The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 25, 26 October 2014
Deuteronomy
34:1-12
Psalm
90:1-6, 13-17
Or
Leviticus
19:1-3, 15-18
Psalm
1
I
Thessalonians 2:1-8
St.
Matthew 22:34-46
Background: Leviticus
There has been resurgence around the book of
Leviticus largely due to its provisions in the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17-26) and how
that plays out around the role of women and gay and lesbian people in
contemporary Western culture. The
name of the book refers to the Levites descended from the tribe of Aaron. The Levites were the priests of
Israel. The Hebrew Name (Wayikra) is taken from the first word of
the book, “And he called.” The
object of the book’s pronouncements is not just the priests of Israel, but
rather the entire people. It is
not a book of doctrine. Its
contents address the ritual and cultic life of Israel. Thus it is largely
concerned with the Temple and Sacrifice (and the priesthood that was of service
in the Temple), and personal holiness and ritual purity.
The traditional author is Moses, but modern
scholarship assigns the book to a much later time. It most likely developed at the end of the Kings of Judea
(around the seventh century BCE) and continued to be edited into a final form
some time during or after the exilic period (around the sixth to the fourth
century BCE). The book would have
had two primary periods of importance, perhaps stemming first from the reforms
of Josiah, and later as
people returned from exile and sought to restore temple worship in
Jerusalem. The material was
written by people with a priestly bias, hence it is assigned to the P
strand. Some see the Holiness Code
as a separate strand that was incorporated into the priestly material. In the contemporary discussions about
the Levitical material it is interesting that many only desire to explore
facets of the Law that support a certain political or social view, while
ignoring the other provisions.
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Moses went up from the
plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho,
and the LORD showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the
land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,
the Negeb, and the Plain-- that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm
trees-- as far as Zoar. The LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I
swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, `I will give it to your
descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross
over there." Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land
of Moab, at the LORD's command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab,
opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was
one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his
vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab
thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.
Joshua son of Nun was
full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the
Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Never since has there
arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He was
unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to perform in
the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land,
and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that
Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
Although born in the Nile River valley, it is the mountains to which
Moses is not only drawn, but on and in which he has some of his most potent
moments. Here, from the sacred
mountaintop, Moses is privileged to see the land of promise – the land given by
God to Israel. As the book describes
the scope of Moses’ vision of this new land we become aware of an
anachronism. The land of Dan, at
the presumable time of writing, lay in the north. The original assignment of
the tribe of Dan was to a location in the south. The tribe migrated northward
at a later date. The promise to
Abraham is recalled again in verse four, which looks back to the period of the
Patriarchs. Moses is not allowed into the land which YHWH has shown to him, and
is granted a gracious death, ‘by the word
of the Lord.” The Midrash sees this action as “death by a kiss”, a sweet
remembrance of Moses’ relationship with YHWH. Moses’ grave is unknown, largely because, “you shall have no other gods before me.”
This powerful leader will live only in memory, but not in a cult. He dies at 120 years, a number of
symbolic importance (3 x 40). And with its reveries on the prophetic era, and
on the insuperable prophetic ministry of Moses, the Pentateuch, acknowledging
the Spirit’s gifts in Joshua, comes to an end, a new era springing from the
old.
Breaking
open Deuteronomy:
1.
How is Joshua
designated as a new leader for Israel?
2.
What are your
thoughts about God’s “death by a kiss” for Moses? What images does it bring up for you.
3.
Are there
eras in your life, as there were in the life of Moses?
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 Domine, refugium
Lord, you have been our
refuge *
from one generation to
another.
Before the mountains
were brought forth,
or the land and the
earth were born, *
from age to age you are
God.
You turn us back to the
dust and say, *
"Go back, O child
of earth."
For a thousand years in
your sight are like yesterday when it is past *
and like a watch in the
night.
You sweep us away like
a dream; *
we fade away suddenly
like the grass.
In the morning it is
green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is
dried up and withered.
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.
Our attention is quickly drawn to Moses (the ascription of the psalm is
avoided in the BCP/LBW translation), “A
prayer of Moses, man of God.” Rooted in his mortality, we then perceive the
God who has been both refuge and abode for generations. Thus the psalm
contrasts Moses’ mortality with God’s immortality. The next verses underscore that contrast, “You bring man back to the dust”, and “For a thousand years in your eyes are like
yesterday gone.” Especially beautify is the verse dealing with sleep,
death, dawn and renewal.
The lectionary selection skips to verse 13, where God is asked to return
and to see the state of God’s people. Using the metaphor of the day as the
scene and stage upon and within which life is lived, the psalmist requests
God’s on-going presence in time and in the cyclical renewal of each day. It reminds me of Martin Luther’s
explanation of Baptism in the Small Catechism,
What then is the significance of such a
baptism with water? - Answer.
It signifies that daily the old person in
us with all our sins and evil desires is to be drowned through sorrow for sin and
repentance, and that daily a new person is to come forth and rise up to live
before God in righteousness and purity forever.[1]
The final verse is translated by Robert Alter as, “And may the sweetness of the master, our God be upon us and the work
of our hands firmly found for us.”[2]
He observes that this is the action that is used for undergirding
dynasties, or for keeping large buildings. It is, pardon my pun, foundational.
Breaking
open Psalm 90:
1.
What are the
mortalities of your life?
2.
How do you
live with the reality of death?
3.
How are you
reborn each day?
or
Track 2:
Leviticus 19:1-2,15-18
The LORD spoke to
Moses, saying:
Speak to all the
congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I
the LORD your God am holy.
You shall not render an
unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great:
with justice you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a
slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your
neighbor: I am the LORD.
You shall not hate in
your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will
incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any
of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Although we are two chapters into the so-called Holiness Code, it is
this verse that effectively enunciates the Code’s purpose and themes, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God
am holy.” The verses that immediately follow recount some of the Decalogue,
and provisions for sacrifice. At verse thirteen begins a series of decrees that
are of a social nature, dealing with the deaf and the blind, and striking
something of a social balance, "you
shall not favor the wretched and you shall not defer to the rich.” Suddenly
we find ourselves really in a commentary on the Decalogue as the author speaks
about slander, murder, and vengeance.
These are the practicalities of day-to-day holiness.
Breaking
open Leviticus:
1.
In what ways
are you holy?
2.
How do you
strive to be holy?
3.
How do you
treat people less fortunate than you?
Psalm 1 Page Beatus vir qui non abiit
Happy are they who have
not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *
nor lingered in the way
of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of
the scornful!
Their delight is in the
law of the LORD, *
and they meditate on
his law day and night.
They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due
season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do
shall prosper.
It is not so with the
wicked; *
they are like chaff
which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked
shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the
council of the righteous.
For the LORD knows the
way of the righteous, *
but the way of the
wicked is doomed.
As we (in the Bible Study Group at Saint Mark’s Church, Santa Clara,
CA.) have been discovering in our study of Ivoni Richter Reimer’s study on Women in the Acts of the Apostles[3]
the verbs that begin this psalm can be signs of important religious, cultic, or
educational activity[4]. The psalmist praises those who have not “walked” (pursued a course of
action), “stood” (aligned him or herself with), or “sat” (accepted the opinion
or teachings of an individual or school) with the wicked, or with offenders, or
with scoffers. We are talking
about a different kind of person here.
This is the person who “meditates” (in the Hebrew, literally, “murmurs”)
on the Law. If you have ever been
to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem you will understand the power of the word
“murmur.”
What follows are the results of holiness (see Leviticus above) and the
psalmist's use of powerful images rooted in creation and in the cycle of the
day. Here holiness is seen in the
stability of being planted by a constant supply of water, the production of
fruit, and a liveliness that confounds the seasons. Contrasted with this image
is a scene of the unholy – one word describes them “chaff”, useless leavings
consigned to the wind.
Breaking
open Psalm 1:
1.
Who do you
think are the councils of the wicked?
2.
In what ways
have your participated (or not) with them?
3.
How do you
meditate?
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
You yourselves know,
brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had
already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we
had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great
opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or
trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the
message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please
God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came
with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from
mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as
apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring
for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to
share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you
have become very dear to us.
Paul had his problems in Philippi (See Acts 16) – accusations by
disreputable people, and complaints to the authorities by certain Jews. This leads to imprisonment and to
ministry. The passage speaks to a
time when philosophers and “missionaries” were a dime-a-dozen. Paul pleads that this is not the case
with him, for our appeal does not spring
from deceit or impure motives or trickery.” Although we might think
otherwise, this is not a man who is feathering his own nest with false praise.
He glories in his ministry of nursing the faithful “her own children.” The closing verse of the pericope underscores
the relationship that Paul feels for these people.
Breaking
open I Thessalonians:
- What does the image of Paul as a nurse bring to you.
- In the preaching that you have heard over time, what sounded
“made up” to you?
- What did you receive as genuine?
St. Matthew 22:34-46
When the Pharisees
heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of
them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which
commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "`You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is
like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets."
Now while the Pharisees
were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think
of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of
David." He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls
him Lord, saying,
`The Lord said to my Lord,
"Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet"'?
If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one was
able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any
more questions.
The pericope on the question about taxes is
followed by another pericope that involves a question about resurrection (Matthew 22:23-33). First it was the Pharisees, and then
the Sadducees, and now we are back to the Pharisees again. Now they reach to the true aim of their
questioning – Jesus and the Law.
They ask what is the greatest of the Commandments, which is followed by
another question, this time one posed by Jesus. Any scribe worth his salt would
have know the answer to the first question (in part), for it was recited daily
by Jews in the Great Shema.
The second half that Jesus supplies is from Leviticus 19:18, a
practice known in Jewish catechetics.
Now it is Jesus’ turn – he asks about their
thoughts on the Messiah, “Whose son is
he?” The reply is quick, “David’s”
(see Psalm 110:1). Why does Matthew preserve this
conversation? Some commentators
argue that Matthew may be actually devaluing the designation of Jesus as “David’s son.” Matthew may be arguing
for stronger terminology and identity.
Although both Messiah and “David’s son”, Jesus is more.
Breaking open Gospel:
1. What were the Pharisees hoping to accomplish?
2. What was Jesus hoping to accomplish?
3. What “stronger terminology” do you use for Jesus.
After
breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope,
and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you
command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
All questions and commentary copyright © 2014,
Michael T. Hiller
[1] Luther,
M (2001) Luthers’ Small Catechism, Augsburg
Fortress, Minneapolis, MN., p. 48
[2] Alter,
R. (2007) The Book of Psalms, A
Translation with Commentary, W.W. Norton and Company, New York, p. 320.
[3] Richter
Reimer, I (1995) Women in the Acts of the
Apostles: a feminist liberation perspective, Fortress Press, Minneapolis,
MN.
Comments
Post a Comment