Archive for the ‘1 Corinthians 10’ Category
Above: The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Exodus 12:1-14 (Year A)
Exodus 24:3-11 (Year B)
Jeremiah 31:31-34 (Year C)
Psalm 116:10-17 (Years A. B, and C)
1 Corinthians 11:17-32 or 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (Year A)
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (18-21) (Year B)
John 13:1-17, 34 (Year A)
Mark 14:12-26 (Year B)
Luke 22:12-26 (Year C)
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Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal,
Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment:
To love one another as he had loved them.
By your Holy Spirit write this commandment in our hearts;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
OR
Lord God, in a wonderful Sacrament
you have left us a memorial of your suffering and death.
May this Sacrament of your body and blood so work in us
that the way we live will proclaim the redemption you have brought;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 20
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O Lord Jesus, since you have left us
a memorial of your Passion in a wonderful sacrament,
grant, we pray,
that we may so use this sacrament of your body and blood
that the fruits of your redeeming work
may continually be manifest in us;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 44
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In Exodus, the blood of the Passover lambs protected the Hebrew slaves from the sins of Egyptians. The Gospel of John, mentioning three Passovers during the ministry of Jesus, placed the crucifixion of Jesus on Thursday, not Friday, as in the Synoptic Gospels. The Fourth Gospel made clear that Christ was the Passover lamb that third Passover of his ministry. In the Johannine Gospel, Jesus died while sacrificial lambs were dying at the Temple.
We read of the Last Supper in 1 Corinthians 11. That is good, for John refers to it only in passing.
Jesus modeled humility and self-sacrificial love.
These are timeless principles. The nature of timeless principles is that how one lives them depends upon circumstances–who, when, and where one is. Certain commandments in the Bible are culturally-specific examples of keeping timeless principles. Legalism results from mistaking culturally-specific examples for timeless principles. Bishop Robert C. Wright, of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, says:
Love like Jesus.
To that I add:
Be humble like Jesus.
Circumstances dictate how living according to these maxims looks where and when you are, O reader. By grace, may you succeed more often than you fail, for the glory of God and the benefit of your neighbors in God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 14, 2022 COMMON ERA
HOLY/MAUNDY THURSDAY
THE FEAST OF EDWARD THOMAS DEMBY AND HENRY BEARD DELANY, EPISCOPAL SUFFRAGAN BISHOPS FOR COLORED WORK
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTHONY, JOHN, AND EUSTATHIUS OF VILNIUS, MARTYRS IN LITHUANIA, 1347
THE FEAST OF SAINT WANDREGISILUS OF NORMANDY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT LAMBERT OF LYONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZENAIDA OF TARSUS AND HER SISTER, SAINT PHILONELLA OF TARSUS; AND SAINT HERMIONE OF EPHESUS; UNMERCENARY PHYSICIANS
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Adapted from this post
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Above: St. Augustine of Hippo, by Ambito Lombardo
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year 2
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O God, who in the glorious Transfiguration of thy only begotten Son,
hast confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of the fathers,
and who, in the voice that came from the bright cloud,
didst in a wonderful manner vouchsafe to make us co-heirs with the King of his glory,
and bring us to the enjoyment of the same;
through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit,
ever one God, world without end. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 134
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Job 28:1-28
Psalm 119:49-64
1 Corinthians 10:1-14
Matthew 15:14-29
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How should one interpret Job 28? It does not flow from Chapter 27. “He” (God) in 28:3 has no antecedent in Job 27. And the identity of the speaker is uncertain. Chapter 28 sits between Job 27 and Job 29, of the titular character. Is the speaker Job, one of his alleged friends, or someone else?
The identity of the speaker is crucial. To know who speaks in a particular passage of the Book of Job is to know how to read or hear that passage. Job’s alleged friends are objectively wrong on many points within the Book of Job and within the full canon of Jewish scripture. Yet they are right sometimes, too. To quote a cliché,
A broken clock is right twice a day.
A note in The Jewish Study Bible hypothesizes that the speaker is Elihu, a character shoe-horned into the Book of Job between Job’s concluding argument to God (at the end of Chapter 31) and the beginning of God’s reply to job in Chapter 38. The epilogue to the Book of Job names Eliphz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite (42:9) yet never Elihu.
[God] said to man,
“See! Fear of the Lord is wisdom;
To shun evil is understanding.
–Job 28:28, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
That verse is consistent with Psalm 119.
The trials you have had to bear are no more than people normally have. You can trust God not to let you be tried beyond your strength, and with any trial he will give you a way out of it and the strength to bear it.
–1 Corinthians 10:13, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
I have heard a consistent misinterpretation of that verse for many years.
To read “you” as singular is wrong. 1 Corinthians is a letter to a congregation, not an individual. Individualistic assumptions of my Western culture may lead one to misread and mishear “you” as singular. Reading the passage in a romance language helps to clear up the matter, too.
Aucune tentation ne vous est survenue qui n’ait été humaine; Dieu est est fidèle et ne permettra pas que vous soyez téntes au-delà de vos forces….
–1 Corinthiens 10:13a, Nouvelle Version Segond Révisée (1978)
Vous is plural, not formal singular, in this case.
Within the context of faith community, all the necessary spiritual resources exist. The variety of spiritual gifts and the presence of God can fulfill each person’s spiritual needs. Mutuality remains a theme.
Regarding Matthew 15:21-28, I refer you, O reader, to the category for Matthew 15. Follow it to find my analysis of that story.
I prefer to focus on another aspect of the Gospel reading. The dark side of human nature defiles one–makes one unclean–makes one “common,” as J. B. Phillips translated the Greek word. The list in Matthew 19 is representative, not comprehensive. One may ask what fornication, theft, perjury, and slander have in common. They are ways to harm others–emotionally, legally, socially, economically, and physically. They work against the model of mutuality in 1 Corinthians 10:13.
To tie up the readings with a figurative bow, mutuality fits with Job 28:28 and Psalm 119. We should shun evil, individually and collectively. And standing in awe of God (a better translation than “fearing God”) is wisdom.
As St. Augustine of Hippo wrote at length and more eloquently than I write, those who love God as they should can do whatever they want and still please God. They want to live in faith community defined by mutuality. These spiritual giants want to help, not harm. They are in tune with God.
I make no pretense of being one of these spiritual giants. I do, however, know in visceral, practical terms how mutuality works in a congregation. I know how to give and receive. Both are blessings from God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 10, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE TWELFTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF KARL BARTH, SWISS REFORMED MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR; AND HIS SON, MARKUS BARTH, SWISS LUTHERAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HOWELL ELVET LEWIS, WELSH CONGREGATIONALIST CLERGYMAN AND POET
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN ROBERTS, WELSH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYR, 1610
THE FEAST OF PAUL EBER, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF ROBERT MURRAY, CANADIAN PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
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Above: The Woman of Canaan, by Michael Angelo Immenraet
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Ninth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year 2, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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Grant, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy church, being gathered together in unity by the Holy Spirit,
may manifest thy power among all peoples, to the glory of thy name:
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with thee and the same Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 120
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Genesis 45:16-28
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
Mark 9:24-37
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The partial family reunion continued in Genesis 45. Meanwhile, off-screen, so to speak, Jacob must have had an uncomfortable conversation that must have included,
But you told me that Joseph was dead!
Do not test God, or else, we read in 1 Corinthians 10. Sometimes God tests us, though. Will we pass the test? Which destiny will we choose?
Jesus was perfect, sinless, fully divine, and fully human, I affirm. Those theological assumptions have informed my reading of Mark 7:24-37. Jesus, who had chosen t go where Gentiles were, did not insult the woman. He was not insensitive. No, he wanted her to reply as she did. She passed the test, Jesus never changed his mind during that encounter; neither did the mother change hers during that incident. She chose her destiny and that of her daughter.
The deaf man with a speech impediment had help en route to his altered destiny. The Markan has depicted him as a passive figure, but who is to say that the man did not go to Jesus?
Grace surrounds us. Will we embrace it?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 19, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAMES ARTHUR MACKINNON, CANADIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
THE FEAST OF ALFRED RAMSEY, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF CHARITIE LEES SMITH BANCROFT DE CHENEZ, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM PIERSON MERRILL, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SOCIAL REFORMER, AND HYMN WRITER
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Above: St. Peter Paying the Temple Tax
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Genesis 43:1-15, 26-30 or Isaiah 55:1-13
Psalm 28
1 Corinthians 10:19-33
Matthew 17:22-18:5
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We have obligations to each other. Even what we do (or do not do) in private affects other people. We should, for example, want scoundrels and wicked people to repent (as in Isaiah 55:7), not give up on them (as in Psalm 28:4). We should seek reconciliation, as Joseph was preparing to instigate, in Genesis 43. We should not abuse our freedom to the detriment of others. In Christ we are free to become our best selves.
The story in Matthew 17:24-27 requires unpacking.
The tax in question was the Temple tax of one didrachmon–a half-shekel. Every Jewish male was to pay it annually, although enforcement was not rigorous. The scriptural basis of the Temple tax was Exodus 30:13. It was a controversial tax for more than one reason. For the poor the tax–two days’ wages of a laborer–was a burden. Essenes argued that the tax was properly a once-in-a-lifetime payment. Sadducees thought that the tax should be voluntary. Jesus, who seemed to have a low opinion of taxation (see also Matthew 22:15-22), nevertheless decided not to cause offense.
I have no difficulty accepting this story as genuine. Yet it, like so many stories, carries more than one meaning, depending on the time of the reading or hearing of it. Consider, O reader, the year of the composition of the Gospel of Matthew–85 C.E. or so.
There was no more Temple yet a version of tax remained. Roman forces had destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 C.E. A two-drachma tribute to Rome was due annually, and Roman authorities enforced tax laws. In the Christian context giving to the church was properly voluntary. For Jewish Christians, marginal within Judaism, their identity remained Jewish; they did not seek to offend.
In my cultural-political setting–North America in 2018–the culture is moving in more than one direction simultaneously. On one hand politics and culture are coarsening. On the other hand efforts to avoid causing offense are become more prominent, sometimes to ridiculous extremes. Meanwhile, people from various points on the spectrum have become more likely to take offense. “Snowflakes” come in various political stripes. Everything is controversial; there is probably nothing that does not offend somebody, somewhere.
I, as a human being, have responsibilities to my fellow human beings, who have responsibilities to me. I, for example, have no moral right to spout racial and ethnic slurs and/or stereotypes, not that I would ever do that. Quoting them in certain contexts, in which one’s disapproval is plain, is justifiable, however. I have a responsibility to consider the sensibilities of others–to a reasonable point. Yet I know that, whatever I do, I will offend someone, for somebody will be of a mind to take offense. I am responsible for doing my best to be respectful. I am also responsible to others not to be ridiculously sensitive, thereby doing nothing or too little.
Where should one draw the line separating responsible self-restraint in the name of not offending the consciences of others from overdoing it and still failing in not causing offense because some people are snowflakes? The answer to that question varies according to circumstances. One, relying on grace, should do one’s best. If one needs to do better, one can do that, by grace. One is not responsible for the thin skins of others.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 28, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF AMBROSE OF MILAN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT MONICA OF HIPPO, MOTHER IF SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO; AND SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF HIPPO REGIUS
THE FEAST OF DENIS WORTMAN, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF LAURA S. COPERHAVER, U.S. LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER AND MISSIONARY LEADER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MOSES THE BLACK, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2018/08/28/devotion-for-proper-21-year-a-humes/
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Above: Sunlight Through Trees with Building Ruins
Photographer = Theodor Horydczak
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-H824-T-1927-005
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Genesis 42:1-26 or Isaiah 49:1-13
Psalm 26
1 Corinthians 10:1-17
Matthew 16:13-28
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God raises the stakes. One would think (in Isaiah 49) that, for the people of Israel, identified as the servant of God, restoring the survivors of Israel after the Babylonian Exile would be a sufficiently daunting challenge. But no! The mission of the people of Israel in Isaiah 49 is to be a light to the nations. In Matthew 16 we read of the Confession of St. Peter (yes, the rock upon which Christ built the Church) and Jesus’s immediate rebuke of St. Peter, who failed to understand the meanings of messiahship and discipleship. Each of us has a calling to take up his or her cross and follow Jesus. One who does not do that is not a follower of Jesus. In Genesis 42 we read of most of Joseph’s brothers. Their challenge, we read, is really to face themselves. That is our greatest challenge, is it not? Can each of us deal effectively with the person in the mirror?
The main words in 1 Corinthians 10:1-17 are “idols” and “idolatry.” Idols, for us, are whatever we treat as such. Everyone has a set of them. The test of idolatry is whether an object, practice, idea, et cetera distracts one from God, who calls us to lay idols aside. How can we follow Christ and be lights of God when pursuing idols instead?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 28, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF AMBROSE OF MILAN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT MONICA OF HIPPO, MOTHER IF SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO; AND SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF HIPPO REGIUS
THE FEAST OF DENIS WORTMAN, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF LAURA S. COPERHAVER, U.S. LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER AND MISSIONARY LEADER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MOSES THE BLACK, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2018/08/28/devotion-for-proper-20-year-a-humes/
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Above: The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem, by David Roberts
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 4:32:40 or Isaiah 65:10-16 (17-25) or Ezekiel 7:(1-9) 10-27 or Zechariah 14:(1-3) 4-9 (10-21)
Psalm 50:(7-8) 9-21 (22-23) or Psalm 105:(1-6) 12-15 (26) 27-36 (37, 43-45)
Matthew 24:15-22 or Mark 13:14-20 or Luke 21:20-24
1 Corinthians 10:(14-17) 18-11:1
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The ominous tone of judgment hangs over the readings for this Sunday. How dare those who have witnessed the power and the mercy of God disregard Him? Yet we find mercy combined with judgment. Besides apocalyptic destruction of the corrupt human order, based on violence and exploitation, precedes the establishment of God’s new order on Earth.
I think it important to point out that offenses in the readings are not just personal peccadilloes. Social injustice is a recurring theme in apocalyptic literature, which therefore emphasizes institutionalized sins. The pericope from 1 Corinthians reminds us of the truth that whatever we do affects other people. We should therefore act according to the moral obligation to consider the scruples of others. I propose that this is a fine principle one can take too far, for, if we become too sensitive regarding the scruples of others, we will do little or nothing, certainly little or nothing good. The guiding principle (from 10:31) is to behave for the glory of God.
There is no sin in glorifying God and effecting the common good. There is no sin in not exploiting anyone. There is no sin in loving one’s neighbors and recognizing one’s obligations to them in the societal web of interdependence. There is no sin in making love the rule of life (2 John 5b-6).
Doing so does not prompt the judgment of God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 17, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST; AND MARIA STEWART, ABOLITIONIST, FEMINIST, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF EGLANTYNE JEBB AND DOROTHY BUXTON, FOUNDERS OF SAVE THE CHILDREN
THE FEAST OF FRANK MASON NORTH, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MARY CORNELIA BISHOP GATES, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/devotion-for-proper-12-year-d/
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Above: Icon of Ezekiel
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
without you nothing is strong, nothing is holy.
Embrace us with your mercy, that with you as our ruler and guide,
we may live through what is temporary without losing what is eternal,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 53
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The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 11:14-25 (Monday)
Ezekiel 39:21-40:4 (Tuesday)
Ezekiel 43:1-12 (Wednesday)
Psalm 141 (All Days)
Ephesians 4:25-5:2 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 (Tuesday)
Matthew 23:37-24:14 (Wednesday)
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But my eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD;
in you I take refuge;
do not strip me of my life.
–Psalm 141:8, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The reading from Matthew is apocalyptic and Psalm 141 is also bleak. These texts come from difficult times. Oppressed people pray for God to destroy their enemies. The textual context in Matthew is the impending crucifixion of Jesus. From the perspective of the composition of the Gospel itself, however, there is wrestling with fading expectations of Christ’s imminent Second Coming. One also detects echoes of reality for Matthew’s audience, contending with persecution (or the threat thereof) and conflict with non-Christian Jews.
We read of mercy following judgment in Ezekiel 11, 39, 40, and 43. Punishment for societal sins will ensue, but so will restoration. In the end, God’s Presence returns to Jerusalem, which it departed in Chapters 10 and 11.
Those sins included not only idolatry but judicial corruption and economic injustice, which, of course, hurt the poor the most. Not seeking the common good violated the Law of Moses. Seeking the common good defined the assigned readings from Ephesians and 1 Corinthians.
“Everything is lawful,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds up. No one should seek his own advantage, but that of his neighbor.
–1 Corinthians 10:23-24, The New American Bible (1991)
We also read, in the context of how we treat each other:
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, for that Spirit is the seal with which you were marked for the day of final liberation.
–Ephesians 4:30, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Those are fine guiding principles. Some of the details in their vicinity in the texts might not apply to your circumstances, O reader, but such lists are not comprehensive and some examples are specific to cultures and settings. Timeless principles transcend circumstances and invite us to apply them when and where we are. May we live them in love of God and our fellow human beings, daring even to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:43-48). That is a difficult standard to meet, but it is possible via grace.
There must be no limit to your goodness, as your heavenly Father’s goodness knows no bounds.
–Matthew 5:48, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Amen.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 6, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FRANKLIN CLARK FRY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA AND THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLAUDE OF BESANCON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, MONK, ABBOT, AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF HENRY JAMES BUCKOLL, AUTHOR AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM KETHE, PRESBYTERIAN HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/06/06/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-proper-28-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Return of the Spies from the Land of Promise, by Gustave Dore
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
God of the covenant, in the mystery of the cross
you promise everlasting life to the world.
Gather all peoples into your arms, and shelter us with your mercy,
that we may rejoice in the life we share in your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 27
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The Assigned Readings:
Numbers 14:10b-24
Psalm 105:1-15 [16-41] 42
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
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Remember the marvels God has done,
the wonders and the judgments of God’s mouth,
O offspring of Abraham, God’s servant,
children of Jacob, God’s chosen.
–Psalm 105:5-6, Book of Common Worship (1993)
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Yet the generation of Israelites who left Egypt as free people retained a slave mentality. Members of that generation witnessed many astonishing acts of God on their behalf yet reacted fearfully when they learned that they might have to act faithfully, to do something, albeit with divine assistance. They feared to enter Canaan, so their desire not to go there became their punishment from God.
As a cliché tells us, be careful what you wish for; you might get it.
St. Paul the Apostle, engaging in the tradition of interpreting biblical stories metaphorically, used accounts from the Torah to encourage Christians at Corinth to live faithfully, to refrain from sin as much as possible, and to cease from grumbling. The Apostle, convinced that the end of evil times was near, wrote:
If you think you are standing firm, take care, or you may fall. So far you have faced no trial beyond human endurance; God keeps faith and will not let you be tested beyond your powers, but when the test comes he will at the same time provide a way out and so enable you to endure.
–1 Corinthians 10:12-13, The Revised English Bible (1989)
That passage contains two major points. First, people ought to avoid spiritual complacency. That is always excellent counsel. Second, “you,” as in
So far you have faced no trial beyond human endurance…,
is plural. The pericope from 1 Corinthians 10 addresses a congregation, not an individual. The plural nature of “you” in this passage is clear in the Nouvelle Version Segond Revisee (1978), in which the pronoun is the plural vous, not the singular tu.
The walk of faith is one a person takes as part of a spiritual community, not as a rugged individualist. One depends on the other members of the spiritual community, to whom and for whom they one is responsible, and on God, on whom one depends entirely. One’s strength is in God and spiritual community, not in oneself.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 17, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN CHRISTIAN TILL, U.S. MORAVIAN ORGANIST, COMPOSER, AND PIANO BUILDER; AND HIS SON, JACOB CHRISTIAN TILL, U.S. MORAVIAN PIANO BUILDER
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/devotion-for-tuesday-after-the-second-sunday-in-lent-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Moses
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
O God, rich in mercy, by the humiliation of your Son
you lifted up this fallen world and rescued us from the hopelessness of death.
Lead us into your light, that all our deeds may reflect your love,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 28
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 15:22-27 (Monday)
Numbers 20:1-13 (Tuesday)
Isaiah 60:15-22 (Wednesday)
Psalm 107:1-16 (All Days)
Hebrews 3:1-6 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 10:6-13 (Tuesday)
John 8:12-20 (Wednesday)
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Some sat in darkness and deep gloom,
bound fast in misery and iron;
Because they rebelled against the words of God
and despised the counsel of the Most High.
So he humbled their spirits with hard labor;
they stumbled and there was none to help.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them out of darkness and deep gloom
and broke their bonds asunder.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his mercy
and the wonders he does for his children.
For he shatters the doors of bronze
and breaks in two the iron bars.
–Psalm 107:10-16, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Some of the assigned readings for these three days overlap with the content of the previous new post, so I refer you, O reader, to those comments while I pursue a different line of thought here.
A motif of bickering and murmuring recurs in the stories of the Exodus and the ensuing events. There was a ubiquitous lack of trust in God. At Meribah even Moses, whom the author of Hebrews 3:1-6 described as a faithful servant, had a moment of faithlessness. Moses was mostly faithful, which is as well as any of we mere mortals can hope to be.
The bickering and murmuring have continued long past the times of the Book of Exodus. How much more must God do–such as incarnate–before people stop bickering and murmuring? Before that, was not restoring exiles to their ancestral homeland enough? Examples of what not to do and of what to do are plentiful.
So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.
–1 Corinthians 10:12, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
I could not have said it better myself.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 14, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT VENANTIUS HONORIUS CLEMENTIUS FORTUNATUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF POITIERS
THE FEAST OF CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH, COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MYSTIC
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Adapted from this post:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2014/12/14/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-the-fourth-sunday-in-lent-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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This is post #1250 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.
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Above: Reconstruction of Jerusalem and the Temple of Herod, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Everlasting God, you give strength to the weak and power to the faint.
Make us agents of your healing and wholeness,
that your good may be made known to the ends your creation,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 24
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Chronicles 26:1-21 (Monday)
2 Kings 7:3-10 (Tuesday)
Psalm 6 (Both Days)
Acts 3:1-10 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 (Tuesday)
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O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
–Psalm 6:1-2, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
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My comments for the post I wrote prior to this one apply here also, I refer you, O reader, to them and pursue a different line of thought arising from assigned readings.
We ought to glorify God. We cannot do this while committing idolatry, acting to harm another human being (physically or spiritually) other than in self-defense or the defense of another person, or being oblivious to God, who has done much over time and continues to act. Likewise, when we act out of respect for others, we honor the image of God in them.
If you love me, keep my commandments,
Jesus said. He ordered people to love one another and honor God. He also provided an example to emulate. That example points out how dangerous loving one’s neighbors can be. Yet if we are truly to be Christians, we will follow him.
Often we humans designate some of our neighbors as people to look down upon, shun, discriminate against, murder, destroy culturally, et cetera. This is wrong, for all people bear the image of God and therefore possess inherent dignity. We might not get along with many of them, but we ought never to question their humanity or equality with us. The Golden Rule stands.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 2, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE THIRD DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT BRIOC, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT TUDWAL, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF CHANNING MOORE WILLIAMS, EPISCOPAL BISHOP IN CHINA AND JAPAN
THE FEAST OF JOHN BROWN, ABOLITIONIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT OSMUND OF SALISBURY, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2014/12/02/devotion-for-monday-and-tuesday-after-the-sixth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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