Favorite Illustration and a Transfiguration Illustration


This month I would like to share by favorite illustration. It is an illustration which combines the idea of faith and works. For Lutherans, these two concepts have always been held in a struggle. It is faith which saves or works?? Lutheran firmly believe we are saved by faith through faith, but at the same time our faith must be active in love.

For me the following illustration show how important these two elements of our live in Christ needs to me. Faith active in love.

Far away in a lonely desert stands a water pump in the sand. You are a solitary traveler, and your canteen is empty and you come upon that pump.Tied to it is a hand written sign put there by some pilgrim.

The sign reads "I have buried a bottle of water to prime the pump. don't drink any of it. Pour in half of it to wet the leather. Wait, and then pour in the rest. Then pump. The well has never gone dry, but the pump must be primed to bring the water up. Have faith, believe. When you are through drawing water, fill the bottle and bury it in the sand for the next traveler."

Having come upon this pump in the desert with this sign and being out of water, what would you do??? Will you dig the water bottle from the sand and drink from it?? Or will you believe and believing dare to pour that water every drop of it down into the old trusty pump?? Because you trust, you take a risk, both for yourself and for the next person who will pass that way. What will you do???

Since we are in the season of Epiphany and the last Sunday of Epiphany is the Transfiguration of Jesus, I am going to share some illustrations that I found over the years to be quite appropriate for that Sunday.

"A teacher in a Sunday school class was reading the story of the Transfiguration. As she read, she noticed one little boy seemed confused.

When she was finished she asked him, "Johnny, why don't you tell us where Jesus was in this story.

He replied, "Oh, he was on a mountain."

"Yes, that's right; said the teacher, "Do you remember why he was up there?"

Johnny answered with a confused look, "I guess that's where his arithmetic class was held ."

" The teacher looked at him and wondered what he meant. "What do you mean, arithmetic class?"

The copyright of the article Favorite Illustration and a Transfiguration Illustration in Homiletics/Preaching is owned by Tim Zingale. Permission to republish Favorite Illustration and a Transfiguration Illustration in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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