Archive for the ‘Deuteronomy 11’ Category
Above: Figs
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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Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28
Psalm 31:1-5 (6-18), 19-24 (LBW) or Psalm 4 (LW)
Romans 3:21-25a, 27-28
Matthew 7:(15-20) 21-29
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Lord God of all nations,
you have revealed your will to your people
and promised your help to us all.
Help us to hear and to do what you command,
that the darkness may be overcome by the power of your light;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 24
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O God,
whose never-failing providence sets in order all things
both in heaven and on earth,
put away from us, we entreat you, all hurtful things;
and give us those things that are profitable for us;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 62
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Jewish Covenantal Nomism, present in Deuteronomy 11 and in the background of Romans 3, establishes the tone for this post. Salvation for Jews comes by grace; they are the Chosen People. Keeping the moral mandates of the Law of Moses habitually is essential to retaining that salvation.
Love, therefore, the LORD your God, and always keep His charge. His laws, His rules, and His commandments.
–Deuteronomy 11:1, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985,1999)
Perfection in these matters is impossible, of course. Therefore, repentance is crucial daily. In broader Biblical context, God knows that we mere mortals are “but dust.” Do we?
Grace is free, not cheap. Nobody can earn or purchase it, but grace does require much of its recipients. Thin, too, O reader, how much it cost Jesus.
Both options for the Psalm this Sunday contain the combination of trust in God and pleading with God. I know this feeling. Maybe you do, too, O reader.
St. Paul the Apostle’s critique of Judaism was simply that it was not Christianity. As E. P. Sanders wrote:
In short, this is what Paul finds wrong in Judaism: it is not Christianity.
—Paul and Palestinian Judaism: A Comparison of Patterns of Religion (1977), 552
For St. Paul, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus changed everything.
I, as a Christian, agree. However, I also affirm the continuation of the Jewish covenant. I trust that God is faithful to all Jews and Gentiles who fulfill their ends of the covenant and mourns those who drop out. Many of those who have dropped out may not know that they have done so.
The good fruit of God, boiled down to its essence and one word, is love. Recall the First Letter of John, O reader: Be in Christ. Walk in the way Jesus walked.
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.
–1 John 5:2-3a, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002), 203
And how could we forget 1 John 4:7-8?
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; God is love.
—Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
This point brings me back to Psalm 31. In verse 6 or 7 (depending on versification), either God or the Psalmist hates or detests idolators. Translations disagree on who hates or detests the idolators. In context, the voice of Psalm 31 is that of a devout Jews falsely accused of idolatry; he protests against this charge and defends his piety and innocence. Human beings are capable of hating and detesting, of course. I reject the argument that God hates or detests anyone, though.
Salvation comes via grace. Damnation comes via works, however. God sends nobody to Hell. As C. S. Lewis wrote, the doors to Hell are locked from the inside.
The Right Reverend Robert C. Wright, the Episcopal Bishop of Atlanta, says to love like Jesus. Consider, O reader, that Christ’s love is self-sacrificial and unconditional. It beckons people to love in the same way. This divine love, flowing through mere mortals, can turn upside-down societies, systems, and institutions right side up.
However, anger, grudges, and hatred are alluring idols. Much of social media feeds off a steady diet of outrage. To be fair, some outrage is morally justifiable. If, for example, human trafficking does not outrage you, O reader, I do not want to know you. But too much outrage is spiritually and socially toxic. To borrow a line from Network (1976):
I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!
That kind of rage is a key ingredient in a recipe for a dysfunctional society.
We human beings all belong to God and each other. We are responsible to and for each other. May we think and act accordingly, by grace and for the common good. God commands it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 1, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES AND MARTYRS
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath, by Bartholomeus Breenbergh
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXI
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1 Kings 17:1-24
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And now, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Submit to the LORD with fear,
and with trembling bow before him;
Lest he be angry and you perish;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Happy are they all
who take refuge in him!
–Psalm 2:10-13, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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King Ahab of Israel (Reigned 873-852 B.C.E.)
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For a while, kings have occupied the forefront in the narrative. From this point to 2 Kings 13, they will continue to do so much of the time. However, monarchs will occupy the background instead from this point to 2 Kings 13. Stories of Elijah start in 1 Kings 17 and terminate in 2 Kings 2. Stories of Elisha begin in 1 Kings 19 and end in 2 Kings 13. Some of the most famous Biblical stories come from 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 13. Some of them are also repetitive, given the overlapping traditions regarding Elijah and Elisha. 1 Kings 17, for example, bears a striking resemblance to 2 Kings 4, the story of Elisha, the Shunammite woman, and her son.
The sneak preview is over. Now I focus on 1 Kings 17:1-24.
The deification of nature is one of the oldest patterns in religion. The multiplicity of gods and goddesses with specific portfolios (rain, the Moon, the Sun, et cetera) for thousands of years and in a plethora of cultures proves this assertion. Old habits can be difficult to break, and monotheism is a relative latecomer to the party. Also, attempting to appease the gods and goddesses or some of them, at least, without the strictures is relatively easy. Lest we monotheists rest on our laurels, Psalm 14, Psalm 53, the Law of Moses, the testimony of Hebrew prophets, and the New Testament warn us not to mistake God for an absentee landlord. The Gospels, for example, contain many cautions to the self-identified insiders that they may actually be outsiders.
Baal Peor, a storm god, was powerless against a severe, multi-year drought. Of course he was; Baal Peor was a figment of many imaginations.
The drought of 1 Kings 17:1-18:46 contains a call back to Deuteronomy 11:13-17. (I like connecting the dots, so to speak, in the Bible.) Speaking of connecting the dots, Jesus referred to God sending Elijah to the widow of Zarephath in the synagogue in Nazareth, to the great displeasure of his audience, in Luke 4:26. The Gospel of Luke, addressed to Gentiles, included that reference, absent from parallel accounts of the rejection at Nazareth in Mark 6:1-6a and Matthew 13:54-58.
Zarephath was in Phoenician–Gentile–territory. King Ahab of Israel had no jurisdiction there, but Queen Jezebel may have been familiar with the territory, given her origin. The widow was especially vulnerable, given her precarious economic status. Her faith contrasted with the evil Queen Jezebel and with the faithlessness of many Hebrews.
Whenever I read a text, I seek first to understand objectively what it says. Then I interpret it. The text describes Elijah as a wonder-worker. The refilling jar of flour and jug of oil may stretch credulity, from a post-Enlightenment perspective. The resurrection of the widow’s son does, certainly. Yet, in the cultural context of 1 Kings 17, those elements fit in and give Elijah his bona fides. If we understand that much, we grasp objectively what the text says.
Happy are all they who take refuge in God. They may even include Gentiles and other alleged outsiders. And many alleged insiders may really be outsiders. The grace of God is for all people, although not everyone accepts it. These are also themes prominent in both the Old and New Testaments.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 26, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALFRED THE GREAT, KING OF THE WEST SAXONS
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR CAMPBELL AINGER, ENGLISH EDUCATOR, SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS POTT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF HENRY STANLEY OAKELEY, COMPOSER
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Above: Job and His Alleged Friends
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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Job 8:8-22 or Deuteronomy 11:18-28
Psalm 42
James 2:18-26
Mark 2:1-12
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In the perfect moral universe of Bildad the Shuhite and those who think like him, piety is a shield against misfortune. This is an attitude present in parts of the Book of Psalms. That book also contradicts the attitude, however, for certain psalms acknowledge that innocent people suffer.
Jesus, without ignoring that the suffering of many resulted partially from their sins, did not state that all human suffering resulted from the sins of the suffering. His sinless life testified to a different reality, that sometimes we suffer because of the sins of others, and piety sometimes leads to persecution and/or death.
Certainty can become an idol, as in the cases of Bildad (Job 8) and the accusers of Jesus (Mark 2). Idols abound; certainty is one of the most popular ones. I refer to false, misplaced certainty, not to confirmed knowledge, such as 2 + 2 = 4. No, I refer to certainty that fills voids meant for faith in God. The human psyche craves certainty. Unfortunately, false certainty leads to conspiracy theories, to other denial of reality, and to idolatry. In reality, what we do not know outweighs what we do know, and humility is in order; certainty be damned much of the time.
May we walk the path of faith in Christ without ignoring that of which we can objectively be certain. May God grant us the wisdom to recognize the difference between matters in which we need faith and those in which we can reasonably have certainty.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 15, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN ELLERTON, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF CARL HEINRICH VON BOGATSKY, HUNGARIAN-GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF DOROTHY FRANCES BLOMFIELD GURNEY, ENGLISH POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT LANDELINUS OF VAUX, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; SAINT AUBERT OF CAMBRAI, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT URSMAR OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND MISSIONARY BISHOP; AND SAINTS DOMITIAN, HADELIN, AND DODO OF LOBBES, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONKS
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2019/06/15/devotion-for-the-fifth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-b-humes/
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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: Entry Into Jerusalem, by Giotto
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 11:1-17 or Isaiah 43:8-15
Psalm 94 or 35
John 8:48-59
Romans 1:8-15 (16-17) 18-32; 2:1-11 or Galatians 6:1-6 (7-16) 17-18
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Accuse my accuser of Yahweh,
attack my attackers.
–Psalm 35:1, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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That verse summarizes much of Psalms 35 and 94. The plea of the persecuted for God to smite their enemies, although understandable and predictable, but it is inconsistent with our Lord and Savior’s commandment to love our enemies and to pray for our persecutors (Matthew 5:43). Sometimes divine smiting of evildoers is a necessary part of a rescue operation, for some persecutors refuse to repent. Nevertheless, I suspect that God’s preference is that all people repent of their sins and amend their lives.
We read in Deuteronomy 11 (placed in the mouth of Moses long after his death) of the importance of following divine laws–or else. Then, in Isaiah 43, set in the latter phase of the Babylonian Exile, which, according to the Biblical narrative, resulted from failure to obey that law code, we read of impending deliverance by God from enemies. Both readings remind us of what God has done for the Hebrews out of grace. Grace, although free, is never cheap, for it requires a faithful response to God. We are free in God to serve God, not be slaves to sin. We are free in God to live as vehicles of grace, not to indulge inappropriate appetites. We are free in God to lay aside illusions of righteousness, to express our penitence, and to turn our backs on–to repent of–our sins.
This is a devotion for Palm Sunday. We read in John 8 that some Jews at Jerusalem sought to stone Jesus as a blasphemer (verse 59). I suppose that they thought they were acting in accordance with Leviticus 24:10-23. Later in the Fourth Gospel (Chapters 18 and 19) certain religious authority figures are complicit in his death–as a scapegoat (11:47-53).
This desire to kill those who offend our religious sensibilities strongly is dangerous for everyone. It is certainly perilous for those who suffer because of it. Furthermore, such violence causes spiritual harm to those who commit it. And what if one’s judgment is wrong? One has committed a most serious offense before God. This tendency toward religious violence exists in various traditions, has a shameful past and an inexcusable present reality, and does nothing inherently to glorify God. In fact, it detracts from the glory of God. That God can work through such abominations committed in His name testifies to divine sovereignty. Exhibit A is the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
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-palm-sunday-year-d/
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Above: Candle Flame and Reflection
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
O God, you have prepared for those who love you joys beyond understanding.
Pour into our hearts such love for you that,
loving you above all things,
we may obtain your promises,
which exceed all we can desire,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 34
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 7:1-11 (Monday)
Deuteronomy 11:1-17 (Tuesday)
Deuteronomy 11:18-21 (Wednesday)
Psalm 93 (All Days)
1 Timothy 6:11-12 (Monday)
1 Timothy 6:13-16 (Tuesday)
Mark 16:19-20 (Wednesday)
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Mightier than the sound of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea,
mightier is the LORD who dwells on high.
Your testimonies are very sure,
and holiness adorns your house, O LORD,
for ever and ever more.
–Psalm 93:5-6, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The pericopes from Deuteronomy, taken together, encourage obedience to the Law of Moses. Thus idolatry is a negative pursuit, obviously. The readings promise rewards for obedience and punishment for disobedience. Reality is not that simple, however, for we must, to be intellectually honest, consider the Biblical examples of Job, Tobit, various prophets, Jesus, St. Paul the Apostle, et cetera. They suffered, but not due to sins they had committed. Many of them, in fact, suffered for the sake of righteousness, as have many subsequent martyrs and other saints, from antiquity to the present day.
Nevertheless, may we obey Pseudo-Paul’s advice in 1 Timothy 6 to fight the good fight of the faith. Now that Jesus has departed the Earth, we bear the responsibility for telling the stories of Jesus and living as lights to the nations. May others recognize the light of God within us and glorify God. May this light become a contagion of godliness. And may we take comfort in the reality that darkness has never extinguished the light of God, despite vigorous efforts.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 20, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC OF SILOS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CANISIUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF KATHARINA VON BORA LUTHER, WIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER
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Adapted from this post:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/devotion-for-monday-tuesday-and-wednesday-after-the-sixth-sunday-of-easter-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Diocesan Confirmation, the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Georgia, April 28, 2013
Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
(https://plus.google.com/photos/114749828757741527421/albums/5872391793912748097/5872399703548608706?banner=pwa)
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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 everlasting 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 11:26-12:12 (October 13)
Deuteronomy 12:13-32 (October 14–Protestant Versification)
Deuteronomy 12:13-13:1 (October 14–Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Versification)
Psalm 19 (Morning–October 13)
Psalm 136 (Morning–October 14)
Psalms 8 and 113 (Evening–October 13)
Psalms 97 and 112 (Evening–October 14)
Matthew 12:22-37 (October 13)
Matthew 12:38-50 (October 14)
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Some Related Posts:
Deuteronomy 11-12:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/proper-4-year-a/
Matthew 12:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/week-of-proper-11-monday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/week-of-proper-11-tuesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/week-of-proper-11-monday-year-2/
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In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek,
and neither slave nor free,
both male and female heirs are made,
and all are kin to me.
–John Oxenham, 1913
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The letter of the Law of Moses is culturally specific. So, given the passage of time and the fact of living in a different place, undertanding the spirit of the Law can require some reading of well-researched commentaries. Such reading has made much of the content of Deuteronomy 12 clear to me. Now, for example, two themes of which I choose to write stand out in my mind:
- The Israelites were to avoid emulating the Caananites. Thus, for example, there was to be one legitimate sanctuary, not a plethora of them.
- The Israelites were to recognize God as the owner of everything. They were stewards and tenants.
As the unfolding narrative of the Hebrew Bible reveals, of course, the great majority of Israelites disregarded those principles, both of which pertained to identity relative to God and Gentiles.
Jesus, in Matthew 12, faced questions relative to God and Gentiles. Hence the Sabbath question was a major issue in 12:1-21. Also, if Jesus was God, what did that fact say about his religious critics? Of whom were they? That issue fed much sustained opposition to our Lord and Savior, for carping apparently proved easier than converting. Even members of our Lord’s family (a vital unit in that and other societies) misunderstood him. But, for Jesus, the more important family identity was spiritual and fictive.
Within societies our place relative to others defines us, of course. It can be no other way. But our more important identity is the one relative to God, in whose house there are many rooms. May we honor God more than any human considerations which counter it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 6, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MIDDLETON BARNWELL STUART, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS EDBERT AND EADFRITH OF LINDISFARNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST IF SAINTS EDWARD JONES AND ANTHONY MIDDLETON, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF JEANNETTE RANKIN, UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/devotion-for-october-13-and-14-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Jesus Healing the Man with a Withered Hand
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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 everlasting 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 11:1-25
Psalm 104 (Morning)
Psalms 118 and 111 (Evening)
Matthew 12:1-21
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Some Related Posts:
Deuteronomy 11:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/proper-4-year-a/
Matthew 12:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/29/week-of-proper-10-friday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/week-of-proper-10-saturday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/week-of-proper-10-friday-year-2/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/week-of-proper-10-saturday-year-2/
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Deuteronomy 11:1-25 impresses upon the audience the importance of obeying the Law of Moses–prosperity and peace for obedience and the opposite for disobedience. That formula strikes me as being false and simplistic, for many (including in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament) have suffered for keeping God’s ways and calling scofflaws to account. But I digress.
Part of the Law of Moses was keeping the Sabbath. At the time of Jesus schools of Palestinian Judaism offered varying interpretations of how rigorously to observe that day. But all understood the proper observance of the Sabbath to be a distinctive marker of being an observant Jew. Deuteronomy 23:23-25 allowed for the poor and the hungry to glean food from the fields of others on that day, for eating was necessary and compassion was part of the Sabbath formula.
For I desire goodness, not sacrifice;
Obedience to God, rather than burnt offerings.
–Hosea 6:6, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
Jesus, an observant Jew, quoted that passage in response to criticism in Matthew 12. Since when was it wrong to perform a good deed on the Sabbath? It was lawful, according to strict interpretations of Sabbath laws, to save human lives and to rescue livestock on that day. So was not human life more valuable than sheep life? Besides, the man with the withered hand had suffered enough, had he not?
Every day is a good day to live compassionately. May theological orthodoxy, whether or not combined with identity politics, stand in the way of performing compassionate deeds.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 2, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIGISMUND OF BURGUNDY, KING; SAINT CLOTILDA, FRANKISH QUEEN; AND SAINT CLODOALD, FRANKISH PRINCE AND ABBOT
THE FEAST OF SAINT ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JAMES LEWIS MILLIGAN, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARCULF OF NANTEUIL, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/devotion-for-october-12-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Boaz and Ruth, by Gustave Dore
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Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
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Ruth 2:1-11; 4:13-17 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures):
Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband’s side, a man of substance, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi,
I would like to go to the fields and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone who may show me kindness.
She replied,
Yes, daughter, go;
and off she went. She came and gleaned in a field, behind the reapers; and, as luck would have it, it was the piece of land belonging to Boaz, who was of Elimelech’s family.
Presently Boaz arrived from Bethlehem. He greeted the reapers,
The LORD be with you!
And they responded,
The LORD bless you!
Boaz said to the servant who was in charge of the reapers,
Whose girl is that?
The servant in charge of the reapers replied,
She is a Moabite girl who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ She has been on her feet ever since she came this morning. She has rested but little in the hut.
Boaz said to Ruth,
Listen to me, daughter. Don’t go to glean in another field. Don’t go elsewhere, but stay here close to my girls. Keep your eyes on the field they are reaping, and follow them. I have ordered the men not to molest you. And when you are thirsty, go to the jars and drink some of [the water] that the men have drawn.
She prostrated herself with her face to the ground, and said to him,
Why are you so kind as to single me out, when I am a foreigner?
Boaz said in reply,
I have been told of all you that you did for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and came to a people you had not known before….
…
So Boaz married Ruth; she became his wife, and he cohabited with her. The LORD let her conceive, and she bore a son. And the woman said to Naomi,
Blessed be the LORD, who has not withheld a redeemer from you today! May his name be perpetuated in Israel! He will renew your life and sustain your old age; for he is born of your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons.
Naomi took the child and held it to her bosom. She became its foster mother, and the women gave him a name, saying,
A son is born to Naomi!
They named him Obed; he was the father of Jesse, father of David.
Psalm 128 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Happy are they who all fear the LORD,
and who follow in his ways!
2 You shall eat the fruit of your labor;
happiness and prosperity shall be yours.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house,
your children like olive shoots round about your table.
4 The man who fears the LORD
shall thus be blessed.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion,
and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children;
may peace be upon Israel.
Matthew 23:1-12 (J. B. Phillips, 1972):
Then Jesus addressed the crowds and his disciples.
The scribes and the Pharisees speak with the authority of Moses,
he told them,
so you must do what they tell you and follow their instructions. But you must not imitate their lives! For they preach but do not practise. They pile up back-breaking burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders–yet they themselves will not raise a finger to move them. Their whole lives and planned with an eye to effect. They increase the size of their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their robes; they love seats of honour at dinner parties and front places in the synagogues. They love to be greeted with respect in public places and to have men call them ‘rabbi!” Don’t you ever be called ‘rabbi”–you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers. And don’t call any human being ‘father’–for you have one Father and he is in Heaven. And you must not let people call you ‘leaders’–you have only leader, Christ! The only ‘superior’ among you is the one who serves the others. For every man who promotes himself will be humbled, and every man who learns to be humble will find promotion.
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The Collect:
Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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“…and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king….”
–Matthew 1:5-6a (Revised Standard Version)
I type readings into these posts as part of a spiritual exercise. Slowing down long enough to enter each word via my fingertips helps me pay close attention to the texts. Sometimes whimsical thoughts occur to me as I interact with the stories. So it was, that as I typed part of Ruth 2, I read that Boaz greeted his reapers with,
The LORD be with you!
and that they responded,
The LORD bless you!
If they had answered,
And also with you,
I mused, they might have been Episcopalians.
Seriously, though, good-natured denominational humor aside, I detected a common thread: How we treat each other is vital in our faith life. Let us begin with the Book of Ruth.
Boaz was a pious, kind, and wealthy man. He did not have to permit Ruth to glean in his field, but he chose to do so. And he, older than Ruth, fell in love with her and married her. Furthermore, they had a son, Obed (Hebrew for servant or worshiper), who became the grandfather of King David. I wonder if Boaz’s sensitivity to Ruth’s situation was related to his ancestry, as his mother was the prostitute Rahab, who rescued Hebrew spies in Joshua 2. He does not seem to have been the kind of man who measured people according their pedigrees.
The genealogy of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 1:1-17, is quite interesting. Most of the names are male, so the occasional mention of a woman by name requires careful attention. There is Mary, of course, but one also reads the names Rahab (a prostitute) and Ruth (a foreigner). Bathsheba is also there, but not by name; she is “the wife of Uriah.” So this family tree mentions four women, three of whom had dubious sexual reputations during their lifetimes. The fourth was merely foreign-born, a fact about which some people were sensitive. Why else would local women associate young Obed with Naomi, not Ruth?
Anyhow, the love match of Ruth and Boaz enriched their lives and that of Naomi. It also constituted another link in the chain leading to Jesus. That chain included some seemingly unlikely and not respectable people.
Jesus condemns some respectable people in Matthew 23. There was nothing wrong with tassels or phylacteries; both are Biblical. (See Exodus 13:1-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41; and Deuteronomy 22:12.) But ostentatious displays of religion and quests for social honor attracted our Lord and Savior’s condemnation. No, he said, one ought to seek opportunities to serve, not to be served.
Obed was the son of Boaz and Ruth. His name meant “servant” or “worshiper.” The greatest, Jesus said, was the servant of all. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and the humble will be exalted. Or, as J. B. Phillips translated the text, “For every man who promotes himself will be humbled, and every man who learns to be humble will find promotion.” This is the order in the Kingdom of God. Thanks be to God! May we learn this lesson, inwardly digest it, and act accordingly. In so doing may we transform ourselves, each other, our communities, our societies, our politics, and our world.
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A PRAYER OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is despair hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
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KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 26, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF EMILY MALBONE MORGAN, FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE HOLY CROSS
THE FEAST OF FRED ROGERS, EDUCATOR AND U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER
THE FEAST OF SAINT PORPHYRY OF GAZA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/week-of-proper-15-saturday-year-1/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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