Archive for the ‘Psalm 119’ Category
Above: The First Paragraph of the Shema
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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Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Psalm 119:1-16 (LBW) or Psalm 119:121-128 (LW)
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 12:28-34 (35-37)
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Lord, when the day of wrath comes
we have no hope except in your grace.
Make us so to watch for the last days
that the consumation of our hope may be
the joy of the marriage feast of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 29
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O Lord, we pray that the visitation of your grace
may so cleanse our thoughts and minds
that your Son Jesus, when he shall come,
may find us a fit dwelling place;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 89
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Jesus knew the tradition of Rabbi Hillel, as he proved in Mark 12:29-31. Christ stood within his Jewish tradition and within the school of Hillel, in particular. So, the Christian tradition of pitting Jesus against Judaism has always been erroneous.
After Rabbi Hillel quoted the same verses Jesus eventually quoted also, Hillel said:
The rest is commentary. God and learn it.
That ethos permeates Psalm 119, in which the Torah refers to divine instruction, with the Law incorporated into it. Traditional Christian disregard for the Law of Moses–a subsequent theological development–contradicts Psalm 119 and Deuteronomy 6:1-9.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9 drips with hindsight, irony, and melancholy. The author, reflecting centuries after the time in the wilderness, understood what had transpired in time and in Jewish folk religion, as opposed to Jewish priestly religion. This author, consistent with Deuteronomistic theology, affirmed that collective and national disaster was the inevitable result of this pattern.
As Christianity emerged from its Jewish roots, Christian theology developed along divergent paths. Part of the church, consistent with Judaism, never developed the theology of Original Sin and the Fall of Man, with the ensuing corruption of human nature. Augustinian theology, which postdates the Epistle to the Hebrews by centuries, could not have informed that document. The author of Hebrews–perhaps St. Apollos, although Origen wrote that only God knew the author’s identity–affirmed that Christ is the timeless, sinless high priest who covers sins and intercedes for sinners.
So, regardless of one’s opinion of Augustinian theology and the role of the Law of Moses, one can frolic in the good news that God is not chomping on the bit to throw lightning bolts at anyone. Christ intercedes for us. Do we even notice, though?
I, without minimizing or denying the importance of works in moral terms, choose not to walk the Pelagian path. Salvation is a process of grace, and God is in charge of the process. I also affirm Single Predestination, so some people sit on the chosen list. How one responds to grace remains an individual decision, with individual responsibility. Yet grace surrounds even this situation. The longer I live, the less inclined I am to think of any people as belonging in Hell. Matters of salvation and damnation are in the purview of God. I am not God. Neither are you, O reader.
We–like the author of Deuteronomy 6:1-9, possess hindsight. We–like the author of Deuteronomy 6:1-9–also live in something called the present. Therefore, we can have only so much hindsight. And even the most perceptive human hindsight is…human. God knows far more than we do.
Yet we can live according to love and mere decency. This is a certain way to embody divine love, honor God and human dignity, and get into trouble with some conventionally pious people and sometimes with legal authorities.
Nevertheless, this is one standard Jesus upheld in Mark 12:28-34. The Golden Rule should never be controversial, but it frequently is.
Our works matter morally. May we, by grace, make them count for as much good as possible.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 11, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTY-THIRD DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF HENRY KNOX SHERRILL, PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
THE FEAST OF BARBARA ANDREWS, FIRST FEMALE MINISTER IN THE AMERICAN LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1970
THE FEAST OF SAINT GJON KODA, ALBANIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1947
THE FEAST OF JOHN JAMES MOMENT, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MATTEO RICCI, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT MATTHÊÔ LÊ VAN GAM, VIETNAMESE ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 1847
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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: Christ with the Children, by Carl Heinrich Bloch
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 11:18-20
Psalm 54:1-4, 6-7a (LBW) or Psalm 119:25-32 (LW)
James 3:16-4:6
Mark 9:30-37
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Lord God, you call us to work in your vineyard
and leave no one standing idle.
Set us to our tasks in the work of your kingdom,
and help us to order our lives by your wisdom;
through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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Keep, we pray you, O Lord, your Church with your perpetual mercy;
and because without you we cannot but fall,
keep us ever by your help from all things hurtful
and lead us to all things profitable for our salvation;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 81-82
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Jealousy, disharmony, and resentment come to us in this week’s readings.
- The lessons from the Hebrew Bible flow from the context of persecution for faithfulness. In Jeremiah 11:18-20 and Psalm 54, the context is mortal threat.
- James 3:16-4:6 tells us that peace is a fruit of righteousness–right relationship with God, self, others, and all of creation. As my father taught me, troubled people cause trouble. So, peace is not more commonplace than it is, unfortunately.
- Oblivious disciples, jockeying for position relative to Jesus, received a profoundly counter-cultural lesson in a society that did not value children as people: Those who welcome a child in the name of Jesus welcome Jesus and God.
- Those same disciples also learned that they lacked a monopoly on exorcisms, whatever the causation of “possession,” in Hellenistic terms, may be in modern medical and psychiatric diagnoses. (I, having been in a long-term relationship with a woman who had schizophrenia and manic depression, understand, that in antiquity, she would have been “possessed.” I also accept that possession is real in many cases. The Roman Catholic Church, before authorizing an exorcism, wisely checks medical and psychiatric diagnoses first.) Anyone not opposed to Jesus was on his side.
“Righteousness” is a common word. But how do we use it? Given that I have already defined it in this post, I choose not to define it again in this paragraph. And, to repeat myself for the zillionth time, righteousness and justice are interchangeable in the Bible. Why not? That makes sense. As the Epistle of James–especially–keeps reminding us, how we treat others is a matter of great concern to God. Therefore, we need to shape up morally, in community. We–both collectively and individually–ought never to trample the rights of people, especially in the name of God and morality. Yes, morally gray areas exist in real life. Life becomes complicated much of the time. But we can do our best, with the help of God, in these circumstances. If making the least bad decision is the best possible outcome, so be it. If an unambiguously good result is possible, wonderful.
The actions to which the ethos of shaping up morally in community lead us will vary according to circumstances. We mere mortals live in circumstances, not abstractions. Yet, to focus on one timeless principle, I ask you, O reader: In whom do you struggle to recognize the image of God? In which type of person do you not see the image of God, at least not easily? And how is God calling you to think of such people and to behave toward them differently?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 21, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ADAME ROSALES, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1927
THE FEAST OF SAINT CONRAD OF PARZHAM, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF DAVID BRAINERD, AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE B. CAIRD, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST THEN UNITED REFORMED MINISTER, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF GEORGIA HARKNESS, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, ETHICIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON BARSABAE, BISHOP; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 341
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Mine de plomb et lavis sur papier (Exterior of Arm and Washing on Paper), by Auguste Rodin
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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Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8
Psalm 15 (LBW) or Psalm 119:129-136 (LW)
Ephesians 6:10-20
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
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O God, we thank you for your Son,
who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world.
Humble us by his example,
point us to the path of obedience,
and give us strength to follow his commands;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 27
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Lord of all power and might, Author and Giver of all good things,
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and bring forth in us the fruit of 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), 78
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You shall not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, but keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I enjoin upon you.
–Deuteronomy 4:2, The New Jerusalem Bible 1985)
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The author of the Gospel of Mark was mistaken; not all Jews practiced ritual handwashing prior to eating. In fact, this handwashing, absent from the Law of Moses, was a habit of Pharisees, a minority sect of Judaism at the time of Christ. So, when Pharisees observed disciples of Jesus not engaging in ritual handwashing prior to eating, they saw disciples behaving as most Jews did.
Mark 7:1-23 (including verses the ILCW Lectionary omits) contrasts being persnickety over such a practice–not in the Law of Moses–with violation of weightier matters, such as honoring one’s parents, a provision of the Law of Moses. In this context, the charge of hypocrisy against critics of Christ’s disciples still rings down the corridors of time.
Holiness is about being separate and set apart. Defilement is about being common. This is a point which J. B. Phillips‘s New Testament in Modern English (1972) makes clear:
Why do your disciples refuse to follow the ancient tradition, and eat their bread with ‘common’ hands?
–Mark 7:5
Other than the point that the “ancient tradition” was not ancient, we have a profound lesson, one with which the ancient traditions of Judaism agreed: the crucial role of the moral code in the Law of Moses. Violations of this moral code arise from within people. The spiritual creepy-crawlies defile people–make them common.
Torah, in the broad definition–as in Psalm 119–is the teaching of God. This divine instruction includes the Law, still binding in Judaism. And, in Christianity, the fulfillment of the Law by Jesus has not nullified any moral obligations to God and people.
I write this post not to lambaste dead people and feel morally superior. I could add many Christians to the Pharisees in Mark 7 as I critique people who have fixated on minor matters and neglected greater issues. I know of a small, conservative denomination founded officially on theological orthodoxy against the heresy that for men to wear neckties to church was acceptable, according to the Bible. The “authority of scripture” as the definition of matters including neckties was the standard of theological orthodoxy for those who committed schism in this case. I also think of a small, conservative Reformed denomination that finally decided in 1982 that not all dancing–ballet, in this case–was sinful. And I know of a small, conservative Lutheran denomination that continues to condemn all dancing as being sinful.
I write this post not only to lambaste legalistic fun-damn-mentalists and Evangelicals and to feel morally superior. They deserve a degree of lambasting. Yes, fishing with dynamite may be fun and momentarily satisfying, but I take the next step. I ask where I fixate on minor matters at the expense of weightier issues. I deserve a degree of lambasting, too, for fixating on minor matters at the expense of weightier issues. No person, congregation, denomination, society, culture, or religious tradition is immune from such an error in choosing where to fixate.
May we, by grace, see the error of our ways, repent, and follow in the correct path.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 14, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF EDWARD THOMAS DEMBY AND HENRY BEARD DELANY, EPISCOPAL SUFFRAGAN BISHIPS FOR COLORED WORK
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTHONY, JOHN, AND EUSTATHIUS OF VILNIUS, MARTYRS IN LITHUANIA, 1347
THE FEAST OF GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL, COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUCIEN BOTOVASOA, MALAGASY ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 1947
THE FEAST OF SAINT WANDREGISILUS OF NORMANDY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT LAMBERT OF LYONS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZENAIDA OF TARSUS AND HER SISTER, SAINT PHILONELLA OF TARSUS; AND SAINT HERMIONE OF EPHESUS; UNMERCENARY PHYSICIANS
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Manna
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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Exodus 16:2-15
Psalm 78:23-29 (LBW) or Psalm 119:89-104 (LW)
Ephesians 4:17-24
John 6:24-35
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Gracious Father,
your blessed Son came down from heaven
to be the true bread which gives life to the world.
Give us this bread,
that he may live in us and we in him,
Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
OR
Almighty God, judge of us all,
you have placed in our hands the wealth we call our own.
Give us such wisdom by your Spirit
that our possessions may not be a curse in our lives,
but an instrument for blessing;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 26
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Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church;
and because it cannot continue in safety without your help,
protect and govern it always by your goodness;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 73
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Human memories can be notoriously short and selective. The grumbling in the wilderness is one example. We may recall that the Exodus itself was impressive and that this was only one manifestation of divine action and presence. Yet we read of grumbling and a lack of confidence in God. We who have read the Torah understand that the quail and the manna did not terminate the grumbling.
Then we turn to John 6:24-35, set on the day after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. We can read verse 14, in the immediate context of the miracle:
This is indeed the prophet who is come into the world.
—The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
Then we can move to the next day and to verses 30-31, in which some of the people whom Jesus had fed asked him:
What sign will you do, that we may see and believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers ate manna in the desert….
—The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
Some memories are simultaneously long and notoriously short and selective. These two examples have the vibe of,
What will you do for me today?
Psalm 78, Psalm 119, and Ephesians 4:17-24 teach a different way: Remember then act accordingly. Recall what God has done and respond faithfully–both collectively and individually. Psalm 119 uses first-person singular pronouns liberally. Psalm 78 opens with an appeal to “my people.” And the audience for the Epistle to the Ephesians was also collective. (The earliest copies lack “in Ephesus” in 1:1, but we are still reading a letter intended for at least one congregation.)
By grace, may we–both collectively and individually–recall what God has done for others and for us–for our forebears and in living memory. May this recollection inspire us to trust in God, even when we occupy a spiritual wilderness or another period of uncertainty. Besides, what we think we may need and what God knows we need may differ from each other.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 12, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF HENRY SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR; AND HIS NEPHEW, WILLIAM SLOANE COFFIN, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF CARL F. PRICE, U.S. METHODIST HYMNOLOGIST AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SAINT DAVID URIBE-VELASCO, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1927
THE FEAST OF SAINT JULIUS I, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF SAINT TERESA OF JESUS OF THE ANDES, CHILEAN ROMAN CATHOLIC NUN
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZENO OF VERONA, BISHOP
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Adapted from this post
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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 LXX
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Psalm 119
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Psalm 119, with 176 verses, is the longest entry in the Psalter and the longest chapter in the Bible. This repetitive “Psalm of the Law” contains themes familiar in the Book of Psalms from Psalm 1 to Psalm 118. Therefore, I choose not to address all of these themes in this post. Instead, I opt to focus on the proverbial big picture of Psalm 119.
The key word is torah. Torah, in the narrow definition, means “Law.” Yet, in the broad definition, torah is “teaching” or “instruction,” incorporating the Law. We do well to adopt the broad definition of torah in Psalm 119.
God seems distant in Psalm 119. Therefore, the psalmist clings to torah, understood as a manifestation of God. The author writes of torah as being the
decisive factor in every sphere of life.
–Artur Weiser, The Psalms: A Commentary (1962), 740
So, a closer examination of torah is in order.
The Law of Moses (torah, in the narrow definition) may seem mostly irrelevant to most Christians, especially those who assume that St. Paul the Apostle was a proto-Lutheran and interpret the Epistles to the Romans and the Galatians in a manner which may be inaccurate. Eastern Orthodox scholar David Bentley Hart contradicts the proto-Lutheran St. Paul hypothesis. So does E. P. Sanders, notably in Paul and Palestinian Judaism: A Comparison of Patterns of Religion (1977). Hart avoids “justification” and “works” in his translation of Romans; he prefers “vindication” and “observances.” And Sanders holds that St. Paul’s critique of Judaism was not that it was a religion with works-based righteousness, for St. Paul knew better than that. Sanders also uses a plethora of Second Temple-era Jewish documents (some canonical) to prove that Second Temple Judaism did not teach works-based righteousness. He argues that, in St. Paul’s mind, the death and resurrection of Jesus changed everything. So, post-resurrection of Jesus, St. Paul’s critique of Judaism was that it was not Christianity.
The Law of Moses contains both timeless principles and culturally-specific commandments. The latter may seem irrelevant in one setting in 2023, but “peaking behind the Law” (my term) reveals contemporary applications. (This is a traditional Jewish practice.) Consider, for example, the commandment regarding leaving food in the fields for gleaning (Leviticus 19). One may fulfill this commandment in more than one way without being an agriculturalist. One may, for example, shop for a local food bank, volunteer to distribute food bank food to people who need it, or volunteer at a soup kitchen. My parish, Calvary Episcopal Church, Americus, Georgia, sits on a major street near downtown. We have a “Blessings Box” beside the sidewalk and facing that street. The raised wooden structure, with a door, is a receptable for food, as well as sanitary and health-related items, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and hand sanitizer. The Blessings Box is a parish project, and members of the community who are not parishioners contribute, too. The principle to feed the hungry poor is timeless.
The Law of Moses teaches mutuality and interdependence within the context of total human dependence upon God. We are responsible to and for each other. God commands us to take care of–not to exploit–one another. Thus, we can have righteousness–right relationship with God, others, self, and all creation.
With this in mind, Psalm 119 may come to life in a fresh way for an otherwise bored reader. Torah (in the broad definition) is a reason to celebrate. It is a goal to which aspire. So, one may say with the psalmist:
Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who follow the teaching the way of the LORD.
–Psalm 119:1, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 13, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS AQUILA, PRISCILLA, AND APOLLOS, CO-WORKERS OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
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Above: Ezekiel
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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Ezekiel 33:7-9
Psalm 119:33-40 (LBW) or Psalm 119:113-120 (LW)
Romans 13:1-10
Matthew 18:15-20
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Almighty and eternal God,
you know our problems and our weaknesses
better than we ourselves.
In your love and by your power help us in our confusion,
and, in spite of our weaknesses, make us firm in faith;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 27
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Grant, merciful Lord, to your faithful people pardon and peace
that they may be cleansed from all their sins
and serve you with a quiet mind;
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), 79
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Context is crucial. Any given text originates within a particular context. To read that text without the context in mind is to distort that text.
Consider the relationship of the people to human authority, O reader. Romans 13:1-7, which commands submission to the government, comes from a particular time and place. That text also comes from the mind of a citizen of the Roman Empire. On the other hand, Exodus 1 praises the midwives Shiphrah and Puah for disobeying the Pharaoh’s orders. Likewise, the Apocalypse of John assumes that resistance to the Roman Empire, an agent of Satan, is mandatory for Christians. In history, one may point to the Underground Railroad, the conductors of which were, according to United States federal law, criminals, at least part of the time. Does anyone want to go on record as condemning the Underground Railroad? I also know that, in the context of the Third Reich, many Christian theologians teach that one must oppose the government sometimes. For the obvious reason, this teaching is especially strong among German theologians.
The caveat in Romans 13:1-7 is that any civil authority not responsive to the will of God is not a true authority. Therefore, one may validly resist that government for the sake of conscience. The examples of resisting slavery and Nazism certainly apply under this principle.
Now that I have gotten that out of the way….
One purpose of prophetic pronouncements of divine punishment is to encourage repentance. Repentance, in turn, cancels punishment. One who is supposed to warn people is not responsible for their fate if one warns them. However, if one does not warn them, one is accountable for their fate. The commandments of God impart life, but people must know what they are.
Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence love is the fulfillment of the law.
–Romans 13:10, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
In context, “you” (Matthew 18:18-19) is plural.
I covered Matthew 18:18 in the post for the Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost, Year A.
Love confronts when necessary. Love confronts in these contexts, for the benefit of the person confronted. Many people understand this in the context of addiction interventions. Obeying the Golden Rule sometimes entails practicing tough love, offering what someone needs, not what that person wants. How one responds becomes one’s responsibility, for those who have confronted have done their jobs.
Although one may desire to rescue someone, doing so may prove impossible. I know this from experience. Some people cannot or will not do what they need to do. I leave judgment in these matters to God, who frequently shows more mercy than many people do. If I must err, I prefer to do so on the side of mercy.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 17, 2022 COMMON ERA
PROPER 11: THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR C
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM WHITE, PRESIDING BISHOP OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
THE FEAST OF BENNETT J. SIMS, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF ATLANTA
THE FEAST OF THE CARMELITE MARTYRS OF COMPIÈGNE, 1794
THE FEAST OF CATHERINE LOUISA MARTHENS, FIRST LUTHERAN DEACONESS CONSECRATED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1850
THE FEAST OF SAINT NERSES LAMPRONATS, ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF TARSUS
THE FEAST OF STEPHEN THEODORE BADIN, FIRST ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST ORDAINED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Jeremiah, from the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo Buonaroti
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 15:15-21
Psalm 26 (LBW) or Psalm 119:105-112 (LW)
Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 16:21-26
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O God, we thank you for your Son,
who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world.
Humble us by his example,
point us to the path of obedience,
and give us strength to follow his commands;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 27
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Lord of all power and might, Author and Giver of all good things,
graft in our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and bring forth in us the fruit of 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), 78
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The assigned readings for this Sunday speak of obeying God and suffering for doing so. Recall, O reader, the fate of the prophet Jeremiah–involuntary exile in Egypt. Consider, too, the crucifixion of Jesus. And, given that I publish this post on the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, consider the execution of that saint.
Persecution of the Church was usually intermittent in Roman times. Empire-wide persecutions were rare. Regional persecutions came and went. Yet the pall of persecution–actual or possible–hung over the writing of the New Testament. The Church was young, small, and growing. Pulling together in mutuality was good advice.
It remains good advice. No bad context for mutuality exists. Reading past Romans 12:8, every day is a good day to avoid evil, to practice brotherly love, to regard others as more important than oneself, to work conscientiously with an eager spirit, to be joyful in hope, to persevere in hardship, to pray regularly, to share with those in need, and to seek opportunities, to be hospitable.
The results of taking up one’s cross and following Jesus are predictable, in general terms. Details vary according to circumstances. To take up one’s cross and follow Jesus is to reorder one’s priorities so that they become Jesus’s priorities. Doing so invites an adverse reaction from agents of the morally upside-down world order, constrained by conventional wisdom.
Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
–Matthew 5:11-12, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
Who can make the point better than that?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 24, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
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Adapted from this post
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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