We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Commentary

Lectionary, The Passion, Year A

I.Theme –   "Strength is concealed in humility, pain is hidden in triumph, victory, in defeat, life, in death, God, in human form" -Diedrik Nelson

 

"Palm Sunday" – Giotto (1305-06)     "Betrayal & Arrest of Christ" – Fra Angelico (1450)

The lectionary readings are here or individually: 

Old Testament – Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm – Psalm 31:9-16 Page 623, BCP 
Epistle –Philippians 2:5-11 
Gospel – Matthew 26:14- 27:66 

"Borg and Crossan (The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’s Final Days in Jerusalem) imagine not one but two political processions entering Jerusalem that Friday morning in the spring of AD 30. In a bold parody of imperial politics,  Jesus descended the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem from the east in fulfillment of Zechariah’s ancient prophecy: "Look, your king is coming to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Matthew 21:5 = Zechariah 9:9). From the west, the Roman governor Pilate entered Jerusalem with all the pomp of state power. Pilate’s brigades showcased Rome’s military might, power and glory. Jesus’s triumphal entry, by stark contrast, was an anti-imperial and anti-triumphal "counter-procession" of peasants that proclaimed an alternate and subversive community that for three years he had called "the kingdom of God."

This week has two liturgies – Liturgy of the Palms and Liturgy of the Passon.

"The church is called to reckon with paradox on this week: triumph and rejection, death and rebirth." So writes Melinda Quivik in Working Preacher. The week begins with Jesus triumphant arrival and by the end of the week he is killed.  Next week we trace the path day by day.  God is sacrificed by those he brings life. 

"Strength is concealed in humility, pain is hidden in triumph, victory, in defeat, life, in death, God, in human form" -Diedrik Nelson 

The theme is established by the first lesson The servant is disciplined by suffering so he may bring strength and refreshment to the oppressed, but there are those who oppose him. Willingly he submits to those who torture and humiliate him. But God is his helper, so he is not disgraced or shamed. God vindicates him, no one can convict him.

The servant willingly suffers humiliation at the hands of his adversaries. He is not disgraced or put to shame because Yahweh vindicates him and helps him; no one can declare him guilty.

The servant of the Lord is opposed (Isaiah), is obedient to death (Philippians). He is betrayed, tortured and crucified by those who should have listened to him, and is recognized as Son of God by a centurion (Matthew). He will be vindicated (Isaiah), exalted by God (Philippians), and honored by the unexpected (Matthew).

The Passion story can be broken down in the following scenes

1. Jesus is anointed by an unnamed woman at Bethany.

2. Judas agrees to betray Jesus.

3. The disciples are instructed to prepare for the Passover meal.

4. Jesus shares a “last supper” with his disciples.

5. Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him three times.

6. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.

7. Jesus is arrested.

8. Jesus is interrogated by the high priest and his council. Peter denies Jesus three times.

9. The high priest and his council find Jesus to be deserving of death; they hand him over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.

10. Jesus is tried by Pilate.

11. The crowd, given a choice between Jesus and the bandit Barabbas, choose to have Barabbas released and Jesus crucified.

12. Jesus is manhandled and mocked by the Roman soldiers.

13. Jesus is crucified and dies on the cross.

14. Jesus is buried in a tomb provided by Joseph of Arimethea. 


II. Summary

Old Testament – Isaiah 50:4-9a

The part of Isaiah written in exile (Chapters 40-55) contains four servant songs, sections that interrupt the flow of the book but have a unity within themselves. This is the third – he is disciplined and strengthened by suffering

Yet the thrust of this passage is the openness of the faithful believer to obeying God’s will, even to the extent of yielding to mockery and abuse

In vv. 4-6, God has “opened my ear”; he has commissioned the servant as one who is taught, i.e. like a disciple. God has made him a “teacher” (a prophet) of the “word” of God, to bring God’s comfort to “the weary”, his fellow Israelites – who reject God. He has accepted this command: he is not “rebellious”. They have tortured him (v. 6), as they did prophets before him, but he has accepted their “insult and spitting”. In vv. 7-9a, in courtroom language, the servant says that, because God helps him, he is not disgraced; he confidently accepts the suffering (“set my face like flint”), and will not be put to shame. God will prove him right (“vindicates”, v. 8). He is willing to face his “adversaries”, his accusers – for the godly to “stand up together” with him against the ungodly. He is confident that, with God’s help, none will find (“declare”, v. 9) declare him guilt

Isaiah presumes in vv.8-9 that there will be some form of legitimate legal process, that proper charges will be brought, that the accused will know the identity of his accuser, that there might be proper debate and the examination of evidence. This doesn’t happen with Jesus when he is confronted by Pilate. His decision is based on an emotional crowd. 

Psalm  

The Psalmist appears to speak quietly and from a position of oppression, confident that the Lord will certainly hear him, and will also be his rescuer

The Psalm also introduces the opposite of a crowd motif. Neither neighbors nor friends are willing to stand alongside the afflicted one in this Psalm. Instead, they flee from him or forget him, thrown away like discarded broken pottery.

The psalmist seeks deliverance from personal enemies. He is “in distress”: his troubles have led to ill health; his strength fails him (v. 10); perhaps he is terminally ill. The Psalm also introduces the opposite of a crowd motif. He is “scorned by all my enemies” (v. 11a, ) and even by his neighbors; his friends avoid him. People forget about him, as though he is already dead (v. 12); he feels as useless as “something thrown away. People are conducting a whispering campaign against him and they scheme to take his life (v. 13); but he accepts God personally; he has confidence in God (v. 14). His destiny (“times”, v. 15) is safe in God’s hands; he trusts that God will deliver him from his adversaries and persecutors.

Seeing himself as a “servant” (v. 16), he cries let me experience you, O God! May God, in his compassion, save him from all that beset him. 

Epistle – Philippians 2:5-11

In Vv1 -4 Paul provides guidance for the Christians at Philippi to be of the same mind set and shows how to live in relationship with others. Their attitude should be one of service and of humble self-giving. They are to “regard others as better than … [themselves]”, freely adopting a lowly, unassertive stance before others, replacing self-interest with concern for others.

Vv. 5-11 are an early Christian hymn. The purpose of this hymn is to encourage practical attitudes and action among the people of God

He exhorts his readers to be of the same mindset as Jesus – one that is appropriate for them, given their existence “in Christ” (v. 5). Christ was “in the form of God” (v. 6): he was already like God; he had a God-like way of being, e.g. he was not subject to death. He shared in God’s very nature. Even so, he did not “regard” being like God “as something to be exploited”, i.e. to be grasped and held on to for his own purposes. Rather, he “emptied himself”

(v. 7), made himself powerless and ineffective – as a slave is powerless, without rights. He took on the likeness of a human being, with all which that entails (except sin), including “death” (v. 8). As a man, he lowered (“humbled”) himself, and throughout his life in the world, was fully human and totally obedient to God, even to dying. (Paul now adds: even to the most debasing way of dying, crucifixion – reserved for slaves and the worst criminals.)

God actively responded to this total denial of self, his complete living and dying for others, by placing him above all other godly people (“highly exalted him”, v. 9), and bestowing on him the name, title and authority of “Lord” (v. 11) over the whole universe (“heaven”, v. 10, “earth”, “under the earth”).

God has given him authority which, in the Old Testament, he reserved for himself. (Isaiah 45:22-25, in the Revised English Bible, says: “From every corner of the earth turn to me and be saved; for I am God … to me every knee shall bow … to me every tongue shall swear, saying ‘In the Lord alone are victory and might … all Israel’s descendants will be victorious and will glory in the LORD’”); everyone shall worship him; confessing that “Jesus Christ is Lord”.

(v. 11) is equivalent to proclaiming the victory and might of God. The ultimate goal is the “glory of God the Father”, the reclamation of God’s sovereignty, his power over, and presence in, the universe.

There is a social element to this teaching: this hymn to Christ’s humility is not only to be honored in singing but in the lives of those who, trusting him and following his example, are to look out for the interests of others in the group and not simply their own. This crowd, formed in Christ’s life, death and resurrection, is not simply to be a disparate gathering of like-minded people. Much more than a crowd, this is a church – at least in its early stages. It is a united people, ambitious not for individual gain but for corporate blessing, as together with one another and indeed with ‘every tongue’ on earth and heaven they praise the Christ who is Lord and give glory to God. The whole company of heaven constitutes quite a crowd! We are part of God’s people, and as such we have the privilege of serving his world, and speaking out to praise the One who comes in the name of the Lord.

Gospel  

This year the Passion story comes from Matthew.  Matthew used Mark as a resource but provides distinctive features:

1. Judas hanging himself (27:3-10)
 

2. Pilate’s wife’s dream (27:19)
 

3. Pilate’s washing his hands (27:24-25)
 

4. Additional cosmic events at Jesus’ death (27:51b-53)
 

5. Sealing and guarding the tomb (28:62-66)

Summary

Matthew 26:14-27:66

1. Preparation -It is “two days” (26:2) before the combined festivals of Passover (commemorating the time in Egypt when the plague which killed firstborn boys passed over, skipped, Jewish homes) and that of Unleavened Bread (remembering the freeing of the Israelites from Egypt). In this particular year, Passover begins on a Thursday evening. Many pilgrims have come to Jerusalem for the celebrations.

2. Annointing – A woman has anointed Jesus for burial – a rite usually performed after death – but there will be no time then.

3. The Conspiracy – The religious authorities (“chief priests and the elders”, 26:3) have “conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him” (26:4) Having him killed during the “festival” (26:5) might cause a popular uprising (“riot”). Their intention was probably to wait until the pilgrims had left the city, but “Judas Iscariot” (26:14) gives them a way of killing him before the festival. That he is “one of the twelve” makes his betrayal especially horrifying. They pay him, in advance, “thirty pieces of silver” (26:15, about 4 months wages)

4. Last Supper – Space is scarce in the city, so Jesus sends his disciples to reserve a room. Jesus and his disciples gather in a guest room, furnished with rugs, cushions and perhaps a low table. Jesus knows in advance of Judas’ plot (26:21). Each disciple denies involvement to another (26:22). The treachery is enormous (26:23): the traitor is a member of the community. Jesus knows who it is: “the one who has dipped … into the [common] bowl” (26:23) with him. 26:26-29 describe the institution of the Lord’s Supper. (The name is from 1 Corinthians 11:20.) The meal has begun with a preliminary course (“while they were eating”, 26:21). The “loaf of bread” (26:26) was likely a flat cake of leavened bread. Jesus says something special: “this is my body.” That his body is to be broken (and “poured”, 26:28) may indicate that he expects to be stoned. (Crucifixion did not necessarily involve breaking bones.) The traditional prayer of “thanks” (26:27, Greek: eucharistesas) over the cup is Blessed are you, Lord our God, king of the world, who has created the fruit of the vine. “All” (including Judas) drink from the cup. The wine is “my blood of the covenant” (26:28) The new relationship between God and humankind is “for many”, not just for the eleven. 26:29 speaks of the past and of the future, when he will drink the wine “new”, afresh: it points to the heavenly banquet at the end of time, the coming of the Kingdom of God.

5. Mount of Olives – As they walk to the “Mount of Olives” (26:30), outside the east wall of the city, Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7: a prediction of his death and the temporary desertion of his disciples. All deny that they will leave him: they are willing to die for him (26:35); Peter insists that he will remain loyal (26:33). Jesus predicts that he will “deny” (26:34) him three times (see 26:69-75). In 26:32, Jesus speaks of his post-resurrection appearances (cf. Mark 14:27-31): he will lead them again.

“Gethsemane” (26:36, meaning olive oil press) is a small garden on the western slope of the Mount of Olives. Jesus takes with him “Peter and the two sons of Zebedee” (26:37, James and John), the three disciples who have seen his glory in the Transfiguration; now they see his distress and weakness. Even though he knows what is to happen to him, he is apprehensive: a thoroughly human reaction to a great impending event. He asks the three to “stay awake” (26:38), to remain alert, to be with him in this difficult time.

In 26:39-40, he struggles (humanly) with his destiny. In a supreme gesture of supplication to the Father, he throws himself on the ground and prays that, if it be the Father’s will, he may avoid the coming ordeal by simply dying. His prayer is a very personal one to “my” Father: you can do anything: remove this cup of suffering. But dying on the cross is in God’s plan, and Jesus is obedient to it. Finding Peter asleep, he exhorts him to pray that he not be faced with a struggle between God and the devil (“the time of trial”, 26:41). Jesus prays a “second time” (26:42): if it is your will that I suffer death, may your will be done. In 26:46, Jesus announces that the next step in God’s plan will now happen: “my betrayer is at hand”. Helped by prayer, Jesus can now face his enemies.

6. The crowd – The “large crowd” (26:47), a mob, which includes the high priest’s slave (26:51), has been stirred up by the religious authorities. The crowd would not know Jesus by sight, so Judas has “given … [the authorities] a sign” (26:48): a kiss was the traditional greeting of friendship to a teacher; Judas perverts it. He calls Jesus “Rabbi” (26:49), my master, a form of address used to honor teachers of the Law. Cutting off the slave’s “ear” (26:51) – or part of it, as the Greek implies – is an act of revenge for the indignity done to Jesus. Jesus’ preference is for non-violence; God’s power is greater than any force of arms (26:53). As Jesus predicted in 26:31, a quotation from “the scriptures” (26:56), the eleven (“all”) flee.

7. Hearings -In 26:57-68, Matthew c ombines the preliminary hearing before a committee of the “high priest” and the meeting of the whole Sanhedrin (“chief priests … scribes”), but in 27:1 the Sanhedrin “conferred together”. Peter follows the procession “at a distance” (26:58) to the “courtyard” of the high priests’ house to hear the outcome of the meeting. Jesus never said that he was “able to destroy the temple of God” (26:61), but he did say that it would be destroyed. Had he said that he would destroy it, he would have been guilty of blasphemy (against the Temple). The high priest puts him under legal “oath” (26:63) in the hope that he will say that he will destroy it – thus giving the authorities grounds for a charge. So the chief priests ask him: do you have royal pretensions? (“Son of God”, 26:63, is another title for the Messiah: see 16:16.) Jesus now answers: the time has come to make his claim clear to the people. Yes, I am the Messiah, but not in the way you understand the title: he does not plan a revolt against the state. He tells of his messiahship in terms that Jews will understand (26:64) (“Power”, 26:64, is a Jewish way of referring to God.) Jesus asserts that he is the Son of Man insofar that he is transcendent, will be enthroned in heaven, and will judge. Jesus is found guilty of blasphemy. Jesus is sentenced as deserving death, for which the penalty should be stoning The high priest was required to tear “his clothes” (26:65) in a case of blasphemy. Some mock him (26:67): the Messiah was expected to be a prophet (26:68). (26:67 fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 50:4-6, part of today’s Old Testament reading.) The Jewish authorities now have a charge they can bring to the Romans.

8. Peter’s Faithlessness. 26:69-75 present Peter’s faithlessness in contrast to Jesus’ faith. Peter denies association with Jesus three times before the cock crows, fulfilling Jesus’ prediction of 26:34. The first denial is in private (26:70), the second (26:72) and third (26:74) in public. The Sanhedrin, the supreme court, (“all the chief priests and the elders of the people”, 27:1) meet formally to decide on Jesus’ fate. Matthew implies the complicity of the Jewish authorities (“They bound him …”, 27:2). “Pilate” was Prefect of Judea 26-36 AD.

9. Judas’ death. Matthew implies that he “saw” (27:3) Jesus condemned. Judas repents (changes his mind) and returns the money to the religious authorities. They deny any involvement in the plot; the offence, they say, is on Judas’ head alone. Judas now sees Jesus’ death as undeserved (“innocent blood”, 27:4). Having lost his moral bearings, he commits suicide (27:5). Perhaps it is because of Deuteronomy 23:18 (which forbids ill-gotten gains being used for sacred purposes) that the “chief priests” (27:6) consider returning the money to the temple treasury to be unlawful. Their scrupulosity now contrasts with their plot against Jesus

10. Pilate –In 27:11, Pilate says to Jesus: You the King of the Jews? You don’t look like a revolutionary! Some have attempted to connect him with those seeking a political messiah. Jesus’ answer amounts to: Yes, but not the way you mean it. Matthew portrays the Jewish authorities as instrumental in raising charges (27:12); he minimizes Pilate’s guilt. Again Jesus does not answer. Pilate is “amazed” (27:14) because a simple peasant would protest innocence, and a revolutionary would deliver a political manifesto: Jesus does neither. Pilate’s verdict is not mentioned, but it must have been treason to warrant crucifixion: Jesus’ claims sound like a threat to Caesar’s authority.

11. Barabbas -The custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover (“the festival”, 27:15) is unknown outside the Bible, but such amnesties did occur at some Roman festivals. Matthew does not tell us Barabbas’ crimes, but Mark implies that he is a revolutionary and probably a murderer; it is his fate, not Jesus’, that has attracted the “crowd” (27:15). Note the contrast between “Jesus Barabbas” (27:16, meaning son of the father) and Jesus Son of the Father. For Pilate, it would be politically wise to release Jesus, not Barabbas (27:17). He gives the Jewish leaders and people the choice.

12. Pilate’s Wife’s Dream – While Pilate sits in judgment , his wife urges him to release Jesus – based on a dream she has had about him. This pause in the proceedings gives the Jewish authorities time to stir up the crowd (27:20). They demand Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate sees no guilt in Jesus (27:14), but he takes the politically expedient path, to avoid a riot (27:24). In symbolic gesture and word, Pilate pleads before God that he is innocent (27:24). (Washing hands is a Jewish custom, not a Roman one.) He has Jesus flogged with a leather whip containing pieces of bone or metal. At either Herod’s palace or the Fortress Antonia, a detachment of soldiers (“the whole cohort”, 27:27) mock Jesus: they dress him in a soldier’s cloak, put a crown on his head and a sceptre (“reed”, 27:29) in his hand, and salute him. They hail Jesus as they did the Emperor (Hail, Caesar), ironically proclaiming his true identity.

13. Cruxifixion and death

Crucifixion was a very cruel form of execution; death from suffocation came slowly, often after several days, and resulted from the trauma caused by flogging, thirst, hunger, exhaustion, and exposure. The victim’s arms being stretched back, breathing was difficult. While he had the strength, he periodically lifted himself with his legs to take a breath.

The custom was for a criminal to carry the crossbar, but Jesus was already too weak to carry it himself. (Flogging was usually at the place of crucifixion.) “Golgotha” (27:33), a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic word for skull, was a small stone hill near an abandoned quarry. Jesus refuses “wine … mixed with gall” (27:34), a sedative; he prefers to remain conscious. Matthew’s description of the crucifixion is just two words in Greek (27:35).

A placard placed around Jesus’ neck states his crime: they are from 27:2: his claim of messiahship has been twisted into a conviction for treason.

Three groups mock him: (a) passers-by, who scorn him (“shaking their heads”, 27:39, a Middle Eastern gesture) and repeat the first charge made before the Sanhedrin (26:61), (b) the religious authorities, who say: If you are the Messiah, work a miracle: save yourself (27:42), and (c) those crucified with him (27:44).

Jesus’ cry is the first verse of Psalm 22, in Aramaic. This psalm, as a whole, tells of a righteous sufferer who, despite his travails, comes to trust in God. Jesus feel abandoned but not in despair, for his prayer is to the Father. Perhaps “some” (27:47) misunderstand Jesus’ words because they are spoken in pain, leading them to believe that he is “calling for Elijah”. (Based on Malachi 4:5, Jews expected Elijah to return at the end of the age.). The gift of “sour wine” (27:48, what a soldier carried) is an act of kindness, but others are curious: maybe Elijah will save him. Jesus dies suddenly, violently, probably in pain (27:50).

The “curtain of the temple” (27:51) hung before the Holy of Holies; only the high priest passed through it. Matthew 1:10 tells of the tearing open of heaven at Jesus’ baptism. In ancient cosmology, a giant pudding bowl separated earth from heaven: a barrier between God and humanity. So both the ritual and cosmological barriers are torn open – as a result of Jesus’ death; it is an act of God, symbolizing the arrival of open access of humankind to God.

The point of 27:52-53 seems to be that Jesus’ death brings life. The earthquake cracks the rock, opening the tombs and bringing “saints”, honored dead of Jewish tradition, to new life.

The words of the “centurion” (27:54), a Gentile and member of the hated Roman army, may show only that he recognizes Jesus as a benefactor of humankind, but they are much more significant for us. Jesus dies in only about six hours, probably because he had been flogged severely. Women are very much followers of Jesus, from the earliest days (27:55-56). They are faithful even now – unlike the eleven.

Jesus dies at about 3 p.m. (27:46) on Friday, the day before the Sabbath (27:62). Because the Jewish day begins at sundown, and no work can be done on the Sabbath, there are only a few hours in which to bury his body. Deuteronomy 21:22 stipulates that the corpse of one convicted of a capital crime be buried on the day of his death, so an effort must be made to bury Jesus before sundown. So “Joseph” (27:57) of “Arimathea”, a man of means, immediately asks the Roman authorities to release Jesus’ body. Matthew brings out the dignity and grandeur of the burial, but it is likely that Mark’s account is more accurate. Here the burial shroud is a “clean linen cloth” (27:59), the tomb is “new” (27:60) and the stone door is “great”. Joseph lays the body in a tomb presumably intended for himself. He rolls a disk-shaped rock “to [against] the door”; “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary” (27:61) witness this action. (A body was normally washed and then anointed with oil before burial, but in Jesus’ case, there was no time to do this.)

14. 27:62-66 prepare for the resurrection. The religious authorities wish to ensure that the faithful do not steal Jesus’ body and falsely claim that he has risen from the dead. A false rumour of resurrection (“the last deception”) would be worse than the “first” (Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah.) The tomb is “made secure” (27:64, 66) and is guarded by soldiers. 

III. Articles for this week in WorkingPreacher:

Old Testament – Isaiah 50:4-9a

Psalm – Psalm 31:9-16

Epistle – Philippians 2:5-11

Gospel – Matthew 26:14- 27:66 

From the Diocese of Atlanta – Jesus is the difference between Life and Death

From Bishop Wright “In all my years of officiating at funerals and memorial services, I have never seen the deceased walk out of the cemetery or columbarium, but I have seen my share of resurrections! I have seen people bury their spouses and live in a tomb designed by grief until new companionship brings new love, life, and joy. I have watched parents bury their infant child and speak of feeling forsaken by God, just like Mary and Martha, and, in one calendar year announce a new pregnancy, new faith and new hope. I have seen the sudden death of a beloved friend, make people rethink their own existence. I’ve seen a funeral of one, give new faith and life to many. From those experiences and so many more, I think I understand when Jesus says, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” The image here is of Jesus walking towards us in grief and loss–Jesus walking towards death to make resurrection. This was different and more than Mary and Martha imagined. Sure, they believed in the distant cosmic resurrection when the Messiah comes and all death is defeated, but this was resurrection up close, in their family, in their community. If anything really dies in this story it is four things: the fantasy that faith in Jesus means we are exempt from mortality; that in sickness and death we are abandoned by God; that death and resurrection are in a perennial competition as equals; and that death means there is an absence of resources for God to work with. The transferrable vitality of this story to us, is the truth that God does God’s best work with sick, despairing and dying things!”

The Gospel in Lent 4 – Light for the World

We’re moving towards the end of Lent. It is helpful to review where we have been over the last 3 weeks. The second Sunday through the fifth has Jesus confronting various characters – a educated Pharisee, a Samaritan Women, a blind man and a man recently deceased. These texts from John are about revelation–the revelation of who Jesus is, the one sent by God, the begotten God, whose offer of life is in his presence and not necessarily delayed until his death.

Except for the beginning and end of the Gospel this week, Jesus is absent in the twists and turn of the plot. Jesus does make himself known in a significant way. It shows the power and glory of Christ and how humans confront it. The blind man gains more than his sight – he gains faith and spiritual maturity.

In today’s readings, we explore this idea of light for the world, dispelling spiritual darkness. In the first reading, Samuel sees beyond outward appearances to choose the least likely son of Jesse to anoint as king. Paul explains that the Christian’s life must be characterized by the light of holiness. In today’s gospel, a blind man gains sight and worships Jesus.

Throughout the Hebrew scriptures, the prevailing understanding of illness was that it came from God, the result of sin. The disciples, however, find a flaw in the theory: if illness was the result of sin, how could a tiny baby be afflicted? How could a man born blind be culpable? Passing the buck to the parents hardly seems fair.

Jesus turns from the verbal and intellectual exercise to the direct, and in this case dirty, work of healing the individual. It is as if he deliberately chooses the most basic elements–spit and mud–to show his preference for action over theory.

Read more

Lectionary, Lent 3 Year A 

I.Theme –   Water provides life in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense (affirmation, love, hope) as well as a pathway to the divine.

 “Christ and the Samaritan Woman”  –  Stefano Erardi (1630-1716)

The woman`s reaction of surprise is expressed by her hand placed against her chest as though in disbelief, while Christ points out a finger, not in accusation, but to communicate his innocent request for some water, with an expression of humility and compassion for the woman.

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:


Old Testament – Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm – Psalm 95
Epistle –Romans 5:1-11
Gospel – John 4:5-42


This lectionary readings this week address water both as a commodity and in a symbolic sense. 

The people under Moses had escaped from Egypt where they had become slaves in providing the economic base for Egyptian power. But the desert to which they had come in their bid to secure freedom – trusting that God through Moses would lead them to new life – was an inhospitable place. It was arid, dusty, hot – and seemed to be endless. As a group they railed against Moses. Maybe Egypt had deprived them of dignity, but at least they had had food and water. A crisis in leadership was emerging.

There is a subtheme in obeying God. Moses did what he was told, struck the rock at Horeb and there was water. He had in the past trusted in God and not been let down. He trusted that this trust would once again not be misplaced – and the water flowed.

The Gospel pits Jesus with the Samaritan woman in drawing water. S. Michael Houdmann contrast this passage with the Nicodemus a week ago. “While Nicodemus needed to see himself as a sinner in order to understand grace, the Samaritan woman, who knew she was a sinner, needed to see herself as a person of worth and value…”Jesus’ ministering to those outcasts of the Jewish society (the Samaritans), reveals that all people are valuable to God and that Jesus desires that we demonstrate love to everyone.”     

Water is more than life giving but is life transforming. She had had a difficult life with five husbands and is considered an outcast. In trusting her he uplifts her and gives her back her self-esteem. He accepts her with his conversation  about this “living water.” Well water is necessary for life and is temporary. Living water is necessary for eternal life and is everlasting. This is the water of revelation, love and spirit. This water is giving is life affirming and life enhancing. In the end she is doing more than the disciples in bring the word of Christ to the many.  The Samaritans flock to hear Jesus.

The Epistle doesn’t mention water directly. Paul goes into the benefits of justification by faith, including peace, hope and reconciliation with God. However, God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit like water – evident in baptism into His death and rising. . We were restored to God’s favor by Christ’s death and be given eternal life (“saved”) by the risen Christ.

The Psalm is a shout toward the power of God echoed from the Epistle – as a great god above all other creator of worlds, shepherd sustaining them. There is a reference to Exodus and the conditions of lack of water with the disobedience of the people. Failure to adhere to God’s ways will have dire consequences, as it did for the Israelites during their “forty years.” In the end he sustains them physically.

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The Lenten Gospel Readings

The Lenten Gospel Readings- the Path Ahead

Lent has five Sunday plus Palm Sunday.

Except for Lent 1, all of the Gospel readings come from the Gospel of John, specifically the second part Book of Signs (Jn 1.19-12.50).  Palm Sunday has its own readings.

The second Sunday through the fifth has Jesus confronting various characters – a educated Pharisee, a Samaritan Women, a blind man and a man recently deceased.  These texts from John are about revelation–the revelation of who Jesus is, the one sent by God, the begotten God, whose offer of life is in his presence and not necessarily delayed until his death.

The key is in the dialogues that the characters try to understand Jesus from their own backgrounds. Is he who he says he is ? How does he challenge Jewis teachings in the past ?

Along the way, it deals with man’s constant temptations and limits vs. Jesus as the source of light and eternal life.  Jesus does make himself known in a significant way.  It shows the power and glory of Christ and how humans confront it .

Are they going to find themselves within Christ ?  Ultimately, how are we finding our way through Christ ? Will we recognize him? Will we witness for him? Will we see him and worship him? Will we come when we hear him call our names? Will we move as these stories show from darkness to light, from insecurity to testimony, from blindness to sight, from death to life?  Here are the Sundays:

First Sunday of Lent: The Temptation of Jesus, following upon the account of Jesus’ own baptism, is a vivid reminder that our baptismal life is similar to Christ’s life: we will be subject to trial and temptation.

Second Sunday of Lent: The Story of Nicodemus , the Pharisee never understood the significance of Christ beyond the miracles despite his education. To stand accepted before God requires a conversion of one’s whole being. It requires being born from above, washed new by the Spirit of God.

Third Sunday of Lent: In the story of The Samaritan Woman the gradual enlightenment of the woman by Jesus is a pattern of baptismal grace that steadily purifies and enlightens us.

Fourth Sunday of Lent: The Man Born Blind shows the power of God offered to cure a helpless blind man. God’s power is no less evident in the sacrament of baptism.

Fifth Sunday of Lent: Raising of Lazarus is a powerful reminder that Christ is the “resurrection and the life” and those who believe in him will have eternal life.

Indeed the continual revelation of Jesus becomes a reason why the authorities conclude he is a dangerous man that needs to be dealt with in Holy Week.

Jesus Makes a Difference, Lent 1

The Gospel from Matthew this Sunday Lent 1, Feb. 26 is about Jesus 3 temptations. Temptation is an inner battle we all face and appropriate on the first Sunday in Lent

This text and video are from the Diocese of Atlanta, Bishop Rob Wright and their 5 part Lent series, “Jesus makes the difference”

“The devil’s first move on Jesus and on all of us is to come for your sense of identity in God. At his baptism Jesus heard God say, “This is my son with whom I am well pleased.” God said it to Jesus, and he said it to anyone who was listening. Seems clear and settled doesn’t it, but just a few verses later the devil leads with, “If you are the Son of God turn stones into bread. In a repeat attack, the devil says, “If you are the son of God jump off the temple steeple into the arms of waiting angels.”

“Notice, the devil always tries to bend God’s resolute exclamation points into insecure question marks! The difference between Jesus and the devil is that Jesus knows he doesn’t have to prove who he is to God. He knows he doesn’t have to earn God’s love. He knows he can’t earn or lose God’s approval. Jesus knows that we are so much more to God than we can produce or fail to produce. Jesus’ example in this exchange can be difference making for us if we let it. Jesus doesn’t question our identity, ever. We are God’s beloved, full stop. We are invited to trust our reflection in God’s eyes first and always! We are invited to “let love be genuine” as a means of feeding ourselves and the world. We are invited to love what God loves, which is always sincerity and not spectacle. – Bishop Rob Wright, Diocese of Atlanta

Here is the Video and reflection guide

Lectionary, Last Epiphany , Feb. 19, 2022

I.Theme –   The Promise : God’s Glory and its revelation in the Transfiguration 

 

“Transfiguration (detail) “ – Rafael (1516-1520) 

The lectionary readings are here  or individually: 

Exodus 24:12-18 

Psalm 2 Page 586, BCP    

Psalm 99 Page 728, BCP    

2 Peter 1:16-21 

Matthew 17:1-9  

God’s glory is explored in two mountain top scenes in the Old Testament and Gospel stories.  The example of the transfiguration is itself transformed into hope for a future king.  The promise.

The psalms talk about kingship and particularly the ideal future king. There is praise of God as King who has helped people in need, given them just laws punished and forgiven them where appropriate.

1st Peter, the New Testament reading, looks back to the Transfiguration and forward to Christ coming again in all his glory. The emphasis is on the future – Here the transfiguration becomes a sign of hope for the future that God’s purpose will prevail and be fulfilled… through God’s goodness in Christ.

The Gospel is an appropriate conclusion to Epiphany. We began this season with Jesus’ Baptism and conclude with the Transfiguration.    In both cases, God (“voice”)   proclaims “This is my Son, the Beloved…”.  In both points the heavens and the earth intersect. As he has just predicted his own suffering and death (Mt 17:21-23), now God previews his post-resurrection glory.  Also, Matthew 16:28 had just reported Jesus’ role as judge to come, who would judge all according to their performance, a theme also in the context of the baptism in Matthew.

This story is reccounted in not only Matthew but also in Mark and Luke. Only Matthew includes “in whom I am well-pleased,” which exactly repeats the words at Jesus’ baptism (3:17). This connection wouldn’t have been made by the disciples, since they weren’t present at the baptism, but it is a connection the readers to make. Why is God pleased with Jesus? At his baptism, it may come from Jesus desire “to fulfill all righteousness” (3:15). At the transfiguration, the “righteousness” is more clearly defined by Jesus’ first passion prediction. Doing what God requires (righteousness) is more important than Jesus’ own life. 

In the Transfiguration, Peter, James and John witness Jesus’ clothes and garment shining like the sun.  An argument can be made that this is also Peter’s transformation.  David Lose writes “On the mountain Peter’s transformation begins…”  “Peter’s transfiguration begins — when we fails, falls, and is lifted up again and realizes that above and beyond everything else, he is called to listen to Jesus.”   That’s much like us,

Peter has a problem in getting it right. He misunderstood Jesus first passion prediction in Matthew 16:21. Peter rebukes Jesus for saying such words. Peter’s problem, as Jesus indicates it, “You are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” (16:23b).  In the Garden of Gethsemene Jesus tells them to stay awake and pray, but they fall asleep three times. 

We are like Peter in many ways.  We don’t get it right- we are afraid. For us the key to the transfiguration for us may also be when God says “listen to him (Jesus). ” We may not listen either. “Get up and do not be afraid.” 

As Lose writes, “We, too, of course, try our best, sometimes succeeding and sometimes coming up short. We, too, have moments of insight and moments of denial. We, too, fall down in fear and are raised up again to go forth in confidence. We, too, that is, are called to listen, called to discern God’s way in the world, called to partner with God and in this way be transformed.”

 
II. Summary

Old Testament –  Exodus 24:12-18

Earlier in Exodus 22:22-23:33, Moses has ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Law verbally from God – both the Ten Commandments (“words”, v. 3) and the case law (“ordinances”)

In v. 3, Moses has told them to the people; they have agreed to their side of the Covenant. (God’s side is to be their god and to protect them.) Moses has then written down all God has told him. The pact, the union between God and the people, has been ratified in blood, “the blood of the covenant” (v. 8). Blood has been dashed against the altar (symbolizing God) and sprinkled on the people. (Vv. 9-11 are from another oral tradition, so we skip to v. 12).

Now God offers to put all the laws in permanent form, on “tablets of stone”. So important is Moses’ ascent of the mountain that it is mentioned four times in vv. 12-18. Moses leaves “the elders” (v. 14) in charge and commissions “Aaron and Hur” to administer justice in his absence. God’s “glory” (vv. 16, 17) is an envelope of light, a bright “cloud”, veiling his being: the people can see the cloud, but not God. Unlike the light from the Burning Bush (Chapter 3), this appearance of God is frightening “like a devouring fire” (v. 17). Moses prepares to meet God for some time (“six days”, v. 16).

After a period of preparation, Moses is called deeper into God’s presence where he remains for 40 days and forty nights. This could be a reminder that humankind must be prepared to reflect patiently in the mystery of God before we are able to recognise or ‘see’ God and that working out God’s purpose takes time and deep reflection. “Forty days and forty nights” (v. 18) is reminiscent of the Flood, of the time the Israelites scouted out Canaan’s defences before entering the Promised Land, and of Elijah’s later experience on the same mountain. It is a considerable length of time.

This passage brings to us a description of God’s glory in human language, the cloud for the place of mystery and preparation and the fire for the divine presence and glory. The language is dramatic and yet meant to affirm that God’s divine presence, often beyond human explanation, is part of our experience. It is given, not for us to take as a prompt to seek clouds and fire on mountains but, to encourage us that God is incarnate in our world and in the process of working out His purpose for us and with us. 

Psalm 2  

This psalm was probably written for the coronation of a king of Judah. It speaks of our inability, or even refusal, to allow God’s divine right of rule in our lives and in our relationships, with one another and between nations.  Political rebellion against the Lord’s representative (“his anointed”, v. 2) is tantamount to revolt against God himself. Vv. 4-6 are God’s reaction from heaven. He has chosen “my king” and established him in his dwelling place on earth, “Zion”, Jerusalem. The new king (“I”, v. 7) recites his formula of adoption as God’s son; he then (vv. 10-12) warns other kings to submit – or face the consequences!

In v. 2, “anointed” is messiah in the Hebrew. A title of an Israelite king, after the demise of the monarchy it became the name of the ideal future king who would restore Israel to glory. In Acts, Peter, John and others apply this title to Jesus, and Paul speaks of the risen Christ as God’s son.

Psalm 99  

This is a hymn of praise to God as king. The endings of Vv. 3, 5 and 9 are perhaps a refrain, said or sung by worshippers as they “extol” (v. 9) God. God, on his throne above the “cherubim” (v. 1, the half-human, half-animal creatures thought to hover above the altar) in the Temple, is to be praised by “all the peoples” (v. 2). V. 4 lists some qualities God has shown “Jacob”, the people of Israel. (His “footstool”, v. 5, is the Ark).

For Israel, God has also:

1 helped people in need (vv. 6, 8);  

2 given them just laws (v. 7); and  

3 punished and forgiven them where appropriate (v. 8).  

“Moses … Aaron” (v. 6) and “Samuel” were known for communicating with God, and were his representatives. “His holy mountain” (v. 9) is Mount Zion, the hill on which Jerusalem stands. 

New Testament – 2 Peter 1:16-21

Here we have the  church’s proclamation of Christ as the true king sent by God to be the savior of the world, the fulfilment and completion of all things.

The author has written that God, ultimate “goodness” (v. 3), “who called us”, has given us everything we need for eternal life. What Jesus promised to us is our means of escaping the “corruption” (v. 4) of this world and of attaining union with God. So, he says, our faith and knowledge of Christ should result in ethical living, “mutual affection” (v. 7) and love. If we have these qualities and if they grow in us, they will save us from being ineffectual and “unfruitful” (v. 8) in doing Christ’s work. If we don’t have them, we are “nearsighted and blind” (v. 9) and have forgotten the release from sin we obtained in baptism. So be steadfast in the faith; being thus will gain us entry into Christ’s kingdom (v. 11). This letter is written as Peter’s last testament as he approaches death, instructions he leaves to remind his readers of how to remember to be faithful. (vv. 12-15).

The passage looks back to the transfiguration and forward to Christ coming again in all his glory. While the disciples were “”eyewitnesses”, the author of 2 Peter refers to it [the transfiguration] as something that is heard… “He received honor and glory when that voice was conveyed to him… We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven”.

And so for the Christian the journey of faith into the fulfilment of God’s purpose for the humanity and the world comes about through seeing God in the world and in Christ Jesus the Living Word. Here the transfiguration becomes a sign of hope for the future that God’s purpose will prevail and be fulfilled… through God’s goodness in Christ. It showed the power of God and was a preview of Christ’s second “coming”

Gospel- Matthew 17:1-9

The Season of Epiphany begins (Jesus’ Baptism) and ends (Jesus’ Transfiguration) with a heavenly voice making Jesus known to the world. (epiphany = “to make known”).

In the preceding chapter Peter has confessed his faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God (16:16) and Jesus has offered some sober teaching about the cost of following him.

Then he goes up on a Mountain. Jesus selects Peter, James, and John to accompany him. Although unnamed and unstated (though probably Mt. Tabor) , a “high mountain” is a “thin place,” a place that is close to the spiritual realm, a place for sacred encounters.

Before their eyes, Jesus’ clothes and garment shine like the sun.

He experiences the presence of Moses and Elijah, two peerless prophets who had shaped the Hebrews’ view of what Messiah would be like when he came. Elijah and Moses represent the Prophets and the Law. Their talking with Jesus would signify the high spiritual status of Jesus. Because Elijah was lifted up into the heavens before his physical death, he is still looked to by Jews today as a fore-runner of the Messiah.

As he has just predicted his own suffering and death (Mt 17:21-23), now God previews his glory with the resurrection.

Peter begins babbling about setting up permanent dwellings for the heavenly visitors, to prolong the glorious experience. As at Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:17, the disciples now hear a voice from heaven saying “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” Then it is time to come down the mountain and heal and teach and suffer.

The voice from the cloud would be understood to be the direct voice of God speaking. Just as in Luke 5:8, where Peter falls down and urges Jesus to “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man,” so too here the disciples are deeply aware of their mortal unworthiness to be so much as even hearing God’s own voice. Thus they fall to the ground – as an act of humility; and are afraid – because they are unworthy to be in the presence of One so much more exalted than they. 

The word, “transfigured,” is very important. It comes from a familiar Greek word that is known to us: “metamorphosis.” It means to completely change or transform such as a cocoon transforms into a butterfly or a tulip bulb transforms into a glorious tulip blossom. Jesus’ body was transformed from an earthly body into a heavenly body, from a human body into a resurrection body. It is the teaching of the Bible that our bodies, too, shall be transformed in heaven and that our heavenly bodies will be glorious (I Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul).

III. Articles for this week in WorkingPreacher: 

Old Testament – Exodus 24:12-18

Psalm – Psalm 2

Psalm – Psalm 99

Epistle – 1 2 Peter 1:16-21

Gospel – Matthew 5:38-48 

The Gospel for Feb. 12-“But I Say to You”

By Debie Thomas from the website “Journey with Jesus”

“So I come to this week’s Gospel reading with trepidation, because Jesus’s words seem — at first glance — to support a very transactional version of God: “If you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment.” “If your right eye causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” If you don’t reconcile quickly with your accusers, “you will be thrown into prison until you’ve paid the last penny.” “Whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

“Yikes. What are we supposed to do with such dire warnings? Where is the unconditional love we’d much rather hear about? This portion of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount sounds like it’s chock full of threats, issued by a severe and perfectionistic God. Is there a loophole somewhere? Anywhere?

“I wonder if the problem is in part a cultural one. As a 21st century Christian living in America, I am inclined to read Jesus’s sermon — or rather, I am inclined to read all of Scripture — through an individualistic lens. Whenever I see “you” in the text, I think: “Me. Me, Debie Thomas. This is a warning to and for me.”

“But that is not an accurate reading. Jesus isn’t admonishing individuals in his Sermon on the Mount; he is calling forth a new community. A blessed community. A beloved community. A community meant to initiate a radical way of doing life on the earth. A community Jesus trusts will follow in his footsteps, and incarnate divine love to a world hungry for hope and healing.

“If we read Jesus’s words about murder, anger, reconciliation, adultery, lust, divorce, and oath-making in this more communal context — if we read them as instructions given in the hope of building and sustaining a community that is both blessed and commissioned to bless — what version of God might emerge?

“I think the version that emerges is of a God who cares profoundly about human dignity. A God who takes our relationships with each other very seriously, and wants us to treat each other — not with a bare minimum of civility and morality — but with the deepest respect, integrity, and love.

“Take, for instance, Jesus’s teaching on murder. You have heard that murder is wrong, he tells his listeners. “But I say to you” that coexisting without literally killing each other is not enough to sustain a beloved community. It’s just the beginning. Agreeing not to commit homicide is essential and lovely, but what about all the other ways we human beings “kill”our relationships through resentment, rage, unforgiveness, and spite? Don’t we often treat others as if they are dead to us? Less than human? Unworthy of love? Don’t we inflict soul-killing violence on each other through our words? Our silences? Our refusal to extend and receive forgiveness? What good is it if we, God’s children, technically spare each other’s lives, and yet commit unspeakable acts of murder through a refusal to love?

“Or consider Jesus’s teaching on adultery. You have heard that you shall not commit adultery, he says. But I say to you that refraining from sleeping with each other’s spouses is just the barest foundation of Christ-centered community. What about honoring human dignity by refusing in any way to cheapen or objectify other people for our own pleasure? What about helping each other to succeed in our marriages and other relational commitments, instead of making those vows even harder to fulfill? What about taking seriously our responsibility to encourage each other in holy living? Not “holy” as in stiff, boring, lifeless, and prudish, but holy as in whole, abundant, faithful, and life-giving?

Or consider Jesus’s instruction not to swear by anything on earth or in heaven, but to simply let our yes be yes, and our no, no. Imagine, Jesus is suggesting, a community in which the default assumption is that people tell each other the truth. People keep their promises. People don’t deceive one another. In such a community, no one needs to say, “I swear!” in order to earn trust. In God’s beloved community, no one uses language to connive or manipulate others. We remember that the words we say are spoken in the presence of God, and so we speak with care and respect for each other.

“Finally, consider Jesus’s words about divorce, which I know strike us contemporary Christians as particularly jarring. Remember that in Jesus’s day, women whose husbands divorced them were often left to starve in the streets. They had no financial recourse, they would not be welcomed back into their childhood homes, and the social stigma attached to divorce was severe. What if Jesus is saying, “It’s not enough to follow the letter of the law, hand your wife a certificate of divorce, and send her packing — as if you have no further obligation to a fellow human being. What about her vulnerability? Her shame? Her future? In other words, in the beloved community Jesus is shaping, we have a responsibility to uphold each other’s dignity as brothers and sisters in Christ — even when our relationships as spouses or partners come to an end. That deeper responsibility cannot be signed away with a piece of paper. It endures no matter what.

“The longer I sit with this passage of Scripture, the more I see in it — oddly enough — the care and attentiveness of God. God wants us to treat each other well. God cares a lot about our dignity. God doesn’t want us to settle for bare minimums in the communities we create; God wants us to relate in ways that reflect the fullness of divine love, mercy, grace, and generosity.

“I believe we do ourselves a disservice if we read Jesus’s words as condemnation. Jesus isn’t condemning us; he’s reminding us of truths we intuitively know. The way of love is hard. It’s costly. It hurts. But let’s not fool ourselves; there is a place called hell. It’s the place we create for each other every time we choose an easy and austere legalism over an arduous and radical love.

“SO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT’S IMPORTANT, Jesus says in every way he can think to articulate it. You matter. How you live with each other matters. What you say and do, what you focus on, what you prioritize as my disciples — these things matter! Your choices have life-and-death consequences, so please take your communal lives seriously. Please don’t make faith harder for yourselves and for others by settling for bare minimums. Reconcile with each other. Honor each other. Speak truthfully to each other. Protect each other. Do these things — not to earn God’s blessings, but because you are already so richly blessed.”