Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for July 28, 2024 (Pentecost 10B/Proper 12)

Feeding the Five Thousand (c.1580-590), oil painting on canvas by Marten van Valckenborch (1535-1612). Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): 2 Samuel 11:1-15

Power corrupts. We see this simple wisdom amply demonstrated in the life of David. For all the reverence that David earned through his kingship and warrior victories, when he was bad, he was very, very bad. We see this in Sunday’s horrifying Track One first reading: He is so attracted by the sight of beautiful Bathsheba bathing on her roof that he summons her, rapes her – no kinder term will serve for a person with his power taking her without her consent – and then arranges for the death of her husband, Uriah, in battle.

First Reading (Track Two): 2 Kings 4:42-44

The story of the Prophet Elisha in our Track Two first reading might make us think of the familiar gospel story about Jesus encountering feeding a hungry crowd of thousands with a few loaves and fishes. As told in the Second Book of Kings, Elisha, faced with a crowd of hungry people, directs that they be fed from a sack of food that a man has brought to sacrifice. There were only 20 loaves and a bit of grain to share among 100 people, which surely didn’t seem like enough. But with God’s help it proved to be more than enough. Just as in the Gospel stories, there were even leftovers after all were fed.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 14

Psalm 14, another of the many Psalms that tradition attributes to David himself, resonates with David’s heinous behavior in the first reading. The Psalmist, speaking in the voice of a disappointed king, laments that the people have turned faithless and corrupt, foolishly denying God as they commit abominable acts. God looks down to see if any wise people remain, but there are none. Yet even in these times of evil, the Psalmist sings, God remains with the righteous. God is the refuge of the just, and eventually will deliver the people and restore their fortunes.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 145:10-19

Like many of the Psalms, this hymn of praise and thanksgiving expresses gratitude to a God who is not only powerful but faithful and merciful too. God is always prepared to gently lift up those who fall and to support those who are oppressed, we hear in this portion of Psalm 145. Echoing the bounty that God provided for the hungry people in the Ezekiel reading and the hungry crowd that Jesus feeds in the gospel stories, the Psalmist, too, celebrates God who gives us food; whose outstretched hands satisfy every living creature.

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

Sunday’s passage from the letter to the Ephesians takes a break from its pastoral advice to an early Christian community as the author kneels before God to lift up a prayer for the people being addressed. He prays that the people of Ephesus may receive strength through the Holy Spirit, and that Christ may come to live in their hearts through faith. The reading closes with a beautiful blessing that we often hear slightly reworded as a benediction in Morning and Evening Prayer: “Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.”

Gospel: John 6:1-21

Beginning Sunday and continuing through the month of August, our gospel readings will turn from Mark’s Gospel to the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel, in which we hear Jesus discourse at length about the bread of life. This first portion gives us John’s version of the familiar story of the loaves and fishes, which hints at the Eucharist in its imagery: Jesus first blesses the bread, then shares five barley loaves and two fish among 5,000 people. Somehow this tiny portion feeds everyone so abundantly that there is more left over than they had to start with. The crowds are so amazed that they clamor to make Jesus king, but he slips away, catching up with the startled disciples by walking miles across the choppy water to join them in their boat.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Aug. 1, 2021

First Reading (Track One): 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a

Last Sunday we heard a shocking story about King David, who raped the beautiful Bathsheba, then arranged to have her husband, Uriah, killed in battle so David could have Bathsheba for himself.

Israelites Gathering Manna (c.1490), tempera painting on canvas by Ercole de’ Roberti (c.1451-1496). National Gallery, London. (Click image to enlarge.)

This week we get the rest of the story: The prophet Nathan, following instructions from God, tells David about a selfish rich man who took away and slaughtered a poor man’s beloved lamb. Angry beyond measure, David curses the rich man and threatens to have him killed. Then comes Nathan’s charge: “You are the man!” A merciful God threatens David with serious punishment but spares his life. In the verses following these, though, Nathan foretells that the child of David’s illicit union must die.

First Reading (Track Two): Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15

From God’s gift of manna to God’s gift of grace through Jesus, our Track Two readings over the next few weeks focus on bread – the bread of life – as metaphor for God’s abundant love. In last Sunday’s First Reading, when the Prophet Elisha fed 100 people with a few small barley loaves, he recalled God promising the people that “They shall eat and have some left.” In this Sunday’s reading we go back to the verses of which Elisha spoke, when God provided abundant manna, a gift of bread in the desert.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 51:1-13

We heard this familiar Psalm passage a few months ago on the fifth Sunday of Lent, but it certainly bears repeating in the context of King David’s adultery and murder. The Psalm’s powerful narrative envisions David wracked in repentant guilt as he confronts his great sin. In poetic words that mirror the promises of God’s covenants with the people, David pours out his shame and grief. He makes no excuses for his wicked acts, but begs for God’s mercy and forgiveness. “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” the Psalmist begs in the assumed voice of David: create in us a clean slate upon which God can write a new covenant of love.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 78:23-29

The Psalmist remembers God’s gift of manna and gives thanks to the Creator who saw the people’s need and rained down on them all the bread and meat that they could eat. God filled them up; God gave them what they craved. The preceding verses of this psalm, which we don’t read this Sunday, add context: The Psalmist recalls how God led the people out of slavery in Egypt. God cared for them, and ultimately overcame divine anger and fed them with love in spite of their ungrateful complaints.

Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

The author of Ephesians, writing in Paul’s name a generation or two later, seems to draw inspiration from Paul’s memorable metaphor in his in First Letter to the Corinthians. Like Paul, Ephesians envisions the Christian community as Christ’s body, in which each of us acts according to our gifts. We are all called to work together with humility and gentleness to make the body function, living in unity as one body and one spirit, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.”

Gospel: John 6:24-35

Huge crowds continue following Jesus around the shores of Galilee. Having watched his miraculous healings and shared in the bountiful loaves and fishes, they are fascinated by this remarkable rabbi. They want to know more about him, but Jesus quite bluntly tells them that they just want more bread. Don’t fret about the world’s bread that does not last, Jesus tells them. Continuing his extended discussion about the bread of life that we will hear in John’s Gospel through most of August, Jesus declares in these beloved words: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for July 29, 2018

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes (6th century). Mosaic in the Basilica di Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): 2 Samuel 11:1-15

Power corrupts. We see this simple wisdom amply demonstrated in the life of David. For all the reverence that David earned through his kingship and warrior victories, when he was bad, he was very, very bad. We see this in Sunday’s horrifying Track One first reading: He is so attracted by the sight of beautiful Bathsheba bathing on her roof that he summons her, rapes her – no kinder term will serve for a person in his power taking her without her consent – and then arranges for the death of her husband, Uriah, in battle.

First Reading (Track Two): 2 Kings 4:42-44

Just about everyone enjoys hearing about the time Jesus fed a crowd with loaves and fishes that mysteriously multiply to more than fulfill the need. This is surely one of the most familiar Gospel stories. In fact, it is Jesus’ only miracle that is told in all four Gospels. You may not be so quick to remember the similar story of the Prophet Elisha feeding a crowd, though! Faced with a crowd of hungry people, Elisha directed that they be fed from a sack of food that a man had brought to sacrifice. He had only 20 loaves and a bit of grain for 100 people, which didn’t seem like much, but it proved to be more than enough. Just as in the Gospel stories, there were even leftovers.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 14

Another of the many Psalms that tradition attributes to David himself, this one resonates with David’s heinous behavior in the first reading. Here the Psalmist, imagined as a disappointed king, laments that the people have turned faithless and corrupt, foolishly denying God as they commit abominable acts. God looks down to see if any wise people remain, but there are none. But even in these times of evil, God remains with the righteous; God is the refuge of the just, and eventually will deliver the people and restore their fortunes.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 145:10-19

Reflecting the bounty that God provided for the hungry people in Ezekiel and that Jesus fed the hungry crowd on the mountainside, this Psalm of worship, praise and thanksgiving celebrates God who feeds us, whose outstretched hands satisfy every living creature. We sing of a God who is not only powerful but faithful and merciful as well. Our God will always gently lift up those who fall and support those who are oppressed.

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

Sunday’s passage from the letter to the Ephesians takes a break from its pastoral advice as the author kneels before God to lift up a prayer for the people being addressed. He prays that the people of Ephesus may receive strength through the Holy Spirit, and that Christ may come to live in their hearts through faith. The reading closes with a beautiful blessing that we often hear slightly reworded as a benediction in Morning and Evening Prayer: “Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.”

Gospel: John 6:1-21

Starting Sunday and continuing through the month of August, our gospel readings will turn from our year with Mark to visit the sixth chapter of John, in which Jesus discourses at length about the bread of life. We begin with John’s version of the familiar story of the loaves and the fishes. John more directly hints at the Eucharist than do the other evangelists: Jesus takes the bread, blesses it by giving thanks, then distributes five barley loaves and two fish to 5,000 people. The blessed repast somehow fills everyone abundantly, and more is left over than they started with! The crowds are so amazed that they clamor to make Jesus king by force; but he slips away, terrifying the disciples by walking miles across the water to catch up with their boat.

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Aug. 2, 2015

Bakers mixing and kneading dough and filling bread molds, from a painting in an ancient Egyptian tomb.

From God’s gift of manna to God’s gift of grace through Jesus, our readings focus for several weeks on bread – the bread of life – as metaphor for God’s abundant love. In last Sunday’s First Reading, when the Prophet Elisha fed 100 people with a few small barley loaves, he recalled God promising the people that “They shall eat and have some left.” Today we read the verses of which Elisha spoke: the story of God providing ample manna. feeding the people their bread in the desert.

Psalm: Psalm 78:23-29

The Psalmist remembers God’s gift of manna and gives thanks to the Creator who saw the people’s need and rained down on them all the bread and meat that they could eat. God filled them up; God gave them what they craved. Now think about this: In the first part of this Psalm, which we do not hear today, the Psalmist recalled how God led the people out of slavery in Egypt. We remember how God cared for them, and ultimately overcame God’s own anger and fed them with love in spite of their ungrateful complaints.

Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

The author of Ephesians offers life lessons in poetic language in today’s reading. Do you remember Paul’s memorable verses in 1 Corinthians, in which he speaks of the church as Christ’s body, within which each of us acts according to our gifts? Here, too, we are all called to work together with humility and gentleness, in unity as one body and one spirit, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.”

Gospel: John 6:24-35

Huge crowds continue following Jesus back and forth across the Sea of Galilee, looking around the lake shore and villages until they find him. Having watched his miraculous healings and shared in the bountiful loaves and fishes, they are surely fascinated by Jesus. They want to know more and, Jesus suggests, they probably want more bread. Jesus then begins an extended discussion that will take us through the next three Sundays. The world’s bread does not last, he tells them; but Jesus, the bread of life, endures forever. Those who come to him will never hunger nor thirst.