Sermon for August 10, 2025
Theme: “Wake up!”
Readings: Wisdom 18:6–9 / Luke 12:32–48 / Hebrews 11:1–2,8–19
Dear friends of the Prayer Atelier,
There are nights that shape history. The night described in the Book of Wisdom is one of them: the night of Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The Letter to the Hebrews takes us back centuries to Abraham, the father of faith, who left his homeland without knowing where he was going. And the Gospel of Luke brings us Jesus’ words, urging his disciples to be ready for the sudden coming of the Son of Man.
What connects these texts? They all revolve around God’s faithfulness in darkness and our faith as a response to His promise. Let us explore these three readings together – in chronological order, starting with the wisdom tradition, moving through Jesus’ words, and ending with the interpretation in the Letter to the Hebrews. Along the way, historical, biblical, and everyday realities lead us to the heart of the message.
> “The night of deliverance had been announced to our ancestors in advance; so that they might rejoice in the sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted.” (Wisdom 18:6)
The Israelites find themselves in one of the darkest hours of their history: oppressed, enslaved, seemingly forgotten. Yet God had announced their deliverance through Moses. And so, before God even intervened, they celebrated a sacrificial meal in secret: the first Passover (cf. Exodus 12).
The Book of Wisdom – written in the 1st century BC in Alexandria – is a late Jewish scripture that reinterprets the Exodus: God punishes the Egyptians by striking them through their own worship of darkness, while glorifying His people, who follow the light of God in the night. This dual movement – judgment for some, salvation for others – lies at the heart of Old Testament theology.
The “holy children of the good” are the righteous of Israel, acting in trust in God’s word. They offer the sacrifice, commit themselves in unity to the law, and begin to sing – even before the miracle. This reveals something crucial: faith means trusting the promising God more than the current situation.
We, too, know such “nights” in our lives: uncertainty about the future, illness, or social conflict. The message of the Wisdom text is this: Prepare yourself – not out of fear, but out of trust.
There are nights we never forget. Turning points. Nights of fear. Nights of decision. And today is about just such a night – the “night of deliverance” that was announced to the people of Israel beforehand. So begins our text from the Book of Wisdom, chapter 18. These few verses contain a profound theology of trust, liturgy, and divine intervention in dark times.
The text refers to the final chapter of Israel’s slavery in Egypt. The night of deliverance – the Passover – is no surprise, but foretold. God had warned and prepared His people through Moses. So the joy in the darkness is not an illusion, but grounded in God's promises. Here lies a deep truth: God reveals His action beforehand so that we may trust, even when we cannot yet see.
The New Jerusalem Bible comments: “The night of salvation is not understood as the result of chance, but as part of the divine plan of salvation, which brings joy to believing Israel.”
It further states that the ancestors rejoiced in sure knowledge of the promises they trusted. In Hebrew thought, a divine oath is unbreakable. When God speaks, it is not a human promise but a creative act that brings reality. Therefore, Israel can celebrate even before the deliverance occurs.
We are also invited to trust in God’s faithfulness during dark times in history, in the Church, or in our personal lives. Saint Paul puts it this way: “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son” (1 Cor 1:9).
The text speaks of a dual action by God: “By what you punished our enemies, you also glorified and called us to you.” (Wisdom 18:8)
God’s action is not arbitrary but just and redemptive. While Egypt suffers the consequences of its oppression, Israel is drawn to God through the same event. This interplay of judgment and salvation reminds us of the cross of Christ: foolishness to some – but the power and wisdom of God to others (cf. 1 Cor 1:18–24).
The Stuttgart Explanatory Bible sees in this a central theological principle: “God reveals Himself as both Judge and Redeemer – depending on how a person responds to His call.”
The most striking sentence in this passage reads: “For in secret, the holy children of the good offered sacrifice; they bound themselves together by a divine law […] and sang the praises of the ancestors in advance.” (Wisdom 18:9)
Before they are free, they celebrate the liturgy of liberation. This “hidden sacrifice” is a picture of faith: God’s people act in advance, trusting that He will intervene.
The practice of the Passover meal comes to mind – with bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and loins girded. Even Jesus’ Last Supper stands in this tradition. Faith expresses itself in action, not only in inward feeling.
Our time, too, knows “nights”: personal crises, illness, grief, war, church scandals. But: God announces His action – through His word, the sacraments, prophecy. He calls us to believe not just in the light but in the night. The early Christians called the Easter Vigil “the mother of all nights,” because new life begins there – in the tomb.
A powerful testimony comes from Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who hid Jews from the Gestapo and was imprisoned in a concentration camp. She later said: “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”
God also wants to announce a night of deliverance to you. Perhaps today is the day to praise Him in the midst of uncertainty. To take the step, to sing the songs before the sea is parted. For whoever offers the sacrifice in secret will see the glory of God in the light. Trust in the oath of God, who cannot lie.
> “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
Jesus speaks to His disciples, a small group surrounded by uncertainty. Galilee at the time of Jesus was marked by poverty, foreign rule, and religious tension. Yet Jesus begins with reassurance: “Do not be afraid.”
He calls to a life of readiness. The image of girded loins and burning lamps recalls the Exodus tradition: the people were prepared to leave Egypt by night (Ex 12:11). Jesus takes up this ritual and transforms it into a way of life: watchfulness today, because the Kingdom of God is near.
The parables of the watchful servant, the faithful steward, and the thief in the night show: the Lord’s coming is certain but not predictable. What matters is the inner attitude, not outward preparation.
Today, in the 21st century, the temptation is great to flee into securities: insurance, digital planning, economic control. But the Gospel asks: Where is your lamp? Where is your trust?
We have just heard a powerful passage from Luke’s Gospel. It’s about lamps, readiness, servants, stewards, and thieves – and at the center: the Kingdom of God. Jesus speaks in parables, and yet His message is strikingly clear: “Be ready!” – because the Lord comes at an hour you do not expect.
Anyone hearing these words quickly senses: this is not just a warning but a call to trustful watchfulness. This attitude deeply connects with the “night of deliverance” in the Book of Wisdom. Back then, Israel prepared in the night for God’s passage. Today we, too, are invited to keep our hearts alert for the Lord’s coming – even if He is delayed, even if the night is long.
What an opening! No moral sermon, no appeal to duty, but a promise: God is not a threatening master but a giving Father. Whoever starts like this wants to encourage – not intimidate.
The Wisdom text emphasizes the same: the ancestors rejoiced “in sure knowledge of the oaths in which they trusted” (Wisdom 18:6). They did not live in paralyzing fear of judgment but in joyful expectation of salvation, because God had prepared them in advance. So too Jesus: He does not begin with a threat of the end, but with the assurance of the Kingdom.
Jesus says: “Gird your loins and keep your lamps burning!” (Luke 12:35)
This image directly recalls the Passover night (Ex 12:11), in which the Israelites ate the lamb with loins girded and staff in hand – ready for departure. The Wisdom reading also emphasizes that the “holy children of the good” offered sacrifice in secret and committed themselves unanimously to the divine law (Wisdom 18:9).
Both texts demand an attitude of inner readiness: not passive, but actively alert, inwardly receptive, firmly grounded in the trust that God keeps His word.
The Stuttgart Explanatory Bible writes on Luke 12:35: “Watchfulness is not waiting out of fear, but an attitude of inner obedience and devotion – lived faith in everyday life.”
The central thought of the Luke passage is clear: “The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40)
This is not a threat but a reminder of God’s nature: He is free, He surprises, He acts sovereignly. The night mentioned in the Wisdom text was a foretold turning point – but exactly when judgment over Egypt would come, they did not know. They had to believe, celebrate, be ready. We, too, do not know when God will act – but we can be certain that He will – in His time.
Pope Benedict XVI writes in his encyclical Spe salvi: “God’s judgment is hope, because it promises justice. It is the certainty that evil will not have the last word.”
Jesus praises the servant whom the master finds “busy serving others” when he returns. To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). Salvation is a gift, but it calls for an active lifestyle. Those who have received the Kingdom should not sit back but faithfully steward what has been entrusted to them.
The Israelites in the Wisdom reading were not mere spectators of divine action – they celebrated their liturgy in faith. They did what they could – in secret, in obedience, in listening to God’s word.
This means: watchfulness is not mere waiting, but faith in motion – in prayer, in doing justice, in sharing gifts.
Both texts – the Wisdom passage and Jesus’ words – revolve around a central theme: the night as a moment of decision. In both cases, the night is not just darkness but a place of encounter with God.
In the night of deliverance (Wisdom 18), Israel waits in faith for God’s intervention. In the night of the parable (Luke 12), the “little flock” waits for the coming of their Lord. In both cases, the message is clear: God’s coming is real but unpredictable. Our task is to be ready – in faith, in love, in service.
Dear friends, we live in a time where many have grown tired of waiting. The temptation is great to surrender to everyday life or to give up inwardly. But Jesus calls us: Stay ready – even when the night is long.
God is coming. Maybe not at the hour you wish – but at the hour He deems right.
Saint Teresa of Ávila prayed: “Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. Everything passes. God alone remains.”
Keep your lamp burning. Trust in God’s promises. Celebrate your faith – even in secret. And you will not be disappointed.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
The Letter to the Hebrews does not describe faith as a theory or a conviction, but as a movement of life. Abraham. Isaac. Jacob. Sarah. People who committed themselves to God without knowing where the journey would lead.
The Greek word for “assurance” (hypostasis) means solid reality – something like a supporting foundation. Faith is not vague optimism, but a deep inner conviction grounded in God’s promise.
Just as the Israelites trusted during the Passover night (Wisdom 18), and the “little flock” in Luke’s Gospel waited in hope, Hebrews calls us to a trusting wait that does not rest in itself but in God’s character.
The Catholic theologian Romano Guardini wrote: “To believe means to commit one’s life to a word of God – without security from visible proof.”¹
> “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out… and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8)
Abraham stands as the primal figure of faith: he leaves security behind to follow an invisible God. His life’s journey is, quite literally, a journey of faith – without a plan, but with trust.
This is more relevant than ever: In a time of global uncertainty – climate crises, wars, erosion of social values – we need people who don’t live in the past, but set out with Abraham toward what God promises.
Even Sarah, the barren woman, is mentioned: “She considered Him faithful who had promised.” (Hebrews 11:11)
Here we encounter a deeply feminine dimension of faith: trust against all odds, hope against every medical diagnosis. Sarah becomes a mother because she relies not on her circumstances but on God’s character.
Many people today face seemingly barren situations – in work, family, emotional life. This text offers hope: where God’s promise is, fruit will come.
> “For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:10)
Abraham’s gaze extends beyond the land. He awaits something greater: a city built by God. This is an eschatological horizon – a view of the ultimate goal: the Kingdom of God that is to come.
The Israelites did the same during the Passover night: they did not settle in Egypt but remained inwardly ready to depart. Likewise, we are not living for the provisional, but toward an eternal goal.
The New Jerusalem Bible comments: “The promise remains open – it invites us to journey, not to settle.”²
Many “did not receive the promises,” but “greeted them from afar” (Hebrews 11:13). This means: faith doesn’t always mean fulfillment in the present, but often patience. Trust. Letting go.
Faith does not only account for earthly success, but trusts God’s timeline. Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac because he knew, “God is able even to raise the dead” (Hebrews 11:19).
Here lies the core of the interpretation: faith is not based on the visibility of blessing, but on the reliability of God.
In Wisdom 18, Israel trusts in God’s promise in the night – though deliverance is not yet visible. In Luke 12, Jesus calls for readiness, for the Lord will come at an unexpected hour. And in Hebrews 11, faith is a journey beyond the visible – carried by the hope that God’s word is true.
All three texts form a spiritual triangle: Promise – Watchfulness – Trust.
Dear friends, God still calls us today to a faith that does not see everything but expects everything. Faith doesn’t mean having all the answers, but staying in motion – like Abraham, like Sarah, like the Church throughout the centuries.
Don’t cling to security. Set out when God calls. Let Him say to you: “You are my child, and I have prepared a city for you.”
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Explanation of the Omission in the Hebrews Reading (Hebrews 11:3–7 and 20–38):
In the liturgical reading for August 10, 2025, two major sections of Hebrews 11 are omitted:
1. Hebrews 11:3–7 – the testimonies of faith before Abraham (e.g., Cain and Abel, Enoch, Noah).
2. Hebrews 11:20–38 – the praise of later witnesses such as Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, David, etc.
These omissions are made for liturgical and practical reasons, as the reading focuses on the figures of Abraham and Sarah – in line with the central theme of the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time: faith as a journey through uncertainty, carried by promise.
The concentration on Hebrews 11:1–2 and 8–19 allows a deeper reflection on the Abraham narrative and its eschatological dimension (e.g., Heb 11:10: “He waited for the city with foundations”), without being distracted by the multitude of other witnesses.
The omitted verses remain theologically important: they show that faith did not begin with Abraham but “from the beginning” (Hebrews 11:3) – and that many believers lived out their faith under suffering, persecution, and deprivation (Hebrews 11:35–38).
In extended theological settings (e.g., Bible studies or retreats), this broader context should certainly be included. But the liturgical selection allows for a focused access to Abraham as “father of faith” (cf. Romans 4:11).
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Final Prayer – Intercessions for Our Time
God of life, we pray for the decision-makers in the United States and China:
Let them seek paths of peace instead of opening new fronts.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the people of the Middle East, especially in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria:
Strengthen the desire for reconciliation and stop the spiral of violence.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who must flee due to war, persecution, or climate – like Abraham once did:
Open hearts and borders, so that your Kingdom of compassion may become visible.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the peoples of Africa, often forgotten – strengthen their hope for justice and self-determination, especially in Congo, Sudan, and the Sahel.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the leaders of Europe, that they may seek not only economic stability but social justice and solidarity.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the people of Ukraine and Russia:
Heal the wounds that war has inflicted, and give courage to those who build bridges instead of destroying them.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all who fight for justice, the environment, and human rights – even at personal risk:
Strengthen their faith and trust that you are the Lord of history.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For persecuted Christians:
That they may not despair through their faith, but – like Sarah – hope in your faithfulness, even when their situation seems hopeless.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all who live in economic abundance:
That they may let go of their possessions and give alms, knowing that their treasure is in heaven.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all who are not living in watchfulness:
That they may hear Christ’s voice anew and be ready for the coming of the Son of Man.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the Church worldwide – that she may remain vigilant and take her responsibility seriously like the faithful steward in the Gospel.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all who feel like strangers –
That they may find a home in your love and in the community of believers.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For ourselves –
Let us be ready to meet you every day – in others, in the Word, in prayer.
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all who live amid global crises, economic insecurity, and social polarization:
Strengthen us in faith, in love, and in hope.
Lord, hear our prayer.
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Bibliography (Chicago Style, Alphabetically Ordered)
Augustine. Enarrationes in Psalmos 33. In: Migne, Patrologia Latina, Vol. 36. Paris: Garnier, 1841.
Benedict XVI. Spe salvi – Encyclical on Christian Hope. Vatican: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2007. https://www.vatican.va
Bibleserver. “The Holy Scriptures: Einheitsübersetzung.” Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.bibleserver.com
Bonnke, Reinhard. Living a Life of Fire. Orlando: CfaN Publishing, 2010.
Elberfelder Bibel mit Erklärungen. 9th ed. Wuppertal: R. Brockhaus, 2023.
Graham, Billy. The Reason for My Hope: Salvation. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2013.
Guardini, Romano. Der Herr. 29th ed. Mainz: Matthias-Grünewald-Verlag, 2000.
Luther, Martin. Preface to the Epistle to the Romans (1522). In: WA 7, pp. 2–13.
Luther, Martin. Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Weimar Edition, Vol. 40.
Neue Jerusalemer Bibel. 3rd ed. Freiburg: Herder, 1985.
Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel. 3rd ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2007.
Vatican
News. “Daily Gospel.” Accessed July 14, 2025. https://www.vaticannews.va/de.html
Texts from Kevelaer
Prepared by Werner Th. Jung, Prayer Atelier Kevelaer
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