Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Aug. 28, 2016

Roman Fresco of a dinner, excavated from Pompeii.

Young Jeremiah has now put on the prophet’s cloak. He stands up to announce God’s words in an anguished reverie that we might imagine from a loving but disappointed parent of a child gone terribly wrong. What did God do wrong, that these once chosen people have become worthless? Did they forget that God led them from slavery through the wilderness to a fruitful land that they now have spoiled? They have forsaken God’s living water and built cracked cisterns that can no longer slake their spiritual thirst.

First Reading (Track Two): Proverbs 25:6-7

Pick up your bible some time and skim through the book of Proverbs. You’ll be amazed at the sometimes very modern nuggets of wisdom that emerge. Tradition attributes Proverbs to King Solomon, but modern theologians understand it as a broad collection of some 500 small gems of ancient wisdom about life, love and morals. Today’s very brief reading foreshadows Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel from Luke: “… all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Psalm 81:1,10-16

This resounding hymn of praise seems to reflect Jeremiah’s words: We sing with joy to God who is our strength, and we remember God bringing the people out of slavery and feeding them abundantly. But the people were stubborn, did not listen, and God allowed them to go their own way. Now we hear a grieving God, who would feed and nurture the people again, if only they would return.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 112

Today’s Psalm harmonizes with our First Reading and Gospel in its reflection on God’s covenants with Abraham and Moses. We are called to follow God’s commandments to be just, to serve our neighbors, share our wealth and provide for the poor. By living generously in this way, with right hearts and trust in God, we can be secure and live without fear.

Second Reading: Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Our four-week visit with Hebrews concludes with beautiful, poetic words describing the generosity of a Christian life rooted in the hospitality that the patriarch Abraham showed his angelic visitors in the desert: Love one another as God loves us, and remember to do good, to share with one another, to live simply and shun riches, and to hold hospitality as a virtue.

Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-14

Like so many of Jesus’ parables, this one seems to have an obvious, simple, message … and then a sudden turn challenges us. Its simple message makes common sense: Don’t assume that the host is saving the seat of honor for you, or you might face public humiliation when you are told to move down. Choose a humble place, and be honored if the host encourages you to take a better seat. And then we hear the rest of the story: Jesus would have us invite not the wealthy but the “least of these.” Poor, disabled and oppressed guests might not be able to repay us with wealth and trinkets, but we’ll earn a greater reward at the end.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Aug. 21, 2016

Jesus healing the bent woman. On the “Two Brothers Sarcophagus,” mid-4th century, Vatican Museum.

Does this reading seem familiar? We heard it last Epiphany, hardly six months ago. When God called Jeremiah, the young man doubted his ability to do this important job. “Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy!” But God reassures him: Even before Jeremiah was born, God knew him, and knew that he would be a prophet to nations and kingdoms, with power “to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 58:9b-14

The book of Isaiah actually contains the work of three ancient writers, according to modern bible scholars. Now we hear from the third Isaiah, who prophesies soon after the nation’s return from exile: The temple and the city must be rebuilt; and that will be hard work. But Isaiah promises that all will be well if they follow God’s covenant: Be just, share with the needy, and care for the afflicted. Do all this, and honor the Sabbath, and Judah’s ancient glory will be restored.

Psalm 71:1-6

We sang this Psalm portion, too, in Epiphany, and this makes sense since it fits well with the reading from Jeremiah. In these verses the Psalmist speaks for us from a place of weakness and fear, seeking refuge in God as we ask for protection and help. God knows us, like Jeremiah, since before our birth; God sustains us throughout our lives as our strength and our hope.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 103:1-8

This familiar hymn of thanksgiving is beloved for its assurances that God loves us, has mercy on us and takes care of us. It is easy to imagine the people of Isaiah’s time singing verses like these as they traveled home from exile. In its hopeful verses we remember that God forgives us, heals us and redeems us. We count on God’s mercy and grace, gentle spirit and abundant love.

Second Reading: Hebrews 12:18-29

Last week’s Hebrews reading celebrated the Old Testament heroes who made up the “cloud of witnesses” that now stands with us as we follow in Jesus’ way. Today we remember Moses receiving the Ten Commandments: The people were terrified as the the sky went dark, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and the earth shook with God’s power. But now we have a new covenant under Jesus. God gives us through Christ a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Gospel: Luke 13:10-17

As a teacher and rabbi in Judaism’s ancient tradition, Jesus knew and followed Torah, God’s law and teaching. He faithfully kept the Sabbath. But even when he was teaching in the synagogue, out of compassion he stopped what he was doing to heal a woman’s painful disability. The woman was overjoyed, but the leaders of the synagogue were outraged. How dare Jesus work on the Sabbath? But Jesus called out their hypocrisy, reminding them that they would not hesitate to work to protect their own property on a Sabbath. Why should a woman in pain for 18 years have to wait another hour?

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Aug. 14, 2016

First Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7

In the opening verses of today’s reading, Isaiah sings praise for God’s beautiful vineyard. But the prophet’s words soon take a darker turn. The vineyard was planned and planted thoughtfully and tended with care, but at harvest time it produced sour, unusable grapes. The vineyard’s failure angers God, who will tend it no more. Isaiah spells out the truths behind the metaphor: The vineyard is the house of Israel, the people of Judah. God planted them to reap righteousness and justice, but they’ve failed in this mission, and they will harvest bloodshed.

First Reading (Track Two): Jeremiah 23:23-29

Jeremiah is often nicknamed “the weeping prophet” because he spoke such anguished prophecy of warning and doom before the Temple was destroyed and the people sent into exile in Babylon. In these verses he describes a God who exists in every corner of earth and space, as far away as the stars, and as near as our beating hearts. Can we see a parallel between Jesus’ stark words in today’s Gospel and Isaiah’s description of a God who loves us yet has power to wield fire and destruction?

Psalm 80

Isaiah’s vineyard metaphor finds an echo in the Psalmist’s song: Israel, the beloved vine that God brought out of Egypt, tended and nurtured, once grew so mighty that it filled all the land. But now everything has changed. The vine is ravaged, eaten by animals, burned like rubbish. Calling for God’s protection, the Psalmist asks God to tend the vine again, restoring the people and showing us the light of God’s countenance.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 82

The idea of God in a divine council of other gods seems strange to our modern ears. Isn’t our faith tradition firmly monotheistic? These verses may reflect an ancient understanding of our God as supreme over the lesser gods of other nations. But the deep message of this Psalm remains relevant through the ages. It reminds us that God insists on justice, and calls us to stand up for the weak, the orphan, the lowly, the destitute and the needy.

Second Reading: Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2

Following last week’s praise for Abraham as our ancestor in faith, we now hear more vignettes about Old Testament heroes who achieved greatness through their faith and now form a “cloud of witnesses” that surrounds and inspires us. Those witnesses should inspire us to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” as we follow Jesus, who endured the shame of crucifixion and now sits at the right hand of God.

Gospel: Luke 12:49-56

This is one of those Gospels that makes us stop and think. Isn’t Jesus kind and caring – the Prince of Peace? Doesn’t Jesus love his enemies? He always turns his other cheek to those who would strike him! So what’s all this angry talk about not bringing peace but fire and division? Remember that we are following Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and the cross in this Pentecost season. Walking this hard journey with him is not an easy path. The Kingdom is coming soon, and it may divide us even from friends and family.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Aug. 7, 2016

Jesus gently assures his little flock of followers not to fear, for God’s kingdom is coming.

The opening verses of the great Prophet Isaiah echo the prophecies that we’ve heard in recent weeks from Amos and Hosea: God is angry because the people have failed to keep the covenant that they made with Moses at Mount Sinai. Once safe in the Promised Land, they failed to walk in God’s way as they had promised to do. Now, speaking through Isaiah, God makes clear what they must do to restore themselves in God’s love: “cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow.”

First Reading (Track Two): Genesis 15:1-6

In recent weeks we’ve heard about Abraham, the patriarch of the chosen people: God promising that Abraham and Sarah would have a son; Abraham bargaining with God over Sodom and Gomorrah’s fate. Now we turn back to an earlier time. We meet Abram, not yet named Abraham, who is surely frustrated that he and his wife, Sarai, are still waiting for the heir that God has repeatedly promised them. Abram hopes for God’s reassurance, and God responds, reiterating the promise that their descendants will be as numerous as the stars.

Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23

In a way, this Psalm expands on the prophecy we heard in Isaiah. God is not tired and angry about the people’s offerings of thanksgiving and sacrifice, but God expects us to keep our covenant of faith. God calls us to be thankful, to practice righteousness and justice in our lives. God’s expectations of the people are clear and firm: Those who forget God literally risk being torn apart, but those who keep God’s way and remember Israel’s covenant will know salvation.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 33:12-22

Think of how grateful Abram must have been after he heard God’s reassurance that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars. In similar feelings of gratitude the Psalmist sings of relief, joy and thankfulness for God’s love and care. As the prophets consistently shout, the nations and people whom God chooses will be happy; God’s eye remains on those who wait for the Lord. Those who trust in the Lord’s name will know God’s loving-kindness.

Second Reading: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

As we begin a four-week lectionary visit with Hebrews, let’s hold it in historical context. It was probably written late in the first century, directed toward new Christians who were considering a return to Judaism in the face of severe persecution. To that end, Hebrews will lay out an extended argument that Christianity is the better way. In today’s verses, the author speaks well of the faith of Abraham, pointing out that the patriarchs were faithful even before God’s promises were revealed through Christ. Watch this theme in coming weeks, appreciating the letter’s faith while taking care not to read it as modern anti-Judaism.

Gospel: Luke 12:32-40

On first hearing, this passage and parable may feel troubling. Jesus gently assures his little flock of followers not to fear, for God’s kingdom is coming; but the instructions that follow seem daunting. Sell what you have, make sturdy purses, and, like a master’s slaves staying awake to guard against thieves, be ready when Jesus calls, day or night. The kingdom may come when we least expect it, but it will bring us “unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for July 31, 2016

The Parable of the Rich Fool. Oil on oak panel by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1627, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.

We started in Hosea last Sunday with the prophet’s fierce and startling charge from God about Israel’s path to destruction; but its last verse offered hope for the future. Today’s following verses envision God poetically as a loving, albeit somewhat exasperated parent, looking on Israel as a beloved but troublesome child. Misbehaving offspring may deserve punishment, but no caring parent will give up entirely on a child. God’s heart recoils when Israel turns away, but God’s compassion grows warm and tender; God’s fierce anger is constrained.

First Reading (Track Two): Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23

“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” ​In reflecting on this familiar passage in the mysterious wisdom book of Ecclesiastes,​ ​think of “vanity” in the original Hebrew sense of this word, “breath” or “vapor,” something barely visible that veils the light. We spend our lives futilely toiling under the scorching sun in pursuit of something that we can’t grasp, the poet sings: “chasing after wind.”

Psalm 107:1-9, 43

The Israelites hearing Hosea’s prophecy were not spared exile; the Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians and their leaders went into exile a century before Judah and the Jerusalem Temple met a similar fate at the hands of Babylon. But those coming home from exile surely felt the emotions expressed in this Psalm, celebrating and offering thanksgiving for the steadfast love of God who gathered them out of exile and brought them home, satisfying their hunger and thirst.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 49:1-11

Foreshadowing the parable of the foolish rich man in today’s Gospel, we hear a Psalm that shouts out the foolishness of trust in riches. Biblical ideas like this surely formed Jesus and his mother, Mary, who spoke often about the hope that the hungry would be filled up and the rich sent away empty. “We can never ransom ourselves, or deliver to God the price of our life,” the Psalmist sings to high and low, to rich and poor alike.

Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-11

In the last of our four readings from Colossians this season, the author continues his instruction to the new believers in the ancient church at Colossae, reminding them that once Christ is revealed in our lives, we are called to put away evil ways and clothe ourselves in a new life in Christ. In words resembling Paul’s invitation to the Galatians to put away all differences among humankind, we are reminded that “there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!”

Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

“You can’t take it with you.” Jesus’ parable of the foolish rich man shares this simple homespun folk wisdom. The rich man’s land produced such a large crop that he wants to build larger barns to store it in. With all this wealth in hand, he plans to “relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God responds with grim, unexpected news: The man will die that very night, having no use for all the cherished goods. Jesus, who reminded us that what we do for the poor, we do also for him, has little patience with those who think only of themselves.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for July 24, 2016

Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Praying. Oil painting by Carl Heinrich Bloch,
Danish Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle, 1877.

Using language as grim as we heard from the prophet Amos in recent readings, the prophet Hosea uses the strange metaphor of marriage to a prostitute to warn Israel and Judah that they face destruction. Even the names of the children of this marriage offer disturbing images: “God Sows,” “Not Pitied,” and “Not My People.” The last verse, though, offers hope for the future, when “not my people” turns to “children of the living God.”

First Reading (Track Two): Genesis 18:20-32

The patriarch Abraham and his family pause in their journey as hear the beginning of the familiar story of the destruction of Sodom. God’s wrath with the Sodomites is well known, but we tend to forget that their grave sin was not about sex but lack of righteousness. Hoping to save the city, Abraham bargains with God, who was quite willing to avoid the carnage if as few as 10 righteous people could be found.

Psalm 85

Harmonizing with Hosea’s vision of an angry God, today’s Psalm sings out grateful relief from a thankful people who feared that their sins earned God’s fury and wrathful indignation, but now look forward to the mercy and salvation that they hope to receive from a God who remains faithful regardless. When we listen to God, we hear mercy meeting truth as righteousness and peace join in a kiss.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 138

The relationship of this Psalm to the destruction of Sodom may not seem apparent at first, but if we listen closely we may hear a distant echo of Abraham persuading God not to give up on the people but to look to those who remain righteous and who thank God for their many blessings. God responds when we call, the Psalmist sings. We know that God’s right hand will save us; God’s steadfast love endures.

Second Reading: Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19)

The church at Colossae was a community of new believers, looking forward to being raised with Christ through faith in God’s power. But they were a Gentile community, too, still wrestling with the pagan beliefs of their Greek culture. The author warns against false teachings, “philosophy and empty deceit … festivals, new moons or sabbaths.” God sets that aside with earthly rules and law, he writes; and in words echoing Jesus teaching us how to pray, we remember that God forgives our trespasses.

Gospel: Luke 11:1-13

When Jesus teaches us to pray, he calls us to be righteous, just as the ancient prophets demanded of Israel: Share our food, forgive our debts, do to others as we would have them do to us. Do these things and help open God’s Kingdom, not only in Heaven but right here on Earth. Attend closely to the following verses, which use the metaphor of an awfully demanding friend to underscore the importance of sharing our bread and loving our neighbors whatever the circumstances. Just as God opens the door when we knock, so should we do the same to our neighbor.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for July 17, 2016

Christ in the house of Mary and Martha. Oil painting by Johannes (Jan) Vermeer, 1665, National Gallery of Scotland.

Last week we heard the prophet Amos angrily warning Israel’s king and high priest of the terrible fate that would fall on them and their families if they continued to be unjust. Now he recites a horrifying litany of curses that will come to the land whose rulers “trample the needy and bring to ruin the poor.” Let the land tremble and its people mourn as the sun goes dark and crops fail. The people will hunger and thirst for God’s words as they do for food and water, but they will not find them.

First Reading (Track Two): Genesis 18:1-10a

Genesis, the first book of the Bible, begins with our ancestral legend of the Creation, and continues with the familiar stories: Cain and Abel, the Tower of Babel, and Noah and the flood (which has been much in the news in Kentucky this week!) Today we read how the story of the chosen people begins, as God, speaking through three mysterious strangers who receive the patriarch Abraham’s open hospitality, tell him that he and his wife Sarah, despite their age, will have a son, and their offspring will inherit the Promised Land.

Psalm 52

A song perfectly tuned to harmonize with our first reading, this Psalm angrily accuses an unnamed tyrant (perhaps, according to tradition, Doeg the Edomite, who conspired with Saul to kill King David) who “trusted in great wealth,” a liar who loved evil more than good. May God demolish the tyrant, the Psalmist shouts; wicked people who steal from the poor will fail, while those who trust in God’s eternal mercy will live in joy.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 15

Our first reading described the beginning of God’s covenant with the people. Our Psalm lays out the covenant’s fundamental premises. Who may come to the holy hill and reside in God’s tabernacle? We hear a long list of right actions: Do what is right. Don’t slander. Don’t do wrong by our friends or harm the innocent. These are simple commands. Although they may be difficult to live in full, they guide us into a life of righteousness.

Second Reading: Colossians 1:15-28

It is not always easy to decipher the sometimes dense prose of Paul and those who wrote letters in his name. It may help to recognize them as direct advice to a congregation – a sermon in letter form – blending both theological reflection and practical advice. After a theological meditation on Christ as image of the invisible God who made peace through his sacrifice, the author tells us that in becoming a servant of the gospel, he became a servant of the church. As a busy servant, he might remind us of Martha in today’s Gospel. But his call to reconcile ourselves to Christ and proclaim Christ’s supremacy might make us think of Mary.

Gospel: Luke 10:38-42

Jesus has stopped at the home of his friends Martha and Mary, and we hear the familiar story of the two women who show us very different interpretations of neighborly love. Martha gets busy, eager to ensure that everything is just right. Mary does no work, to Martha’s frustration. She chooses instead to sit at Jesus’ feet, listening, learning and loving. Both practice hospitality, and many of us might recognize some of ourselves in both sisters. Note well, though, that Jesus tells Martha that her sister has chosen the better part.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for July 3, 2016

Greek Orthodox icon of the 70 apostles.

In the time of the Kings, the Arameans and Israel were enemies. So Naaman, an Aramean military leader, must have been wary when his servant suggested that he go to Israel to heal his leprosy. But leprosy was a terrible disease, disfiguring and contagious; its victims were ritually unclean. So Naaman complied, but then the prophet Elisha wouldn’t even see him, sending a servant with advice that sounded too simple to be true. But Naaman’s servants urged him to try Elisha’s proposed sevenfold bath in the Jordan, and just like that, Naaman was cured.

First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 66:10-14

In the final chapter of Isaiah, the people have returned from exile to Jerusalem, full of joy at the return but facing the hard work of rebuilding the city and a new Temple. It is a time for rejoicing, the prophet declares, and a time for healing. God will shower prosperity on the city, and, in beautiful language envisioning God as a loving mother, God will nurse and carry the people as a mother comforts her child.

Psalm 30

Can you imagine Naaman praying this beloved Psalm of thanksgiving for recovery from a grave illness? The Psalmist thanks God: ” I cried out to you, and you restored me to health.” Then he urges everyone, all of us who are God’s servants, to give thanks for all God’s gifts; to be thankful for an end to the sadness that often accompanies illness. We thank God for turning the weeping of those long dark hours of night into the celebration that comes at dawn, when our mourning turns to joyful dancing.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 66:1-8

Echoing the trust in God’s protective power that we heard in the Isaiah reading, the Pslamist calls on all the earth to be joyful in God and sing the glory of God’s name. Recalling how God protected the people of Israel escaping slavery in Egypt by turning the sea into dry land, the Psalm reminds us to sing in full voice to praise the God who protects us, making our voices heard.

Second Reading: Galatians 6:1-16

Our journey in Paul’s letter to the Galatians comes to an end today. We have heard Paul declare repeatedly that Christ’s message is for all humankind – Jew and Gentile, man and woman, slave and free. He has stood strong against opponents who argued for a more exclusive way. Now, his letter ends with a strong reminder not only to accept one another but to do as Jesus taught us: Share all good things , carry each other’s burdens, and in so doing, fulfill the law of Christ. In other words, love our neighbors as ourselves.

Gospel: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

In last week’s Gospel, we heard Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem,” demanding that those who would follow him leave everything else behind. Now Jesus enlists a crowd to help him spread the Good News: He calls 70 followers to hurry through the countryside, “like lambs in the midst of wolves,” to tell villagers that the Kingdom of God is drawing near. Those who reject them, like the Samarian villagers in last week’s Gospel, are rejecting Jesus; those who welcome them are welcoming Jesus.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for June 26, 2016

Christ Pantocrator mosaic in Byzantine style, from the Cefalù Cathedral, Sicily, c. 1131

The two books of Kings sum up the story of Israel’s kings from David’s time until the then-united kingdoms of Israel and Judah fell and their leaders went into exile. We’ve been following the journey of the prophet Elijah, chosen by God to speak truth to King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, and to warn following kings that disaster lay ahead. Now Elijah is taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot – you can see an interpretation of it in one or our church windows, back beside the organ – and his helper, Elisha, takes up Elijah’s mantle and mission.

First Reading (Track Two): 1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21

The two books of Kings sum up the story of Israel’s kings from David’s time until the then-united kingdoms of Israel and Judah fell and their leaders went into exile. As we join the narrative here, the prophet Elijah, who had been chosen by God to speak truth to Israel’s kings and to warn them that disaster lay ahead, was despairing because he feared death at the hands of his foes. But God gave him strength and sent him on with instructions to choose Elisha as his successor. Elisha hesitates – foreshadowing the reluctant followers in today’s Gospel – but he finds the will to come along.

Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20

Stormy metaphors of dark clouds, thunder, lightning and pouring rain fill this Psalm with images of a God whose mighty deeds shout out God’s great power and might. The Psalmist is troubled in the dark of the night, crying out untiringly, seeking comfort for his soul but refusing to accept it. But then he finds hope by reflecting on God’s power in the storm and remembering how God gently led the people out of slavery and protected them in the desert.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 16

Titled “Song of Trust and Security in God,” this Psalm is held by tradition to be a prayer of King David when he sought God’s protection and guidance. While those who follow false gods will just get themselves in trouble, the poet sings, by accepting God as “my portion and my cup,” his heart will be glad and his spirit will rejoice, knowing that God will not abandon him to the grave.

Second Reading: Galatians 5:1,13-25

Having assured the Galatians that we are all in one with Jesus, no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, Paul urges all to stand firm in faith and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are to use the freedom that God gives us not to “bite and devour” one another but to accept the fruit of the Spirit in “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Gospel: Luke 9:51-62

From now through the end of the Pentecost season, we will follow Luke’s account of Jesus’ long journey from his home in Galilee toward Jerusalem, his Passion and the Cross. As the journey begins, we see a side of Jesus that may surprise us with his seeming frustration and impatience. Is his command to come and follow him so urgent that disciples must leave the dead un-buried; is there really no time to bid their families farewell? Once Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem,” it seems, everything now focuses on bringing in the Kingdom. Nothing else is more important than that.