Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Most difficult passage?

A little while ago, I discussed one of my favourite passages, and I even had the chance earlier in the year to give a sermon on it.

A question for all the preachers: what has been the most difficult passage you've had to preach on? Or, which passage would you least like to have to preach on?

9 comments:

thegreatswalmi said...

Probably for me the hardest passage to preach on was John the B's "lamb of God" pronouncements in John, not because the passages are difficult, but because they're not easy :) also, Amos' visions. That was tricky.

The passage that would be the hardest for me? The LORD trying to kill Moses in exodus 4, with zipporah circumcising their son and chucking the foreskin at moses' feet...a bridegroom of blood by circumcision. i would have trouble with that one.

Daniel Clark said...

As a seminary student, I was once invited to teach at a church, on the story of the Levite and his concubine.

byron smith said...

Daniel - I bet they were in a series on Judges and they thought they'd not only give chapter 19 to a visitor, but to a student, whose sermon could then be pitied.

Theoblogian - Exodus 4. We recently had an eight-part series on Exodus, but somehow didn't manage to get to that passage!

Anonymous said...

I had to do a sermon on the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah at an infant baptism of a non-church couple's daughter. Tough; but ultimately I think it was one of the best sermons I've ever preached.

Neil Cameron (One Salient Oversight) said...

Luke 16.1-13 - the parable of the dishonest manager.

Mandy said...

Eccelsiasties Ch 3 at chicks chapel in 3rd year of college. Still not sure I've worked it out.

One of Freedom said...

The Syrophoenecian woman is one of my least favourite to preach. It seems to land on our regular Wednesday services though so I've had to wrestle my way through it. While I'm convinced that passage is for the benefit of the disciples who are losing sight of things, I still can't shake the image of Jesus calling that woman a "dog".

Anonymous said...

These are all tops!!
Great topic Byron.

My hardest was preaching on the death of David's child as part of God's judgement in 2 Sam. It was part of a series in 2 Sam. It was also as part of a infant baptism service with many non-attenders present. They all gave me these 'why-on-earth-did-he-choose-this-passage?' looks... In the end, it was kinda good to talk frankly about things of depth...

Anonymous said...

I'm preaching on 1 John 5 in a few weeks. I have to say I don't get John, he's so circular, repetitive and devoid of logic. That's what I find anyway.

The bit on jesus coming as water and blood is a bit weird too.