Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
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*Blind-Sighted*
*Luke 18:31-43*
v How’s your sight today?
Ø Good?
* *
*Opening Illustration: Helen Keller*
v Helen Keller once responded to the question “Isn’t it terrible to be blind?”
said…
Ø “Better to be blind and see with your heart than to have two good eyes and see nothing”
v Having sight is many times a hurdle when it comes to the spiritual
Ø We say so often in our hearts…
§ “I won’t believe it until I see it”
· But the Scriptures over and over again tell us
¨ *Heb 11:1*
Ø /Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see/
§ The things of the kingdom are not anchored in the visual…
· But in the invisible
¨ And that is what makes this story live
v Here we are introduced to a man who is blind
Ø A man who is considered an outcast in society
§ A man who cannot see the world around him in order to participate in it
v But as we will find out…
Ø He may be physically blind
§ But Spiritually he is blind-sighted
*READ 18:35*
v This scene was not at all unusual
Ø There was no welfare state set up to care for those of disability
§ Their care was given to the people individually through the Law of Moses
· The people were to have compassion and mercy and care for the underprivileged
¨ The poor, the lame, the blind, the orphans, the widows
v The Law of God, of course, is crippled by sin and not kept
Ø So…
§ The only way to keep from starving to death was to beg
· So that is exactly what this man is doing
¨ He got up in the morning
¨ Put his rags that he calls clothes on
¨ Felt his way to the entrance to the city
¨ And waited for the merchants to come in order to sell their wares
Ø Fruit, bread, vegetables, grains
§ Hoping for a handout
§ Hoping for some pity
§ Hoping for some mercy
· A melon, perhaps a fresh matzos or maybe a leafy vegetable or two
v But while he is waiting for the next influx of merchants
Ø He hears something different…
*READ 18:36-37*
v The beggar has been at the gate of the city for many, many years
Ø He has come to know the familiar sounds of the morning travelers
§ *The Merchants*
· Camel hooves clopping on the hardened earth road
· The men talking in almost inaudible whispers about their profits
· Moneybags ringing with the sound of coinage
The sounds of…
§ *Buyers*
· Men talking and laughing about last night’s drunken escapades
· Discussing how much they need of this and that
· And what the daily prices are for the various goods
The sounds of …
§ *Women*
· Leaving the city for the nearest waterhole
· Talking about the latest gossip
· Empty jugs on their heads
¨ The blind man can almost set his watch by them
Ø Soon they will return with the heavy footsteps
Ø Spilling water spraying his feet
The sounds of …
§ *The Clergy*
· The Pharisees and Levites that live outside Jericho
· They come and stand by the gates of the city with the Elders
· They talking about the Holy Scriptures by the hour
¨ The Torah, the writings and the prophets
Ø The Blind man smiles as he hears them approach and take their familiar places at the gate
Ø He thinks about how much he has learned just by just listening
v But today he hears an unfamiliar sound
Ø It is the sound of a large crowd of people
§ No animal hooves
§ No smell of sweet melons
§ No ring of gold and silver
· Just a throng of unfamiliar people filling the road
¨ Shouting, calling, talking, laughing
Ø An excited and happy crowd
v The Beggar in intrigued
Ø This is new and unexpected
§ He calls out to everyone…anyone…
· “What is going on?”
¨ No one listens to the beggar
· He yells out “Who are yout?”
¨ Nothing
· He grabs at the feet of the passers by…
¨ *“What is happening?”*
Ø Someone finally takes pity on the beggar and replies…
§ “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
*Pause---------------------------------------pause*
v This name is not unknown to the beggar
Ø He has heard it quite often in the past 3 years
§ The clergy and the elders at the gate have been talking about this Jesus
§ The “waterjug” women have mentioned his talking to a Samaritan woman
§ Travelers entering Jericho discuss his exploits
· His incredible, authoritative, deep teachings
· His charisma ~~ Thousands following him
Ø *But the beggar has also heard of his miracle working…*
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