Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Aug. 26, 2018
Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant (1800). Oil painting on wood by Benjamin West (1738-1820). Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. (Click image to enlarge.)
First Reading (Track One): 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43
The narrative of the kings of ancient Israel reaches its zenith as the wise and wealthy King Solomon, son of King David, dedicates the first Temple in Jerusalem. The Ark of the Covenant, God’s sanctuary on Earth, has a permanent home at last. Solomon speaks to all the assembled leaders of Israel and Judah, reminding them of God’s covenant with his father David: “There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.” Sadly, as the narrative goes on, the people will fail to practice justice and righteousness. The nation will decline and fall, the temple will be destroyed, and the leaders will be sent to exile in Babylon as the prophets foretold.
First Reading (Track Two): Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
When we are facing major life choices, how do we decide? Where is God in this process? Hear this challenging question as we go through Sunday’s readings. First we see Joshua, Moses’ successor, assembling the people whom he had led into the Promised Land, taking it from its Canaanite inhabitants in a fierce and bloody war. Joshua, now in old age and facing death, confronts them with a decision: Will they follow the gods of their new neighbors, or will they renew the covenant that their ancestors Abraham and Moses made with the God who led them out of exile and through the desert? They respond faithfully: “We … will serve the Holy One, for he is our God.” These are good intentions; but Joshua knows the people’s long history: The verses that come just before and after this reading, and the snippet that it reading skips over, offer hard reminders that breaking the covenant has real consequences.
Psalm (Track One): Psalm 84
This lyrical hymn of praise celebrates the joy of worshiping in the temple that Solomon built. Those who decide to put their trust in God, the Holy One of hosts, will receive God’s grace and glory. The people in exile who prayed for God’s favor, who accepted God’s covenant, trusted that God would welcome the people home and would offer protection, favor and honor to those who had trust. As God provides nests for the small birds, so will God provide for us. As God provides pools of water for thirsty travelers, so will God hear our prayers.
Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 34:15-22
We have chanted this Psalm in three parts over three successive Sundays. Its hymn of praise and thanks to our merciful, saving God concludes this week with a simple, critical choice that fits the theme of this week’s readings: Those who choose to follow God’s commandments, like the Israelites entering Canaan, will earn God’s protection against fear, sorrow and danger. The wicked and the unrighteous who choose otherwise will eventually be punished, the Psalmist sings; but those who choose to serve God can trust in God.
Second Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20
As we reach the last of seven Sunday readings from the letter to the Ephesians, we hear another call to make a choice: As a persecuted church, a tiny minority in the Empire of Rome, the people clearly understood that their struggle was not against “blood and flesh” – surely an echo of Jesus’ promise in John – but against the powerful earthly rulers who stood for the forces of evil. Our armor, breastplate, helmet, sword, belt and sturdy shoes of faith in God protect us when we choose to boldly declare our faith.
Gospel: John 6:56-69
Our five-week journey through Jesus’ difficult discourse about eating his body and drinking his blood comes to its end today. We have seen the enthusiastic crowds that surrounded him at the start gradually dwindle away as they take literally each new and troubling call to eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood in order to gain eternal life. First the skeptics and faithless had turned away in disgust. Now the division grows as many of his own disciples, even, become uncomfortable and leave. Only those closest to Jesus make the decision to remain with him no matter what. In the end their faith wins out over doubt, even if they don’t understand it, because they know Jesus as the Holy One of God. Peter declares, “ Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.