Old Testament: Ezekiel 2:1-5 (Pentecost 7: Series B)

Our text is an excellent one to preach on in the season of Pentecost. This short reading from chapter 2 is only a small part of the calling portion of Ezekiel. In 597 B.C., in Babylon, beside the Chebar River (1:1), among a rebellious people, Ezekiel sees the Lord seated on His throne in what appears to be the form of a man (1:26). Of course, upon seeing this vision he is thrown to the ground in fear. Had it not been for the Lord, fear would have kept him there, but the Lord calls the prophet to stand as He speaks with him (2:1). Since Ezekiel is too weak and incapable to raise himself from the ground, God sends His Spirit to do for Ezekiel what he cannot do for himself. The Spirit of God raises Ezekiel to stand upright before God and the Spirit gives him the ability to hear God’s Word (nice tie-in to the explanation of the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed).

Be careful as a preacher to drive away any romantic notions you have of a perfect call, to a perfect parish, filled with perfect people. No, instead Ezekiel is sent to a nation of “rebels.” Fortunately, we do not have any of those problems today. Oh wait, yes, we do. Christ comes proclaiming, “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15). And what do we do? The same thing Ezekiel’s people did, nothing but reject and resist. We, like Israel of old, are a nation of “rebels.” You do not have to go too deep to recognize this is the case.

God’s solution might seem strange to us, but it is only odd because it is a moment of grace. This unconventional answer is the clue to disclose a reversal in the text which will help us better proclaim the Gospel. The clue comes when God says to Ezekiel, speak My Word to them whether they hear it or refuse to hear it (verse 5). Why? Because, like Jesus’ parables of the Sower (Luke 8) or the Manager who gives the talents to his servants (Matthew 25), God has perfect confidence in His Word to accomplish the purpose for which He sends it. God’s Word is not merely information to be conveyed about ideas. No, the proclaimed Word of God is powerful, effective, active, and it has the ability to bring about the reality it was sent to proclaim. It brings about that of which it speaks (Isaiah 55:10-11). If God says a gospel word over you, by that word you will be “gospel-ed” from sin and death to new, resurrection life (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Even if people will not listen to it, God’s Word will still be fulfilled.

 If God says a gospel word over you, by that word you will be “gospel-ed” from sin and death to new, resurrection life.

Have a tough time believing it? Just look at God’s track record of words fulfilled. Start by going back in Ezekiel’s day and age and then return to Ezekiel by the Chebar river proceeding forward to God’s Word that He would raise up a new Davidic king for them in the future. God said He would raise up a king from the line of David who would be a good shepherd over His people (Ezekiel 34:23-24), who would feed His sheep, and through that Shepherd He would seek the lost and bring back the strays, the crippled, and the weak (34:16). That Word was certainly fulfilled in Jesus who is our good shepherd. Through Christ, every rebel can be fed, every lost or strayed sheep can be found, and the weak can be strengthened by Him. Christ is our prophet better than Ezekiel, who speaks and is the Word of God, Shepherding His people out of exile and sin to eternal life through His death and resurrection.

At this point in the sermon, finding a story that develops the character of a good shepherd as displayed by the way in which they take care of the sheep will serve to strengthen the Gospel move in the structure. It also invites the hearers to understand the heart of God in Jesus for their salvation. Failure to develop this point in the sermon or rather to simply explain this point instead will rob the text of its highest connection to your congregation. For that reason, this part of the sermon will be the area you will want to spend the most time in. Again, it is not just finding a really good story here, though narrative is likely the best form to go about this, it is critical to develop the character of shepherds, especially as it relates to the way they care for a difficult flock. The core teaching to hold in the center is how God kept His promises He spoke through Ezekiel and He always keeps His promises, even for you. We see this clearest in Jesus, our promised and fulfilled Good Shepherd.

Perhaps the best structure to develop the character of the shepherd at the end of the sermon would be to use the Epic Structure:

“This structure utilizes an epic plot form as the progression of experiences in the sermon. The first experience of the epic form is immediate engagement in a conflict leading to a climax which is temporarily left unresolved. The second experience of the epic form involves an abrupt shift to reflection in a broader context (like the history lying behind the conflict) that serves to intensify the importance of the outcome for the hearers. Often, this experience is a movement backward in time from the opening conflict to the history leading up to that conflict. In this second experience, the sermon should offer information which brings the significance of the opening scene into view for the hearers. The hearers reflect on the broader context and realize what is at stake in this struggle. Also, this revelation of a larger framework can offer the hearers a glimpse of how the conflict will ultimately be resolved. It can provide a different way of looking at things that changes how they hear the opening scene and how the story will unfold. The final experience in the epic form involves a return to the conflict in order to move from climax to resolution. The sermon, therefore, ends with the hearers experiencing satisfaction as a significant matter is resolved in the sermon.”[1]

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Additional Resources:

Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Ezekiel 2:1-5.

Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Ezekiel 2:1-5.

Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach Ezekiel 2:1-5.

Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!

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[1] https://concordiatheology.org/sermon-structs/dynamic/narrative-structures/epic-form/