Proper 10A/OT15

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Initial Thoughts

  • One of my favorite sermon series started with this parable - “Good Soil,” was used by Rev. Duane Larsen when he started at Eureka (MO) UMC.

  • Lectionary omits v. 10-17, cleaning it up to only include the parable and the explanation.

  • One of the only parables that is explained by Jesus.  Explanation likely added as post-Easter story, not included in Gospel of Thomas.

  • Matthew 13 according to Jana Riess’s The Twible “The 12 ask JC why he speaks to the people in parables. They’d prefer straightforward behavioral checklists, please. With maps.”

Bible Study

  • Facing the question: “Why do people say ‘no’ to Christ?”

    • To those that believe, and have experienced Christ, it can be baffling to wonder why someone would resist.

    • In fact, Christians can be insufferable about this - like the person who just quit smoking who cannot stand to be around smokers.

    • Explanation of the parable is given to the disciples, who might have been wondering the same thing.

  • The Soils

    • Is Jesus’ midrash?

      • Deut 6:5, wherein Jesus the difficulty of loving God with one’s whole heart, soul, and might.

      • Isaiah 55:10, Second Isaiah’s assertion that God’s word goes out and does not return void. 

      • Ezekiel 17

    • “Jesus' clear explanation of what each element in the parable represents would seem to leave little work for the preacher. But the interpretation also raises some troubling questions. For instance, who qualifies as "good soil"? Since soil cannot change itself, is there any hope for the hardened, rocky, and thorny soil? Are these destined to be unproductive forever?” (Elisabeth Johnson, Working Preacher)

    • Important Question: Can you change what soil you are?

      • This is not about looking at others and deciding what kind of soil they are, it is about self-reflection.

      • “As hearers, the disciples [and us] are not allowed the luxury of armchair quarterbacking, of deliberating over someone else’s positive or negative response… The text bluntly asks, How do you hear? What type of soil are you? (Charles Cousar, Texts for Preaching, Year A p. 404).

    • καρδια ("heart"; 19)  Interestingly, this word never refers to the actually beating heart inside the body in the NT!  Hebrew and Greek map the whole heart-brain-feelings-thoughts a bit differently, but the basic point is that the heart here is not the Hallmark center, but the core of who we are, including our thoughts. (Lectionary Greek)

    • There is an important distinction between those who simply “hear” and those who “understand.”

      • “Those who receive the word of the kingdom and understand it, that is, appropriate it not merely intellectually but with a commitment at the depths of their being, will be able to withstand the onslaught of temptation and tribulation and produce a bountiful harvest.”  (Douglas Hare, Interpretation: Matthew, p. 154-155).

      • The commitment of today’s Christian is not so much persecution as it is secular scorn.  It is truly remarkable how timeless the trials that Jesus describes truly are.  

  • The Sower

    • σπειραντος ("the one who sows", participle of σπειρω; 18)There is nothing distinct about this word, but it is worth pointing out that Jesus says the parable is about this, namely, the one who throws his seed, even into wasteful places! (Lectionary Greek)

    • “It is clear that the sowing is carelessly done. Perceptions of the sower would differ at this point depending on the status of the person. If the sower were a small landholder, he would appear to be stupid. If the sower were a hired laborer or a tenant farmer, who often struggled with difficult conditions, then he would be viewed with sympathy.  Consequently, the fantastic yields would underscore that God is a generous provider. (Michael Joseph Brown, True to Our Native Land, p. 102)

    • What does this story tell us about God?

      • God is reckless with the way he scatters the seed.

      • Not a careful, selective sower.

      • Extravagant, almost wasteful.  After all, who throws seed on paths, in bushes, or on rocky soil?

      • All are given the same grace (prevenient grace).  Grace is offered before we even decide what kind of soil we are going to be.

      • “Too often we play it safe, sowing the word only where we are confident it will be well received, and only where those who receive it are likely to become contributing members of our congregations. In the name of stewardship, we hold tightly to our resources, wanting to make sure that nothing is wasted. We stifle creativity and energy for mission, resisting new ideas for fear they might not work -- as though mistakes or failure were to be avoided at all costs. Jesus' approach to mission is quite at odds with our play-it-safe instincts.”  (Elisabeth Johnson, Working Preacher)

Thoughts and Questions

  • “The parables focus upon the majority of the seed, which went fruitless, would be bitterly familiar to the peasant, for whom the grain seed represented his only ‘cash flow,’ with it he fed his family, paid the rent and tithes, and sowed the next year’s crop. The fact that above all is the greed of affluence that chokes the seed also held special significance for the tenant farmer, for it reflected the latifundia reality. Wealthy landlords always extracted enough of the harvest to snake that the farmer remained indentured to the land, strangling and prospects that he might have to achieve even a modicum of economic security. Against this background the promise of an astounding harvest is poignant indeed.” (Ched Myers, Binding the Strong Man, p. 176 is in reference to Mark 4, but still applies to Matthew’s version of this parable).

  • What goes into good soil?  What are the nutrients, fertilizers?  John Wesley’s “Acts of Piety”: Bible study, conferencing, Communion, worship, prayer, and fasting.  

  • What are the fruit that we bear?  John Wesley’s “Acts of Mercy” Visiting those in jail, modest living so to help the poor, contributing to education especially among poor, abolition, teaching good health practices.

  • The fruit is miraculous - abundant - more than can reasonably be expected. It doesn’t take much to change lives and communities. “Evangelism must be pursued enthusiastically in spite of what appear to be meager results?

Genesis 25:19-34

Initial Thoughts

  • The descendants of Abraham...incase you forgot over the last chapter

  • Ishmael- officially not a descendant- his part in the story is over

Bible Study

  • Agency of Rebekah vs Isaac the lackey (below are all quotes from the Women’s Bible Commentary, Westminster John Knox Press, 2012)

    • “The tales of Jacob and Esau partake of a particular biblical symbol system that associates manliness with hair. That the smooth, more effeminate hero is the one who obtains the status and the power implies the influence of a female voice… The empowerment of smooth Jacob is an empowerment of women, albeit within the contours of an androcentric world. No woman warrior breaks free, no amazon overthrows the patriarchal system. Within that system, however, women and their surrogates succeed in behind-the scenes trickery. Such stories portraying a loss of power to those who really hold the power in actual everyday life would certainly amuse women, as all such stories amuse and psychologically liberate those without power.”

    • “One of the biblical authors’ favorite narrative patterns is that of the trickster. Israelites tend to portray their ancestors… as underdogs, as people outside the establishment who achieve success in roundabout, irregular ways. One of the ways marginals confront those in power and achieve their goals is through deception or trickery…. In Genesis, tricksters are found among Israelistes sojourning in foreign lands, among younger sons who would inherit, and among women.”

    • “In Genesis 27, Rebekah, the woman herself is the trickster who formulates the plan and succeeds, moving the men around her like chess pieces.”

  • Pregnancy

    • Barrenness and blessing: Theme in the Patriarchs/Matriarchs: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel

    • Unlike Sarah and Rachel, Rebekah does not ask for a child, Isaac does - is this because Isaac is interested in maintaining the blessing?

    • The pregnancy foreshadows the turmoil

  • Names are important:

    • Esau- the red one, also stands for Edom

    • Jacob the tripper upper, he who supplants, he takes by the heel

  • Brothers

    • Jacob - dweller in tents, simple man- perhaps characterizes the beginnings of an agrarian society

    • Esau - hunter gatherer, working in the wilderness, killing meat

    • Connection to Cain and Abel? Abel offers meat which the Lord accepts and Cain offers grains which God rejects. Here Isaac rejoices in the meat from Esau as opposed to the vegetarian offerings of Jacob.

    • Connection to Ishmael and Isaac - 2 nations from 2 brothers, the younger is privileges over the older

    • In all three sets of brothers- the younger is favored over the older

  • Selling the birthright

    • Great recipe for Jacob’s Lentil stew!

    • Esau is famished- extraordinarily hungry

    • Jacob takes advantage of Esau’s need

    • How often do we justify Joseph’s manipulation by condemning Esau’s hunger?

      • Casey Thompson - “Esau is a figure who might resonate with thousands of people in our pews who suffer because of the stereotypes that persist concerning their race, their gender, their stage in life, or their orientation. ‘You know those Edomites: terribly hairy; never take a bath; they smell something unrighteous, I tell you; they cannot plan for the future, but you cannot blame them as they are practically animals: violent, warlike, always having children, never thinking about the ramifications of having them so young, a burden on our system, you know; if they could just control their appetites!’” “Pastoral Perspective (Genesis 25:19–34),” in Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Additional Essays, vol. 4, Feasting on the Word (Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 3.

  • Favoritism

    • Isaac and Rebekah each choose their favorite son

      • Rebekah knew Jacob would inherit because God told her

      • God chooses too- God chooses Jacob over Esau (hates Esau according to Malachi cf. Mal. 1:2-5)

    • Why? Why does God choose the usurper, the tripper upper, the tent dweller? Why does God play favorites?

      • No answer

      • Where is the grace for Esau?

    • What begins with animosity and violence will end in peace described as the ‘face of God’ (Gen 33:10)

      • Esau overcomes his brother’s faults and learns to forgive- Esau is a hero!

    • Etiological Story - Foretells the battles between Edom and Israel- they might be fighting now, but there is a dream of peace to come

Thoughts and Questions

  • There is a weird tension here between relying on God and manipulating events to our own choosing. Yet, even in the midst of trickery and failure - God’s goodness prevails (as the coming weeks will show)

  • What are we willing to sell our birthright [our Christian-ness] for? For the chance to be ‘right’ or righteous over others? For the chance to judge? To acquire wealth and power over our neighbors? To remain willfully ignorant of the suffering around us? To forget that God’s news is good?

  • What kind of mistakes do we make and what are we willing to sacrifice when we are hungry?

    • “Thinking green” is the concern of the wealthy

    • Cycles of poverty make it difficult to “plan ahead” 

    • When all you can think about is surviving today, it is difficult to think about the future.

Romans 8:1-11

Initial Thoughts

  • How are you doing with Romans?

Bible Study

  • Try not to fall into neo-platonic dualism of spirit vs flesh

    • Led to a bad history of condemning sexuality and promoting self deprivation

    • Paul was most likely well verse in neo-platonism, but this is much deeper

    • Instead of condemning the flesh/creation we are free to live as creation was intended- actually the glorification of the flesh/creation

    • Greek: sarx=flesh; soma=body - Paul is contrasting flesh and Spirit, not body and Spirit (like the neo-platonic gnostics)

  • Beware the dualism of the law and grace

    • Law is not bad - see Romans 7:1-13

    • Christ completed what the law could not (revealed a way of forgiving love and God’s gracious reconciliation), but the law is still good

  • No condemnation

    • Bold words - really? NO condemnation/guilt/blame?

  • What does it mean to be “in Christ”?

    • What do we mean by “in”?

      • Locally (in us) - mystical union of the human with the divine

      • Instrumentally (through us) - Roman appeal with the church as the ongoing incarnation of Christ. Christology gives way to ecclesiology

      • Modally (with or to us) - Christ is present when religious authorities look for Christ

    • All of these are backwards - not about being in Christ - it is about Christ being in us - Christ came to us when we were still enslaved by sin (condemned by sin) - Christ’s death frees us from sin through our own death and recreation

    • Categorically different state of being to be “in Christ” as opposed to not “in Christ” - not a matter of degree but of being

    • In Christ - to be liberated by the power of Christ’s forgiving love that frees us from what binds, limits and ties us down. Frees us from sin and reveals a new way of seeing and being in the world

    • How is this possible? Karen Chakoian’s story about Michelangelo- you can’t paint like Michelangelo unless there is a way to be Michelangelo. - The Spirit has made it possible for Christ to dwell in us! We can be like Christ

  • Not about you- about God

    • You cannot be in Christ- Christ is in you and there is nothing you can do about it. Christ is within you. “You are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, since the spirit of God dwells in you.”

    • Freedom to live as God intended when you were created in God’s image.

Thoughts and Questions

  • Great time to remind everyone that the news is good! Not about what we are doing (or not doing), but about what God is able to do in and through us

  • What does it mean to allow Christ to fully live within you? How can we practice this? What do we do to inhibit the Spirit from living within us?

  • The church still has a lot of body-spirit dualistic baggage- how can we overcome this? How can we emphasize that Paul is advocating for the beauty of the body as God’s creation not able to fully live as God intended?

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND GET IN TOUCH:

Thanks to our Psalms correspondent, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (psalmimmersion.com,@pomopsalmist). Thank you to Scott Fletcher for our voice bumpers, Dick Dale and the Del Tones for our Theme music (“Misirlou”), Nicolai Heidlas (“Sunday Morning”,"Real Ride"and“Summertime”) and Paul and Storm for our closing music (“Oh No”).

ProperAEric FistlerMatthew, Genesis, Psalm 75-150, Romans9 Comments