Numbers 21-23. Narrative continues. In 21:5 we see the recurring theme of the Israelites losing hope and wishing they were back in slavery: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food."
How do you feel about a God who punishes by sending a plague of snakes? Is this really the way God is? Is this how the writer of Numbers thinks God is? Is this how the Israelites thought God acted? When we say that the Bible is true and reliable, does it mean we must also agree that God punished the Israelites by sending poisonous snakes?
But this passage is important for the imagery of the snake lifted up on the pole, upon which "everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live"--which Jesus borrows in John's Gospel to speak about his own "lifting up," which will draw all people to him.
And in this passage, we see the Israelites on the move through the region on their way to their goal. They defeated Sihon, King of the Amorites, when he refused them passage through his land. In fact, according to the text, "Israel took all these towns, and Israel settled in all the towns of the Amorites" (21:24-31). So in a sense the wilderness wanderings appear to be coming to an end little by little. There is no absolute line of demarcation, though Moses' speech as the Israelites get ready to cross the Jordan is the formal "grand opening" of the Israelites' return to the land promised to Abraham.
Numbers 22 and following introduce the character, Balaam. He was a prophet, but you wouldn't know that from the way he is introduced in Ch. 22. You have to see what he is asked to do by King Balak of Moab. Balaam is often held up as an exemplar of unfaithfulness, or disobedience. Yet as I read this text, all I see are obedience and faithfulness by a foreign/Gentile prophet who somehow knows that the LORD is the real deal. He's asked to curse the Israelites, but he can only bless. And this costs him considerably among his own people.
The story of the donkey and the angel is one of the most delightful in the Torah.
What's wrong with a guy who says: Whatever the LORD says, that is what I must do"? (23:26, among other places)
Psalm 47 On mornings like this one--sunny and warmer after two days when we were greeted with slushy snow on the ground--I want to follow the words of this psalm to:
Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with loud songs of joy" (47:1)
Romans 8 One of the most important passages in all of St. Paul's writings. It was absolutely central to the scholars and pastors whose work brought about the Protestant Reformation. I have a dozen commentaries on my shelves devoted to the Letter of Paul to the Romans. If you don't remember anything else from this chapter, perhaps hide the climactic summarizing verses in your heart:
For I am convinced that
neither death,
nor life,
nor angels,
nor rulers,
nor things present,
nor things to come,
nor powers,
nor height,
nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
April 29: Numbers 18-20; Psalm 46; Romans 7
Numbers 18-20 Chapters 18 and 19 are concerned with instructions about who may offer worship under what circumstances; and about what is to be done when a living person is made ritually unclean by encounter with a corpse. It also contains the instructions about the "red heifer," leading even in the 20th century to all sorts of weird speculation about the need to be on the lookout for a red heifer of such perfection that the Temple could be reconstructed and cleansed. Perhaps this material is inspired by writings on this passage in the Talmud.
Finally, in chapter 20, we are back in narrative mode again. Miriam and Aaron both die in this chapter. Moses strikes the rock to bring out water. But the instructions from the LORD were "command the rock before their eyes to yield its water" (20:8). This got him in trouble with the LORD. Perhaps because the LORD is so often called the Rock, it was as if Moses was striking God rather than trusting God to provide. His punishment is harsh: God says: "Because you did not trust in me, to show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them." These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD and by which he showed his holiness" (20:12-13).
This chapter also records how the Edomites didn't want the Israelites wandering through their territory. In a desert/wilderness environment, thousands of people wandering through would be very disruptive and put major pressure on the natural resources. So the Israelites had to take a different route.
Psalm 46 Another beloved psalm. The choir at All Saints' often sings an introit (choral piece at the beginning as we are about to make our entrance into the church) from this psalm: "Be still and know that I am God" (46:11). The term selah that you may see in your Bible is the Hebrew term for a sort of chorus or musical interlude.
Romans 7--An analogy from marriage begins the chapter. But it is really pretty enigmatic. Paul argues in 7:4
"you have died to the law" [note that the party who dies is YOU, not the Law]
"through the body of Christ" [note two things:
a) the multivalence of the term "body of Christ" as Church, as Eucharistic bread even (I think) as early as Paul was writing Romans, and as the physical body of Jesus that hung on the cross and died; and
b) the ambiguity of the term "through": in what sense through?]
"so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead" [Would this analogy hold together better and make more sense if Paul had written "The law has died to you, leaving you free to belong to another"? Is this what he means?]
Paul claims in 7:6 that the Law held us captive. And he claims not that we are set free but that we are now slaves "in the new life of the Spirit."
Paul realizes that this could make it look like he thought that the law brought about sin, or was bad in some way. He uses the strongest negative that we have in the NT: "By no means!" (7:7). And he explains how the law functions to make it clear that we have sinned, citing the example of the commandment that we should not covet. Sin, not the law, produced covetousness in the sinner, says Paul. I'm not sure if this means something different than the Devil or Satan, or if "Sin" for Paul encompasses its agent. I think of Flip Wilson's famous words: "The devil made me do it!" Paul tries again to explain how it works in 7:11-13:
"For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! [There's that strong negative again.] It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure."
You decide if Paul makes sense here. I think I follow the overall flow of the argument, but not each step or claim separately.
7:14-25 are some of my favorite in the whole book of Romans. It is good to see that Paul struggled, still, with sin. It encourages me to imagine that I also might be able to hope despite my own sin that seems still to creep back into my life though I wish to be fully claimed by Jesus.
Keep in mind how important it is to be aware of Paul's technical uses of ordinary words like "mind," "flesh." Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Paul moves right on forward. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (7:24-5)
Finally, in chapter 20, we are back in narrative mode again. Miriam and Aaron both die in this chapter. Moses strikes the rock to bring out water. But the instructions from the LORD were "command the rock before their eyes to yield its water" (20:8). This got him in trouble with the LORD. Perhaps because the LORD is so often called the Rock, it was as if Moses was striking God rather than trusting God to provide. His punishment is harsh: God says: "Because you did not trust in me, to show my holiness before the eyes of the Israelites, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them." These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the LORD and by which he showed his holiness" (20:12-13).
This chapter also records how the Edomites didn't want the Israelites wandering through their territory. In a desert/wilderness environment, thousands of people wandering through would be very disruptive and put major pressure on the natural resources. So the Israelites had to take a different route.
Psalm 46 Another beloved psalm. The choir at All Saints' often sings an introit (choral piece at the beginning as we are about to make our entrance into the church) from this psalm: "Be still and know that I am God" (46:11). The term selah that you may see in your Bible is the Hebrew term for a sort of chorus or musical interlude.
Romans 7--An analogy from marriage begins the chapter. But it is really pretty enigmatic. Paul argues in 7:4
"you have died to the law" [note that the party who dies is YOU, not the Law]
"through the body of Christ" [note two things:
a) the multivalence of the term "body of Christ" as Church, as Eucharistic bread even (I think) as early as Paul was writing Romans, and as the physical body of Jesus that hung on the cross and died; and
b) the ambiguity of the term "through": in what sense through?]
"so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead" [Would this analogy hold together better and make more sense if Paul had written "The law has died to you, leaving you free to belong to another"? Is this what he means?]
Paul claims in 7:6 that the Law held us captive. And he claims not that we are set free but that we are now slaves "in the new life of the Spirit."
Paul realizes that this could make it look like he thought that the law brought about sin, or was bad in some way. He uses the strongest negative that we have in the NT: "By no means!" (7:7). And he explains how the law functions to make it clear that we have sinned, citing the example of the commandment that we should not covet. Sin, not the law, produced covetousness in the sinner, says Paul. I'm not sure if this means something different than the Devil or Satan, or if "Sin" for Paul encompasses its agent. I think of Flip Wilson's famous words: "The devil made me do it!" Paul tries again to explain how it works in 7:11-13:
"For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! [There's that strong negative again.] It was sin, working death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure."
You decide if Paul makes sense here. I think I follow the overall flow of the argument, but not each step or claim separately.
7:14-25 are some of my favorite in the whole book of Romans. It is good to see that Paul struggled, still, with sin. It encourages me to imagine that I also might be able to hope despite my own sin that seems still to creep back into my life though I wish to be fully claimed by Jesus.
Keep in mind how important it is to be aware of Paul's technical uses of ordinary words like "mind," "flesh." Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Paul moves right on forward. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (7:24-5)
April 28: Numbers 15-17; Psalm 45; Romans 6
Numbers 15-17 The rules about the offerings make them occasions of banqueting, including meat, bread, and wine. Note again the concern for aliens and Israelites having the same rules apply to their sacrifices. Note also the language about sins of omission and sins committed unintentionally, and the difference between community failures and individual sins.
Notice, next, how seriously the community takes the sabbath; and the penalty of stoning a man who gathered sticks on the sabbath. What do you think of that?
And then note the commandment for men to wear fringes on their garments "so that, when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes" (15:39).
In Numbers 16 we have a philosophical controversy. After all the special commandments about the treatment of the Levites in general and the Aaronites in particular, there was an uprising among the "sons of Korah." They bring a bunch of demonstrators to Moses and say: "You have gone too far! All the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. so why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (16:3) Good question! In some ways anticipating the NT idea of "the priesthood of all believers." But Moses doesn't agree. (For one thing, these people were accusing him of failing to deliver on the "land flowing with milk and honey," which was hardly fair) (16:13).
So once again God shows in a quite heavy-handed way who's boss. The Korahites are all swallowed into a sort of sinkhole. Fire consumed them and their incense. The LORD tells Moses in 16:37: "The censers of these sinners have become holy at the cost of their lives."
This outcome seems so over the top that the whole Israelite community rebels against Moses and Aaron. God gets even more angry: "Get away from this congregation," he says, "so that I may consume them in a moment" (16:45). Aaron literally came between God and the people, again with a censer full of incense; but not before 14,000 people died of a plague.
Chapter 17 is another demonstration of the special role of the Levite line and Aaron's priesthood, as a member of each tribe presents a staff; and Aaron's staff was among them. The staff of Levi produced blossoms. (17:8)
The Israelites saw God's hand in that sign; and they feared again for their lives in the presence of the LORD.
Psalm 45 This psalm appears on Tuesday mornings about once a month in the Daily Office of Morning Prayer. It's a genre of psalm known as a "royal psalm" because of its concern with the Israelite monarchy.
Romans 6 A HUGEly important chapter of this letter! Totally appropriately for the Easter season, about dying and rising with Christ. I referred to this chapter in my easter sermon, as we got ready to baptize Maggie.
Notice, next, how seriously the community takes the sabbath; and the penalty of stoning a man who gathered sticks on the sabbath. What do you think of that?
And then note the commandment for men to wear fringes on their garments "so that, when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes" (15:39).
In Numbers 16 we have a philosophical controversy. After all the special commandments about the treatment of the Levites in general and the Aaronites in particular, there was an uprising among the "sons of Korah." They bring a bunch of demonstrators to Moses and say: "You have gone too far! All the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. so why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" (16:3) Good question! In some ways anticipating the NT idea of "the priesthood of all believers." But Moses doesn't agree. (For one thing, these people were accusing him of failing to deliver on the "land flowing with milk and honey," which was hardly fair) (16:13).
So once again God shows in a quite heavy-handed way who's boss. The Korahites are all swallowed into a sort of sinkhole. Fire consumed them and their incense. The LORD tells Moses in 16:37: "The censers of these sinners have become holy at the cost of their lives."
This outcome seems so over the top that the whole Israelite community rebels against Moses and Aaron. God gets even more angry: "Get away from this congregation," he says, "so that I may consume them in a moment" (16:45). Aaron literally came between God and the people, again with a censer full of incense; but not before 14,000 people died of a plague.
Chapter 17 is another demonstration of the special role of the Levite line and Aaron's priesthood, as a member of each tribe presents a staff; and Aaron's staff was among them. The staff of Levi produced blossoms. (17:8)
The Israelites saw God's hand in that sign; and they feared again for their lives in the presence of the LORD.
Psalm 45 This psalm appears on Tuesday mornings about once a month in the Daily Office of Morning Prayer. It's a genre of psalm known as a "royal psalm" because of its concern with the Israelite monarchy.
Romans 6 A HUGEly important chapter of this letter! Totally appropriately for the Easter season, about dying and rising with Christ. I referred to this chapter in my easter sermon, as we got ready to baptize Maggie.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
April 26: Numbers 12-14: Psalm 44; Romans 5
Numbers 12-14 I'm a day behind in posting this blog entry. I heard a parishioner this morning say that the Old Testament readings were really pretty boring right now. But yesterday and today we come into some really excellent narrative again, after a lot of instructions about sacrifices, a lot of counting, and a lot of rules that don't seem particularly relevant for our time.
In Numbers 12 we see family dynamics that feel totally familiar. Three thousand years or so don't seem like fifteen minutes when it comes to sibling competition/rivalry. Every youngest child's fantasy, every eldest child's nightmare, comes to pass as God punishes Miriam and Aaron and vindicates Moses…
But the whole community of Israelites waited until Miriam could re-enter the camp after her brush with leprosy, before they pulled up stakes in Hazeroth and began to move through the wilderness of Paran.
In Numbers 13, we see the spies sent into the land of Canaan. Members of each tribe went on the expedition, bringing back some of the delicious fruits of civilization: grapes, pomegranates, and figs.
Guess how long they were out spying? "Forty days" (13:25). The biblical "long enough" increment.
The report they returned with was mixed. This is a rich land, flowing with milk and honey, but ….
..but "the people who live in the land are strong, and the towns are fortified and very large" and there are giants! (28)
Only Caleb brought the minority report.
In Numbers 14, we see how the people heard only the bad news, not the good news of the spies. Once again they complained: "wouldn't it be better for us just to go back to Egypt?" (14:4)
Now we meet Joshua who, along with Caleb, imagined that it was possible for the Israelites to claim this land of promise. They saw this fearfulness as disobedience/rebellion against God (14:9). Their point of view wasn't very popular: "the whole congregation threatened to stone them" (14:10)
Then God is ready to just give up on the Israelites. But Moses and God have switched roles from Chapter 11, and this time Moses intercedes for God to give the Israelites another chance.
In making his case, Moses reminds God of how God had revealed himself in that classic poetic statement that appears at key points in the Hebrew Bible:
(14:18) The LORD is slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children
to the third and fourth generation.
---and Moses does not add here what the LORD has said, visiting his blessing to the THOUSANDTH generation!
God forgives, but says that none (except Joshua and Caleb) from that generation will see the promised land. And God visits a plague on the fearful spies.
We have a wonderful example of a set of nested quotations here.
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying…
say to the Israelites,
'As I live,' says the LORD,
'I will do to you the very things I heard you say…
Soon afterwards the Israelites said they were sorry and tried to invade the promised land. They were roundly defeated (14:44-45).
Psalm 44 My edition of the NRSV puts the heading "National Lament and Prayer for Help" on this Psalm. There are, indeed, psalms of lament, and this is one of them. The psalmist does not understand why, despite Israel's faithfulness, God seems to be asleep and hiding his face; why, despite "good behavior," they are being taunted and overwhelmed by their enemies.
At the end, the psalmist can only appeal:
Rise up, come to our help.
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.
Romans 5 Here Paul speaks of our being "justified," and that justification having been accomplished by Jesus "through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God" (5:2).
Then Paul articulates--he does not resolve!!!--one of the great paradoxes of human and Christian experience: "…we also boast in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us,
because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Significant words! An early Trinitarian formation, where Father, Son, and Holy Spirit appear.
Significant also for that classically Pauline rhetorical fondness for chained ideas:
suffering -> endurance -> character -> hope.
And here (5:11) Paul moves to the notion of reconciliation being accomplished between God and us.
Then he tries a different way to say what is going on. This time he contrasts the old and new Adam. As if Jesus is Humanity Re-Booted. As if there's a cosmic new start for the human race through Jesus Christ.
The language is so full of "therefores" and "just as-es" and "if-thens" and "much more surely-s" that it is pretty challenging to see where the argument is leading, if anywhere, logically speaking. You can take out a sheet of paper and try to match up the clauses of the sentences, stacking them in parallel one under another. It doesn't quite ever look tidy when I try to do this. Nevertheless, the overall effect is to get the sense that Jesus is, in Paul's estimation, absolutely key to bringing all humanity back from brokenness into glorious relatedness to God.
This is a lot to think about in a single reading. Romans is a letter that bears slow, steady study, kind of the opposite of what we're doing here in our reading of the entire Bible in a year. Still, there's value in getting a passing familiarity with the contents of Paul's letters by reading them a chapter at a time, or even at a single sitting.
In Numbers 12 we see family dynamics that feel totally familiar. Three thousand years or so don't seem like fifteen minutes when it comes to sibling competition/rivalry. Every youngest child's fantasy, every eldest child's nightmare, comes to pass as God punishes Miriam and Aaron and vindicates Moses…
But the whole community of Israelites waited until Miriam could re-enter the camp after her brush with leprosy, before they pulled up stakes in Hazeroth and began to move through the wilderness of Paran.
In Numbers 13, we see the spies sent into the land of Canaan. Members of each tribe went on the expedition, bringing back some of the delicious fruits of civilization: grapes, pomegranates, and figs.
Guess how long they were out spying? "Forty days" (13:25). The biblical "long enough" increment.
The report they returned with was mixed. This is a rich land, flowing with milk and honey, but ….
..but "the people who live in the land are strong, and the towns are fortified and very large" and there are giants! (28)
Only Caleb brought the minority report.
In Numbers 14, we see how the people heard only the bad news, not the good news of the spies. Once again they complained: "wouldn't it be better for us just to go back to Egypt?" (14:4)
Now we meet Joshua who, along with Caleb, imagined that it was possible for the Israelites to claim this land of promise. They saw this fearfulness as disobedience/rebellion against God (14:9). Their point of view wasn't very popular: "the whole congregation threatened to stone them" (14:10)
Then God is ready to just give up on the Israelites. But Moses and God have switched roles from Chapter 11, and this time Moses intercedes for God to give the Israelites another chance.
In making his case, Moses reminds God of how God had revealed himself in that classic poetic statement that appears at key points in the Hebrew Bible:
(14:18) The LORD is slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children
to the third and fourth generation.
---and Moses does not add here what the LORD has said, visiting his blessing to the THOUSANDTH generation!
God forgives, but says that none (except Joshua and Caleb) from that generation will see the promised land. And God visits a plague on the fearful spies.
We have a wonderful example of a set of nested quotations here.
The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying…
say to the Israelites,
'As I live,' says the LORD,
'I will do to you the very things I heard you say…
Soon afterwards the Israelites said they were sorry and tried to invade the promised land. They were roundly defeated (14:44-45).
Psalm 44 My edition of the NRSV puts the heading "National Lament and Prayer for Help" on this Psalm. There are, indeed, psalms of lament, and this is one of them. The psalmist does not understand why, despite Israel's faithfulness, God seems to be asleep and hiding his face; why, despite "good behavior," they are being taunted and overwhelmed by their enemies.
At the end, the psalmist can only appeal:
Rise up, come to our help.
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.
Romans 5 Here Paul speaks of our being "justified," and that justification having been accomplished by Jesus "through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God" (5:2).
Then Paul articulates--he does not resolve!!!--one of the great paradoxes of human and Christian experience: "…we also boast in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us,
because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Significant words! An early Trinitarian formation, where Father, Son, and Holy Spirit appear.
Significant also for that classically Pauline rhetorical fondness for chained ideas:
suffering -> endurance -> character -> hope.
And here (5:11) Paul moves to the notion of reconciliation being accomplished between God and us.
Then he tries a different way to say what is going on. This time he contrasts the old and new Adam. As if Jesus is Humanity Re-Booted. As if there's a cosmic new start for the human race through Jesus Christ.
The language is so full of "therefores" and "just as-es" and "if-thens" and "much more surely-s" that it is pretty challenging to see where the argument is leading, if anywhere, logically speaking. You can take out a sheet of paper and try to match up the clauses of the sentences, stacking them in parallel one under another. It doesn't quite ever look tidy when I try to do this. Nevertheless, the overall effect is to get the sense that Jesus is, in Paul's estimation, absolutely key to bringing all humanity back from brokenness into glorious relatedness to God.
This is a lot to think about in a single reading. Romans is a letter that bears slow, steady study, kind of the opposite of what we're doing here in our reading of the entire Bible in a year. Still, there's value in getting a passing familiarity with the contents of Paul's letters by reading them a chapter at a time, or even at a single sitting.
April 25: Numbers 9-11, Psalm 43, Romans 4
Numbers 9-11 Ch. 9 is about the first keeping of the Passover. As with any first run through a ritual, there arise questions. What about people who can't keep the Passover because there has been a death in their family? Moses says (9:9): "Wait, so that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you. They are to keep it later, when they are no longer unclean. Aliens who wish to do so may also keep the Passover, following the same rules (9:14)
In Ch. 10, the Israelites set off again, and the text has descriptions of how the pillar of cloud and fire signals a move, and how special silver trumpets are to be blown so that the Levites can properly pack up the Tent of Meeting.
Numbers 11 is one of the most important chapters in the Book of Numbers. It gives a colorful description of the foods the Israelites left behind in Egypt. The honeymoon is over, and they are tired of manna. Moses is frustrated at the complaining, feeling caught between God and the people (11:10 and following). He finally says: "If this is the way you are going to treat me put me to death at once--if I have found favor in your sight--and do not let me see my misery." (11:15)
So this is where Moses learns about the importance of sharing leadership. The LORD gives his spirit to the 70 elders appointed to help Moses lead. This is one of the readings that traditionally is part of ordinations. "Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!" says Moses.
Finally, this chapter has a very insightful commentary on craving. God sends quails since the people wanted meat. So many quails that it was overwhelming. "But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was consumed…" things were falling apart, and the people were consumed by a plague. Psalm 78 is a commentary on the way the people's cravings couldn't be satisfied, esp. 78:26-32.
Psalm 43 This is the second half of a single psalm that actually began in Ps. 42. I'm not sure why they were separated into two psalms. Note how the refrain of 43:5 is a repetition of the refrain in 42:5 and 11.
Romans 4 Paul writes about the example of Abraham who trusted in God and was deemed righteous. Paul says we are all like Abraham in that respect.
If you are making a list of Paul's technical vocabulary, you will see many familiar words:
Flesh (4:1)
Justified (4:2)
Works (4:2,5,6)
Boasting (4:2)*
believing (4:3,18) *
reckoning (4:3,9,10,11) *
righteousness (4:3,9,11, 13) *
Faith (4:9,11,12,13,19,20)
Law (4:13,14,15
Grace (4:16
Remember that in Greek, "believing" and "faith" have the same root form.
Note that 4:20 speaks of "distrust" but a less elegant translation, connecting this word, too, to the same root, would be "disbelief"
And the idea of "faith reckoned to someone as righteousness" appears and receives further explanation in vss. 20-25.
In Ch. 10, the Israelites set off again, and the text has descriptions of how the pillar of cloud and fire signals a move, and how special silver trumpets are to be blown so that the Levites can properly pack up the Tent of Meeting.
Numbers 11 is one of the most important chapters in the Book of Numbers. It gives a colorful description of the foods the Israelites left behind in Egypt. The honeymoon is over, and they are tired of manna. Moses is frustrated at the complaining, feeling caught between God and the people (11:10 and following). He finally says: "If this is the way you are going to treat me put me to death at once--if I have found favor in your sight--and do not let me see my misery." (11:15)
So this is where Moses learns about the importance of sharing leadership. The LORD gives his spirit to the 70 elders appointed to help Moses lead. This is one of the readings that traditionally is part of ordinations. "Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!" says Moses.
Finally, this chapter has a very insightful commentary on craving. God sends quails since the people wanted meat. So many quails that it was overwhelming. "But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was consumed…" things were falling apart, and the people were consumed by a plague. Psalm 78 is a commentary on the way the people's cravings couldn't be satisfied, esp. 78:26-32.
Psalm 43 This is the second half of a single psalm that actually began in Ps. 42. I'm not sure why they were separated into two psalms. Note how the refrain of 43:5 is a repetition of the refrain in 42:5 and 11.
Romans 4 Paul writes about the example of Abraham who trusted in God and was deemed righteous. Paul says we are all like Abraham in that respect.
If you are making a list of Paul's technical vocabulary, you will see many familiar words:
Flesh (4:1)
Justified (4:2)
Works (4:2,5,6)
Boasting (4:2)*
believing (4:3,18) *
reckoning (4:3,9,10,11) *
righteousness (4:3,9,11, 13) *
Faith (4:9,11,12,13,19,20)
Law (4:13,14,15
Grace (4:16
Remember that in Greek, "believing" and "faith" have the same root form.
Note that 4:20 speaks of "distrust" but a less elegant translation, connecting this word, too, to the same root, would be "disbelief"
And the idea of "faith reckoned to someone as righteousness" appears and receives further explanation in vss. 20-25.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
April 24: Numbers 6-8; Psalm 42; Romans 3
Numbers 6-8 Here we come to the provisions for Nazarites. Nazarites are people, male or female, who are under a particularly rigorous kind of vow to God, either for life or, more commonly, for a particular amount of time. Some famous lifelong-from the womb Nazarites are Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist.
Chapter 7 is full of descriptions of what representatives of each tribe gave as offerings for the service of the Tent of Meeting and the support of the Levites. I am curious if anybody had done an evaluation of what all those offerings were worth. Each representative gives exactly the same list of items, but each gift is catalogued in its entirety.
Chapter 8 is about the Seven Lamps for the Tabernacle. The figure of 7 lamps becomes important for Christians in the Book of Revelation. These lamps must have been truly works of art: "made, out of hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lamp stand." (8:4).
Finally, there are provisions for the consecration of the Levites and their "separation." Note how, in the Torah, consecration for God's purposes virtually always involves separation, splitting off, from a larger part of the community. Note how that is one of the driving themes also of the creation story, until the human beings have been separated out of the rest of the mammals, as servants of the LORD and bearers of the LORD's image.
Psalm 42 A psalm beloved through the millennia. We have many choral versions of this psalm about our souls longing for God "like as the hart longeth for the water brooks" (42:1) This psalm and the one following belong together literarily. The refrain of 42:5 recurs through both psalms. I think this is how the numbering of the Roman Catholic psalms, the Jewish psalms and the Protestant psalms come to differ by one, as some traditions put Psalms 42 and 3 into one psalm.
Romans 3 St. Paul continues to drive home the point that NONE is righteous; that ALL have sinned, and that God is just and good. A major summarizing statement of this chapter occurs in vss. 23ff: "Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith." The barriers between Jew and Gentile, so important in part because of the principle of "separation" and holiness we just noted in our reading of Numbers, are tumbling down in the context of God's grace.
As you read Romans, you will notice that Paul has a tendency to create his own technical terms, often borrowing terms that are familiar in other contexts and giving them special meanings in his own writings. You might find it helpful to keep a list and to remember not to over-generalize, but to let the terms bear the meaning that Paul intends for them.
Chapter 7 is full of descriptions of what representatives of each tribe gave as offerings for the service of the Tent of Meeting and the support of the Levites. I am curious if anybody had done an evaluation of what all those offerings were worth. Each representative gives exactly the same list of items, but each gift is catalogued in its entirety.
Chapter 8 is about the Seven Lamps for the Tabernacle. The figure of 7 lamps becomes important for Christians in the Book of Revelation. These lamps must have been truly works of art: "made, out of hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lamp stand." (8:4).
Finally, there are provisions for the consecration of the Levites and their "separation." Note how, in the Torah, consecration for God's purposes virtually always involves separation, splitting off, from a larger part of the community. Note how that is one of the driving themes also of the creation story, until the human beings have been separated out of the rest of the mammals, as servants of the LORD and bearers of the LORD's image.
Psalm 42 A psalm beloved through the millennia. We have many choral versions of this psalm about our souls longing for God "like as the hart longeth for the water brooks" (42:1) This psalm and the one following belong together literarily. The refrain of 42:5 recurs through both psalms. I think this is how the numbering of the Roman Catholic psalms, the Jewish psalms and the Protestant psalms come to differ by one, as some traditions put Psalms 42 and 3 into one psalm.
Romans 3 St. Paul continues to drive home the point that NONE is righteous; that ALL have sinned, and that God is just and good. A major summarizing statement of this chapter occurs in vss. 23ff: "Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith." The barriers between Jew and Gentile, so important in part because of the principle of "separation" and holiness we just noted in our reading of Numbers, are tumbling down in the context of God's grace.
As you read Romans, you will notice that Paul has a tendency to create his own technical terms, often borrowing terms that are familiar in other contexts and giving them special meanings in his own writings. You might find it helpful to keep a list and to remember not to over-generalize, but to let the terms bear the meaning that Paul intends for them.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
April 23: Numbers 4-5; Psalm 41; Romans 2
Psalm 41 I think it would be a mistake to read the psalmist's expectation of healing in the psalm as a quid pro quo for his "considering" (41:1) the poor. But it might be easy to do.
Note that v. 13 is not actually part of this psalm, but rather a blessing that falls between divisions/sections of the Book of Psalm.
Numbers 4-5 Note that the Kohathites, Gershonites and Merarites all have separate special assignments. And note that the work is to be done by men ages 30 - 50 (4:3), that is, when they are in the prime of life. The jobs of these clans of the tribe of Levi are not only spiritually important but also physically demanding. They are in charge of the tent of meeting, presumably of transporting it from camp to camp and setting it up and taking it down. Some have responsibility for the contents of the tent, some for elements of the altar, others for other sacred objects, and some for the tent itself.
Note how Numbers 5 is about unfortunate/broken things: what must be done with unclean persons; what must be done when one person wrongs another; what must be done when marriages fall apart. This is one of the places where I find that the tradition is very skewed against women. Sometimes we need to ask: when are rules that are prescribed in the Bible for the time and circumstances of the Israelites only? When are they universal in their application? Even then, how do we take the spirit of these texts and make it work in our time and circumstances? Ch. 5 describes what's sometimes called a "trial by ordeal." Only women are expected to have to prove themselves in this way.
Romans 2 As we read Paul's letters, we will have to be wide awake for "therefore"s! One begins this chapter: "Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others, for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge,are doing the very same things." (2:1)
Paul says we are all stuck in sin, and God is merciful.
Note how he deals with the situation of those who don't know the God of Israel and His Son (2:9-11): "There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality."
Pay close attention to the discussion of the obligations to the Law (the Torah) that come with being Jewish. Note what Paul says it is supposed to do, and what, in actual fact, it is able to accomplish in people's lives. This is why, Paul thinks, we need a Savior. What we cannot do for ourselves, God accomplishes on our behalf.
By the way, Sandi and others who may be reading this: I would value your comments or thoughts. If you leave comments, I will make a good effort to respond.
Note that v. 13 is not actually part of this psalm, but rather a blessing that falls between divisions/sections of the Book of Psalm.
Numbers 4-5 Note that the Kohathites, Gershonites and Merarites all have separate special assignments. And note that the work is to be done by men ages 30 - 50 (4:3), that is, when they are in the prime of life. The jobs of these clans of the tribe of Levi are not only spiritually important but also physically demanding. They are in charge of the tent of meeting, presumably of transporting it from camp to camp and setting it up and taking it down. Some have responsibility for the contents of the tent, some for elements of the altar, others for other sacred objects, and some for the tent itself.
Note how Numbers 5 is about unfortunate/broken things: what must be done with unclean persons; what must be done when one person wrongs another; what must be done when marriages fall apart. This is one of the places where I find that the tradition is very skewed against women. Sometimes we need to ask: when are rules that are prescribed in the Bible for the time and circumstances of the Israelites only? When are they universal in their application? Even then, how do we take the spirit of these texts and make it work in our time and circumstances? Ch. 5 describes what's sometimes called a "trial by ordeal." Only women are expected to have to prove themselves in this way.
Romans 2 As we read Paul's letters, we will have to be wide awake for "therefore"s! One begins this chapter: "Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others, for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge,are doing the very same things." (2:1)
Paul says we are all stuck in sin, and God is merciful.
Note how he deals with the situation of those who don't know the God of Israel and His Son (2:9-11): "There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality."
Pay close attention to the discussion of the obligations to the Law (the Torah) that come with being Jewish. Note what Paul says it is supposed to do, and what, in actual fact, it is able to accomplish in people's lives. This is why, Paul thinks, we need a Savior. What we cannot do for ourselves, God accomplishes on our behalf.
By the way, Sandi and others who may be reading this: I would value your comments or thoughts. If you leave comments, I will make a good effort to respond.
Monday, April 21, 2014
April 22: Numbers 1-3, Psalm 40, Romans 1
Numbers 1-3 We are on to the fourth book of the Torah. Its name comes from the "numbering" of the Israelites. Read these with amazement that we have these lists of names of people who lived thousands of years ago. I once heard a story about a woman who decided that God indeed cared for her and that she should follow Jesus because of all of those names. "If God cared enough for these Israelites to have their names recorded and remembered to this day, perhaps God may actually care for me…"
Note in 1:48ff that the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe, has very specific and different responsibilities from the other tribes.
And note how in Ch. 3 the Levites function as substitutes for firstborn Israelites of the other tribes:
3:40-41: "Then the LORD said to Moses: Enroll all the firstborn males of the Israelites, from a myth old and upward, and count their names. But you shall accept the Levites for me--I am the LORD--as substitutes for all the firstborn among the Israelites." And to "balance the books" money needed to be offered in exchange for the firstborn among the other 11 tribes that weren't "covered" by a Levite. Here's an example of how the ritual and the technical converge. How totally human...
Psalm 40 The imagery of this psalm is beloved.
"He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure." (40:2)
I got caught once, when I was a child, in quicksand, and it was terrifying. I was glad my father was nearby to pull me out. And as a driver I've been caught in mud (and a couple of times!) in snow where I was really stuck. What a picture! God putting our feet on rock!
40:6-9 are quoted in the New Testament of Jesus.
40:9-10 are in a sense about evangelism: about making public all the ways that God has helped us.
The psalmist says he "has not restrained [his] lips"--it's really about the same feeling expressed in the beloved folk hymn: "How can I keep from singing?"
look at all the words about: faithfulness, salvation, steadfast love, mercy.
40:13--a verse absolutely beloved by the Desert Fathers. One of the prayers that they repeated almost in the way that Hindus repeated a mantra. It was a prayer they prayed without ceasing all day long. And we hear its echoes in our Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer: "O God make speed to save us; O Lord, make haste to help us."
Romans 1 Here we move to a very different genre from the Gospels. Most of Paul's letters were written from a decade to 40 years before the Gospels. Though Paul is writing to specific churches often about very specific problems that have come up, he assumes that the recipients of these letters know the stories of Jesus. Paul writes about the meaning and significance of the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Keep in mind, also, that Romans is his most abstract (or general) letter, partly because he was writing to Christians he'd never met. He hadn't been to meet the Roman Christians yet, though he had planned to get to Rome on his next journey. This gives him a chance to tell them what he believes are the most important elements of the faith that they share.
He starts in Chapter 1 with where we are as human beings prior to the coming of Jesus.
EVERYBODY starts out as a sinner in need of God's grace, and completely undeserving of that grace.
April 21: Catch up; Psalm 39, Mark 16
We will have some catching up to do. My last blog post was for April 17.
I may in the future edit this post to add something about Leviticus 22-27, but I think it's more important to move forward. Our celebration of Easter day was glorious. Preparation for the Easter Triduum (Maundy Thursday to Easter morning) took precedence over this blog.
Psalm 39
39:1--what a challenge it is to "keep a muzzle on my mouth" sometimes!
39:12--This is a rather unusual figure of speech: "I am your passing guest, an alien like all my forebears."
39:13--and this is even rarer, quite paradoxical, actually. Usually we see the psalmist begging for God to see, to notice. Yet the gaze of the Holy One can be overwhelming at times, and so he writes: "Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again…"
Mark 16
Here we get to the last chapter of the second Gospel. This is Mark's account of the resurrection. It might be helpful here to explain that we have multiple endings for the Gospel of Mark in different manuscripts. Remember: we do not have any absolutely definitive text: complete, written in the hand of the original writer, corrected for mistakes. Our oldest manuscripts are from late in the 2nd century CE. This means that scholars have to do their best to figure out what the best texts are. Or they need to do what the editors of the NRSV have done and label the verses after 16:8 "The shorter ending of Mark" and "The longer ending of Mark."
What it truly remarkable about the end of the Gospel of Mark (the tradition that ends the gospel after v. 8 is the strongest--and then many scholars wonder if there may be a part of the manuscript that went missing) is that Jesus does not himself appear. The angels share the good news: "You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here." (16:6)
Brendan Byrne says about this: "Perhaps the odd ending of the gospel, the breaking off in mid sentence, so to speak, is an invitation to allow our own lives to be written into the ongoing story--so that we too can be not only beneficiaries but also servants of God's costly outreach to the world" (Byrne, A Costly Freedom, p. 259).
I may in the future edit this post to add something about Leviticus 22-27, but I think it's more important to move forward. Our celebration of Easter day was glorious. Preparation for the Easter Triduum (Maundy Thursday to Easter morning) took precedence over this blog.
Psalm 39
39:1--what a challenge it is to "keep a muzzle on my mouth" sometimes!
39:12--This is a rather unusual figure of speech: "I am your passing guest, an alien like all my forebears."
39:13--and this is even rarer, quite paradoxical, actually. Usually we see the psalmist begging for God to see, to notice. Yet the gaze of the Holy One can be overwhelming at times, and so he writes: "Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again…"
Mark 16
Here we get to the last chapter of the second Gospel. This is Mark's account of the resurrection. It might be helpful here to explain that we have multiple endings for the Gospel of Mark in different manuscripts. Remember: we do not have any absolutely definitive text: complete, written in the hand of the original writer, corrected for mistakes. Our oldest manuscripts are from late in the 2nd century CE. This means that scholars have to do their best to figure out what the best texts are. Or they need to do what the editors of the NRSV have done and label the verses after 16:8 "The shorter ending of Mark" and "The longer ending of Mark."
What it truly remarkable about the end of the Gospel of Mark (the tradition that ends the gospel after v. 8 is the strongest--and then many scholars wonder if there may be a part of the manuscript that went missing) is that Jesus does not himself appear. The angels share the good news: "You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here." (16:6)
Brendan Byrne says about this: "Perhaps the odd ending of the gospel, the breaking off in mid sentence, so to speak, is an invitation to allow our own lives to be written into the ongoing story--so that we too can be not only beneficiaries but also servants of God's costly outreach to the world" (Byrne, A Costly Freedom, p. 259).
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
April 17: Leviticus 19-21; Psalm 37:1-17; Mark 13
Leviticus 19-21
Notice how the rationale for the behavior that is commanded is worded: (19:2) You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
Then there is a brief summary of some of the ten commandments: honor your parents; keep the sabbath; do not make idols.
Then there are instructions about sacrifices and how to eat them honoring the LORD. The food is to be eaten on the same day as the sacrifice or the day after. I would think this was merely a prudent health instruction. But its placement right before the rules about not reaping the fields to the very edge, but leaving some grain for the "poor and alien" (19:10) leads me to wonder if this is a commandment about the communal nature of Israelite life. A "sacrifice of wellbeing" is not (in a sense) urgent. It should be eaten with a big enough group, perhaps, so that it's all eaten up. It's an excuse for a party, a celebration; and that's a communal event. Maybe the best thing is to invite someone who doesn't have meat of his or her own???
Then notice how many of the instructions that follow are also about living in ways that make a community operate smoothly, as well as about living in ways that keep the community of Israel from mingling with the tribes in the surrounding areas.
The flip side of the coin of all these community-building and community-protecting rules is the sanctions that are to be brought down on those in the community who violate the rules. The sanctions are harsh. (20:2--"the people of the land shall stone them to death"; 20:5--"I (God) will set my face against them, and will cut them off from the people. Another punishment is childlessness--again, a way of cutting off someone's future memory.
The notion of holiness includes "separateness" and "distinctiveness" (20:25, 26).
If the nation is to be holy, how much more the priests…to the point that, like sacrificial animals, priests must also be "unblemished" (21:16). There was little regard for the dignity or humanity of the disabled…
Psalm 37:1-17
This was the subject of the first sermon I remember listening to as having God's words for me at that moment of my life. I heard a pastor of a small church on the shore of Lake Memphramagog--can't remember if it was an Episcopal church in Vermont or an Anglican church in Quebec; but the topic of the sermon was "Fret not thyself because of the wicked…" It was about not letting things make us anxious that we really could turn over and trust that God would take care of.
Mark 13 The disciple of 13:1 wasn't kidding about the size of the stones of the temple. The foundation stones are still to be seen in Jerusalem and they are HUGE and solid. But I think they are mostly re-built. The destruction of the Temple in 70 CE was pretty thorough.
Very close to Jesus' last days, the disciples are asking him about THE last days--in the context of the thing (the destruction of the Temple) that they can only picture as the end of the world as they know it. Jesus calls all the violence and unrest "the beginning of the birth pangs" (13:8). I wonder what kind of birth he was envisioning: the birth of the Kingdom of God in its fullness?
Jesus says in this context: (13:29-31) "So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." We probably need to talk about this. What is "this generation"? What does Jesus mean by "all these things" taking place? What does he mean about his words not passing away? We can all imagine that lots of the things that Jesus said weren't recorded and don't come down to us today. Have those things passed away?
Finally, Jesus pleads ignorance "about the day or hour" when "the time will come". His instruction is, therefore, to "keep awake!" To be always ready for the coming of "the master of the house." We should not be wasting a bunch of time trying to fix dates for a literal return of Christ. We need, instead, to be living faithfully and consistently, every day and minute.
Notice how the rationale for the behavior that is commanded is worded: (19:2) You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
Then there is a brief summary of some of the ten commandments: honor your parents; keep the sabbath; do not make idols.
Then there are instructions about sacrifices and how to eat them honoring the LORD. The food is to be eaten on the same day as the sacrifice or the day after. I would think this was merely a prudent health instruction. But its placement right before the rules about not reaping the fields to the very edge, but leaving some grain for the "poor and alien" (19:10) leads me to wonder if this is a commandment about the communal nature of Israelite life. A "sacrifice of wellbeing" is not (in a sense) urgent. It should be eaten with a big enough group, perhaps, so that it's all eaten up. It's an excuse for a party, a celebration; and that's a communal event. Maybe the best thing is to invite someone who doesn't have meat of his or her own???
Then notice how many of the instructions that follow are also about living in ways that make a community operate smoothly, as well as about living in ways that keep the community of Israel from mingling with the tribes in the surrounding areas.
The flip side of the coin of all these community-building and community-protecting rules is the sanctions that are to be brought down on those in the community who violate the rules. The sanctions are harsh. (20:2--"the people of the land shall stone them to death"; 20:5--"I (God) will set my face against them, and will cut them off from the people. Another punishment is childlessness--again, a way of cutting off someone's future memory.
The notion of holiness includes "separateness" and "distinctiveness" (20:25, 26).
If the nation is to be holy, how much more the priests…to the point that, like sacrificial animals, priests must also be "unblemished" (21:16). There was little regard for the dignity or humanity of the disabled…
Psalm 37:1-17
This was the subject of the first sermon I remember listening to as having God's words for me at that moment of my life. I heard a pastor of a small church on the shore of Lake Memphramagog--can't remember if it was an Episcopal church in Vermont or an Anglican church in Quebec; but the topic of the sermon was "Fret not thyself because of the wicked…" It was about not letting things make us anxious that we really could turn over and trust that God would take care of.
Mark 13 The disciple of 13:1 wasn't kidding about the size of the stones of the temple. The foundation stones are still to be seen in Jerusalem and they are HUGE and solid. But I think they are mostly re-built. The destruction of the Temple in 70 CE was pretty thorough.
Very close to Jesus' last days, the disciples are asking him about THE last days--in the context of the thing (the destruction of the Temple) that they can only picture as the end of the world as they know it. Jesus calls all the violence and unrest "the beginning of the birth pangs" (13:8). I wonder what kind of birth he was envisioning: the birth of the Kingdom of God in its fullness?
Jesus says in this context: (13:29-31) "So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." We probably need to talk about this. What is "this generation"? What does Jesus mean by "all these things" taking place? What does he mean about his words not passing away? We can all imagine that lots of the things that Jesus said weren't recorded and don't come down to us today. Have those things passed away?
Finally, Jesus pleads ignorance "about the day or hour" when "the time will come". His instruction is, therefore, to "keep awake!" To be always ready for the coming of "the master of the house." We should not be wasting a bunch of time trying to fix dates for a literal return of Christ. We need, instead, to be living faithfully and consistently, every day and minute.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
April 16: Leviticus 16-18; Psalm 36; Mark 12
This is Tuesday in Holy Week. The Collect of the day follows:
O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Leviticus 16-18 Interesting to be reading about the Day of Atonement during the week when Jesus offers himself as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world…Interesting that it is Passover, and not Yom Kippur that is the holy day on which the story of Jesus is focused. This bears some more thinking about!
Are we to read Leviticus 17 to mean that ALL meat that the Israelites ate was sacrificed first to the LORD?
And notice how the chapter on "sexual relations" begins with the words: (18:3) You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes." Sexual behavior is part of the way that God sets apart for himself a people, and makes sure that they don't mingle with people with different religious loyalties. There are then laws about incest. Interestingly, behaviors that are proscribed here are behaviors that the Patriarchs participated in. ("You shall not take a woman as a rival to her sister" 18:18--remember Jacob and the pain that Rachel and Leah had as two sisters each longing for Jacob's attention and respect and love.)
Finally, notice how the land will "vomit" the people out if they commit what this text calls "abominations."
Psalm 36 The Bible really doesn't have much good to say about people who "flatter themselves in their own eyes" (36:2). But those who trust God and have a proper sense of their "creatureliness" are surrounded by his steadfast love (hesed in Hebrew) and his care.
Mark 12 1. Notice that Jesus is still telling parables, even (especially??) during his last week with his disciples. As we move into the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible, we will see that there is a long tradition of presenting Israel as a vineyard. This parable of the vineyard (12:1-12) is so sad. In the context of Jesus cursing the fig tree and cleansing the Temple, the anger of the owner of the vineyard (12:9) is especially troubling. Again, I realize how uncomfortable I am with the notion of the wrath of God.
2. Then, in 12:18, the Sadducees (who don't believe in the resurrection) come up with a hypothetical story about a woman who is married, in succession, to 7 brothers, as each dies leaving her childless. It's a biblical "shaggy dog story" and it is a case of someone worrying much more about the rules than about the wellbeing of the individuals involved.
3. I never paid attention before to the fact that Mark places this discussion of 12:28 about the Greatest Commandment in Holy Week. Love God, love neighbor. Those who seek to live this way are "not far from the kingdom of God."
4. Then we see, finally, how people who ARE far from the Kingdom: hypocritical and taking advantage of the poorest of the poor--are contrasted with behavior that is the pinnacle of Kingdom living. The widow who gave everything to God's work is the best exemplar of a faithful subject of the Kingdom.
O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Leviticus 16-18 Interesting to be reading about the Day of Atonement during the week when Jesus offers himself as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world…Interesting that it is Passover, and not Yom Kippur that is the holy day on which the story of Jesus is focused. This bears some more thinking about!
Are we to read Leviticus 17 to mean that ALL meat that the Israelites ate was sacrificed first to the LORD?
And notice how the chapter on "sexual relations" begins with the words: (18:3) You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes." Sexual behavior is part of the way that God sets apart for himself a people, and makes sure that they don't mingle with people with different religious loyalties. There are then laws about incest. Interestingly, behaviors that are proscribed here are behaviors that the Patriarchs participated in. ("You shall not take a woman as a rival to her sister" 18:18--remember Jacob and the pain that Rachel and Leah had as two sisters each longing for Jacob's attention and respect and love.)
Finally, notice how the land will "vomit" the people out if they commit what this text calls "abominations."
Psalm 36 The Bible really doesn't have much good to say about people who "flatter themselves in their own eyes" (36:2). But those who trust God and have a proper sense of their "creatureliness" are surrounded by his steadfast love (hesed in Hebrew) and his care.
Mark 12 1. Notice that Jesus is still telling parables, even (especially??) during his last week with his disciples. As we move into the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible, we will see that there is a long tradition of presenting Israel as a vineyard. This parable of the vineyard (12:1-12) is so sad. In the context of Jesus cursing the fig tree and cleansing the Temple, the anger of the owner of the vineyard (12:9) is especially troubling. Again, I realize how uncomfortable I am with the notion of the wrath of God.
2. Then, in 12:18, the Sadducees (who don't believe in the resurrection) come up with a hypothetical story about a woman who is married, in succession, to 7 brothers, as each dies leaving her childless. It's a biblical "shaggy dog story" and it is a case of someone worrying much more about the rules than about the wellbeing of the individuals involved.
3. I never paid attention before to the fact that Mark places this discussion of 12:28 about the Greatest Commandment in Holy Week. Love God, love neighbor. Those who seek to live this way are "not far from the kingdom of God."
4. Then we see, finally, how people who ARE far from the Kingdom: hypocritical and taking advantage of the poorest of the poor--are contrasted with behavior that is the pinnacle of Kingdom living. The widow who gave everything to God's work is the best exemplar of a faithful subject of the Kingdom.
Monday, April 14, 2014
April 15: Leviticus 13-15; Psalm 35; Mark 11
Leviticus 13-15. These passages help us understand the language of the Gospels where Jesus "cleanses" people with "leprosy" rather than "healing" them. Leprosy doesn't necessarily mean Hansen's Disease only, but other kinds of skin diseases. I'm reminded of the time that my sister and I got impetigo and couldn't go to school until it had healed; or the time my own kids got ringworm from a kitten. In a close-knit community of nomads, there had to be provisions to keep infectious diseases from spreading.
The other major topic of these chapters is ritual/ceremonial uncleanness. The discharges that are dealt with here: especially semen and menstrual blood, have to do with creating life and reproductive organs; and the boundary conditions of life and death seem to confer ritual uncleanness on already-living members of the community.
Psalm 35. Another prayer for God to defend the psalmist against his enemies. After a long legal battle that extended over a decade and climaxed with an 8 week jury trial, my husband came to appreciate these psalms in a very personal way.
Mark 11. Our readings come into synch with Holy Week, as we read Mark's account of the Triumphal Entry.
What are we to make of the cursing of the fig tree by Jesus? Was he just in a grumpy mood? After all, it was early spring--Passover time. You wouldn't expect to find figs on a tree in the spring. Commentators have tried to say that it only makes sense if Jesus is employing the fig tree as a symbol of the house of Israel, whose religious and political leaders have, in his estimation, failed spectacularly to yield the fruits of the Kingdom of God.
We come next to the cleansing of the temple, with Jesus insisting that it not be a place of commerce, but rather a place of "prayer for all the nations" (11:17).
And by the end of the chapter, as another day passes, the question of the source of Jesus' authority comes to the fore.
The other major topic of these chapters is ritual/ceremonial uncleanness. The discharges that are dealt with here: especially semen and menstrual blood, have to do with creating life and reproductive organs; and the boundary conditions of life and death seem to confer ritual uncleanness on already-living members of the community.
Psalm 35. Another prayer for God to defend the psalmist against his enemies. After a long legal battle that extended over a decade and climaxed with an 8 week jury trial, my husband came to appreciate these psalms in a very personal way.
Mark 11. Our readings come into synch with Holy Week, as we read Mark's account of the Triumphal Entry.
What are we to make of the cursing of the fig tree by Jesus? Was he just in a grumpy mood? After all, it was early spring--Passover time. You wouldn't expect to find figs on a tree in the spring. Commentators have tried to say that it only makes sense if Jesus is employing the fig tree as a symbol of the house of Israel, whose religious and political leaders have, in his estimation, failed spectacularly to yield the fruits of the Kingdom of God.
We come next to the cleansing of the temple, with Jesus insisting that it not be a place of commerce, but rather a place of "prayer for all the nations" (11:17).
And by the end of the chapter, as another day passes, the question of the source of Jesus' authority comes to the fore.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
April 14: Leviticus 10-12; Psalm 34; Mark 9-10
Leviticus 10-12
I am reminded as I read the story of Nadab and Abihu of the statement about Aslan, the Christ figure in CS Lewis's Narnia books: "He is not a tame lion!" And still more, of the exchange between Susan and Mrs. Beaver. Susan: "Oooh, is he [Aslan] safe?" Mrs. Beaver: "…he is not safe, but he is good."
Except to our 21st century eyes the LORD here seems almost petty and I find myself on the verge of judging God as too harsh and arbitrary in his punishment.
There follows the basic statements about clean and unclean animals, and the animals that it is permitted for the Israelites to eat. The distinction was assumed as early as the Noah story in Genesis, but not clearly articulated until here.
Again, Prof. Christine Hayes' lecture may be helpful in a charitable and informed reading of Leviticus 12. The distinction between RITUAL uncleanness and guilt is helpful. Childbirth and menstruation render a woman RITUALLY unclean, as do many things having to do with blood and bodily fluids. But they do not make a person guilty.
Psalm 34
This is a psalm that expresses joy that God has brought the psalmist safely through hard times. Again, I think of Anne Lamott's taxonomy of prayer: "Help! Thanks! Wow!" and realize that there are psalms that fit into each of those categories.
"Taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him." (34:8)
and also:
"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit." (34:18)
How reassuring that is!
Mark 9-10
What do you think 9:1 means about "the Kingdom of God" coming "with power"?
I think we're rushing through this reading of Mark's Gospel in part so that we can reach the parts of the Gospel that take place during Holy Week, as we are now in Holy Week, though this year in our church we read from Matthew's Gospel.
So here we come upon the Transfiguration and the prediction of Christ's death that follows that beautiful and mysterious event.
Notice the importance of Elijah (9:9 ff). He is a figure that is hugely important in Judaism. The passover table leaves a setting open for Elijah.
9:32--After Jesus says he will be assassinated, what do you think of the disciples' response?
9:33 ff--and look at how the disciples' cluelessness is reinforced by Mark's placement of this little vignette of the disciples arguing about who is the greatest!
9:49--I have never found a commentary that is really helpful about this statement of Jesus: "Have salt in yourselves"--but the next instructions are "…be at peace with one another" which is abundantly clear and even in our beloved parish family sometimes quite challenging.
Ch. 10 lumps together teachings about family/domestic arrangements/children.
And perhaps in that context, the story of the Rich young man appears. After all, he knows the commandments, including 'honor your father and mother'.
Mark is really clear that Jesus thinks that wealth and the relative independence and self-regard that it brings are dangerous to one's ability to trust God.
I am reminded as I read the story of Nadab and Abihu of the statement about Aslan, the Christ figure in CS Lewis's Narnia books: "He is not a tame lion!" And still more, of the exchange between Susan and Mrs. Beaver. Susan: "Oooh, is he [Aslan] safe?" Mrs. Beaver: "…he is not safe, but he is good."
Except to our 21st century eyes the LORD here seems almost petty and I find myself on the verge of judging God as too harsh and arbitrary in his punishment.
There follows the basic statements about clean and unclean animals, and the animals that it is permitted for the Israelites to eat. The distinction was assumed as early as the Noah story in Genesis, but not clearly articulated until here.
Again, Prof. Christine Hayes' lecture may be helpful in a charitable and informed reading of Leviticus 12. The distinction between RITUAL uncleanness and guilt is helpful. Childbirth and menstruation render a woman RITUALLY unclean, as do many things having to do with blood and bodily fluids. But they do not make a person guilty.
Psalm 34
This is a psalm that expresses joy that God has brought the psalmist safely through hard times. Again, I think of Anne Lamott's taxonomy of prayer: "Help! Thanks! Wow!" and realize that there are psalms that fit into each of those categories.
"Taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him." (34:8)
and also:
"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit." (34:18)
How reassuring that is!
Mark 9-10
What do you think 9:1 means about "the Kingdom of God" coming "with power"?
I think we're rushing through this reading of Mark's Gospel in part so that we can reach the parts of the Gospel that take place during Holy Week, as we are now in Holy Week, though this year in our church we read from Matthew's Gospel.
So here we come upon the Transfiguration and the prediction of Christ's death that follows that beautiful and mysterious event.
Notice the importance of Elijah (9:9 ff). He is a figure that is hugely important in Judaism. The passover table leaves a setting open for Elijah.
9:32--After Jesus says he will be assassinated, what do you think of the disciples' response?
9:33 ff--and look at how the disciples' cluelessness is reinforced by Mark's placement of this little vignette of the disciples arguing about who is the greatest!
9:49--I have never found a commentary that is really helpful about this statement of Jesus: "Have salt in yourselves"--but the next instructions are "…be at peace with one another" which is abundantly clear and even in our beloved parish family sometimes quite challenging.
Ch. 10 lumps together teachings about family/domestic arrangements/children.
And perhaps in that context, the story of the Rich young man appears. After all, he knows the commandments, including 'honor your father and mother'.
Mark is really clear that Jesus thinks that wealth and the relative independence and self-regard that it brings are dangerous to one's ability to trust God.
Friday, April 11, 2014
April 12: Leviticus 7-9; Psalm 33; Mark 7-8
Leviticus 7-9 The list of kinds of offerings gets longer and more complicated. In today's reading we have:
Leviticus 8--Aaron's descendants are set apart (ordained) for service. Their role is marked by clothing and rituals and anointing. It takes a week to do all the parts of this ritual.
Psalm 33 Notice how things we could call "technology" are both part of praising God (all the instruments with which we make music and praise God) AND a "vain hope" (horses and other implements of war) for keeping us safe. There are limits and proper uses for the products of human creativity.
Mark 7-8 (This is a reading that overlaps by one chapter with what we read yesterday.) More challenges from the religious establishment, this time re: keeping dietary laws.
And note the wonderful liberating words of Jesus: "there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the thing that come out ware what defile" (7:15). This can be very reassuring to people who have experienced sexual abuse. That abuse does not defile a person, as it comes from the outside.
Why does Mark include both the feeding of the 5000 AND the feeding of 4000? Is it a way to say that the disciples just didn't get it the first time? (see 8:14-21)
Note once again the implications for our practice of the Eucharist in Mark's descriptions of Jesus' actions: Take, thank (bless), break, give.
Peter's confession of Jesus as Messiah appears here, right in the middle of the book.
Jesus begins to foretell his crucifixion. (8:31ff)
Jesus invites his followers to take up their own crosses and follow him in this context.
- guilt offering
- sin offering
- offering of well-being
- thank offering
- votive offering
- freewill offering
- burnt offering
- grain offering
- guilt offering
- offering of ordination
- a burnt offering for a pleasing odor
- an offering by fire to the LORD--these last 2 are probably descriptive of a class of offerings rather than specific types of offering.
Leviticus 8--Aaron's descendants are set apart (ordained) for service. Their role is marked by clothing and rituals and anointing. It takes a week to do all the parts of this ritual.
Psalm 33 Notice how things we could call "technology" are both part of praising God (all the instruments with which we make music and praise God) AND a "vain hope" (horses and other implements of war) for keeping us safe. There are limits and proper uses for the products of human creativity.
Mark 7-8 (This is a reading that overlaps by one chapter with what we read yesterday.) More challenges from the religious establishment, this time re: keeping dietary laws.
And note the wonderful liberating words of Jesus: "there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the thing that come out ware what defile" (7:15). This can be very reassuring to people who have experienced sexual abuse. That abuse does not defile a person, as it comes from the outside.
Why does Mark include both the feeding of the 5000 AND the feeding of 4000? Is it a way to say that the disciples just didn't get it the first time? (see 8:14-21)
Note once again the implications for our practice of the Eucharist in Mark's descriptions of Jesus' actions: Take, thank (bless), break, give.
Peter's confession of Jesus as Messiah appears here, right in the middle of the book.
Jesus begins to foretell his crucifixion. (8:31ff)
Jesus invites his followers to take up their own crosses and follow him in this context.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
April 11: Leviticus 4-6; Psalm 32; Mark 6-7.
Leviticus 4-6
Look at 4:2, which reads: " … when anyone sins Unintentionally…" I am not used to think of sin as something one can commit without intention. Notice the contrast, too, between INDIVIDUAL sin and COMMUNAL sin (4:13).
In chapter 5, we start getting into what happens if one becomes (ritually) unclean, and how to un-do that uncleanness. This is a whole category that we don't deal with in the Christian faith. To get a helpful explanation in quite a bit more depth, of how this all works, listen to a lecture by Prof. Christine Hayes of Yale University on the Holiness Code. She's really an excellent speaker, and I am sure that you will have a far greater appreciation of what you're going to be reading in Leviticus and Numbers after you've had her give you an orientation.
Notice, too, how in Ch. 6, restoration, if it is within the sinner's ability, is a part of what is required to be absolved of sin.
Psalm 32 This was one of my father's favorite psalms. I once had a high school student tell me that he liked to come to church because "I feel forgiven here." He was often in a lot of trouble, sometimes with his family, sometimes with the school officials, sometimes even with the law. This psalm is about the deep joy that comes from knowing that God forgives us.
Mark 6-7
See how important it is not to assume that rejection by others means you are doing something wrong. It was often a mystery to the early followers of Jesus, who experienced his love and forgiveness as liberating and life-changing, that not everybody had the same reaction. It still is a mystery…
Then we have the sad story of John the Baptist's death. I am struck, again, about how a secondary victim in all this was Herodias, Herod's (step?-) niece. No children should be faced with such violence or be pushed into being complicit in it.
But ministry keeps coming at the disciples at a rate that can seem like drinking from a fire hose! We have in the following verses: the feeding of the 5000, Jesus walking on the water to rescue the disciples in a storm, Jesus continuing to heal the crowds who came to him.
Then in Chapter 7, the challenging of the religious authorities begins again.
And in 7:24ff, what do you think of Jesus? Did something change about his point of view as a result of his interaction with the Syro-Phoenician woman?
Finally, what is the word on the street about Jesus? 7:37: "..he has done everything well!"
Look at 4:2, which reads: " … when anyone sins Unintentionally…" I am not used to think of sin as something one can commit without intention. Notice the contrast, too, between INDIVIDUAL sin and COMMUNAL sin (4:13).
In chapter 5, we start getting into what happens if one becomes (ritually) unclean, and how to un-do that uncleanness. This is a whole category that we don't deal with in the Christian faith. To get a helpful explanation in quite a bit more depth, of how this all works, listen to a lecture by Prof. Christine Hayes of Yale University on the Holiness Code. She's really an excellent speaker, and I am sure that you will have a far greater appreciation of what you're going to be reading in Leviticus and Numbers after you've had her give you an orientation.
Notice, too, how in Ch. 6, restoration, if it is within the sinner's ability, is a part of what is required to be absolved of sin.
Psalm 32 This was one of my father's favorite psalms. I once had a high school student tell me that he liked to come to church because "I feel forgiven here." He was often in a lot of trouble, sometimes with his family, sometimes with the school officials, sometimes even with the law. This psalm is about the deep joy that comes from knowing that God forgives us.
Mark 6-7
See how important it is not to assume that rejection by others means you are doing something wrong. It was often a mystery to the early followers of Jesus, who experienced his love and forgiveness as liberating and life-changing, that not everybody had the same reaction. It still is a mystery…
Then we have the sad story of John the Baptist's death. I am struck, again, about how a secondary victim in all this was Herodias, Herod's (step?-) niece. No children should be faced with such violence or be pushed into being complicit in it.
But ministry keeps coming at the disciples at a rate that can seem like drinking from a fire hose! We have in the following verses: the feeding of the 5000, Jesus walking on the water to rescue the disciples in a storm, Jesus continuing to heal the crowds who came to him.
Then in Chapter 7, the challenging of the religious authorities begins again.
And in 7:24ff, what do you think of Jesus? Did something change about his point of view as a result of his interaction with the Syro-Phoenician woman?
Finally, what is the word on the street about Jesus? 7:37: "..he has done everything well!"
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
April 10: Leviticus 1-3; Psalm 31; Mark 4-5
Leviticus 1-3 This is where a lot of people get off the train when it comes to reading through the whole Bible. Leviticus is full of commandments about how, when, and why to perform sacrifices and make offerings to the LORD. While there are some general principles here that are applicable to all of us as we seek to offer our very selves to the LORD even in the 21st century, there are many things that feel more like museum pieces. I think it's okay to read them that way, as instructions for another time. But when we read that way, we remember that it is the same God who speaks to us and who spoke to them. And it is useful to look at the roots of our own practices of responding to God's goodness and mercy. This can be a fascinating glimpse of how people lived and responded to God in a middle eastern culture, moving from a nomadic to an agricultural kind of existence. Enjoy the specifics! Just don't feel an obligation to look for any sorts of one-to-one mappings onto our own time and place. And don't feel guilty if you can't remember the specifics about each sort of sacrifice. You can read some of this "lightly," but you may be surprised how you get glimpses of God at work that inspire your own spiritual life in our time even in the somewhat arid book of Leviticus.
Another big question to ask yourself as you read: What does it mean in our time to respond to a God who is holy, and who calls us to be holy?
As you look at specifics, see how the sons of Levi, the priestly tribe who don't inherit property, are provided for through the sacrificial system; and remember that those who offered the sacrifice usually shared in eating it. So in a time and place where meat was not on the menu daily, sacrifices to the LORD were an occasion for eating and celebrating with family and loved ones.
Psalm 31 Jesus quotes from this psalm from the cross. (31:5--"Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.") Notice the other themes that recur throughout the psalms:
Mark 4-5
Notice how many of the Kingdom parables that you read in Matthew appear here in Mark.
Here's an interesting thought from the story of the man with the demon whose name was "Legion" (5:1-20).
What is a man's life worth?
In our time, 2000 pigs--what would they fetch on the market?
I still don't have an exact answer after spending a fair bit of time reading a bunch of blogs and agricultural reports.
Note that Jews did not own pigs. These swine were the property of someone with a pretty large-scale operation, perhaps a Roman noble??? Certainly not a peasant.
It didn't really trouble Jesus to send a couple hundred thousand dollars of pork over the cliff in the context of saving the life of one man. That's pretty different from the calculations of our present economists and policy makers...
Another big question to ask yourself as you read: What does it mean in our time to respond to a God who is holy, and who calls us to be holy?
As you look at specifics, see how the sons of Levi, the priestly tribe who don't inherit property, are provided for through the sacrificial system; and remember that those who offered the sacrifice usually shared in eating it. So in a time and place where meat was not on the menu daily, sacrifices to the LORD were an occasion for eating and celebrating with family and loved ones.
Psalm 31 Jesus quotes from this psalm from the cross. (31:5--"Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.") Notice the other themes that recur throughout the psalms:
- an appeal to God as a rock and a refuge and a fortress
- God as one who has seen the psalmist's "affliction"
- the Psalmist's desire to see God's face (16)
- gratitude for God's sheltering presence
- the command to "wait for the LORD"(24)
Mark 4-5
Notice how many of the Kingdom parables that you read in Matthew appear here in Mark.
Here's an interesting thought from the story of the man with the demon whose name was "Legion" (5:1-20).
What is a man's life worth?
In our time, 2000 pigs--what would they fetch on the market?
I still don't have an exact answer after spending a fair bit of time reading a bunch of blogs and agricultural reports.
Note that Jews did not own pigs. These swine were the property of someone with a pretty large-scale operation, perhaps a Roman noble??? Certainly not a peasant.
It didn't really trouble Jesus to send a couple hundred thousand dollars of pork over the cliff in the context of saving the life of one man. That's pretty different from the calculations of our present economists and policy makers...
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
April 9: Exodus 40; Psalm 30; Mark 3
Exodus 40. Though still on the move and not at home, the Glory of the LORD is with the Israelites. I love that the LORD was with the Israelites "at each stage of their journey." (40:38). And I hope to stay aware of that truth in my own life, as well.
Psalm 30 "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Yes. Yes. Yes.
The sense of God hiding/showing his face is a common theme. One is a disaster; the other is the fulfillment of one's greatest longing.
Mark 3 The testing of Jesus' motives and beliefs by members of the religious establishment continues. Notice how, like a strong tennis player, Jesus as portrayed by Mark simply returns serve after serve.
in 3:14, the Twelve are called "Apostles."
Finally in the most pointed form, the religious authorities accuse Jesus of being in league with "Beelzebul" (3:20ff). (Worth looking up on Wikipedia.) What happens when you or I have our motives impugned?
And the family of Jesus doesn't really seem to appreciate him either in 3:31ff. Mark really has painted a very stark picture of the challenges before Jesus in this Gospel.
Psalm 30 "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Yes. Yes. Yes.
The sense of God hiding/showing his face is a common theme. One is a disaster; the other is the fulfillment of one's greatest longing.
Mark 3 The testing of Jesus' motives and beliefs by members of the religious establishment continues. Notice how, like a strong tennis player, Jesus as portrayed by Mark simply returns serve after serve.
in 3:14, the Twelve are called "Apostles."
Finally in the most pointed form, the religious authorities accuse Jesus of being in league with "Beelzebul" (3:20ff). (Worth looking up on Wikipedia.) What happens when you or I have our motives impugned?
And the family of Jesus doesn't really seem to appreciate him either in 3:31ff. Mark really has painted a very stark picture of the challenges before Jesus in this Gospel.
Monday, April 7, 2014
April 8: Exodus 37-39; Psalm 29; Mark 2.
Yes, there's a gap here. Let's just say that things got a little busier than I intended them to, and all the getting ahead I'd done a couple of weeks before Lent is now gone. So I thought it would be best just to start commenting where someone might actually read tomorrow…
Exodus 37-39
The skill and creativity of the Israelites, especially Oholiab and Bezalel, is offered to the LORD. What would be happening at our church if everyone could be offering to God their skills in an activity that was as absorbing and challenging as the assignment that these two men took on?
Finally, the work of creating the Tabernacle and its appointments is complete. "When Moses saw that they had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded, he blessed them" (39:43).
Psalm 29
The LORD is portrayed in this psalm as the majestic God of the Storm. That is giving him the characteristics of the storm gods of the surrounding cultures. But then universalizing. This is not JUST the Storm God; this is the God who "sits enthroned as king forever" and who is the God of the people of Israel.
Mark 2
Notice how much more compact Mark is than Matthew. With Luke, these first three Gospels are called "synoptic," because they see with one eye. That is, they share many similarities. Sometimes even the phrases are identical. But really what is the most rewarding to discover as we read is how each of these Gospel writers shapes the materials, even the materials that they share, to his own over-arching purposes in telling the story of the Good News of Jesus. Each writer's personality shines through!
What do you think of the charge of blasphemy in 2:7?
Levi is Mark's name for the disciple we also know as Matthew.
Notice how Mark puts "tax collectors and sinners" in a phrase he will use often.
Notice how Mark portrays the tensions between the religious status quo and Jesus' new perspective
in 2:7, 16, 18, 24.
Notice how Jesus calls himself the Son of Man in this Gospel, also. (2:28)
Exodus 37-39
The skill and creativity of the Israelites, especially Oholiab and Bezalel, is offered to the LORD. What would be happening at our church if everyone could be offering to God their skills in an activity that was as absorbing and challenging as the assignment that these two men took on?
Finally, the work of creating the Tabernacle and its appointments is complete. "When Moses saw that they had done all the work just as the LORD had commanded, he blessed them" (39:43).
Psalm 29
The LORD is portrayed in this psalm as the majestic God of the Storm. That is giving him the characteristics of the storm gods of the surrounding cultures. But then universalizing. This is not JUST the Storm God; this is the God who "sits enthroned as king forever" and who is the God of the people of Israel.
Mark 2
Notice how much more compact Mark is than Matthew. With Luke, these first three Gospels are called "synoptic," because they see with one eye. That is, they share many similarities. Sometimes even the phrases are identical. But really what is the most rewarding to discover as we read is how each of these Gospel writers shapes the materials, even the materials that they share, to his own over-arching purposes in telling the story of the Good News of Jesus. Each writer's personality shines through!
What do you think of the charge of blasphemy in 2:7?
Levi is Mark's name for the disciple we also know as Matthew.
Notice how Mark puts "tax collectors and sinners" in a phrase he will use often.
Notice how Mark portrays the tensions between the religious status quo and Jesus' new perspective
in 2:7, 16, 18, 24.
Notice how Jesus calls himself the Son of Man in this Gospel, also. (2:28)
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
April 3: Exodus 25-27; Psalm 25; Matthew 26
Exodus 25-27
I love this! Moses asks for an offering "from all whose hearts prompt them to give" so that the Israelites can build the Tabernacle (tent of meeting) according to the plans that Moses receives from God. (25:1-9).
All the old hymns that speak of a "mercy seat" are referring to this part of the Ark of the Covenant: a box that signifies the presence of God and is a sort of Israelite analogue of a sacrament (an outward and visible sign of God's inward and invisible Grace at work in our lives). This Ark and the other accoutrements of worship demand all the creativity and skill of the best artisans in their midst. There has been, for millennia, a desire on the part of artists and creative people to offer their very best to the God they worship. Still this is what motivates choir members and visual and fabric artists who make things to beautify worship.
Psalm 25
Notice how, in this Psalm, there is a way to read it individually and a way to read it as the community of the faithful (Israel). Another psalm with a song associated, that I learned in college. Not surprising, since the psalms are the song book of Israel and the Church. This psalm is all about trusting God when things get challenging in our lives.
Matthew 26 So now we move into the real center of the Passion Narrative. We have been in Holy Week since Matthew 21. The Chief Priests and the Scribes are implicated in plotting to have Jesus killed. "But not during the festival [of Passover], or there may be a riot among the people (26:5)
The final public act before the Passover Meal is the anointing of Jesus by "a woman" (26:6 ff). In Matthew, Jesus says: "You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me" (26:11). In Mark 14:7, Jesus is recorded as saying: "you will always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me." An interesting thing that Matthew left out? As someone involved in a lot of community outreach that seems sometimes to be quite futile, I am glad that Jesus doesn't say, "…and you by your efforts can eradicate poverty." It's not solely about efficacy (though we don't want to waste money and effort that is given to help), but about showing kindness.
Matthew is explicit that the meal they are eating together is a Passover meal.
"Take," "bless," "break," and "give." The 4 elements of making Eucharist together. All here.
Then the events of the night before Jesus died for us, ending in Peter's denial and his bitter weeping when the cock crows...
I love this! Moses asks for an offering "from all whose hearts prompt them to give" so that the Israelites can build the Tabernacle (tent of meeting) according to the plans that Moses receives from God. (25:1-9).
All the old hymns that speak of a "mercy seat" are referring to this part of the Ark of the Covenant: a box that signifies the presence of God and is a sort of Israelite analogue of a sacrament (an outward and visible sign of God's inward and invisible Grace at work in our lives). This Ark and the other accoutrements of worship demand all the creativity and skill of the best artisans in their midst. There has been, for millennia, a desire on the part of artists and creative people to offer their very best to the God they worship. Still this is what motivates choir members and visual and fabric artists who make things to beautify worship.
Psalm 25
Notice how, in this Psalm, there is a way to read it individually and a way to read it as the community of the faithful (Israel). Another psalm with a song associated, that I learned in college. Not surprising, since the psalms are the song book of Israel and the Church. This psalm is all about trusting God when things get challenging in our lives.
Matthew 26 So now we move into the real center of the Passion Narrative. We have been in Holy Week since Matthew 21. The Chief Priests and the Scribes are implicated in plotting to have Jesus killed. "But not during the festival [of Passover], or there may be a riot among the people (26:5)
The final public act before the Passover Meal is the anointing of Jesus by "a woman" (26:6 ff). In Matthew, Jesus says: "You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me" (26:11). In Mark 14:7, Jesus is recorded as saying: "you will always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me." An interesting thing that Matthew left out? As someone involved in a lot of community outreach that seems sometimes to be quite futile, I am glad that Jesus doesn't say, "…and you by your efforts can eradicate poverty." It's not solely about efficacy (though we don't want to waste money and effort that is given to help), but about showing kindness.
Matthew is explicit that the meal they are eating together is a Passover meal.
"Take," "bless," "break," and "give." The 4 elements of making Eucharist together. All here.
Then the events of the night before Jesus died for us, ending in Peter's denial and his bitter weeping when the cock crows...
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
April 2: Exodus 22-24; Psalm 24: Matthew 25
Matthew 25 Here come the amazing parables of the end times, including Jesus' very last, which I've always thought of as a parable, but perhaps that's not quite the right word for it. The Bible I'm reading from simply calls it "The Judgment of the Nations" It's the one about "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." About doing to Christ when we feed the hungry, visit prisoners, clothe those without clothes, give a drink to the thirsty…
Psalm 24 This is the Psalm I have thought of as the Palm Sunday psalm ever since I was a kindergartener who had the privilege of singing in Mrs. Anderson's children's choir and carry a palm. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates!"
Exodus 22-24 After the very general commandments, now Moses conveys the specifics to the Israelites, about how there will be sabbatical years as well as weekly sabbaths, for example; about how there will be annual festivals to keep, etc.
And there are some commandments here that seem to us harsh in the extreme, with provisions to kill those who do not comply.
How do you regard these parts of the Bible? Do they still apply? If so, how do these harsh commandments fit with our understanding of a God who is merciful and forgiving? If not, how do we determine which of the parts no longer apply? By what criterion or measure?
Psalm 24 This is the Psalm I have thought of as the Palm Sunday psalm ever since I was a kindergartener who had the privilege of singing in Mrs. Anderson's children's choir and carry a palm. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates!"
Exodus 22-24 After the very general commandments, now Moses conveys the specifics to the Israelites, about how there will be sabbatical years as well as weekly sabbaths, for example; about how there will be annual festivals to keep, etc.
And there are some commandments here that seem to us harsh in the extreme, with provisions to kill those who do not comply.
How do you regard these parts of the Bible? Do they still apply? If so, how do these harsh commandments fit with our understanding of a God who is merciful and forgiving? If not, how do we determine which of the parts no longer apply? By what criterion or measure?
April 1: Exodus 19-21; Psalm 23; Matthew 24
Exodus 19-21: How do we number the 10 Commandments? What are they? There are several different traditions in the Jewish and Christian communities. They don't all match, dividing or lumping together the commandments at the beginning and at the end to reach the number 10.
Psalm 23: This is arguably the best-known and loved of all the psalms! And it should be. I want to hear it at the end of my life, and it makes me smile when I hear it on any day that I don't expect to be the end of my life.
Matthew 24: Sometimes we forget that all this teaching of Jesus about the End Times took place during Holy Week, just days before he was crucified.
Psalm 23: This is arguably the best-known and loved of all the psalms! And it should be. I want to hear it at the end of my life, and it makes me smile when I hear it on any day that I don't expect to be the end of my life.
Matthew 24: Sometimes we forget that all this teaching of Jesus about the End Times took place during Holy Week, just days before he was crucified.
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