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

All Saints, Year C

I.Theme –  Celebrating the People of God 

 "Peaceable Kingdom" -Beerhorst (2011)

The lectionary readings are here  or individually:


Old Testament – Daniel 7:1-3,15-18
Psalm – Psalm 149 BCP Page 807
Epistle –Ephesians 1:11-23
Gospel – Luke 6:20-31

All Saint’s Days commemorates not only all the martyrs but all the people of God, living and dead, who form the mystical body of Christ

From Daniel, all that is left is the notion that the events of human history, no matter how disturbing, are irrelevant to God, and to God’s holy ones, who will prevail in the end. 

The saints have come to know God, not by their own efforts, but by the power of God in Christ. Those who have put their lives in Christ’s hands should trust the one whom God has made the head of all things for the church which is his body.  The Psalm emphasizes the praise response we should have. 

The Gospel reminds us that the Christian hope is not in this world or in the things of this world. In fact, it is not even in the apocalyptic reversal of fortunes, as much as that is a part of the Gospel of Luke, and may be a part of the hope of believers. Rather it is in the Father’s mercy toward us, in the Son’s surrender to death, in the power of the Spirit in our lives leading us to act as God’s children that our hope lies.


II. Summary

Daniel

The book is set in the days of the exile in Babylon. Daniel is a famous character from that time; according to Ezekiel, he was renowned for his piety and wisdom. The book was written about 165 BC, in Daniel’s name, to give hope to people who suffer persecution under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Hellenistic ruler who tried to eliminate Judaism. Our reading is of a vision: earthly kingdoms will pass to make way for the kingdom of God. It presents past events as though in the future and continues slightly into the future.

Out of the primordial “sea” (v. 2), the chaotic “deep” of Genesis 1:2, stirred up by the spirit of God (“winds of heaven”), Daniel sees four beasts arise – all agents of God. The first three are like a “lion” (v. 4), “bear” (v. 5) and “leopard” (v. 6). The fourth beast is too horrible to be likened to any animal; it has horns. Another small horn appears, symbolizing Antiochus. Thrones are set in place and God (“an Ancient One”, v. 9) takes his place, surrounded by attendants; his court sits in judgement. The fourth beast is put to death; the second and third are allowed to linger on. Then “one like a human being” (v. 13, or a son of man) comes from heaven and is presented to God, who gives him a universal, eternal, unconquerable kingdom (v. 14). (Christians saw this figure as the messiah, Christ, but to Jews he represented the archangel Michael and faithful Jews.) The interpretation begins in v. 16. King and kingdom are used interchangeably, so the “four great beasts” (v. 17) symbolize world powers that dominated Israel: Babylon, Medea, Persia and the Seleucids.

The “holy ones of the Most High” (v. 18) are Jews who defied Antiochus’ decrees against Judaism; there will again be an independent Jewish state which will last for ever. The current persecutions will end. God has permitted Israel to be conquered, but will act soon to rescue his people  

Psalm  

All creation blesses God.

This psalm was used in a liturgical setting: note “assembly of the faithful”. Worshippers are invited to sing “a new song”, perhaps new because God continually reveals more of himself to the faithful. V. 3 tells us that hymns were accompanied by “dancing”, the “tambourine” and the “lyre”. Praise him because he delights in his people and gives victory (in some sense) to those who hold him in awe. (In v. 5 “glory” is a divine title.) May “the faithful” even “sing for joy” in their homes (“on their couches”). Vv. 6-9 appear to be a call to battle, to a holy war: may God’s people execute on “nations” (v. 7) and “peoples” the “judgement decreed” (v. 9) by God.

Ephesians

Paul writes to the “saints” (v. 1), those faithful to Christ in Ephesus. He gives thanks for the blessings we have received through Christ: bringing us into union with God;

choosing us (v. 4), before his creative act, to be set apart for him; and

as part of his plan, adopting us “as his children” (v. 5) – all of this through the love he expressed in sending Jesus.

Through Christ’s birth, life and resurrection we are absolved of our deviations from God’s ways. Intellectually and through our experience of the Christian way we have come to know God’s plan, i.e. to “gather up” (v. 10) all he has created, seen and unseen, to him.

Now Paul returns to adoption: we are offspring (inheritors) of God, and as such are forerunners (“the first”, v. 12) of many who will come to Christ, living to praise God. Paul has been writing to mature Christians; now, in vv. 13-18, Paul speaks to neophytes in the faith, “as you come to know him” (v. 17), both Jews and Greeks (“you” is plural). “You” were marked as God’s in baptism; it is the guarantee (“pledge”, v. 14) of being God’s children – those who, saved from sin, will have full union with God (“redemption”). Paul gives thanks for the fraternal “love” (v. 15) they have for all members of the Church (“saints”).

May you too grow in knowledge and experience of God (“wisdom”, v. 17) and receive new understandings of how God works in the world (“revelation”), so that you may come to know:

-the future joy (“hope”, v. 18) to which God has called you;  

-what it means to be joined in God with heavenly beings (“saints”); and  

-how much Christians can achieve using God’s power.  

Christ is now raised and equal to the Father; he is above all angelic beings (“rule … dominion”, v. 21); now God’s power acts through him eternally. Christ is “head” (v. 22) of the Church; it is his “body” (v. 23) – the “head” needs the “body”, and the “body” the “head”.

Luke

This is the Luke version of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Matthew has a much more elaborate sermon, and it on the mount, the place of revelation and transcendence. Luke has the sermon on the level place, among the people, talking to them about how to live in this world.

There’s two categories: the multitude and a crowd of disciples. The disciples are those who believe, while the multitude are the curious. These categories are important to keep in mind for vs. 20: "Then he looked up at his disciples and said…" He’s only talking to the disciples. When we hear this passage, it’s almost instinctual for us to assume that it divides between how Christians behave and how non-Christians behave. But in directing this to the disciples, he’s talking about the Christian community. Luke’s community has lots of rich people, lots of well-fed people. 

In the presence of many people from Israel and beyond, Jesus speaks to his followers. Luke tells us of four beatitudes (vv. 20-22) and corresponding woes or warnings of deprivation in the age to come. Some are “blessed” (happy) by being included in the Kingdom Jesus brings. The warnings are prophecies, cautions. The pairs are:

the “poor” (v. 20) and the “rich” (v. 24);

the “hungry” (v. 21a) and the “full” (v. 25a);

the sorrowful (v. 21b) and the joyous (v. 25b); and

the persecuted (v. 22) and the popular (v. 26).

Note that the first one is in the present tense and second and third in a future tense.

Luke’s audience of disciples is generally agreed upon to have contained the greatest number of wealthy folks. It is not a coincidence, then, that Luke’s gospel has by far the most challenges to disciples about material possessions. It would seem strange for Luke to direct a message to his wealthy congregants that describes some ultimate new order that leaves them woefully on the outside. It makes more sense that he would lift up a pen-ultimate reversing of this world’s order as a needed challenge to coax such members into beginning to live in God’s order today. Their wealth is a woeful stumbling block to their opening themselves to God’s cultural order.

The “poor” are those who acknowledge their dependence on God. The “rich” do not want to commit themselves to Jesus and the Kingdom; they are comfortable in their self-sufficiency. The word translated “consolation” (v. 24) is a financial term: they do not realize what they owe to Jesus.  

If we understand that God’s kingdom, God’s culture, is one not based on such divisions, then we are already blessed. God’s cultural order does not depend on divisions between rich and poor.

The “hungry” hunger for the word of God, the good news; the “full” are satisfied. What will the hungry be filled with? Filled with a sense of joy and meaning once you know what your life of simplicity, poverty, even hardship means in the larger context.

In v. 22, “exclude” means being socially ostracized and excluded from the synagogue and Temple.

The “Son of Man” includes Jesus and his followers: they will be persecuted, as Israel (“their ancestors”, v. 23) persecuted Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Amos, but “in that day” (at the end of the era), they will be rewarded. Jeremiah 5:31 says that people spoke well of “false prophets” (v. 26). In vv. 27-29, Jesus expands on v. 22; he tells how to deal with persecution. Followers (“you that listen”) should be willing to give all (even to standing naked, without an inner garment, “shirt”.) When you give, do not expect reciprocity (“again”, v. 30). Emulate God in your actions; seek to match his compassion! 

In our passage for study today, Jesus encourages us to be loving, not just loving toward people we like, but loving toward people we don’t like, even people who have hurt us. Jesus’ focus is probably on the Christian fellowship, he is talking about relationships within the church, but his words extend beyond the Christian fellowship to our extended family, neighbors, work-mates and the like. Of course, "love" is a bit of an airy-fairy word and so maybe we would do better using the word "compassion". Even so, the final two verses in our passage give us the nuts and bolts of love. Love involves not judging people, not condemning people, but rather being forgiving and generous. So, in these words Jesus has given us an ethical guide to the Christian life, but, he has also done something else.

Earle Ellis in his commentary on Luke states: "the effect of Christian love in a person is in exact proportion to their practice of it." That is, the measure in which a believer receives God’s grace is in direct proportion to their practice of graciousness toward others. Inevitably, the demand for such love serves to undermine any notion of self-righteousness. Who is there that can be "merciful, just as (our) Father is merciful"? If the "measure we use" is the measure we get, then we are in trouble when we have to face up to the day of judgment. We are in dire need of receiving a gracious mercy from God that transcends our constant failure.

In these exhortations from Jesus’ Great Sermon we can again observe the two functions of the law, namely, to lead us to Christ and to give direction in our Christian life.

The law serves to remind us of our own unworthiness. In reality, we can’t love as Christ demands. If gaining God’s forgiveness depends on our ability to forgive others, then we are in trouble. With our sin before us we are reminded that our standing before God is not dependent on our own limited obedience, but on Christ’s perfect obedience. The best we can do is seek out the Nazarene and find mercy in the one whose capacity to forgive is unbounded.

The law also serves to give direction in our Christian life, a direction motivated and shaped by the indwelling compelling of the Spirit of Christ. The law reminds us to "be what we are." So, Jesus’ exhortation to "unreasonable compassion", or more particularly forgiveness, sets before us a quality of discipleship well beyond the norm. Although we can never reach such an ideal, in the power of the indwelling Christ, we can certainly press toward it.

“Wrestle” – From Bishop Wright, Diocese of Atlanta

Genesis 32:22-31 “To love God and be loved by God is to wrestle with God from time to time. Think back to your last wrestling match with God, what were you trying to persuade or pin God down about? Wrestling is about opposing forces trying to get the better of the opponent. Some people wrestle with God and are unable to change God so they decide to leave God for a season. What is amazing about God and God’s approach to wrestling with us is God is never trying to contort us into something other than ourselves. There’s a blessing for the exertion. In the contest with God we learn our limits, get wisdom, see the genius of God, and our praise and adoration for God reaches new heights. Jacob wrestled all night with an angel of God but it wasn’t until daybreak that he got his blessing. At daybreak he got a new name! So this is a word of encouragement to you. Don’t give up in your wrestling match with God or with life. Hang on until your blessing gets named. ”

Lectionary, Pentecost 18, October 9, 2022

"Jesus Heals the Ten Lepers" (17th century, unknown) 

The lectionary readings are here or individually:  

First Reading – 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c
Psalm – Psalm 111
Epistle – 2 Timothy 2:8-15
Gospel – Luke 17:11-19 

Today’s readings remind us of the wholeness we experience when we allow God to heal and forgive In 2 Kings, Naaman’s healing leads him to acknowledge the one true God. Paul reflects on the centrality of Jesus Christ, who is himself the good news, bringing salvation. In today’s gospel, 10 lepers receive healing; one healed leper receives salvation.

Sometimes in the faith journey we feel like failures. We want to give up. We have done our part to share the Good News, nothing we do seems to bring people in, and still others even question our motives for what we are doing (think Elisha and Naaman). However, when we are faithful to God, we will see God’s faithfulness in us. Sometimes we are like the lone Samaritan who recognizes what God has done. Sometimes we are like Naaman, pulling and fighting all the way. And sometimes we are like Jesus, wondering what happened to all the others, but knowing that one is enough. The seeds are planted. Live in faithfulness, and you will experience God’s faithfulness in you.

The healing in today’s gospel occurs “on the way.” This sounds a contemporary note. As Jane Redmont writes in Generous Lives: "Commuting time seems to have become the privileged place of prayer in North America."

Modern commuters have made the same discovery as first-century lepers. Simply because we’re on our way to something else does not mean that Jesus can’t intersect us. We meet Jesus on the L.A. freeway, the Washington D.C. Metro and the barbed wire along the Rio Grande.

We meet God in the spaces between certainties. As one retreat director said, "95% of your life may be just fine, and you don’t mind revealing it to anyone. It’s the other 5% we’re concerned with." In the shadowy, unstable, insecure areas, we need healing. There we are most likely to feel the touch of Jesus’ hand.

And how do we respond? As usual, the answer comes in story form. Just as the despised Samaritan would show Jews how to be good neighbors (Luke 10:30-37), so a "foreigner" demonstrates how to receive a gift. Healing is offered to all 10 lepers, just as rain and sunshine fall on all people. But the ability to recognize the blessing and express gratitude for it seems to be more unique. "You sanctify whatever you are grateful for," writes Anthony DeMello.

The disease part of the Old Testament readings and Gospel has been reinterpreted  Indeed, in modern translations, the word “leprosy is” not used, but is represented by the term “scaly infection”.  This condition is actually several, referring not only to skin disease, but also to fungal infestations of fabric and of walls.  Such skin conditions may represent psoriasis, mycotic infections, eczema, or pityriasis rosea.  All were tied to the ritual impurity codes of the Hebrew Scriptures.  In the Gospel reading today, Jesus encounters ten lepers, and their condition may be more connected to the ancient understanding of tzaraath than to our modern understanding of leprosy.  It is interesting that the “leper” (a Samaritan) who returns thanks exhibits a double problem of ritual purity – his skin and his race.

II. Summary

First Reading –  2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

Kings Naaman was army commander of a tribe that was a rival of Israel.   Israel has been raided by a Syrian army and now the story turns to a captive – a young girl who now is in service to the General Naaman.  It is at her suggestion that this prominent man go to Israel for healing and Israel’s prophet Elisha. Naaman has leprosy or something similar.

Naaman finds the prophet and hears his prescription. The King of Israel sees a trip that will strip him of his kingship, and Naaman bristles at the lack of hospitality he receives at the prophet’s home, and is even more insulted at the prophet’s suggestion that he bathe in the Jordan.  Naaman feels humiliated. He had hoped for a word of power, but got a call to obedience that required him to wade into the grimy Jordan River.

Naaman’s submission brings him into new life, both physical and spiritual. He becomes a visual testimony, both to wayward Israel and to the Gentile nations, that only submission and an attitude of trust can lead to wholeness and righteousness (a right relationship with God.)

Most of the prophetic passages in the Hebrew Scriptures are for the Hebrew listeners of Israel and Judah—and when the focus is outside of their people, it is usually contained in the passages of judgment. However, this time, the focus is not judgment, but healing for the commander of the occupying army. This passage may allude to the coming exile, and proclaims faith in God and hope for all, even hope for converting the oppressors.

God is the cause of Naaman’s success (because by him God had granted the victory to Aram) and it is God who will effect the healing through the prophet.  The agent, a young girl, shows the power of this God who uses such a lowly person.  When Naaman is healed his skin is described as that of a young man.  Thus are contrasted the agent and the recipient, both displaying the power of the God of Israel, and Aram!

Psalm –  Psalm 111

Psalm 111 is a psalm of praise, celebrating God’s presence in the history of God’s covenant relationship with Israel. It is  a short acrostic with each half line beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.   The psalmist recites a brief history of God’s actions as clues to God’s character.  This psalm sings of God’s faithfulness to the people through the mighty acts of God. The psalmist gives thanks to God for all that God has done, and reminds the listeners of God’s love, faithfulness and redemption.

Here, as in the first reading, God acts amongst all the peoples – “great are the deeds of YHWH, discovered by all who desire them.”  The exact deeds are not recounted but are present for all to see.  The citing of wisdom (the fear of the Lord) is a nod to the common knowledge that is given to all the nations.

Epistle-  2 Timothy 2:8-15

Timothy held an office that would evolve into that of a bishop. Paul, senior apostle now in prison, loved his young friend of long standing and one-time missionary companion. Today’s passage is part of Paul’s encouragement to Timothy. It’s not a structured theological treatise, but more a collection of pithy sayings designed to bolster Timothy. Note that Paul is not too modest to cite his own experiences if that’s what the disciple needs to know. By way of encouraging Timothy, Paul quotes an early Christian hymn.

Today’s reading consists of an eloquent last testament of Paul (vv. 8-10) and a quotation from a baptismal hymn (vv. 11-13), sandwiched between some proverb-like sayings (vv. 3-7) and advice on dealing with heretics (vv. 14-15). The sayings use favorite metaphors of Paul’s to urge single-minded commitment, self-discipline and labor for reward.

In the initial verses of this reading, the author reminds Timothy of the central focus of the Gospel namely “Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David”. Here the continuity of Christian teaching and the Hebrew Scriptures is underscored once again.  The next verse in which “Paul” talks about his condition of imprisonment (chained) uses the image to talk about the unfettered nature of the Gospel. 

2 Timothy 2:8-15 reminds the reader to endure in faith, that Christ endures with us. The poem in vs. 11-13 remind us that Christ is with us in life and death and endures with us. It explores a series of contrasts (dying with him, living with him, persevering/reigning vs. denial, unfaithful vs. faithful). 

The hymn recalls the reality of baptism, perhaps in answer to persecution and the temptation to deny Christ. Even then the lord is faithful.  The warning only is for when we deny him, but even when we fail, and our faith falters, Christ’s faithfulness endures forever. The writer gives a warning about “wrangling over words” (vs. 14) because often arguing over words fails to produce agreement or anything good. Rather than arguing, fighting the fight, going the journey alone—we are reminded that Christ is indeed on the journey with us, has gone before us, and remains faithful even when we fail.

In dealing with his opponents, Timothy is to avoid argumentation, presenting "the word of truth" (v. 15), the gospel, with which he has been entrusted.

The reading from I Timothy grounds Christian hope in the resurrection.  Christ’s triumph over death gives us confidence and courage in the face of every threat.  In light of the resurrection, the author has hope, despite the constraints of imprisonment.   As mysterious as it may be to us, resurrection is an image of hope: God is faithful when we are faithless.  God will give us life in the midst of death.  In light of the resurrection, we are challenged to go beyond divisiveness, much of which is the result of clinging to words rather than the reality toward which they point.

Gospel –  Luke 17:11-19 

Jesus continues to make his way to Jerusalem, where death and resurrection await him. He praises the faith of someone not a member of the fold.  He is virtually standing in a no-man’s land (through the region between Samaria and Galilee).  Jesus adds to the ambiguity by sending those pleading for healing “to the priests”.  Are they intended to go to Jerusalem or to another shrine, a Samaritan shrine.  Jesus doesn’t elaborate and leaves us in a vague space.

The story of the cleansing of the 10 lepers is found only in Luke.  His focus, however, is not in the healing but in the response.  While all are healed, and all are told to go show themselves to the priests, only one returns to thank Jesus when he is healed—and he turns out to be a Samaritan.  Jesus said “Your faith has made you well.” The others perhaps were just looking to move on with their lives, to get back to normal—but this one knows that his life has been changed forever.  

Faith is the distinctive behavior that separates out the Samaritan (and others) and sets them on their way to a new destination. The healing miracle is real for all 10 but is not equivalent to salvation, which requires a change of inner orientation.  Jesus, the beneficent healer, gives grace to all and receives thankful homage from the foreigner. The leper’s faith has made him whole and has also saved him.

As this story is juxtaposed with last week’s parable (17:7-10), we learn that Jesus’ disciples are exhorted not to seek thanks but to give it. Jesus is still answering the request of the disciples from last Sunday, “increase our faith”.  By focusing on those seen as outside of salvation, Jesus points out God’s mercy and care for all people.  The Samaritan’s future and destination is changed and Jesus points out, like those who were in exile in Babylon, that there is a future and life in the place that God has given us.

The Rich Man and Lazarus: Warning Tale and Interpretive Key to Luke

From Trinity Church, New York. Article by Ched Myers Link to article

“Indeed, a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office about income inequality over the last three decades shows that while total family wealth has more than doubled to $67 trillion in the U.S., “most average families haven’t seen a nickel of that gain”:

“In fact, the typical American family… actually lost wealth between 1989 and 2013, after adjusting for inflation. Families in the upper reaches of the American economy, by contrast, have done just swell. Families in the top 10 percent, the CBO calculates, have seen their net worth increase an average 153 %. Families in the top 1 percent have done the best of all. Their overall share of the nation’s wealth has jumped from 31 percent in 1989 to 37 % in 2013…. Some put the current top 1 percent share of the nation’s wealth as high as 42 %…

“Even the CBO admits that U.S. income inequality is vast, and growing. (To follow this thread I recommend you consult the stats, analysis and narratives posted regularly by our friends at www.inequality.org.) And it long ago outstripped the disparity of ancient Rome. So ironically (and tragically), the polarization between rich and poor—and all the social ills and conflicts associated with it—is the context for both the ancient gospel and contemporary North American readers of it.

Lectionary, Sept 11, 2022 – Pentecost 17, Year C

I. Theme –  Punishment and Grace

The lectionary readings are here or individually:  

First Reading – Exodus 32:7-14
Psalm – Psalm 51:1-11
Epistle – 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel – Luke 15:1-10 

Today’s readings praise God’s merciful pursuit of God’s people even as they sin. The readings contrast punishment and grace. In Exodus  God forgives the Israelites’ spiritual impatience and lack of trust that lead them to turn from God to an idol .  The Epistle and Gospel highlight God’s graceful care, which encompasses the lost and sinful. Paul offers himself as an example of one found by God, transformed by the power of God’s mercy. In the gospel, Jesus tells stories that illustrate God’s great joy over each sinner who repents.

If God’s grace welcomes back the apostle Paul, despite his persecution of early Christians, will it welcome back the wealthy whose largess has come at the expense of the poor. Grace transforms the past, and opens us to become new creations.  We still may have to face the consequences of the past; but grace leads to new behaviors and openness to expanded divine possibilities for ourselves and the good Earth.

Jesus makes clear in the Gospel that everyone falls within the shadow of salvation, regardless of their past behavior and place in society. What Jesus is doing is placing worth and value on what others had deemed worthless. The Jewish mystical tradition proclaims that when you save one soul, you save the world.  This wisdom provides a creative lens through which to read the parable of the lost sheep. 

Each one of us is made in the image of God; therefore, each one of us is worthy. Because of that, we are valued. We belong to God. And God will seek us out to the ends of the earth as a lost sheep, into all the cracks and darkness and lonely, lost places as a lost coin. We are not forgotten to God, even when we fall into despair, into addiction, into hopelessness.

II. Summary

First Reading –  Exodus 32:7-14

Exodus 32:7-14 is from our second thread of the readings this season, in which the theme of God fulfilling the covenantal promises made with the people prevails.

Early in their journey from slavery in Egypt to the promised Land, God’s people became restless and untrusting

When Moses led the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt, they did not go very long or very far before they lost confidence in Moses and in the path on which he was leading them. They were camped in the Sinai desert at the foot of a mountain, while Moses was up the mountain receiving extensive instructions from the Lord. The people grew restless, then nostalgic even for the ways of their Egyptian former masters. They melted jewelry and formed an idol (or a token of rebellion against Moses) from it in the shape of a calf, then worshiped it with exuberant ceremony.  The  golden calf would be  followed as their god.  Of course the Lord is outraged, and Moses has to intervene, reminding the Lord of the covenant, lest the Lord revoke it.

This reading begins a section on Israel’s sin and God’s forgiveness (chaps. 32–34). It serves both as a narrative sequel to the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai and as a spiritual reflection upon Israel’s repeated apostasy from the time of the exodus to the exile. The worship of the golden calf signified an adoption of the Canaanite rites of Baal.  It may represent not a false god but a challenge to Moses as mediator between the people and God.

In view of the lord’s anger, Moses intercedes for the people.  He reminds God that it was God’s actions that brought them out of slavery into the wilderness.  He reminds the lord of the covenant that these are God’s own people, that God’s name is now bound up with theirs and that God had promised Abraham, not Moses, many descendants.

Moses uses Egypt in a unique way in his argument with G-d.  “What will the Egyptians think?”  And to this he adds significant names: Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob).  To these God had made significant promises of continuity and a future

God changes God’s mind about destroying them all, remembering the covenant to Abraham and Sarah and to their descendants forever. Like wedding vows, God will be their God, through good times and bad, and will never abandon them completely or destroy them.  Although Moses effectively ends the conversation with God’s repentance, he seems to be unable to answer to the evidence that God sets before him.

Psalm –  Psalm 51:1-11

This is one of the great penitential psalms. The psalm’s title, added later, ascribes this psalm to David during the time of his repentance for the seduction of Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah (2 Samuel 11:1–12:25).

Psalm 51:1-10 is the opposite of Psalm 14: in this psalm, the singer acknowledges their own sin, their own turning away from God, and desires reconciliation and forgiveness and restoration. The singer famously asks for a new, clean heart, and a new and right spirit within them, to guide them on the path that leads to God.

The constant hope and the goal of the covenant people was to become a community in right relationship with God and one another. Sin was understood as whatever disordered relationships –  it is everywhere and at every time. The psalmist seeks not merely the removal of guilt, but the restoration of a right relationship to God. Verse 4 does not exclude sin against one’s neighbor, for that was also understood as an offense against God because it broke down the covenant relationships desired by God.

The psalm also speaks to the ubiquity of God’s knowledge of us – in the hidden knowledge within us.  In verse 9 we begin to feel relief.  “Purge me with hyssop” refers to the priest’s sprinkling the people with the blood of the sacrifice, or as in Numbers 19:18-22, where it refers to cleansing with water.  The point is made with both images – the psalmist seeks redemption and forgiveness, and it is given so that it can be heard and be the cause of praise.  The verse regarding “the right spirit” might call us all back to creation again, where the Spirit reboots us into righteousness and holy living.

This psalm has a place in the Liturgy for Ash Wednesday, where it serves as a psalm underscoring the penitential nature of the day.  The introduction to the psalm serves as a poignant notice as well:

Epistle-  1 Timothy 1:12-17

Paul enjoyed God’s mercy, and uses his experience as an example for potential believers.

This selection begins a seven-week series of readings from two letters traditionally attributed to St. Paul. 1 and 2 Timothy, along with Titus, are called the pastoral epistles because of their emphasis on the proper ordering of the administration and worship of the Church. Many scholars today believe that these letters were not written by Paul himself but by a later follower. Such an author may have pieced together some of Paul’s personal letters and added material that presented oral Pauline teaching which addressed later situations.

Today’s reading is a thanksgiving for Paul’s conversion, especially as it serves as a paradigm of God’s mercy in the conversion of all “sinners.” A phrase characteristic of Paul’s emphasis on tradition is “the saying is sure” (v. 15) indicating a quotation from familiar teaching or hymns.

The author intends for the reader/hearer to understand what Paul stood for, and to see in his own story, the story of Christ’s grace intended for them as well.  The exaggerated list of vices that describe Paul’s former life (“blasphemer”, “persecutor”, and “man of violence”) is meant to highlight Paul’s message of grace, which is intended for the reader, ostensibly Timothy.  Thus Paul serves as the primary example of grace that will abound in those who follow the Gospel of Jesus.

This passage is a beautiful statement of thanksgiving to Jesus who is the one who called the writer into this ministry, using him despite of, and because of, his faults and shortcomings to be a witness to God.  Christ came into the world to save sinners. The writer is grateful for God’s blessings, grace and mercy, and that because of God’s grace and mercy the writer is able to use his whole life as a witness of Jesus Christ and of Christ’s faith and love.

The closing is very interesting and is perhaps the remains of an ancient doxology that was used in early Christian worship.

Gospel –  Luke 15:1-10 

Luke writes his gospel for a community undergoing transition. Jesus’ original followers were poor Jews. But now the  situation shifts so that Luke’s audience is composed primarily of respectable people who have an annoying way of looking down on others for a variety of reasons.

Luke 15:1-10 contain the first two of three parables in this chapter—the most famous, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, is not included in the lectionary this time. But these first two parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin are also important. Here Jesus is gathered with both the sinners (tax collectors and their ilk) and the supposedly righteous (the Pharisees and the scribes).  What Jesus does and says will come under the close scrutiny of both camps. 

Jesus was eating with sinners, welcoming them, and that some of the religious leaders were complaining about it. In both of these parables, the protagonist pays attention to something that normally would be forgotten about soon after—a lost sheep, a lost coin. It would have been ridiculous to leave 99 sheep behind to go after one lost sheep. Losing just one was probably a miracle that you didn’t lose more. Same with losing a coin. If you lost a $100 bill but had 9 more of them, you might be a bit angry that you lost it, but you would get over it soon. You certainly wouldn’t be going out and inviting your neighbors to celebrate once you found it

Luke 15 describes God’s joy at homecoming of sinners.  The trilogy of Luke describes three states of being lost: wandering off ignorantly, being lost in the shuffle, and choosing to go astray.  None of these states is beyond God’s redemption.  At any moment we can turn around to awaken to God’s grace

Jesus  uses the unwearied search of a shepherd for a lost sheep or of a poor woman for a lost coin as an image for God’s unchanging love toward the sinner. God’s constant seeking-out of the lost is manifested in Jesus’ redeeming ministry. God’s love takes the initiative; the sinner’s response is repentance. But rejoicing is the central note of these parables, for there is no mention of penitence.

Like Nathan, who convinces David of his sinfulness, by getting him to identify with the poor neighbor of his story (see Psalm 51, above), so Jesus seeks to have the hearer, whether sinner or scribe, to identify with the one who has lost either sheep, coin, or son

There is also the connection in this parable to the others. The shepherd risks the flock, to some degree, by leaving them to find the lost sheep.  But, perhaps more importantly, the ninety nine cannot be fully saved apart from the lost sheep.  They will remain ninety nine and not experience the wholeness of the perfect number, one hundred.  Salvation is relational; our salvation is connected to the well-being of others.  We cannot be complete without the salvation of others.  The joy of heaven is found in the welcoming home of every soul.

The two parables in today’s reading make the same point. They answer those who criticized Jesus for having any dealings with the outcast and despised. It was a strong ancient principle, especially among the Pharisees, that one should not associate with sinners. “Sinners” were both those who led immoral lives and those whose occupations were considered sure to lead them into immorality—tax collectors, shepherds, etc. “Sinners” could not hold office or act as legal witnesses.  

Jesus makes clear that everyone falls within the shadow of salvation, regardless of their past behavior and place in society. What Jesus is doing is placing worth and value on what others had deemed worthless. The Jewish mystical tradition proclaims that when you save one soul, you save the world.  This wisdom provides a creative lens through which to read the parable of the lost sheep. 

Both parables speak to the implicit value of things.  People—human beings, their very lives—are valuable to God, every single one. And when society starts saying you’re worthless, you might start believing it—and ending up in addiction, depressed, and feeling completely useless to the world. But Jesus says “You are valuable—You are precious to God.” Jesus would rather leave the 99 who know who they are to find the one that has been rejected and left for dead. Jesus would rather spend all the time looking to find one who was lost than to forget and move on. People are more valuable than lost coins or even lost sheep

Pentecost 13, Year C, September 4, 2022

I. Theme – Exploring the meaning of discipleship and commitment.

  

“Climb That Hill”

The lectionary readings are here or individually:  

First Reading – Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm – Psalm 1
Epistle – Philemon 1-21
Gospel – Luke 14:25-33 

Today’s readings explore the meaning of discipleship and commitment. In Deuteronomy , Moses challenges God’s people to “choose life” by remaining faithful to God. In his personal letter to Philemon, Paul disarms the slaveholder’s authority by bidding him to receive the slave as a dear brother. In today’s gospel, Jesus describes a disciple as one who knows the cost and is willing to make a radical surrender to Christ.

The Gospel says, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.”

Hate our parents? Reject our spouses? Deny our children? The traditional hyperbole of today’s gospel may have been designed to separate the serious followers from the crowd. Whenever huge throngs gather, we can assume a variety of motives. Did they follow Jesus from curiosity, hope for healing, need for security, peer pressure or self-interest? He dispels all motives but one: radical commitment to a way of life that carries an exorbitant cost.

The final verse of today’s gospel reading (Luke 14:33) reiterates Luke’s concern that possessions might be an obstacle to Christian commitment. His concern can be interpreted in many ways. Jesus was addressing people who didn’t have any possessions, so why would it pose a problem to them? Luke Johnson argues in The Gospel of Luke that the language of possessions is symbolic, referring not so much to wealth (which can be used for good or ill) as to attitudes. Jesus wants vulnerable people, ready to surrender their assumptions and find a new identity in him. On the other hand, he rejects those who cling to comfortable ideas and who resist transformation.

Yet to over-emphasize symbolism would blunt the evangelist’s sharp social criticism. He wrote for a wealthy community, or for well-to-do Gentiles concerned that conversion might mean grave economic loss. He challenged them to continue Jesus’ welcome to the economically poor and to work for a reversal of the social order that would bring justice to all.

While Luke does not offer a definite answer to the problem of possessions, he suggests a direction that is fleshed out in Paul’s letter to Philemon. There we find a concrete example of the radical commitment Jesus demanded. Paul has the audacity to ask a slave owner to give up a costly possession; in this case, a human being. Furthermore, he invites a shift in attitude: that Philemon see Onesimus not as slave but as brother. His plea combines both elements of Luke’s message: relinquishment of possessions, change of heart. If we have the courage to apply the message to our own lives, we probably respond with an honest “Ouch.”

There are other thoughts about living a life according to God.  There are two ways to live: to live into God’s ways, or to live into the way of the wicked. It is clear in the Scriptures that the way of the wicked is to abandon God. Do we abandon God in exchange for a set of rigorous rules? Do we abandon God in exchange for worldly success, comfort and wealth? Do we abandon God to be around people who think, look and act like us, where we are comfortable? Or do we seek God’s ways, which are not always easy but are often hard—to be among people who are different, to be open to learning new ways of thinking, to stand against war, injustice, and poverty? One way is more straightforward and easy, but serves ourselves. The other way is harder, but serves others, and is concerned about the whole community—the whole kingdom—the whole reign of God.

II. Summary

First Reading –  Deuteronomy 30:15-20

The book of Deuteronomy was written as Moses’ farewell address to the people of Israel gathered at the border of the promised land. The book re-presents Mosaic teaching in order to deal with the changed situations of later history. The applicability of Moses’ teaching to each generation is emphasized (5:3; 6:1-2).

 This reading comes from Moses’ third address (chaps. 29–30). It challenges the people to decide between two ways of living, life or death, blessing or curse, as they prepare to enter the land that was prepared for them. The format reflects treaties between nations of that period. These concluded with a call to the gods to act as witnesses to the treaty. Here the whole created universe is called to witness the covenant (31:28).

The people are urged to “choose life,” not merely a prolongation of days but the fullness received in love, obedience and faithfulness to God.  In a classic prophetic “rib” pattern, heaven and earth are called to witness what God sets before Israel: “life and death, blessings and curses”.  It is classic covenantal speech that beseeches Israel to do one thing.  “Choose life!”

For those who follow God, obey the commandments, observe the ways they have been taught, God’s blessings are with them now and always. But for those who go astray, who do not follow the commandments and what they have been taught, it will lead only to death. This is part of the final discourse of Moses, warning the people that the way they live their lives matters. The way we live our lives shows our faithfulness to God, our upholding the covenant. God cannot break the covenant, only we can.

Psalm –  Psalm 1

Psalm 1 reflects the blessings and curse of life choice reflected in Deuteronomy. For those who turn towards God, the blessings of life are found in the life well-lived; for those who turn away from God, they will not experience the blessings. This isn’t about worldly success and riches, but rather the blessings are wisdom and fulfillment—even joy—for those who choose to follow God.

This psalm, with its call to a righteous life based on knowledge of the “law of the lord” (v. 2), the Torah, serves as a fitting introduction to all the psalms. It springs from the wisdom tradition, which emphasized how to live in both material and spiritual prosperity.

The righteous are those who have not taken the advice of the wicked, nor imitated their way of life, nor joined in their rejection of the law. They “meditate” (v. 2) upon it, literally, read it aloud in a low voice. The lord is in intimate and personal relationship with the righteous.

Here all of these portions of Wisdom are assigned to the ones who love YHWH.  They are compared to the “wicked” that are like chaff.  Another agricultural image describes the righteous – “like a tree planted by streams of water”.  Note, however that it is not an ideal tree always in bloom and with fruit – no, times and seasons govern these as well.  Real life is lived by both the righteous and the wicked.  The righteous will be given the way of life, a path not granted to the sinner.

Epistle-  Philemon 1-21

This is the only personal letter of Paul’s to have been preserved. Paul writes from prison (perhaps in Ephesus around AD 56 or in Rome around AD 60), to Philemon, an earlier convert of Paul’s (v. 19b), in whose home the local congregation now meets (v. 2).

Onesimus was converted to Christianity by Paul, and the relationship between the two men was most like quite close.  The book becomes an exercise in practical Christianity in the face of social norms and expectations.  The letter consists of four sections: a) Introduction (1-3), b) Thanksgiving (4-7), c) the main Body (8-22) and finally a d) Conclusion (23-25). Onesimus has now runaway. The legal penalties for runaway slaves were severe.

Paul complies with the legal requirements by returning the slave and by making himself responsible for all damages due the owner. Paul asks Philemon to receive back his runaway slave, Onesimus, and then, like Abraham at Sodom, asks him to go farther and to send Onesimus back to Paul for “he is indeed useful to you and to me.” 

In the privacy of their relationship, Paul pushes the boundaries of their relationship in Christ.  There is no preaching against slavery, nor is there any accusation about Philemon’s desiring Onesimus’ return.  Instead there is the request to understand this as a situation unique to these two, no three, Christian men. 

Paul is able here to use the slave language to advantage, he who described himself as a slave to Christ.  Thus he describes the possibility for Onesimus as “no longer a slave but more than a slave.”  Paul does not push his apostolic authority, but yet implies a greater authority that ought to direct Philemon’s response, “Confident of your obedience.”   

Playing with Onesimus’s name (which means useful, beneficial), Paul points out that the formerly useless slave is now useful to both of them and asks for Philemon’s generosity (vv. 20-21). Paul’s letter is a masterful work of rhetoric in hopes of convincing Philemon to not be harsh to Onesimus, but to welcome him back and to see him differently—no longer as a slave, but as a brother in Christ. Paul is calling for Philemon to change his mind, to change his view. Paul calls Philemon to become a person of stature, to embrace a larger vision of his social context in which all people are God’s beloved children, worthy of affirmation.

This is not merely suggested as a personal favor to Paul but is grounded upon the recognition that the slave is now a “beloved brother” of his master, “in the flesh and in the lord” (v. 16). Philemon is left to decide his own course of action: whether merely to refrain from punishing Onesimus, or to free him or to accept him as a fellow evangelist (and perhaps send him back to Paul).

The Revised Common Lectionary excludes the last few verses of personal note, but verse 22 is very important because Paul is going to follow up and make sure that Philemon is treating Onesimus well, for Philemon is a follower of Jesus

Gospel –  Luke 14:25-33 

This scripture also needs to be set in context Luke’s parables in Chapter 13 – 14 (of which this is part) which calls us to whom we should direct our ministries – the crippled woman, the man with dropsy, and the guests from the highways and byways.

In this reading, Jesus cautions those who accept the invitation into the kingdom too easily. In Semitic idiom, hate means to lack commitment or attachment, a point made clear in Matthew 10:37. Coming to Jesus for teaching and healing must be complemented by following him as disciple and servant (9:23).

Therefore the “hatred” of father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters” is not disaffection from persons we love, but rather understanding the even greater things that Christ calls us to.  The family of reference is really the larger family of discipleship.  What is it, we ought to wonder, that Jesus really calls us to, and do we know the cost of it.

The two brief parables illustrate the point that one must count the cost before undertaking a demanding enterprise.

  1. ” For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ The tower is not a fortification but a farm building, a watchtower or a silo.
  2. ” Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” 

Verse 33 does not summarize the parable but counts the cost of true discipleship: renunciation.

This passage does cause to examine the larger context of our lives. Are we “possessed” by our possessions, stressed out in our quest for the comforts promised by the American dream? To love the world rightly we need to place God at the center of our lives; conversely, we love God best by bringing beauty and joy to the world. The vision of an impossible ideal can motivate us to seek the most realistic transformation in our current situation.

The Gospel – Luke 14:1, 7-14 – Pentecost 12 The Way Up With God Is Down

"Feast of Simon the Phrarisee" – Peter Paul Rubens (1618-1620)

I love David Lose’s comment on this passage -“If there was ever a gospel reading that invited a polite yawn, this might be it. I mean, goodness, but Jesus comes off in this scene as a sort of a progressive Miss Manners.” He later backs off of it.

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. And so this, and all reported encounters with religious authorities, are going to clarify and sharpen the division between Jesus’ vision of right now, right here, being the time and the place for the realization of God’s Kingdom, and the authorities’ anxiety to keep social peace as defined and enforced by the Roman occupiers.

He is invited to dinner by the big cheese – “house of a leader of the Pharisees”. Jesus does not seem to be invited for the hospitality of it, but for the hostility of it. The setting seems hostile. Sabbath controversy stories in chapters 6 and 13 had both ended with pharisees on the defensive (6:7; 13:17). Chapter 11 had ended with the pharisees "lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say." (11:54).

Thus Jesus is not being watched closely to see what they might learn from him. He is being watched closely to assess just how much of a threat he really might be. He is being tested outside of the admiring crowds. Jesus is watching them very closely in order to make observations about human conduct. He wanted to contrast their kingdom of ritual with the kingdom of God emphasizing mercy and radical inclusion.

The word pharisee can mean "to separate". The Pharisees were a group of people who separated themselves from the riffraff of society. They sought to live holy and pure lives, keeping all of the written and oral Jewish laws. Often in the gospels, Pharisees are pictured as being holier-than-thou types, the religious elite. They felt that they had earned the right to sit at the table with God. They criticize Jesus because he doesn’t separate himself from the "sinners and tax collectors."

The Gospel is sandwiched between two other situations. Just before the Gospel Jesus heals a man with dropsy and defended that Sabbath healing. He may have been the bait

There are two main scenes here with advice: 

1. Going to banquet sit at the lowest place so you can move up rather than forced down

In Israel, the meal table played a very important role, not only in the family, but in society as well. When an Israelite provided a meal for a guest, even a stranger, it assured him not only of the host’s hospitality, but of his protection Also in Israel (as elsewhere), the meal table was closely tied to one’s social standing. “Pecking order” was reflected in the position one held at the table

Jesus knows that most people would want to take the place of honor. What is interesting is that those who put themselves forward to take the highest or most dignified place might be removed not to the second place but to the lowest place.

And, Jesus takes pains to show that this "demotion" is really an experience of humiliation. Rather than seeking to put ourselves forward, we are to wait until we are invited up to the honored position.

When the guests jockeyed for position at the table, Jesus spoke to this evil as well (vv. 7-11). While they believed that “getting ahead” socially required self-assertion and status-seeking, Jesus told them that the way to get ahead was to take the place of less honor and status. Status was gained by giving it up. One is exalted by humbling himself, Jesus said.

Note that Jesus is not criticizing the system but how people operate within it.

His exhortation is to pursue humility, a concept with significant status connotations. Humility was very rarely considered a virtue in Greco-Roman moral discourse.

Humility doesn’t mean being passive. Letting others walk all over us Jesus shows by his life that being humble didn’t mean being passive, but, when necessary, it meant taking out the whip and driving the self-centered bullies out of the temple. 

There is a balance between being humble without self-degradation or shame of letting others "walk all over" us vs. deliberately putting ourselves above others through self-exaltation or arrogance.

Exaltation depends too if you are doing the exalting or God raising up and exaltation belong to God; recognition of one’s lowliness is the proper stance for human beings. The act of humbling oneself is not something for its own sake, but for the sake either of God or of Christ .Jesus advises a strategy of deliberately and consciously living beneath one’s presumed status in order to receive even greater honoring later.

Some scholars speculate that this teaching would particularly apply to Luke and his first readers as they were higher status Gentiles, and the mixed-status Christian communities would require them to live beneath their comfort zone. God would later recognize and honor their accepting of lower social standing.

Here is a paradox indeed. The way up is down. To try to “work up” is to risk being “put down.” Those who wish to be honored must be humble and seek the lowly place. Those who strive to attain the place of honor will be humiliated

2. If you are the host, don’t invite who can in turn invite you and be repaid but invite “ the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” and be repaid by God

Shift in emphasis here. Now Jesus is not working within the system but challenging it.

The host had apparently invited all the prominent people to his table on this occasion.

Jesus assumes that you are putting on the feast, rather than attending a marriage banquet, and that you have to put together your guest list. Guest lists are put together based on a philosophy or on some kind of principle. Two popular ways to do it are because you "owe" someone who has invited you to their event or you want to "get in good" with some people and so you extend an invitation to them 

First century middle-eastern dinner parties were political, social, and class affairs. One would invite those considered one’s social equals or superiors. Accepting an invitation to a such a dinner carried with it the expectation that the one invited would return the favor.

Obviously, in the unlikely event they would get an invite, poor people would not accept since they would not be able to repay.

The central principle of this advice is that we are to give things to people without expecting any kind of return.

Jesus told him that while men might seem to get more in return from inviting their friends, family, and prominent people to a meal, in heaven’s currency men were rewarded by God when they invited those who could not give anything in return—the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

Jesus calls for “kingdom behavior”: inviting those with neither property nor place in society. God is our ultimate host, and we, as hosts are really behaving as guests, making no claims, setting no conditions, expecting no return.

We are to do good to people regardless of their ability to repay. In fact, we might delight even more in extending ourselves to people if they can’t repay because, in this case, we will have a reward at the "resurrection of the righteous."

Notice here that the listing: the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind – reflect those listed in Jesus’ initial declaration for his ministry way back in Luke 4:18. Your "blessing" is the total removal of social rank in the reign of God. In God’s eyes, this is justice, and you will be rewarded at the "resurrection of the just."

Helping the needy is more than just sending money, but getting involved with the people — perhaps sitting down together with them as equals at a supper table.

What the "helpers" frequently discover is that Christ serves them through the needy. Jesus says we need to start inviting new people to dinner and it may challenge our comfort zones.

We are disciples on the road – disciple on the road with Jesus is to share with those who have nothing and who can give nothing in return.

Back to David Lose on inviting the “the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind”:

“And while that sounds at first blush like it ought to be good news, it throws us into radical dependence on God’s grace and God’s grace alone. We can’t stand, that is, on our accomplishments, or our wealth, or positive attributes, or good looks, or strengths, or IQ, or our movement up or down the reigning pecking order. There is, suddenly, nothing we can do to establish ourselves before God and the world except rely upon God’s desire to be in relationship with us and with all people. Which means that we have no claim on God; rather, we have been claimed by God and invited to love others as we’ve been loved.

“As we see in today’s reading, precisely because we have been invited into relationship by God — because, that is, God has conferred upon us freely a dignity and worth we could never secure for ourselves — we are free to do the same for others. We are free to put them before ourselves, to lead them to seats of honor, to invite them to be our dinner guests, not because of what they can do for us, but because of what has already been done for all of us.

“It’s a new humanity Jesus is establishing, a new humanity that has no place for our insecurities and craving for order. Which is why it’s frightening and why those invested in the pecking order — which, of course, includes all of us — will put him to death.&qu