Proper 4B (OT 9)
Voice in the Wilderness: Paige Blair
1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture is a feature documentary that follows the story of tireless researchers who trace the origins of the anti-gay movement among Christians to a grave mistranslation of the Bible in 1946.
Featured Musician: Claire Hitchins, “Honeysuckle June” by from her album These Bodies, clairehitchins.com, On Facebook, Instagram and Soundcloud as ClaireHitchinsMusic
Psalmist: Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, Psalmimmersion.com, @pomopsalmist, Patreon
Mark 2:23-3:6
Initial Thoughts
Welcome to Ordinary Time! In Latin, the name of this time is tempus per annum translated as time during the year.
First of 8 weeks of Mark (until John butts in at the end of July)
This is a long stretch to reflect on Jesus’ life and ministry
Bible Study
Literary Context
What has already happened:
1:1-15 Baptism of Jesus (remember, no birth)
1:16-20 Calling first disciples
1:21-46 Healing and growing popularity
2:1-12 Heals the man through the roof and forgives sin
2:13-17 Eating with sinners and tax collectors
2:18-22 “New wineskins” and fasting.
Ch 1 Jesus grows in popularity through healing
Ch 2 Jesus grows in controversy through forgiving and hanging with the wrong people
By the end of this passage, “the Pharisees got together with the supporters of Herod to plan how to destroy Jesus.”
Reveals just how early Jesus was stirring controversy.
Pharisees and Herodians appear to have some commonalities. John the Baptist has already been arrested by Herod. In Luke 13:31, Pharisees come to warn Jesus about Herod’s desire to kill him.
In the midst of dispute between David and Saul
David in need of rations for his troops.
Ahimelech tells David he has no regular bread, only holy bread. He gives it to David only because David promises that his men have abstained from sexual activity.
2 Sabbath controversies
Plucking Grain
Jesus refers to the story in 1 Samuel. He interprets Scripture for those whose job it is to interpret Scripture, pointing out their inadequate reading of this story.
Point of the story for Jesus - David broke the law when he needed to because of circumstances.
Moral relativism or interpreting the Law?
It has long been a part of Jewish tradition that Law could be broken in times of emergency. Be careful not to caricaturize the Legalism that is represented here.
Jesus and his disciples are simply walking through a field. There is no sign that they were starving. Plus, David was trying to survive while Saul was pursuing him.
Sabbath is still respected - simply in its proper place.
Lord of the Sabbath does not mean that the Sabbath is abolished.
“Christians who acknowledge Jesus as Lord should keep the sabbath in the same spirit that Jesus exhibits in these stories. The parishioner who has only recently been released from the hospital should not feel compelled to attend church. But those who never consider corporate worship an important part of faith should reconsider whether Jesus is Lord for them.” (Pheme Perkins, New Interpreter's Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes, vol VIII, p. 559-560)
“To think that the point of this story is Jesus’ ‘christological prerogative’ as do most commentators, is to miss the real issue… Mark has added something to his rendition of the OT story: David and his men were hungry… The issue is mercy, not sacrifice…’The hunger of the poor is explained in a symbolic way as setting Israel its central religious task, one taking precedence even over the duty of observing the Sabbath.’. It is surely significant that Mark chooses this passage to introduce the term bread. This will figure decisively in the later narrative as a symbol of that which must be shared.” (Ched Myers, Binding the Strong Man, p. 160)
Healing a withered hand
Jesus does not abolish the sabbath. “Rather, he insists that the principle of doing good should govern behavior on the sabbath.” (Ibid., p. 557)
Jesus heals in anger and grief.
Anger and grief is an interesting mix of emotions. Here, Jesus heals the man while ‘deeply grieved.’ He is hurt and angered by their unyielding hearts. They saw only a Law to be followed, not a man in need.
Similar to how this series of healings started in Mark 2:1-12. There though, the legal experts are merely “grumbling among themselves.” Now it has come to a head.
The very next healing is done in a crowd and the people shouted, “You are God’s Son.” This forms quite the contrast to how the Pharisees react.
The crowds of people see Jesus for who he is. The religious leaders see him as a threat.
“Jesus does not stop by the synagogue only to have a Sabbath debate; nor does he allow his anger to hinder him from ‘doing good’... He restores the man’s withered hand. For physical needs (hunger or a deformed hand) , the Sabbath represents a time for the healing and wholeness of humanity. Not everyone views this favorably; the Pharisees plot to destroy God’s liberating agent.” (Emerson Powery, True to Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary, p. 126)
Jesus has deep, deep anger at those who question him. But he has the same anger toward the disciples later (6:52, 8:17).
Note on Legal or Illegal
“In the antebellum South, it was unlawful “to teach a slave to read”... Because African Americans have had to disregard so many “laws that were established for their dehumanization, African American theologians have begun the difficult theological and biblical work of re-interpreting many categories of the inherited Christian tradition.” (Emerson Powery, True to Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary, p. 126)
Note on the Pharisees:
“Christians have a special obligation to avoid anti-Semitic stereotyping of the Pharisees and other religious authorities as bound by intolerant legalism… The Pharisees, scribes, and other religious authorities performed a socially necessary function of interpreting the Law so that people could use it to shape their lives. Disputes over proper interpretations of the Law are as necessary a part of their social and religious landscape as are Supreme Court decisions in the United States.” (Pheme Perkins, New Interpreter's Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes, vol VIII, p. 559-560).
Thoughts and Questions
“I consider this one of the key texts in all of the gospels to understand Jesus’ relation to his tradition, particularly to the law. Jesus’ operating principle is that the Sabbath (and, with that, I am reading all of the law and the rituals of holiness) was created for humanity, and not the other way around.
The idea that ‘humanity was made for the Sabbath’ continues to be a wildly popular theology that God created the law and humanity needs to live up to it or else we are lost. In that theology, God is chiefly known as holy, and humans have to achieve a certain level of holiness – through following laws or practicing purity rituals - to be acceptable to God.
The alternative theology, which Jesus poses here, is that ‘the Sabbath was made for humanity.’ In that sense, God is chiefly known as love and the laws and purity rituals are for humanity’s own good. Or, even better, they offer ways that humanity can respond to God’s grace with gratitude.” (Mark Davis, Left Behind and Loving It)
What is the Sabbath to you? We Christians have moved the Sabbath to Sunday, but what else have we done to it? Is the Sabbath just another day? Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, do we even give Jesus that day?
1 Samuel 3:1-21
Initial Thoughts
“Here I am Lord” based on this text and Isaiah 6
Read it all!
This is about both the beginning and ending of a call
v.1-10 are about responding to being called
v.11-20 are about trusting in God
Bible Study
A new age/season/chapter for Israel
After exposing the corruption of the current leadership (Eli’s sons - see 1 Samuel 2:27-36), Samuel is revealed as the alternative
The Word of the Lord was rare and visions were not widespread...sound familiar
Eli’s sons were taking the best parts of the sacrificed meat without waiting for the fat to burn off. Oh and they were having sex with women who wanted to pray.1 Samuel 2:22
“The vision of the Lord was not spread about” - indication that Eli’s leadership was failing, his vision both physically and spiritually is failing
The lamp of God had not yet gone out (Alter, Hebrew Bible)
A lamp which would have been kept burning through the night (like the eternal flame in some churches), while this could indicate that it was almost dawn, it could also indicate that while God’s presence was hard to see, God was still at work in the Israelites and the world.
Call
Samuel hears the call but does not understand what it is or who it is from
Intergenerational- both Eli and Samuel are needed for God’s call to be heard and responded to. Samuel hears it, but Eli understands it
Eli’s eyesight might be failing, but his faithful is not - like many of our seniors who continue to live faithful lives
Eli
Instructs Samuel how to respond to God
Samuel uses Eli’s exact words
We don’t know if Samuel knows God, but Samuel does know Eli - how often do our first encounters with God occur through the voice, instruction, patience of a mentor, teacher or pastor? As pastors - who might you be guiding through or to a divine experience?
Eli calls Samuel my son - a sign of his inheritance of Eli’s minister (especially considering the failure of Eli’s own sons)
Response
You servant is listening the response to God’s call is not grand speeches or marches- it begins with listening
God is going to make “both ears...tingle” - what does this mean? Two Tingling Ears - Donna Schaper, Feasting on the Word: Year B, Vol. 1
Ear of Fear: Cancer, war, death, car accident, financial ruin
Ear of Hope: Children are safe, hungry are fed, earth is restored, loved ones are well
A reversal (Interpretation: 1-2 Samuel, Walter Brueggemann)
Eli instructs Samuel how to respond to God, but Eli can no longer hear God, he must rely on Samuel to tell him what God has said.
Yet, Samuel’s response “Here I am” and his reluctance to share the oracle with Eli reveals his deep respect for his mentor
Justice - A word of fearful judgment or of forgiving reprieve?
Samuel is immediately thrown into the position of prophet - foretelling his transition from Judge to Prophet
Robert Alter, Hebrew Bible - God’s message to Samuel “not only indicates the overthrow of the priestly authority from the house of Eli and the implicit move to a different sort of authority...but also [foretells] the rather dour and dire role Samuel will play as leader.”
Eli seems almost relieved to hear this message - perhaps the guilt and waiting for God’s judgment was gnawing at him. Also perhaps we was ready to be done (think Simeon from Luke 2) - perhaps he was ready to know that his priestly and prophetic work was being carried on by another
What is Eli’s sin? Being passive - not speaking out against his sons’ abuse of power
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
Call is not all about privilege, but about being faithful: speaking truth to power
Samuel must first speak God’s justice against Eli, his mentor/father-figure
MLK Jr. speaking out against racism, but also against the Vietnam War
Bonhoeffer - hung
Oscar Romero - shot while serving Communion
The focus, at the end of the passage is on Samuel as the new leader, not on Eli’s (or his son’s ) sins
Ageism
There are several ageist traps in this passage
1 - Eli is old and needs to get out of the way for Samuel
2 - Samuel is too young to understand that God is talking to him
While there are elements of truth, it would not serve the pastor to propagate any sort of ageism - rather than dividing this story can instead be used as a intergenerational bridge - bringing together old and young, those with experience and those with vision, those who have learned from their mistakes and those who are doomed to repeat them
Thoughts and Questions
This is a great story of intergenerational cooperation and faithfulness - how are we modeling this in the church? How are we encouraging our older members to help our younger members hear where God is calling them?
Listen- we need to teach ourselves and the church to listen to what God is saying to them. Spiritual direction is more about listening than responding.
How can we share the advice of Eli, “Speak for your servant is listening?”
What are we doing to encourage people to hear the call of God in their lives? Is the word and vision of God rare today as it was then? How can we re-train our ears and eyes to hear and see God?
Absolution is not simply a let bygones be bygones/forgive and forget ordeal. Eli receives absolution, but there are consequences to his actions and the actions of his sons.
2 Corinthians 4:5-12
Initial Thoughts
Written about 50 CE, several months after 1 Corinthians and Paul’s visit to Corinth (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:5-7)
Actually Paul’s third letter to the Corinthians. Paul refers to his second letter written in tears and anguish (2 Corinthians 2:4). This “letter of tears” is lost
Paul’s relationship has become increasingly strained
Paul is addressing claims from other evangelist who have better backgrounds (were one of the 12) or better gifts
According to Luther Seminary professor, Mary Hinkle Shore, Paul chooses his words carefully to prevent the relationship from deteriorating, but is also having a hard time keeping his emotions in check. Furthermore he is constantly framing his letter in the theological concept of God’s reconciling work in Christ
Bible Study
V. 5-6: End of a defense against those accusing Paul of lifting himself up as the example to be proclaimed and followed
Remember- Paul’s relationship has become increasingly strained
He is constantly defending himself over and against others (who actually knew Jesus when he was alive)
He refocuses on the heart of his message: Jesus is Lord, we are called to serve one another (be slaves to one another)
V. 7-12: Life through death
Treasure - not referring to the immortal soul in a mortal body, but THIS treasure (see v. 6) which is the light of God in Christ which shines both in and through us
The light of God grants Paul the resilience to keep going despite being afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down. It isn’t Paul’s resilience but God’s
Paul is not to be commended for his resilience, because it doesn’t come from Paul it comes from God
Jesus too was afflicted, perplexed, persecuted and struck down, it was his way of life that led him to and through death
So too does the Christian path of living faithfully lead us to affliction, confusion, persecution and possibly even death- but it is only in being faithful that we truly live.
In short- the way of life may (and probably will) lead to suffering and even death, but it is God’s light that both enables us to live faithfully and gives us the strength to endure.
“Paul of course does not deliberately seek suffering. It comes as he lives as a Christian and results in the life of Jesus being seen in him” - Ernest Best Interpretation: Second Corinthians.
It is in being faithful-even unto suffering and death, “carrying the death of Jesus”, that we proclaim the life of Jesus.
Martyr literally means “witness”.
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” Tertullian
Sum it up
Great faithfulness is not to be found in great human acts, but in God working through humans
Our lives contain the love and grace of God like an earthen pot contains water. We do not own the love and grace any more than the pot owns the water, we simply have the privilege to carry it and share it. In fact, just as a pot is made to carry water- so we are made to carry the love and grace of God.- John Riggs, Feasting on the Word – Year B, Volume 1: Advent through Transfiguration.
Thoughts and Questions
What is the purpose of what the church does? Is it to raise money or recruit more members or follow in the way of Jesus Christ? How often do we put following Jesus last in the list thinking “we need to survive” in order to serve Christ? Paul argues that in our persecution (real persecution not the BS “War on Christmas”), suffering and perhaps dying we are proclaiming Jesus. Perhaps we need to be willing to suffer and die more (as the church) or at least focus first on faithfulness and if the church local or denominationally dies- so be it.
“Christian life and discipleship are frequently confused with good citizenship, appropriate decorum, and following socially acceptable norms and lifestyle. Doing good seems to be a part of doing well.” Martha Sterne, Feasting on the Word – Year B, Volume 1: Advent through Transfiguration.
Martyrdom is so often associated with religious (and often Islamic) extremism
True martyrs do not seek martyrdom, but rather refuse to compromise their religious beliefs for the sake for survival
Who are our martyrs today? Perhaps Colin Kapernick who lost everything he ever wanted (vocationally at least) because he refused to compromise his beliefs in order to keep his job.
We are clay jars filled with heavenly light. Our contents (the light of God) strengthening our fragility. We may get chipped, cracked, smudged and scrapped- but not destroyed.
“Anthem” by Leonard Cohen
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
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”).