Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Oct. 4, 2020

First Reading (Track One): Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20



When God commands, the people try to obey; but it isn’t always easy. Listen for this theme through Sunday’s readings.

Moses with the Ten Commandments (18th century); painting by Anton Losenko (1737–1773). University of Kiev, Ukraine. (Click image to enlarge.)

Moses has led Israel out of slavery in Egypt and across the Red Sea in our Track One first readings. Now on Mount Sinai in the desert comes a significant encounter: Establishing their identity and their hope, the people join in covenant with God. They receive the Ten Commandments that will guide their lives and ensure their righteousness in relationship with God and others. In the last lines of the reading, though, Moses reminds them that through the commandments God tests our faith: “God has come to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin,” Moses reminds the people.

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

When Jesus blessed bread and wine at the Last Supper, he was honoring a Jewish Passover tradition that goes back to ancient times. It’s no wonder, then, that the bible is full of parables involving wine, the fruit of the vine, and the vineyards from which it comes. In Isaiah’s poetic song in our Track Two first reading, God plants a vineyard and cares for it with love. But the harvest yields “wild” grapes – “stinking, worthless, sour” in the original Hebrew. What happened? The vines metaphorically stand for the people, who disappointed God by failing to be just and righteous. Now God will trample down the vines, destroying the vineyard.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 19

God’s commandments are a wonderful gift, a gift that shows God’s glory in such a shining light that all the heavens sing: All the skies reveal the work of God’s hand! So shouts this triumphant Psalm as it begins with mighty praise for the beauty of all God’s creation. Then the theme turns to God’s commandments, God’s law and teaching. True, just and righteous, God’s commandments stand even above the earthly creation that we have just celebrated, the Psalmist sings: They are sweeter than honey, more precious than gold.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 80:7-14

Surely the Psalmist had Isaiah’s book at hand while writing these poetic verses. In our Track Two first reading, Isaiah had warmed that a disappointed, angry God, loathing the sour fruit, would demolish the vineyard, tearing down its wall and hedge and ordering a drought to lay it waste. Now these verses of Psalm 80 imagine a people who brought a vine out of Egypt, made it mighty, but then neglected it and let it wither. Now they beg a compassionate God to regard and restore the bountiful vines. This hint of hope was not found in the dark verses of the Isaiah reading.

Second Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14

The verses just preceding this reading provide needed context: Since Paul left Philippi, other Christians preaching a more rigid Jewish Christianity have come in and told the people of this Macedonian church that Paul’s teaching was wrong, They must follow Jewish law – including purity laws and circumcision – in order to be Christians. Just before this passage, Paul has told the Philippians to beware of these teachers, calling them “dogs … evil workers … those who mutilate the flesh!” Paul now reminds them that he is a devout Jew himself, and a Pharisee too, observant and righteous. But now. he says, everything has changed: The old commandments mean nothing without Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46

In Sunday’s Gospel we find Jesus still arguing with the temple authorities. He tells another difficult parable set in a vineyard: Its owner goes to another country, hiring tenants to tend the vines for him. When he sends slaves for the produce, though, the tenants beat them up and kill them. They do the same to another group of slaves the owner sends after that. Then, incredibly, when the owner sends his own son, the tenants kill him, too! What, Jesus asks, will the owner do? Surely he will kill the evil tenants! the priests and Pharisees respond. But Jesus gives the parable another twist, saying that it is those who work to produce the fruit who will inherit the Kingdom of God. Angered, the temple leaders start plotting to arrest Jesus.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Oct. 8, 2017

Moses Showing the Tablets of the Law to the Israelites (with Portraits of Members of the Panhuys Family, their Relatives and Friends), oil painting on panel (1574-75) by Maerten de Vos (1562-1603), The Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht.
(Click image to enlarge.)

God commands. We the people try to obey; but it isn’t always easy. Listen for this theme in Sunday’s readings. On Mount Sinai in the desert, the people join in covenant with God, accepting the commandments that will seek to guide their lives toward righteousness in relationship with God and others. Note well the last lines of the reading, though, where Moses reminds them that through the commandments God tests our faith. Will we follow them with care?

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

In Isaiah’s poetic song God plants a vineyard and cares for it with love. But the harvest yields “wild” grapes – “stinking, worthless, sour” in the original Hebrew. What happened? The vines metaphorically stand for the people, who disappointed God by failing to be just and righteous. Now God will trample down the vines, destroying the vineyard. Early in Isaiah’s long book of prophecy he is already setting the scene for a people defeated in war, their city destroyed, sent into exile. Listen for vineyard themes through today’s Track Two readings. How do you think they relate?

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 19

God’s commandments are a wonderful gift, a gift that shows God’s glory in such a shining light that all the heavens sing: All the skies reveal the work of God’s hand! This triumphant Psalm begins with mighty praise for the beauty of all God’s creation. Then the theme turns to a hymn of praise for the commandments, God’s law and teaching. True, just and righteous, God’s commandments stand even above the earthly creation that we have just celebrated. They are sweeter than honey, more precious than gold.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 80:7-14

Surely the Psalmist had Isaiah’s book at hand while writing these poetic verses. Isaiah had warmed that a disappointed, angry God, loathing the sour fruit, would demolish the vineyard, tearing down its wall and hedge and ordering a drought to lay it waste. This Psalm imagines a people who brought a vine out of Egypt, made it mighty, but then neglected it and let it wither. Now we beg a compassionate God to regard and restore the bountiful vines, a hint of hope that is not found in the dark verses of our Isaiah reading.

Second Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14

The verses just preceding this reading give needed context: Since Paul left Philippi, other Christians preaching a more conservative Jewish Christianity have come in and told the people of this Macedonian church that, despite Paul’s teaching, they must follow Jewish law – including purity laws and circumcision – in order to be Christians. Paul pushes back, pointing out that he is a devout Jew himself, and a Pharisee too, observant and righteous. But now. he says, everything has changed: The old commandments mean nothing without Christ.

Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46

Picking up where last Sunday’s Gospel left off, Jesus challenges the temple authorities again with another difficult parable about a vineyard. When its owner went to another country, he hired tenants to produce the grapes for him. When he sent slaves for the produce, though, the tenants beat them up and killed them; then, remarkably, they did the same to the owner’s own son! What, Jesus asked, would the owner do? Surely he will kill the evil tenants, the priests and Pharisees respond. But Jesus turns the parable on to them: Those who work to produce the fruit will inherit the Kingdom of God. Angered, the temple leaders start plotting to arrest Jesus.

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 Oct. 12, 2014

The guest with no garment at the wedding feast.

The descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph have escaped slavery in Egypt. They have crossed the Red Sea, and received manna and water to slake their hunger and thirst. They have received the 10 Commandments at Mount Sinai and made covenant with God. But now things have gone badly wrong. The people, scared by Sinai’s smoke and thunder, are afraid that Moses won’t come back, so they break their brand-new commandments by worshipping a golden calf! God, righteously outraged, threatens to destroy the people and start over. But Moses pleads for the people, and God’s mind is changed. God’s abundant love flows to a people who may not deserve it, but who will be forgiven over and over again.

Psalm: Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23

The Psalmist looks back at the people’s wickedness in worshipping the golden calf, throwing away the great gift that they had just received. They forgot God, their Savior, who had watched over them in Egypt and brought them safely across the Red Sea and through the desert. They deserved destruction, the Psalmist sings, but Moses stood up for them and turned God’s wrath aside.

Psalm (Track 2): Psalm 23

And now, in the beloved 23rd Psalm, we sing of that very deep and abundant love, of God’s trusted protection. Our Good Shepherd who is always with us, comforting us and protecting us not only in the green pastures and still waters of good times, but even in those frightening times when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Second Reading: Philippians 4:1-9

Paul now speaks to a specific pastoral issue in the church at Philippi. Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, have been quarreling. Paul doesn’t address their dispute, but simply urges them to “be of the same mind” in Christ, perhaps suggesting that they ask, “What would Jesus do?” He calls the congregation to help restore peace and unity, reminding them that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Jesus.

Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

What is Jesus is trying to teach us about the kingdom of heaven? This parable reminds us of the wicked tenants in last week’s Gospel, who defied the person in charge and casually killed his messengers. Here the king, angry at those who didn’t show up for his son’s wedding banquet – some of whom even killed the slaves sent to invite them – brings people off the street instead. Then, when one of them ungratefully refuses to put on a wedding garment, he’s tossed out into the darkness, too. We’re all invited to the kingdom of heaven, it seems. But even as welcomed guests, we’re expected to don the wedding garment by following Jesus’ way.