The concluding words of Psalm 19th are sometimes prayed by preachers before their pulpit task, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (v.14). That is a prayer for both the speaker and hearer.
There was a lot of preaching going on Sunday morning, not only in the pulpits of churches but also in the lessons. Paul talks about the variety of gifts that come as gifts of the spirit. We have a variety of Spirit gifted preaching in our lessons.
In Psalm 19, “The heavens declare (preach) the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (v.1). In v. 7, God climbs into the pulpit, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” That to which the Lord is testifying is his perfect law, his righteous precepts, his pure commandment and his true rules which make the simple wise, causes the heart to rejoice and enlightens the eyes. These are worth more than gold, they are sweeter than honey. Still, the psalmist knows that our failure to keep these words of the Lord means that there is need of warnings also. He prays in verse 12, “Who can discern his error? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.” Please, he prays, don’t let arrogant sins rule my life.
As we turn to Nehemiah 8, we encounter Ezra standing on a platform, with thirteen Levites, reading and interpreting the Torah for six hours. The ears of the people were attentive. When they heard their failures and those of their forefathers as well as the great deeds that the Lord had done for his people, the people cried. But Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites told the people this was no time for crying and mourning. Rather it was a day for joy. It was a holy day to the Lord who had created them and saved them from slavery and brought them back from exile. It was a day of celebration and feasting because the wall around Jerusalem had just been completed. Therefore go and eat and drink. Then send some of the food and drink to those who have nothing.
The final sermon in the readings is one of the shortest sermons ever preached (Luke 4:16-30). I Jesus preached it in his home synagogue. Everyone spoke well of him. Here was the home town boy telling his own people that they were present when Jesus announced, in their presence no less, the Holy Spirit was upon him to proclaim a year of Jubilee for the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed. They were ready to carry their conquering hero on their shoulders. But when he as much as told them that wouldn’t be doing any miraculous miracles for their benefit, they were ready to carry him out of town and toss him over a cliff.
But this was not the time for that. One day, he would be tossed out of town and hung on a cross. But the town would be Jerusalem and cliff over which he would plunge would be death.
On the cross we would hear the sweetness of his preaching, “Father forgive them.” Thus the year of Jubilee would descend upon humanity, a year without end.
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