Archive for the ‘Mark 10’ Category
Above: The Healing of the Blind Man of Jericho
A Mosaic in Ravenna, Italy
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm 126
Hebrews 5:1-10
Mark 10:46-52
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Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity;
and, that we may obtain what your promise,
make us love what you command;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 29
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Almighty God, we pray,
show your humble servants your mercy,
that we, who put no trust in our own merits,
may be dealt with not according to the severity of your judgment
but according to your mercy;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 87
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…he learnt obedience, Son though he was, through his sufferings; when he had been perfected, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek.
–Hebrews 5:8-10, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
Perfection, in this case, indicates suitability for one’s task(s). This is the same definition of perfection according to which sacrificial animals who fulfill the standards are perfect and the Bible says we should be perfect.
We have, then, questions to consider. What are our tasks, properly? What does God expect us and equip us (both collectively and individually) to do? And how can we discern these vocations?
The formerly blind man of Jericho understood his new vocation; he followed Jesus into Jerusalem for that fateful Passover Week. The narrative drops the man after Mark 10:52, but we can imagine how the erstwhile blind man felt about what he saw and how these experiences altered his life.
The readings from the Hebrew Bible speak of God restoring ancient Israel. Jeremiah 31:7-9 envisions the restoration of the remnant of the northern Kingdom of Israel into the Judean community. This matter raises the question of human willingness to welcome those brothers and sisters back into the fold.
May we refrain from overdoing individualism. The dominant ethos in the Bible is communitarian. So, may the individualistic focus subordinate to the communal focus as we ponder what God calls and equips us to do. Besides, we can accomplish more together than alone. The question is not, “What does God call and equip me to do?” as often as it is, “What does God call and equip us to do?”
People live in situations, not abstractions. Therefore, faithful response to this divine call will look different from place and time to place and time. The challenges and circumstances of one community may differ from those of another. So be it. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, not the cooking. Results matter.
One application of this principle of collectively responding faithfully to God is to the church as membership declines and budgets reduce. As I write this post, inflation is another challenge to already-tight congregational budgets. How can we best be the church when and where we are? How must we change? What must never change? The Episcopal catechism lists lay members as ministers before it lists ordained people as ministers. Yet, in a sacramental tradition, sacramentalists are crucial. So, a congregation lacking a priest has an additional challenge. Yes, such a congregation can rent a prieset for any given Sunday, but that is not the same as having a regular priestly presence.
Often we need something intangible more than we require something tangible. We need the imagination to think anew and to recognize what we have that is tangible and how to use it most effectively. We require the imagination to perceive God calling us and God’s call to us. We need the imagination to believe that we can fulfill the vocation(s) for which God equips us.
Then we will be perfect–suitable for our tasks.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 3, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF CAROLINE CHISHOLM, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF ANTONIN DVORÁK, CZECH ROMAN CATHOLIC COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH HODGES, EPISCOPAL PRIEST, LITURGIST, ORGANIST, AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF MARIE-LÉONIE PARADIS, FOUNDER OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MAURA AND TIMOTHY OF ANTINOE, MARTYRS, 286
THE FEAST OF SAINT TOMASSO ACERBIS, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Icon of Christ Pantocrator
Scanned by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 53:10-12
Psalm 91:9-16
Hebrews 4:9-15
Mark 10:35-45
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Almighty and everlasting God,
in Christ you revealed your glory among the nations.
Preserve the works of your mercy,
that your Church throughout the world may persevere
with steadfast faith in the confession of your name;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us
that we may continually be given to good works;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 86
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In historical context, (Second) Isaiah 53:10-12 is about the Jews–a seemingly unimportant group of people–as they approached the conclusion of the Babylonian Exile. They had suffered greatly. Yet they, having survived, had suffered in such a way as to benefit exiles. Second Isaiah, writing circa 540 B.C.E., looked ahead about one year, to freedom, not five and a half centuries, to Jesus of Nazareth.
Suffering is also a theme in Psalm 91. Biblically, well-being is in God. So, suffering for the sake of righteousness does not preclude the maintenance of well-being.
Speaking of suffering and Jesus, we turn to the New Testament. The inappropriate request of Sts. James and John (sons of Zebedee and first cousins of Jesus) immediately follows Mark 10:32-34, a prediction of the Passion of Jesus. The other bookend is Mark 10:46-52, in which Jesus heals a blind man. The bookends comment upon the lection in Mark: Sts. James and John were blind to the Passion of Jesus and the cost of discipleship shortly prior to the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11).
Yet Sts. James, John, and the other disciples did not have a monopoly on spiritual doltage. So, as we turn to ourselves and to the Epistle to the Hebrews, may we also turn to Jesus, the sinless high priest who empathizes with us. Are we as forgiving of our foibles and ourselves as Jesus is? Are we as forgiving of the foibles and sins of other people as Jesus is? And, returning to the theme of suffering, do we identify our suffering with that of Jesus, who identifies with us–as individuals, communities, and a species?
All these questions may present challenges. So be it. We need not face these challenges on our own strength. Indeed, we cannot do so.
Let us, then, approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and to find grace in time f need.
–Hebrews 4:16, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 2, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA; PATRIARCH; AND SAINT ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, PATRIARCH AND “FATHER OF ORTHODOXY”
THE FEAST OF CHARLES SILVESTER HORNE, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH HASSE, GERMAN-BRITISH MORAVIAN COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF ELIAS BOUDINOT, IV, U.S. STATESMAN, PHILANTHROPIST, AND WITNESS FOR CIVIL JUSTICE
THE FEAST OF JULIA BULKLEY CADY CORY, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIGISMUND OF BURGUNDY, KING; SAINT CLOTILDA, FRANKISH QUEEN; AND SAINT CLODOALD, FRANKISH PRINCE AND ABBOT
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Icon of Amos
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
Psalm 90:12-17 (LBW) or Psalm 119:73-80 (LW)
Hebrews 3:1-6
Mark 10:17-27 (28-30)
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Almighty God, source of every blessing,
your generous goodness comes to us anew every day.
By the work of your Spirit,
lead us to acknowledge your goodness,
give thanks for your benefits,
and serve you in willing obedience;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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Enlighten our minds, we pray, O God,
by the Spirit who proceeds from you,
that, as your Son has promised,
we may be led into all truth;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 85
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The prophet Amos channeled the Law of Moses when he condemned economic injustice. The cheating of people and the exploitation of the poor and vulnerable stirred up the prophet’s righteous anger. The original context was the northern Kingdom of Israel about half a century prior to its demise in 722 B.C.E. Sadly, Amos 5:6-15 has never ceased to apply somewhere, at least in spirit.
If Amos were alive today, many people–including many conventionally pious folk–would dismiss him as a “Social Justice Warrior” and as “woke.” So be it. Cynics and defenders of social injustice are always present, as is the divine judgment upon them.
The selections from the Book of Psalms attest to dedication to living so as to obey and honor God. This attitude is a good start–a better start than disregard for those purposes. Yet a good start does not always result in a good conclusion. As the lection from Mark 10 indicates, wealth can stand in the way by blinding one to total dependence on God. Wealth is, by itself, morally and spiritually neutral. And a review of Christ’s spiritual counsel in the reveals that he tailored advice to fit its recipients, in their circumstances. Regarding wealth, as we read elsewhere in the New Testament, the love of money is the root of all evil–the delusion that we can and must rely on ourselves, not God.
The most succinct summary of the Epistle to the Hebrews I have heard is:
There is x, then there is Jesus.
In Hebrews 3:1-6, for example, we read that Jesus is greater than Moses. God is the builder of the household of God, Moses was a faithful member of that household, Christ is faithful as a son over his household, and the people of God are the household of God. There is a caveat, though:
…And we are his household, as long as we maintain his boldness and the boast of hope.
–Hebrews 3:6, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
In other words, we are the household of God as long as we do not drop out of it. Apostasy is a theme in the Epistle to the Hebrews, set against the backdrop of persecution.
What distracts us from God? What are our idols? For some, wealth is an idol. Yet money and property are not idols for all wealthy people. Fear of persecution is another popular idol. Insensitivity to human suffering is yet another frequent idol. The list is long.
May God reveal our idols to us. Then may we repent and follow God, to the benefit of others and ourselves, as well as to the glory of God, regardless of the cost to us.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 28, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF JAROSLAV VAJDA, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOZEF CEBULA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1941
THE FEAST OF SAINT LOUIS DE MONTFORT, FOUNDER OF THE COMPANY OF MARY (THE MONTFORT MISSIONARIES) AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF WISDOM; AND SAINT MARIE-LOUISE TRICHET, CO-FOUNDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF WISDOM
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAMPHILIUS OF SULMONA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND ALMSGIVER
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CHANEL, PROTOMARTYR OF OCEANIA, 1841
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Female Symbol
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Genesis 2:18-24
Psalm 128 (LBW) or Psalm 119:49-56 (LW)
Hebrews 2:9-11 (12-18)
Mark 10:2-16
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Our Lord Jesus, you have endured
the doubts and foolish questions of every generation.
Forgive us for trying to be judge over you,
and grant us the confident faith to acknowledge you as Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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O God, whose almighty power is made known chiefly
in showing mercy and pity,
grant us the fullness of your grace
that we may be partakers of your heavenly treasures;
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 84
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For me to write about wives may seem or be ironic, for I have never married. I have, however, had a girlfriend, whom I loved dearly and struggled to keep alive for a decade, until her suicide. So, some of the material for this Sunday rings true for me in tangible ways.
Richard Elliott Friedman, in his Commentary on the Torah (2001), refers to Eve not as a helper for Adam but as
a strength corresponding to him.
Friedman notes that the Hebrew root ezer can mean both “helper” and “strength.” Then he continues to justify his translation choice by citing Genesis 1 (both males and females bear the image of God) and Genesis 2 (males and females are corresponding strengths).
Psalm 128 is not palatable to modern, egalitarian sensibilities, such as mine:
Your wife is like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your house,
your children like young olive trees
around your table.
Look, it is thus
that the man is blessed who fears the LORD.
–Verses 3-4, Robert Alter
In Psalm 128, a pious wife stays home and bears and raises children.
The teachings of Jesus about marriage, divorce, remarriage, and children came in a cultural context. Some wealthy people used divorce and remarriage to increase their wealth and land holdings at the expense of others. And women and children were vulnerable members of their patriarchal society. Jesus affirmed the value and dignity of women, children, and the home.
Jesus also affirmed human dignity via the Incarnation:
It was essential that he should in this way be made completely like his brothers so that he could become a compassionate and trustworthy high priest for their relationship to God, able to expiate the sins of the people.
–Hebrews 2:16, The New Jerusalem Bible
“Expiate” is not a household word. It means:
An atoning sacrifice which obliterates sin from God’s sight and so restores to holiness and the divine favor.
–Raymond Abba, in The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, E-J (1962), 200
Such love requires of us who benefit from us who benefit from it that we love God. This faithful response manifests in how we treat each other.
So, how do we treat each other? Do we habitually affirm the dignity of people, especially those who differ from us? How do we think about matters of the equality of races, genders, et cetera? Do we recognize the image of God in all people? If so, how does that affect our attitudes and actions toward them? Or do we persist in harboring hateful prejudices, acting on them, and perhaps citing religion as a justification?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 27, 2024 COMMON ERA
THE NINETEENTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE WASHINGTON DOANE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF NEW JERSEY; AND HIS SON, WILLIAM CROSWELL DOANE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF ALBANY; HYMN WRITERS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTONY AND THEODOSIUS OF KIEV, FOUNDERS OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX MONASTICISM; AND SAINT STEPHEN OF KIEV, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI, POET AND RELIGIOUS WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS REMACLUS OF MAASTRICHT, THEODORE OF MAASTRICHT, LAMBERT OF MAASTRICHT, HUBERT OF MAASTRICHT AND LIEGE, AND FLORIBERT OF MAASTRICT, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; SAINT LANDRADA OF MUNSTERBILSEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBESS; AND SAINTS OTGER OF UTRECHT, PLECHELM OF GUELDERLAND, AND WIRO, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZITA OF TUSCANY, WORKER OF CHARITY
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Divorce Symbol
Image in the Public Domain
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART XL
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Luke 16:16-18
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Some major, germane points are essential in these readings:
- The ministry of St. John the Baptist marked the end of an era. The ministry of Jesus defined the beginning of a new era (v. 16).
- The translation of verse 16n is difficult, but it seems to mean that, given the proclamation of the Kingdom of God, positive response to Jesus is urgent.
- The Law of Moses remained in effect. Jesus has not nullified it. No, Jesus is the ultimate arbiter of the Law of Moses (v. 17).
- The teaching regarding divorce requires its own section (v. 18).
I write within my context–North America. In some ways, my context is similar to that of Christ. The widening chasm between the rich and the poor, the shrinking of the middle class, and the persistence of institutionalized social injustice (especially that of the economic variety) come to mind immediately. Yet, in other ways, my context differs significantly from that of Jesus. Therefore, I have to read books to learn about contexts of Jesus. The work of Richard Horsley, given his economic focus, proves essential in this endeavor. He writes of the reality on the ground during Christ’s time and contextualizes Jesus’s teachings within that reality.
It is likely that [the Pharisees’] “liberal” divorce laws (based on Deut. 24:1-4) were useful for well-to-do families in consolidating their landholding through the device of divorce and remarriage. Such maneuvering was also taking advantage of deeply indebted families, one more factor exacerbating the disintegration of marriage and family units. By forbidding divorce and remarriage, in appeal to the creation stories of the solidarity of husband and wife, Jesus was reinforcing the marriage bond as the essential core of the fundamental social form of the family.
–Horsley, Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder (2003), 110
Valid reasons for divorce exist in the Bible. Infidelity is one (Matthew 19:9; Mark 10:1-12). A review of colonial era Puritan family law in North America reveals other valid reasons within their society. These include neglect, abandonment, and domestic violence. I know of a female minister who divorced her first husband on the grounds of attempted murder. Ideals frequently fail to match messy reality. Ideally, marriage is until death do the spouses part. In reality, though, some marriages need to dissolve, for the good of the family.
When we interpret Christ’s teaching on divorce in its cultural context, we recognize the economic component of that teaching. We also see the timeless principle undergirding the culturally-specific teaching. To mistake the culturally-specific teaching for a timeless principle is to err. One of our tasks, then, is to ponder how best to apply the timeless principle in our cultural context. May we, by grace, do so properly and correctly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 20, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT FABIAN, BISHOP OF ROME, AND MARTYR, 250
THE FEAST OF SANTS EUTHYMIUS THE GREAT AND THEOCTISTUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOTS
THE FEAST OF GREVILLE PHILLIMORE, ENGLISH PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF HAROLD A. BOSLEY, UNITED METHODIST MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HARRIET AUBER, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF RICHARD ROLLE, ENGLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC SPIRITUAL WRITER
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Above: Habakkuk
Image in the Public Domain
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READING HABAKKUK, PART IV
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Habakkuk 2:5-20
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Denunciations of tyrants and tyranny remain germane, unfortunately.
Habakkuk 2:5-20 unpacks 2:4, the text on which I fixated in the previous post in this series. Certain aspects of 2:5-20 do not translate well into English; others do.
First, the commandment to trust in God, not in wealth, pervades the Old and New Testaments. We read it in Habakkuk 2:5f. The issue is attachment to wealth, not wealth itself. This point is also prominent in Luke 12:15; Mark 10:17-27; and 1 Timothy 6:10. In Habakkuk 2:7, the same Hebrew word means both “debtors” and “creditors.” Debtor nations can become creditor nations, and the other way around.
Second, the theology of divine retribution, prominent in the Bible (notably in Nahum, which I recently finished reading) informs Habakkuk 2:8f. What comes around, goes around. Through divine retribution, something beautiful happens:
But the earth shall be filled
with the knowledge of the LORD’s glory,
just as the water covers the sea.
–Habakkuk 2:14, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
This divine glory contrasts with the corrupt, sinful human glory of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire and other earthly powers (2:16). God is sovereign. Idolatry, in all its forms, is foolish.
In the original context, Habakkuk 2:5-20 applied to the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire. Reinterpretation of these verses probably commenced immediately after the fall of that empire to the Persians and the Medes in 539 B.C.E.
Tyrants succeed because other people empower them. Tyrants fail because of insufficient support. The fully-realized Kingdom of God is antithetical to tyranny. Yet the history of the Christian Church is replete with official ecclesiastical support for tyrants and would-be tyrants. One may recognize support for fascist dictators, military juntas, and those who who seek to subvert representative government from the ancient past to the present day. And the condemnations Habakkuk 2:5-20 leveled against the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire apply to certain governments, public officials, and private citizens in 2021.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 6, 2021 COMMON ERA
PROPER 5: THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF FRANKLIN CLARK FRY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA AND THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLAUDE OF BESANÇON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, MONK, ABBOT, AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF HENRY JAMES BUCKOLL, AUTHOR AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF JOHANN FRIEDRICH HERTZOG, GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM KETHE, PRESBYTERIAN HYMN WRITER
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Above: The Holy Kinship of Saint Anne
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Third 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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Almighty God, who hast been the hope and confidence of thy people in all ages;
mercifully regard, we beseech thee, the prayer with which we cry unto thee out of the depths,
and stretch forth the right hand of thy majesty and defense;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 150
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Genesis 22:1-19
Psalm 57
2 Corinthians 4
Matthew 20:17-28
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Regarding the near-sacrifice of Isaac and my rejection of a traditional interpretation of that story, I choose not to repeat myself in this post. If you wish, O reader, follow the germane tags.
One theme in this group of readings is persistence in following God. When foes have their proverbial knives out, remain firm in faith. Even a superficial reading of martyrology reveals that the knives, et cetera, have frequently been literal. (Consider the case of St. James Intercisus, who won the crown of martyrdom in what is now Iran in 421. “Intercisus” means “cut into pieces.”)
The servant is not greater than the master. This is a lesson from Matthew Matthew 20:17-28. Attentive readers of the Gospels may know that Sts. James and John, sons of Zebedee, were first cousins of our Lord and Savior. One may realize, then, that their mother (St. Mary Salome), was Christ’s aunt (sister of St. Mary of Nazareth).
Modern-day helicopter parents and snowplow/lawnmower parents have nothing on St. Mary Salome, assuming that she asked the question. One can read in Mark 10:35-45 that Sts. James and John made the request themselves.
To imagine that following Jesus is a path to an easy life full of riches is to labor under a false impression. (Prosperity Theology is a heresy.) This a lesson, history tells us, that both brothers learned. We read in hagiography that one became a martyr and the other, although he died of natural causes (old age, mainly), suffered for his faith. Sometimes living one’s faith leads on one’s death. If living one’s faith does not lead to one’s death, it will, nevertheless, lead to some negative consequences in this life. The servant is not greater than the master.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 25, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT DISMAS, PENITENT BANDIT
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Above: The Statue of Liberty
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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Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 126
Philippians 1:3-11
Mark 10:28-31
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Torah piety teaches the following, among other truths:
- We depend entirely on God.
- We depend on each other.
- We are responsible to each other.
- We are responsible for each other.
- We have no right to exploit each other.
The selection of readings indicates the immigrant experience in the United States of America, going back to colonial times. In the United States, we are all immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Even indigenous people descend from those who, long ago, in prehistory, migrated to the what we now call the Americas. I descend primarily from people who left the British Isles. My family tree also includes Germans, French Protestants, and Oklahoma Cherokees. The Cherokee DNA is outwardly more obvious in other members of my family. Nevertheless, I hear occasionally from people who say I look Greek, Jewish, or somewhat Native American.
I have hopes and dreams for my country. I want polarization to end. I want the politics of bigotry to become unacceptable, as measured via votes in elections and legislatures. I want us, individually and collectively, to be compassionate. I want high principles to define both ideals and policies. I want the rhetoric of religion to justify the best of human conduct and government policy, not the worst of both.
That is what Thanksgiving Day means to me.
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-thanksgiving-day-u-s-a-year-b-humes/
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Above: Christ Giving Sight to Bartimaeus, by William Blake
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 13:1-2, 17-32 or 2 Kings 5:1-17
Psalm 71:1-12
Hebrews 11
Mark 10:46-52
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Proper faith is optimistic, not foolish. It acknowledges difficulties and trusts in God. Proper faith casts out improper fear.
The story of blind Bartimaeus (Son of Timaeus, literally) is instructive. In the context of the Gospel of Mark, it immediately precedes the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Mark 11). One may state that Bartimaeus to follow Jesus at a very difficult time. The character’s physical blindness functions as a commentary on the spiritual blindness of the Apostles earlier in Chapter 10. One may conclude that, for Jesus, healing physical blindness was easier than healing the spiritual blindness of people around him.
The most basic commandment of Jesus to take one’s cross and follow him. The details of that order vary person to person, depending on who, where, and when one is. The principle is timeless, though.
May God forgive all of us for our spiritual blindness and heal us, so that we may follow him as well as possible.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/devotion-for-proper-26-year-b-humes/
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Above: A Family
Image in the Public Domain
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For the Fourth Sunday of the Season of God the Father, Year 2, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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O Thou who from the beginning didst create us for life together:
grant that, by thy fatherly grace, we may put aside suspicion and fear,
and live as one family on earth, praising thy name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 127
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Genesis 2:15-25
Ephesians 5:21-33
Mark 10:1-9
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Torah piety, which informs the New Testament, teaches the following lessons germane to the assigned readings:
- We depend entirely on God.
- We depend on each other.
- We are responsible to each other.
- We are responsible for each other.
- We have no right to exploit each other.
In other words, independence is a lie and dependence and interdependence are the rule.
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
–Ephesians 5:21, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
Ephesians 5:22-6:9 contains some understandably controversial and uncomfortable passages. Misinterpretations are as old as antiquity and as recent as the present day. This section of Ephesians details spiritual responsibilities–of a husband to his wife, of a wife to her husband, of parents to children, of children to parents, of slaves to masters, and of masters to slaves. The acceptance of Roman slavery in the context of the expectation of the parousia (which has yet to happen) properly offends moral sensibilities. All forms of slavery are wrong in all places and at all times. All forms of slavery violate the Golden Rule.
I am an unlikely person to write a blog post about marriage, for I am a confirmed bachelor. If I were to marry, I would wed a woman, but I prefer to live alone. But even we bachelors are responsible to and for others. We may be solitary by choice and inclination, but we are not cut off from society.
Life together in society, to be as beneficial as possible, requires give and take, for the common good. As The Book of Common Prayer (1979) reminds us, we depend upon the labor of each other. May we help each other fulfill the potential each person has, for the glory of God and the common good.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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