The Preacher of the Sermon
The Messenger Behind the Message
What makes a powerful message? Many
of us have had the experience of listening to or reading a message that has
greatly impacted our lives, and we have even observed how the paths of human history
have been directed by certain momentous messages. So what is it that causes a
message to exhibit such far-reaching influence in the lives of people?
The first answer would, of course,
be content. This is what we tend to think of when we reminisce on the impact of
messages (whether in the form of speeches, sermons, or books). It is the content,
the material, the actual thoughts and ideas being presented that can surely be traced
as the primary feature that makes a message powerful.
While this is true, there are other
factors that help to create a powerful message: for example, the delivery of
the message—that is, the manner in which the message is presented. I was taught
in classes dealing with public speaking the importance of projecting my voice
and communicating as confidently and clearly as possible. The emotion behind
the message and how the message has been crafted have a bearing on its impact.
Context is another factor. The
setting that the message is being delivered, the place in history, as well as
the situation and emotional state of those listening contribute to the power
and influence of a message. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “I Have a Dream” is
particularly stirring and inspiring when seen in the context of the American Civil
Rights movement of the 1960’s.
However, what can easily be
overlooked when considering the power behind a message is the factor of the
speaker him or herself. A message tends to carry only as much authority (and
ultimately influence) in proportion to the believability, dependability, and persuasiveness
of the actual deliverer of the message. Whether we realize it or not, the
reason messages have impacted us so much can often be traced to our respect and
our trust in those from whom we have received those messages.
I heard a story recently of a group
of young people who were being taught at church by an elderly man about the
imprisonment of the apostle Paul. The class was not particularly interested or
moved by the teacher’s efforts to present his material. But things changed when
the teacher, at one point, told the young people that he himself had been a
prisoner of war and related to them some of his experiences. Suddenly, his
teaching took on a new light—not because the content had changed but because of
the children’s newfound veneration for their teacher as one who knew experientially
what it means to be a prisoner.
That our perception of the one
presenting the message provides an essential component to its power is also
seen in written literature. Particularly when reading non-fiction works, whether
of history, science, or some other subject in which we wish to find valuable
and reliable information, we demonstrate the importance we place on the
reliability of the author by our reliance on information about the author published
on the cover of the book. Whether on the inside flap or on the back of a book,
we will often see a summary of the credentials (perhaps a long list of letters
denoting the academic achievement of an individual) or the personal
achievements of the author. If the author is not well-known, we may even
observe a forward on the book written by someone who is widely recognized as a
dependable authority on the subject.
All this to say that what makes a
message powerful is not merely the content but also the person delivering the
message. As we look at this ancient sermon, traditionally known as “The Sermon
on the Mount,” what makes it so incredibly remarkable is not only what it teaches
but also the man who is presenting it. This is the teaching of Jesus of
Nazareth, often referred to as Jesus Christ (the Messiah). If we were to hold a
book that contained a summary of this man’s credentials on the inside flap or
on the back, what would it say? One person summed up the life of Jesus Christ
in this manner:
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the
child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a
carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant
preacher.
He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never
held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put
His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place
He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.
He had no credentials but Himself. . .
While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion
turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned
over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon
a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for
the only piece of property He had on earth – His coat. When He was dead, He was
laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen
long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human
race and leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies
that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments
that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not
affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary
life. (Anonymous)
We have all
heard or read powerful messages delivered by significant people, but this message, a sermon delivered nearly
two-thousand years ago, was delivered by the most significant person of all.
That is, in large, what makes this makes this ancient message so powerful.
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