Break Open the Word

The First Sunday in Lent - 26 February 2012

2012-02-23T11:33:00.000-08:00

The First Sunday in Lent - 26 February 2012

Genesis 9:8-12

Psalm 25:1-9

I Peter 3:18-22

St. Mark 1:9-15

Background: Covenant

The Hebrew word for “Covenant” appears 286 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, and represents an important concept in both Judaic theology and later in Christian theology. Its roots are in the Ancient Near East where covenants were made between peers, or between non-peers, with conditions or without conditions, in a religious context, or attested to by local deities, or absent all of that. There are several prominent stories in the Hebrew Scriptures that illustrate the various covenants addressed to the patriarchs such as Noah, Abraham (who had at least 4 separate covenants), Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David. Several writers in the Hebrew Scriptures take aspects of covenantal terms, and shape further theological statements around them. One such idea is the notion of blessings and curses; another is the notion of natural witnesses. In the blessings and curses idea blessings are assigned to one or both parties should they keep the terms of the agreement, curses are assigned when they do not. St. Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount is written in this style. Often covenants will be witnessed by “the heavens and the earth” or other natural elements. Our first reading for this morning is the Noahic Covenant.

Genesis 9:8-17

God said to Noah and to his sons with him, "As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."

This reading, taken from the latter parts of the Noah Flood Story, mirrors the Mesopotamian flood hero Utnapishtim, a principal character in the Gilgamesh Epic. The theme of life (the gift of the gods) and the inevitability of death is the major theme of this work. There are several themes and traditions that are interwoven in the biblical version, and here the focus is on God’s promise (covenant) not to destroy the earth with a flood – and to grant life. One aspect to this story is its etiological nature – a story told to explain a natural occurrence or event. Here it is the rainbow, to which the story supplies a theological purpose. The event also functions as the cusp of a new era, during which God plays a different role over against humankind. This subtext is the probable reason the reading is included on the First Sunday in Lent. It anticipates the readings in the Great Vigil of Easter in which the Flood becomes a type of Baptism.

Breaking open Genesis

What is the point of the Flood Story for you?
What is the point of the “rainbow ending”?
How has God kept his promise?

Psalm 25:1-9 Ad te, Domine, levavi

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

my God, I put my trust in you; *

let me not be humiliated,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

Let none who look to you be put to shame; *

let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

Show me your ways, O LORD, *

and teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me, *

for you are the God of my salvation;

in you have I trusted all the day long.

Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love, *

for they are from everlasting.

Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *

remember me according to your love

and for the sake of your goodness, O LORD.

Gracious and upright is the LORD; *

therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

He guides the humble in doing right *

and teaches his way to the lowly.

All the paths of the LORD are love and faithfulness *

to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

In this psalm, the psalmist takes a long view, casting his vision to his youth. From that vantage point (verse 7) he confesses his “offenses” and his “crimes” (Alter), and pleads with God for understanding and mercy. The psalm begins with a startling phrase, “I lift up my soul”. The word for “soul” is in Hebrew an expression of “essential existence” or “breath”. Thus he not only lifts up a conceptual part of himself, but rather his very being. In line with the season, the psalmist requests God’s instruction, show me your ways, and having walked these new paths of God’s own design, the request is made for God’s mercy and kindness. The psalmist seems to have a notion of self not dissimilar to that of Luther’s notion of simil justs et pecator (at the same time justified and sinner) with his phrase Good and upright is the Lord. Therefore he guides offenders on the way.

Breaking open Psalm 25

What were the “sins of your youth”?
How has God helped you to deal with them?
What kind of instruction or paths has God provided for you?

1 Peter 3:18-22

Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you-- not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

This is a rich text, full of several themes and comparisons. It begins with the dichotomy of “flesh” and “spirit”, and “righteous” and “unrighteous”. Thus Jesus shared flesh with us so that we might share life in the Spirit with him. Jesus (the righteous) dies for the sake of the Gentiles (the unrighteous). In a happy serendipity, the author recalls Noah and his family (see the first reading) and views their salvation in the ark as an example of the efficacy of Baptism. A similar contrast is made between cleansing (washing away dirt) and the cleansing of Baptism (a participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Breaking open I Peter:

How are you righteous in your living?
What unrighteousness burdens you?
Did you baptism make a difference – do you look back on it for strength?

Mark 1:9-15

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

The themes of the first and second readings for today flow into Mark’s account of Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan, and the Temptation. If Noah’s covenant with God marks the beginning of a new relationship with God, a new era of revelation, then Mark’s account of the Baptism marks a similar division and horizon. The signs at Jesus baptism are personal, only known and experienced by him. These markers are important: 1) The opening up of the heavens, 2) the descent of the Spirit upon Jesus, 3) the appearance of a “dove” (a symbol of Israel, and 4) The heavenly voice. This personal revelation to Jesus is in keeping with Mark’s keeping of “the Secret” of who Jesus really is.

Mark’s temptation is rather brief, and has a different purpose than that of Matthew or Luke. In Mark’s temptation, Jesus is the conqueror over the evil spirit of this age, another expression of the rift in time seen in the “opening up of the heavens.” Mark’s account of the temptation is not so much reportage as it is a mythological vision of the mission of Jesus.

Breaking open the Gospel:

How does Mark reach back to the past and forward to the future to speak about Jesus?
In what ways is Peter naïve?
What is meant by the secrecy in Mark?

After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Ash Wednesday - 22 February 2012

2012-02-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

Ash Wednesday - 22 February 2012

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Psalm 103:8-14

II Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

St. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Background: Ashes

The imposition of ashes has deep roots in the usage of the Hebrew Scriptures and perhaps other cultures as well. It was a way of signifying to others mourning, or of penitence as well. There are examples of this practice in most of the cultures of the Ancient Near East. The biblical witness is full of examples as well. Readings from Job (42:3-6) and Jeremiah 6:26 (O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes. Daniel (9:3) mentions the practice as well (I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.) The ancient practice is tied to what is expected during Lent, the ashes, the sackcloth (seen in many an English parish as the “Lenten Array” that hides the altar and its decorations, and the fasting that can be a part of an individual’s Lenten devotion.

Joel 2:1-2,12-17

Blow the trumpet in Zion;  sound the alarm on my holy mountain!  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,  for the day of the LORD is coming, it is near-- a day of darkness and gloom,  a day of clouds and thick darkness!  Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes;  their like has never been from of old,  nor will be again after them in ages to come.  Yet even now, says the LORD,  return to me with all your heart,  with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing.  Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful,  slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,  and relents from punishing.  Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,  and leave a blessing behind him,  a grain offering and a drink offering  for the LORD, your God?  Blow the trumpet in Zion;  sanctify a fast;  call a solemn assembly;  gather the people.  Sanctify the congregation;  assemble the aged;  gather the children,  even infants at the breast.  Let the bridegroom leave his room,  and the bride her canopy.  Between the vestibule and the altar  let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep.  Let them say, "Spare your people, O LORD,  and do not make your heritage a mockery,  a byword among the nations.  Why should it be said among the peoples,  `Where is their God?'"

If you remove the yoke from among you,  the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,  if you offer your food to the hungry  and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,  then your light shall rise in the darkness  and your gloom be like the noonday.  The LORD will guide you continually,  and satisfy your needs in parched places,  and make your bones strong;  and you shall be like a watered garden,  like a spring of water,  whose waters never fail.  Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;  you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;  you shall be called the repairer of the breach,  the restorer of streets to live in.

Written to explain and to apply an eschatological point of view on a natural event (a plague of locusts) this passage from Joel is intended for everyone who will listen to him. All conditions of men and women, and all ages as well are mentioned by the prophet as he asks them to ponder the disaster that has happened. It is not like the disaster that their forebears understood with the invasions from Babylonia, but rather a disaster seen and understood in nature – in the creation that God provided. How then, the prophet wonders, does one react to the difficulties of creation? What Joel prescribes is our prescription for a holy Lent: a fast, notice to all people, blessings for all, weeping and prayers. The prophet will in the latter chapters of the book describe the situation in end-time terms. For now, however, he is content to comment on the devotion of our daily lives, regardless of our circumstance.

Breaking open II Kings:

When difficult things happen to you, do you feel as though they were a sign from God?
How do you determine what the meaning of these events are?
How do you alter your living during Lent?

Psalm 103:8-14 Benedic, anima mea

The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, *

slow to anger and of great kindness.

He will not always accuse us, *

nor will he keep his anger for ever.

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *

nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.

For as the heavens are high above the earth, *

so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west, *

so far has he removed our sins from us.

As a father cares for his children, *

so does the LORD care for those who fear him.

For he himself knows whereof we are made; *

he remembers that we are but dust.

In this psalm the psalmist records a discourse intended for his soul and inner being. In verse one, which is not used here, we get the clue, “Bless, O my being (nephesh – breath, soul, interior existence), the Lord, and everything in me, God’s holy Name.” His musings about what God is, does, and expresses, are not unique to this particular psalm. Verse 8 (The Lord is full of compassion…) is a quotation from Exodus 34:6, where God explains God’s being to Moses. The psalm makes promises based on the covenant between God and the people God has chosen. It is an agreement, indeed a relationship, that has as its basic assumption a life lived in God’s forgiveness. The remaining verse underscore this theme over and over. God understands the difficult of our living. In verse 9, the author explains God’s awareness and remembrance that we are dust – a theme appropriate for this day.

Breaking open Psalm 103:8-14

Do you have some sins or behaviors for which you cannot forgive yourself?
Does God forgive you?
How does God act as a loving parent for you?

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,

"At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you."

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Paul’s usual hallmarks of both listing and contrasting are evident in this reading. The tone is set by the remark that Paul makes about the nature of Jesus, made sin for us, yet never having actually experienced it. Paul’s relationship with Jesus was accomplished after the “acceptable time” (the crucifixion and the resurrection), and now it is his ministry and one that he commends to us as well that is to be accomplished. The context of this ministry is in the midst of hardships, and goodness. Living and serving Christ in the midst of this knowledge and proclamation, we see contrasts in our life (as dying, and see – we are alive!). Thus in the midst of life, on this day we remember the death that awaits us as we receive both ashes and forgiveness.

Breaking open Corinthians:

How has God’s grace changed your life?
Have you seen this grace at work in the lives of others? How?
What have you endured for the sake of Christ?

Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

Jesus said, "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

What do we do with Lent? The ceremonies of the Church ask that we do something physical, accepting ashes, introspection and deprivation. Jesus’ comments are not about these things, but rather about our state of mind – our attitude. Thus he talks about the aspect we affect when we are in the beginning or midst of our Lenten discipline. The good deeds still remain and the ashes mark our quiet prayer – but they are our private and secret piety.

Breaking open the Gospel:

How does Mark reach back to the past and forward to the future to speak about Jesus?
In what ways is Peter naïve?
What is meant by the secrecy in Mark?

After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Last Sunday after the Epiphany - 19 February 2012

2012-02-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

The Last Sunday after the Epiphany - 12 February 2012

II Kings 2:1-12

Psalm 50:1-6

II Corinthians 4:3-6

St. Mark 9:2-9

Background: The Transfiguration

The Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord is celebrated on 6 August, however the lessons and the collect for this Sunday reveal the same themes and readings. Lutherans celebrate the day on this Sunday as well as 6 August, and the Church of Rome uses these readings on the Second Sunday in Lent. In the Eastern Church, this day has celebrated with great solemnity since the fifth century. The Eastern Church saw in it a foreshadowing of the Risen Christ. It is a later feast in the Western Church, only added following the victory over the Turks at Belgrade in 1456. The news reached Rome on 6 August, so Pope Calixtus III added the new feast in gratitude for the victory. Since it was such a late addition, the feast was not in Anglican or Episcopal Calendars until 1892.

2 Kings 2:1-12

Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent."

Elijah said to him, "Elisha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be silent."

Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

In a delightful rendering of a difficult parting we see Elijah testing his would be successor by leading him on a holy goose chase. At each interval a “company of prophets” (a school, if you will) clues Elisha in on Elijah’s fate and destiny. Their journey goes from holy place to holy place. Beth-El is the site of Jacob’s dream of the Ladder, and Gilgal (meaning circle of stones) was also an ancient holy place and the location of a shrine. This landscape of holiness is populated by holy people (the prophets) who comment on the journey.

The relationship of Elijah and Elisha is indicated in Elisha calling Elijah “father”, an honorific indicating that Elisha was Elijah’s disciple. Elisha’s concern is that he continue Elijah’s work, and he asks for it (please let me inherit a double share). A double share was the first-born male’s right under the Law, and Elisha is not too proud to ask for it. There are other indications of holiness and momentous events. The miracle of the Red Sea is called to mind when Elijah takes his mantle and strikes the waters of the Jordan, parting them. Elisha repeats the miracle in later verses (14) indicating that he was indeed a successor to Elijah’s power and mission. His exclamation “the horsemen and chariots of Israel” a phrase also used by the King of Israel in commenting on the importance of Elisha to Israel. The rending of the garment indicates that Elijah is indeed gone, and now Elisha must stand in his place.

Breaking open II Kings:

What is your opinion of Elisha? Is he ambitious, or genuine in wanting to follow his teacher?
Who has served you as a “father” (teacher) in the faith?
Have you ever received someone’s mantel? How did you use it?

Psalm 50:1-6 Deus deorum

The LORD, the God of gods, has spoken; *

he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, *

God reveals himself in glory.

Our God will come and will not keep silence; *

before him there is a consuming flame,

and round about him a raging storm.

He calls the heavens and the earth from above *

to witness the judgment of his people.

"Gather before me my loyal followers, *

those who have made a covenant with me

and sealed it with sacrifice."

Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; *

for God himself is judge.

This is one of the so-called Asaph Psalms, Asaph being the patriarch of a line of Levites (priests) originating in David’s time. There is a group of the psalms in the Third Book of the Psalter. This is a prophetic psalm, especially appropriate to the prophet nature of the readings. The naming of God in the psalm is unusual, where ‘El ‘elohim (God God) is followed rather than preceded by the unpronounceable name of God (YHWH), which is usually, translated as Adonai (Lord). These verses form an introduction to a discourse by God that follows from verse 7 through verse 23. In the introduction, the witnesses are called to be present to observe the prophetic discourse by God, as was common in prophetic literature. All of the faithful are gathered to hear what God has to say.

Breaking open Psalm 50

How do you name God?
How does God teach you?
How does the earth, stars, and sky witness to you about God?

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

In an intimate allusion to his own conversion, Paul uses the notion of being veiled and blindness to underscore his own situation, and the situation of others when confronted by the Gospel of Christ. Indeed on this day, it is a commentary of all who followed Jesus, except Peter, James, and John before whom Christ is unveiled or transfigured before them. Paul reminds them that this gospel, this unveiling, is not something of his own invention, but rather from God who causes “light to shine out of darkness.” The light for Paul is the glory of God shining in the face of Christ Jesus. This is the countenance that is seen on the mountain.

Breaking open Corinthians:

Are you blind to God?
What about Christianity is veiled to you?
In what ways are you blind to the world?

Mark 9:2-9

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

At Caesarea Philippi Peter confesses Jesus as “the Christ” (the messiah, the anointed one), and it is in the following pericope, today’s reading, that he and James and John literally see the truth of Peter’s confession. There are borrowings from the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly the theophany witnessed by Moses, that are used here. There is the mountain (Sinai), the cloud (the Shekinah – the sign of God’s glory) and the vision of Christ in glory, all attested to by the presence of Moses (the original participant) and Elijah.

This is all commentary on the Messianic nature of Jesus that reaches back into the religious history of Israel, and culminates in this vision. Such as at the baptism of Jesus, there is the heavenly voice that adds a note of verification to what the disciples think that they are seeing. Peter takes it all in, thinking that the messianic time in immanent, suggesting that they give up all, build booths (as in the Feast of the Tabernacles) and stay there. The messianic reality, however, is a bit different. Peter doesn’t know what to say, and as Paul points out later in his epistle, that is the point where the Spirit enters and tells us what to say. Peter having already said something at Caesarea Philippi (You are the Christ!) now is speechless and the Spirit guides on in the heavenly voice. The other aspect of this messianic vision is that it is to be kept secret. Not all things have been fulfilled – a perfect lead in to Lent.

Breaking open the Gospel:

How does Mark reach back to the past and forward to the future to speak about Jesus?
In what ways is Peter naïve?
What is meant by the secrecy in Mark?

After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany - 12 February 2012

2012-02-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany - 12 February 2012

II Kings 5:1-14

Psalm 30

I Corinthians 9:24-27

St. Mark 1:40-45

Background: Leprosy

Although the diseases that are mentioned in both the First Lesson and in the Gospel today were probably not classical Leprosy (today called Hansen’s Disease) the social stigma that accompanied these diseases was certainly a factor in both of the situations. The term “leprosy” comes from a Greek term, lepra that indicates “scaly skin”. The term in the Hebrew Scriptures is tzaraath, the symptoms that this word describes are sometimes in line with Hansen’s Disease and in others is described differently. Leviticus 13:2 actually provides such a description, “When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot.” Some of the actual diseases may have been fungal scalp infections, psoriasis, and related infections common in the Ancient Near East.

2 Kings 5:1-14

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel."

He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy." When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me."

But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, `Wash, and be clean'?" So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Although this is a healing story, its alternate import may be about greatness and authority. There is a bit of a standoff between Syrian and Israelite culture and religious life. This is not an uncommon theme in the Elisha cycle, and it is not the last time that Elisha shall make such a stand. What will be proven here, as far as the author is concerned, is the superiority of the God of Israel, in spite of the opposite circumstances and political realities that are alluded to in the story. Another contrast is the wisdom of the young servant girl that is placed in contradiction to the wisdom of the older elite (Naaman). All of this lifts up the authority of the ministry of Elisha, and sets the difficulties with Syria’s king Ben Haddad in an other than a political context.

Breaking open II Kings:

How is this a story about pride?
Who is prideful? Are there more than one?

Psalm 30 Exaltabo te, Domine

I will exalt you, O LORD,

because you have lifted me up *

and have not let my enemies triumph over me.

O LORD my God, I cried out to you, *

and you restored me to health.

You brought me up, O LORD, from the dead; *

you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.

Sing to the LORD, you servants of his; *

give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.

For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, *

his favor for a lifetime.

Weeping may spend the night, *

but joy comes in the morning.

While I felt secure, I said,

"I shall never be disturbed. *

You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains."

Then you hid your face, *

and I was filled with fear.

I cried to you, O LORD; *

I pleaded with the Lord, saying,

"What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? *

will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?

Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me; *

O LORD, be my helper."

You have turned my wailing into dancing; *

you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.

Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; *

O LORD my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

Like the first reading, two ideas are set against one another for comparison. In the psalm, which may have been written for the dedication or rededication of the Temple, two verbs describe the contrast: “drawn up” as from a well vs. “gone down” as into a pit – a sign of death. Contrasts flood the verse: evening and weeping vs. morning and singing; standing in God’s pleasure vs. knowing that God has hidden God’s face. The psalmist makes an argument to God in facing death, “can the dust praise you.” The final verses continue the contrasts: wailing – dancing, and sackcloth – joy.

Breaking open Psalm 30

What images come to your mind as you read through this psalm?
What hope does it inspire in you?
What audacious argument does the psalmist make in the psalm?

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

Paul makes use of his audience’s familiarity with local sporting events to speak about Christian self-control. Corinth was the site of the Isthmian Games that were celebrated every two years. The winner would receive a “perishable wreath” (a garland of pine branches). Other readers would understand as well, for in Athens one would receive a wreath of olive branches and at Delphi a wreath of laurel. The honor was in the discipline and in the pursuit rather than a prize of value at the end. He then goes on to other sports, such as running and boxing. He talks about “punishing” his body – using the verb that boxers would translate as an “uppercut”, the winning blow in Greek boxing. The defeated boxer would have a rope cast about him and would be dragged around the arena to the delight of the crow who would jeer and mock him. By these examples Paul points out his mastery over the body and the art of his sport – an example of the discipline demanded of Christians.

Breaking open Corinthians:

What does the word discipline mean to you?
How do you discipline your body?
How do you discipline your faith?

Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Continuing on from his healings in Capernaum, Jesus encounters a leper. Like the man with the unclean spirit, the leper sees in Jesus an opportunity for help and freely asks for it. The interesting aspect to this healing is the opportunity for choice – the leper confronts Jesus with choice “if you choose you can make me clean,” and Jesus does so choose. The next conversations can be seen as between Jesus and the healed leper or between Jesus and the demon of leprosy. Jesus’ next saying is to invite the man to show himself to the priests. Entering the transaction with leprosy (thus ritually unclean and “outside” of the righteousness of the chosen people of God (Israel), the man none-the-less presses for a cure. Jesus acknowledges his new status (now ritually clean) and enforces that by inviting the man to show himself to the priests. Like the demons in the other man, this clean man cannot help but announce who Jesus is.

Breaking open the Gospel:

Who are the lepers in our society?
What role might you have in healing them?
How are you a leper?

After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - 5 February 2012

2012-01-31T15:09:00.003-08:00

The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - 5 February 2011

Isaiah 40:21-31

Psalm 147:1-12, 21c

I Corinthians 9:16-23

St. Mark 1:29-39

Background: Capernaum

This ancient village called Kafar Nahum (“Nahum’s village) was founded as a fishing village on the eastern shore of the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee) during the Hasmonean period ca. 140 BCE. The town is mentioned most notably in Luke, but also appears in Matthew and Mark. It is known as the home of Peter and Andrew, James and John, and the tax collector Matthew. Jesus preached in its synagogue and performed healings there.

Isaiah 40:21-31

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,

and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;

who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,

and spreads them like a tent to live in;

who brings princes to naught,

and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,

scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,

when he blows upon them, and they wither,

and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

To whom then will you compare me,

or who is my equal? says the Holy One.

Lift up your eyes on high and see:

Who created these?

He who brings out their host and numbers them,

calling them all by name;

because he is great in strength,

mighty in power,

not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,

and speak, O Israel,

"My way is hidden from the LORD,

and my right is disregarded by my God"?

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

and strengthens the powerless.

Even youths will faint and be weary,

and the young will fall exhausted;

but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,

they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

they shall walk and not faint.

This reading is taken from a section of Second Isaiah called Hymns to the Lord Redeemer. They date from the period prior to the fall of Babylon (539 BCE) and make allusions to the Exodus. This pericope is taken from the section “On the splendid majesty of God the Creator. The questions that are posed and the time that is the focus is the here and now, suggesting the immediacy of God’s creating word. Viewed from Isaiah’s perspective all things earthly are diminutive and God is clothed in expansiveness and grandeur. Isaiah’s religious and political agenda are never far away. “Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.” This simple statement seems only to refer to the creation of the heavens filled with stars, however there is a deeper meaning for Isaiah. The “stars” are the symbol of the Babylonian deities, and in this scene the God of Israel is the master over them. Thus God is not only the creator and caregiver extending back to the beginning of time, God continues to be master and caregiver of all – even the enemy’s religious figures.

Breaking open Second Isaiah:

Why does the prophet pepper the opening verses with so many questions, what is it’s effect?
What are the comparisons that the prophet makes between the earthly and the heavenly?
What is God’s knowledge of the universe?

Psalm 147:1-12, 21c Laudate Dominum

Hallelujah!

How good it is to sing praises to our God! *

how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!

The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; *

he gathers the exiles of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted *

and binds up their wounds.

He counts the number of the stars *

and calls them all by their names.

Great is our LORD and mighty in power; *

there is no limit to his wisdom.

The LORD lifts up the lowly, *

but casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; *

make music to our God upon the harp.

He covers the heavens with clouds *

and prepares rain for the earth;

He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *

and green plants to serve mankind.

He provides food for flocks and herds *

and for the young ravens when they cry.

He is not impressed by the might of a horse; *

he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;

But the LORD has pleasure in those who fear him, *

in those who await his gracious favor.

Hallelujah!

This psalm, which was written in the period immediately following that of the First Reading, repeats many of the themes that Second Isaiah versed. The point of view is that of the returning exile, and the image of God is similar to Isaiah’s vision. Verse four of the psalm is remarkably similar to verse 25 in the Isaiah text. The stars, regardless of either their symbolic nature or of there reality in the heavens become signs of God’s majesty and sovereignty. God is not only the creator of all, but also the caregiver who has knowledge of all.

Breaking open Psalm 147

How is God described in this psalm?
What deeds of God does the psalm focus on?
What does God see as favorable in God’s creation?

1 Corinthians 9:16-23

If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.

For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

In this on-going reading from the first letter to the Church at Corinth, St. Paul continues his discussion on Christian freedom and liberty. He introduces us to the paradoxical notion of freedom and obligation. The gospel frees us, and obligates us to proclaim the good news. This is followed by a variety of paradoxical statements: freed yet a slave, under the law yet not under the law, all things to all people in order to save some. This dense conversation covers all the possibilities, and can only be “unpacked” in a conversation of devoted Christians about how they will live life in freedom and obligation.

Breaking open I Corinthians:

What are your obligations as a Christian?
What are your freedoms as a Christian?
How do you balance the two?

Mark 1:29-39

Jesus left the synagogue at Capernaum, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

We continue with Mark in the first chapter of his gospel. The scene with the mother of Peter is quite intimate, and forms a direct contrast to the succeeding verses. As these healings are structured, we see two aspects of Jesus’ destiny mirrored in the mother-in-law of Peter. First of all she is healed, with Mark using a Greek verb that he will use later in the gospel at the resurrection of Jesus. It is a foreshadowing of what will be. She also rises and begins to serve them - so complete is the cure. This is Jesus’ focus as well. Unlike Peter and the others, he is not so interested in capitalizing on the situation in Capernaum. Despite the appeal he knows amongst the townsfolk, Jesus is anxious to get away to the wilderness. There he will be filled by the Spirit and refreshed. Jesus is not interested in returning to Capernaum as Peter suggests. There are other fields of mission and it is to these that Jesus directs himself.

Breaking open the Gospel:

What was Jesus chief ministry?
Was healing the chief ministry?
What do you think of the demon talk?

After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Fourth Sunday after The Epiphany - 29 January 2012

2012-01-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - 29 January 2012

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Psalm 111

I Corinthians 8:1-13

St. Mark 1:21-28

Background: The Sabbath

The Sabbath is an institution that not only influences Jewish life and spirituality but Christian practice as well. Like a lot of Jewish piety, the Sabbath seems either to have roots in Babylonian practice, or to have influenced the same. In the sixth century, the Babylonians celebrated days of prohibition on the 7^th, 14^th, 21^st, and 28^th. Various activities were prohibited on these days, similar to the prohibitions of the Sabbath. In Judaism there is the weekly observance of a Sabbath, guided by the lunar calendar, which also prohibited many activities as well. The day began at sundown, and concluded at the rising of three stars on Saturday evening. The first creation story (Genesis 1:1-2:4) serves as the theological foundation for this day, recounting how God rested from the labors of creation on the seventh day. In the remainder of the Pentateuch (the so-called Five Books of Moses) there are several commands about the Sabbath, and the labors or acts that are to be avoided on those days. Even the Christian calendar is governed by this timing, with the Eve (such as Christmas Eve) beginning the actual day of celebration. Thus evensong will anticipate the day following.

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Moses said, The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. This is what you requested of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: "If I hear the voice of the LORD my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die." Then the LORD replied to me: "They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak-- that prophet shall die."

These verses form the conclusion of the Deuteronomist’s argument about prophecy and authority in Israel and amongst her neighbors, as well. The neighbors largely practiced a “nature” religion in which it was incumbent upon the faithful to control nature (its fertility, and the gifts of the earth) by seeking to persuade the deity to these ends. Israel was different. The object of religious life was to know God’s word – and thus God’s desire for the faithful. In such a context the role of the prophets was one of pronouncement rather than discernment. Moses is seen as the first of the prophets, and in these verses he lays out what the office of a prophet should be. He also lays out what is not the prophet’s office, and in doing that sets aside those that followed (and spoke for) foreign gods.

Breaking open Deuteronomy:

Who do you think has been a prophet in your lifetime?
How did their prophetic pronouncements match up to what you understand about God and God’s will?
Do you know any false prophets?

Psalm 111 Confitebor tibi

Hallelujah!

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, *

in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.

Great are the deeds of the LORD! *

they are studied by all who delight in them.

His work is full of majesty and splendor, *

and his righteousness endures for ever.

He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; *

the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

He gives food to those who fear him; *

he is ever mindful of his covenant.

He has shown his people the power of his works *

in giving them the lands of the nations.

The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; *

all his commandments are sure.

They stand fast for ever and ever, *

because they are done in truth and equity.

He sent redemption to his people;

he commanded his covenant for ever; *

holy and awesome is his Name.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; *

those who act accordingly have a good understanding;

his praise endures for ever.

Often called a Thanksgiving Psalm this is actually a Psalm of Praise. The author is not thanking God for particular acts, but rather pointing out the attributes of the God of Israel. It is an acrostic psalm in which the beginning of each verset begins with a new letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It follows well on the first reading in which the prophet is praise for announcing God’s goodness and authority.

Breaking open Psalm 111

What would you say are God’s greatest attributes?
How do you praise God?
What is the “fear of the Lord”?

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him.

Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "no idol in the world really exists," and that "there is no God but one." Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth-- as in fact there are many gods and many lords-- yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. "Food will not bring us close to God." We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.

In order to understand Paul’s argument here, we need to understand the fine points about animal sacrifice in the ancient world. It is commonly thought of that the sacrifice was of the whole animal (called a holocaust), which was not always true. Usually only the intestines and the inner organs of the animal were sacrificed, with the meaty parts either being given to the temple priesthood, or some of the parts being used by the family in a communal meal, thus the problem for the Corinthians. Was it proper, they wondered, to eat the flesh of animals sacrificed at the temple of a pagan god? Either due to social concerns (being invited to such a communal meal by pagan friends) or economic concerns (buying such meat at the market for a cheaper price) the Corinthian Christians were troubled by this. The argument that follows is not concerned with the practicum of daily Christian life, but rather how to use our knowledge of God. Paul is concerned with two types of knowledge: that which knows God as the one true God, and the other is of the how this knowledge informs us in our Christian liberty. What shall we do then, eat meat offered to idols in full knowledge of our liberty in Christ, or abstain, so as not to offend our brother or sister new to the faith. Paul would rather abstain.

Breaking open Corinthians:

What liberties do you have as a Christian?
How do you operate with them in your daily life?
What if someone objects?

St. Mark 1:21-28

Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching-- with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

This reading and those following serve as Mark’s introduction of the reader to the authority of Jesus. In the initial verses, Mark depicts Jesus as one having rabbinic (binding) authority in opposition to the scribes (a lesser teacher who did not have this authority). Mark, however, takes it even father by providing evidence from the ministry of Jesus. In the first miracle in Mark, Jesus is shown as having authority (suasion) over evil itself. A sick man (described as being possessed by an evil spirit – that knows Jesus role and authority) challenges Jesus. He speaks Jesus’ name twice in the reading – for knowledge of one’s name amounted to a certain amount of “magical” power over another. The crowd does not know who Jesus is – so his act of exorcism and the proclamation by the evil spirit – ascertain Jesus’ authority to the Christian reader.

Breaking open the Gospel:

How does Jesus function as a Rabbi?
What did he teach?
Why does Mark want to keep Jesus’ identity secret?

After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany - 22 January 2012

2012-01-17T16:57:00.000-08:00

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany - 22 January 2011

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Psalm 62:6-14

I Corinthians 7:29-31

St. Mark 1:14-20

Background: Nineveh

Our first knowledge of this ancient city dates from ca. 1800 BCE, but it is not until the ninth century, that the city acquires the splendor and power that makes it notable in biblical literature. The kings that attract the Bible’s attention are Tiglath-Pileser III, and Sargon II, both of whom made massive incursions into modern day Syria and upper Palestine. The Northern Kingdom of Israel fell ca. 720 BCE, and it inhabitants were forcibly resettled in other regions of the Assyrian Empire (thus the “lost 10 tribes” of Israel). In addition, attempts were made to conquer the Southern Kingdom as well with its King Hezekiah. This history earned for Assyria and its capital Nineveh a harsh place in the Israelite and Judean memory. Thus it is no surprise that many of the prophets rail against it: Isaiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, and others. It is in the Book of Jonah, however, that we get a different view of the city. In this “sermon” the author sees the call of a reluctant prophet (Jonah) to speak against the greatest city of the time (Nineveh). Writing within the midst of the eighth century, the author is able to see the full power of this aggressive empire and city. Its ultimate conversion and repentance becomes a powerful symbol of the Israelite reliance on the word of the Lord, and the power that this word yields. By the end of the seventh century, the city was defeated by the Babylonians and Medes, and the site of Nineveh was destroyed and abandoned.

Jonah 3:1-5, 10

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, "Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you." So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

The book of Jonah was probably not written by the eighth century prophet that is mentioned in II Kings, but was more likely written much later, following the Exile, and the destruction of Nineveh in the seventh century. As a piece (many have suggested that it is “sermon-like” with a psalm inappropriately placed in the middle) it is divided into two “missions”. In the first mission, Jonah runs away from Yahweh’s call, encountering the large fish along the way. In the second mission (which is where our reading begins) we have an engaging story about being sent to Nineveh to preach repentance. The proclamation of Jonah is remarkably successful, and ultimately unsatisfying to him. The end is a bit of a morality tale, but perhaps gives the best explanation as to its purpose and goal. Written perhaps in in the fourth century, the book may be an attempt to reconcile Israelite faith with the geo-politic of its time. That such a great enemy should hear God’s word and repent would speak well of a universalism that we find in older and contemporary prophets. Jonah bears resentment to the salvation of Nineveh, and Nineveh acquiesces to the demands of Israel’s God. It is these two opposing forces that reflect the dialogue of the times, and provides grist for the author’s mill.

Breaking open Jonah

Have you ever run away from a difficult task?
Have you ever run away from something asked of you by God?
How did it turn out? What did you learn?

Psalm 62:6-14 Nonne Deo?

For God alone my soul in silence waits; *

truly, my hope is in him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, *

my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.

In God is my safety and my honor; *

God is my strong rock and my refuge.

Put your trust in him always, O people, *

pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.

Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath, *

even those of low estate cannot be trusted.

On the scales they are lighter than a breath, *

all of them together.

Put no trust in extortion;

in robbery take no empty pride; *

though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.

God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, *

that power belongs to God.

Steadfast love is yours, O Lord, *

for you repay everyone according to his deeds.

In this psalm on the trust, namely trust of the Creator by the created, the author uses an astounding image, namely that of breath. The human essence is the breath that fills the lungs. In an image perhaps borrowed from the Egyptian judgment after death, when the soul is measured on the scales with the feather of Ma’at (order, righteousness, and goodness), the psalmist proposes a similar measurement in verse 11, “on the sales they are light than a breath.” The question is one of wonder – “who are we, and of what are we made?” The psalmist finds us to be lightweights when compared to the graces with which God meets us.

Breaking open Psalm 62

Think of all those around you in whom you have trust. Can you name them?
What does it mean to have trust?
What does it mean to have trust in God?

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

Here we see Paul, hopeful and vigilant for the parousia the second coming of Christ. His advice is one of “detachment”, thus he advises those who are married to think as though they had no wives. This is not misogyny so much as it is a parallel word to both men and women to wait for the Lord, and in focusing on him, to be separated from the world. Here we can see foundations for the ascetic life of the religious. But what does it mean for us?

Breaking open I Corinthians:

For what do you hope?
Is it a hope that will find fruition in the world?
How do those close to you either hinder or help your hopefulness?

Mark 1:14-20

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

In this Gospel we see the exact antithesis to the Prophet Jonah. The older prophet runs away from the mission to which God has called him. (And lest we be too hard on Jonah, we need to remember the resistance of other prophets, such as Jeremiah). Jesus however is speaking about a new time, “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near.” In this new time, Peter (Simon), Andres, James, and John think nothing of abandoning their livelihood to follow Jesus. Although the second lesson was not chosen for its thematic relationship with the first reading and the gospel, it strangely fits. Paul argues for detachment, Jesus expects it, and the first of the disciples comply without complaint. We are, all of us, caught between Jonah and John.

Breaking open the Gospel:

What do you understand by Jesus’ saying that “the time is fulfilled?”
How were you called into Christianity?
How do you continue to be called?

After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, 15 January 2012

2012-01-10T15:24:00.000-08:00

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany - 15 January 2011

I Samuel 3:1-20

Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17

I Corinthians 6:12-20

St. John 1:43-51

Background: The Book of Samuel

The Books of Samuel were originally a book of Samuel. It was only later when the materials were translated into Greek in Ptolemaic Egypt (LXX – or the Septuagint) that the division occurred. The various chapters are centered on the cusp of change in early Israel where the tribal confederation moves into and finally adopts a monarchial system. In the course we meet not only Samuel, but Saul and David as well. What is given us is a history of the Samuel Tradition, and then a David cycle as well, which well may have derived from a court history. It is an important stage in the development of the cult of Yahweh, and we are allowed to see the liturgical landscape prior to David’s centralization of the rite in Jerusalem. In addition, this early history, and court history sets out a number of themes and principles that will be important in forming the Christian story as well.

1 Samuel 3:1-20

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, `Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." [Then the LORD said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever."

Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am." Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him."

As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the LORD.]

There are elements of the Samuel story that influence the Birth Narratives in Luke and Matthew. There is the image of the barren mother (Hannah=Elizabeth), and of the son given up to godly service (John the Baptist and Jesus). In this reading we see God’s adoption of Samuel as the worthy prophet and God’s condemnation of the house of Eli. As with Joseph and later Daniel, Samuel’s mode of revelation is a dream/vision in which God communicates a prophetic word. In this scene, God calls Samuel to be God’s spokesperson – sometimes a dangerous task, such as revealing to Eli God’s condemnation of him and his sons. This call sets up Samuel as the voice who will share God’s pronouncements, and mirrors the calls that we will witness in today’s Gospel reading.

Breaking open Samuel:

Have you ever felt that you have been called by God?
To what were you called?
How were you supported in your call?

Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17 Domine, probasti

LORD, you have searched me out and known me; *

you know my sitting down and my rising up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You trace my journeys and my resting-places *

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, *

but you, O LORD, know it altogether.

You press upon me behind and before *

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; *

it is so high that I cannot attain to it.

For you yourself created my inmost parts; *

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I will thank you because I am marvelously made; *

your works are wonderful, and I know it well.

My body was not hidden from you, *

while I was being made in secret

and woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb;

all of them were written in your book; *

they were fashioned day by day,

when as yet there was none of them.

How deep I find your thoughts, O God! *

how great is the sum of them!

If I were to count them, they would be more in number than the sand; *

to count them all, my life span would need to be like yours.

This is perhaps one of the most intimate psalms in the Bible, where the author recounts all the ways in which he is known by God. Some of the vocabulary and ideas are reminiscent of the call of Jeremiah “before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” In addition there are other images that are repeated in Jeremiah. Jeremiah saw the individual as “clay” and God as the “potter.” So it is in this psalm where repeated verses see God as winnowing (perhaps analyzing and assessing God’s creation) or “from behind and in front you shaped me.” The realizations of the psalmist go beyond the intimacy with which God is acquainted with the individual, but continues on to setting up the individual as unique “for awesomely I am set apart.” Although the individual seems to be the focus here, it is actually God’s consummate knowledge of not just the individual but the totality of creation that is celebrated here.

Breaking open Psalm 139

How intimate is your relationship with God?
How well do you think God knows you?
How has God shaped you?

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food," and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, "The two shall be one flesh." But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

When Paul makes his points about being the “body of Christ”, the members of that body are subject to an understanding of things that is informed by being a part of that body. Being the body of Christ, then, is a matter of discernment and decision. In this reading, Paul wrestles with those who are trying to understand what we are bound to do or not to do if we indeed are the body of Christ. The issues seem to center on what to eat (which flows from the Jewish dietary laws), and what sexual behaviors are to be expected. When Paul announces early on in the reading, “All things are lawful for me”, Paul is moving to understand, along with the gentiles following him, what such liberties actually allow. The theology of the Body of Christ seems not to allow all the liberties that would have been allowed the gentiles of his time. The sticking point is not the dietary laws, but rather the sexual constraints, and these points are tied to his understanding of the Body of Christ. In Paul’s mind, sexual union, creates an ontological change – that of being “of one body.” Thus he argues against the sexual liberties that were common for most gentiles.

Breaking open I Corinthians:

What liberties are you allowed as a Christian?
What does it mean to you to be the Body of Christ?
What are you forbidden in your life in Christ?

John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

The evangelist peppers this scene with a knowledge of the Old Testament, some of which might slip by us. This foundational knowledge of the prophetic vision of the Messiah becomes the means by which these soon-to-be apostles connect not only with Jesus, but with one another as well. Philip seems to know Jesus through communication with Andrew and Peter, and perhaps John the Baptist, as well. He seems predisposed, as does Nathanael as well. Nathanael is a discerning Israelite however. Knowing that the town of Nazareth had produced no prophets, he wonders about it as a provenance for the Messiah. Their meeting (Nathanael and Jesus) indicates Jesus’ knowledge of some private event in Nathanael’s life – see the themes in the psalm for this Sunday, where God intimately knows the life of the psalmist as well. This knowledge for Nathanael is the tripping point. “Rabbi, you are the Son of God!” This is an amazing leap of faith. Jesus however promises greater and more – indicating a vision of the Son of Man that recalls Jacob’s vision of the ladder into heaven. Once again, God visits humankind.

Breaking open the Gospel:

How did you come to know Jesus?
When did you decide that you were a follower?
What has happened since then?

After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.