The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 10 - 10 July 2011
Isaiah 55:10-13
Psalm 65:9-14
Romans 8:1-11
St. Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
BACKGROUND: The Letter to the Romans
In Romans, we see a Paul ending one aspect of his mission in the east, and anticipating another mission in the west. More importantly we see a mature and reflective Paul, who writes to the Romans in anticipation of his visit, but more importantly ponders on what he has accomplished so far. His trip to Rome is delayed because of the necessity of delivering the offering that he has collected in Asia Minor and Greece for the Church in Jerusalem – a Jerusalem still not convinced of the genuineness of his ministry. Thus Paul takes time to look at the ministry done in the east. His reverie is not complete, however, he does not look back at the whole of his theology nor of all of his thought. What he does do, however, is to address the Roman congregation, which was most likely made up of Christian Jews. There are two parts to the letter (really more of a treatise): Part I – A Doctrinal Section on God’s Good News in Jesus, and a Part II – An Exhortation on how to live a life in Christ. He writes to his audience’s Jewish heart, lifting up Abraham as an example of faith, and connection much of Israel’s Salvation History, to the new acts in Christ. The readings for the Epistles for the bulk of ordinary time are a continuing reading from Romans.
Isaiah 55:10-13
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
For you shall go out in joy,
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Second Isaiah concludes his Book of Consolation (40:1 – 55:13) with these verses. Some astounding content has preceded these thoughts: The praise of Cyrus the Mede, the Songs of the Suffering Servant, Taunts at the fall of Babylon, praises for a revived Jerusalem, and a vision of the New Jerusalem. Like the Evangelist John, IInd Isaiah looks back to the Creation Story in order to see a theological model for his words from God. He and John both rejoice in the power of the word in creation, God’s word in the Spirit that moves over the face of the waters. IInd Isaiah sees those waters not as the chaos that must be conquered by the Lord of Creation, but rather as the water that falls down and nourishes the earth. The metaphor of water is an effective one. Water needs to be taken in, if we are to receive its benefits. Water is the source and continuance of life. This Word/Water is present at all the events of Salvation History, and IInd Isaiah rejoices in its effect.
Breaking open Isaiah:
- Is your faith refreshing to you?
- What kind of new life does worship engender in you?
- What acts of God in your life need praising?
Psalm 55:9-14 Te decet hymnus
You visit the earth and water it abundantly;
you make it very plenteous; *
the river of God is full of water.
You prepare the grain, *
for so you provide for the earth.
You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges; *
with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase.
You crown the year with your goodness, *
and your paths overflow with plenty.
May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing, *
and the hills be clothed with joy.
May the meadows cover themselves with flocks,
and the valleys cloak themselves with grain; *
let them shout for joy and sing.
This psalm is connected thematically to the water words of IInd Isaiah. Indeed, to understand the intent of the psalmist we need to go back to verse 8, which is not a part of our response to the word this morning: “Who quiets the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves and the tumult of nations.” Here the psalmist reminds us of a recurring theme in the Ancient Near East – the power of the gods over the chaos of the primordial waters. The first creation account shares in this understanding as God divides the land from the waters. Now the waters are free to have some other use and facility. The psalmist sees a fecund and fruitful earth watered with the once-threatening waters. Now all is life and praise.
Breaking open Psalm 65
1. What Baptismal images do you see in this psalm?
2. What Eucharistic images do you see in this psalm?
Romans 8:1-11
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-- indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Paul continues his argument from last Sunday, as he contrasts both Law and Spirit. Paul wants his readers to tie the notion of failure and condemnation with the Law, and then wishes to compare that with the life in the Spirit, that God offers through Jesus Christ. Other agents are used in his arguments: flesh and spirit, death and life. The resurrection of Jesus is a model of what happens in the Christian’s life – a new man or a new woman is raised in Christ’s Spirit.
Breaking open Romans:
- When you hear the word “Law” what do you understand that to be?
- How does that understanding rule or not rule your life?
- What do you think it means to be alive in the Spirit?
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!"
"Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
Both Matthew and Mark share this collection of parables, with one exception (St. Mark 4:26-29), Matthew also adding additional material. In this telling, we have two stages. In the first stage Jesus describes how farming was done in the agricultural areas of Palestine, and enumerates several conditions. There is the path (we are used to hearing “highway”, but here it has references to the hard, beaten soil used as paths by both the sower, and the harvester), the rocky soil at the edge of the field, the ever-present thorns (read “weeds”) that were plowed under when the field was lightly prepared, and finally the good soil. The final phrase “let anyone with ears listen” prepares us to hear the meaning of the parable. Each of the conditions represents a possibility for the planted word (see Isaiah and the Psalm, above). There are varying degrees of success, and the disciple should be prepared for each eventuality. These so-called “Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven” point to the eventuality and inevitability of the “Reign”, God’s rule in our world, God’s kingdom breaking through. Not all will understand, see, or care, but the reign will come. Each of the types in the parable brings examples to the mind of the hearer, and thus each hearer is prepared to sow the good news in the world about him or her.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- What kind of soil are (were) you?
- What is the role of the Word in your life?
- How has it taken root and become fruitful?
After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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