Sermon Tone Analysis

Title

Bread in the Midst of Adversity

Outline

Adversity is the setting for blessing

St John of Damascus, living during the iconoclast controversy, was roundly condemned by Leo the Isaurian, reportedly to the point of his getting John’s hand cut off - John ended up monk, a great poet and an acclaimed doctor of the church, his position vindicated by the Seventh Council of Nicea

I am listening to the second part of Pope Benedict XVI’s biography.

In the social upheaval starting in the middle of Vatican II and rocking the church in Germany, he was ridiculed by former friends for having gone conservative as a reaction to trauma - totally without foundation - and yet he ended up as perhaps the most important Pope in the explanation of Vatican II and certainly in reigning in the excesses in the Church in Germany.

Both men experienced becoming healing channels for many and receiving bread from Jesus in the context of adversity.

Let us look at our texts

Isaiah speaks of bread in adversity and water in affliction and the Lord binding up the wounds of his people

They hear the voice of “your Teacher,” and are directed by it.

There is blessing, and yet it is in the context of suffering - in fact, that “you shall not longer weep” indicates that weeping was going on.

Jesus’ “heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd”

So he first tells them to pray for “harvesters”

Then he commissions the twelve to multiply his ministry, doing his deeds and using his words.

And yet he does not promise to overthrow the Romans.

We are also beset by troubles

Generation Z is 40% nones; six people leave the Church for every one who enters; society is post-Christian and the present issue before the Supreme Court will not change that - the list of pressures on the Church could go on

I do not know about Sisters, but priests are often suspect

Yet our Teacher has come to us and told us to pray for harvesters (sometimes we cannot see the harvest) and appoint us, spiritual children of the Twelve, to multiply his ministry.

The Holy Spirit is in and among us instructing and guiding us, enabling us to bring God’s healing.

We do have a choice: we can look at the mess in and around the Church and get depressed, or we can dialogue with our Teacher, our Lord, and follow his guidance in bringing healing to his people.

Reading

FIRST READING

Isaiah 30:19–21, 23–26

19 Yes, people of Zion, dwelling in Jerusalem,

you shall no longer weep;

He will be most gracious to you when you cry out;

as soon as he hears he will answer you.

20 The Lord will give you bread in adversity

and water in affliction.

No longer will your Teacher hide himself,

but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,

21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you:

“This is the way; walk in it,”

when you would turn to the right or the left.

23 He will give rain for the seed

you sow in the ground,

And the bread that the soil produces

will be rich and abundant.

On that day your cattle will graze

in broad meadows;

24 The oxen and the donkeys that till the ground

will eat silage tossed to them

with shovel and pitchfork.

25 Upon every high mountain and lofty hill

there will be streams of running water.

On the day of the great slaughter,

when the towers fall,

26 The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun,

and the light of the sun will be seven times greater,

like the light of seven days,

On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people

and heals the bruises left by his blows.

FIRST READING

Isaiah 30:19–21, 23–26

19 Yes, people of Zion, dwelling in Jerusalem,

you shall no longer weep;

He will be most gracious to you when you cry out;

as soon as he hears he will answer you.

20 The Lord will give you bread in adversity

and water in affliction.

No longer will your Teacher hide himself,

but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,

21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you:

“This is the way; walk in it,”

when you would turn to the right or the left.

23 He will give rain for the seed

you sow in the ground,

And the bread that the soil produces

will be rich and abundant.

On that day your cattle will graze

in broad meadows;

24 The oxen and the donkeys that till the ground

will eat silage tossed to them

with shovel and pitchfork.

25 Upon every high mountain and lofty hill

there will be streams of running water.

On the day of the great slaughter,

when the towers fall,

26 The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun,

and the light of the sun will be seven times greater,

like the light of seven days,

On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people

and heals the bruises left by his blows.

RESPONSE

Isaiah 30:18d

18 Truly, the LORD is waiting to be gracious to you,

truly, he shall rise to show you mercy;

For the LORD is a God of justice:

happy are all who wait for him!

PSALM

Psalm 147:1–6

1 Hallelujah!

How good to sing praise to our God;

how pleasant to give fitting praise.

2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem,

and gathers the dispersed of Israel,

3 Healing the brokenhearted,

and binding up their wounds.