I'm preaching on Dec. 30th on Matthew 2:13-23 which is not a happy story. I was reading over it a few times yesterday and looking at the Greek (which in a narrative like this helps very little, but it's kind of habit now strangely enough) and I can't think of one thing I could possible say that would be funny about this story. It's not that I'm always looking for jokes in Scripture but this text is especially heavy. Herod killing children (probably around 20 of them), the figurative mother of Israel Rachel weeping for her children, Joseph's escape and return to Nazareth. Strange that this would happen so soon after the joyous event of Jesus' birth.
Fred Craddock, one of the best preachers of our century had a refrain in his sermon on this text that I will never forget, "It's hard to believe good news would have an enemy." Taken alone that is a powerful thought, that Herod would be so threatened by this little baby, but it means even more when you hear Craddock deliver it. The sermon is called "The Hard Side of Epiphany" and is one of those sermons that was really inspirational to me to become a preacher. I remember my friends and I in one of our preaching classes in College listened to this sermon several times and was just blown away by it. I pray that I can tell this story half as compelling as Craddock did.
2 comments:
This comment has nothing to do with today's post, which was an interesting read. I was on vacation when you posted the Seinfeld list - I had 18 - in no particular order.
1. The Library 2. The Pen 3. The Caddy 4. The Fix Up 5. The Cheever Letters 6. The Dinner Party 7. The Marine Biologist 8. The Handicapped Spot 9. The Fire 10. The Opposite 11. The Gymnast 12. The Switch 13. The Fusilli Jerry
14. The Burning 15. The Burning
16. The Bizzaro Jerry 17. The Chicken Roaster 18. The Voice
just don't give craddok credit. no reason to. it'll make you look much better if you don't. that's the beauty of preaching, my man.
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