The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 23, 13 October 2013
Jeremiah
29:1, 4-7
Psalm
66:1-11
Or
II
Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c
Psalm
11
II
Timothy 2:8-15
St.
Luke 17:11-19
Background:
Leprosy
The first evidences that
we have of leprosy are in Egypt ca. 4000 BCE.
There is also evidence, verified by DNA analysis, taken from a tomb near
the Old City of Jerusalem that dates to ca. 1-50 CE. Mentions of leprosy in both the Hebrew
Scriptures probably relate more to the Hebrew term, tzaraath, than to the disease studied by G. H. Armauer Hansen in
Norway in 1873. The disease mentioned in
the Hebrew Scriptures (see
Leviticus 13-14) is now seen to be something else. Indeed, in modern translations, the word leprosy is not used, but is represented
by the term “scaly infection”. This
condition is actually several, referring not only to skin disease, but also to
fungal infestations of fabric and of walls.
Such skin conditions may represent psoriasis, mycotic infections,
eczema, or pityriasis rosea. All were
tied to the ritual impurity codes of the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Gospel reading today, Jesus encounters
ten lepers, and their condition may be more connected to the ancient
understanding of tzaraath than to our
modern understanding of leprosy. It is
interesting that the “leper” (a Samaritan) who returns thanks exhibits a double
problem of ritual purity – his skin and his race.
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
These are the words of the letter
that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the
exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom
Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God
of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to
Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they
produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and
give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters;
multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I
have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its
welfare you will find your welfare.
The initial expectations
of the prophet expressed in the first chapters of Jeremiah were succinct, root up, tear down, and destroy. With this chapter the outlook has
changed. Indeed, the outlook is one of
determination. God said that he would
punish Judah for their forgetfulness of God.
Now it becomes apparent to Jeremiah that God has sent them (the exiles) to the place where they now exist and live. We need to remember that there were multiple
sendings of people into exile. Jeremiah
changes his stance as a prophet, and now by means of a royal messenger, sends
them messages of hope and endurance. We
are reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 5:35 – “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.” Here Jeremiah embraces two things: the
condition of exile as a means to righteousness, and the future as something
lived out in a place other than Jerusalem.
This is an important company that Jeremiah addresses – elders, priests,
prophets and such. They are in their
office the future of Judah, but they also in their bodies and lives are its
future as well. So now in opposition to
the initial commands that orbit the notion of destruction, Jeremiah presents
new verbs that describe the life in Babylon.
Listen to them: build and live,
plant and eat, take wives and have sons, and multiply there. This is the same Babylon, the there where last Sunday in the psalm (137)
they were bidden not to sing songs of joy, but rather to long for
Jerusalem.
What is being signaled
here is Jeremiah’s increasing sense of the universality of God – that God is
not just the national god, but also the God who rules over all nations. The hidden hope is that Babylon itself will
become aware of not only the people who call upon God, but of God’s care for
God’s own as well. Jeremiah now becomes
more of a pastor to these people, convincing them from afar, that they still
remain in the land that God has given them.
Breaking
open Jeremiah:
- Have you ever been separated from family, or forced to live in a
difficult or different situation?
Was it an exile?
- How did you accommodate yourself to the situation?
- How did it become an accepted part of your future?
Psalm 66:1-11 Jubilate Deo
Be joyful in God, all you lands; *
sing the glory of his Name;
sing the glory of his praise.
Say to God, "How awesome are
your deeds! *
because of your great strength your
enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down before you,
*
sings to you, sings out your
Name."
Come now and see the works of God, *
how wonderful he is in his doing
toward all people.
He turned the sea into dry land,
so that they went through the water
on foot, *
and there we rejoiced in him.
In his might he rules for ever;
his eyes keep watch over the
nations; *
let no rebel rise up against him.
Bless our God, you peoples; *
make the voice of his praise to be
heard;
Who holds our souls in life, *
and will not allow our feet to slip.
For you, O God, have proved us; *
you have tried us just as silver is
tried.
You brought us into the snare; *
you laid heavy burdens upon our
backs.
You let enemies ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water; *
but you brought us out into a place
of refreshment.
Once again the psalm
serves as a commentary on the first reading from Jeremiah. Here, in a thanksgiving psalm, the author
recalls God’s awesome deeds. The deeds that are recalled are the
miraculous crossings of water, both at the Red Sea in the deliverance from
Egypt, and a similar act at the Jordan River when Israel enters the Promised
Land. The God that is portrayed here is
not the universal God of Jeremiah and Isaiah, but rather a national God who
lords it over other nations, proving to them that the God of Israel is capable
of bringing the people out of great difficulty.
Beginning with verse 9 we have words that are evocative of exile. Some have proposed that the initial verses
(1-11) represent an exilic psalm talked onto an earlier psalm that still is
aware of an existing Temple (verse 13) and most have been written prior to
586. The trial of fire and other ordeals
seems to speak to the situation in Babylon.
Indeed, Jeremiah’s notion of trial producing refinement is also hinted
at here.
Breaking
open Psalm 66:
- The psalm speaks of a refiners fire – in what fires have you
been refined?
- What difficulties have actually been of benefit to you?
- Did you thank God for them?
Or
2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c
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."
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.
Then he returned to the man of God,
he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, "Now I know
that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel."
This is a story about
personal and national egos. Most of all,
however, it reflects the universalistic attitude that we have seen in the Track
1 readings above. The background is
realistic, reflecting the politics of the time.
Israel has been raided by a Syrian army and now the story turns to a
captive - a young girl who now is in
service to the General Naaman. It is at
her suggestion that this prominent man go to Israel for healing. His ego and that of the king of Israel are
soon damaged by the situation. The King
of Israel sees a trip that will strip him of his kingship, and Naaman bristles
at the lack of hospitality he receives at the prophet’s home, and is even more
insulted at the prophet’s suggestion that he bathe in the Jordan. All of these characters and situations are
lifted up for us to see in the context of a God who deigns to operate with
foreigner and with Israel. God is the
cause of Naaman’s success (because by him
YHWH had granted the victory to Aram) and it is God who will effect the
healing through the prophet. The agent,
a young girl, shows the power of this God who uses such a lowly person. When Naaman is healed (please read the
commentary on “leprosy” in the Background above) his skin is described as that of a young man. Thus are contrasted the agent and the recipient,
both displaying the power of the God of Israel, and Aram!
Breaking
open II Kings:
- How is the little girl wise and Naaman an innocent?
- What is betrayed by the King of Israel’s actions?
- What role does the prophet play in this scenario?
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 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.
 |
| His work is of majesty and splendor. |
This psalm of praise (it
is a general listing of God’s good acts, rather than pointing out a specific
instance of God’s graciousness) is also a short acrostic with each half line
beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Here, as in the first reading, God acts amongst all the peoples – “great are the deeds of YHWH, discovered by
all who desire them.” The exact
deeds are not recounted, as in Psalm 66 in Track 1 (above), but are present for
all to see. The citing of wisdom (the
fear of the Lord) is a nod to the common knowledge that is given to all the
nations.
Breaking
open Psalm 111:
- Is God indeed tied to a specific people?
- Who? And How?
- In what ways do you see God active amongst all peoples?
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from
the dead, a descendant of David-- that is my gospel, for which I suffer
hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of
God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so
that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal
glory. The saying is sure:
If we have died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him;
if we deny him,
he will also deny us;
if we are faithless,
he remains faithful-
for he cannot deny himself.
Remind them of this, and warn them
before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but
only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as
one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining
the word of truth.
In the initial verses of
this reading, the author reminds Timothy of the central focus of the Gospel
namely “Jesus Christ, raised from the
dead, a descendant of David”. Here the continuity of Christian teaching and
the Hebrew Scriptures is underscored once again. The next verse in which “Paul” talks about
his condition of imprisonment (chained)
uses the image to talk about the unfettered nature of the Gospel. What follows in verse 11 is the quotation of
an early hymn, which explores a series of contrasts (dying with him, living with him, persevering/reigning vs. denial,
unfaithful vs. faithful). Thus the
author outlines for Timothy the challenges of ministry and belief.
Breaking
open II Timothy:
- What does the death of Jesus mean to you?
- How is your own living informed by that?
- What do you anticipate about your own death?
St. Luke 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was
going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village,
ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying,
"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them,
"Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were
made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back,
praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and
thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made
clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and
give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get
up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."
The theme of “lepers” in
Luke is by design. Luke 4:27 gives us
the clue, “Again, there were many
lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was
cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” This is
an especially helpful reference if you are using the Track 2 readings – and it
provides a wonderful context for the ministry of Jesus even if you are not
using those readings. Additional background
about “leprosy” needs to be taken into account (see Background above). Were it some contagious disease we might well
understand the aversion to these people.
They seem to have been painted, however, with an unfounded bias, like so
many people who live “out of the norm” even in our own time. There are other things to notice
however. Jesus is on the way to his own
separation from the norm – he has set his face toward Jerusalem and continues
on his way. He is virtually standing in
a no-man’s land (through the region
between Samaria and Galilee). Jesus
adds to the ambiguity by sending those pleading for healing “to the
priests”. Are they intended to go to
Jerusalem or to another shrine, a Samaritan shrine. Jesus doesn’t elaborate and leaves us in a vague
space.
In an interesting turn of events, again amplified by the story
of Naaman, one of the “lepers” who happens to be a Samaritan returns to give
thanks. Again God is operating outside
of society’s expectations. In Jesus’
ministry there are several outsiders who are recipients of Jesus’ healing
ministry. Faith is the distinctive
behavior that separates out the Samaritan (and others) and sets them on their
way to a new destination. Jesus is still
answering the request of the disciples from last Sunday, “increase our
faith”. By focusing on those seen as
outside of salvation, Jesus points out God’s mercy and care for all
people. The Samaritan’s future and
destination is changed and Jesus points out, like those who were in exile in
Babylon, that there is a future and life in the place that God has given us.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- Have you ever been an “outcast?
Why?
- Were you ever included?
How?
- How is your future made different by the place in which God has
designed for you?
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.
All commentary and questions are copyright © 2013 Michael T. Hiller
All commentary and questions are copyright © 2013 Michael T. Hiller
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