The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 27 - 11 November 2012
I
Kings 17:8-16
Psalm
146
Hebrews
9:24-28
Saint
Mark 12:38-44
Background: Books of the Kings
Late in the 7th
Century and some time in the mid 6th Century two individuals
compiled materials that expressed the theological explanation and background to
a history that begins with the death of David and is completed with the fall of
Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BCE.
The theological point of view is akin or flows from the Deuteronomist
who wrote around the same time.
Originally, like the Books of Samuel, the Kings was one work, and was
divided into two at the time of its translation into Latin. There are various sources evident in
the books, such as: the “Book of the Acts of Solomon”, the “Annals of the Kings
of Judah,” and “The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel” which represent complete
works. In addition there are
references to the court history of David (mostly in Samuel), the history of the
Temple and its debasement following its dedication under Solomon, an account of
various kings, especially the religious reforms of Josiah, and some narratives
from Jeremiah. The books have an
almost circular theme of Promise, Apostasy, Judgment, and Return.
1 Kings 17:8-16
The word of the LORD came to Elijah, saying, "Go now to Zarephath,
which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to
feed you." So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate
of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said,
"Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink." As she
was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of
bread in your hand." But she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I
have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug;
I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for
myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." Elijah said to her,
"Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little
cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and
your son. For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be
emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain
on the earth." She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he
and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither
did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by
Elijah.
This reading comes from a collection of traditions
concerning the prophet Elijah, most especially his battle with the Ba’alim, the fertility gods of the
surrounding Canaanite culture.
Early on in this chapter, the prophet calls down a drought on the land,
a poignant sign in a land that honored one of the Ba’alim as the storm god. In this episode, the prophet is touched
as well, for even he finds himself hungry and thirsty as a result of his
judgment. He finds himself in
Zarephath, the land and place of these gods. Here he meets a widow, and we should remember that this
status, without husband or son, meant poverty and the lack of a sustainable
future. It is to this situation
that the prophet comes are requests help.
Her reply is stunning, for she is preparing a last meal and then she and
her son will die. Here the story
takes a turn and becomes not a history of the prophet but rather a test for the
widow. Bidden to take the last of
she has to make something for someone else, she stands in the docket. Will she meet the test? She does, and the future is assured –
the jugs of oil and meal will not fail.
Breaking
open Kings:
1.
Whom do you
know that corresponds to the situation of the widow?
2.
What do you
think of Elijah’s request?
3.
Have you ever
risked so much?
Psalm 146 Lauda, anima mea
Hallelujah!
Praise the LORD, O my soul! *
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
for there is no help in them.
When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
and in that day their thoughts perish.
Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the LORD their God;
Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; *
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
The LORD loves the righteous;
the LORD cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
The LORD shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!
This psalm, along with four others, composes a
final doxology that completes the Psalter. Some of the phraseology seems familiar, in that the psalm is
drawn from psalms 103 and 104. The
psalm begins with a note of praise and then quickly turns to a comparison of
the God who brings life, and the human existence that always ends in
death. The following verses then
depict (in a style reminiscent of wisdom literature, and of some of the sayings
of Isaiah) what it is that God does in the midst of the human situation. The psalm ends with a note of praise
that is used in a prayer of thanksgiving in Acts 4:24.
Breaking
open Psalm 146:
1.
For what do
you praise God?
2.
What comes
between you and your need to praise God?
3.
How does God
meet humankind in this day and age?
Hebrews 9:24-28
Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the
true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of
God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high
priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own;
for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of
the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to
remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals
to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once
to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but
to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Having described the perfect priesthood of Jesus,
the author then moves on to describe the heavenly cultus. The phrases here are somewhat platonic,
revealing to the reader the ideal worship and the ideal priest. Just as the high priest would enter the
Holy of Holies once a year, to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice, so that the
sanctuary would be cleansed, so Christ (both priest and victim) enters to
cleanse the temple by his own, once-and-for-all sacrifice. If the people of Israel waited for
Elijah to bring back water and fruitfulness (First Reading) so the faithful
wait upon the Christ to save them.
Breaking
open Hebrews:
1.
What is ideal
worship for you?
2.
How do you
visualize the worship described in Hebrews?
3.
How does your
church come close to this ideal?
St. Mark 12:38-44
Teaching in the temple, Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes, who like
to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the
marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor
at banquets! They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long
prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money
into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and
put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his
disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in
more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have
contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in
everything she had, all she had to live on."
We meet another widow. This time, however, the widow is not confronted or even met
by the prophet. There is no
test. She only serves as an
example of the Kingdom of Heaven contrasting the behavior of the Scribes (“who
devour widow’s houses). Her giving
is similar to that of the widow of Zarephath in that she gives all that she
has. This time, however, she gives
out of her own faith, a sign to Jesus of her salvation.
Breaking
open the Gospel:
- How are the widows different?
- What is Jesus’ point?
- How does this teaching touch your life?
After
breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
O God, whose blessed Son came
into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us
children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may
purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great
glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
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