Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 28, 2024 (Epiphany 4B)

Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit (Mc. 1412-1416), from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, a French Gothic illumination for the Book of Hours by the Limbourg Brothers, Herman, Paul and Johan, now in the Musée Condé, Chantilly, France. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20

The ongoing theme of listening for God’s voice and trying to discern what God is calling us to do continues in our readings for the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany. Our first reading is a passage from Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of the Torah. We open the book as the story of God’s covenant with Israel is drawing to its close. Moses is in his last days. He will not live to enter the Promised Land. But then, the people wonder, how will they know God’s wishes once their longtime prophet is gone? Moses reassures them that God will raise up another prophet like him from among the people: a prophet who will speak God’s words and whom God will hold accountable.

Psalm: Psalm 111

Psalms, the hymns and worship poetry of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, offer many forms of prayer. Some ask God’s favor. Some cry out in lament. Others sing thanks for blessings. Yet many of the most joyous Psalms – like the familiar verses of Psalm 111 as a resounding example – exultantly sing God’s praise. God’s work, God’s majesty, God’s splendor, God’s justice, all last forever. God feeds us. The fear (meaning awe) of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

These verses offer us a fascinating insight into Paul. This pastoral question about eating meat that had been sacrificed in pagan temples might not seem to say much to us as inhabitants of a modern technological society. In his context, though, Paul understands the Corinthian Christians’ notion that pagan gods aren’t God at all, so sharing temple food – their primary source of meat – could be morally neutral to believers who are strong in their faith. The rest of Paul’s conclusion transcends time: Even if we do nothing wrong, Paul asserts, our actions may influence others, and Christ calls us to be mindful of that.

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

We continue following Mark’s account of Jesus’ early ministry in Galilee. Baptized, returned from his time in the wilderness, and having chosen his disciples, Jesus now steps up and speaks for the first time during Sabbath services in Capernaum, the small Galilean town where he was active. Two remarkable things happen: First, this stranger amazes the community with bold teaching that reveals him as one “having authority.” Then Jesus further astounds the people by commanding a noisy unclean spirit to come out of a troubled man. Unclean though the spirit may be, it shouts wisdom, declaring Jesus “the Holy One of God.”

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 31, 2021

First Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Hearing God’s voice. Listening for God’s call. This theme echoes in many of our readings through the season of Epiphany, as each week’s Gospel shines more light on the reality of Jesus as Messiah.

Christ heals a man possessed in the synagogue of Capernaum. Eleventh century Romanesque fresco in the former bell house of Lambach Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Austria. (Click image to enlarge.)

Our first reading brings us to Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of the Torah, the story of God’s covenant with Israel. The people have reached the promised land, and the long narrative of their travels is drawing to a close. Moses is dying, and now the people worry how they will know God’s wishes once their prophet is gone. Moses reassures them that God will raise up another prophet from among them, and that God will expect them to pay attention when this prophet utters God’s words.

Psalm: Psalm 111

The Psalms – the Hebrew Bible’s book of hymns and worship poetry of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem – take many forms. Some ask God’s favor. Others weep in lament. Some offer thanks for past blessings. And some of the most joyous, such as today’s familiar verses, exultantly sing God’s praise. All of God’s work, all of God’s majesty and splendor, all of God’s justice last forever, the Psalmist exults. God feeds us. God’s covenant redeems us, and the people shout “Hallelujah!” “Praise God!”

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

These passage might not seem to say much to us in modern times, but it offers us a fascinating insight into understanding Paul as a pastor working with his flock. A question had arisen about whether it was acceptable to eat meat that had been sacrificed in pagan temples. This was a common practice in pagan Greece, where meat from animals who had been sacrificed in the temples were made available to the public. Paul accepts the notion of Corinth’s Jewish Christians that pagan gods aren’t really God at all, so sharing temple food could be morally neutral to Christian believers who are strong in their faith. But the rest of Paul’s conclusion transcends time: Even if we do nothing wrong, our actions may influence others who are not so strong – in this case of the Corinthians, for example, recent converts from paganism. “If food is a cause of their falling,” says Paul, “I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.”

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

We are still in the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel, and the ministry of Jesus is getting under way. Jesus, who now has a group of followers, goes to Sabbath services in Capernaum, a small town near the Sea of Galilee where we often find him in Mark’s Gospel. Two remarkable things happen there: First, this young rabbi amazes the congregation with profound teaching that reveals him as one “having authority,” in contrast with the less authoritative scribes. Then Jesus further astounds the people by commanding a noisy unclean spirit to come out of a troubled man. Unclean though the spirit may be, it shouts wisdom, declaring Jesus “the Holy One of God.”

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 28, 2018

First Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit (Mark 1:21-28), from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (c. 1412-1416), a French Gothic illumination for the Book of Hours by the Limbourg Brothers, Herman, Paul and Johan, now in the Musée Condé, Chantilly, France. (Click image to enlarge.)

The ongoing theme of listening for God’s voice and trying to discern what God is calling us to do continues in our readings during the season of Epiphany. Sunday’s first reading turns to Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of the Torah. The story of God’s covenant with Israel is drawing to its close as Moses, who will not live to enter the Promised Land, is in his last days. How will the people know God’s wishes once their longtime prophet is gone? Moses reassures them that God will raise up another prophet like him from among the people: a prophet who will speak God’s words and whom God will hold accountable.

Psalm: Psalm 111

Psalms, as you’ve surely noticed, take many forms. These hymns and worship poetry of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem serve as a variety of kinds of prayer. Some ask God’s favor. Some cry out in lament. Others sing thanks for blessings. Yet many of the most joyous Psalms – today’s familiar verses as one splendid example – exultantly sing God’s praise. God’s work, God’s majesty, God’s splendor, God’s justice, it all lasts forever. God feeds us. The fear (or awe) of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

At first glance this question – whether Christians may eat meat that had been sacrificed in pagan temples – might seem meaningless to us in 2018. Listen closely, though, and recognize that its broader significance reaches across the ages. First, Paul points out that pagan gods aren’t God at all, so pagan sacrifices are irrelevant to Christians. In principle, then, sharing this food – which the pagan temples sold to the public after sacrifice – would be morally neutral to believers who are strong in their faith. But, Paul adds, even if we do nothing wrong, our actions may be a stumbling block to others in the community who don’t understand. We must not cause them to fall into idolatry.

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

We continue following Mark’s account of Jesus’ early ministry in Galilee. Baptized, returned from his time in the wilderness, and having chosen his disciples, Jesus now steps up and speaks for the first time during Sabbath services in Capernaum, the small Galilean town where he was active. Two remarkable things happen: First, this stranger amazes the community with bold teaching that revealed him as one “having authority.” Then Jesus further astounds the people by commanding a noisy unclean spirit to come out of a troubled man. Unclean though the spirit may be, though, note that it shouts wisdom, declaring Jesus “the Holy One of God.”

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Feb. 1, 2015

Jesus casts out a man’s unclean spirit

First Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Hearing God’s voice. Hearing God’s call. This theme echoes in many of our readings through the season of Epiphany. Now the fifth and final book of the Torah, the story of God’s covenant with Israel, is drawing to its close. Moses is dying. The people worry how they will know God’s wishes once their prophet is gone. Moses reassures them that God will raise up another prophet from among them, and that God will expect them to pay attention when this prophet utters God’s words.

Psalm: Psalm 111

The Psalms, the Old Testament’s hymns and worship poetry, take many forms. Some ask God’s favor. Some weep in lament. Some offer thanks for past blessings. And some of the most joyous, like today’s familiar verses, exultantly sing God’s praise. All of God’s work, all of God’s majesty and splendor, all of God’s justice last forever. God feeds us. God’s covenant redeems us. The people shout “Hallelujah!” “Praise God!”

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

These verses offer us a fascinating insight into understanding Paul. This pastoral question about eating meat that had been sacrificed in pagan temples might not seem to say much to us. Paul accepts the Corinthian Christians’ notion that pagan gods aren’t God at all, so sharing temple food – their primary source of meat – could be morally neutral to believers who are strong in their faith. But the rest of Paul’s conclusion transcends time: Even if we do nothing wrong, our actions may influence others, and Christ calls us to be mindful of that.

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

We are still in the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel. Jesus goes to Sabbath services in Capernaum, a small town near the Sea of Galilee where he was active. Two remarkable things happen: First, this young man amazes the congregation with his teaching that revealed him as one “having authority.” Then Jesus exorcizes a man possessed by an “unclean spirit,” further astounding the people. Note, too, that while the spirit may be unclean, it shrieks wisdom, declaring Jesus “the Holy One of God.”