Proper 26C (OT31)

image: flickr

510: OCTOBER 30, 2022

Voice in the Wilderness: Melissa Meyers

Time Stamps:

  • Epistle 7:26

  • Gospel 13:20

  • Hebrew Bible 31:05

link:

348: November 3, 2019

Voice in the Wilderness: Cheryl Kerr

Psalmist: Richard Bruxvoort Colligan

191: October 30, 2016

Voice in the Wilderness: Jeff Nelson 

Featured Musician: Paul and Storm

Psalmist: Richard Bruxvoort Colligan

Luke 19:1-10

Initial Thoughts

  •  Who was the “wee little man”?

    • As translated, it is unclear who the “he” is. Greek is also unclear who the “he” is referring to in “because he was short.” Jesus could not be seen through the crowd.

    • Probably not a significant theological debate - but maybe it is. Why do we assumed that Jesus is tall, dark, and handsome? Because we like our heroes to look like Vigo Mortenson, not Danny Devito.

Bible Study

  • Literary Context

    • The previous two stories Jesus told were about an unjust judge, a Pharisee and a tax collector. Then on his journey he talks encounters children, a rich ruler, and a blind beggar on the way to Jericho.

    • Now in Jericho, he encounters Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector.

    • The unjust judge and rich man were just made into examples about how to not deal with money.

    • The Pharisee, children, and blind beggar were all examples of humility and faith.

  • Traditional Reading: (Read Carol Howard Merritt or Alyce Mckenzie)

    • Rich Tax Collector Zacchaeus is seen by Jesus, who invites himself over to dinner.

    • Crowd shocked that Jesus would associate with such a terrible person.

    • In response to Jesus’ remarkable kindness, even calling him by name, Zach responds by promising to give half his wealth and to pay back all that he had gotten dishonestly.

    • Jesus responds to Zach’s change of heart by promising him a place in the Kingdom.

    • This reading is supported by NRSV including word “will,” as in: “I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” (NRSV, Luke 19:8, emphasis added)

  • Zacchaeus

    • “A chief tax collector” Patronage system means that Zacchaeus was in charge of other tax collectors, who each paid to him.  

    • Eager to see Jesus.  Why?

    • His name means “pure.” Again, maybe not significant, but given some more grappling with this story, perhaps it is.

    • Climbing a tree is not a ‘dignified’ thing to do (Like father running after his son)

    • “All who saw it began grumbling.” In ch 15, the Pharisees and scribes “were grumbling” when they saw Jesus eating with sinners and tax collectors. Now all of them are grumbling.

    • “Zacchaeus stood there and said…” 

      • “Those who defend themselves stand; those who repent kneel. Zacchaeus’s words are not future, but present tense in Greek. Zacheus is not laying out a plan for future action, but is presenting his customary practices of generosity. Jesus vindicates Zacchaeus and rejects the grumbling accusation that Zacchaeus is a sinner.” (notes from The Wesley Study Bible, p. 1273)

  • Jesus’ invitation

    • Invites himself to Zacchaeus’s house

      • Invitations to dinner were a power play

      • Invite others to dinner so that you may gain from them.  Would only invite someone to dinner who was higher on the social ladder, to elevate oneself.  

      • Jesus turns this system around by inviting himself over.

      • End of the story, Jesus says he came to “seek the lost.” In Zacchaeus’s case, the lost-ness was spiritual.    

  • Crowd’s response

    • Zacchaeus not popular

    • Tax collectors - gaining personal wealth from cheating their neighbors.

    • Jesus makes a habit of eating with the wrong people.

    • Who is he still inviting to the table?

      • Who do we grumble over when they respond to Jesus’ call?

  • Zacchaeus's response

    • Prevenient Grace

      • Jesus’ invitation comes before Zaccheaus made any offer, or did anything at all

      • “Happy to welcome Jesus.”

        • Zacchaeus is probably not the most popular guy.  Didn’t have a lot of other invitations.

        • Are we always as happy to welcome Jesus when called?

    • Gives back his money, and any amount “if I cheated anybody.”  

      • Redemption comes after Jesus’ invitation to community.  

      • Act of kindness inspires justice

  • Tax Collector: Evil or Righteous?

    • Craddock

      • “While nothing of the private life of Zacchaeus is revealed in the story, this much we know on principle: no one can be privately righteous while participating in and profiting from a program that robs and crushes other persons.” (Interpretation: Luke, 219)

      • Zacchaeus has good qualities, but as long as he participates in an unjust system that robs others, he cannot be considered righteous.  

      • The transformation Zaccheaus experiences is not an effort to “buy back his salvation.”  Rather, it is evidence of the radical power of grace.

      • The transformation Zaccheaus experiences is evidence of “fruit,” teaching us that following Jesus has a practical implication for the way we live our life.

      • “His salvation, therefore, has personal, domestic, social, and economic dimensions… Luke would object to confining the word [saved] to a condition of the soul.  The whole of life is affected by Jesus’ ministry, a foretaste of the complete reign of God.” (Interpretation: Luke, 220)

    • New Interpreter's Bible Commentary 

      • sides with Craddock arguing that Zacchaeus is repenting in v.8b

      • Acknowledges that the Greek is present tense and there is no indication of repentance other than v. 8b:

        • “Zacchaeus is not protesting his customary action to the disbelieving crowd. Instead he is freely declaring his resolve to make amends for his past wrongs as a result of the honor Jesus has bestowed on him.” (New Interpreter's Bible Commentary, vol. 9,  p.358)

    • Lose

      • Tense of the verb in verse 8 - “I give to the poor...I pay pack…” instead of “I will give to the poor….I will pay back”

      • No longer a story of repentance and salvation but of perception and how God sees us compared to how the “crowd” sees us

    • Read in the context of the story AND Jesus’ response - there is no repentance/ response, simply justification and acknowledgement.

    • What about saving the lost?

      • Zacchaeus was “lost” to the community as much as an unclean leper or the hemorrhaging woman

      • Zacchaeus was so vilified by the crowds he was not able to see Jesus- he was socially (not ritually) unclean

Thoughts and Questions

  • If this is not a story about Zacchaeus’s conversion and repentance, than what is it about? Perhaps it is about our tendency to jump quickly to judgment.  Often the gospel states “tax collectors and sinners,” it is easy to lump them into one statement, but simply being a tax collector does not, apparently, make one a sinner. How quickly are crowds today ready to judge someone a sinner. At whom do we still grumble?

    • Remember John the Baptist’s teaching: “Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’” (Luke 3:13)

  • After two examples of rich and powerful men who didn’t get it, we have an exchange with one who does. Zacchaeus is rich and a tax collector AND a child of Abraham. Jesus was not anti-wealth. In fact, he came to the rich man’s house so that he could be a part of his hospitality. It is safe to say however, that Jesus is anti-greed, anti-unfair business practices, and anti-taking-advantage-of-the-poor.

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

Initial Thoughts

Bible Study

  • Habakkuk

    • Means “to embrace”

    • Contrary to last week- this is not post-exilic but pre-exilic. Most likely right before the final Babylonian invasion: sometime between the first Babylonian invasion of 597 BCE and the destruction of the temple in 587 BCE.

    • Three sections

      • 1:2-2:5 Personal lament

      • 2:6-20 Oracles of Woe

      • 3:1-19 Appearance of God

  • Lament and Theodicy (why do evil and suffering exist?)

    • Questions are raised to God and no answer is given

    • It is still important to keep in the conversation - keep the relationship - sometimes merely asking the question provides a kind of indirect answer

    • Many are quick to voice lament (1:1-4), but are unwilling to stand and wait for a response (2:1-4)

  • Hope

    • Lament is expressed, suffering is felt- the prophet stand diligent

    • Prophet does not use suffering and lament as an excuse to lose faith or lose hope in God - trust in God “whose steadfast love endures forever”

    • The heart of faith- to continue to hope and persevere when all else appears to the contrary - faith flourishes in the darkness of Holy Saturday (perhaps more than the light of Easter Sunday)

  • Hope is born out of an experience of God:

“...a young man goes to visit a wise hermit. He finds the monk sitting outside his cave, enjoying the sun, his dog lying lazily at his side. The seeker asks, "Why is it, Abba, that some who seek God come to the desert and are zealous in prayer, but leave after a year or so, while others, like you, remain faithful to the quest for a lifetime?"

The old man responds, "One day my dog and I were sitting here quietly in the sun, as we are now. Suddenly, a large white rabbit ran across in front of us. Well, my dog jumped up, barking loudly, and took off after that big rabbit. He chased the rabbit over the hills with a passion. Soon, other dogs joined him, attracted by his barking. What a sight it was, as the pack of dogs ran barking across the creek, up stony embankments, and through thickets and thorns! Gradually, however, one by one, the other dogs dropped out of the pursuit, discouraged by the course and frustrated by the chase. Only my dog continued to hotly pursue the white rabbit."

Confused, the young man asks, "What is the connection between the rabbit chase and the quest for God?"

The hermit replies, "Why didn't the other dogs continue the chase? They had not seen the rabbit." They were only attracted by the barking of the dog. But once you see the rabbit, you will never give up the chase. Seeing the rabbit, and not following the commotion, was what kept the old monk in the desert.

  • How can we as pastors and as churches foster the experience of God that endures through lament?

Thoughts and Questions

  • The prophet refuses to be “nice” to God choosing instead to be honest. Honestly voicing disagreement, anger and disappointment, but refusing to leave the relationship. How might our churches look if we modeled this behavior of faithful, honest disagreement? Can we as churches speak boldly without breaking the covenant which binds us together in local, region or national community (koinonia)?

  • How do we create opportunities for people to experience God (not just talk about God)?

  • How do we encourage people to stop and listen to what God is saying?

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Initial Thoughts

  • 2 Thessalonians

    • Probably not written by Paul but written by a student of Paul at a later time, possibly after Paul’s death - probably doesn’t matter for the sake of preaching, but is helping if teaching about this letter. See more on this in Interpretation: 1 and 2 Thessalonians

    • Difficult issues:

      • Persistence of evil - both in human rejection of Jesus, the persecution of believers and the personification of lawlessness and rebellion

      • God is a God of justice by persecuting the persecutors

      • The righteous rage of believers in a just God against evil

      • The juxtaposition between persecution and judgement and the letter’s beginning and ending rooted in peace

Bible Study

  • vv.1-2 Introduction

    • Nearly identical to 1 Thessalonians

    • v. 2 contains the promise and blessing of grace and peace which ring out in juxtaposition with vv. 5-10

  • vv.3-4 Thanksgiving

    • Beautiful mention of the obligation of church leaders (apostles in this case) who must always give thanks to the congregation. How often do we, pastors and church leaders, forget to give thanks for the congregation?

      • 2 Thess. Reminds us not simply that we should be thankful, but we are obligated to be grateful for the congregations in our care. How does this mindset change the way we minister?

    • Faith and love are uplifted (but not hope which is strangely absent given in prominence in 1 Thessalonians) as specific items to give thanks for

    • It also seems to imply that the love for one another and faith (active trust in God) are what sustains the Thessalonians community in their persecutions and afflictions (v. 4)

  • What to do about verses 5-10?

    • These verses frame the context of this passage, yet are extremely disturbing

    • Commentators argue against separating vv. 3 and 4 from 5-10, but rather insist they should be together, not separated by lectionary or even paragraph

    • Beings with “This is evidence” which directly ties v. 5-10 to v. 3-4

    • Message of redemptive suffering of the faithful and the eternal suffering of the unfaithful is rooted in 2nd century Jewish literature (spec. 2 Maccabees 6:12-17 and Psalms of Solomon 13:9-10) in which the suffering experienced by the faithful is punishment for their few sins in this life, whereas an eternity of torment will come for those who persecute the faithful.

      • An attempt to explain by faithful people suffer or why bad things happen to good people

      • Does this mean if things are bad it is because I am good - so let’s all engage in the Olympics of suffering?

      • If things are not bad now- does that mean I am being set up for eternal damnation?

    • These verses are meant to bring comfort to a suffering people, not to cause harm to those perpetuating the suffering

      • The author is not calling for violent opposition, instead trying to both sympathize and give hope to those in the midst of persecution

  • V. 11-12

    • “To this end” - what end? The end described in vv. 5-10, which is redemptive suffering and eternal judgment, fire and punishment for our enemies.

Thoughts and questions

  • What does it mean to boast about God’s good work in the church or the community? How do we know it is God's work? Is what we are doing leading to greater love in the community?

    • The Thessalonians community is praised and boasted about not simply for their faith, but how that faith is lived out in love for everyone- presumably even those who are persecuting them.

  • While this passage can and has been used as a bludgeon against non-believers or perceived persecutors of believers, this passage is perhaps best understood in what it says to about about believers (not non-believers)

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 (“Miserlou”), Nicolai Heidlas (“Sunday Morning”,"Real Ride"and“Summertime”) and Bryan Odeen for our closing music.

PentecostCEric FistlerLuke, Psalm 75-150, Habakkuk, 2 ThessaloniansComment