Archive for the ‘Jeremiah 29’ Category
Above: Icon of Ezekiel
Image in the Public Domain
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READING EZEKIEL, PART X
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Ezekiel 17:1-24
Ezekiel 19:1-14
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For this post, O reader, we focus on two allegories.
Ezekiel 17 is the allegory of the eagles, the vine, and the cedar. For background, read 2 Kings 24-25; Jeremiah 21:14; Jeremiah 22:1-8, 20-30; Jeremiah 27-29; Jeremiah 34; Jeremiah 52; 2 Chronicles 36; 1 Esdras 1:43-58;
The allegory, by definition, uses symbols. The allegory tells the story of King Jehoiachin of Judah allying with Egypt against the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire, losing, and going into exile in 597 B.C.E. The allegory continues to describe King Zedekiah‘s failed rebellion, and his fate. The code of the allegory is as follows:
- The great eagle = King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire (r. 605-562 B.C.E.) (v. 3).
- Lebanon = Jerusalem (v. 3).
- The topmost branch = Jehoiachin (r. 597 B.C.E.) (v. 3).
- The land of merchants = Babylon (v. 4).
- The native seed = Zedekiah (r. 597-586 B.C.E.) (v. 5).
- Another great eagle = Pharoah Psammetichus II (r. 595-589 B.C.E.) (v. 7).
- The vine = the Davidic Dynastry (vs. 7-8).
Ezekiel 17:18f and 2 Chronicles 36:13 argue that Zedekiah had violated his oath of vassalage by rebelling against King Nebuchadnezzar II, and thereby sinned against God. These texts also argue that Zedekiah earned his punishment. This position is consistent with the importance of oaths in the Bible (Genesis 24:7; Genesis 26:3, 28-31; Genesis 50:24; Exodus 13:5, 11; Exodus 20:7; Exodus 33:1; Leviticus 5:1-4; Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 5:17; Numbers 14:16, 30; Numbers 32:11; Deuteronomy 1:8, 35; Deuteronomy 6:10; Judges 11:11-40; 1 Kings 8:31-32; 1 Chronicles 12:19; 2 Chronicles 6:22-23; Psalm 16:4; Isaiah 62:8; Isaiah 144:8; Hosea 4:15; Amos 8:14; Matthew 5:36; et cetera).et cetera
Ezekiel 17 concludes on a note of future restoration (vs. 22-24). One Jewish interpretation of the final three verses holds that the construction of the Second Temple, under the supervision of Zerubbabel, of the House of David, fulfilled this prophecy (Haggai 2:20-23). That interpretation does not convince me. The prophecy concerns the restoration of the Jewish nation. My sense of the past tells me that one may not feasibly apply this prophecy to the events following 142 B.C.E. and 1948 B.C.E., given the absence of the Davidic Dynasty in Hasmonean Judea and modern Israel.
The emphasis on divine power and human weakness defines the end of Chapter 17.
Ezekiel 19, which uses the metaphors of the lion (the tribe of Judah; Genesis 49:9) and the vine (the nation of the Hebrews), is a lament for the fall of the Judean monarchy. For Ezekiel, priests properly outrank kings (34:24; 45:7-8), so Kings of Judah are “princes.” The first cub (v. 4) is King Jehoahaz of Judah (r. 609 B.C.E.). The second cub may be either King Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, or Zedekiah of Judah. The identity of the second cub is vague, but the prediction of the destruction of the monarchy of Judah is clear.
Leaders come and go. Kingdoms, empires, and nation-states rise and fall. All that is human is transitory. But God lasts forever.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 28, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN GERARD, ENGLISH JESUIT PRIEST; AND MARY WARD, FOUNDRESS OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
THE FEAST OF CLARA LOUISE MAASS, U.S. LUTHERAN NURSE AND MARTYR, 1901
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PLUTARCH, MARCELLA, POTANOMINAENA, AND BASILIDES OF ALEXANDRIA, MARTYRS, 202
THE FEAST OF SAINT TERESA MARIA MASTERS, FOUNDRESS OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE SISTERS OF THE HOLY FACE
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM AND JOHN MUNDY, ENGLISH COMPOSERS AND MUSICIANS
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This is post #2550 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.
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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: King Zedekiah of Judah
Image in the Public Domain
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READING JEREMIAH, PART XVIII
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Jeremiah 27:1-29:32
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The Masoretic Text of Jeremiah 27:1 indicates that Jehoiakim was the King of Judah. Yet this is a scribal error, for the rest of the text names Zedekiah as the King of Judah. Many English translations correct the Masoretic Text and list Zedekiah as the monarch.
Zedekiah, born Mattaniah, reigned from 597 to 586 B.C.E. As the King of Judah, he was always a vassal of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire.
God was sovereign, Jeremiah pronounced. All world leaders, even King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire (r. 605-562 B.C.E.) were vassals of God. The prophet told King Zedekiah to disregard the advice of the false prophets to rebel against the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire. The only way to live was as a Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian vassal, Jeremiah told King Zedekiah. The King of Judah disregarded the prophet’s advice and rebelled anyway. King Zedekiah, blinded, died a prisoner in Babylon (2 Kings 24:18-25:26; 2 Chronicles 36:11-21; 1 Esdras 1:47-58).
Hananiah ben Azzur was a false prophet. He was the prophetic equivalent of happy pills. Hananiah, who had
urged disloyalty to the LORD,
died the same year he issued the false prophecy.
The first round of the Babylonian Exile started in 597 B.C.E., with the deposition of King Jehoiachin/Jeconiah/Coniah. Before the Fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.E.), Jeremiah wrote to these exiles. They were home, Jeremiah wrote to these exiles. Jeremiah counseled them to settle permanently. In Deuteronomy 20:5-7, building houses, planting vineyards, marrying, and procreating indicated permanent settlement. The collapse of such signs of permanent settlement, as was about to happen in Judah, indicated divine judgment (Deuteronomy 28:30-32; Amos 5:11; Zephaniah 1:13). The restoration of these signs of permanent settlement played a role in prophecies of consolation (Isaiah 65:21-23; Jeremiah 29:5-6; Ezekiel 28:25-26).
Jeremiah 29:10 returns to the motif of seventy years, present in Jeremiah 25:11-14.
We read denunciations of other false prophets–Ahab ben Kolaiah and Zedekiah ben Maaseiah (29:20-23), as well as Shemaiah the Nehelamite (29:24-32). We read of their unfortunate fates. We also read again that false prophesy is urging disloyalty to God.
One of the practical difficulties in applying timeless principles is that one must apply them in circumstances. Circumstances can vary widely, according to who, when, and where one is. Therefore, a degree of relativism exists in the application of timeless principles.
Consider one timeless principle, O reader. One should never urge disloyalty to God. My circumstances are quite different from those of Jeremiah, during the reign of King Zedekiah. Yet the timeless principle applies to my set of circumstances. When and where I am, how I may confront those urging disloyalty to God looks very different than Jeremiah in Chapters 27-29.
Whenever and wherever you are, O reader, may you never urge disloyalty to God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 12, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF EDWIN PAXTON HOOD, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, PHILANTHROPIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN DAVID JAESCHKE, GERMAN MORAVIAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER; AND HIS GRANDSON, HENRI MARC HERMANN VOLDEMAR VOULLAIRE, MORAVIAN COMPOSER AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF ENMEGAHBOWH, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND MISSIONARY TO THE OJIBWA NATION
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH DACRE CARLYLE, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF MILTON SMITH LITTLEFIELD, JR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN AND CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
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Above: Jehoiachin
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 2 KINGS 22-25, 1 ESDRAS, 2 CHRONICLES 34-36, EZRA, AND NEHEMIAH
PART VIII
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2 Kings 24:8-17; 25:27-30
2 Chronicles 36:9-10
1 Esdras 1:43-46
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For we consume away in your anger:
and we are terrified by your wrath.
–Psalm 90:7, A New Zealand Prayer Book (1989)
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Jehoiachin was the second King of Judah also known as Jeconiah. The first Jeconiah was Jehoahaz/Shallum (2 Kings 23:31-35; 2 Chronicles 36:1-4; 1 Esdras 34-38). Jehoiachin was Jeconiah Esther A:4; Esther 2:6; Jeremiah 24:1; Jeremiah 27:20; Jeremiah 28:4; Jeremiah 29:2; and Baruch 1:3 and 1:9.
Jehoiachin (r. 597 B.C.E.) held office for just over three months. He was either eight years old (2 Chronicles 36:9) or eighteen years old (2 Kings 24:8; 1 Esdras 1:43) at accession. (That decade makes a big difference.) The son of Jehoiakim/Eliakim became the third consecutive King of Judah to go into foreign exile and the second one to die in exile in Babylon. And Nebuchadnezzar II took more sacred vessels from the Temple in Jerusalem off to Babylon. Furthermore, the first stage of the Babylonian Exile began.
Cuneiform tablets confirm part of 2 Kings 25:27-30. They do not mention Jehoiachin’s release from prison after 37 years per se. However, tablets document food rations delivered to the royal household of “Iaukin.”
Jehoiachin ended his days as a leader of his people in exile. Yes, there was hope, even during the Babylonian Exile.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 5, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALFRED TENNYSON, ENGLISH POET
THE FEAST OF ADAM OF SAINT VICTOR, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF ALBRECHT DÜRER, MATTHIAS GRÜNEWALD, AND LUCAS CRANACH THE ELDER, RENAISSANCE ARTISTS
THE FEAST OF GEORGE FREDERICK ROOT, POET AND COMPOSER
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Above: The Anointing of David
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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1 Samuel 16:1-13 or Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Psalm 108:1-6, 13
Romans 10:5-15
Luke 14:1-14
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Seeing other people as God sees them can be challenging. First, we must see past our blindness, erroneous attitudes we have learned and affirmed. We like our categories, do we not? Second, we are not God. We know much less than God does. How can we look upon the heart of someone we do not know? We cannot know the hearts of many other people.
We can and must reserve judgments not rooted in sufficient evidence. We can do this by grace. We can properly arrive at some conclusions. Some people, for example, are stone-cold serial killers. Extreme examples are easy and safe ones. Most of life occupies the vast grayness and ambiguity that defies black-and-white simplicity.
Some of the advice in today’s readings may seem odd, counter-intuitive, or wrong. Why should exiles not resist their captors? If one is going to be in exile for a long time, one should hope to prosper, actually, according to Jeremiah. When we turn to the Gospel of Luke, we enter the territory of reversal of fortune. The first will be last and the last will be first in Luke. That Gospel also says that blessed are the poor and woe to the rich. In that line of thought we read a commandment to be kind to those who cannot repay one. Do not seek to exalt oneself, we read. When one is kind, one should be genuinely kind. Jeremiah and Luke offer advice and commandments that contradict conventional wisdom.
Related to that seeming folly is the theme of of not judging prematurely. The wealthy and prominent are not necessarily better than the poor and the the marginalized. Social status and character are separate matters. I guarantee that each person is facing struggles of which others may not know. Each of us may know well someone who is frequently a cause of stress and frustration. That person may be doing the best he or she can, given circumstances. Seeing others as God sees them is a spiritual feat possible only by grace.
Perfection (as we usually understand that word) is an impossible moral and spiritual standard. We can, however, improve morally and spiritually, by grace. We can be more patient with and forgiving of each other, by grace. We can reserve judgments properly and more often, by grace. May we do so, by grace. Perfection, in the Biblical sense, is being suited for one’s purpose. We can also do that only by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 26, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM COWPER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ADELARD OF CORBIE, FRANKISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK AND ABBOT; AND HIS PROTÉGÉ, SAINT PASCHASIUS RADBERTUS, FRANKISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, ABBOT, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF ROBERT HUNT, FIRST ANGLICAN CHAPLAIN IN JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA
THE FEAST OF RUTH BYLLESBY, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS IN GEORGIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT STANISLAW KUBISTA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1940; AND SAINT WLADYSLAW GORAL, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND MARTYR, 1945
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2020/04/26/devotion-for-proper-22-year-c-humes/
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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: Washerwomen at Ancient Roman Fountain, Corinth, Greece
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = https://www.loc.gov/item/2003681458/
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The Collect:
O God our rock, your word brings life to the whole creation
and salvation from sin and death.
Nourish our faith in your promises, and ground us in your strength,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 38
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 24:1-10 (Monday)
Jeremiah 29:10-19 (Tuesday)
Psalm 1 (Both Days)
1 Corinthians 16:1-12 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 16:13-24 (Tuesday)
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How blessed is anyone who rejects the advice of the wicked
and does not stand in the path that sinners tread,
nor a seat in company with cynics,
but who delights in the law of Yahweh
and murmurs his law day and night.
–Psalm 1:1-2, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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That is one side of Psalm 1. The other is that the way of the wicked is doomed. The path of the misguided is likewise treacherous, but, if they change course, divine mercy will follow judgment.
One line from the readings for these two days stands out in my mind:
Let all that you do be done in love.
–1 Corinthians 16:14, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
“Love” is agape, meaning selflessness and unconditional love. It is the form of love in 1 Corinthians 13, the great love chapter. This is the type of love God has for people. How we respond to that great love is crucial. Will we accept that grace and all of its accompanying demands, such as loving our neighbors as we love ourselves? Will we live the Incarnation of Christ? When we sin, will we turn to God in remorse and repentance? None of us can do all of the above perfectly, of course, but all of us can try and can depend on grace as we do so.
Who are our neighbors? Often many of us prefer a narrow definition of “neighbor.” Our neighbors in God are all people–near and far away, those we like and those we find intolerable, those who think as we do and those who would argue with us about the weather, those who have much and those who possess little, et cetera. Our neighbors are a motley crew. Do we recognize the image of God in them? Do we seek the common good or our own selfish gain? The truth is that whatever we do to others, we do to ourselves also, for human societies are webs of interdependency. To seek the common good, therefore, is to seek one’s best interests.
Do we even seek to do all things out of agape?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 27, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE LINE AND ROGER FILCOCK, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF SAINT BALDOMERUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF GEORGE HERBERT, ANGLICAN PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINT VICTOR THE HERMIT
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/devotion-for-monday-and-tuesday-after-proper-3-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Sycamore Figs, 1900
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-matpc-00721
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The Collect:
O God our rock, your word brings life to the whole creation from
and salvation from sin and death.
Nourish our faith in your promises, and ground us in your strength,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 25
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 24:1-10 (Monday)
Jeremiah 29:10-19 (Tuesday)
Psalm 1 (Both Days)
1 Corinthians 16:1-12 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 16:13-24 (Tuesday)
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Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of then wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
–Psalm 1:1, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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In the readings from Jeremiah the national and religious existence of Judah would continue via faithful elites. The motif of
I will send the sword, famine, and pestilence against them
applies to Judeans left in Judah after to the fall of the Kingdom, to King Zedekiah, and to his officials in Chapters 24 and 29. The prophet, channeling God, likens faithful exiles to good figs and the latter group to bad figs. Good figs turn back to God. Bad figs face annihilation.
St. Paul the Apostle spent 1 Corinthians 16, the final chapter of that epistle, on personal, not heavy-duty theological matters. There was a collection to help the Christians of Jerusalem. The Apostle discussed travel plans and commended certain co-workers. He emphasized the point that he wrote with his own hand; nobody took dictation this time. And he wrote the following:
Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
–Verses 13 and 14, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
That sounds like a description of what one must do to be a good fig.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 28, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES AND MARTYRS
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2015/10/28/devotion-for-monday-and-tuesday-after-the-eighth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-c-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Icon of Christ in Majesty
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Eternal light, shine in our hearts.
Eternal wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance.
Eternal compassion, have mercy on us.
Turn us to seek your face, and enable us to reflect your goodness,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 51
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 23:9-16 (Thursday)
Jeremiah 26:12-24 (Friday)
Jeremiah 29:24-32 (Saturday)
Psalm 126 (All Days)
Hebrews 7:1-10 (Thursday)
Hebrews 7:11-22 (Friday)
Mark 8:22-26 (Saturday)
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When the Lord turned again the fortunes of Zion:
then we were like men restored to life.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter:
and our tongue with singing.
Then said they among the heathen:
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
Truly the Lord has done great things for us:
and therefore we rejoiced.
Turn again our fortunes, O Lord:
as the streams return to the dry south.
Those that sow in tears:
shall reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping bearing the seed:
shall come again in gladness, bringing his sheaves with him.
–Psalm 126, Alternative Prayer Book 1984
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The prophet Jeremiah labored faithfully for and argued with God during especially dangerous times. The Kingdom of Judah was a vassal state, false prophets were numerous, and true prophets were targets of the theocratic royal regime. The process of exiling populations had begun, and the full-scale Babylonian Exile had not started yet. False prophets predicted a glorious future and condemned faithful prophets. Yet even Jeremiah, who predicted doom and gloom, stated that divine deliverance and restoration would come in time.
The appearance of Melchizedek in Genesis 14:17-21 linked Abram/Abraham to the Davidic Dynasty, for Melchizedek was the King of Salem (Jerusalem). Hebrews 7 linked Melchizedek to Jesus (“resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever”–verse 3b, The New Revised Standard Version). At the end of the line of faithful Hebrew prophets (ending with St. John the Baptist) stands Jesus, greater than all of them. He is, as Hebrews 7:22 states,
the guarantee of a better covenant.
—The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
Jesus, permanently a priest (7:24), is the Messiah (“Christ” in Greek) unbounded by time. Now he exists beyond human capacity to harm him, but he did die via crucifixion. There was a resurrection, fortunately.
Often we mortals desire to hear words which confirm our prejudices and belie hard truths. Perhaps we know sometimes that what we want to hear is inaccurate, but we accept it anyway because doing so is bearable. Or perhaps we are so deluded that we cannot distinguish between true and false prophecy, prophecy often having more to do with the present day and the near future than the more distant future. Yet, even when we seek to distinguish between true and false prophecy, our ignorance can prove to be a major obstacle. I know of no easy way out of this conundrum. No, the best advice I can offer is to seek to live according to affirming human dignity and loving others as one loves oneself. Following the Golden Rule is sound advice. One might err in the execution of it, but I propose that God will not condemn one for loving one’s neighbors. As for the details of prophecy, they will unfold according to course.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 4, 2015 COMMON ERA
INDEPENDENCE DAY (U.S.A.)
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2015/07/04/devotion-for-thursday-friday-and-saturday-before-proper-25-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Ruins of Babylon, 1932
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-matpc-13231
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The Collect:
Compassionate God, you gather the whole universe into your radiant presence
and continually reveal your Son as our Savior.
Bring wholeness to all that is broken and speak truth to us in our confusion,
that all creation will see and know your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 23
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 29:1-14
Psalm 35:1-10
Mark 5:1-20
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Psalm 35 contains a prayer for divine action against one’s enemies. In contrast, Jeremiah 29:7 offers the following advice to exiles in the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire:
And seek the welfare of the city to which I have exiled you and pray to the LORD in its behalf; for in its prosperity you shall prosper.
–TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
That passage prompts me to recall the Pauline instruction to pray for those in authority,
that it may go well with you
and our Lord and Savior’s commandment to pray for one’s enemies and bless one’s persecutors. Anger, when we direct it badly, leads to violence. The way to break the cycle of violence is to reject it. There is such a thing as righteous anger, which leads one to commit positive action, but anger is frequently not of the righteous variety. And that kind of anger, like violence, is a spiritual toxin.
The pericopes from Jeremiah and Mark speak of the importance of getting on with life after one’s life circumstances have changed. This continuation of living should glorify God, the readings tell us. And how can we proceed in that vein if we are hauling emotional and spiritual baggage, such as resentment? Yes, injustice abounds in the world. And yes, we ought to oppose injustice properly as part of our Christian witness to the love of God for everyone. Yet none of us is the ultimate judge or power; only God is. May we, therefore, do the right things in the correct ways, trusting God and not becoming obsessed with that which we cannot change or underestimating how much we can, by grace, improve. God will save the world, but we have a commandment to leave it better than we found it.
DECEMBER 1, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF NICHOLAS FERRAR, ANGLICAN DEACON
THE FEAST OF SAINT CHARLES DE FOUCAULD, ROMAN CATHOLIC HERMIT
THE FEAST OF SAINT EDMUND CAMPION, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT ELIGIUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/devotion-for-wednesday-after-the-fourth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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