After the committal, people keep giving Javi compliments on his sermon at the luncheon. Jeff can’t stop bragging about how great of a sermon it was to everyone. Javi is glad it touched them, and that the risk had actually paid off, but at the same time he is a little uncomfortable. They should be giving God the praise, not me, he thinks.
Some come to him with tears, shaking his hand vigorously, with many words of gratitude upon their lips for an excellent sermon. Javi can only find himself saying, “Thanks be to God,” as is his custom whenever someone compliments his sermons.
Others were saying to him, “When you mentioned Frankenstein, at first I was wondering where you were going. But wow did you pull it all together!”
To them, Javi says, “Yeah, I knew it was a risk. That’s why I begged y’all to just bear with me.” And after a shared laugh, “I have found that literature has surprising ways of teaching us about our need for Christ, whether or not the author intends it. For some of them, I imagine it would cause them great chagrin.”
Javi is always careful to keep his pride in check, especially when people compliment his sermons. So, on his drive home, he makes sure to give a prayer of thanks to God for using him, poor instrument that he is, to comfort His people with nothing but Christ and Him crucified.
The Lutheran Column 