Archive for the ‘Deuteronomy 15’ Category
Above: Jeremiah Let Down Into the Cistern
Image in the Public Domain
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READING JEREMIAH, PART XXI
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Jeremiah 34:1-22
Jeremiah 37:1-40:6
Jeremiah 52:1-34
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The Book of Jeremiah, in which chronology is not the organizing principle for material, contains various sources, some of which contradict each other regarding details.
- You may recall, O reader, that that Jeremiah was in prison in Chapters 32 and 33, and that Jerusalem fell between 32 and 33. Yet we have jumped back in time to before the Fall of Jerusalem in Chapter 37, only to read of its fall in Chapter 39. Jerusalem had yet to fall in Chapters 34-38, as well in much of Chapter 52.
- Jeremiah 52, by the way, is nearly identical to 2 Kings 24:18-25:30.
- The accounts of Jeremiah’s incarceration disagree with each other. 37:11-16 and 38:1-13 contradict each other. Furthermore, 37:17-21 flows into 38:14-28. Also, 39:11-14 contradicts 40:1-6. Evidence of ancient cutting, copying, and pasting exists in Jeremiah 37-40. I unpack this point below, in this post.
Due to the lack of chronological organization of material in the Book of Jeremiah, we have encountered King Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.E.; see 2 Chronicles 36:11f, also) already. We have read his name in Jeremiah 1, 21, 24, 27, 28, 29, 32, and 33, not including the false prophet Zedekiah in 29:21-22. Zedekiah ben Josiah was the last King of Judah. King Josiah (r. 640-609 B.C.E.) would have rolled over in his grave to learn of the circumstances during the reigns of the last four Kings of Judah (609-586 B.C.E.)
The cause of Jeremiah’s arrest was either alleged defection to the Chaldeans/Neo-Babylonians (37:11-16) or unpopular prophecy (38:1-13). The latter explanation is consistent with 32:1-5.
The copying, cutting, and pasting of sources in Chapters 37-40 creates a confusing, mixed-up, and contradictory composite chronology.
- 37:17-21 interrupts the natural flow of material into 38:1-13. We read that Jeremiah was in a pit for days (37:16). We also read that Ebed-melech liberated Jeremiah from that pit. Then, in that chronology, we read that Jeremiah went to the court of the guardhouse (38:7-13), where he was in Chapters 32 and 33. Then, in this chronology, we move to 39:1-14. We read of the liberation of Jeremiah after the Fall of Jerusalem. We read that Jeremiah went to the household of Gedaliah. We read that the prophet nearly became an exile in Babylon, but that Nebuzaradan, the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian captain of the guard, freed him (40:1-6). We read that Jeremiah went to the household of Gedaliah.
- We read of no pit in the other chronology. No, we read that Jeremiah remained in the court of the guardhouse, except when King Zedekiah had him temporarily transported somewhere. In this timeline, we read that the prophet nearly became an exile in Babylon, but that Nebuzaradan, the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian captain of the guard, freed him (40:1-6). We read that Jeremiah then went to the household of Gedaliah.
34:8-2 adds another wrinkle to the last days before the Fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. We read that King Zedekiah had convinced the slaveholders of Jerusalem to free their Hebrew slaves. We also read that some slaveholders returned freed slaves to slavery, and that God strongly objected to this. Deuteronomy 15:12-15 dictates that the maximum period of slavery of a Hebrew was six years.
In context, with the temporary lifting of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian siege, thanks to Egyptian military intervention on behalf of Judah, some slaveholders of Jerusalem thought they no longer had to live or to try to live according to divine law. Perhaps some of these slaveholders had already kept many of the Hebrew slaves for longer than six years. The liberation, therefore, was overdue. Reenslavement was morally indefensible.
34:17-22 ascribes the Fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. to divine punishment for the reenslavement of these unfortunate individuals.
A major theme in these readings is that, when people do what God says to do, they are better off. They may not necessarily be more prosperous, but they may be safer. They will not die in exile in Babylon, for example. This is an overly simplistic idea. Staying within the Book of Jeremiah alone, I cite the example of that prophet, who died in exile in Egypt (43:8-44:30). Nevertheless, actions do have consequences. People reap what they sow. Yet sometimes obeying God leads down a difficult path, as the life of Jeremiah attests.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 13, 2021 COMMON ERA
PROPER 6: THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT SPYRIDON OF CYPRUS, BISHOP OF TREMITHUS, CYPRUS; AND HIS CONVERT, SAINT TRYPHILLIUS OF LEUCOSIA, CYPRUS; OPPONENTS OF ARIANISM
THE FEAST OF DAVID ABEEL, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED MINISTER AND MISSIONARY TO ASIA
THE FEAST OF ELIAS BENJAMIN SANFORD, U.S. METHODIST THEN CONGREGATIONAL MINISTER AND ECUMENIST
THE FEAST OF SIGISMUND VON BIRKEN, GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT, U.S. POET, JOURNALIST, AND HYMN WRITER
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Above: Map of the Neo-Assyrian Empire
Image in the Public Domain
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READING TOBIT
PART V
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Tobit 4:1-20
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Samuel L. Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, explained that the difference between reality and fiction is that people expect fiction to make sense. Often, as cliché tells us, reality is stranger than fiction. After all, solar-powered submarines exist.
The Book of Tobit is a work of fiction, of course. Yet its main human characters are realistic. I can believe that, in real life, one may suddenly remember, after years of dependency, that a vast sum of money far away exists. Human memory works in odd ways much of the time.
Tobit’s instructions to his son, Tobias, reflect piety. We read again of the importance of proper burial and of giving alms to the poor. Other morals pertain to honoring parents, keeping divine commandments, avoiding fornication, choosing a Jewish wife, paying workers promptly, keeping the Golden Rule, not getting drunk, and praising and trusting God.
The importance of alms in the Book of Tobit is about more than helping the poor. Jews living in exile and the diaspora lacked the option of offering sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem. Almsgiving substituted for offering sacrifices.
A brief survey of almsgiving in the Bible follows:
- One should give alms willingly. (Deuteronomy 16:17; Tobit 4:8, 16; Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 18:15-18)
- One should give alms in proportion to one’s income. (Deuteronomy 15:14; Deuteronomy 16:17; Tobit 4:8, 16; Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 35:9-10)
- One should restrict alms to within one’s community. (Deuteronomy 14:29; Deuteronomy 16:14; Tobit 4:17; Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 12:1-7)
- Almsgiving saves the giver from sins. (Tobit 12:9-10; Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 3:30-31)
- Almsgiving is a worthy offering before God. (Tobit 4:11; Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 34:18-35:4)
- Almsgiving saves the giver from premature death and destruction. (Tobit 4:10; Tobit 12:9; Tobit 14:10; Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 29:10-13; Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 40:17, 24)
The Bible places a priority on works as an expression of faith. May we leave Reformation theology of faith and works out of this, for the time being, at least. May we admit that Second Temple-era Jews were not Lutherans. And may we remember Matthew 25:40:
And the king will say to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
In other words, such works matter to God. We cannot love God, whom we cannot see, if we do not love people, whom we can see.
The principle is clear. The execution is not always obvious, however. It depends on circumstances, such as who one is, where one is, and when one is. For example, should one give money to a panhandler standing on a street corner? Or should one instead give those funds to organizations that help the poor and homeless? I favor a local charity that helps battered women. In my community, churches pool their funds to help the poor into a central distribution point. Wisdom in almsgiving is essential. May we–collectively and individually–be wise in this way more often than we are foolish.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 29, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FIRST DAY OF ADVENT: THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK COOK ATKINSON, ANGLICAN CHURCH ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF JENNETTE THRELFALL, ENGLISH HYMN WRITER
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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: Icon of Nehemiah
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 2 KINGS 22-25, 1 ESDRAS, 2 CHRONICLES 34-36, EZRA, AND NEHEMIAH
PART XVII
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Nehemiah 5:1-19
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Give judgment for me, O LORD,
for I have lived with integrity;
I have trusted in the Lord and not faltered.
–Psalm 26:1, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The Law of Moses forbade exploitation and taught mutuality in the context of total dependence on God. Exodus 22:24-26 forbade a lender from seizing collateral. Usury also violated the Law of Moses. Yet, in Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah, some wealthy Jews were violating these laws and forcing some poor Jews into slavery.
This was an outbreak of economic injustice. It was not the first such outbreak in the Bible, of course. Egyptians had enslaved Hebrews. Later, Hebrew prophets had condemned the exploitation of the poor by the wealthy. Forms of economic exploitation have varied from place to place and from time to time. Economic exploitation has never ended.
Nehemiah enforced the Law of Moses. He established a jubilee (Leviticus 25:1-5; Deuteronomy 15:1-18). Nehemiah had the power and the will to make the order stick.
I write this blog post in the context of the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic crisis. Many governments have failed in their duties to their people and to the global community. Many individuals have failed to keep their obligations consistent with mutuality. Many individuals have chosen to act irresponsibly.
Yes, each of us the keeper of his or her brothers and sisters. Each of us is responsible to and for his or her brothers and sisters. This is a sacred principle.
Those who exercise authority have more obligations than the rest of us. They make decisions that affect more lives than any decision, I, for example, make. Those who exercise authority also have an obligation to lead by example as they work for the common good.
Nehemiah’s decisions and actions indicated that he understood that great principle.
The world needs more Nehemiahs and fewer Sanballats.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 9, 2020 COMMON ERA
PROPER 14: THE TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINT EDITH STEIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN AND PHILOSOPHER
THE FEAST OF SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX MONK AND MISSIONARY TO THE ALEUT
THE FEAST OF JOHN DRYDEN, ENGLISH PURITAN THEN ANGLICAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC POET, PLAYWRIGHT, AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF MARY SUMNER, FOUNDRESS OF THE MOTHERS’ UNION
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Above: The Calling of St. Matthew, by Hendrick ter Brugghen
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 11:7-20 or Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Psalm 43
James 3:1-13
Mark 2:13-28
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Words matter. They can inflict pain, even when one imagines oneself to be acting righteously, as in the case of Zophar the Naamathite, who proceeded from a false assumption while lecturing Job on repentance. Words can call others to discipleship. Words can remind one of the divine mandate on individuals and societies to care for the less fortunate. Words can reach the throne of God.
Words can create justice or injustice; they make the future. May we, being mindful of the power of words, trust in God and strive to use these tools for the common good and the glory of God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 16, 2019 COMMON ERA
TRINITY SUNDAY, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF GEORGE BERKELEY, IRISH ANGLICAN BISHOP AND PHILOSOPHER; AND JOSEPH BUTLER, ANGLICAN BISHOP AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JOHN FRANCIS REGIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF NORMAN MACLEOD, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER; AND HIS COUSIN, JOHN MACLEOD, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, LITURGIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF RUFUS JONES, U.S. QUAKER THEOLOGIAN AND COFOUNDER OF THE AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2019/06/16/devotion-for-the-sixth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-b-humes/
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Above: Annunciation of the Angel to Zechariah, by Domenico Ghirlandaio
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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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Malachi 1:1-14
Psalm 8
Luke 1:1-25
Hebrews 1:1-2:4
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O LORD, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
–Psalm 8:1a, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
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In Malachi 1 YHWH complains (via the prophet) that many people are taking their sacrifices lightly, offering unfit food and creatures in violations provided in the Torah. (Consult Exodus 12:5 and 29:1 as well as Leviticus 1:3 and 10; 3:1; and 22:17-30 plus Deuteronomy 15:21 regarding animal sacrifices). People in many lands honored God, but, in Persian-dominated Judea, where, of all places, that reverence should have been concentrated, many people were slacking off.
St. Zechariah, the father of St. John the Baptist, certainly revered God. The old man was a priest at the Temple at Jerusalem. He and his wife, St. Elizabeth, the Gospel of Luke tells us,
were upright ad devout, blamelessly observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.
–1:6, The Revised English Bible (1989)
In an echo of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17:15-22 and 18:1-15, each account coming from a different source), the elderly priest learned that he and his wife would become parents against all odds. He was predictably dubious. The prediction of a miracle and a marvel, to borrow language from Hebrews 2:4, came true.
Hebrews 2:3 provides a timeless warning against neglecting
such a great salvation
–The New Jerusalem Bible (1985).
That salvation is the offer of God, who made the aged Abraham and Sarah parents and did the same for the elderly Sts. Zechariah and Elizabeth. It is the offer of God, who chose St. Mary of Nazareth to become an instrument of the Incarnation. It is the offer of God, the name of when many people all over the world honor. May we revere God and strive, by grace, to offer our best, not our leftovers and spares in sacrifice.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 19, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ANNE HUTCHINSON, REBELLIOUS PURITAN
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM HAMMOND, ENGLISH MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2016/08/19/devotion-for-the-first-sunday-of-advent-year-d/
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Above: A Fig Tree, 1915
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-matpc-01901
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The Collect:
O God, you show forth your almighty power
chiefly by reaching out to us in mercy.
Grant to us the fullness of your grace,
strengthen our trust in your promises,
and bring all the world to share in the treasures that come
through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 52
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 15:1-11 (Friday)
Deuteronomy 24:17-22 (Saturday)
Psalm 146 (Both Days)
Hebrews 9:15-24 (Friday)
Mark 11:12-14, 20-24 (Saturday)
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Blessed is the man whose help is the God of Jacob:
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the God who made heaven and earth:
the sea and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever:
who deals justice to those that are oppressed.
–Psalm 146:5-7, The Alternative Service Book 1980
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For there will never cease to be needy ones in your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land.
–Deuteronomy 15:11, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
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Deuteronomy 15:11 follows two pivotal verses:
There shall be no needy among you–since the LORD your God will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a hereditary portion–if only you heed the LORD your God and take care to keep all this instruction that I enjoin upon you this day.
–Deuteronomy 15:4-5, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
“If only” is a major condition in that passage.
The readings from Deuteronomy acknowledge the reality of the presence of needy people and provide culturally specific ways to minimize the social problem. These include:
- Forgiving debts of Hebrews (but not for foreigners) and the freeing of servants every seventh year;
- Refraining from exploiting strangers, widows, and orphans;
- Leaving olives on trees and grapes in vineyards for the poor to pick; and
- Leaving grain in the fields for the poor to glean.
Examples change according to the location and time, but the principle to care for the less fortunate on the societal and individual levels is constant.
Failure to obey these laws was among the charges Hebrews prophets made against their society. The Temple system at the time of Jesus exploited the poor and promoted collaboration with the Roman Empire and a form of piety dependent upon wealth. The story of the cursed fig tree in Mark 11 uses the fig tree as a symbol for Israel and the cursing of the plant as an allegory of our Lord and Savior’s rejection of the Temple system, for the two parts of the reading from Mark 11 function as bookends for the cleansing of the Temple.
And when the chief priests and scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.
–Mark 11:19, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
Therefore I find a fitting segue to the pericope from Hebrews 9, with its theme of cleansing from sin by blood. (Let us never give the Resurrection of Jesus short shrift, for, without the Resurrection, we have a perpetually dead Jesus.) Jesus died because of, among other reasons, the threat he posed to the political-religious Temple system, the shortcomings of which he criticized. The actual executioners were Romans, whose empire took the law-and-order mentality to an extreme. Our Lord and Savior was dangerous in the eyes of oppressors, who acted. God used their evil deeds for a redemptive purpose, however. That sounds like grace to me.
If only more societies and governments heeded the call for economic justice. If only more religious institutions sought ways to care effectively for the poor and to reduce poverty rates. If only more people recognized the image of God in the marginalized and acted accordingly. If only more governments and societies considered violence to be the last resort and refrained from using it against nonviolent people. If only…, the world would be a better place.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 6, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT VINCENTIA GEROSA AND BARTHOLOMEA CAPITANIO, COFOUNDERS OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF LOVERE
THE FEAST OF ISAIAH, BIBLICAL PROPHET
THE FEAST OF JAN HUS, PROTO-PROTESTANT MARTYR
THE FEAST OF OLUF HANSON SMEBY, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/devotion-for-friday-and-saturday-before-proper-27-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Landscape with the Parable of the Sower, by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
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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 13:1-18 (October 15–Protestant Versification)
Deuteronomy 13:2-19 (October 15–Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Versification)
Deuteronomy 14:1-2, 22-23; 14:28-15:15 (October 16)
Deuteronomy 15:19-16:22 (October 17)
Psalm 123 (Morning–October 15)
Psalm 15 (Morning–October 16)
Psalm 36 (Morning–October 17)
Psalms 30 and 86 (Evening–October 15)
Psalms 48 and 4 (Evening–October 16)
Psalms 80 and 27 (Evening–October 17)
Matthew 13:1-23 (October 15)
Matthew 13:24-43 (October 16)
Matthew 13:44-58 (October 17)
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Some Related Posts:
Deuteronomy 15:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/proper-25-year-b/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/devotion-for-september-20-and-21-lcms-daily-lectionary/
Matthew 13:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/25/proper-10-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/proper-11-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/week-of-proper-11-wednesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/week-of-proper-11-thursday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/09/week-of-proper-11-friday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/week-of-proper-11-saturday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/proper-12-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/week-of-proper-12-monday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/week-of-proper-12-tuesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/week-of-proper-12-wednesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/week-of-proper-12-thursday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/week-of-proper-12-friday-year-1/
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Here is a summary of the contents of Deuteronomy 13:1-16:22:
- Execute any false prophet or dream-diviner. (13:1-6/2-7)
- Execute anyone who entices another person to commit idolatry. (13:6-11/7-12)
- Execute the inhabitants of idolatrous towns, burn those towns, and destroy all spoil. Do not rebuild at any of those sites. (13:12-18/13-19)
- Avoid mourning rituals associated with pagan peoples. (14:1-2)
- Eat only ritually clean foods. (14:3-21)
- Pay a tenth of your crops and livestock to God. (14:22-26)
- Provide for the needy and the Levites. (14:27-29)
- Provide debts and free slaves every seventh year. (15:1-18)
- Sacrifice all male firstlings born into your flock to God, assuming that it is a proper physical specimen. (15:19-23)
- Keep a detailed festival calendar and the accompanying instructions. (16:1-17)
- Appoint magistrates who will govern honestly and justly, taking no bribes. (16:18-20)
- Erect no posts, as in honor to Astarte. (16:21-22)
I have mixed feelings about that material. On one hand, I approve of the social justice imperative parts of it. I find even the acceptance of any form of slavery offensive and the command to execute people intolerable. I know that one theme of the Law of Moses is absolute loyalty to God, so idolatry equaled treason, but some commands seem barbaric to me. So far as dietary laws are concerned, I note that I have never cared about them. Proper refrigeration negates some health concerns, as does thorough cooking. One analysis of the forbidden list says that those animals did not fit nearly into certain categories. Assuming that the analysis is correct, what was the problem? Besides, I like to eat ham and intend to continue to do so.
In Matthew 13 we read a series of mostly agricultural parables: the sower and the seed, the darnel and the mustard seed, the treasure in the field, the merchant and the pearls, and the fish of mixed quality. And, at the end of the chapter, people in Nazareth lack faith him. Perhaps they know too much to realize even more.
From those parables I glean certain lessons:
- One should remain focused on God, not allowing anything or anyone to function as a distraction.
- The good and the bad will grow up together and come mixed together. God will sort everything into the correct categories at the right time. That task does not fall to us, mere mortals.
- Nothing is more important than seeking, finding, and keeping the Kingdom of God.
I detect much thematic overlap between that material and Deuteronomy 13:1-16:22, with the notable absence of commands about when to execute or destroy. Yes, Matthew is more riveting reading than Deuteronomy.
I read the Law of Moses as a Gentile, specifically an Episcopalian who grew up a United Methodist. The Law was like a household servant who raised children, St. Paul the Apostle tells us. Now that Christ has arrived on the scene, I have only two commandments, not over 600. So, as long as I am growing via grace into loving God fully and my neighbor as myself, that ham sandwich should not bother my conscience. And I refuse to execute anyone, for I serve an executed and resurrected Lord and Savior. To him I am loyal. In him, not a law code, do I find my identity.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 7, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMITIAN OF HUY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP
THE FEAST OF HARRIET STARR CANNON, COFOUNDER OF THE COMMUNITYN OF SAINT MARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROSE VENERINI, FOUNDER OF THE VENERINI SISTERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT THEODARD OF NARBONNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP; AND SAINTS JUSTUS AND PASTOR, MARTYRS
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/devotion-for-october-15-16-and-17-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Vineyards and Gazebo, 1905-1915
Photographed by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-prokc-20156
Image Source = Library of Congress
(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/prk2000002599/)
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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:
Nehemiah 4:7-23 (September 20–Protestant Versification)
Nehemiah 4:1-17 (September 20–Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Versification)
Nehemiah 5:1-16 (September 21)
Nehemiah 6:1-6, 15-16 (September 21)
Psalm 130 (Morning–September 20)
Psalm 56 (Morning–September 21)
Psalms 32 and 139 (Evening–September 20)
Psalms 100 and 62 (Evening–September 21)
1 Timothy 3:1-6 (September 20)
1 Timothy 4:1-16 (September 21)
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Some Related Posts:
1 Timothy 3-4:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/week-of-proper-19-tuesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/week-of-proper-19-wednesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/03/27/week-of-proper-19-thursday-year-1/
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Whenever I call upon you, my enemies will be put to flight;
this I know, for God is on my side.
–Psalm 56:9, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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1 Timothy 3 and 4 concern themselves with the trust which is leadership and the imperative of true teaching in the context of the church. Those matters relate to Nehemiah, who led by example for the common good in Jerusalem centuries before the author of 1 Timothy wrote. Nehemiah faced stiff opposition in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, but he succeeded with divine help. And, in response to economic injustice, he declared a jubilee, something out of Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 15. He even set an example by denying himself his legal portion of the governor’s food allowance.
Economic justice is among the great preoccupations of the Bible. How one ought to practice it differs according to one’s individual circumstances as well as one’s time and societal setting, but the imperative is timeless. Those who exercise authority have an obligation to think of the common good and to act for it. May they not only seek to do so, but, by grace, succeed.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 10, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF HENRY VAN DYKE, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND LITURGIST
THE FEAST OF HOWARD THURMAN, PROTESTANT THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF PIERRE TEILHARD DE CHARDIN, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LAW, ANGLICAN PRIEST
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/devotion-for-september-20-and-21-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Christ Healing the Blind Man, by Eustace Le Sueur
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FIRST READING AND PSALM: OPTION #1
Job 42:1-6, 10-17 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures):
Job said in reply to the LORD:
I know that You can do everything,
That nothing you propose is impossible for You.
Who is this who obscures counsel without knowledge?
Indeed, I spoke without understanding
Of things beyond me, which I did not know.
Hear now, and I will speak;
I will ask, and You inform me.
I had heard You with my ears,
But now I see You with my eyes;
Therefore I recant and relent,
Being but dust and ashes.
…
The LORD restored Job’s fortunes when he prayed on behalf of his friends, and the LORD gave Job twice what he had before.
All his brothers and sisters and all his former friends came to him and had a meal with him in his house. They consoled, and comforted him for all the misfortune that the LORD had brought upon him. Each gave him one kesitah and each one gold ring.Thus the LORD blessed the latter years of Job’s life more than the former. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand she-asses. He also had seven sons and three daughters. The first he named Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. Nowhere in the land were women as beautiful as Job’s daughters to be found. Their father gave them estates together with their brothers. Afterward, Job lived one hundred and forty years to see four generations of sons and grandsons. So Job died old and contented.
Psalm 34:1-8, (19-22) (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
2 I will glory in the LORD;
let the humble hear and rejoice.
3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD;
let us exult his Name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me out of all my terror.
5 Look upon him and be radiant,
and let not your faces be ashamed.
6 I called in my affliction and the LORD heard me
and saved me from all my troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encompasses those who fear him,
and he will deliver them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
happy are they who trust in him.
19 Many are the troubles of the righteous,
but the LORD will deliver him out of them all.
20 He will keep all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22 The LORD ransoms the life of his servants,
and none will be punished who trust in him.
FIRST READING AND PSALM: OPTION #2
Jeremiah 31:7-9 (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures):
For thus said the LORD:
Cry out in joy for Jacob,
Shout at the crossroads of the nations!
Sing aloud in praise, and say:
Save, O LORD, Your people,
The remnant of Israel.
I will bring them in from the northland,
Gather them from the ends of the earth–
The blind and the lame among them,
Those with child and those in labor–
In a vast throng they shall return here.
They shall come with weeping,
And with compassion will I guide them.
I will lead them to streams of water,
by a level road where they will not stumble.
For I am ever a Father to Israel,
Ephraim is My first-born.
Psalm 126 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
then were we like those who dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy.
3 Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
4 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are glad indeed.
5 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses of the Negev.
6 Those who sowed with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
7 Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed,
will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.
SECOND READING
Hebrews 7:23-28 (Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition):
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; for he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been make perfect for ever.
GOSPEL READING
Mark 10:46-52 (Revised English Bible):
They came to Jericho; and as he was leaving the town, with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was seated at the roadside. Hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout,
Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me!
Many of the people told him to hold his tongue; but he shouted all the more,
Son of David, have pity on me.
Jesus stopped and said,
Call him;
so they called the blind man:
Take heart,
they said.
Get up; he is calling you.
At that he threw off his cloak, jumped to his feet, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him,
What do you want me to do for you?
The blind man answered,
Rabbi, I want my sight back.
Jesus said to him,
Go; your faith as healed you.
At once he recovered his sight and followed him on the road.
The Collect:
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Job 42:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/10/27/week-of-proper-21-friday-year-2-and-week-of-proper-21-saturday-year-2/
Hebrews 7:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/week-of-2-epiphany-thursday-year-1/
Mark 10:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/week-of-8-epiphany-thursday-year-1/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2011/07/16/week-of-8-epiphany-thursday-year-2/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/week-of-proper-3-thursday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/07/16/week-of-proper-3-thursday-year-2/
Luke 18 (Parallel to Mark 10):
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/week-of-proper-28-monday-year-1/
Prayers for Inclusion:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/prayers-for-inclusion/
A Prayer for the Blind:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/a-prayer-for-the-blind/
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The theme for Proper 25, Year B, is restoration. Job, who had lost so much, got much more back. Descendants of the original Judean exiles would return to their ancestral homeland. And a blind man sought and received his sight back in the last healing by Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Mark.
Blindness was common in the ancient world, and it resulted from various causes. It was, in Jewish custom of the time, a ritual blemish, rendering one unfit to serve as a priest (Leviticus 21:18). And a blind animal was not suitable for ritual sacrifice (Leviticus 22:22 and Deuteronomy 15:21). So the blind man was, in the estimation of many people in his culture, defective, perhaps even punished by God. That must have taken an emotional toll on the man. Yet the Law (in Leviticus 19:14) forbade placing an obstacle in the way of the blind, so those who told the blind man to be quiet violated the Law of Moses.
Healing stories involving Jesus are about more than correcting the physical, emotional, and psychological disorders of people. They also speak of the restoration to society. The blind man no longer had a ritual blemish; he was no longer allegedly defective or punished by God.
As I write these words, I belong to a culture which considers itself fairly enlightened. It is, in many ways. We even have the Americans with Disabilities Act. And, based on the architecture of certain church buildings in which I have worshiped, I recognize a lack of concern for handicapped access in the late 1800s and early 1900s yet a keen attention to this issue in structures from more recent decades. Yet the disabled still face many challenges in getting from Point A to Point B, entering many buildings, and using many restrooms. Our lack of concern for them forces many of them to the margins; we are not as enlightened as we like to think we are.
Jesus restored people to society; we ought to do the same, as we are able.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 7, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
THE FEAST OF HERBERT F. BROKERING, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT VINCENT LIEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT WILLIBRORD, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF UTRECHT
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Published originally at ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS BY KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR on November 7, 2011
Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/proper-25-year-b/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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