The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 23 - 14 October 2012
Amos
5:6-7, 10-15
Psalm
90:12-17
Hebrews
4:12-16
St.
Mark 10:17-31
Background: Hebrews
Raymond Brown, in his time the preeminent commentator on Biblical
literature, called Hebrews “one of the most impressive works in the New
Testament.” He also called it “a
conundrum”. The background to the book
is not all that well known, and is difficult to determine. The book was probably written somewhere
between 60 and 80 CE, more likely to the latter part of that era. The author is not identified. There was a period of time when the Church
attributed the book to Paul, but that position really does not obtain any
longer. The addressees are not
identified either, although the content would indicate that those addresses are
people who are attracted to Judaism, more than likely living in Rome. The major argument of the book is the
superiority of Christ over all that has come before. In this argument the author contrasts two
points of view: 1) the revelation of the prophets, and 2) the revelation of the
pre-existing Son. Major sections of the
book are: a) The superiority of Jesus as God’s Son, b) the superiority of
Jesus’ priesthood, c) the superiority of Jesus sacrifice, d) accessing Jesus’
priestly work, and e) practical concerns.
Amos 5:6-7,10-15
Seek the LORD and live,
or he will break out
against the house of Joseph like fire,
and it will devour
Bethel, with no one to quench it.
Ah, you that turn
justice to wormwood,
and bring righteousness
to the ground!
They hate the one who
reproves in the gate,
and they abhor the one
who speaks the truth.
Therefore because you
trample on the poor
and take from them
levies of grain,
you have built houses
of hewn stone,
but you shall not live
in them;
you have planted
pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink
their wine.
For I know how many are
your transgressions,
and how great are your
sins--
you who afflict the
righteous, who take a bribe,
and push aside the
needy in the gate.
Therefore the prudent
will keep silent in such a time;
for it is an evil time.
Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the LORD, the
God of hosts, will be with you,
just as you have said.
Hate evil and love
good,
and establish justice
in the gate;
it may be that the
LORD, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the
remnant of Joseph.
In a time of prosperity toward the midst of the eighth century BCE, this
prophet, who was also a Judean herdsman, delivered a series of oracles and
visions at Beth-El and at Samaria.
Today’s reading, an oracle or “The First Woe” strikes at the judges who
have debased the system of civil justice and thereby have taken away justice
from the poor and the oppressed. He
notes the luxury of the time “houses of hewn stone” and contrasts it with their
behavior, “you that turn justice to wormwood.”
Deuteronomy ruled against outrageous “fees” of grain from those who
farmed the owners land. It is clear that
all the social justices lifted up by the Law of YHWH are being ignored. Justice is to be brought back to the “gate”,
namely the city gate – the place where judges sat to hear the pleas brought by
common folk.
Breaking
open Amos:
- How do our days compare to those of Amos?
- Do the poor and the oppressed get a fair shake in our courts
today?
- How can you make for changes of justice?
Psalm 90:12-17 Domine, refugium
So teach us to number
our days *
that we may apply our
hearts to wisdom.
Return, O LORD; how
long will you tarry? *
be gracious to your
servants.
Satisfy us by your
loving-kindness in the morning; *
so shall we rejoice and
be glad all the days of our life.
Make us glad by the
measure of the days that you afflicted us *
and the years in which
we suffered adversity.
Show your servants your
works *
and your splendor to
their children.
May the graciousness of
the LORD our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our
hands;
prosper our handiwork.
This psalm is unusual in that it is ascribed to Moses, although there
are six other occurrences of Moses’ name in this fourth book of the
psalms. Here, Moses is lifted up as any
other human being, limited by death, and living within the consequences of his
actions. Given that perspective, the
psalm teaches us to “number our days,” and to realize the limitations of the
stage upon which we operate and live.
Such limitations are contrasted to the eternity of God, who seems to
either be absent or late. Yet the cry is
to God to come and save and to be present (even more so to be evident in the
works of God’s hands). The psalm closes
with the prayer that our works, and our hands might be equally productive and
helpful to others.
Breaking
open Psalm 90
- Why does the psalmist want to make Moses an ordinary man?
- How is your life mirrored in the psalm?
- How is your handiwork similar to God’s
Hebrews 4:12-16
The word of God is
living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides
soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and
intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are
naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
Since, then, we have a
great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is
unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect
has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the
throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The author of the Hebrews calls us in this reading to a sense of
spiritual renewal. The opening theme of
the two-edged sword gives us a sense of discernment, the sword being capable of
parting the different aspects of the existential dilemma. It is a tool applied to our very souls so
that we might be seen by God for what we are.
Dred might invade our souls, with this thought, but the author is quick
to supply a remedy.
Jesus, the great high priest, is quick to aid, to “sympathize with our
weaknesses.” Jesus is pictured as having
been tested, just as we are being tested.
With that example in our minds and hears, we can then enter into the
ministry of prayer and supplication for ourselves and for others as well.
Breaking
open Hebrews:
- How do you make judgments in your life?
- Does the Word of God play any role?
- How is the testing of your life like the testing of Jesus?
St. Mark 10:17-31
As Jesus was setting
out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good
Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him,
"Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the
commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall
not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your
father and mother.'" He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these
since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack
one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was
shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
Then Jesus looked
around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have
wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were perplexed at
these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to
enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They
were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be
saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible,
but not for God; for God all things are possible."
Peter
began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed
you." Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left
house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my
sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now
in this age--houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields
with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first
will be last, and the last will be first."
Jesus
continues his discussion on the practicum of daily life, here with some sayings
on riches and earthly relationships. The
first of these sayings is about the young lawyer. He begins with flattery, “Good teacher”,
which Jesus discards with “No one is good…”.
The question is about inheriting eternal life, and Jesus reviews the
commandments with him. There is one
implicit commandment (and here compare the message of Amos) that is now
commanded by Jesus. “Sell what you
own…give to the poor.” The greed and
possessions of the young man condemn him to leave.
Jesus
then expounds on the example, using the example of the eye of the needle and
the camel, an impossible situation. To
the improbability of this Jesus applies not the ability of mortals, but the
ability of God, for whom “all things are possible.” Peter carries the situation further, and
Jesus does as well, promising a future filled with good things.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- What possessions do you have that would be particularly
difficult to part with?
- What have you given up to follow Jesus?
- Has something come back to you because of your faith?
After
breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we
may continually be given to good works; 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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