Proper 6A
545 June 18, 2023
Romans 5:1-8, Bryan Odeen, @BryanOdeen, soundcloud.com/bryanodeen
Psalm 8, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, Psalmimmersion.com, @pomopsalmist, Patreon
Genesis 18:1-15, Mason Parks
Musician - Bryan Sirchio “Claimed, Called, and Sent” from his album “Something Beautiful for God”, sirchio.com, @BryanJSirchio, Facebook: Bryan Sirchio Music
Matthew 9:35-10:8 (9-23)
Initial Thoughts
Verse 9-23 option
Compare list of 12 to list found in Acts 2
Bible Study
Literary context
Sermon on the mount ended after chapter 7
Chapters 8 and 9 details many stories of Jesus healing
Cleanses a leper (8:1)
Centurion's servant (8:5)
Many people at Peter’s house (8:14)
The Gadarene demoniac (8:28)
Paralytic on a mat (9:1)
Daughter of the Synagogue leader (9:18)
Woman bleeding for 12 years (9:19)
Two blind men (9:27)
A mute demoniac (9:32)
In between the healings, there is some teaching, the calming of the sea, and the calling of Matthew.
First disciples came in chap 4: Fishermen brothers Simon and Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee. Now lists 12.
Missionary Discourse - 2nd of the 5 main discourses in Matthew
Audience
Focus is not only on the twelve, but for the early church community who were already experiencing many of the warning Jesus describes:
Persecution in synagogues
Being dragged before gentile leaders - governors and kings
Division within the family (or family of God, i.e. the early church communities)
A reminder for the early community that they must continue to do the work of Jesus - sort of a prologue to the Great Commission.
Motivated by compassion
35-38 “These verses provide retrospection and anticipation as a transition to chapter 10. They summarize chapters 8-9 and 4:23-25 to underline Jesus carrying out his God-given commission among the marginal. They anticipate chapter 10 by establishing a great need to expand Jeus’ ministry though other laborers.” (Carter, p. 229)
“The crowds” are nobodies. They are the peasant class, brutally suppressed by taxes, barely able to carve out an existence.
“Like sheep without a shepherd” is a distinctly political assertion. The shepherd:
Is the one to whom the people belong.
Is given duty to care for people
Is not suppose to harass people, but help them
Is symbolic of “King.”
In other words, “The people had no King at all.”
“Lord of the harvest” is the alternative King.
Instead of the king who harasses, Jesus is the King of plenty. He is the King who provides.
Problem: There are so many people that need help, no one person can do it. Commissions the 12 to help.
“"'Compassion,' from the Greek splagchnizomai, means 'to be moved as to one's bowels.' Since to the ancients the bowels were the seat of love and compassion, this belly-driven response is directed not only toward the crowds, but also toward their absentee shepherds - those who, through obstinacy or incompetence [or abuse], have managed to lose them."” (Northwest UMC Weekly Stewardship Reflection)
Tasks of the Apostles:
“Call and commission of an alternative community” (Carter)
Proclaim the good news - the Kingdom of Heaven has come near
Cure the sick
Raise the dead
Cleanse the lepers
Cast out demons
The Kingdom of Heaven - this is the context of Jesus’ (and the followers of Jesus’) ministry - to live into the Kingdom
Sickness, death, segregation, demonic possession - these are all things can keep us from living fully in to the Kingdom of God
What might you add? Racial injustice? Economic injustice?
These tasks of the apostles are actions - they are only about belief, but about acting on that belief
Being called out to those in most need: sick, dying, diseased, possessed
Cast out Demons
Ignore it/skip it?
Explain it away as people trying to explain what they didn’t understand (neurological disorders or mental illness)?
Supernatural entities fighting a cosmic battle between good and evil?
Perhaps we should go deeper and see demons not in terms of “those” people who have “demons”, but that demons “reside whenever evil has us firmly in its grip. Many (all?) people find themselves bound by behaviors, patterns, or structures they cannot escape, often cursing themselves when they repeat the same behavior time and again. When we imagine the realm of exorcism, let us imagine liberation, freedom from powers that constrain us and prevent us from living full human lives.” (Greg Carey, Working Preacher)
Only the “Lost sheep of Israel”
The people with no real King.
Had already healed the slave of the Centurion, but the slave may have been Jewish
15:21-28 is the exchange with a Canaanite woman. Jesus tells her, “I have come for the lost sheep of Israel.”
She responds with “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table”
Jesus’ ministry is ultimately universal - as it culminates in the Great Commission, but has an expanding life.
(9-23) Further instructions about depending on hospitality
To do the work of Jesus you must be vulnerable - you must rely on others
Mutuality of ministry - it isn’t just about the good news we have to share, but the daily bread, safety and shelter we have to receive
Mention of Sodom and Gomorrah in context of not aiding this poor band of travelers.
Ezekiel 16:48-49 “This is the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were proud, had plenty to eat, and enjoyed peace and prosperity; but she didn’t help the poor and the needy.”
This becomes a scary thought, especially when I look in my fridge full of food and despair, “I have nothing to eat.”
The disciples are taught to depend on hospitality. Those who depend on hospitality are more likely to show it to others.
Warning against accumulating wealth in the name of the Gospel is one that can still be heeded.
Again, this is an easy warning to give to others, but more difficult to hear for myself, who is paid a comfortable wage as clergy.
Thoughts and Questions
Inorder to do the work of the Gospel, we have to be vulnerable, and willing to receive. In the midst of outreach and mission conversations are you only asking what can we do or are you also asking, “what can we receive?”
Just giving to others can become toxic and patronizing
Giving and receiving is the beginning of relationship - recognizing that we are all in need of one another
Jesus send the disciples out to do the work that he had been doing. They watched him do his thing, and so now they should go and do the same. If you look at the structure of the first few chapters of Matthew, you see the large section of teaching in chapters 5-7, then the large section of healings in chapters 8-9. Then Jesus gathers with the 12 and tells them to go and teach and heal. He says “Go and make this announcement: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and throw out demons.” In other words: Announce, then do. Teach, then heal. Say, then show. Any church that is doing one and not the other is missing the boat.
Social Justice without sharing the good news of the Kingdom of God is half a gospel.
Simply telling people to repent and believe in Jesus is an empty attempt at getting followers without doing any good
Plenty of organizations and churches are good at one, and not the other..
There are no details instructions. There is no how-to manual. The only way to know how to do the work of Jesus is to walk with him first. A faith journey is a learning process. There is no short-cut or step-by-step process to follow to find and make disciples. It’s all about on-the-job training.
This passage is not about evangelizing to the world, but about revitalizing the people of faith - this is a mission of church vitality and renewal - how does that change how you hear this passage?
Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7)
Initial Thoughts
The summer readings will take us through Genesis, ending with Gen 45 on August 16 (we’ll be in the Torah through October)
Strange place to enter the story of Abraham and Sarah
Optional reading for today - 21:1-7 tells of Isaac’s birth
June 21 - 21:8-21. Isaac grows up and Ishmael and Haggar expelled
June 28 - 22:1-14 The binding of Isaac
July 5 - 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 Rebekah
Bible Study
Literary Context
So much has already happened to these two before this moment
Chapter 12 - God calls Abram to go. “All the families of the earth will be blessed because of you.” Abram and Sarai go to Egypt, where Abram is less than honorable.
Chapter 13 - Abram and lot separate
Chapter 14 - Abram rescues Lot. Abram is blessed by Mechelzedek (a strange passage that is important to the writer of Hebrews)
Chapter 15 - God promises Abram children and the land of Canaan
Chapter 16 - Abram and Haggar have son Ishmael. Relationship between Sarai and Haggar is immediately stressed.
Chapter 17 - Abram’s name changed to Abraham and the
17:5 Abram’s name will be Abraham for he will be the father of many nations.
Abram = Exalted ancestor
Abraham = Ancestor of a multitude
17:17-18 “Abraham fell on his face and laughed. He said to himself, Can a 100-year old man become a father, or Sarah, a 90-year old woman, have a child?” To God Abraham said, “If only you would accept Ishmael!”
This story is an adaptation of an older Ugaritic story, The Tale of Aquat, “in which the childless Dan’el is visited by the craftsman-god Kothar. As Moshe Weinfeld has observed, there are several verbal links between the two texts: Dan’el is also sitting by an entrance, overshadowed by a tree; he also “lifts up his eyes” to behold the divine visitor; and similarly enjoins his wife to prepare a meal form the choice of the flock.” Robert Alter, “Genesis 18:1”, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary, p.56
Is this the Trinity? Rob Myallis, Lectionary Greek
איש ("ish", meaning "man", 18:2) The word here does not mean angels, deities or anything else divine. It simply means man. Which raises all sorts of interesting questions. First, do the three men represent the Trinity? This seems unlikely. Why? First, the two men separate themselves from the "LORD" (18:22). This seems a strange behavior for the Trinity, supposedly united in an eternal dance of love. Second, the two men are referred to as "messengers" (or angels in 19:1). Even the New Testament refers to them as angels (Hebrews 13:2). It seems strange to refer to the second and third person of the trinity as messengers/angels!
Hospitality
Extraordinary show of hospitality - “fetch” appears 4 times and “hurry” three times
Both extending and accepting hospitality require mutual hospitality between host and guest
Disconnect between what he says he’ll do and what he does
Abraham tells the visitors he will provide “a little water,” and a “morsel of bread.” 18:4-5
Instead, he tells Sarah to make ready three measures (8 ½ gallons! - also the same amount in the parable of the yeast in Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20–21, and the same amount used to make the 12 loaves of shewbread - see Lev. 24:1-5) of choice flour (solet - also used in 1 Kings 4:22 “choice flour” that is used for Kings) 18:6
Personally selects a tender and good calf (18:7)
And prepared milk and curds
“Obviously, milk and curds (or butter; perhaps something like yogurt or buttermilk) is better than just water -- in Deuteronomy 32:14, the curds and milk signify the abundance of God’s provision... perhaps Abraham wanted to pleasantly surprise his visitors by not getting their expectations up. One ancient rabbi explained that this story illustrates how those who are righteous speak little, but do a lot.” (Sara Koenig, Working Preacher)
Juxtaposition between Abraham’s hospitality and Sodom’s inhospitality - as demonstrated in the next chapter
There are many stories in the ancient near east about the blessing or wrath of God(s) depending on how they are received
Xenia - or hospitality to strangers was a sacred law in Greece - Zeus was known as the protector of philoxenia or welcome of strangers
The entire Trojan war was fought over a violation of Xenia, Paris violated the hospitality of his host Menelaus
In The Odyssey, upon his return home to Ithaca Odysseus disguises himself as a strange beggar and later rewards or punishes people depending on how he was received.
Sexuality and Age
V. 11 Sarah is explicitly postmenopausal
Sarah’s sexuality - In 18:12 “Sarah asks a fascinating intimate explicit question: ‘After I have been completely dried out, will there yet be for me, wetness?’ The text offers a surprising acknowledgement and affirmation of women’s sexual pleasure.” Wilda Gafney, Womanist Midrash on the Torah, p. 36
V. 12 - The issue is not only Sarah’s dryness, but also her husband’s age. In a Pre-viagra world, Sarah’s comment, “my husband is old” also speaks to his inability to have sex. (cf. Robert Alter, “Genesis 18:1”, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary, p.57
Alter further translates this as “shall I have pleasure”, which is about sexual pleasure, not just childbirth.
Laughter and Faith
Sarah laughs just as Abraham laughed in the previous chapter Gen 17:17 - she is not rebuked for her laughter but she is heard. God hears Sarah as much as God sees Sarah (18:9). “God has seen her struggle and her tears; God knows what she wants more than anything; and when she denies what she has said, God repeats it back to her. This is a God who knows her, who enjoys her spirit and her laughter.” Ashley Wilcox, The Women’s Lectionary, p.158
“There are times in our lives when we listen to the promises of God, whether through our own internal dialogue with the creator or through the mouths of those trusted pastoral advisors… and find ourselves laughing at the impossible. Both Psalm 116 and the Genesis text point toward the impact and reward of listening to God and hearing God’s promises - even ones that are impossible to believe.” (Alisha Gordon, Abingdon Preaching Annual 2020, p. 76)
The story ends abruptly, and perhaps should continue to include verses 15-19. This would show the larger piece of God and Abraham’s relationship, and may lead into some thoughts about doubt and faith. They laughed, but they also showed their faithfulness in walking alongside the Lord.
21:1-7 - Isaac is born
Wordplay - Isaac means laughter- a call back to chapter 18
“Beyond the etymological explanations which link Isaac to ‘laugh,’ and beyond doubtful embarrassment, Sarah laughs because ‘God has made laughter for me.” By his powerful word, God has broken the grip of death, hopelessness, and barrenness. The joyous laughter is the end of sorrow and weeping. Laughter is a biblical way of receiving a newness which cannot be explained. The newness is sheer gift - underived, unwarranted. Barrenness has now become ludicrous. It can now be laughed at because there is ‘full joy.” (Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation: Genesis p 182).
Wordplay - Sarah experiences the “wetness” of nursing - different - though connected to the sexual wetness of 18:12
Sarah and Hagar - Sarah’s giving birth will not quench her anger towards Hagar (she drove Hagar out in Genesis 16), but will come to a head next week when she drives Hagar out again
Thoughts and Questions
Sarah has too often been ridiculed and diminished by preachers and scholars for her laughter, yet she isn’t by God. Like “doubting” Thomas (who asks only for what the other disciples have already received), Sarah laughs at the impossibility of God’s promise. Her laughter echoes Abraham’s laughter 17:17. She is not condemned or rebuked, but is heard. God hears our disbelief and can work with it. God knows Sarah and hears her pain. Furthermore, Sarah’s worth, in God's eyes, is not tied to her being a mother.
When have we, individually, or collectively laughed at God’s impossible promises - think a couple weeks ago on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was mistaken for drunkenness, or the absurdity of beating swords into plowshares, or the ridiculousness of the entire sermon on the mount. We can laugh with the impossibility of God’s promises and God can work through and in our laughter. What laughable impossibilities have you or your church seen come to pass?
If Abraham and Sarah were a Netflix season, this would be about episode 7. How we tell the story matters. How much of the lead up to Sarah’ laughter is important? If this event happened in Chapter 12, there might have been a different response, but behind Sarah’s laughter is years of disappointment, struggle, and frustration. We can assume that by now she has come to the long, hard destination of resignation, only for that to be disrupted again.
Also skipped by the lectionary is the destruction of Sodom, which is one of the most important stories in the Bible to understand given its importance in modern culture. The story of the destruction of Sodom is very important in our discussions around LGBT inclusion, and a proper understanding of Sodom is impossible without this passage today surrounding Abraham’s incredible hospitality. The Sin of Sodom cannot be fully understood without the juxtaposition of Abraham receiving these men and the way the people of Sodom received them. This is never really covered in the Lectionary, but there is an indirect chance to get at it here and next week.
Romans 5:1-8
Initial Thoughts
Check out the Pulpit Fiction Academy with Beverly Gaventa on Romans
At the very least read Romans 1-4
Bible Study
Paul has already laid out his argument for justification by faith (Romans 1-4)
All sin- all fall short of the glory of God
It is only through the gift of faith in God’s grace that we are redeemed
NT Wright’s summary (from New Interpreter’s Bible) “Chapters 1-4: God’s gospel unveils the fact that in the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, the God of Israel has been true to the covenant established with Abraham and has thereby brought saving order to the whole world. In the face of a world in rebellion and chosen people unfaithful to their commission, God has, through the surrogate faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah, created a worldwide - that is, a Jewish and Gentile - family for Abraham, marked out by the covenant sign of faith.” (NIB, p. 405)
NT Wright on Chapter 5-8 “God has thereby done what the covenant was set up to do: to address and solve the problem expressed in biblical terms as the sin of Adam. In the Messiah, Jesus, God has done for this new people what was done for Israel of old in fulfillment of the promise to Abraham: Redeemed from the Egypt of enslavement to sin, they are led through the wilderness of the present life by the Spirit (not the Torah) and they look forward to the inheritance, which will consist of the entire redeemed creation. This is how the creator will finally put the whole world to rights. All this is the result of God’s astonishing, unchanging, self giving covenant love expressed completely and finally in the death of Jesus.”
Chapter 3:28-30
Definitely look at the CEB translation of verses 22-30. They correctly translate v. 22 “God’s righteousness comes through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ” which is traditionally translated as faith in Jesus Christ. This is an important distinction.
Expansion of redemption/justification by faith
Just as all have sinned and are saved through faith, so too are both Jews and Gentiles saved by faith.
Faithfulness is the means of salvation, not circumcision or belonging to one particular cultural or ethnic group.
Chapter 5 begins with the fruits or results of being justified by faith:
“The first paragraph of the new section states and develops the theme that overarches the next four chapterS: those whom God justified, God also glorified. In typical fashion, this is stated densely to start with… As usual, Paul’s successive explanations do not add new points to the opening summary, but rather explore what is contained by implication within it.” (Wright, New Interpreter’s Bible, v. X, p, 514)
Peace with God in the present
Hope for God in the future
Now but not yet eschatological dynamic to faith: peace in the present and hope for the future
Peace in the present
Faith in God through Jesus Christ justifies us with the assurance that we do not need to earn our way into the Kingdom
Don’t put your faith in riches, or self-image, or sex, or power, or religiosity - put your faith in God.
You can never earn your way into the Kingdom, only accept the grace of God as revealed in Jesus Christ
“It is a relationship of love on both sides, in which reconciliation has replaced enmity. This intimacy comes about through the gift of God’s Spirit, the presence of God with the newly constituted community and within the redeemed person, not least in their present wilderness sufferings… All that God accomplished in the Messiah, was done out of love, and designed to call out an answering love. The intimacy and ecstasy of 5:1-11 are a necessary further dimension of the doctrine of justification by faith.” (Wright, p. 514)
Hope for the future
The Kingdom of God is not a dream but a reality that we live into - when we are at peace with God (through faith) we can begin to live into the Kingdom (think Sermon the Mount).
Conversely if we are not at peace - then living into the Kingdom is impossible - we cannot bless the poor if we feel we do not have enough, we cannot love our enemy if we are focused on how to dominate them, we cannot love our neighbor if we continue to judge them.
Peace in the present brings hope for the future. Afterall, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things yet unseen” (Heb. 11:1)
Boasting in suffering?
This is difficult - used to justify the suffering of others. Note Paul writes, “we boast” not you boast. Paul is also suffering, not trying to justify the sufferings of others.
Other side of 4:2 where boasting is negative (you cannot boast due to your lineage or religiosity- those mean nothing in the realm of God) If you are going to boast, boast of your suffering through faithfulness.
Boasting is only acceptable when it illuminated the love and grace of God (not how awesome you are, but how awesome God is)
Being at peace with God does not mean a life free from suffering - in fact there is great likelihood that faith will bring you into suffering, but faith gives us a different perspective on suffering (cf. Matthew 5:10-12)
Reminder that Christ (the best of us) also suffered and died for us (even though we suck)
We boast in suffering because we know suffering and death do not have the final word.
What does “suffering” look like for Western Christians - or at least where do we start?
suffering means doing without so others can have
suffering means paying more for clothes so Bangladeshi workers can be safe
suffering means paying more for food is it is grown humanely and sustainably
suffering means using public transportation to relieve congestion and pollution
suffering means leaving apathy and ignorance behind
suffering is an awareness of the pain of our brothers and sisters and doing something about it
suffering is acknowledging white privilege and actively working to dismantle it
Thoughts and Questions
Good News! Get off the treadmill of what you should do, or need to do in order to earn God’s favor- God loves you and there is nothing you can do about it! But you can respond to it: with endurance, character, and hope.
In what ways are you enduring and helping others endure? In what ways are you building up character in yourself and others? In what ways are you being a beacon of hope?
The power of resilience
Grace - how often do we preach on exactly what is “Grace” and why is grace so important? Don’t assume people know.
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”).