The Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 28, 16 November 2014
Judges 4:1-7
Psalm 123
Or
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
Psalm 90:1-12
I Thessalonians 5:1-11
St. Matthew 25:14-30
Background: Judges
A pattern that is seen in certain of the prophetic books has its advent
in the Book of the Judges. It is known
as the riv pattern - a series of
actions: faithlessness on the part of Israel, judgment by an “enemy”, the
emergence and anointing of a leader (Judge), the defeat of the enemy,
restoration of the relationship with YHWH.
There are several judges who are remembered in the Book of Judges:
Othniel vs. Aram, Ehud vs. Moab, Deborah vs. Hazor, Gideon vs. Midian,
Abimelech vs. Israel in general, Jephthah vs. Amon, and Samson vs. the
Philistines. The riv pattern is reviewed in the prologue of the book (1:1 – 3:6).
The remaining two sections review the actual stories of the judges themselves
(3:7-16:31) and an epilogue (17:1-21:25), which is actually composed of an
appendix to the main text, and reviews the stories of Dan and Gibea. What is of
value here is not the historicity of the events or even of the characters, but
really the theology of Accusation – Punishment – Confession – Forgiveness.
Track 1:
Track 1:
Judges 4:1-7
The Israelites again
did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud died. So the LORD sold
them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander
of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. Then the Israelites
cried out to the LORD for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and
had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years.
At that time Deborah, a
prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the
palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and
the Israelites came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak son of
Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "The LORD, the God of
Israel, commands you, `Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand
from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera,
the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots
and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.'"
Following the pattern outlined in the Background (above), Israel following the death of Ehud, again falls
into a faithless way with YHWH, and soon falls into disfavor. A new judge is
called to deal with the situation. The circumstances of the threat are drawn in
expansive terms. Jabin is not the king
of Canaan, for there was neither such entity nor a kingship that ruled it. He
is king of Hazor, a very important city, however, so the writer expands on his
power. To this expansion is added the
description of “iron chariots”, which is probably hyperbole as well. Chariots
were usually made of wood with iron reinforcements. Here, the author
underscores Jabin’s power by describing the whole vehicle as being made of
iron. A woman is called to be judge in this situation, and she is already
pictured as practicing that ministry “under
the palm of Deborah” located in the hill country of Ephraim. The gender of
this judge is not lost in the Hebrew, where she is described as a “prophet-woman” which underscores her in
relationship to the men who operate around her. She is not described as a shofet (a judge) but rather as a nevi’ah (a prophet). Thus the anointing
is presumed, and the divine relationship already a known entity. Here she functions as a judge (in our sense
of the term) and not as a warrior. As a prophet she understands the whole
context of the situation, knowing already the prophetic words of God to Barak,
and what the results of the confrontation will be, “I will give him into your hand.” It is meaningful to note that the
hands into which the man Sisera (the Canaanite General) is delivered are the
hands of women: Deborah, the prophet-woman, and Jael, the woman who wields the
deadly blow.
Breaking open Judges:
- What powerful women who are religious leaders do you know?
- What moves you to admire them?
- How do the women of your church move it in ministry?
Psalm 123 Ad te levavi oculos meos
To you I lift up my
eyes, *
to you enthroned in the
heavens.
As the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their masters, *
and the eyes of a maid
to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the
LORD our God, *
until he show us his
mercy.
Have mercy upon us, O
LORD, have mercy, *
for we have had more
than enough of contempt,
Too much of the scorn
of the indolent rich, *
and of the derision of
the proud.
This psalm of supplication begins with the first person singular, but
the subsequent verses are in the third person.
The initial intimacy is generalized.
What follows, however, are intimate gestures that indicate not only
knowledge but relationship as well – slaves to master, slave girl to mistress,
our eyes to God. What lies beneath the text is the implicit neediness of the
look, expecting affirmation, but often receiving scorn. The verse, “for we have had more than enough of contempt”, distinguishes the
expectant look of the people to God, from the all-too-human expectation of
rejection or scorn from masters and others. No punches are pulled in this
psalm. The expectation of such rejection
is taken for granted when dealing with the “indolent
rich”, or the “proud.”
Breaking open Psalm 123:
- What do people see when they look at you?
- What do you see in your supervisor’s eyes?
- How do you adjust your behavior accordingly?
Or
Track 2:
Zephaniah 1:7,12-18
Be silent before the
Lord GOD!
For the day of the LORD
is at hand;
the LORD has prepared a
sacrifice,
he has consecrated his
guests.
At that time I will
search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the
people
who rest complacently
on their dregs,
those who say in their
hearts,
"The LORD will not
do good,
nor will he do
harm."
Their wealth shall be
plundered,
and their houses laid
waste.
Though they build
houses,
they shall not inhabit
them;
though they plant
vineyards,
they shall not drink
wine from them.
The great day of the
LORD is near,
near and hastening
fast;
the sound of the day of
the LORD is bitter,
the warrior cries aloud
there.
That day will be a day
of wrath,
a day of distress and
anguish,
a day of ruin and
devastation,
a day of darkness and
gloom,
a day of clouds and
thick darkness,
a day of trumpet blast
and battle cry
against the fortified
cities
and against the lofty
battlements.
I will bring such
distress upon people
that they shall walk
like the blind;
because they have sinned
against the LORD,
their blood shall be
poured out like dust,
and their flesh like
dung.
Neither their silver
nor their gold
will be able to save
them
on the day of the
LORD's wrath;
in the fire of his
passion
the whole earth shall
be consumed;
for a full, a terrible
end
he will make of all the
inhabitants of the earth.
Zephaniah is often described in his similarity to the prophet Amos, who
prophesied in the north. Zephaniah’s
work was largely in the south, in Judah.
The pattern discussed in the Background
(above) is also evident here, as the prophet sees the error of Judah’s
ways, and the punishment that will surely follow. This lesson follows closely
upon last Sunday’s reading from Amos, “Why
do you want the day of the LORD? It is darkness, not light.” In that
“light”, Zephaniah writes accordingly, “That
day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and
devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.”
The day of the Lord might tend toward salvation, but its immediate effect is
one of judgment. Like Amos, Zephaniah,
asks his hearers to look beyond their rituals and cultic life to see the
realities of their relationship to and loss of faithfulness with God. But we
need to be cautious here. In a reverse kind of universalism, the prophet’s
words of doom are not only reserved for the people of Judah, but “the whole earth shall be consumed; for a
full, a terrible end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.” Perhaps
Judah was charmed by the fate that came with its engagement with other gods,
their blessings, and their prosperity.
Here the prophet wants the people to understand that the God of all,
judges all.
Breaking open the
Zephaniah:
- How do you deal with dark themes in the Bible?
- Is there darkness in your life?
- What kind of light do you bring to it?
Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12 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.
For we consume away in
your displeasure; *
we are afraid because
of your wrathful indignation.
Our iniquities you have
set before you, *
and our secret sins in
the light of your countenance.
When you are angry, all
our days are gone; *
we bring our years to
an end like a sigh.
The span of our life is
seventy years,
perhaps in strength
even eighty; *
yet the sum of them is
but labor and sorrow,
for they pass away
quickly and we are gone.
Who regards the power
of your wrath? *
who rightly fears your
indignation?]
So teach us to number
our days *
that we may apply our
hearts to wisdom.
This psalm sets up Moses as a model, but for more than his piety and
wisdom. It is also his mortality that attracts our author. Whether it is all of time and space, day and
night, or eon upon eon, it pales in relationship to YHWH. So in the psalm we see with our human scope
and limitations, but are also invited to view the same situation from the
perspective of The Eternal One. Knowing that we are finite should grant us a
modicum of wisdom, according to this psalm. That is the insight that comes from
“numbering our days, and applying our
hearts to wisdom.”
Breaking open the Psalm 90:
- What are the limitations of your days?
- What do you wish you had more time for?
- How do you use your time to gain faith and wisdom?
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Concerning the times
and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written
to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief in the night. When they say, "There is peace and
security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains
come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are
not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all
children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of
darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake
and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get
drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the
breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God
has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord
Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may
live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as
indeed you are doing.
We seem to be caught up in a “time warp” or at least in a heightened
sense of “times and seasons.” Paul
has a very different take on “the Day of the Lord” than that of Zephaniah or
Amos. For Paul there is also a sense of
sudden threat and destruction, but also a sense of the security that comes when
we ally ourselves with Jesus. “For God
has destined us not for wrath, but for obtaining salvation.” “…So that whether
we re awake or asleep we may live with him.” Again we are in the Advent
Shadow, and again we are asked to wait, this time with the assurance of the
blessings that are to come, not the threat.
The protective elements of life are simple: faith, love, and hope. These
Paul encourages his readers to take on in conjunction with their taking on
Christ.
Breaking open Thessalonians:
- How does this reading give you a measure of assurance?
- When you think of God’s judgment, what thoughts do you have?
- How do faith, love, and hope operate in your life?
St. Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus said, "For
it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his
property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one,
to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received
the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more
talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more
talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in
the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those
slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the
five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, `Master, you
handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' His master
said to him, `Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy
in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of
your master.' And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying,
`Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.'
His master said to him, `Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been
trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter
into the joy of your master.' Then the one who had received the one talent also
came forward, saying, `Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where
you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid,
and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But
his master replied, `You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap
where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have
invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what
was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one
with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they
will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have
will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer
darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "
Once again we deal with absence.
Last Sunday it was the absence and then the immanent coming of the
bridegroom that made for Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven. Here it
is about the landowner who is absent in his person, but not in the
responsibility that he has given to his servants. Thus the landowner is gone,
but not quite. There are expectations,
and the time of waiting will be filled with dealing with these expectations.
Perhaps we need to look at Paul’s vision of the Body of Christ in seeking to
understand Jesus’ teaching. We are, in ourselves, a “talent.” Paul recalled
that to some it was given to be a prophet, or a teacher and so on. The
landowner has left us with what we are, and what belongs really to the
Landowner (the Creator). It is this dealing with expectations (God’s and our
own) that forms the crux of the problem here. Do we risk in the execution of
our faith, or do we hold back and conserve. Luther said it best. Pecca fortiter – “Sin boldly.” It is worthy of Poor Richard’s Almanac, and a common everyday bit of wisdom –
“give it your best shot.”
What is it in ourselves that is first given to us via the Spirit that is
of such great value that the Lord of Life expects a high return? Perhaps it is
the truth that has been invested or inspired in us – the God loves us and saves
us, that we are indeed already citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps that
is why the Landowner is so harsh with the timid one. He doesn’t recognize the
treasure that is already in him. Perhaps it isn’t even the resulting value so
much as it is the effort to invest it in others.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- What are your talents?
- How do you use them?
- How do you risk them?
After breaking open the
Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our
learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest
them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting
life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Questions and comments copyright © 2014, Michael
T. Hiller
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