Lent 3A

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for March 19, 2017

Christ And The Samaritan Woman At The Well. Painting by Lorenzo Lippi (1606-1665), Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

First Reading: Exodus 17:1-7

We may thirst for righteousness, mercy and justice, but when we are thirsty and need water, this simple human need takes precedence. Sunday’s readings tell of of thirst, from the thirsty Israelites in the desert to Jesus stopping for water and rest in a Samaritan town. In this Exodus reading, the Israelites are no longer hungry – in previous verses, they have just received miraculous manna – but they still have no water, and their thirst makes them so angry that they wish they were back in slavery in Egypt, where at least these basic needs of life were met. Moses is angry and outdone with them, but God provides a miracle to quench their thirst.

Psalm 95

Our Psalm opens with the joyful hymn of praise that we also know as the Venite, a familiar reading in Morning Prayer. We sing and shout with joy to God, our creator, who made the land and sea; we are the people of God’s pasture and the sheep that God made to fill it. But then the tone of the prayer changes as we remember the cranky Israelites, whose ungrateful acts caused God to “loathe” them and, in angry response, to condemn them to 40 years wandering in the desert.

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-11

The infant church in Rome has known suffering. Some of its members were forced into exile, and the entire congregation was at risk for its faith. But Paul reminds them that their suffering gives them the opportunity to learn endurance and build their character through hope in the love that God pours into their hearts through the Spirit. Even though they are sinners, they are justified through faith and saved through Jesus’s death on the cross.

Gospel: John 4:5-42

We see a very human side of Jesus in John’s Gospel today. Jesus, worried that the Pharisees were angry because he was making and baptizing more disciples than his cousin John had done, decided to go back to Galilee, a journey that required him to pass through the country of the Samaritans, who were not on good terms with the Jews. Tired and thirsty, he stopped in a Samaritan village, where he broke protocol by not only asking a Samaritan woman for a drink but striking up a conversation with her. Much to the surprise of his disciples, he stayed in the village for two days and made believers of many of the Samaritans.

Lent 2A

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for March 12, 2017

Abraham’s Journey from Ur to Canaan (1850). Oil painting by József Molnár (1821-1899), Hungarian National Gallery.

First Reading: Genesis 12:1-4a

We began Lent with thoughts of temptation and repentance. Now we turn to faith, the deep trust that God will be with us as we make decisions that shape our lives. In our first reading, we hear God’s promise to Abram – later to be called Abraham – who even in old age chose to take the risk of following God’s direction to uproot his family and begin the people’s long journey toward the promised land. For Abram’s faith, God will bless him and his family; and through him, God will bless all the families of the Earth.

Psalm 121

When I served as a hospital chaplain, I kept one of my bookmarks firmly set on this Psalm. Perhaps as much as the beloved 23rd Psalm, it brought comfort and peace to many people as they and their loved ones faced whatever crisis had brought them in search of urgent care. We lift up our eyes to the hills, seeking help, and that help comes from God who watches over us and protects us. Note well, as Paul will muse in the second reading, that God does not protect us in repayment for our faith or for anything we do. God watches over our going out and our coming in because that is who God is, and that is what God does.

Second Reading: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

Paul recalls the foundational story of Abraham in his pastoral letter to the church in Rome, musing on theology that seems consistent with Psalm 121: God’s promise of eternal life comes to us, as it came to Abraham, not in reward for anything that we have done to deserve it, but entirely through our faith by grace. Seeking in this letter to restore Rome’s Jewish Christians and pagan converts to unity, he reminds them that God’s promise depends on faith, not something due to us but a gift. It was given to all the nations, not to Abraham’s descendants alone.

Gospel: John 3:1-17

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes by night to talk with Jesus, but remains bewildered by his mysterious words. What does it mean to be “born from above,” or, in some translations, “born again”? Nicodemus just can’t grasp the distinction between being literally born of flesh as an infant and being born of water and the Spirit in faith. Then we hear the familiar words of John 3:14, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Does this mean that only Christians can be saved? Jesus’ teaching surely rules that out. Even the next line makes clear that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it: all the world, all the nations that God blessed through Abraham.

Lent 1A

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for March 5, 2017

The Temptation on the Mount, (1308-1311). Tempera painting on wood, Duccio di Buoninsegna (1260–1318), the Frick Collection, New York City.

First Reading: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

Sunday’s readings launch the penitential season of Lent with a firm scriptural grounding in the theology of temptation and sin. We begin with the familiar Creation story, as the crafty serpent tempts Eve and Adam with the fruit that God had told them not to touch. When the serpent persuaded them that the fruit would not kill them at all, in spite of God’s warning, but would in fact give them Godlike knowledge of good and evil, they could not resist. Temptation was powerful; but so was the shame that followed when they realized they had broken their relationship with God.

Psalm 32

Yes, deep guilt may follow the knowledge that we have sinned, failed in our trust and separated ourselves from God through sin. Guilt’s heavy hand weighs on us, the Psalmist sings, drying us out, withering our bones, leaving us groaning in pain. So much more is the joy, then, the relief and “glad cries” that burst out when we acknowledge our wrongdoing, confess our transgressions, and receive God’s loving deliverance from the pain and guilt of sin.

Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19

Paul draws a direct connection between the sin of Adam and the divinity of Jesus Christ, the son of God. This would have been an important image for the members of the church in Rome as they struggled to restore relationships between the church’s pagan converts and its Jewish Christians who were returning from exile. Adam, the first of creation, gave in to the temptation of the fruit and brought death into the world. But now, Paul reminds them, Jesus’ incarnation as one of us restores us all – not only a selected few – with justification and life through God’s free gift of grace.

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11

At the beginning of Epiphany, we heard Matthew’s account of the baptism of Jesus, when the voice of God declared him God’s beloved Son. Now we learn that the Spirit then led Jesus into the wilderness … to be tempted by the devil? This seems to be a very strange thing for the Holy Spirit to do, but we know that the Spirit works in mysterious ways. The devil – in a role something like the “Adversary” who tested Job’s faith – tries to test Jesus, too, tempting him three times to perform miracles to help himself. But Jesus stands strong, and at the end of 40 days of fasting, he resists temptation and orders the devil away.

Last Epiphany A/Transfiguration

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Feb. 26, 2017

The Transfiguration, by Raphael (1516–20). Tempera on wood, Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City.

First Reading: Exodus 24:12-18

Significant things happen on mountaintops, where earth and heaven come close together. As we reach the end of Epiphany and turn toward Lent, midway between Christmas and Easter, we see Moses, then Jesus and three chosen apostles, encountering God in high, mysterious places. In our first reading, Moses goes up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from a mighty God cloaked in clouds and fire. Turn back a page, though, and we discover a more approachable creator in a sapphire heaven, joining Moses, Aaron and 72 elders in table hospitality! Scripture often shows us both an intimate God who knows us deeply, and a transcendent God who is far beyond our understanding.

Psalm 2

This Messianic Psalm of praise presents God as a mighty king, and more: King of Kings, to whom earthly kings must submit with fear and trembling. Those who seek to break away from God’s power and that of God’s anointed, the Messiah, will earn only divine derision and terrifying rage, for such actions have consequences. But God’s anointed is set on the holy hill of Zion, the temple; and this Psalm of anger and divine threats ends at last on a note of promise: Happy are all who take refuge in God.

Alternative Psalm: Psalm 99

In verses that hark back to Moses and Aaron following God’s sign through the desert and receiving God’s law, this hymn of praise shows us an image of God as a powerful king before whom the people tremble and even the earth shakes. But this is a fair God, who may have punished the people when they were evil, but who also answered their prayers and rewarded them. This is a forgiving and kind God who provides equity, justice and righteousness.

Second Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Modern bible scholars generally accept that this letter, one of the latest in the New Testament, was not written by Simon Peter, the apostle, but by a church leader in Peter’s name a century or more after the Crucifixion. Still, it opens a window into the second-century church, when believers were trying to understand why Jesus had not returned as soon as had been expected. All that they have heard about Jesus is true, the letter insists. Recalling that Peter himself had been present at the Transfiguration, it reminds us to trust in God and wait for the dawn and the morning star.

Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9

“This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased.” In almost identical words, we heard the voice of God coming from above to declare Jesus his beloved Son, at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan at the beginning of Epiphany. Now we hear it again at the end of Epiphany in the Transfiguration. We see Jesus meeting Old Testament prophets on a mountaintop, glowing in dazzling light, revealed to the apostles Peter, James and John for the first time as both human and divine. The three, witnessing all this, were terrified to hear the voice of God, but Jesus reassured them with a loving touch and, for the first time, speaks of his coming resurrection.

Epiphany 7A

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Feb. 19, 2017

Ruth gleaning in the fields of Boaz, oil on panel by Barent Pietersz Fabritius, Holland, 1660. The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

First Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18

As we near the end of Epiphany season, our readings continue to show us how to follow in God’s way. In this first reading we learn that we are to be holy because God is holy. This brisk summary begins with our duty to leave a share of our bounty over for poor and hungry people and for immigrants, “the alien” – a duty that calls us just as strongly now as it called Israel then. Then, in a quick series of exhortations not to steal, lie, swear falsely, defraud, cheat the disabled, judge unfairly, slander or gain from your neighbor’s loss, we hear strong echoes of the Commandments that God requires of us.

Psalm 119:33-40

We now encounter another portion of Psalm 119, the long Psalm that we heard at its beginning last Sunday. The entire Psalm celebrates love for Torah, God’s teaching, which, because it comes from God, bears the force of law: a law that we love. In these verses the Psalmist reminds us that we are called to be both humble and generous. We should turn away from selfish gain and avoid worthless things, striving instead to follow God’s ways in life-giving righteousness. We will hear Torah’s teaching echoed in the caring way of life that Jesus teaches us.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23

Paul uses a variety of striking metaphors as he urges the Corinthians to give up their factions and unite. Last week he likened them to children who must have milk before they can eat solid food, and then an empty field that must have seeds and water before it can bear fruit. Now, he says, he has laid a strong foundation through the grace of God. All who want to build there must use that foundation only, because it is Jesus. We are God’s temple, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and even if the world calls us “fools” for our belief, we all belong not to human factions but directly to God through Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48

In today’s excerpt from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus continues showing us new ways to understand God’s teaching. Regardless of what we have heard in the past, Jesus says, he restates God’s commandments as firm guides for our relationship with God and our neighbors. “An eye for an eye” may have been a startling idea in its time, a relatively humane response when “death for an eye” was the usual rule. But now Jesus tells us to go beyond even mere equity to reach radical forgiveness, not only loving our brothers and sisters but all our neighbors. Jesus then calls us to be perfect, as God is perfect. That seems an impossible goal, but happily for us, the Greek word used here carries the possibly more achievable connotation of “mature,” “complete,” or even “hitting the target.” In this, at least, we can and should try our best.

Epiphany 6A

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Feb. 12, 2017

Sermon On The Mount, 6th-century mosaic, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy.

First Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Our recent readings have followed a common theme. We hear Jesus teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, and we hear the roots of his wisdom in Old Testament readings that emphasize God’s firm commandment to be righteous, to care for the poor and the oppressed; the widow, the orphan and the stranger in our land. We hear it today from Moses, instructing the people at the end of their long journey, preparing to cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land. This is the core of Old Testament teaching: Follow God’s commandments, and inherit the land. Defy God’s wishes, and lose the land and die.

Alternate First Reading: Sirach 15:15-20

Our recent Epiphany readings have followed a common theme. We hear Jesus teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, and we hear the roots of his wisdom in Old Testament readings that emphasize God’s firm commandment to be righteous, to care for the poor and the oppressed; the widow, the orphan and the stranger in our land. Sirach, one of the books known as Apocrypha that come at the end of the Old Testament, sums up God’s teaching (“Torah”) in brisk, memorable advice: We are given free will. God does not force us to keep the commandments – we may choose either fire or water – but God, all-knowing and wise, does not wish us to sin.

Psalm 119:1-8

Psalm 119, the longest of all the Psalms, devotes all its 176 verses to a consistent message: God’s decrees, God’s law and teaching given in the Torah, are wonderful, and following them makes us happy. The ideas that we hear today in the first eight verses of the Psalm continue throughout, and they echo the covenant between God and Moses at Mount Sinai: Those who follow God’s teaching and walk in God’s ways will be rewarded. The Psalmist calls on God to keep him steadfast in following this teaching, and begs in turn not to be forsaken.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Paul continues making his case to the bickering factions that have formed in his little church at Corinth. Last week we heard him praise the flock for having the spiritual maturity to understand God’s ways. But now he makes it clear, gently but firmly, that they aren’t there yet. He has fed them spiritually with milk, not solid food, because as long as they remain jealous and quarrelsome, they are not yet ready to eat like grown-ups. We are all God’s servants, he emphasizes. Only when we work together in common purpose can God use us to build and grow.

Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37

 In the Sermon on the Mount, three full chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, we learn much about discipleship, the hard work of following Jesus toward the Kingdom of God. Jesus, having assured the crowd that he did not come to change the Law and the Prophets, begins interpreting the Law in new and challenging ways. Do you think you understand the commandment, “Do not kill”? Jesus tells us to go further, and do no harm; we must even respond to our enemies in peace. We are not merely bound not to commit adultery, but to treat women with respect! We must do more than simply avoiding false witness: We are called to be honest, be true, say exactly what we mean!

Epiphany 5A

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Feb. 5, 2017

The Sermon On the Mount (1877). Oil painting on copper by Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-1890), Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark.

First Reading: Isaiah 58:1-12

If we are to follow in God’s way, we are called to be righteous, to practice justice; to be light to the world and the salt that flavors and preserves our lives. These are the themes that echo through Sunday’s readings, from Isaiah’s resounding shout to the people as they return from exile to a demolished Jerusalem, to Jesus as he continues instructing the people in his Sermon on the Mount. Isaiah insists, as Jesus will, that we go beyond personal fasting and ritual to take a stand, fighting against oppression, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, clothing the naked. Righteousness heals our souls and lights up our lives, restoring the world as Israel restored the glory that was Zion.

Psalm 112:1-10

Let’s take care not to read the “Prosperity Gospel” into today’s Psalm, which is an ancient worship hymn that imagines God rewarding the righteous with earthly power and riches in exchange for their good acts. Rather than counting on rewards of wealth and riches for behaving well, though, perhaps we could focus on the results of righteousness itself: When we care for the poor and the oppressed, when we act generously and show justice, we “rise in the darkness as a light for the upright.” By living justly, we become an example for others and show the way to God.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16

We continue our journey through the opening chapters of 1 Corinthians, listening in as Paul offers pastoral guidance for the quarreling community. He turns their thoughts toward humility, reiterating the advice that, even if following the crucified Jesus may make us appear “foolish” to the world, in fact we share God’s secret wisdom, the Holy Spirit gives us new life through Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20

We continue with the Sermon on the Mount. Having taught the Beatitudes to the crowd, Jesus now tells them that they, God’s people, are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. With this gift, however, comes the responsibility to show God to the world through our good works. Jesus has not come, he says, to change “the Law and the Prophets,” the ancient teaching that we now know as the Old Testament. Rather, in fulfilling the law that directs us to love God and our neighbors, Jesus calls on us to be more righteous than the Scribes and the Pharisees – groups of Temple leaders, who, in fact, often earned Jesus’ criticism for their own failure of righteousness.

Epiphany 4A

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Jan. 29, 2017

Jesus Proclaiming the Beatitudes. Mural, 1912, in St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Savannah, Georgia.

First Reading: Micah 6:1-8

How does God want us to live? Our Sunday readings speak to us clearly about how we are called to walk in God’s way and to follow Jesus. The beloved verse from the prophet Micah tells us to respond to God’s love by sharing it with others, simply by doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God. Micah, as prophets do, warns that we stand before God as a defendant in a trial, pleading our case to a divine Judge who “has a controversy with us.” God has done so much for us. How are we to respond? It’s not burnt offerings and sacrifices but our good actions for others that count.

Psalm 15

Who among us can claim the high honor of living in God’s sanctuary? The Psalmist’s instructions bear a marked resemblance to Micah’s prophecy: Those who do right, speak truth, don’t slander or reproach and do no evil may dwell in God’s tabernacle and abide on God’s holy hill. Honesty, kindness, and love of neighbor all make a difference. The way we live matters to God.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Continuing his stern lecture to his congregation at Corinth, Paul reminds us that Jesus’ death on the Roman cross – a gory, horrifically painful execution that Rome reserved for the worst criminals – is “foolishness” to those who don’t understand, but it shows believers God’s power to save, even from death. Paul tells us that God chose this way to celebrate the weak, the poor and the despised and to shame the powerful and the strong through Jesus, who gives us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12

The Beatitudes, the beloved verses in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, have become so familiar that we sometimes don’t pause to give them the deep reflection that they deserve. In eight quick statements, Jesus turns the world upside down: It is not the rich who are blessed, but the poor. It is not the successful and the proud who win God’s blessing, but mourners, the meek, the hungry; the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the oppressed. This is good news for the poor, and it is earth-shattering. It is also a theme that Jesus repeats again and again until it is difficult to understand why we have such a hard time getting it.

Epiphany 3A

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Jan. 22, 2017

The Prophet Isaiah. Painting by Antonio Balestra (1666-1740). Museo di Castelvecchio, Verona, Italy.

First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-4

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” As we live through the darkest season, the shortest days of the year, we can feel the joy that gracious light brings in the darkness, a joy that Isaiah and Matthew share in Sunday’s readings. Isaiah recalls the hard time when Israel’s Northern Kingdom, the lands of Zebulon and Naphtali that Jesus will later know as Galilee, have fallen to the Assyrian Empire, and the nation’s fate is in doubt. Isaiah prophecies that the future holds no gloom for those who are in anguish now: God will bring the people back to a world of bounty and joy.

Psalm 27:1, 5-13

In words that mirror both the ideas and the emotions of our Isaiah reading, the Psalmist shouts with triumphant confidence that God is indeed our light. There is no denying that bad things can happen even to God’s own people. Enemies may surround them. But knowing that God is our light and our salvation, we know that we have nothing to fear. God will hear us, love us, protect us and keep us safe.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Following up on Paul’s assurance last week that the people of the church in Corinth had already received gifts that made them strong in faith, we now see that this small, troubled community was breaking into factions and quarreling. Remember to stand steadfast in faith, Paul reminds them, even when their Gentile neighbors consider them foolish for worshiping a crucified criminal. Baptism brings all together in unity in Christ. The cross saves us through God’s power.

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

The public ministry of Jesus begins. Grieving the murder of his cousin John, Jesus steps up, starting to gather crowds and preach as John had done, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew, who often reaches back to the Old Testament to find texts that can be interpreted to show Jesus fulfilling Messianic prophecy, lifts up the Isaiah reading that we hear today. Then Jesus calls four fishermen who eagerly drop their nets and follow as he preaches, teaches, cures and heals, leaving old Zebedee behind to mend their nets and tend the abandoned boat.

Epiphany 2A

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Jan. 15, 2017

The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew. Painting (1308-1311) by Duccio Di Buoninsegna. National Gallery, Washington, D.C.

First Reading: Isaiah 49:1-7

Today we hear another account of the baptism of Jesus, this one from the Gospel according to John. We build toward it in our first three readings, each offering us a different perspective on waiting with faith and hope for God. Our first reading echoes last week’s Isaiah passage, presenting another of the prophet’s descriptions of the Suffering Servant, God’s savior who would lead the people back to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon. Once despised, the servant will rise up, bringing God’s saving power not to Israel and Judah alone but to all the nations, to the ends of the Earth.

Psalm 40:1-12

Like the people in Isaiah waiting in exile for their servant savior to come, the Psalmist waits patiently and with deep trust and faith for God to act. Though he was once left desolate in mire and clay, alone in a pit, God has now placed him on a new, secure footing and given him a new song of praise. We mustn’t trust in evil spirits or false gods, the Psalm reminds us, but find our joy in trusting God, against whom none other can be compared. God requires no sacrifices or burnt offerings, but responds to our faith with compassion and love.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Paul sets the tone for his first letter to the church at Corinth in these introductory verses, a friendly greeting that offers insight into all that follows. The congregation in Corinth was a small and troubled community, divided into quarreling factions, each with its own ideas about Christian practice and which leader to follow. Paul begins by reminding them that they are joined with all Christians who call on the name of Jesus as Lord. Through this faith they have already received gifts that have made them strong, Paul says. He urges them to hold on to those gifts and be steadfast as they wait for Christ’s coming, an event that many in those days thought would happen soon.

Gospel: John 1:29-42

Listen closely as we hear today’s Gospel, quite a different perspective on Jesus’ baptism than we heard from Matthew last week. This time, John the Baptist sees Jesus coming, immediately declares him “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” and tells the crowd that Jesus came before him and ranks ahead of him. Then it is John the Baptist, not Jesus or the crowd, who tells of seeing the Spirit coming down like a dove and remaning on Jesus, revealing him as the one who would baptize not with water but with the Spirit: The Son of God. Did John actually baptize Jesus in the midst of all this? The Gospel doesn’t say. But Jesus’ first disciples, seeing this encounter, recognize Jesus as Messiah and start to follow him.

Illuminations

Welcome to Illuminations. We hope these brief reflections on Sunday's readings will help you prepare thoughtfully for worship.

Author Archives: Robin Garr