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.

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

“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.

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.

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.