Archive for the ‘Malachi 3’ Category
Above: Icon of Malachi
Image in the Public Domain
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READING MALACHI, PART III
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Malachi 3:13-24 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
Malachi 3:13-4:6 (Anglican and Protestant)
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Malachi 3:19-24 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox) = Malachi 4:1-6 (Anglican and Protestant).
The final section of the Book of Malachi speaks of the beginning of a new era–the long-anticipated, fully-realized Kingdom of God. In this context, divine judgment and mercy remain balanced (3:18f). Apocalyptic writings in the Bible balance divine judgment and mercy–judgment on the wicked and mercy on the faithful.
In Christian Bibles, the Book of Malachi concludes on a threat of partial destruction. Divine action–grace–prevents the threat from being of complete destruction. Jewish Bibles, however, reprint the penultimate verse (3:23) after 3:24. Hence, in TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985), the Book of Malachi concludes with:
Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the LORD.
In Jewish Bibles, therefore, the Book of Malachi ends on a positive note.
Christian tradition, of course, associates St. John the Baptist with Elijah.
Another point I would be remiss not to mention is that 3:22/4:4 (depending on versification) asserts the superiority of the Torah to the Hebrew prophetic tradition.
The Book of Malachi–and this project of reading the Hebrew prophetic books, roughly in chronological order, with some exceptions–concludes on a note of grace, mixed with judgment. Divine self-restraint in matters of judgment is an example of grace. YHWH, according to the Book of Malachi, is far removed from being God of hellfire-and-damnation theology. YHWH provides laws, practices patience, calls on people and peoples to repent, and exercises self-restraint in judgment. YHWH condemns nobody; people and peoples condemn themselves.
Thank you, O reader, for joining me on this journey through the Hebrew prophetic books as long as you have done so. I wish you shalom as I consider what my next project should be.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 18, 2021 COMMON ERA
PROPER 11: THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF BARTHOLOME DE LAS CASAS, “APOSTLE TO THE INDIANS”
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR PENRHYN STANLEY, ANGLICAN DEAN OF WESTMINSTER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD WILLIAM LEINBACH, U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF ELIZABETH FERRARD, FIRST DEACONESS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
THE FEAST OF JESSAMYN WEST, U.S. QUAKER WRITER
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Above: Malachi
Image in the Public Domain
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READING MALACHI, PART II
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Malachi 1:2-3:12
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As I wrote in Reading Malachi, Part I, the dating of the Book of Malachi is vague–perhaps prior to 445 B.C.E., when the reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah began (Ezra 7-10; Nehemiah 1-13; 1 Esdras 8-9)–or perhaps not. Clear, however, are the sense of spiritual crisis and the religious decline in the Book of Malachi.
Consider 1:2-5, O reader. We read divine assurance of love for the people. We may assume safely that the population (much of it, anyway) needed this assurance. The proof of divine love for Jews in Judea in Malachi 1:2-5 is their continued existence in their ancestral homeland. The contrast with their ancient foe and cousin people, the Edomites, is stark.
I have read and blogged about divine judgment on the people of Edom in Amos 1:11-12; Isaiah 21:11-12; Jeremiah 49:7-22; Ezekiel 25:12-14; Ezekiel 35:1-15; Obadiah; and Isaiah 34:5-17.
The designated portion of the Book of Malachi continues with the condemnations of priests and the population. We read of priests offering defiled food as sacrifices. We read that God objected strongly to such disrespect, and preferred no ritual sacrifices to the offerings of blemished animals. (See Exodus 12:5; Exodus 29:1; Leviticus 1:3, 10; Leviticus 3:1; Leviticus 22:22). We read that God was really angry:
And now, O priests, this charge is for you: Unless you obey and unless you lay it to heart, and do dishonor to My name–said the LORD of blessings into curses. (Indeed, I have turned them into curses, because you do not lay it to heart.) I will put your seed under a ban, and I will strew dung upon your faces, the dung of your festal sacrifices, and you shall be carried out to its [heap].
–Malachi 2:1-3, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Furthermore, we read that (much of) the population of Israel has failed to keep the covenant, too. We read that God objected to Jewish men divorcing Jewish wives to marry foreign women. One may recall that this was also an issue in Ezra 10. As prior to the Babylonian Exile, idolatry is in play. Deuteronomy 7:25-26; Deuteronomy 12:31 permit divorce, but Malachi 2:16 begins:
For I detest divorce….
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Context is crucial; statements never arise in a vaccum.
Malachi 3:5 specifies offenses:
But [first] I will step forward to contend against you, and I will act as a relentless accuser against those who have no fear of Me: Who practice sorcery, who commit adultery, who swear falsely, who cheat laborers of their hire, and who subvert [the cause] of the widow, orphan, and stranger, said the LORD of Hosts.
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Faithless members of the Chosen People remain “children of Jacob,” we read. And God (as in Zechariah 1:3) expects them to express remorse for their sins and to repent:
Turn back to Me, and I will turn back to you–said the LORD of Hosts.
–Malachi 3:7b, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
The text continues by explaining another way (other than not committing the previously listed sins) the people could return to God: to support the Levites (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:21-31; Nehemiah 13:10-13). The text challenges the people to respond faithfully and generously to the extravagant and generosity of God.
Malachi 3:11 mentions locusts in the present tense. This clue does not reveal as much as one may guess. Does Malachi 3:11 date the Book of Malachi approximately contemporary with the Book of Joel, whenever that was? The case for this is tenuous and circumstantial. One may recall that swarms of locusts were a frequent threat in the region. Malachi 3:11 may tell us one reason many people were not paying their tithes, though.
The formula in Malachi 3:10-12 exists within a context, of course. Taking it out of context distorts its meaning. Recall Malachi 2:17, O reader. We read there that people have been wearying God by saying:
“All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or else, “Where is the God of justice?”
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
The formula in Malachi 3:10-12 rebuts that wearying statements and that wearying question.
Trusting in God liberates. It liberates populations and individuals. It liberates them to become their best possible selves in God, who is extravagantly generous.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 18, 2021 COMMON ERA
PROPER 11: THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF BARTHOLOME DE LAS CASAS, “APOSTLE TO THE INDIANS”
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR PENRHYN STANLEY, ANGLICAN DEAN OF WESTMINSTER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD WILLIAM LEINBACH, U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF ELIZABETH FERRARD, FIRST DEACONESS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
THE FEAST OF JESSAMYN WEST, U.S. QUAKER WRITER
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Above: Malachi
Image in the Public Domain
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READING MALACHI, PART I
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Malachi 1:1
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The stated prophet in Malachi 1:1 is simply “Malachi,” without the traditional “son of ” formula following the persona name. “Malachi” means “My messenger.” This may be a name, a description, or both. In fact, we know close to nothing about the prophet.
The Book of Malachi does not provide many details that place it in time. It comes from after the Babylonian Exile. 1:8 and 1:2-5 place the book during the Persian period (539-332 B.C.E.). The Book of Malachi refers to concerns raised in the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and First Esdras–Malachi 1:6-14 and Nehemiah 10:32-39; 13:31 pertain to provision for sacrifices. The tithe is the topic in Malachi 3:8-12 and Nehemiah 13:10-14. Acceptable marriage partners are the topic in Malachi 3:5 and Nehemiah 5:1-13. But did Malachi come before Ezra and Nehemiah, who started their reforms in 445 B.C.E.? (See Ezra 7-10; Nehemiah 1-13; 1 Esdras 8-9.)
The historical relationship s of Joel, Second Zechariah, and Malachi to each other are not clear. The Book of Malachi, in its original form, may plausibly date to the 470s, prior to Second Zechariah. Or the Book of Malachi may plausibly postdate Second Zechariah.
The Book of Malachi has fifty-five verses. Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Bibles divide those verses into three chapters. Yet Anglican and Protestant Bibles divide these verses into four chapters.
Considering how short the Book of Malachi is, it fares well on the three major Christian lectionaries. The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) assigns 3:14 for the Presentation of the Lord, Years A, B, and C, as well as for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year C. The RCL also assigns 4:1-2a on Proper 28, Year C. The Roman Catholic lectionary for Sundays and major feast days assigns 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10 for the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. The same lectionary assigns 3:19-20a for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. The corresponding lectionary for weekday Masses assigns 3:1-4, 23-24 on December 23, Years 1 and 2. The same lectionary assigns 3:13-20b for Thursday in Week 27 of Ordinary Time, Year 1.
Shall we begin, O reader?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 18, 2021 COMMON ERA
PROPER 11: THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF BARTHOLOME DE LAS CASAS, “APOSTLE TO THE INDIANS”
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR PENRHYN STANLEY, ANGLICAN DEAN OF WESTMINSTER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD WILLIAM LEINBACH, U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF ELIZABETH FERRARD, FIRST DEACONESS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND
THE FEAST OF JESSAMYN WEST, U.S. QUAKER WRITER
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Above: Malachi
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity, Year 2
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by thy Holy Spirit,
that being made ever mindful of the end of all things,
and the day of just judgment,
we may be stirred up to holiness of living here,
and dwell with thee forever hereafter;
through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 233
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Malachi 3:13-18
Psalm 138
Romans 12:1-21
Matthew 25:31-46
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Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good.
–Romans 12:21, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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Malachi 3:13-18 asks a timeless question and provides an answer. The other assigned readings continue that answer. The question is, Is serving God useless, given that many arrogant people prosper and many righteous people do not? The short answer is that reward and punishment exist in the afterlife. God’s schedule may not be ours. And, in the meantime, we ought to persist in holiness.
Many passages of scripture require explanation. There may be historical or cultural contexts to consider. I am happy to offer such explanations in these blog posts. Application of scripture is easier when one understands, after all.
Romans 12:1-21 requires minimal explanation, though. The text is mainly self-explanatory. Heaping metaphorical hot coals on the heads of persecutors is an effect, not an goal, in verse 20. That is all the explanation I offer for Romans 12:1-21.
I offer an example of coal-heaping as an effect, not a goal. I know how to handle myself when someone is in my face, shouting at me. I remain calm. This requires much effort and self-control, of course. Remaining calm in such a circumstance is the mature (in the highest meaning of that word) strategy. Besides, what good is it for two people to shout mindlessly at each other?
The person shouting at me wants me to shout back. When I contain my anger and remain calm, I do what I should do. I also make the other person angrier. This is never my intention, but it is always an effect. And, by denying metaphorical oxygen to the equally metaphorical fires, I contain the situation.
That is how good conquers evil. Good does not resort to evil’s standards. Evil may rant and rave, but good exposes it by being good.
May as many of us as possible lead good lives, by grace, regardless of circumstances other people create or maintain. In so doing, may we glorify God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 2, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE
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Above: St. John the Baptist
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Second Sunday of Advent, Year 2
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning;
grant that we may in such wise hear them,
read, mark, and inwardly digest them,
that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word,
we may embrace, and ever hold fast,
the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which thou hast given us in our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 107
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Malachi 3:19-24 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)/Malachi 4:1-6 (Anglican and Protestant)
Psalm 96
Revelation 19:1-16
John 5:30-40
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Advent contains strong themes of divine judgment, mixed with mercy. Divine judgment and mercy balance each other in the Old and New Testaments. The God of the Hebrew Bible is no more all storm and smiting than the God of the New Testament is all smiles and puppies.
The Day of the Lord (Malachi 3:19-24/4:1-6, depending on versification) relates to the creative destruction in Revelation. The destruction of the wicked order, built on and maintained by violence and exploitation, must precede the creation of the fully realized Kingdom of God on Earth. Yet, as we read in Malachi, reconciliation and repentance can stave off judgment. The impenitent receive judgment.
Psalm 96 is a text of the universal kingship of God. Thematically, it fits well with the other readings. YHWH is the sole deity, not a tribal god.
I encourage you, O reader, not to find apocalyptic Biblical language scary and/or off-putting. Such language condemns many in authority. It decrees that they fall short of God’s standards, and that God remains sovereign. Such language empowers we who follow Jesus to say boldly, in the words of Daniel 5:27,
You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting….
—The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
Such language empowers us to speak and write prophetically. May we do so in love, boldly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 28, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT STEPHEN THE YOUNGER, DEFENDER OF ICONS
THE FEAST OF ALBERT GEORGE BUTZER, SR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF KAMEHAMEHA IV AND EMMAR ROOKE, KING AND QUEEN OF HAWAI’I
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH AND MICHAEL HOFER, U.S. HUTTERITE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS AND MARTYRS, 1918
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Above: The Pharisee and the Publican
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year 1
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Lectionary from A Book of Worship for Free Churches (The General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches in the United States, 1948)
Collect from The Book of Worship (Evangelical and Reformed Church, 1947)
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O Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth;
enter not into judgment with thy servants, we beseech thee, but be pleased of thy great kindness to grant,
that we who are now righteously afflicted and bowed down by the sense of our sins,
may be refreshed and lifted up with the joy of thy salvation. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 152
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Malachi 3:1-6
Psalms 130 and 131
Philippians 3:7-15
Luke 18:1-17
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Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance. I do not pretend to know what that balance is, for I know I am not God. Standards of behavior exist, however. They include not practicing sorcery, committing adultery, swearing falsely, cheating workers of wages, and subverting the cause of the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. I wonder how many people ignore the mandate of economic justice and of protecting strangers, encoded into the Law of Moses, present in the books of the Hebrew prophets, and extant in Christian moral teaching, and consider themselves sufficiently moral.
Lists, such as the one in Malachi 3:5, are not comprehensive. They are not supposed to be. They do, however, prompt us to consider what, in our context, we would add to any given list, consistent with the lists from the Bible. These lists, never intended to be comprehensive, contain timeless principles and some timeless examples, too.
Such lists condemn almost all of us, do they not? As the author of Psalm 130 asked, if God were to count sins, who could stand? Yet we know that divine judgment is real, as is mercy.
Recognition of total dependence on God is a principle in Judaism and Christianity, from the Law of Moses to the writings of St. Paul the Apostle. Yes, we bear the image of God. Yes, we are slightly lower than “the gods”–members of the divine court–usually translated into English as “the angels.” No, we are not pond scum. Yet we are also powerless to commit any righteousness other than what Lutheran theology categorizes as civic righteousness. Civil righteousness is objectively good, but it cannot save us.
For many people, the main idol to surrender to God is ego. People will go far to protect ego. They will frequently disregard objective reality and continue to believe disproven statements to protect ego. They will commit violence to protect ego sometimes. Some people even slander and/or libel others to protect ego.
Yet, as St. Paul the Apostle, who knew about his ego, understood, ego was rubbish before Christ.
How much better would the world be if more people cared about glorifying God, not themselves?
I do not pretend to have reached a great spiritual height and surrendered my ego. No, I continue to struggle with it. I do know something, however. I know from observation that giving power, from the church level to the national and global levels, to a person with either an inferiority complex or a raging ego is folly at best and doom at worst. One with an inferiority complex will seek to build up oneself, not the church, country, world, et cetera. An egomaniac will behave in the same way, with the same results. People with balanced egos are the ones to work for the common good.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 26, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARGARET CLITHEROW, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 1586
THE FEAST OF FLANNERY O’CONNOR, U.S. ROMAN CATHOLIC WRITER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE RUNDLE PRYNNE, ANGLICAN PRIEST, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JAMES RENDEL HARRIS, ANGLO-AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN QUAKER BIBLICAL SCHOLAR AND ORIENTALIST; ROBERT LUCCOCK BENSLY, ENGLISH BIBLICAL TRANSLATOR AND ORIENTALIST; AGNES SMITH LEWIS AND MARGARET DUNLOP SMITH GIBSON, ENGLISH BIBLICAL SCHOLARS AND LINGUISTS; SAMUEL SAVAGE LEWIS, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND LIBRARIAN OF CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE; AND JAMES YOUNG, SCOTTISH UNITED PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND LITERARY TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUDGER, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF MUNSTER
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Above: The Transfiguration
Image in the Public Domain
Judgment and Mercy
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
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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 3:19-24/4:1-6
Psalm 99
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Luke 9:18-36
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How well can we understand the judgment and mercy of God? Christianity dwells on divine mercy yet the New Testament contains plenty of judgment. Need I remind anyone of Revelation? Furthermore, anger and fantasies of violence recur throughout the Psalms. We read of the Day of the LORD in Malachi. In that passage we read, according to TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985), that the faithful will
trample the wicked to a pulp.
Who do we say God is? Who do we say Jesus is? We cannot escape all spiritual veils, for we know in part and carry cultural blinders. Yet we can, by grace, recognize Jesus sufficiently to follow him to Jerusalem, so to speak.
God will tend to judgment and mercy.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 22, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINT DEOGRATIAS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF CARTHAGE
THE FEAST OF EMMANUEL MOURNIER, PERSONALIST PHILOSOPHER
THE FEAST OF JAMES DE KOVEN, EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF THOMAS HUGHES, BRITISH SOCIAL REFORMER AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM EDWARD HICKSON, ENGLISH MUSIC EDUCATOR AND SOCIAL REFORMER
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/22/devotion-for-transfiguration-sunday-year-c-humes/
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Above: The Visitation
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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Malachi 3:1-20/3:1-4:2
Psalm 89:1-8. 11-18
Philippians 1:3-11
Luke 1:26-38
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If one expects God (YHWH, in Malachi) or Jesus to return and set matters right, how does one think and behave? If such a person is wise and pious, one will revere God and treat people with respect. One will continue to fulfill one’s duty before God. One will be heavenly-minded and of earthly good.
The Incarnation is not merely about the life of the Second Person of the Trinity in the flesh as Jesus of Nazareth, as well as the lives Jesus touched, directly and indirectly. No, the Incarnation pertains to many theologians have pondered for nearly two thousand years. I make no pretense of being an intellectual peer of St. Irenaeus of Lyons (circa 130-circa 202), author of The Scandal of the Incarnation. I do, however, tell you, O reader, that the Incarnation is also about my life and your life. Is Christ evident in us? Do we draw people to Jesus and make disciples, or do we drive people away from our Lord and Savior?
I can speak and write only for myself, so I do. I have a mixed record. I continue to strive to improve, by grace, however.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 9, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF HARRIET TUBMAN, U.S. ABOLITIONIST
THE FEAST OF EMANUEL CRONENWETT, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT FRANCES OF ROME, FOUNDRESS OF THE COLLATINES
THE FEAST OF JOHANN PACHELBEL, GERMAN LUTHERAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SOPHRONIUS OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCH
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/09/devotion-for-the-second-sunday-of-advent-year-c-humes/
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Above: Caduceus
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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Numbers 21:4-9 or Malachi 3:19-24/4:1-6
Psalm 74:1-2, 10-17
Hebrews 13:1-16, 20-21
Mark 12:35-44
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The promise of divine punishment for evil and of divine deliverance of the oppressed and righteous on the great Day of the LORD is one example of judgment and mercy being like sides of a coin. The deliverance of the oppressed is very bad news for the oppressors, who are, in a way, victims of themselves.
If we behave as we should–revere God, take care of each other, et cetera–we will not have to fear punishment from God for not doing so. We may incur punishment from human authorities, as in Tobit 1, but God did not promise a peaceful life in exchange for righteousness.
Two stories require more attention.
The cure in Numbers, cited also in John 3:14-15, in the context of the crucifixion of Jesus, our Lord and Savior’s glorification, according to the Fourth Gospel, is a textbook case of sympathetic magic. It is related to Egyptian imagery of kingship, divinity, and protection from cobra saliva. A commonplace visual echo is the caduceus, the medical symbol.
Pay attention to what precedes and follows Mark 12:41-44. Our Lord and Savior’s condemnation of those who, among other things,
eat up the property of widows,
precedes the account of the widow giving all she had to the Temple. Immediately in Chapter 13, we read a prediction of the destruction of the Temple. I conclude that Jesus found the widow’s faith laudable yet grieved her choice.
May our lives bring glory to God and lead others to faith and discipleship. May we, in our zeal, not go off the deep end and embarrass God and/or accidentally drive people away from God or get in the way of evangelism. And may we never mistake an internal monologue for a dialogue with God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BROOKE FOSS WESTCOTT, ANGLICAN SCHOLAR, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND BISHOP OF DURHAM; AND FENTON JOHN ANTHONY HORT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN HENRY BATEMAN, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHAN NORDAHL BRUN, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN BISHOP, AUTHOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND RENEWER OF THE CHURCH; AND HIS GRANDSON, WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, U.S. ARCHITECT AND QUAKER PEACE ACTIVIST
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/devotion-for-proper-28-year-b-humes/
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Above: Paul Writing His Epistles, by Valentin de Boulogne
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Fourth Sunday after Easter, Year 1, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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Give us, O Lord, a right understanding and a sincere love of thy Word;
that we may not be deceived and carried away by any falsehood,
but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 123
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Malachi 3:16-4:3
Romans 14:10-19
John 16:1-15
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Divine judgment hangs over the readings from Romans 14 and Malachi 3 and 4 (Malachi 3 in Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Bibles, which, despite having all the verses, have an extended Chapter 3 and no Chapter 4). In the context of judgment falling into the purview of God, our human responsibilities include obeying divine commandments and, in particular, supporting one another in faithful community. The latter point is especially important when the faith community is marginalized and facing conflict.
The assigned portion of John 16 operates on two levels. The first level is narrative–in this case, shortly before the crucifixion of Jesus. The text reads as spiritual counsel at the last minute. The second level is historical, given the Johannine Jewish community’s poor relations with their fellow Jews:
They will ban you from the synagogue….
–Verse 16:2a, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Mutual support in faith community is a practice people undertake with divine support. The delusion of self-sufficiency–the denial of interdependence–lies at the root of evil. When one thinks that one can–and must–rely on one’s powers, one opens the door to seeking to improve one’s lot by harming others. Yet when we accept that we depend fully on God and on each other, we realize the necessity of building each other up.
Poorly informed and uninformed judgment works against building people up. I differentiate between poorly informed judgment on one hand and proper judgment on the other. One may recall Jesus calling certain religious opponents on the Judean carpet and Hebrew prophets issuing stern condemnations. The verses against judging do not condemn telling the truth. They do, however, condemn destructive comments, written and oral. The truth, in contrast, may prompt one to repent. It works toward the goal of building up in the context of faithful community.
A major difficulty is a distinguishing poorly informed and uninformed judgment from proper judgment. Often–probably most of the time–we commit the latter when imagining that we are doing the former. In the context of conflict avoiding the latter is especially challenging, for anger leads naturally and predictably to invective. Words matter; invective leads to unfortunate results, not reconciliation. No, it feeds further conflict.
May we, by grace, build each other up, in the context of faithful community.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 14, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN AMOS COMENIUS, FATHER OF MODERN EDUCATION
THE FEAST OF THE CONSECRATION OF SAMUEL SEABURY, FIRST EPISCOPAL BISHOP
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM ROMANIS, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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