Updated February, 2025
My mother seldom let us off with easy answers. After the Bible reading that followed family meals, she would often wonder about the meaning of an obscure text by peppering our family with "why" questions:
Why does God act like a general in an army that is responsible for slaying thousands of Israel's enemies?
Why would God ask for the human sacrifice of Abraham's son, after the manner of pagan religions?
Why does Jesus curse a fruit tree for having no fruit in a season in which it was not meant to bear fruit?
Even though these questions made us squirm a bit, they were good for us. They allowed us to be honest about the ambiguities of faith and the challenges of living as people of faith. They led us to search for answers, and in so doing, we discovered the richness of God's Word and will.
Healthy questions and curious searching are the basis for this preaching series. Spawned from several books of the same title (among them Hard Sayings of Jesus and Hard Sayings of the Old Testament, published by InterVarsity), the sermons in this series explore texts that are in some way bothersome, obscure, or difficult to put into practice.
During the weeks when this series structured our liturgy, we used prayers and songs that gave voice to questions of faith and let us address the challenge of understanding and doing the Word of God. We included the following in our bulletin as a preface to the series:
During the next few weeks, our pastor will be preaching on the hard sayings of Jesus. Various texts will focus on teachings that are either difficult to understand and/or hard to practice. In our study, we pray that God will inspire us to know and do his will.
INVOLVING CHILDREN
During the summer months, you may want to try some of the following ideas:
- Ask children (with the help of their parents) to create a children's activity page for a specific Bible reading. This works best for stories and parables, though most passages lend themselves to fill-in-the-blank, word searches, crossword puzzles, or responses through drawing or writing. On the appropriate Sunday, distribute the activity page to all the children in church.
- Invite children to design a bulletin cover. This should be done in black (felt-tipped pen/marker for clear, smooth lines) and white for best reproduction, or in color (markers) if the cost to reproduce is not prohibitive. Kids love to see their work in print.
- Consider having older children read the story or parable as the Bible reading for the day. Identify those who have clear, deliberate reading voices.
USING TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS AS WORSHIP LEADERS
- Young teens can do a fine job of offering bidding prayers if the prayers are written in language that suits their age. Some may be able to write additional stanzas in their own words.
- Teens and young adults can be encouraged to present a drama. Give them every opportunity to succeed (so they won't become embarrassed and self-conscious) by finding a coach who will rehearse them meticulously without losing the joy of creativity and community.
Note from the Editors
A more complete version of the sermons in this series is available on email: rw@crcpublications.org. Ask for RW 44 sermons.
Most parts of the liturgy (call to worship, prayers, confessions, benedictions) are tied to the theme of the series and may be used with any of the four services.
FIRST SUNDAY: UNLESS YOU HATE YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER…
Text: Matthew 10:24–42
Call to Worship (from Psalm 121)
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber…
The Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Sermon Introduction
To introduce the text and the message, I told the story of two students. Carla, a non-Christian, goes to the university armed to address contemporary culture with intelligence and compassion. But through her roommate she becomes involved with the people of InterVarsity Fellowship and finds herself smitten with the God of the Bible and drawn to Jesus. When Carla tells her parents about her commitment to Christ, they can't believe she could be so deceived. They didn't raise their thinking, feeling child to be bamboozled and sucked in by religion. As time passes, Carla and her parents find they have less and less in common, and their relationship gradually disintegrates.
At the same university, John inhales life as well as gallons of brew as he consumes the cultural flip side of university education. His parents hope he won't abandon everything he learned in his first nineteen years of life at home, church, and Christian school. That's what his sister, now twenty-eight, has done, and John seems headed down the same path. "Where did we go wrong?" John's parents anguish. Night after night, they pour out their hearts, as well as tears, in prayer for their children.
And this, says our text, is what Jesus came to do:
[Read Matthew 10:35–36.]
Sermon Summary
Jesus came to split families and turn parents and children against one another. How can that be? Or can that be? It seems true enough in real life and unmistakably plain in black and white that some families are divided about faith. But can it really be true that creating this division was not only the effect of Jesus coming but also the intent? As you struggle with this question together, focus on some of the following points:
- Jesus forewarned his followers that the life of faith wouldn't be easy for them because it wasn't easy for him: "A student is not above his master" (10:24).
- Jesus encouraged his followers to "stand firm in the message of reconciliation and healing"—even in times of persecution. Be bold!
- Already in Jesus' day faith in him split families. Jews who followed Jesus caused a great deal of tension in a household.
- But division was not only the effect of Jesus' coming; it was also God' s intent. It's not that Jesus came to sow discord in families, but rather that God's action in Jesus Christ shook up the whole world. Jesus came offering salvation. The choice was—and is—clear-cut: "Receive Christ and live or be lost in your rejection of him." It's a choice that supersedes all others—even devotion to family.
- Our mission today is the same as the disciples' mission: To invite strangers to become sons and daughters of God. We are to be prophets, faithful to the truth of God's Word. If we are serious about doing the right thing, Christ may take the opportunity to make his home among our family and friends.
Hymns
"Standing in the Need of Prayer" African-American spiritual
"Jesus Calls Us, O'er the Tumult" Alexander
"Lead Me, Guide Me" Akers
"Stir Your Church, O God, Our Father" Prince
Prayer of Intercession
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God. [Silence]
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends and neighbors, and for all those who are alone.
For this community, our country and the world;
For all those who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
For the peace and unity of the church of God;
For those who proclaim the gospel, and all who seek the truth.
For all who serve God in his church. [Silence for petitions to be added]
Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
[Silence for people's thanksgivings to be offered]
We will exalt you, O God our King;
And praise your name forever and ever.
We pray for those who struggle with their faith, and for those whose faith is known to you alone, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
[Silence for people to add their own petitions]
Lord, let your lovingkindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
Gracious God, you have heard the prayers of your faithful people; you know our needs before we ask, and our ignorance in asking. Grant our requests as may be best for us. Watch over us and keep us in the light of your presence. May our praise continually blend with that of all creation, until we come together to the eternal joys which you promise in your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
WEEK TWO: FAITH TO REMOVE MOUNTAINS
Text: Mark 11:12–25
Call to Worship (from Psalm 111)
Praise the Lord.
Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
Praise the Lord.
Prayer
God, today I resonate with the desperate cry in the gospel, "I believe, help my unbelief." Sometimes I think I operate my life out of more doubt than faith. And yet I want to believe ... and I do believe. I'm a complex creature. At times I can believe with my head, while my body is still locked into patterns of skepticism and doubt. Faith is not yet in my muscles, my bones, my glands.
Increase faith within me, O Lord. I'm sure that for faith to grow you will put me in situations where I'll need resources beyond myself. I submit to this process.
Will this mean moving out on behalf of others, praying for them, and trusting you to work in them? If so, then show me who, what, when, and where, and I will seek to act at your bidding. Throughout I am trusting you to take me from faith to faith—from the faith I do have to the faith that I am in the process of receiving. Thank you for hearing my prayer. Amen.
—from Players from the Heart, Richard J. Foster. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1994.
Sermon Summary
In the story of the fig tree and mountains, we're made to think, "What an unfair situation—cursing a fig tree for not bearing fruit when it's not even the season for fruit! And what an impossible expectation—moving a mountain by faith!" What's going on in this juggernaut from temple cleansing and tree cursing to prayer and forgiveness?
Consider these points:
- The fig tree was a symbol for peace and salvation (see Micah 4:1–5 and Isaiah 35). The season of Israel's salvation was upon them, for the Messiah was in their midst.
- Fig trees produce leaves and buds almost simultaneously. Sometimes the knobs of the immature figs could be seen before the leaves appeared. Hungry travelers were permitted to pick the unripened fruit in an emergency. So when Jesus came looking "for something" among the leaves, he would have been content to find a small green fruit. But he found nothing.
- Likewise, Jesus would have been content to find some life, some indication of fruitfulness among the religious leaders who were meant to prepare the people for their season of salvation. Instead, he found leaders who padded their own prestige and used the temple as a place to turn a profit.
- So Jesus castigated the religious leaders in the form of a curse to the fig tree. Their chance to produce fruit was gone, and they would be cut off at the roots!
- This passage calls us to take stock of ourselves—all of us in general and our leaders in particular. Are we living hypocritically, failing to admit our faults and taking no advantage of God's forgiveness? Do we talk a good line about public justice, yet keep persons of another economic status at arm's length? Do we never suggest praying for anything other than what is comfortable— are we more likely, for example, to pray for Aunt Linda's operation than for the renewal of the church?
The text suggests that we should be praying for the big things with gusto. If the church is speaking for Christ, then we may have the bravado he used in suggesting that we tell a mountain to uproot itself and move…enough courage to ask for something in prayer and have the gutsy certainty that we will receive it…enough assurance of our own forgiveness that if we forgive others, they are forgiven. In other words, having enormous faith, we are to pray with bold confidence to him who is limited in his answers to our prayers only by his own sovereignty…which we know is limitless.
Pray that
- pastors, staff members, and many volunteers may work to bring the gospel message to life.
- elders will be encouraged to come alongside people within their care to share what God is doing in their lives.
- deacons will be recognized as representatives of Christ even as they serve as agents of charity.
- some university students may try church one more time, and that if they enter here, we will receive them as Jesus would.
- our neighbors won't just see us as traffic on their street, but as people who, like them, are looking for what is meaningful in life.
- church school teachers will get close to the heart of each student so they can know God's love through their teachers.
- our young adults won't have occasion to accuse us of hypocrisy, but will hear a direct call of God to make faith their own.
- the bravado of the Spirit will uproot each of us (who are entrenched) and cause us to move to heights we will not attain unless we pray.
Hymns
"Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying" Medema
"Praise God's Name" VanAndel Frisch
"If You Believe and I Believe" Zimbabwean traditional
"God of Grace and God of Glory" Fosdick
Blessing (from 2 Corinthians 1:21–24)
It is God who makes us stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
We work together for joy, because it is by faith that we stand firm.
Therefore, let us go out from here with confidence and joy to love and serve the Lord.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
WEEK THREE: BE PERFECT
Text: Leviticus 24:17–20; Matthew 5:14–20, 38–48
Drama (to introduce Scripture themes)
"AN EYE FOR AND EYE"
Narrator One
Narrator Two
Mr. Fang, a dentist who also plays Character A
Mr. Squint, an optician who also plays Character B
A Judge
This format, two narrators plus accompanying mime, is well-tried and is very reliable in buildings that are large enough to necessitate the use of a PA system. The "ping-pong" nature of the dialogue gives the sketch a secure structure that has pace and liveliness. This sketch is also interesting in that is based on a passage from the Sermon on the Mount that, at first sight, might look rather undramatic.
The scene opens in a courtroom. The two Narrators are dressed as lawyers; they stand downstage left and right, respectively. Mr. Fang and Mr. Squint are seated upstage center on either side of the Judge's chair. Fang is wearing an eyepatch; Squint's jaw is heavily bandaged. They both rise as the Judge enters. All three sit down.
Narrator One: Silence in the court.
Narrator Two: Silence!
Judge: Proceed.
Two: Mr. Fang, the dentist…
One: Your Honor.
Two: is hereby accused…
One: of disfiguring the smile of Mr. Squint, the optician…
Two: by the unnecessary removal…
One: of a prominent tooth.
Two: Justice, m'lord, justice!
Judge: Let justice be done.
Two: Mr Squint. [Squint steps forward with tongs and removes tooth from Fang]
One: Objection, m'lord.
Judge: Objection sustained.
One: The mistaken removal of the said tooth…
Two: was made by Mr. Fang,
One: on account of his vision having been previously impaired by the said Squint.
Two: Justice, m'lord, justice!
Judge: Let justice be done.
Two: Mr. Fang. [Fang steps forward and impairs Squint's vision]
One: Thus you have heard it said…
Two: an eye for an eye…
One: a tooth for a tooth…
Two: a nose for a nose…
One: and so on…
Two: and so forth.
One: But…
Two: No buts. There are no exceptions.
One: But…
Two: Aa! aa!
One: What about what Jesus says?
Two: What does he say?
One: He says, "Do not take revenge."
Two: Are you sure?
One: Yes. Look at this. [Producing paper from notes]
Two: Let me see. [Crosses stage] Good heavens! He's right. He does. He says… [Returns to his position]
One: If anyone strikes you on the right cheek…
[Fang and Squint, without their props, step forward as characters A and B. A (pantomime) strikes B on right cheek]
Two: turn to him the other one also. [A strikes B on left cheek. Pause. B kicks A hard on shin.]
One: Er, I'm sorry.
Two: [To B] To turn the other cheek…
One: and then to kick your adversary on the shin…
Two: is fulfilling the letter of the passage…
One: rather than the spirit. [B looks disconsolate]
Two: Do not resist one who is evil.
One: Quite categorically not.
Two: To continue.
One: You have heard it said…
Two: love your neighbor…[A and B exchange friendly glances over garden fence]
One: and hate your enemy. [They threaten each other with machine guns]
Two: But I say to you…
One: love your enemy. [B puts down gun]
Two: Do good to them that hate you. [B pulls out handkerchief and begins polishing A's gun]
One: Pray for those who persecute you. [B kneels]
Two: "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing." One: If you are to be seen ... [A and B sit down again]
Two: as the children of your Father in Heaven…
One: you must show the family likeness.
Two: For he makes the sun rise…
One: on the evil… [B gets up looking evil]
Two: and on the good. [A jumps up with beatific smile]
One: He sends rain on the just… [A has prudently brought an umbrella; opens it]
Two: and the unjust. [B steals the umbrella]
One: People think only in terms of justice. [The fudge steps forward and restores umbrella to A]
Two: But if you only love those who love you… [Indicating A and the Judge]
One: what's so good about that?
Two: God thinks supremely in terms of love.
[They invite B to join them under the umbrella]
[During this final section the three figures in the mime become a chorus of different voices, raising objections to the standard of love. The fudge has become voice C. They speak to the audience.]
A: But I find we're so different in temperament.
One: Love him.
C: You see, we just don't get along.
Two: Love him.
B: She and I have a completely different way of going about things.
One: Love her.
C: I find young people are so selfish.
Two: Love them.
B: I'll never forgive her for leaving me.
One: Forgive her; love her.
A: I find it very hard to believe those people are Christians.
Two: Love them.
B: They know all about the Bible, those people, but what they don't know...
One: Love them.
B: But... Two: No buts. There are no exceptions.
B: But...
One: Aa! aa!
Two: Be perfect...
One: as your heavenly Father...
Two: is perfect.
—from Lightning Sketches, Paul Burbridge and Murray Watts. London: Hodder and Houghton, 1981. Reproduced by permission of the publisher. Up to 5 copies may be made of the sketch for non-profit-making performances only, crediting the book, title, and publisher.
Sermon Summary
In this broad sweep from retribution to light on a hilltop, to righteousness that goes beyond the law's elite to being perfect, it is important to see Jesus as the hinge-pin. What went on before in the Old Testament and what is carried on in the New Testament has its locus in Christ. With his coming, we entered a new age. The kingdom of God, here and now, is about more than just obedience to the law. It's about obedience to Christ, who ushered in the new age of the kingdom. Christ came to fulfill the Old Testament law and take it to new heights in the Beatitudes.
Points to consider:
- Jesus was not undermining Old Testament laws of justice but rather suggesting that our righteousness exceed the law and be greater than that of the religious leaders:
— The one who would be spit upon and insulted to his face, without saying a word, here encourages his disciples to turn the other cheek.
— The one who owned nothing more than the clothes on his back, clothes which, at his trial, were stripped to expose his nakedness, entreats his disciples to bear the shame of an evil person's greed.
— The one who would be forced by soldiers to carry his cross for what must have seemed like miles, pleads with his disciples to go the extra mile, even under the humiliation of being conscripted like a slave to do the bidding of the Roman authorities.
- Such behavior fits with God's nature but not human nature. So how can we do what Jesus requires of us? By bringing the Father's plan to completion. By having the same character that
God exercises in redeeming his world. God is completing a work begun in Christ, and he's doing it in us, his followers.
- We are "history's most luminous reality" (Frederick Bruner, Matthew, p. 161). So instead of hiding us under a basket, God stands us on a table where we are able to benefit all those around through our good works. There is no other way that anyone will know anything about God except that we reflect him.
"Let your light shine so people may see your good works and praise your Father in heaven" (5:20).
Testimony
In response to the message and before intercession, invite one or two members of the congregation to testify about where they have been able to let their light shine or where they are struggling to let their light shine.
Prayer of Confession
Ruler of all that is and is to be, sensitize our sight, that we may see what really is and understand what ought to be. We confess that often we see only what we want to see. We complain about our vacations when thousands are cold and poverty-stricken. We speak of equal rights and justice for all but do not share the struggle for overcoming prejudice of race or nationality. We create technology but fail to control it. We enjoy the company of lively people but don't reach their loneliness.
You have given us life, O God, but we have not lived. You have called us to sing your song, and instead we have sung the message of the world. But here and now we admit our willfulness, we acknowledge our denial of your life, and we ask your forgiveness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—from Prayers from Riverside, Ernest T. Campbell. New York: The Pilgrim Press, 1983
Assurance of Pardon
What confidence do we have that we are forgiven?
That without any ability to make ourselves right before God,
Out of sheer grace,
God grants us perfect satisfaction.
He credits us with righteousness and the holiness of Christ.
It is as if we had never sinned nor been sinners,
As if we had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for us.
This we accept with a believing heart as a gift from God.
—Based on Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 60
Hymns
"1 Corinthians 13: Not for Tongues of Heaven's Angels" Dudley-Smith
"Fount of Love, Our Savior God" Yang, sung to DIX Kocher
"This Little Light of Mine" African-American
"Bring Forth the Kingdom" Haugen
"Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid" Maurus
"God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending" Edwards
"Our Cities Cry to You, O God" Clarkson
WEEK FOUR: MANY ARE CALLED, BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN
Text: Matthew 22:1–14; Revelation 19:7–8
Call to Worship (from Psalm 68)
Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing to the glory of his name;
offer him glory and praise!
Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
You who hear prayer, to you all people will come.
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
Those living far away fear your wonders.
Where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.
Praise the Lord, all the earth.
I will praise his name forever.
Sermon Summary
Let's say a couple was married last year. The usual vows were recited in a once-in-a-Iifetime event. Tears were shed, bouquets thrown, jokes told, skits endured, and all sealed with numerous kisses.
Now, a year later, with the once-fresh flowers losing their color and a piece of cake frozen in the refrigerator, the joy of getting married has faded, and the marriage vows seem frozen in time. After only one year, both the husband and wife feel cheated out of a love that doesn't envy, grow angry, or keep a record of wrong. Sadly, this couple came into the privilege of marriage and made many vows but did not carry them out.
This gospel reading is about privilege and responsibility. But it's less about the privilege of coming into the kingdom of heaven than about carrying out the responsibilities of being chosen.
Points to consider:
- The misclad lad in the Matthew passage wasn't a gate-crasher. Unlike everyone else, he didn't take seriously the privilege of being present at the joyful feast of life. Wearing the robe is giving evidence that we persist in the faith and take Christ's invitation to salvation seriously.
- The Revelation passage calls the robe "good deeds" done by the redeemed who persist to the end. So Matthew is calling his fellow Jews to a new life that is characterized by good deeds. To return to the marriage analogy, it takes a decision to get married, but it takes active commitment to stay married.
- Good deeds give evidence that we are wearing robes of righteousness:
— If you feel like Christianity comes off as nothing more than a social club, put on the robe of Christ and visit a local shelter/soup kitchen. Be reminded that class made no difference to Jesus.
— If you find yourself torn on the matter of immigration and deportation, put on a robe of brotherliness and volunteer to teach an English as a Second Language class.
— If you feel like you're in a dead-end job, suit up and put your hands to work constructing low-income housing.
— If you feel there's got to be more to life than 9 to 5, put on a garment of patient endurance and commit some vacation time to service projects or disaster relief.
— If you think Christianity doesn't make much of a difference in people's lives, dress yourself in celebration and worship with a church plant of new Christians.
— If you think the gospel isn't making much of an impact in the world, put on the whole armor of God and work with foreign missionaries for a summer or a year.
These are just a few "robing" opportunities that let us persist in the kingdom of God. They help us celebrate the joy of our salvation.
Link to Service
Gather information about service projects and volunteer organizations in your area and at large. Have material on display for people to take away. In Canada, contact ServiceLink for local or distant, short or long-term projects.
Hymns
"Clothe Yourself, My Soul, with Gladness" Franck
"Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service" Bayly
"Sent by the Lord" Aguiar
"Let Me Be Your Servant, Jesus" Helms
"Christ for the World We Sing" Wolcott
Blessing (from 1 Thessalonians 5)
Go in peace, be very courageous, hold on to what is good, do not return evil for evil, strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the afflicted, honor all people, love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit; and the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you always. Amen.