what we’ve got, if we even bothered to sell them, right?

In Gary, people walk away from their houses and businesses all the time, don’t they?

Given what we know about Peter, it’s safe to say that neither he nor his brother Andrew or friends, John and James were wealthy.

“Not only the number of tasks but many details about them make clear that the lives of farmers, herders, and fishermen were hard—a far cry from the leisure of the urban landowners.

At any rate, many tasks were physically demanding, such as digging ().

There was also the scorching sun (; ) or, in the case of shepherds and fishermen, working the whole night through (; ; ).

What is more, these workers toiled on diets near subsistence level.

At times, the land produced not abundance, but thorns (; cf. ), and fishing nets came up empty (; ).

Consequently, even sparrows could become a meal (), and some might be tempted to eat the pods fed to swine ().

Not surprisingly, famine was always a specter (; ; ).

Thus, a prayer for “daily bread” was literally appropriate (; ).”

Given what we know about Peter, it’s safe to say that neither he nor his brother Andrew or friends, John and James were wealthy.

“Not only the number of tasks but many details about them make clear that the lives of farmers, herders, and fishermen were hard—a far cry from the leisure of the urban landowners.

At any rate, many tasks were physically demanding, such as digging ().

There was also the scorching sun (; ) or, in the case of shepherds and fishermen, working the whole night through (; ; ).

What is more, these workers toiled on diets near subsistence level.

At times, the land produced not abundance, but thorns (; cf. ), and fishing nets came up empty (; ).

Consequently, even sparrows could become a meal (), and some might be tempted to eat the pods fed to swine ().

Not surprisingly, famine was always a specter (; ; ).

Thus, a prayer for “daily bread” was literally appropriate (; ).”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

Ronald F. Hock and Mark Allan Powell, “Economics in the New Testament Period,” ed.

Mark Allan Powell, The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated) (New York: HarperCollins, 2011), 220.

If that was life under Rome and its client “kings” like Herod, I can understand why the opportunity to be a part of the Kingdom of God would be appealing to Peter when Jesus said “follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men ().

To be a part of the Royal cabinet, instead of grinding out a living on the sea of Galilee, to have a chance to be a part of something grand, spectacular, even theologically significant?

Who wouldn’t be willing to spend a little time away from wives, children, houses, lands, and fishing nets?

Next week we’ll be celebrating another Reformation Day, commemorating the launch of a mighty move of God through Rev. Dr. Martin Luther.

As many Christians look back, they see the glory of standing up to the Roman Papal excess, the rush of leading many people in a new direction, and the satisfaction of leading a movement that has transformed our understanding on so many levels.

Next week we’ll be celebrating another Reformation Day, commemorating the launch of a mighty move of God through Rev. Dr. Martin Luther.

As many Christians look back, they see the glory of standing up to the Roman Papal excess, the rush of leading many people in a new direction, and the satisfaction of leading a movement that has transformed our understanding on so many levels.

It’s that same feeling that leads people to get into politics.

I don’t think that most politicians go into politics to see how much graft and corruption they can get away with.

I think that they really want to do great things , to make a difference in the community, in the nation, even in the world.

Why I even bet that, like that wealthy young ruler, they can say

13 With my lips I declare

all the rules of your mouth.

Yeah, most of us set ourselves to be “one of the good guys.”

Our intentions are good; sometimes, we pray that we won’t be misunderstood.

And yet, we miss it too, if we aren’t careful to listen.

14 In the way of your testimonies I delight

Listen carefully to what Jesus is saying here:

as much as in all riches.

15 I will meditate on your precepts

The God who gave us those wonderful Commandments, the God who promised us that “he who believes and is baptized will be saved,” He is the God who makes all things possible, specifically, the things that pertain to salvation, by taking the full burden of our sin upon His shoulders, after taking the time to teach us what the Kingdom of God was all about.

It isn’t about being rich, powerful, and famous.

It isn’t about being a radical protester against the rich and powerful.

and fix my eyes on your ways.

16 I will delight in your statutes;

It’s about following Jesus, no matter where He leads, not because He promises that you will have a powerful position if you do, but because He promises that He will keep you safe when the kingdoms of this world have their end, when the devil’s smoke and mirror parlor tricks are no longer able to deceive the nations.

It’s about following Jesus, no matter where He leads, not because He promises that you will have a powerful position if you do, but because He promises that He will keep you safe when the kingdoms of this world have their end, when the devil’s smoke and mirror parlor tricks are no longer able to deceive the nations.

The Word of the Lord will sustain you, even when it looks like the devil holds all the cards, according to those who do not know the Lord.

The