Archive for the ‘Deuteronomy 10’ Category
Above: The Miracle of the Catch of 153 Fish
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:
Acts 15:1-11
Psalm 19
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
John 21:1-14
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Psalm 19 tells us that divine teaching is perfect and that it renews life and makes the simple wise. Objectively, circumcision is part of the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12:3). Objectively, circumcision is a Biblical practice since Genesis 17:9-14. One need not think of of Judaizers at the time of earliest Christianity as evil people.
Yet consider the argument of St. Paul the Apostle in Acts 15:7b-12, O reader. Why ignore the absence of any mention of circumcision in Deuteronomy? Why overlook the references to “circumcision of the heart” in Deuteronomy 10:16 and 30:6? And why value circumcision of the flesh more than “circumcision of the heart” (Jeremiah 9:25-36)? Why overlook the lesser emphasis on physical circumcision before the Babylonian Exile relative to during and after the Babylonian Exile?
Circumcision was also a matter of identity. It marked a man as belonging to the covenant.
One person’s mark of identity can be another person’s barrier, though. This is where the reading from Acts 15 hits home for you, O reader, and for me. Each of us has something that is a matter of spiritual identity. That something is also an obstacle to someone else. How can we remain faithful to God without throwing out the proverbial bathwater? How can we know what we must retain at all costs? I offer no easy answers to challenging questions.
The reading from 2 Thessalonians 2 refers to apostasy–turning away from God. Returning to fishing in John 21 may not have constituted apostasy, but it was a bad idea. The question of what to do next was challenging. The old and familiar pattern had an appeal. Continuing to follow Jesus was a better idea.
May we find our identity in following Jesus.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 11, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT THEODOSIUS THE CENOBIARCH, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF CHARLES WILLIAM EVEREST, EPISCOPAL PRIEST, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF MIEP GIES, RIGHTEOUS GENTILE
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAULINUS II OF AQUILEIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCH OF AQUILEIA
THE FEAST OF RICHARD FREDERICK LITTLEDALE, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2021/01/11/devotion-for-the-third-sunday-of-easter-year-d-humes/
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Above: The Story of Tobit, by the Workshop of the Master of the Prodigal Son
Image in the Public Domain
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READING TOBIT
PART 1
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Tobit 1:1-15
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The Book of Tobit, present in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles, falls into the canon of scripture for about three-quarters of the Christian Church. Tobit, like Esther, Jonah, and Judith, is a work of fiction that teaches theological and spiritual truths. The Catholic Study Bible (1990) and The Catholic Bible–Personal Study Edition (1995) describes the Book of Tobit as a novel. The Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011) accurately describes the Book of Tobit as a novella. The Book of Tobit is too long to be a short story and too short to be a novel.
The Orthodox Study Bible (2008) acknowledges that the Book of Tobit is a work of fiction. The introduction to the Book of Tobit describes the work as a love story in which a father sends his son out into the world. The son finds and saves a bride, whom he brings home. The introduction to the Book of Tobit links this story to Christ in John 3:16 and describes the Book of Tobit as an icon of the story of salvation.
The Book of Tobit is another Hellenistic work about Jews in exile. (The Book of Daniel is also such a work.) Superficially set in the eighth century B.C.E., the Book of Tobit teaches faith in God and trust in providence from the temporal perspective of the second century C.E.
The titular character is Tobit. His son is Tobias. “Tobit” is a shorter variation on “Tobias.” Both names mean, “the LORD is good.”
Tobit 1:2 signals the book’s status as fiction by naming the wrong Neo-Assyrian king. The verse names the monarch as Shalmaneser V (reigned 727-722 B.C.E.) Historical records tell us Sargon II (reigned 722-705 B.C.E.) was the king who completed Shalmaneser V’s work and conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel. (See 2 Kings 17:1-6, O reader.) However, historical records and 2 Kings 15:19 tell us that Tiglath-Pilesar III, also known as Pul (reigned 745-727 B.C.E.), took the tribe of Naphtali into exile.
Tobit was a devout Jew. The impossible internal chronology had Tobit live in excess of 150 years (1:4f), despite his age at death (14:1) being 112. Anyhow, he eschewed idolatry and made his offerings at the Temple in Jerusalem (Numbers 18:12-13; Deuteronomy 18:3-4). Tobit also distributed money to widows, orphans, and converts. He kept the food laws (Exodus 34:15; Leviticus 7:26-27; Leviticus 11:1-47; Leviticus 17:10-14; Deuteronomy 12:23-25; Deuteronomy 14:3-21; and Deuteronomy 15:23) in exile, too. Tobit obeyed the Law of Moses regardless of how difficult doing so proved to be. At home and in exile, Tobit was a model Jew.
Tobit also deposited ten talents of silver with a relative, Gabael, in Media. That amount equaled 3000 shekels.
The germane note in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible (2003) reads:
A substantial amount, but efforts to express in modern monetary units are futile.
Other sources do express that amount in modern monetary units, though. The Catholic Study Bible (1990) estimates the value as being about $10,000. The Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011) estimates the value as being at least $10,000.
We also read of Tobit’s wife, Anna, which means “Grace.” Remember that, O reader; the name is sometimes ironic.
The Book of Tobit contains similarities to the Books of Job and Daniel. We read of Tobit working for the king in Chapter 1. One may recall that Daniel worked for several monarchs. And one may remember accounts of Daniel’s piety. The parallels to Job, already becoming apparent, will become stronger as we continue.
Tobit 1 contains the Theory of Retribution, that God rewards faithfulness and punishes faithlessness. The Theory of Retribution, a hallmark of Deuteronomic theology, is prominent throughout the Book of Tobit and in much of the Hebrew Bible. Deuteronomy 28 teaches the Theory of Retribution, which informs the Books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings. In particular, consult Joshua 7:1-8:29; Judges 3:7-11; and 2 Samuel 11:1-12:15, for example, O reader.
The counterbalance also exists un the Hebrew Bible. Blessings also come undeserved. A relationship with God should not be a quid-pro-quo arrangement. See Deuteronomy 4:32-40; 6-11; 8:17-18; 9:4-6; 10:15; and 23:6, O reader. Likewise, that seems undeserved is a form of testing (Deuteronomy 8: 2, 3, 5, 16-17), and repentance following suffering precedes divine mercy (Deuteronomy 30:1-10).
What we do matters. How we respond to God is crucial. One does know a tree by its fruits. And actions have consequences. However, Prosperity Theology remains a heresy. Many of the devout suffer. Many of the devout become martyrs. And many of the devout endure poverty.
The Bible is a nuanced sacred theology. Any impression to the contrary is erroneous.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 25, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM HILEY BATHURST, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF ISAAC WATTS, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JAMES OTIS SARGENT HUNTINGTON, FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS
THE FEAST OF PETRUS NIGIDIUS, GERMAN LUTHERAN EDUCATOR AND COMPOSER; AND GEORG NIGIDIUS, GERMAN LUTHERAN COMPOSER AND HYMN WRITER
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Above: Kurdish Refugee Camp in Turkey
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, Year 1
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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, forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee;
mercifully grant, that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 218
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Deuteronomy 10:17-21
Psalms 113 and 114
2 Corinthians 7:6-10
Matthew 22:34-36
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You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
–Deuteronomy 10:19, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
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Before I begin in earnest, I make a comment about two of the readings; they are too short. The lesson from Deuteronomy should back up to 10:12. The pericope from Matthew 22 should terminate at verse 40.
Deuteronomy 10:12-21, in the voice of Moses speaking to a population preparing to enter Canaan, the Promised Land, reminds them of obligations we know most of them and the majority of their descendants for generations went on to ignore. According to the text, people are to:
- Revere YHWH;
- Walk only in YHWH’s paths; and
- Serve YHWH completely.
YHWH upholds the cause of the fatherless and the the widow. YHWH befriends the stranger and fulfills the stranger’s basic needs. Therefore, the people of God, acting collectively, have a mandate to do the same. The society, acting together, must obey this commandment, or else sin.
Functionally, government is one way a society works together. Private-sector efforts can go far, but some issues are, by necessity, policy matters.
If behaving humanely toward strangers, such as refugees from war zones, sounds like a radical policy proposal, political norms are inhumane. If recognizing strangers as neighbors in God seems odd to one, one needs to check one’s moral compass. This message is the Law of Moses 101 and the Gospel of Jesus Christ 101.
Many Christians and Muslims saved the lives of many of their Jewish neighbors during World War II. The heroic deeds many Muslims in northern Africa have received less attention and publicity than those of many European Christians. Not surprisingly, members of historically persecuted groups wee among the Christians most active in sheltering and smuggling Jews. Many Huguenots (French) and Waldensians (Italian) eagerly came to the aid of their Jewish neighbors. So did many Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, some of whom their churches have subsequently canonized, often as martyrs. Most of the population of predominately Lutheran Denmark rose up against their Nazi overlords in stunning acts of civil disobedience, made themselves ungovernable, and saved the lives of nearly all Danish Jews. Were these Righteous among the Nations (whether formally recognized as such or not) radicals?
Yes, if following the Golden Rule is radical. Following the Golden Rule individually and collectively seems to be radical. That seems odd, from a certain perspective, for the Golden Rule exists in most of the world’s religions. So does violating it and justifying the violations.
The world would be a better place if more individuals, families, faith communities, communities, institutions, societies, corporations, and governments committed to obeying the Golden Rule. That would constitute positive, radical change.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 29, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MYSTIC AND RELIGIOUS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS BOSA OF YORK, JOHN OF BEVERLEY, WILFRID THE YOUNGER, AND ACCA OF HEXHAM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST OF JAMES EDWARD WALSH, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY BISHOP AND POLITICAL PRISONER IN CHINA
THE FEAST OF SIMON B. PARKER, UNITED METHODIST BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF TIMOTHY REES, WELSH ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND BISHOP OF LLANDAFF
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Above: Statue of Liberty, 1894
Photographer = John S. Johnston
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-USZ62-40098
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Patriotism is a virtue, but jingoism and blind obedience to civil authority are vices. Nationalism can be a virtue, but it can also be a vice. To worship one’s nation-state is to commit idolatry, for one should worship God alone.
The way denominations handle the relationship to civil government can be interesting. According to the North American Lutheran service books I have consulted, neither July 1 (Canada Day) nor July 4 is on the ecclesiastical calendar, but there are propers for a national holiday of those sorts. Given the historical Lutheran theology of obedience to civil government, the lack of feast days for Canada Day and Independence Day (U.S.A.) surprises me. Perhaps it should not surprise me, though, given the free church (versus state church) experience of Lutherans in North America since the first Lutheran immigrants arrived, during the colonial period. (I, an Episcopalian, have read more U.S. Lutheran church history than many U.S. Lutherans.) The Anglican Church of Canada, a counterpart of The Church of England, a state church, has no official commemoration of Canada Day on its liturgical calendar, but The Book of Alternative Services (1985) contains prayers for the nation, the sovereign, the royal family, and the Commonwealth. (God save the Queen!) The Episcopal Church, another counterpart of The Church of England, has an ecclesiastical commemoration for Independence Day, but that feast (except for an attempt to add it in 1786) dates to 1928.
My context is the United States of America, a country in which all of us are either immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Even the indigenous peoples descend from immigrants. My context is the United States of America, a country in which xenophobia and nativism have a long and inglorious legacy, and constitute elements of current events. My country is one dissidents from the British Empire founded yet in which, in current, increasingly mainstream political discourse, or what passes for political discourse, dissent is allegedly disloyal and treasonous. My country is one with a glorious constitution that builds dissent into the electoral system, but a country in which, in July 2018 (as I write this post), support for those who espouse authoritarian ideas and tactics is growing stronger. my country is one founded on noble ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence (1776), but one in which denying inalienable rights to one portion or another of the population is a tradition (often wrapped sacrilegiously in the cloak of the moral and the sacred) older than the republic.
Patriotism entails recognizing both the good and the bad. It involves affirming the positive and seeking to correct the negative. I am blessed to be a citizen of the United States of America. The reality of my birth here provides me with advantages many people in much of the rest of the world lack. My patriotism excludes the false idea of American Exceptionalism and embraces globalism. My knowledge of the past tells me that we in the United States have never been cut off from the world, for events and trade patterns in the rest of the world have always affected us. My patriotism, rooted in idealism (including anti-colonialism), seeks no form of empire or hegemony, but rather warm, respectful relations with democratic, pluralistic allies and insistence on essential points, such as human rights. My patriotism eschews the false, self-justifying mockery of patriotism that Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) correctly labeled as
the last refuge of a scoundrel.
(Johnson, that moralist, word expert, and curmudgeon, has never ceased to be relevant.) Some of those who are officially enemies of the state are actually staunch patriots. To quote Voltaire (1694-1778),
It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
I seek, however, to avoid becoming too temporally bound in this post. For occasional temporally specific critiques, consult my political statements at SUNDRY THOUGHTS, my original weblog, from which I spun off this weblog.
As much as I love my country, I do not worship it or wrap the Stars and Stripes around a cross. No, God is bigger than that. A U.S. flag properly has no place in a church; I support the separation of church and state as being in the best interests of the church. The church should retain its prophetic (in the highest sense of that word) power to confront civil authority when necessary and to affirm justice when it is present. No person should assume that God is on the side of his or her country, but all should hope that the country is more on God’s side than not.
Finally, all nations and states will pass away, as many have done. Yet God will remain forever. As St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) taught, that which is temporary (even if long-lasting from human perspective) can be worthy of love, but only so much. To give too much love to that which is temporary is to commit idolatry. And, in Augustinian theology, what is sin but disordered love? So yes, may we love our countries with the highest variety of patriotism, but may we love God more, for God is forever.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 23, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BRIDGET OF SWEDEN, FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE MOST HOLY SAVIOR; AND HER DAUGHTER, SAINT CATHERINE OF SWEDEN, SUPERIOR OF THE ORDER OF THE MOST HOLY SAVIOR
THE FEAST OF ADELAIDE TEAGUE CASE, PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP EVANS AND JOHN LLOYD, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF THEODOR LILEY CLEMENS, ENGLISH MORAVIAN MINISTER, MISSIONARY, AND COMPOSER
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Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us,
and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn:
Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Deuteronomy 10:17-21
Psalm 145 or 145:1-9
Hebrews 11:8-16
Matthew 5:43-48
—Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), 453
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Lord of all the worlds, guide this nation by your Spirit to go forward in justice and freedom.
Give to all our people the blessings of well-being and harmony,
but above all things give us faith in you, that our nation may bring to your name and blessings to all peoples,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Jeremiah 29:4-14
Psalm 20
Romans 13:1-10
Mark 12:13-17
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 63
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Almighty God, you rule all the peoples of the earth.
Inspire the minds of all women and men to whom you have committed
the responsibility of government and leadership in the nations of the world.
Give to them the vision of truth and justice,
that by their counsel all nations and peoples may work together.
Give to the people of our country zeal for justice and strength of forbearance,
that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will.
Forgive our shortcomings as a nation; purify our hearts to see and love the truth.
We pray all these things through Jesus Christ. Amen.
–Andy Langford in The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992)
Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 17-21
Psalm 72
Galatians 5:13-26
John 8:31-36
—The United Methodist Book of Worship (1992)
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Almighty God, you have given us this good land as our heritage.
Make us always remember your generosity and constantly do your will.
Bless our land with honest industry, sound learning, and an honorable way of life.
Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.
Make us who come many nations with many different languages a united people.
Defend our liberties and give those whom we have entrusted
with the authority of government the spirit of wisdom,
that there might be justice and peace in the land.
When times are prosperous, let our hearts be thankful,
and, in troubled times, do not let our trust in you fail.
We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Book of Common Worship (1993), 816
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/devotion-for-independence-day-u-s-a-july-4/
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Above: Christ Pantocrator
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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FOR THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER, ACCORDING TO A LECTIONARY FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE BOOK OF WORSHIP FOR CHURCH AND HOME (1965)
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O Lord Jesus Christ, who is the eternal Wisdom of the Father:
We ask you to assist us by your heavenly grace, that we may be blessed in our work this day,
and above all things may attain the knowledge of you, whom to know is life eternal;
and that according to your most holy example, we may ever be found going among our fellow human beings,
doing good, healing the sick, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of heaven;
to the praise and glory of your name. Amen.
–Modernized from The Book of Worship for Church and Home (1965), page 120
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Deuteronomy 10:12-15, 20-11:1
Psalm 36
1 John 5:1-5, 11
John 17:1-5
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PRELIMINARY NOTE:
I encourage you, O reader, to read Deuteronomy 10:12-11:1 and 1 John 5:1-12, not just the portions of them included in the old lectionary from which I am writing.
KRT
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In John 16:33 Jesus, shortly prior to his apprehension, trial, torture, and execution tells his Apostles,
I have told you all this so that in me you may find peace. In the world you will have suffering. But take heart! I have conquered the world.
—The Revised English Bible (1989)
That functions as background for reading 1 John 5:1-5:
Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
–1 John 5:5, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
The term “eternal life” occurs deeper into 1 John 5. In John 17:3 we read a definition of eternal life: to know God as the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom God has sent. Eternal life therefore begins on this side of the afterlife.
Above: A Yard Sign, Athens, Georgia, October 12, 2017
Photographer = Kenneth Randolph Taylor
The lessons from Deuteronomy 10-11 and Psalm 36 remind us to follow God, befriend and tend to the needs of strangers, and to trust in the steadfast love (hesed) of God. All of these are consistent with eternal life, as in John 17 and 1 John 5. All of these are consistent with the conquering faith mentioned in 1 John 5.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 18, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF MARC BOEGNER, ECUMENIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT GIULIA VALLE, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN
THE FEAST OF SAINT ISAAC HECKER, FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
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Above: Christ on the Cross, by Gerard David
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:
Numbers 10:33-36
Deuteronomy 10:11-12:1
Judges 5:1-31
Song of Songs 4:9-5:16
Isaiah 26:1-21
Psalms 7; 17; 44; 57 or 108; 119:145-176; 149
Matthew 7:1-23
Luke 7:36-8:3
Matthew 27:62-66
1 Corinthians 15:27-34 (35-38) 39-41 (42-58)
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In Luke 7:38 the former Gerasene demoniac, recently healed by Jesus, seeks to follow Jesus physically. Our Lord and Savior has other plans, however. He sends the man away with these instructions:
Go back home and report all that God has done for you.
–Luke 7:39a, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
The text informs us that the man obeyed Jesus.
The theme of the Great Vigil of Easter, as evident in assigned readings, is salvation history. In Hebrew thought God is like what God has done–for groups as well as individuals. The responsibility of those whom God has blessed is to proclaim by words and deeds what God has done–to function as vehicles of grace and to glorify God. Salvation history is important to understand. So is knowing that salvation is an ongoing process.
Happy Easter!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 10, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN NITSCHMANN, SR., MORAVIAN MISSIONARY AND BISHOP; DAVID NITSCHMANN, JR., THE SYNDIC, MORAVIAN MISSIONARY BISHOP; AND DAVID NITSCHMANN, THE MARTYR, MORAVIAN MISSIONARY AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF CECIL FRANCES ALEXANDER, POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN LUDWIG BRAU, NORWEGIAN MORAVIAN TEACHER AND POET
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN LEONARDI, FOUNDER OF THE CLERKS REGULAR OF THE MOTHER OF GOD OF LUCCA; AND JOSEPH CALASANCTIUS, FOUNDER OF THE CLERKS REGULAR OF RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2016/10/10/devotion-for-the-great-vigil-of-easter-year-d/
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Above: Ezra Reads the Law to the People, by Gustave Dore
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 10:12-22 or Nehemiah 9:1-38
Psalm 6
John 7:1-13
Galatians 2:1-14 (15-21) or Galatians 1:1-24 or James 1:1-16 (17-27) or James 1:17-2:10 (2:11-13)
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The life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was under threat in John 7. He was, according to certain critics, a blasphemer. Those critics knew Leviticus 24:10-23 well; the punishment for blasphemy is death (by stoning). Saul of Tarsus, the future St. Paul the Apostle, thought that he was acting righteously when he stood by during the death of at least one Christian. Then he learned that he was wrong, that God showed no partiality or favoritism among the faithful, whether Jew or Gentile.
That caution against spiritual arrogance–sometimes expressed violently–is evident also in James 1 and 2. There we read that we have divine instructions to be impartial. To treat a prominent or wealthy person better than a poor person is impious, we read. The text also reminds us of the obligation to treat the poor and the vulnerable justly and with respect, thereby echoing Deuteronomy 10. Society and social institutions do, as a rule, favor the well-off and penalize the poor, do they not? This is societal sin.
Societal remorse for and repentance of this point and others would be nice. The scene in Nehemiah 9 follows the reading of the Law of Moses to Jews in Jerusalem after the end of the Babylonian Exile. Many people, upon hearing what they should have been doing, felt guilty and wept. Their leaders told them to rejoice in God (Nehemiah 8:9-12). Then the people fasted and confessed their sins. Next, in Chapter 10, they repented–turned their backs on their sins.
I want my society to express remorse for exploiting all vulnerable people, sometimes violently.. I want my society not to weep but to act to correct its foolish ways that harm the poor and all other vulnerable people. I want other societies to do the same. I want us to succeed in this great work, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 9, 2016 COMMON ERA
PROPER 21: THE TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINT DENIS, BISHOP OF PARIS, AND HIS COMPANIONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUIS BERTRAN, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY PRIEST
THE FEAST OF ROBERT GROSSETESTE, SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF WILHELM WEXELS, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR; HIS NIECE, MARIE WEXELSEN, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN NOVELIST AND HYMN WRITER; LUDWIG LINDEMAN, NORWEGIAN ORGANIST AND MUSICOLOGIST; AND MAGNUS LANDSTAD, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, FOLKLORIST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/devotion-for-the-first-sunday-in-lent-year-d/
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Above: Scroll
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
God among us, we gather in the name of your Son
to learn love for one another. Keep our feet from evil paths.
Turn our minds to your wisdom and our hearts to the grace
revealed in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 48
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 23:1-9
Psalm 113
Romans 3:1-8
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Who is like the LORD our God, who sits enthroned on high,
but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth?
He takes up the weak out of the dust and lifts up the poor from the ashes.
He sets them with the princes, with the princes of his people.
–Psalm 113:5-7, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures one reads of the importance of obeying divine law faithfully. God commands obedience to the law and warns of the dire consequences of disobedience. Two kingdoms fall and, after the fact, the Jewish tradition repeats the theme of the importance of obedience to the law. I wonder, then, how to read St. Paul the Apostle in his Letter to the Romans. Perhaps his target was the legalistic interpretation and keeping of the Law of Moses. In Romans 2, for example, we read of the necessity of the circumcision of the heart. As a note in The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011) informs me, that is consistent with Deuteronomy 10:16 and 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4, 9:25-26, and 38:33; and Ezekiel 44:7.
As for the portion of the Law of Moses we find in Exodus 23:1-9, it is timeless, with some culturally specific examples of principles.
- One must not bear false witness, commit perjury, or spread false rumors.
- One must speak the truth and act impartially, showing deference to nobody because of wealth or the lack thereof.
- One must return wandering livestock belonging to an enemy. (This commandment’s principle extends beyond livestock.)
- One must help and enemy raise his beast of burden which has collapsed. (This commandment’s principle also extends beyond livestock.)
- One must not subvert the rights of the poor.
- One must not make or support a false allegation.
- One must not send the innocent to execution.
- One must not accept bribes.
- One must not oppress strangers.
These are commandments, not suggestions.
I think of the famous story of Rabbi Hillel (110 B.C.E.-10. C.E.), who summarized the Torah by citing the commandment to love God fully (the Shema, found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5) and the Golden Rule (Leviticus 19:18). Then he concluded,
The rest is commentary. Go and learn it.
That statement applies well to Exodus 23:1-9, some of the provisions of which are politically sensitive. Justice, however, is what it is. May we learn it and act accordingly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 19, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANDREW BOBOLA, JESUIT MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT DUNSTAN OF CANTERBURY, ABBOT OF GLASTONBURY AND ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
THE FEAST OF SAINT IVO OF CHARTRES, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT IVO OF KERMARTIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND ADVOCATE OF THE POOR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/05/19/devotion-for-thursday-before-proper-20-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Moses Striking Water from the Rock, by Nicolas Poussin
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:
Numbers 20:22-29
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
John 3:1-13
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The pericope from Numbers 20 (verse 22-29) is odd, for it seems redundant in the context of verses 6-13 of the same chapter. In both units God tells Moses and Aaron that they will not enter the Promised Land because of their act of rebellion and distrust at Meribah. Moses was supposed to speak to the rock, which would then release water. He struck it instead. Also, his words indicated that he and Aaron were providing the water, but God was actually fulfilling that role.
Numbers 20:22-29 is a difficult passage for another reason, which is that the contradicts Deuteronomy 10:6, where Aaron dies at Moserah. In Numbers 20:22-20, Deuteronomy 32:50, and Numbers 33:38, however, Aaron dies at Mount Hor. These are different places, not two names for the same place. I mention these matters for the sake of intellectual honesty and leave the consideration of them to scholars of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Water is essential to life. Those who dwell in a desert or another place where safely drinkable water is scarce know this better do those of who reside where safely drinkable water is plentiful. Water also functions as a metaphor in the Gospel of John, a veritable playground for metaphors. Our Lord and Savior speaks of spiritual water and spiritual life in John 3 and elsewhere in that Gospel. The source of the water in the Johannine Gospel is always God–sometimes Jesus in particular.
Our life (physical and spiritual) depends on God. True, human beings contribute to related processes of creating, sustaining, and destroying life (in both forms), but we depend entirely on God all the time. May we know this truth and act accordingly, drawing closer to, trusting in, and glorifying God.
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-saturday-before-the-fourth-sunday-in-lent-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Ramparts of Constantinople, Ottoman Empire, Between 1900 and 1920
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-matpc-15141
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The Collect:
O Lord God, you are the holy lawgiver, you are the salvation of your people.
By your Spirit renew us in your covenant of love,
and train us to care tenderly for all our neighbors,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 51
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 20-25 (Monday)
Deuteronomy 10:10-22 (Tuesday)
Proverbs 119:41-48 (Wednesday)
Psalm 119:41-48 (All Days)
James 2:8-13 (Monday)
James 2:14-26 (Tuesday)
Matthew 19:16-22 (Wednesday)
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I shall continue to keep your law;
I shall keep it for ever and ever.
I will walk at liberty,
because I study your commandments.
–Psalm 119:44-45, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Rabbi Hillel summarized the Law of Moses by quoting the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), the order to love Yahweh with all one’s heart, soul, and might. Then he said,
The rest is commentary. Go and learn it.
We humans require “hooks” onto which to “hang” information. Hillel pointed to an excellent one. Much of the information, in the Law of Moses, consists of culturally specific examples of timeless principles. Many interpreters of that code miss this point, hence continued legalism while missing the point. Some have become lost in the trees and cannot see the forest.
The readings for these three days combine to reinforce a few theological points:
- How we think of God influences how we think of people;
- How we think influences how we act;
- How we treat people matters to God;
- To have only abstract theology is insufficient;
- As I heard growing up, “our prayers must have feet;” and
- We must eliminate spiritual barriers to trusting God.
These six points overlap, for, if we fear scarcity, for example, we might hoard in our self-interest and thereby deprive others of necessities. God will notice that reality.
All of us have spiritual barriers. One barrier for the man in Matthew 19:16-22 was wealth, which has functioned in that capacity for many people for a long time. Fear of vulnerability is among the most common barriers. This applies to the rich man in Matthew 19 because his wealth insulated him from certain stresses and other problems. To overcome this fear is a great challenge, especially if one has acculturated in a setting which encourages rugged individualism. The truth, of course, is that we all rely on each other and depend entirely on God. Yet the illusion of independence and self-sufficiency remains as a major obstacle to trusting in God. May we, by grace, find liberation from all barriers which separate us from a deeper relationship with God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALL CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKERS AND PEACE ACTIVISTS
THE FEAST OF ALBERT SCHWEITZER, MEDICAL MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF PAUL JONES, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF UTAH AND WITNESS FOR PEACE
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2014/09/04/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-proper-25-year-a-elca-daily-lectionary/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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