Break Open the Word

The Fifth Sunday in Lent, 2 April 2017 Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 130 Romans 8:6-11 Saint John 11:1-45 Background: Ancient Israelite Burial Customs Like their neighbors in Egypt and in Mesopotamian, the ancient Israelites placed great value on the burial of the dead, usually in an area proximate to the burial places of family members. Burial was so important, that it was considered a curse not to be buried. In Deuteronomy 28:26, we see a curse directed at those that did not honor a covenant, “ Your corpses will become food for all the birds of the air and for the beasts of the field, with no one to frighten them off.” The prophets, most notably Jeremiah, also used this threat. It is also interesting to note that this custom also obtained for the stranger, being classed as a necessary social custom such as feeding the hungry and clothing the naked. Psalm 88:6, 10-12 reminds us, however, of how death was thought of theologically, “My couch is among the dead, lik...

The Fourth Sunday in Lent, 26 March 2017 I Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 23 Ephesians 5:8-14 St. John 9:1-41                                             Background: Sin In the Hebrew Scriptures, sin moves from epic proportions in the stories of Genesis (3-11) to a more personal and individual mode. Sin seems to be related in these materials to individual lives and events. In his Old Testament Theology , Gerhard Von Rad gives an excellent overview, “The Old Testament prefers the form of expression which is most appropriate for the phenomenon called sin, namely confession.” [1] There seems to be no on-going contemplation on the nature of sin or its origin, at least not of the kind that engaged the early Church.   What is evident is God’s will and how that will was subverted by in...