Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for May 21, 2017

Saint Paul preaching at the Areopagus in Athens (1515), by Raphael (1483-1520). Royal Collection of the United Kingdom.

Even after the resurrected Jesus returns to the Creator. God remains in the world; the Holy Spirit is with us. This is the reassuring message of Sunday’s readings. The God who made us all is with us always, watches over us and hears our prayers. As today’s Collect sums it up, God’s promises exceed all that we can desire. In our first reading we see Paul in Athens, trying to persuade skeptical Greeks that their altar “to an unknown God” actually celebrates our God, who made the world and remains so near to us that in God we live and move and have our being. (In the following verses we learn that some of the crowd remained doubtful, but many became believers and joined Paul.)

Psalm 66:7-18

Sometimes bad things happen, and even God’s presence does not seem to protect us. The Psalm at first seems to suggest that God tests us with these heavy burdens, standing aside when enemies ride over us and we must go through fire and water, a theological idea that we would rather not hear. But then the verses turn back to hope and faith: God does keep watch over all the people and, at the last, ultimately brings us out to a place of refreshment, a spacious place of relief. God hears our prayers and does not reject them; at the end, God’s loving kindness is not withheld.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-22

Mirroring the theme of hope amid burdens and difficulties that we heard in Psalm 66, the excerpt from 1 Peter that we read today assures us that when we suffer for doing the right thing we earn blessing, a promise that may have brought some comfort to an early church community facing persecution. Just as Noah and his family endured the flood so that humanity could survive, Jesus suffered on the cross, died and was resurrected to sit at the right hand of God so that we too may be brought to God through baptism.

Gospel: John 14:15-21

Picking up where last Sunday’s Gospel left off, we hear Jesus continuing to reassure the apostles that, while he is leaving soon to return to the Creator, he will not leave them orphaned. Even if the world no longer sees Jesus, they will see him. He promises that God will send an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to remain with them forever. And, in words for all people and for all time, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commandments … They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for May 14, 2017

Laying the cornerstone: The rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah (1847 drawing by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld)

As we pass the midpoint of Eastertide, our readings turn from the resurrection of Jesus to our own hope of new life and resurrection through Christ. Why did Stephen suffer such a horrific death at the hands of his fellow worshippers with the not-yet-converted Saul looking on? Stephen, one of the first deacons, argued with fellow worshipers in the synagogue. They regarded his stories about Jesus as the Messiah foretold by the prophets as blasphemy. When he declares his fellow Jews “betrayers and murderers” for their role in Jesus’s crucifixion and death, their anger overcomes them and they stone him to death. His last words echo the hopeful cry of Psalm 31 that Jesus repeated on the Cross: “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

“Our times are in your hand.” These words, familiar from their use in the Birthday Collect in the Book of Common Prayer, express the Psalmist’s strong faith in the loving-kindness and protection to be found by placing one’s self in God’s hands. He asks God for safety from enemies and persecutors; he begs God to listen, to be his stronghold, his rock and castle. He asks God to listen and to save him. But ultimately he puts his faith and trust in God: “Into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10

These verses recall the words that the Prophet Isaiah had used to promise that the Temple in Jerusalem would be rebuilt on a mighty cornerstone, a living stone that the builders had at first rejected. Now the author of this letter in Peter’s name calls on Christians not to stumble and fall on this stone as Isaiah’s people had done, but to grow into salvation like infants nourished on pure, spiritual milk, to proclaim the mighty acts of Jesus, who called us out of darkness into his light.

Gospel: John 14:1-14

For the last three weeks of Eastertide we will hear excerpts from John’s long account of Jesus’ last talk with the disciples before he is betrayed, arrested and crucified. Jesus tells them that he will go ahead to prepare a place for them. He tries to reassure them, but they are confused. Thomas asks how they will know the way, and Jesus responds, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” To know Jesus is to know God, not only in resurrected life but here and now as we seek God’s kingdom on earth.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for May 7, 2017

The Young Christ as the Good Shepherd. Oil painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–1682). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Every year, the Fourth Sunday of Easter comforts us with the image of God as our Good Shepherd, gathering up all humanity in protective divine love. That metaphor is implicit without being spelled out in Sunday’s first reading. We hear of the evolution of the young church as a caring flock, inspired by the Holy Spirit to become a loving, sharing community, taking care of each other as they gladly and generously share the good news of the Gospel with the world.

Psalm 23

Our Good Shepherd is always with us, comforting us and protecting us not only in the green pastures and still waters of good times, but also when we are fearful and afraid, walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Did you notice that we sang this Psalm just a few weeks ago, on the Fourth Sunday of Lent? Our Lectionary readings return to it often: Five times in every three years we hear its assurance that God’s goodness and mercy are always with us. When you’re feeling lonely and afraid, try sitting quietly with these verses. Breathe deeply and feel the the Shepherd’s comforting presence.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:19-25

Prepare for a troubling surprise if you turn back and look at the verses just before this reading: This passage was written to slaves, demanding that they accept the authority of their masters, even if those masters treated them harshly. Nowadays we struggle with the idea of Bible verses that seem to support slavery; indeed, these and similar verses were once used to justify slavery as acceptable to God. Perhaps it’s best to hear these words as advice to all who suffer: Jesus suffered and died unfairly, even though he did no wrong. Like lost sheep, we suffer, but we know joy when we return to Christ, our shepherd and guardian.

Gospel: John 10:1-10

Hear these familiar verses in context: In the previous chapter, Jesus had been arguing with a group of Pharisees who were angry because he restored a blind man’s sight on the Sabbath. As the new chapter begins, Jesus draws a clear distinction between the good shepherd who cares for the sheep and thieves who break in to steal the sheep. Jesus himself is the gate to the sheepfold itself, he tells them; and the gatekeeper, the protective guardian whose familiar voice reassures the sheep, calling each by name. The gate opens to allow the protected ones to enter, then closes to bar those who would steal, kill, and destroy the beloved sheep. In the next verse after today’s reading, Jesus will declare, “‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for April 30, 2017

Supper at Emmaus (1648). Oil on panel by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 – 1669). Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Themes of resurrection continue in our readings for Eastertide. Continuing his first Pentecost sermon, Peter has more harsh words for the Jewish crowd, blaming “the entire house of Israel” for crucifying Jesus, whom God has now made Lord and Messiah. Like the angry references to the Jews in the Passion Gospels, modern Christians should read this only in context. At the time of this writing, there was extreme tension between early Christians and Jews over the status of Jesus as Messiah. We should erase echoes of anti-Judaism and hear in this passage, rather, God’s gracious promise that forgiveness through the gift of the Holy Spirit is available to all.

Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

Our Psalm is heard as a hymn of gratitude for recovery. It vividly describes the anguish of illness and the fear of death. But then through prayer it quickly turns from grief and sorrow to exultation and thanksgiving, reflecting the transforming joy that recovery brings. We can hear an undercurrent of resurrection in escaping the cords of death and the grip of the grave to win the joy of new life.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23

This second reading continues with another excerpt from the first letter written in Peter’s name. It gives us some insight into the efforts of the early church to discern the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection in our lives, working in these verses on the significance of Jesus’ death as ransom for our sins. This theological quest has continued from the early church through the Middle Ages and even to our times. One point, though, remains clear: Through Christ we trust in God; through Christ we love one another, and through Christ we gain life in the enduring word of God.

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35

Like the apostles fearfully hiding in a locked room who we heard about in John’s Gospel last Sunday, the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke’s narrative this week seem uncertain and worried. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” they told the stranger on the road to Emmaus. They don’t seem very convinced by the women’s report from the tomb, either. But then the mysterious traveler reveals himself as Jesus when he breaks the bread, just as Jesus is present when the bread is broken at our Eucharistic table.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for April 23, 2017

The incredulity of St. Thomas (c.1622) Oil painting by Hendrick ter Brugghen (1588–1629). Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Eastertide has now begun, and our readings during the next six Sundays will direct our thoughts toward the meaning of resurrection. We’ll hear of the apostles in the early church following Jesus’ way; mysterious appearances of the resurrected Christ, and Jesus’ own words about God’s promise of eternal life. Our first readings will draw from the Acts of the Apostles, beginning this Sunday as we hear Peter on the day of Pentecost, addressing the amazed crowd with a fluent sermon declaring Jesus the resurrected Messiah promised by the prophets, and then baptizing 3,000 new believers.

Psalm 16

In his talk to the people of Jerusalem in Acts, Peter quoted verses 8 through 11 of this Psalm. Now we chant the full Psalm. Note that these verses are similar, yet not exactly the same, as those Peter read. That’s because Peter – as was the custom in the Near East in those times – used the Greek bible, the Septuagint, not the original Hebrew Psalm, which we have here translated directly into English. Both versions are similar, of course, and they convey the same promise: God teaches us, God watches over us; God protects us, and God gives us joy forever.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Throughout Eastertide we will hear second readings from the First Book of Peter, actually letters written to the church in Asia Minor by later followers in Peter’s name and purportedly reflecting his ideas. Appropriately for the season, this short letter shows us the developing theory of resurrection and salvation in the early church around the end of the first century. Observing that the people are suffering “various trials” – perhaps persecution for their faith – it assures the people that nevertheless, through Christ’s resurrection and life, God offers the faithful the joy of a lasting inheritance of salvation.

Gospel: John 20:19-31

The apostles know that Jesus has risen, but this wonderful news was apparently not enough to keep them from being afraid. They’re hiding in a locked room, yet suddenly Jesus appears among them, twice telling them, “Peace be with you.” Jesus bears the visible scars of his crucifixion but is very much alive. He sends his friends, no longer fearful, out into the world in peace, empowered with the Holy Spirit through Jesus’ breath. Then Thomas, who missed this first meeting, wins his reputation as “Doubting Thomas” by refusing to believe that Jesus had truly risen unless he could touch the wounds. Jesus invites Thomas to touch his wounds, and then he blesses all who believe through faith alone.