Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Aug. 14, 2022 (Pentecost 10C)

First Reading (Track One): Isaiah 5:1-7

Sunday’s gospel shows us a disturbing view of Jesus. In stern, angry-sounding phrases, he envisions the coming of the Kingdom as a destructive fire; a movement that does not bring peace but a division that will even separate family members from one another.

Sunday’s other lectionary readings help us frame this confusing passage. In the Track One first reading, Isaiah sings a love song to God’s beautiful vineyard; but this lovely image literally turns sour. Although it was thoughtfully planted and carefully tended, the vineyard produced bitter, unusable grapes. God is outdone with it and will tend it no more. Then Isaiah names names: The vineyard is the house of Israel, the people of Judah. God planted them to reap righteousness and justice, but they’ve failed in this mission, and their harvest will be destruction and exile.

First Reading (Track Two): Jeremiah 23:23-29

Do you think of God as being “transcendent,” or “wholly other,” distinct from the world? Or is God “immanent,” right here around us and present in our lives? The Prophet Jeremiah, who spoke words of doom and warning before the destruction of the first Jerusalem temple, finds God in both places. Don’t think that God is only far off, Jeremiah warns: God is nearby, too. In words that Christians might see as foreshadowing Jesus’s words in today’s gospel, God has fire and destructive power ready for those who forget God’s word.

Psalm: (Track One): Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18

Isaiah’s vineyard metaphor finds an echo in the Psalmist’s song: Israel, the beloved vine that God brought out of Egypt, tended and nurtured, once grew so mighty that it filled all the land. But now everything has changed. The vine is ravaged, eaten by animals, burned like rubbish. Calling for God’s protection, the Psalmist asks God to tend the vine again, restoring the people and showing us the light of God’s countenance.

Psalm: (Track Two): Psalm 82

The idea of God sitting in a divine council of other gods sounds strange to modern ears accustomed to the idea of monotheism that’s fundamental in Scripture. Bible historians say this council may be an echo of ancient Near Eastern tradition, when early Israelites understood our God as supreme over the lesser gods of enemy nations. But the core of the Psalm is as relevant now as it was in the Psalmist’s time: God insists on justice, and calls us to stand up for the humble and the needy, the weak, the orphan, and the poor.

Second Reading: Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Building on last Sunday’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, in which the author praised Abraham and his descendants our ancestors in faith, this week’s passage adds a quick series of Hebrew Bible images. We hear praise for the biblical heroes who achieved greatness through their faith, and who now form a cloud of witnesses that surrounds us. These witnesses, we hear, show us the way to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” as we follow Jesus, who endured the shame of crucifixion and now sits at the right hand of God.

Gospel: Luke 12:49-56

During this season after Pentecost we have been following the Evangelist Luke’s account of Jesus having set his face toward Jerusalem, where he will confront the temple and civil authorities in conflicts that will take him to the cross. Repeatedly in lectures and parables he have heard him warn the apostles that it will not be easy to follow in his way. Perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised, after all, to hear the “Prince of Peace” warn that he came not to bring peace but fire and division (or, in Matthew’s version of this passage, a sword). Bursting with passion for his journey, perhaps Jesus wants his followers to understand that walking this hard journey with him may divide us even from friends and family.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Aug. 18, 2019

First Reading (Track One): Isaiah 5:1-7

Sunday’s gospel shows us an unexpected side of Jesus. Continuing his conversation with the disciples that we heard last week, he declares a stern and seemingly angry desire to bring fire to the earth, not ushering in peace but division that will even separate family members from each other.

Sunday’s readings provide us background for this confusing passage. Isaiah frames our Track One first reading as a love song to God’s beautiful vineyard, but this lovely image goes downhill fast. Although it was thoughtfully planted and carefully tended, the vineyard produced sour, unusable grapes. God is outdone with it and will tend it no more. Then Isaiah names names: The vineyard is the house of Israel, the people of Judah. God planted them to reap righteousness and justice, but they’ve failed in this mission, and their harvest will be destruction and exile.

First Reading (Track Two): Jeremiah 23:23-29

Sunday’s Track Two first reading reminds us of the idea of panentheism (not pantheism) as described by the late theologian Marcus Borg: God is transcendent, wholly other, distinct from the world, but God is also immanent, right here, all around us and present in our lives. The Prophet Jeremiah, who spoke words of doom and warning before Israel’s destruction and exile, finds God in both places. Don’t think that God is only far off, Jeremiah warns: God is nearby, too. In words that Christians might see as foreshadowing Jesus’s words in today’s gospel, the prophet warns that God holds fire and destructive power ready at hand for those who forget God’s word.

Psalm: (Track One): Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18

In the Psalmist’s song we can hear echoes of Isaiah’s lyrics about God’s lost love for Israel. Here, too, we sing of Israel as God’s beloved, well-tended vine, one that grew fruitful and mighty. But that was then, and now it is ravaged, eaten by forest animals, burned and cut down. The Psalmist calls on God: Please return and tend this vine! Return life to the exiled people, the Psalmist pleads, and they surely won’t betray you again.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 82

The idea of God sitting in a divine council of other gods sounds strange to modern ears accustomed to the idea of monotheism. Bible historians think that this concept may be an echo of ancient Near Eastern tradition, when early Israelites understood our God as supreme over the lesser gods of enemy nations. In any event the theme of the Psalm is as relevant today as it was in the times of the ancient Temple: God insists on justice, and calls us to stand up for the weak, the orphan, the lowly, the humble and the needy.

Second Reading: Hebrews 11:29 – 12:2

Following the praise for our ancestor in faith, Abraham, in last Sunday’s reading, we now hear more vignettes about Old Testament heroes who achieved greatness through their faith and now form a cloud of witnesses that surrounds and inspires us. These witnesses, we hear, show us the way to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” as we follow Jesus, who endured the shame of crucifixion and now sits at the right hand of God.

Gospel: Luke 12:49-56

This is one of the gospel passages that make us stop and think. Isn’t Jesus kind and caring – the Prince of Peace? Doesn’t Jesus love his enemies and tell us to do the same? He told us to turn the other cheek to those who would strike us! So what’s all this angry talk about not bringing peace but fire and division? (In fact, in Matthew’s Gospel, this story is told in even stronger language: “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”) What’s going on? Remember that we are following Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Walking this hard journey with Jesus is not an easy path. The Kingdom is coming soon, and working to bring it in may divide us even from friends and family.

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 July 24, 2016

First Reading: Hosea 1:2-10

Using language as grim as we heard from the prophet Amos in recent readings, the prophet Hosea uses the strange metaphor of marriage to a prostitute to warn Israel and Judah that they face destruction. Even the names of the children of this marriage offer disturbing images: “God Sows,” “Not Pitied,” and “Not My People.” The last verse, though, offers hope for the future, when “not my people” turns to “children of the living God.”

First Reading (Track Two): Genesis 18:20-32

The patriarch Abraham and his family pause in their journey as hear the beginning of the familiar story of the destruction of Sodom. God’s wrath with the Sodomites is well known, but we tend to forget that their grave sin was not about sex but lack of righteousness. Hoping to save the city, Abraham bargains with God, who was quite willing to avoid the carnage if as few as 10 righteous people could be found.

Psalm 85

Harmonizing with Hosea’s vision of an angry God, today’s Psalm sings out grateful relief from a thankful people who feared that their sins earned God’s fury and wrathful indignation, but now look forward to the mercy and salvation that they hope to receive from a God who remains faithful regardless. When we listen to God, we hear mercy meeting truth as righteousness and peace join in a kiss.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 138

The relationship of this Psalm to the destruction of Sodom may not seem apparent at first, but if we listen closely we may hear a distant echo of Abraham persuading God not to give up on the people but to look to those who remain righteous and who thank God for their many blessings. God responds when we call, the Psalmist sings. We know that God’s right hand will save us; God’s steadfast love endures.

Second Reading: Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19)

The church at Colossae was a community of new believers, looking forward to being raised with Christ through faith in God’s power. But they were a Gentile community, too, still wrestling with the pagan beliefs of their Greek culture. The author warns against false teachings, “philosophy and empty deceit … festivals, new moons or sabbaths.” God sets that aside with earthly rules and law, he writes; and in words echoing Jesus teaching us how to pray, we remember that God forgives our trespasses.

Gospel: Luke 11:1-13

When Jesus teaches us to pray, he calls us to be righteous, just as the ancient prophets demanded of Israel: Share our food, forgive our debts, do to others as we would have them do to us. Do these things and help open God’s Kingdom, not only in Heaven but right here on Earth. Attend closely to the following verses, which use the metaphor of an awfully demanding friend to underscore the importance of sharing our bread and loving our neighbors whatever the circumstances. Just as God opens the door when we knock, so should we do the same to our neighbor.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, July 14, 2013.

First Reading: Amos 7:7-17
Amos is a cranky prophet, speaking of gloom and destruction, foretelling an angry God who threatens to lay waste to the Israel that God once protected. Amaziah and Jeroboam, the high priest and king of Israel, want Amos to shut up, go home to Judea, and leave them alone. Why is Amos so angry? Israel has failed to be righteous. Like the priest and the Levite in the Good Samaritan story, the people of Israel have failed to love their neighbors as themselves, and that broke Israel’s covenant with God.

Psalm: Psalm 82
Love God and love our neighbor. This great commandment resonates through both testaments. It leaves no doubt that this duty to our neighbor gives priority to the weak, the poor and the oppressed. The Psalmist sings, “Give justice to the weak and the orphan … the lowly and the destitute … the weak and the needy.” Just as Jesus taught in the parable of the Samaritan, so are we called to love our neighbors – all of our neighbors – as we love God.

Second Reading: Colossians 1:1-14
The flowery opening verses of Paul’s letters, bible scholars say, are simply “epistolary prose,” ancient introductory verbiage akin to, “To whom it may concern.” Read closely, though, Paul is greeting the Colossians with hopeful, prayerful words: He prays for them constantly. He is glad that their new faith is bearing fruit. He prays that they will grow in good works and knowledge of God, gain strength, and be prepared to endure whatever comes their way for their love of Christ.

Gospel: Luke 10:25-37
Who doesn’t love the old favorite bible stories? The Parable of the Good Samaritan is so familiar, so reassuring, that it makes us happy to hear it again, with its twist at the end: The victim’s compatriots didn’t do so well, while the fellow we thought would be the bad guy turns out to be the good one. Take note, though, that this story does not come out of nowhere. It is Jesus’s answer to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus, like the prophet Amos and the Psalmist, tells us, “Everyone is your neighbor. Even your enemy. Not just the friend who looks and thinks and acts like you.”