Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 14, 2024 (Epiphany 2B)

Nathaniel Under the Fig Tree (c.1886-1894), gouache drawing over graphite on gray paper by James Tissot (1836-1902). Brooklyn Museum, New York City. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10

Listen for God’s voice in the world, and take care to grasp the reality that we hear. Listen for this theme as it resonates through Sunday’s Lectionary readings. Our first reading introduces young Samuel, puzzled by a mysterious voice as he lies near the Ark in the Temple in Jerusalem. Samuel thinks the voice is his guardian Eli, the high priest and judge of Israel. But Eli, who is elderly and nearly blind, was sound asleep. After a few repetitions, Eli realizes that Samuel is hearing the voice of God. Eli advises the boy to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Then Eli accepts the words that Samuel hears from God, although they are harsh and stern: God plans to punish Eli and his blasphemous sons who have corrupted the Temple priesthood.

Psalm: Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17

It is rarely easy for us to be certain of what God is asking of us. But we can be sure that God fully and completely knows our every thought, the Psalmist sings in verses traditionally attributed to King David. God knows us, God knows when we move forward and when we sit down; God knows every word that we speak and every word that we think. God’s thoughts are more countless than Earth’s grains of sand, the Psalmist continues. It would take an infinity of time to count them.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

At a glance, this reading might reinforce our modern doubts about Paul’s occasional ruminations on sexuality and sin. Read in its original context, though, we see a kinder and gentler image. As he so often does in 1 Corinthians, Paul is offering pastoral counsel to a loving but often quarrelsome little church community. They’ve been arguing about all sorts of theological issues. They’re split into factions. Some of them really haven’t been behaving well, fired by an odd notion that being baptized in the Spirit allows them to behave immorally without sin. Paul’s advice is not angry but clear and firm: Listen for God’s voice through the Holy Spirit. Remember that our bodies are parts of Christ’s body and temples of the Holy Spirit, so honor God by behaving well.

Gospel: John 1:43-51

We are called to respond to Christ in faith through the revelation of his divinity in the gospels of the Epiphany season. In the first chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus calls his disciples, one and two at a time. In the verses preceding Sunday’s gospel, Andrew, Simon Peter and now Philip have joined Jesus. Now we learn that Philip wants his friend Nathanael added to the growing band. Nathanael, though, is wary at first. This Jesus comes from Nazareth? That’s not where the Messiah is supposed to come from! But when Jesus speaks to Nathanael in words that seem to echo the Psalm’s “Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb,” Nathanael accepts Jesus’s call and declares him the Son of God and King of Israel.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 17, 2021

First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10

Sunday’s Lectionary readings prompt us to think about listening for God’s voice in the world … and about taking care to discern just what we hear.

Samuel Relating to Eli the Judgements of God upon Eli’s House (1780), oil painting on canvas by John Singleton Copley (1738-1815). Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut. (Click image to enlarge.)

In the first reading, the boy Samuel – who will grow up to be a prophet when Israel becomes a kingdom under Saul – hears a mysterious voice calling him in the night. He thinks that it his guardian Eli, the high priest and judge (which was the title of the Israelites’ leader in the days before kings). But Eli, who was sleeping, eventually realizes that Samuel is hearing the voice of God. Eli advises the boy to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” After Samuel reports what he has heard from God, Eli accepts it, even though it is bad news for Eli and his blasphemous sons who had corrupted the priesthood.

Psalm: Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17

It may be difficult for us to discern what God asks of us, the Psalmist sings, but we can rely on God’s full and complete knowledge of our every thought. God knows us, God knows when we move forward and when we sit down; God knows every word that we speak and every word that we think. Chanting, “How deep I find your thoughts, O God! How great is the sum of them,” the Psalmist assures us that, although we can never know all that God wills for us, there is joy and hope in listening for God’s voice.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

On a casual reading, this passage from 1 Corinthians might make us groan,“Oh, no, Paul is ranting about sexuality again.” If we check the context of these verses that seem to address immorality and sleeping around, though, we find – as we often do in Paul’s letters – he is addressing pastoral advice to a loving, but sometimes troublesome, church community. The Christinas of Corinth have been arguing. They’re split into factions. Some haven’t been behaving well. Some even believe that their baptism makes it okay for them to behave immorally! Paul’s direction is simple: Listen for God’s voice through the Holy Spirit. Remember that our bodies are parts of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit, and honor God by doing the right thing.

Gospel: John 1:43-51

After his brief encounter with John at the Jordan, Jesus begins calling his apostles one and two at a time, according to the account in John’s Gospel. Andrew and Simon Peter first heard Jesus’s call. Then he called Philip, who in turn wants to get his friend Nathanael into the growing band. But Nathanael is wary at first. This Jesus comes from Nazareth? That’s not where the Messiah is supposed to come from! But when Jesus speaks to Nathanael in words that seem to echo the Psalm’s phrases such as “My body was not hidden from you.” Nathanael – who is named as an apostle only by John – hears Jesus’ call and delightedly accepts him as the Son of God and King of Israel.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 14, 2018

Apparition of the spirit of Samuel to Saul (1668), oil painting by Salvator Rosa (1615–1673). The Louvre, Paris. (Click image to enlarge.)

Listen for God’s voice in the world, and take care to understand what we hear. We hear this theme resonate in Sunday’s readings as we move into the season after Epiphany. Our first reading introduces young Samuel, puzzled by a mysterious voice that he hears calling him in the night. He thinks that it is his guardian Eli, the high priest and judge of Israel. But Eli, who was sleeping, eventually discerns that Samuel is hearing the voice of God. Eli advises the boy to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Then Eli accepts the words that Samuel hears from God, even though it is bad news for Eli and his blasphemous sons who corrupted the priesthood.

Psalm: Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17

Even if it is not easy for us to be certain what God is asking of us, we can be sure that God fully and completely knows our every thought, the Psalmist sings in verses traditionally attributed to King David. God knows us, God knows when we move forward and when we sit down; God knows every word that we speak and every word that we think. God’s thoughts are more countless than Earth’s grains of sand; it would take an infinity of time to count them.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

At a glance, this reading might make us groan. It’s one of Paul’s occasional rumination on sexuality and sin. Read in its original context, though, he is giving pastoral counsel to a loving but often quarrelsome little church community. They’ve been arguing about all sorts of theological issues. They’re split into factions. Some of them really haven’t been behaving well, fired by an odd notion that having been baptized in the Spirit makes it permissible for them to behave immorally. One of them even wants to marry his own stepmother! Paul’s advice is clear and firm: Listen for God’s voice through the Holy Spirit. Remember that our bodies are parts of Christ’s body and temples of the Holy Spirit, so honor God by doing the right thing.

Gospel: John 1:43-51

Jesus, after a brief encounter with John at the Jordan, begins calling his apostles, one and two at a time. First came Andrew and Simon Peter, and now in today’s Gospel it is Philip who hears Jesus’s call. Then Philip wants to add his friend Nathanael into the growing band, but Nathanael is wary: Doesn’t this Jesus come from Nazareth? That’s not where the Messiah is supposed to be from! But when Jesus tells Nathanael that he had already seen him under the fig tree before Philip introduced them, Nathanael recognizes Jesus’ call and eagerly accepts him as the Son of God and King of Israel.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Jan. 18, 2015

The Call of Nathanael, orthodox icon

Today’s readings speak to us about listening for God’s voice in the world … and about taking care to discern just what we hear. In our first reading, the boy Samuel – who will grow up to be a prophet as Israel becomes a kingdom under Saul – hears a mysterious voice calling him in the night. He thinks that it his guardian Eli, the high priest and judge, as the Israelites then called their leader. But Eli, who was sleeping, eventually realizes that Samuel is hearing the voice of God. Eli advises the boy to respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Psalm: Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17

Even if it is not easy for us to discern what God asks of us, we can rely on God’s full and complete knowledge of our every thought, the Psalmist sings. God knows us, God knows when we move forward and when we sit down; God knows every word that we speak and every word that we think. “How deep I find your thoughts, O God! How great is the sum of them!” We can never know all that God wills for us, but there is joy and hope in listening for God’s voice.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

“Oh, my, Paul is ranting about sexuality again,” this reading might make us groan. Warnings about immorality and sleeping around? Listen closely, though: as happens often in Paul’s letters, he is giving pastoral counsel to a loving, but sometimes troublesome, church community in Corinth. They’ve been arguing. They’re split into factions. Some haven’t been behaving well. Some even believe that their baptism makes it okay for them to behave immorally! Paul’s advice is simple: Listen for God’s voice through the Holy Spirit. Remember that our bodies are parts of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit, and honor God by doing the right thing.

Gospel: John 1:43-51

Jesus is calling his disciples, in John’s account, one and two at a time. Andrew, Simon Peter and now Philip have heard Jesus’s call. Philip wants to get his friend Nathanael into the growing band. But Nathanael is wary at first. This Jesus comes from Nazareth? That’s not where the Messiah is supposed to come from! But when Jesus speaks to Nathanael in words that seem to echo the Psalm’s “Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb,” Nathanael hears Jesus’ call and accepts him as the Son of God and King of Israel.