SERMONWRITER



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The First Sunday

of Advent

Year A

December 1, 2019

Volume 23, Number xx

ISSN 1071-9962

CONTENTS:

A Thought on Preaching

Title

Sermon in a Sentence

Scripture

Biblical Commentary

Children's Sermon

Sermon

More Sermons on this Text

Thought Provokers

Hymns & Hymn Story

Bibliography

A THOUGHT ON PREACHING: Few sinners are saved after the first twenty minutes of a sermon. (Mark Twain)

TITLE: Unannounced Exam

SERMON IN A SENTENCE: Jesus says that he is coming again, and warns us to be ready.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 24:36-44

BIBLICAL COMMENTARY:

MATTHEW 24-25. THE CONTEXT

Our Gospel lesson is the middle portion of a two-chapter apocalyptic section that begins with Jesus' prediction that the temple will be thrown down (24:1-2) and the disciples' two questions, "When will these things be?" and "What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?" (24:3). By the time this Gospel was written (probably 80-85 A.D.), the temple has already been destroyed (in 70 A.D.), so the question, "When will these things be?" has already been answered. These chapters, therefore, focus on the second question, "What is the sign of your coming?"

Jesus answers the disciples by giving signs of the end of the age (24:3-8), foretelling persecutions (24:9-14), telling of the desolating sacrilege prophesied by Daniel 7:13-14 (24:15-28), predicting celestial signs and the coming of the Son of Man (24:29-31), and giving the Parable of the Fig Tree (24:32-35). Our Gospel lesson begins at this point, but is of one cloth with the rest of chapters 24 and 25.

At the conclusion of our Gospel lesson, Jesus gives three parables that relate directly to our text:

• The Parable of the Faithful and the Unfaithful Slaves (24:45-51). The master rewards the faithful slave, whom he finds at work when he comes, but he destroys the unfaithful slave whom he found partying instead of working.

• The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids (25:1-13), five who were wise and prepared and five who were foolish and unprepared.

• The Parable of the Talents (25:14-30), in which the master commends the slaves who used his property wisely but condemns the slave who did not.

This apocalyptic section closes with Jesus' portrayal of the judgment of the nations (25:31-46) in which the Son of Man separates people into two categories, the sheep who helped "the least of these," thereby serving Christ, and the goats, who failed to render this kind of service. The sheep are welcomed into the kingdom, but the goats are condemned to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (25:41).

Throughout these two chapters, then, the consistent warning is to be prepared for the coming of the master. Those who heed the warning will receive great blessings; those who do not will be accursed.

We must face the reality that Advent, which is penitential, is very much out-of-synch with the prevailing mood of Christmas, our most joyful celebration of the year. Our people are focused on seeing a baby. Advent is focused on a risen Christ whose return seems long overdue and therefore has trouble competing with the baby, shepherds, Wise Men, Santa, Rudolph, etc.

Furthermore, while we are concerned about the future, the future about which we are most concerned has more to do with this-world concerns than with the return of Christ. We have our work cut out for us if we are to get people to take seriously their preparation for the Second Coming.

MATTHEW 24:36. NO ONE KNOWS OF THAT DAY AND HOUR

36"But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, (some Greek manuscripts add "nor the Son") but my Father only."

"But no one knows of that day and hour" (v. 36a). There appears to be a tension between 24:3-35 in which signs point to the end of the age and Jesus' statement in this verse that no one knows the day and hour. However, the tension is more apparent than real, because a sign can warn a person who can understand that danger is imminent even though he/she doesn't know exactly when the danger will manifest itself.

"not even the angels of heaven (nor the Son)" (v. 36b). Some Greek manuscripts include "nor the Son" while others omit that phrase. The idea that the Son is ignorant of the day and hour was difficult for a number of early Christians. Some scribes deleted "nor the Son" from their manuscripts. "Ambrose attributed 'nor the Son' to an Arian interpolation. Athanasius suggested that Jesus only feigned ignorance. The Cappadocians thought that the Son did not know the date on his own but only through the Father…. Chrysostom…simply denied that Jesus was ignorant of anything" (Allison, 141).

At the root of their discomfort is the difficult theology that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. Philippians 2:5-11, which speaks of Christ's emptying himself, helps us to appreciate the reality of the limitations that Christ assumed in the Incarnation. Other examples of Jesus' limited knowledge include his statement, "if it is possible" at Gethsemane (26:39) and his question, "why have you forsaken me?" at the cross (27:46).

"but my Father only" (v. 36c). We must not lose sight of the primary thrust of this verse that the Father alone knows the day and time of the coming of the Son of Man. As carefully as we might read signs, they will not allow us to predict the day and time with any accuracy. The Son of Man will come at an unexpected hour (v. 44). God will confound all efforts to predict the day and time. The good news is that, if we are living in faith, we have no need to know the day and time. We will be ready!

MATTHEW 24:37-39. AS THE DAYS OF NOAH WERE

37"As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, 39and they didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."

"As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (v. 37). The floodwaters came quickly and without warning to everyone except Noah and his family. Once the rain started, there was no opportunity to prepare for what was to follow. Only Noah and his family were prepared for the flood, so only Noah and his family were saved.

"For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship" (v. 38). The people of Noah's day were destroyed because of their wickedness, but that is not the analogy here. Rather, Jesus compares the normalcy of their daily lives with the normalcy that will prevail before the Second Coming. Eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage! Who can fault that! The fault is not that people are doing these things, but that they are so caught up in the routine of daily living that they take no thought for their spiritual lives. Their problem is not "gross sin" but "secular indifference"––"nonchalance about God" (Bruner, 881). "The time of normal banality is potentially also the time of danger" (France, 940).

"until the day that Noah entered into the ship" (v. 38). It isn't that Noah's neighbors had no warning. It must have taken Noah a long time to build and to provision the ark. They could see him at work, and must have questioned him about it. He surely called them to repentance so that they, too, might be saved. However, they surely regarded Noah as a religious fanatic. Noah would have been hard pressed to say anything that would have jolted them out of their rut. The situation was very much like that of people today. There are people sounding the warning, but few take them seriously.

"and they didn't know until the flood came, and took them all away" (v. 39a). The day that the water started rising was a surprise for these people. At first, they were mildly concerned. Then they grew anxious as water crept toward their homes. Then they became afraid as the water continued to rise. Then they became frantic as everything washed away. And then it was over. By the time they were sufficiently aroused to do something, it was too late. The time for preparation was long past.

"so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (v. 39b). Many people will be surprised at the Second Coming––surprised and unprepared. They will find that the time for preparation is long past.

The lesson: "Disciples, like Noah, are to build an ark even if it is not raining. The name given to that ark is church" (Hauerwas, 206).

MATTHEW 24:40-42. ONE WILL BE TAKEN AND ONE WILL BE LEFT

40"Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left; 41two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left. 42Watch therefore, for you don't know in what hour your Lord comes."

"Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left; two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left" (vv. 40-41). Again the emphasis is the normalcy of life. People are engaged in everyday work. There is no indication that today will be different from yesterday or the day before. Life goes on. Except, in this instance, it doesn't! One is taken and one is left in place.

This and similar verses (see Luke 17:34-35; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 5:2-4; Revelation 3:3, 10; 16:15) have given rise to the doctrine of the rapture (from the Latin rapio––seize, carry away)––the belief that, at the Second Coming, the faithful will be immediately taken up to a heavenly reward and the unfaithful left behind to their hellish fate. "The rapture contains within it several aspects of eschatological expectation, including the hope for the gathering together of God's people, who have been separated by death, geography, or circumstances, and their being united with their Lord (Matt. 24:31; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:16-17); the hope for God's vindication of his people and judgment of their enemies (Luke 18:7-8; 2 Thess. 1:6-10); the hope for unending life (1 Cor. 15:51-56); the expectation of sudden judgment (Matt. 24:36-44); and the hope of the release of the righteous from a troubled world (Rev. 3:10)" (Myers, 873).

I am ill equipped to assess the validity of rapture-theology, which seems to require an understanding of such exotic subjects as millennialism, dispensationalism, and tribulation. However, these (millennialism, etc.) are not biblical words, and I believe that we are on less than solid ground when we depart from biblical language. I am further concerned about all the divisions (pre-millennialism, post-millennialism, pre-tribulation, post-tribulation, etc.) that have arisen from rapture-theology. We should probably limit ourselves to the points that Jesus teaches here, namely that:

• Christ will come again.

• His coming will be swift and surprising.

• He will divide people into two groups (taken/left behind).

• So we had better be ready.

That is the point––we had better be ready. If we focus on readiness, we need not worry about the details. We can trust Jesus to get the details right.

"Watch (gregoreite) therefore, for you don't know in what hour your Lord comes" (v. 42). Gregoreite can be translated "keep awake" or "watch" or "be on guard." We can't do any of those things in a physical sense 24/7, but our preparation has to do with spiritual rather than physical wakefulness. The person who lives in daily companionship with Jesus will not be threatened by Jesus' sudden appearance. Instead, Jesus' coming will be an occasion for joy, much like the joy that we experience when we finally see a loved one after a long absence––or like the joy of a long-lost person at the appearance of a rescuer. Also, see the comments at the end of this exegesis for ways to prepare for Jesus' coming.

MATTHEW 24:43-44. A THIEF IN THE NIGHT

43"But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don't expect, the Son of Man will come."

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into" (v. 43). Jesus is not a thief in the night, but his coming will be as unexpected and unpredictable as the arrival of a thief at night.

"Therefore also be ready" (v. 44a). "Don't make special preparation. Live prepared. Be prepared. Fulfill your days always in expectation of the Great Surprise" (Borsch and Napier, 13). "Constant readiness is the only safeguard" (Morris, 616).

"for in an hour that you don't expect, the Son of Man will come" (v. 44b). This repeats the emphasis of the opening verse of this lesson (v. 36) regarding the unexpected hour of the coming of the Son of Man, thus bringing a nice closure to this lesson.

Christians, as early as Chrysostom, have stressed the importance of readiness for death as well as for the Second Coming. That is important. A hundred generations have lived and died without experiencing the Second Coming, so it seems unlikely that it will take place during our lifetime.

If the probability of the Second Coming taking place in our generation is low, however, the probability that we will die is high––100 percent at last count. Some of us will die inch-by-inch from disease or old age, but death in the next instant is also possible. Even people who work in hazardous occupations (firefighters, police officers, soldiers) find it difficult to imagine their own death. Imagine then how difficult it is for those of us in safe occupations––such as a secretary working in the World Trade Center––to imagine our imminent death.

A problem with this Gospel lesson is that it calls for readiness without telling us how to get ready. What must we do? In the next chapter, Jesus gives two answers. First, the Parable of the Talents (25:14-30), tells us to use our God-given resources for God's benefit. Second, Jesus says that feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the prisoner are activities that will be credited to us as if we had done them for Christ (25:31-46).

This twofold emphasis is consistent with Jesus' answer to the lawyer who asked Jesus, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" Jesus gave a twofold answer:

"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments" (22:37-40).

So can prepare for Christ's coming by (1) loving and serving God and (2) loving and serving our neighbor.

CHILDREN'S SERMON: You Can Count on It

By Lois Parker Edstrom

Matthew 24:36-44

Objects suggested: Pictures of the moon and a calendar which designates the cycles of the moon.

Pictures of the moon available at:



Or Google "pictures of the moon"

A very small boy was camping with his grandparents. As they tucked him into his sleeping bag, the boy looked into the night sky filled with moonlight and said, "The moon is my friend."

Have you ever felt like that? The moon seems like a friend you can count on. We know when to look for it and what to expect. It may appear to be larger at times and we call that a full moon. We are often awed by the beauty of a full moon, so huge and bright.

At other times the moon shows only a slice of itself and we call that a new moon or a crescent moon. That view of the moon is also beautiful.

The moon goes through phases and with each phase we know precisely how much of the moon will appear and on what day of the month this will happen. The phases of the moon are very predictable. One cycle of the moon happens within a month's time and then the cycle starts all over again.

I think perhaps the moon comforts us because it is so predictable. It is something we can count on.

The disciples of Jesus wanted something they could count on. They wanted to know how they could tell when he would be returning and they asked him to give them some signs.

Jesus answered them, "…no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (24:36). He teaches that we need to "be ready, for in an hour that you don't expect, the Son of Man will come" (24:44).

We cannot forecast when Jesus will return, but we can live our lives in ways that honor God and we know that we can always count on his love. God's love is predictable.

SERMON:

In the Army chaplaincy, I discovered that the Army has its own lingo. I learned about "I.G. Inspections." I.G. is shorthand for Inspector General. The Inspector General is charged with inspecting units to be sure that they are doing the right things the right way.

Or maybe not the right way! In the Army, they talked about the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and the Army Way. The I.G. is charged to make sure that people are doing things the Army Way.

People lived in fear of I.G. inspections, because the I.G. examines you in detail and makes a list of all the things that you are doing wrong. That list goes to your boss––and even to the Commanding General. You have to correct errors and submit a report showing how you have done that.

The surprise for me was that the I.G. gave everyone advance notice. He told us months in advance that he was coming. The idea was for us to clean up problems before he came. I thought that it would be a better idea to have unannounced inspections, but I wasn't in charge.

When I went to Vietnam, my unit was in the far north––near the DMZ––within artillery range of North Vietnam. Rear-echelon folks didn't visit often. When they did, they didn't stay long.

But even in Vietnam they had I.G. inspections. We got word that we would be inspected on a particular day. We worked for weeks to get ready. They wouldn't let me use my jeep, because they were working on it. I couldn't visit troops––couldn't do my job.

The day of the inspection finally came. The jeeps were lined up and spit-polished. Our gas masks were lined up too––in neat rows in the orderly room. I sat in the chapel to answer questions in the unlikely chance that the I.G. might stop by. The war pretty well came to a halt while we tried to pass that inspection.

Then shortly before noon, the ammo dump blew up. Someone had been smoking a cigarette in the wrong place––and during an inspection, no less. We headed for the bunkers, because artillery shells where flying everywhere. Then our bunker started filling up with tear gas, because many of the shells were CS gas rounds. We had to run through exploding ammo to get our gas masks.

The inspectors were holed up in bunkers too. After the bullets stopped flying, they didn't stay long. I never did hear what they said in their report, but my guess is that they were not pleased that someone blew up the ammo dump.

In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus talks about the Big Inspection. He warns that he will come again to gather the faithful and to leave behind the unfaithful. He warns that there will be no advance warning. He warns us not to expect any warning. He will come when he comes.

Jesus says that his coming will be like the day that the storm began to rage around Noah's ark. Noah had worked on the ark for years, and his neighbors thought him a fool. Then the storms came and the floodwaters rose––and suddenly they realized that Noah was the only one who was ready. They looked around in panic to see if they could find a boat, but there were no boats to be found. There was no time to build a boat. Nobody had a boat for sale. It was too late! Too late!!!

Jesus says that it will be like that when he comes.

Jesus says that two people will be working together in the fields. One will be taken, and the other left behind.

He says that two women will be working side by side. One will be taken, and the other left behind.

"BE READY!" he says! That's the point! "BE READY, for in an hour that you don't expect, the Son of Man will come!" (v. 44)). There will be no advance warning. There will be no long lines in front of churches as people line up for baptism––and communion––and confession––and forgiveness. It will be the ultimate "Come As You Are" party.

Today, two thousand years after Jesus lived among us, we have trouble getting excited about that message. Untold numbers of Christians have lived and died waiting for the Second Coming, and it hasn't come yet. Why should we get excited?

Perhaps we need not get excited, but we should get ready. We should BE ready! We should LIVE ready!

If we live in the right relationship with God, it won't matter if Jesus returns during our lifetime. We will live on a higher plane. We will live more fulfilling lives. When it comes time to die––and that time will come for each of us sooner or later––we can face death bravely, knowing that Christ has prepared a place for us––knowing that what we are leaving behind is nothing compared to what awaits us.

There are countless numbers of people in this world who are, in the words of the old song, "Tired of livin' and scared of dyin' " (From the song, "Old Man River"). Are you one of them?

Are you tired of LIVING? Are you on a treadmill? Has your life lost its luster? If your life has NOT gone the way you wanted, have you given up hope? If your life HAS gone the way you wanted, are you saying, "Is this all there is?"

Or are you scared of DYING? If the death angel came to visit tonight, would you be ready? If the doctor told you that you have only six weeks to live, would they be six hellish weeks as you frantically revise your will and count the days?

Jesus tells us that we don't have to LIVE like that. We don't have to DIE like that. We have a choice. We can live by faith in ourselves, or we can live by faith in God. We can trust our skill, our jobs, our money, our connections––or we can trust that, when we walk with God, all will be well.

If we choose to trust ourselves––our assets––our bottom line––the day will come when all will be snatched from our hands. Then we will have nothing. When people ask what we left behind, the answer will be "Everything!"

But if we choose to trust in Christ, we will have Christ in life and Christ in death. There will be no moment that Christ will not walk with us––no day when Christ will not be there to give us hope––to give us strength––to give us joy. We will be able to face good times and bad in the faith that we are in God's hands. We will be able to face life with faith––and death with hope.

Let me conclude with this note. Our Gospel lesson is part of a two-chapter section that ends with Jesus' vision of Judgment Day. He says that on that day he will divide the sheep from the goats. The sheep will inherit the kingdom, but the goats will be consigned to hell.

Everything will depend, Jesus says, on how people treated him––whether they fed him when he was hungry––whether they gave him water when he was thirsty––whether they clothed his nakedness––whether they visited him in his sickroom or in prison.

Jesus says that the sheep will wonder when they have done those things for him, and the goats will wonder when they missed their opportunity. He will answer, "'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" (25:40).

Which reminds me of something that Karl Menninger, the great psychiatrist, once said. Someone asked what a person should do if he felt a nervous breakdown coming on. Menninger said:

"Lock up your house,

go across the railroad tracks,

find someone in need

and do something for him."

That should give you a clue how to proceed––how to get ready to LIVE better––how to get ready to DIE better––and how to PREPARE for Jesus' coming.

• We can prepare by believing in Christ.

• We can prepare by loving as he loved.

• We can prepare by serving Christ as we find him in our midst––in the hungry, the homeless, the naked, the prisoner.

Get ready! This sermon is your advance warning!

FOR MORE SERMONS ON THIS TEXT, GO TO:



Then scroll down to the chapter and verse.

OR GO TO OUR "ALL RESOURCES" PAGE FOR MATTHEW 24:36-44:



THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

George Washington said, "There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet an enemy." He was speaking of peace between nations, of course, and he was right.

In our Gospel lesson, Jesus tells us about another kind of peace––the peace that comes from being prepared to meet the risen Christ.

* * * * * * * * * *

We are not a postwar generation, but a pre-peace generation.

Jesus is coming.

Corrie ten Boom

* * * * * * * * * *

Christ designed that the day of his coming should be hid from us,

that being in suspense, we might be as it were upon the watch.

Martin Luther

* * * * * * * * * *

The primitive church thought more about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

than about death or about heaven.

The early Christians were looking not for a cleft in the ground called a grave,

but for a cleavage in the sky called Glory.

They were watching not for the "undertaker"

but for the "Uppertaker."

Alexander Maclaren

* * * * * * * * * *

There's a king and captain high,

And he's coming by and by,

And he'll find me hoeing cotton when he comes.

You can hear his legions charging

in the regions of the sky,

and he'll find me hoeing cotton when he comes.

There's a man they thrust aside,

Who was tortured till he died,

And he'll find me hoeing cotton when he comes.

He was hated and rejected,

He was scorned and crucified,

And he'll find me hoeing cotton when he comes.

When he comes! When he comes!

He'll be crowned by saints and angels when he comes.

They'll be shouting out Hosanna!

to the man that men denied,

And I'll kneel among my cotton when he comes.

African-American spiritual

* * * * * * * * * *

HYMNS:

Baptist Hymnal (BH)

Chalice Hymnal (CH)

Collegeville Hymnal (CO)

Common Praise (CP)

Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW)

Gather Comprehensive (GC)

JourneySongs (JS)

Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW)

Lutheran Service Book (LSB)

Lutheran Worship (LW)

Presbyterian Hymnal (PH)

The Faith We Sing (TFWS)

The Hymnal 1982 (TH)

The New Century Hymnal (TNCH)

United Methodist Hymnal (UMH)

Voices United (VU)

With One Voice (WOV)

Wonder Love and Praise (WLP)

Worship & Rejoice (WR)

GATHERING:

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus (BH #77; CP #88; ELW #254; JS #170; LBW #30; LSB #338; LW #22; PH #1-2; TH #66; TNCH #122; UMH #196; VU #2; WR #153)

Hark, the Glad Sound! (CO #177; CP #98; ELW #239; LBW #35; LSB #349; LW #29; TH #71-72; VU #29)

PROCLAIMING:

For the Healing of the Nations (CH #668; CP #576; GC #719; JS #472; TNCH #576; UMH #428; VU #678; WR #621)

He Will Come (CO #178)

I Know Whom I Have Believed (BH #337; UMH #714)

I Want To Be Ready (TNCH #616; UMH #722)

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (BH #80; CH #124; CO #377; CP #48; ELW #490; GC #540; JS #203; LBW #198; LSB #621; LW #241; PH #5; TH #324; TNCH #345; UMH #626; VU #473; WR #232)

Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending (BH #199; CP #114; ELW #435; LBW #27; LSB #336; LW #15; PH #6; TH #57-58; UMH #718; VU #25)

Also known as Jesus Come with Clouds Descending

People Look East (CO #183; CP #91; ELW #248; GC #318; JS #160; PH #12; UMH #202; VU #9; WLP #724; WOV #626; WR #161)

Soon and Very Soon (BH #192, GC #770; JS #496; UMH #706)

The Advent of Our God (CO #187; JS #165; LBW #22; LSB #331; LW #12)

Also known as The Advent of Our King

Wake, O Wake, and Sleep No Longer (GC #335; JS #164)

Watchman, Tell Us of the Night (PH #20; TH #640; TNCH #103)

SENDING:

O Come, O Come Emmanuel (BH #76; CH #119; CO #179; CP #89; ELW #257; GC #317; JS #161; LBW #34; LSB #357; LW #31; PH #9; TH #56; TNCH #116; UMH #211; VU #1; WR #154)

O Jesus I Have Promised (BH #276; CH #612; CP #438; ELW #810; LBW #503; PH #388-389; TH #655; TNCH #493; UMH #396; VU #120; WR #458)

Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying (CO #186; ELW #436; LBW #31; LSB #516; LW #177; TH #61-62; UMH #720; VU #711; WR #164)

Also known as Sleepers Awake

HYMN STORY: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Charles Wesley wrote seventy-five hundred hymns (Encyclopedia Britannica)––roughly a hymn every other day for fifty years. I find that amazing! It would be amazing if he had written one verse every other day, but most of his hymns have several verses. I can scarcely imagine how he managed to do anything else––but he was a great preacher as well as a great writer of hymns.

The hymn, "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus," looks forward to Jesus' Second Coming. It begins, "Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free." Wesley looked forward to the time when Jesus would come again to set us free from fear and sin.

Wesley knew what it meant for people not to be free. When he was about thirty years old, he traveled to America on a mission, where he saw slavery in its rawest form. He recorded in his journal that he had seen parents give their child a slave to torment. Wesley was so shaken by the evil of slavery that he nearly had a nervous breakdown. It wasn't long before he returned to England.

Some would criticize Wesley for not remaining in America to join the fight against slavery, but Wesley's weapons were his sermons and his hymns. For the next several decades, his sermons and hymns lent their power to the efforts to make people free––free from slavery––free from fear––free from sin.

FOR MORE HYMN STORIES, GO TO:



Click on a letter of the alphabet to see the hymns that begin with that letter.

SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc.), which the WEB has updated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Allison, Dale C., in Van Harn, Roger (ed.), The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday's Text. The Third Readings: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001)

Barclay, William, The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2 (Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, 1957)

Bergant, Dianne with Fragomeni, Richard, Preaching the New Lectionary, Year A (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2001)

Beker, J. Christiaan, Proclamation 6: Advent-Christmas, Series A (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995)

Boice, James Montgomery, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2: The Triumph of the King (Matthew 18-28) (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001)

Boring, M. Eugene, The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. VIII (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995)

Borsch, Frederick Houk and Napier, Davie, Proclamation 2, Advent-Christmas, Series A (Fortress Press, 1980)

Brueggemann, Walter; Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R.; and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV––Year A (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995)

Bruner, Frederick Dale, Matthew: Volume 2, The Churchbook, Matthew 13-28 (Dallas: Word, 1990)

Craddock, Fred B.; Hayes, John H.; Holladay, Carl R.; Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year, A (Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1992)

France, R.T., The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007)

Hagner, Donald A., Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 14-28, Vol. 33b (Dallas: Word, 1995)

Harrington, D.J., Sacra Pagina: Matthew (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1991)

Hamm, Dennis, Let the Scriptures Speak, Year A (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2001)

Hare, Douglas R. A., Interpretation: Matthew (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1993)

Hauerwas, Stanley, Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible: Matthew (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2006)

Hultgren, Arland J. Lectionary Bible Studies: The Year of Matthew: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977)

Johnson, Sherman E. and Buttrick, George A., The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 7 (Nashville: Abingdon, 1951)

Long, Thomas G., Westminster Bible Companion: Matthew (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997)

Morris, Leon, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to Matthew (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1992)

Myers, Allen C. (ed.), The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987)

Pilch, John J., The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle A (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1995)

Senior, Donald, Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: Matthew (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1998)

Soards, Marion; Dozeman, Thomas; McCabe, Kendall, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Year A (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993)

Wylie, Samuel and McKenzie, John L., Proclamation: Advent-Christmas, Series A (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1974)



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