Archive for the ‘Psalm 117’ Category
I covered 150 psalms in 82 posts.
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Posted February 25, 2023 by neatnik2009 in Psalm 1, Psalm 10, Psalm 100, Psalm 101, Psalm 102, Psalm 103, Psalm 104, Psalm 105, Psalm 106, Psalm 107, Psalm 108, Psalm 109, Psalm 11, Psalm 110, Psalm 111, Psalm 112, Psalm 113, Psalm 114, Psalm 115, Psalm 116, Psalm 117, Psalm 118, Psalm 119, Psalm 12, Psalm 120, Psalm 121, Psalm 122, Psalm 123, Psalm 124, Psalm 125, Psalm 126, Psalm 127, Psalm 128, Psalm 129, Psalm 13, Psalm 130, Psalm 131, Psalm 132, Psalm 133, Psalm 134, Psalm 135, Psalm 136, Psalm 137, Psalm 138, Psalm 139, Psalm 14, Psalm 140, Psalm 141, Psalm 142, Psalm 143, Psalm 144, Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Psalm 147, Psalm 148, Psalm 149, Psalm 15, Psalm 150, Psalm 16, Psalm 17, Psalm 18, Psalm 19, Psalm 2, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 22, Psalm 23, Psalm 24, Psalm 25, Psalm 26, Psalm 27, Psalm 28, Psalm 29, Psalm 3, Psalm 30, Psalm 31, Psalm 32, Psalm 33, Psalm 34, Psalm 35, Psalm 36, Psalm 37, Psalm 38, Psalm 39, Psalm 4, Psalm 40, Psalm 41, Psalm 42, Psalm 43, Psalm 44, Psalm 45, Psalm 46, Psalm 47, Psalm 48, Psalm 49, Psalm 5, Psalm 50, Psalm 51, Psalm 52, Psalm 53, Psalm 54, Psalm 55, Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 58, Psalm 59, Psalm 6, Psalm 60, Psalm 61, Psalm 62, Psalm 63, Psalm 64, Psalm 65, Psalm 66, Psalm 67, Psalm 68, Psalm 69, Psalm 7, Psalm 70, Psalm 71, Psalm 72, Psalm 73, Psalm 74, Psalm 75, Psalm 76, Psalm 77, Psalm 78, Psalm 79, Psalm 8, Psalm 80, Psalm 81, Psalm 82, Psalm 83, Psalm 84, Psalm 85, Psalm 86, Psalm 87, Psalm 88, Psalm 89, Psalm 9, Psalm 90, Psalm 91, Psalm 92, Psalm 93, Psalm 94, Psalm 95, Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, Psalm 99
READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART XLII
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Psalms 56, 116, 117, and 118
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Psalms 56, 116, 117, and 118 are similar to each other.
The superscription of Psalm 56 has two interesting features. The first is:
on yonath elem rehokim.
The Hebrew text translates literally as:
The mute dove of distant places
or as:
The Dove of the Distant Gods
or as:
The Dove of the Far-Off Terebinths.
This is a musical term of uncertain meaning in 2023. One may reasonably assume, however, that the meaning of the term was clear in antiquity, when someone wrote the superscription.
The superscription may also link Psalm 56 to 1 Samuel 21:11-16,
when the Philistines seized [David] in Gath.
If so, Psalm 34 has that in common with Psalm 56. Alternatively, the superscription refers to a story about David not recorded in the canon of Hebrew scripture. I remain skeptical of many superscriptions in the Book of Psalms, though.
All four psalms praise God for hesed–steadfast love. Psalm 117, being brief (only two verses) is the only one of these four texts not to contextualize this praise of God in deliverance from peril–illness in Psalm 116, individual enemies in Psalm 56, and a battle in Psalm 118.
Famously, Psalm 118 contains a frequently quoted verse:
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
–Verse 22, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
Competing interpretations of the identity of the chief cornerstone exist. The Jewish Study Bible–Second Edition (2014) tells me that is a
metaphor of reversal of expectations
and that Israel is the cornerstone. That volume also points to the use of other architectural imagery (gates and gateway) in verses 19-20. Robert Alter identifies the cornerstone as the psalmist, standing in the temple and comparing himself
in his former abject state to a stone at first considered unfit by the builders but then made the chief cornerstone of a grand edifice.
And, of course, there is the traditional “Where’s Waldo?” interpretation that the chief cornerstone is Jesus. My skepticism of locating Jesus in every other nook and cranny of the Hebrew Bible is on the record in this series and elsewhere at this weblog.
Regardless of whether the chief cornerstone is Israel or the author of Psalm 118, this metaphor testifies to the hesed of God, present in all four psalms. God’s love is the cause of the reversal of fortune in Psalms 56, 116, and 118. This grace is not just for any particular person or persons. No, it is for the benefit of many people, if not all people. Blessings are for sharing, after all.
I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all His people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in the midst of Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!
–Psalm 116:18-19, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
Psalm 117 contains a universalist theme:
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol Him, all you peoples,
for great is His steadfast love toward us;
the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Hallelujah.
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
YHWH is no tribal deity. No, YHWH is the only deity. Divine grace falls where it will, all over the world. It falls upon Jews and Gentiles. Divine grace falls upon people like me and different from me. It falls upon people who think like you, O reader, and people who think differently than you. May all our songs of praise to God for grace and hesed merge into a chorus and benefit as many people as possible.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 16, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROBERTO DE NOBOLI, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY IN INDIA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BERARD AND HIS COMPANIONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS IN MOROCCO, 1220
THE FEAST OF EDMUND HAMILTON SEARS, U.S. UNITARIAN MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF EDWARD BUNNETT, ANGLICAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUANA MARIA CONDESA LLUCH, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE HANDMAIDS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, PROTECTRESS OF WORKERS
THE FEAST OF TIMOTHY RICHARD MATTHEWS, ANGLICAN PRIEST, ORGANIST, AND HYMN TUNE COMPOSER
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Above: The Marriage at Cana, by Paolo Veronese
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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Amos 5:18-24 or Proverbs 3:5-18
Psalm 117
1 Timothy 3:1-13
John 2:1-12
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Rituals are part of religion. The Law of Moses specifies elements of ritualism, down to priestly vestments and certain details of sacred spaces. May we human beings shun Puritanical and Pietistic excesses as we focus on the point of Amos 5:18-24. That point is that sacred rituals are not talismans. They do not shield people from the consequences of a lack of righteousness–in this case, manifested in the exploitation of the vulnerable and in corruption.
Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance. We may praise God for having merciful love (as in Psalm 117), but divine justice is catastrophic for the habitually unrighteous (as in Amos 5). Therefore, blessed and happy are those who find wisdom (as in Proverbs 3).
1 Timothy 3, somewhat bound by cultural context, does contain a timeless element, too. Ecclesiastical leaders have a duty to lead by example. They must have fine character. Their deeds must not belie the sacred truth.
Hypocrisy offends, does it not? I recall a news story from years ago. A minister had preached against gambling. Then someone caught him gambling in a casino.
Deeds reveal creeds. Words may deceive, but deeds to not lie. In Jewish theology, God is like what God has done and is doing. The same principle applies to human beings.
In the Gospel of John, Christ’s first miracle was turning water into wine at Cana. This was no mere parlor trick. Yes, Jesus saved his host from embarrassment. Christ also pointed to his glory, that is, God’s presence in him. Jesus pointed to God.
Divine grace is extravagant. It saves us from sins and from ourselves. Sometimes it may save us from embarrassment. Do we accept that grace and point to God? Do we accept that grace and love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Or do we reject that grace?
Our deeds will reveal our creeds.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 30, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF ALLEN EASTMAN CROSS, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN MAIN, ANGLO-CANADIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MONK
THE FEAST OF FRANCES JOSEPH-GAUDET, AFRICAN-AMERICAN EDUCATOR, PRISON REFORMER, AND SOCIAL WORKER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM ADAMS BROWN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, AND SOCIAL REFORMER
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/devotion-for-the-fourth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-d-humes/
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Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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The psalter of the Septuagint contains 151 psalms.
I have written based on all of them, in numerical order. I have retained the Hebrew numbering system, not that of the Septuagint.
Although I have no theological reticence to venture into textual territory that, according the United Methodism of my youth, is apocryphal, I do have limits. They reside in the realm of Orthodoxy, with its range of scriptural canons. Beyond that one finds the Pseudipigrapha. Psalm 151 concludes the Book of Psalms in The Orthodox Study Bible (2008); so be it.
The Hebrew psalter concludes with Psalm 150. In other psalters, however, the count is higher. In certain editions of the Septuagint, for example, Psalm 151 is an appendix to the Book of Psalms. In other editions of the Septuagint, however, Psalm 151 is an integrated part of the psalter. There is also the matter of the Syraic psalter, which goes as high as Psalm 155. I have no immediate plans to ponder Psalms 152-155, however. Neither do I plan to read and write about Psalms 156-160 any time soon, if ever.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 23, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MARTIN DE PORRES AND JUAN MACIAS, HUMANITARIANS AND DOMINICAN LAY BROTHERS; SAINT ROSE OF LIMA, HUMANITARIAN AND DOMINICAN SISTER; AND SAINT TURIBIUS OF MOGROVEJO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF LIMA
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM JOHN COPELAND, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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Book One: Psalms 1-41
Book Two: Psalms 42-72
Book Three: Psalms 73-89
Book Four: Psalms 90-106
Book Five: Psalms 107-150
Also in the Greek: Psalm 151
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Posted August 23, 2017 by neatnik2009 in Psalm 1, Psalm 10, Psalm 100, Psalm 101, Psalm 102, Psalm 103, Psalm 104, Psalm 105, Psalm 106, Psalm 107, Psalm 108, Psalm 109, Psalm 11, Psalm 110, Psalm 111, Psalm 112, Psalm 113, Psalm 114, Psalm 115, Psalm 116, Psalm 117, Psalm 118, Psalm 119, Psalm 12, Psalm 120, Psalm 121, Psalm 122, Psalm 123, Psalm 124, Psalm 125, Psalm 126, Psalm 127, Psalm 128, Psalm 129, Psalm 13, Psalm 130, Psalm 131, Psalm 132, Psalm 133, Psalm 134, Psalm 135, Psalm 136, Psalm 137, Psalm 138, Psalm 139, Psalm 14, Psalm 140, Psalm 141, Psalm 142, Psalm 143, Psalm 144, Psalm 145, Psalm 146, Psalm 147, Psalm 148, Psalm 149, Psalm 15, Psalm 150, Psalm 151, Psalm 16, Psalm 17, Psalm 18, Psalm 19, Psalm 2, Psalm 20, Psalm 21, Psalm 22, Psalm 23, Psalm 24, Psalm 25, Psalm 26, Psalm 27, Psalm 28, Psalm 29, Psalm 3, Psalm 30, Psalm 31, Psalm 32, Psalm 33, Psalm 34, Psalm 35, Psalm 36, Psalm 37, Psalm 38, Psalm 39, Psalm 4, Psalm 40, Psalm 41, Psalm 42, Psalm 43, Psalm 44, Psalm 45, Psalm 46, Psalm 47, Psalm 48, Psalm 49, Psalm 5, Psalm 50, Psalm 51, Psalm 52, Psalm 53, Psalm 54, Psalm 55, Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 58, Psalm 59, Psalm 6, Psalm 60, Psalm 61, Psalm 62, Psalm 63, Psalm 64, Psalm 65, Psalm 66, Psalm 67, Psalm 68, Psalm 69, Psalm 7, Psalm 70, Psalm 71, Psalm 72, Psalm 73, Psalm 74, Psalm 75, Psalm 76, Psalm 77, Psalm 78, Psalm 79, Psalm 8, Psalm 80, Psalm 81, Psalm 82, Psalm 83, Psalm 84, Psalm 85, Psalm 86, Psalm 87, Psalm 88, Psalm 89, Psalm 9, Psalm 90, Psalm 91, Psalm 92, Psalm 93, Psalm 94, Psalm 95, Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, Psalm 99
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POST XLVII OF LX
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The Book of Common Prayer (1979) includes a plan for reading the Book of Psalms in morning and evening installments for 30 days. I am therefore blogging through the Psalms in 60 posts.
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 226
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Psalms 116, 117, and 118 are texts of thanksgiving. Psalm 116 follows recovery from a serious illness. The author understands that God cares for and about him. The psalmist is quite unlike the benighted man of Psalms 14 and 53, who thinks that God does not care. The author of Psalm 117, the briefest of all the psalms, calls on all the nations to praise God. God, he writes, is faithful forever. Psalm 118 might follow a military victory or the return from the Babylonian Exile and the building of the Second Temple.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in mortals;
it is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in the great.
–Psalm 118:8-9, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Do we affirm that in words and deeds? That is certainly the intention of the author of Psalm 116. His is a proper attitude toward God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 20, 2017 COMMON ERA
PROPER 15: THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF JOHN BAJUS, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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Above: Rahab, by Frederick Richard Pickersgill
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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Joshua 2:1-9, 12-16
Psalm 117
Acts 9:23-31
Mark 8:22-26
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Praise the LORD, all you nations;
laud him, all you peoples.
For his loving-kindness toward us is great,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures for ever.
Hallelujah!
–Psalm 117, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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David Ackerman, in Beyond the Lectionary (2013), explains the unifying theme of these lections as how the deliverance of spies (in Joshua 2) and St. Paul the Apostle (in Acts 9)
leads to the liberation of Gentile people
–page 29
Rahab and her family become part of the Hebrew community. She is a foreigner, yes, but, as Psalm 117:1 says,
Praise the LORD, all you nations.
St. Paul the Apostle, recently converted, survives to preach to Gentiles. Both he and Rahab escape over city walls. (That shared element is a nice touch.)
With regard to the reading from Mark 8, the formerly blind man sees clearly–literally. Rahab sees clearly–metaphorically–also. So does St. Paul, after his long-term spiritual blindness and short-term physical blindness. Sometimes clear vision of the spiritual variety places one at great risk, as in the case of St. Paul.
The themes of light and of the inclusion of Gentiles fit well into the Season After the Epiphany. For we who are Gentiles this might not seem scandalous. Yet we read in the Bible that such radical inclusion was quite controversial. This fact should prompt us to ponder prayerfully whom we exclude wrongly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 3, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIE-LEONIE PARADIS, FOUNDER OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM WHITING, HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2017/05/03/devotion-for-the-fourth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-ackerman/
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This is post #1650 of BLOGA THEOLOGICA.
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Above: Icon of Christ Pantocrator
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Obadiah 1-21
Psalms 87 and 117
John 12:17-19, 37-50
1 Corinthians 15:27-34 (35-38) 39-41 (42-58)
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The resurrection of Jesus overlaps with Christ the King Sunday in Year D. I like that liturgical year.
The power of God, in whom we need to rely, is a theme present in the assigned readings. This power is evident in Jesus; that is no surprise. Furthermore, all temporal substitutes for God–geography, international alliances, et cetera–are woefully inadequate.
The fear of certain Pharisees in John 12:19b is
Look, the world has gone after him!
—The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
If only that were true! I am not oblivious to reality; I do not mistake superficial observance for discipleship. I also know that, overall, the rate of discipleship in the Western world is declining. An accurate reading of U.S. history reveals the fact that a substantial proportion of the population has always been non-observant. Nevertheless, the current situation is not a return to historical patterns. One can make similar generalizations about other parts of the Western world. Nevertheless, I am optimistic; God is in charge and no human resistance or indifference can halt the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 21, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE, MARTYR
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2016/12/21/devotion-for-proper-29-year-d/
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Above: Abraham and Melchizedek, by Dieric Bouts the Elder
Image in the Public Domain
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The Collect:
Sovereign God, you turn your greatness into goodness for all the peoples on earth.
Shape us into willing servants of your kingdom,
and make us desire always and only your will,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 50
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 14:17-24
Psalm 91:9-16
Romans 15:7-13
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Because they have set their love upon me,
therefore will I deliver them;
I will lift them up, because they know my name.
They will call upon me, and I will answer them;
I am with them in trouble,
I will deliver them and bring them to honour.
–Psalm 91:14-15, Common Worship (2000)
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Who was Melchizedek? He was a mysterious figure, the King of Salem (Jerusalem) and a “priest of the Most High” (Genesis 14:18, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures). “The God Most High” might have been Yahweh; the text is ambiguous. So Melchizedek, to whom the victorious warrior and patriarch Abram (Abraham) paid a tithe might have belonged to a pagan cult. If so, the patriarch paid homage to a pagan deity. On the other hand, Melchizedek might have been a Gentile devotee of Yahweh. Sometimes one wishes that certain Biblical texts were unambiguous.
Interpreting “the God Most High” to mean Yahweh meshes well with Romans 15:7-13. St. Paul the Apostle, who quoted, in order, Psalm 18:49, Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 117:1, and Isaiah 11:10 (all from the Septuagint; sometimes that translation contains some words crucial to his point and absent from other versions), argued that God calls both Jews and Gentiles. The Gospel is therefore inclusive.
Romans 15:7-13 brings up issues far beyond Jewish-Christian relations. During the time of St. Paul Christianity was a Jewish sect, albeit one open to Gentiles. Furthermore, the Apostle was always Jewish. He dealt with issues of identity, some of which went back to the time of Abraham. Would permitting uncircumcised Gentile men to convert to Christianity without first becoming Jews threaten Jewish identity? Many Jews (including Christians) thought so. Passages such as the pericope from Romans took on greater and different significance after the formal split of Christianity from Judaism during the Second Jewish War in 135 C.E.
Within Christianity the pericope remains significant. We, the Gentiles, have our own “Gentiles,” whom we define according to a variety of standards, including race, ethnicity, gender, language, culture, and physical capabilities. Labeling as outsiders those whom God calls insiders is sinful. It harms them and hinders the community of faith while making those who label narrowly feel good about themselves in the context of their imagined exclusive status. And most of us who call ourselves Christians have engaged in this unfortunate behavior or will do so, given sufficient time.
May God forgive us, help us to do better, and create a more inclusive community of faith, for the glory of God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 3, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF HENRY THOMAS SMART, ENGLISH ORGANIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF ELIZABETH FERRARD, ANGLICAN DEACONESS
THE FEAST OF IMMANUEL NITSCHMANN, GERMAN-AMERICAN MORAVIAN MINISTER AND MUSICIAN; HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW, JACOB VAN VLECK, U.S. MORAVIAN MORAVIAN BISHOP, MUSICIAN, COMPOSER, AND EDUCATOR; HIS SON, WILLIAM HENRY VAN VLECK, U.S. MORAVIAN BISHOP; HIS BROTHER, CARL ANTON VAN VLECK, U.S. MORAVIAN MINISTER, MUSICIAN, COMPOSER, AND EDUCATOR; HIS DAUGHTER, LISETTE (LIZETTA) MARIA VAN VLECK MEINUNG; AND HER SISTER, AMELIA ADELAIDE VAN VLECK, U.S. MORAVIAN COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF JOHN CENNICK, BRITISH MORAVIAN EVANGELIST AND HYMN WRITER
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https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2015/07/03/devotion-for-thursday-before-proper-24-year-b-elca-daily-lectionary/
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Above: The Last Judgment Icon
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 3:6-4:2
Psalm 103 (Morning)
Psalms 117 and 139 (Evening)
Matthew 22:1-22
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Some Related Posts:
Jeremiah 3:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/week-of-proper-11-friday-year-2/
Matthew 22:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/week-of-proper-15-thursday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/proper-23-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/proper-24-year-a/
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Turn back, O Rebel Israel–declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am compassionate–declares the LORD. I do not bear a grudge for all time. Only recognize your sin; for you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and scattered your favors among strangers under every leafy tree, and you have not heeded Me–declares the LORD.
Turn back, rebellious children–declares the LORD. Since I have espoused you, I will take you, one from a town and two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds after My own heart; who will pasture you with knowledge and skill.
–Jeremiah 3:12b-15, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
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He will not always accuse us,
neither will he keep his anger for ever.
–Psalm 103:9, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
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Jeremiah, speaking for God, likened idolatry to adultery (3:8). Yet there was always hope for redemption via human repentance and divine mercy.
Collective unrighteousness constitutes a major theme in both main readings for today. In Matthew 22:1-22 it applies chiefly to those disloyal people who rejected the wedding invitation after they had accepted it.
Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
–Luke 9:62, The New Revised Standard Version–Catholic Edition
The first round of servants consisted of the Hebrew Prophets, the second of proto-Christians (and later Christian missionaries) in the highly allegorical parable. The banquet is the Last Judgment, where all must be clothed with righteousness–or else. Here individual righteousness applies to the story, which, without accident, follows the Parable of the Wicked Tenants.
It is vital to place the teaching in Matthew 22:1-14 in narrative context. Jesus was in Jerusalem during his final Passover week, what we Christians call Holy Week. The stakes were high and the gauntlet thrown down. Jesus was confronting a corrupt political-religious system headquartered at the Temple. He was doing this during the days leading up the annual celebration of divine deliverance from slavery in Egypt –a celebration held in occupied Jerusalem, where a Roman fortress overlooked the Temple.
Thus the question of a particular tax–a poll tax, to be precise–one which existed only to remind the subjugated peoples of Roman rule (as if they needed a reminder), arose. According to law, the Roman Empire was the legal and legitimate government, so paying the poll tax was permitted. But God still demanded and deserved complete loyalty. Anything else constituted idolatry–spiritual adultery–something which our Lord’s accusers had committed and were committing.
C. H. Dodd, in The Founder of Christianity (1970), wrote of Realized Eschatology. The Kingdom of God, he insisted, has always been among us, for God
is king always and everywhere,
thus the Kingdom simply is; it does not arrive. Yet, Dodd wrote,
There are particular moments in the lives of men and in the history of mankind when what is permanently true (if largely unrecognized) becomes manifestly and effectively true. Such a moment in history is reflected in the gospels. The presence of God with men, a truth for all times and places, became an effective truth. It became such (we must conclude) because of the impact that Jesus made; because in his words and actions it was presented with exceptional clarity and operative with exceptional power.
–All quotes and paraphrases from page 57 of the first Macmillan paperback edition, 1970
Our Lord’s challengers in Matthew 22:1-22 practiced a form of piety which depended on a relatively high amount of wealth, thereby excluding most people. Our Savior’s accusers in Matthew 22:1-22 collaborated with an oppressive occupying force which made it difficult–sometimes impossible–to obey Torah. Our Lord and Savior’s accusers were self-identified defenders of Torah. How ironic! How hypocritical! How idolatrous!
Condemning the long-dead bad guys is easy. But who are their counterparts today? I propose that those who minimize or merely reduce the proper level of love in Christianity are among their ranks. If we are to love one another as bearers of the Image of God—people in whom we are to see Christ and people to whom we are to extend the love of Christ–which prejudices do we (individually and collectively) need to abandon or never acquire? Those who affirm such prejudices in the name of God are among the ranks of contemporary counterparts of those whom our Lord and Savior confronted in Matthew 22:1-22. But the possibility of repentance remains.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 23, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT DEDIDERIUS/DIDIER OF VIENNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT GUIBERT OF GORZE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST SAINT JOHN BAPTIST ROSSI, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF NICOLAUS COPERNICUS, SCIENTIST
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/devotion-for-november-3-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Jesus Healing a Paralytic, by Bernhard Rode
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 5:22-6:9
Psalm 103 (Morning)
Psalms 117 and 139 (Evening)
Matthew 9:1-17
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Some Related Posts:
Deuteronomy 6:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/week-of-proper-13-saturday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/proper-26-year-b/
Matthew 9:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/third-day-of-lent/
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Deuteronomy 5:22-6:9 is a generally positive lection with a dark cloud hanging over it. We readers know (or at least we should know) that the good intentions will not last long and that the consequences will be dire and predictable.
I suppose that our Lord and Savior’s critics thought that they were on the side of righteousness and that Jesus was not. Perhaps they thought of the consequences of collective apostasy and in the Hebrew Bible. Maybe they feared that Jesus was leading people astray. They were wrong, of course, for they represented a corrupt religious system. And Jesus, with his authority, challenged theirs. He also challenged basic assumptions regarding fasting, table fellowship, ritual purity, and the cause of the paralyzed man’s suffering. He redefined holiness to be more inclusive than exclusive, drawing people into the big tent rather than consigning large populations to the category of the hopelessly lost.
It is easy and frequently tempting to define one’s self as belonging to an elite club of holy people. To do so is certainly ego-reinforcing. Yet it is a trap for one’s self and a careless disregard for others who bear the image of God.
So I challenge you, O reader, to ask yourself some questions. Who are the people you blame unjustly for their problems? Who are the people you exclude unjustly? Who are the people from whom you keep a distance so that they will not “contaminate” you by their presence? I ask myself the same questions about how I think of and act toward others. Yes, we will not get along with all people; that is a morally neutral fact of life. And we will have little in common with many individuals. But we must not assume that anyone is hopelessly lost to God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 1, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES AND MARTYRS
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/devotion-for-october-6-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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