Archive for the ‘Rejection at Nazareth’ Tag
Above: Nazareth (A Byzantine Mosaic)
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 2:1-5
Psalm 143:1-2, 5-8
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Mark 6:1-6
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God of glory, Father of love, peace comes from you alone.
Send us as peacemakers and witnesses to your kingdom,
and fill our hearts with joy in your promises of salvation;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 25
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Grant, Lord, that the course of this world
may be so governed by your direction
that your Church may rejoice
in serving you in godly peace and quietness;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 68
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The strength and the power belong to God; that is the unifying theme in these four readings.
- The prophet Ezekiel, newly commissioned, had the duty to speak unpleasant truths to the rebellious people, regardless of whether anyone listened to him. The message came from God.
- The author of Psalm 43, beset by foes, begged for divine deliverance. The psalmist also prayed that God would devastate and destroy those enemies (verse 12).
- St. Paul the Apostle (“a man I know”) understood that divine grace sufficed, that the was weak, and that God was strong.
- Jesus, God incarnate, worked wondrous deeds and preached wisdom. In the Markan account of his rejection at Nazareth, the rejection was immediate.
My culture values strength, rugged individualism, and hubris. My culture denigrates “losers” and distinguishes between the “deserving poor” and the “undeserving poor.” My culture’s values contradict the unifying thread in this Sunday’s four readings. We are all weak and broken; some of us understand this truth about ourselves acutely. And we all depend upon each other. We are responsible to and for each other. Together, we depend entirely upon God. This is the essence of mutuality.
The power and strength come from God, but we mere mortals can still frustrate God’s work.
…and [Jesus] could do no work of power [in Nazareth], except that he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.”
–Mark 6:5-6, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
Jesse Ventura, while serving as the Governor of Minnesota, claimed that Christianity is a religion for weaklings. He meant that as a negative statement. Yet Ventura was correct; St. Paul knew that he was a weakling. Nevertheless, St. Paul turned that status into a spiritual positive.
We are spiritual weaklings, but we still possess the power to harm each other and to ruin God’s plans. Nevertheless, as Leslie D. Weatherhead wrote in The Will of God, we cannot thwart the ultimate will of God. God is sovereign, after all.
May we–both collectively and individually–serve as agents of grace and the divine will, not roadblocks to them.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 7, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTY-NINTH DAY OF LENT
GOOD FRIDAY
THE FEAST OF SAINT TIKHON OF MOSCOW, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH
THE FEAST OF ANDRÉ TROCMÉ, MAGDA TROCMÉ, AND DANIEL TROCMÉ, RIGHTEOUS GENTILES
THE FEAST OF SAINT GEORGE THE YOUNGER, GREEK ORTHODOX BISHOP OF MITYLENE
THE FEAST OF JAY THOMAS STOCKING, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MONTFORD SCOTT, EDMUND GENNINGS, HENRY WALPOLE, AND THEIR FELLOW MARTYRS, 1591 AND 1595
THE FEAST OF RANDALL DAVIDSON, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Woe Unto You, Scribes and Pharisees, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART XXIX
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Luke 11:37-54
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Jesus had made enemies, who observed him and attempted to entrap him in his words.
Leaving Gentile anti-Semitism and stereotypes of Judaism behind, let us–you, O reader, and I–consider that the meal and the concern for ritual purity existed in a cultural context. Jesus, as a devout Jew, accepted the validity or ritual purity and impurity. Christ’s holiness destroyed the causes of ritual impurity, though.
Without sounding like a Pietist (I am not one.), the focus on externals at the expense of spiritual depth is a legitimate criticism of many people, past, present, and future.
One Interpretation of the Lucan version of the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth (4:14-30) is that Jesus likened the villagers of Nazareth to persecutors of old. That is precisely Jesus’s critique of his hosts in 11:37-54. It is a critique that applies to many people today.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 5, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF ANTONIO LOTTI, ITALIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF FELIX MANZ, FIRST ANABAPTIST MARTYR, 1527
THE FEAST OF SAINT GENOVEVA TORRES MORALES, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND THE HOLY ANGELS
THE FEAST OF JOHN NEPOMUCENE NEUMANN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF PHILADELPHIA
THE FEAST OF MARGARET MACKAY, SCOTTISH HYMN WRITER
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Above: View of Nazareth (1842), by David Roberts
Image in the Public Domain
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART IX
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Luke 4:14-30
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Each of the Synoptic Gospels includes an account of the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth. The three accounts are not identical, especially regarding when the audiences rejected Jesus. In this post, I focus on the Lucan account.
The version in the Gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as possessing not only the Holy Spirit (a Lucan motif) but scribal literacy, as well. The Gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as being able to read and to navigate a scroll that lacked chapter and verse numbers, and to find the passages he had in mind. (That is impressive!) The Jesus of Luke 4:18-19 read Isaiah 61:1-2 then Isaiah 58:6. (That is even more impressive!) Scribal literacy required much advanced education. Many scholars of the New Testament have debated how realistic this depiction of Jesus is.
That is a valid question, but not one I feel qualified to address conclusively. I would not be surprised to learn that St. Luke possessed scribal literacy, though.
The point of rejection in Luke 4:28 was Jesus citing divine blessings on Gentiles from the Hebrew Bible. What about this enraged the audience?
Interpretations vary:
- The rejection resulted from the villagers’ xenophobia and ethnocentrism.
- The rejection resulted from villagers resenting Jesus likening them to persecutors of old.
- The rejection resulted from Jesus’s refusal to provide his hometown with messianic blessings.
Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, in The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011), reject (1) and propose (3). They point out that Jews generally had positive relations with Gentiles and expected the redemption of righteous Gentiles (Zechariah 8:23). That may be so. However, I suppose that some Jews were ethnocentric and xenophobic. I am a citizen of the United States of America, a nation with a strong tradition of welcoming immigrants and another strong tradition of practicing xenophobia and Nativism. Jewish acceptance of righteous Gentiles (as elsewhere in the Gospel of Luke) need not rule out the ethnocentrism and xenophobia of certain Jews. Likewise, neither Judaism nor Christianity are legalistic religions when people practice them properly. Yet legalistic adherents, congregations, movements, and denominations of both religions exist.
The second interpretation on the list comes courtesy of Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I-IX (1981), 538. That villagers resented Jesus likening them to persecutors of old may be accurate. Hearing negative comparisons rooted in the uncomfortable past angers people in the present day. In the United States of America, many White people continue to chafe against criticism of pro-slavery secessionists of 1861 while professing to reject race-based slavery, what Confederate Vice President Alexander Hamilton Stephens boasted in March 1861 was the “cornerstone” of the Confederacy.
The past is never dead. It’s not even past.
–William Faulkner
I also suggest that more than one motivation may have played out in the Lucan account.
Accepting the traditional Christian interpretation–xenophobia and ethnocentrism–need not lead one down the path of anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and ethnocentrism. Bigotry is a defense mechanism against dealing with one’s faults and failings anyway. Be honest with yourself, O reader. Do you not categorize some groups of people as being undesirable? If they were to receive extravagant grace, would you become enraged? Grace is scandalous; it does not discriminate.
Alternatively, how much of your identity is bound up with your ancestors? If you learn that they were total bastards, does that anger you and threaten your ego? If so, why? You are not your ancestors. Recall the previous post in this series. God should be the source of your identity. You are one of the apples of God’s eyes.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 25, 2021 COMMON ERA
CHRISTMAS DAY
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Above: Naaman
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXXIV
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2 Kings 5:1-27
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Pride was not created for men,
nor fierce anger for those born of women.
–Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 10:18, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition (2002)
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King Jehoram/Joram of Israel (Reigned 851-842 B.C.E.)
King Ben-Hadad I of Aram (Reigned 880-842 B.C.E.)
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Given that I have already covered various elements of this story in previous posts, I choose to:
- narrow the focus on this post, and
- refer you, O reader, to follow the tag “Naaman” and the category “2 Kings 5” for other comments on this story.
The Gospel of Luke, with its pro-Gentile theme, is unique among the canonical Gospels in having Jesus cite the healing of Naaman in the Rejection of Nazareth story (Luke 4:27). In that version of a story also present in Matthew and Mark, the hometown crowd turned on Jesus after he made comments indicating divine openness to Gentiles. (For the other canonical versions of the Rejection at Nazareth, read Mark 6:1-6 and Matthew 13:54-58.)
Perhaps the most overlooked theme in 2 Kings 5 is the sanctity of the land of Israel. This sanctity explains the sufficiency of the River Jordan and the insufficiency of the rivers in Aram. The sanctity of the land also explains why Naaman concluded that he could worship the sole deity only on the sacred land, and never in Aram. The sanctity of the land also explains why Elisha had no objection to Naaman worshiping in pagan temples in Aram after having professed faith in the one God, YHWH.
I am a monotheist–a Christian, to be precise. I worship God, my understanding of whom depends heavily on Judaism. I worship God in the State of Georgia, U.S.A., far from Israel. I also live within walking distance of the local synagogue. I feel confident in saying that the members of Congregation Children of Israel worship God in Athens, Georgia. I detect a change in theology between the time of the original telling of 2 Kings 5 and much of the rest of the Bible, as well as between the time of the original telling of the story of the healing of Naaman and today, October 29, 2020. If one accepts that God–YHWH, Adonai, El Shaddai, et cetera–regardless of the name one prefers to use–is the sole, universal deity, one may also accept that one can worship God from any geographical location. God is not a tribal or national deity, after all.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 29, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAMES HANNINGTON, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF EASTERN EQUATORIAL AFRICA; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 1885
THE FEAST OF BARTHOLOMAUS HELDER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, COMPOSER, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH GRIGG, ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF PAUL MANZ, DEAN OF LUTHERAN CHURCH MUSIC
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Above: Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath, by Bartholomeus Breenbergh
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 1-2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS, 2 KINGS 1-21, 1 CHRONICLES, AND 2 CHRONICLES 1-33
PART LXXI
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1 Kings 17:1-24
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And now, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Submit to the LORD with fear,
and with trembling bow before him;
Lest he be angry and you perish;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Happy are they all
who take refuge in him!
–Psalm 2:10-13, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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King Ahab of Israel (Reigned 873-852 B.C.E.)
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For a while, kings have occupied the forefront in the narrative. From this point to 2 Kings 13, they will continue to do so much of the time. However, monarchs will occupy the background instead from this point to 2 Kings 13. Stories of Elijah start in 1 Kings 17 and terminate in 2 Kings 2. Stories of Elisha begin in 1 Kings 19 and end in 2 Kings 13. Some of the most famous Biblical stories come from 1 Kings 17-2 Kings 13. Some of them are also repetitive, given the overlapping traditions regarding Elijah and Elisha. 1 Kings 17, for example, bears a striking resemblance to 2 Kings 4, the story of Elisha, the Shunammite woman, and her son.
The sneak preview is over. Now I focus on 1 Kings 17:1-24.
The deification of nature is one of the oldest patterns in religion. The multiplicity of gods and goddesses with specific portfolios (rain, the Moon, the Sun, et cetera) for thousands of years and in a plethora of cultures proves this assertion. Old habits can be difficult to break, and monotheism is a relative latecomer to the party. Also, attempting to appease the gods and goddesses or some of them, at least, without the strictures is relatively easy. Lest we monotheists rest on our laurels, Psalm 14, Psalm 53, the Law of Moses, the testimony of Hebrew prophets, and the New Testament warn us not to mistake God for an absentee landlord. The Gospels, for example, contain many cautions to the self-identified insiders that they may actually be outsiders.
Baal Peor, a storm god, was powerless against a severe, multi-year drought. Of course he was; Baal Peor was a figment of many imaginations.
The drought of 1 Kings 17:1-18:46 contains a call back to Deuteronomy 11:13-17. (I like connecting the dots, so to speak, in the Bible.) Speaking of connecting the dots, Jesus referred to God sending Elijah to the widow of Zarephath in the synagogue in Nazareth, to the great displeasure of his audience, in Luke 4:26. The Gospel of Luke, addressed to Gentiles, included that reference, absent from parallel accounts of the rejection at Nazareth in Mark 6:1-6a and Matthew 13:54-58.
Zarephath was in Phoenician–Gentile–territory. King Ahab of Israel had no jurisdiction there, but Queen Jezebel may have been familiar with the territory, given her origin. The widow was especially vulnerable, given her precarious economic status. Her faith contrasted with the evil Queen Jezebel and with the faithlessness of many Hebrews.
Whenever I read a text, I seek first to understand objectively what it says. Then I interpret it. The text describes Elijah as a wonder-worker. The refilling jar of flour and jug of oil may stretch credulity, from a post-Enlightenment perspective. The resurrection of the widow’s son does, certainly. Yet, in the cultural context of 1 Kings 17, those elements fit in and give Elijah his bona fides. If we understand that much, we grasp objectively what the text says.
Happy are all they who take refuge in God. They may even include Gentiles and other alleged outsiders. And many alleged insiders may really be outsiders. The grace of God is for all people, although not everyone accepts it. These are also themes prominent in both the Old and New Testaments.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 26, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ALFRED THE GREAT, KING OF THE WEST SAXONS
THE FEAST OF ARTHUR CAMPBELL AINGER, ENGLISH EDUCATOR, SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS POTT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF HENRY STANLEY OAKELEY, COMPOSER
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Above: Nazareth, 1875
Image Publisher = L. Prang and Company
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-pga-14154
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For the Sunday Next Before Advent, 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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Absolve, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy people from their offenses;
that from the bonds of our sins which, by reason of our frailty,
we have brought upon us, we may be delivered by thy bountiful goodness;
through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with
thee and the Holy Spirit, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
—The Book of Worship (1947), 236
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Haggai 2:1-9
Psalms 149 and 150
Revelation 21:1-7
Luke 4:16-24
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The glory of God is a major topic in the Bible. Many of the Psalms deal with that subject. Prophecies of the Day of the Lord/Parousia in both Testaments employ poetic imagery to describe the world order once the fully-realized Kingdom of God becomes reality on the planet. Regardless of the full reality at which human poetry can only hint and imagination can never fully grasp, such descriptions do have an immediate function. They cast the world as it is in a negative light, exposing how far short societies, institutions, norms, and governments fall, relative to divine standards. The apocalyptic imagination is a moral and ethical imagination.
The Gospels contain two accounts of Christ’s rejection at Nazareth. They are plainly two very similar yet slightly different versions of the same event. The key difference from one account to the other is when the audience turns against Jesus. In Matthew 13:54-58, it happens when Jesus speaks wisdom. In that account, people respond by asking,
Where does he get this wisdom from, and these miraculous powers? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary, his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And are not all his sisters here with us? Where then has he got all this from?
–Matthew 13:54-56, The New English Bible (1970)
In Luke 4:16-24, however, the turn toward hostility comes later, after verses 25-27. Those verses are about God having mercy on Gentiles, including Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-27) and the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:9-24). Given that the original audience for the Gospel of Luke was Gentile, telling the story of the rejection of Jesus in his hometown this way makes sense.
The Lukan version of the rejection at Nazareth also challenges us to confront our provincialism. I am a Gentile, so I like reading about divine graciousness to Gentiles. Nevertheless, to be uncomfortably honest, I must admit that the reminder of divine generosity to certain people and populations can and sometimes does offend me. You may resemble that remark, O reader. If you do, you are not unusual.
All of us need reminders of how far short of divine standards we fall. We may tell ourselves how kind and loving we are. We may even be kind and loving. Nevertheless, all of us can be kinder and more loving. When God shows us how far short of that divine standard we fall, do we reject the message? Or do we confess our sin, repent, and strive, by grace, to do better?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 3, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF CAROLINE CHISHOLM, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF ELIAS BOUDINOT, IV, U.S. STATESMAN, PHILANTHROPIST, AND WITNESS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIE-LÉONIE PARADIS, FOUNDRESS 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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Above: Christ Among the Doctors, by Albrecht Dürer
Image in the Public Domain
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For the First Sunday after the Epiphany, Year 2, according to the U.S. Presbyterian lectionary of 1966-1970
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O Lord God, who hast promised to hear the prayers of thy people when they call upon thee:
guide us, we pray, that we may know what things we ought to do,
and receive the power to do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—The Book of Common Worship–Provisional Services (1966), 119
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Isaiah 61:1-3
1 John 1:1-2:2
Luke 2:41-52
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Third Isaiah speaks in Isaiah 61. The Spirit of Yahweh is upon him, he tells us, to be
a herald of joy to the humble,
To bind up the wounded of heart,
To proclaim release to the captives,
Liberation to the imprisoned,
To proclaim a year of the Lord’s favor
And a day of vindication by our God;
To comfort all who mourn–
To provide for the mourners in Zion —
To give them a turban instead of ashes,
The festive ointment instead of morning,
A garment of splendor and majesty instead of a drooping spirit.
–Verses 1b-3b, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
In Luke 4:16-30 Jesus quoted part of that passage in reference to his mission. The backlash in his hometown was immediate. Those closest to Jesus did not always understand him best (see Luke 2:41-52).
Good news in God is abundant. God, in whom there is only light, loves us and has work for us to do. God even equips us for that work. Will we seek to discern what that work is then go about our father’s business?
Wanting to discern and discerning are different, of course; you probably know that well, O reader. I can only write for myself, which is what I do here. I know the frustration of denied vocations. I know that the world needs X and that I excel at doing X, so I apply to do X yet never receive the opportunity to do X. Am I failing to discern the work God has for me. Perhaps.
Perhaps you, O reader, also know that frustration or are acquainted with someone who does or did.
May we human beings support each other in our vocations from God. May we, by grace, recognize those vocations in each other and in ourselves. And may we, helping each other, be about our father’s business, in all its varieties.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 11, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BARNABAS, COWORKER OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
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Above: Landscape with the Parable of the Sower, by Pieter Brueghel the Elder
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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 13:1-18 (October 15–Protestant Versification)
Deuteronomy 13:2-19 (October 15–Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Versification)
Deuteronomy 14:1-2, 22-23; 14:28-15:15 (October 16)
Deuteronomy 15:19-16:22 (October 17)
Psalm 123 (Morning–October 15)
Psalm 15 (Morning–October 16)
Psalm 36 (Morning–October 17)
Psalms 30 and 86 (Evening–October 15)
Psalms 48 and 4 (Evening–October 16)
Psalms 80 and 27 (Evening–October 17)
Matthew 13:1-23 (October 15)
Matthew 13:24-43 (October 16)
Matthew 13:44-58 (October 17)
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Some Related Posts:
Deuteronomy 15:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/proper-25-year-b/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/devotion-for-september-20-and-21-lcms-daily-lectionary/
Matthew 13:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/25/proper-10-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/31/proper-11-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/week-of-proper-11-wednesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/week-of-proper-11-thursday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/09/week-of-proper-11-friday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/week-of-proper-11-saturday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/proper-12-year-a/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/week-of-proper-12-monday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/week-of-proper-12-tuesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/week-of-proper-12-wednesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/week-of-proper-12-thursday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/week-of-proper-12-friday-year-1/
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Here is a summary of the contents of Deuteronomy 13:1-16:22:
- Execute any false prophet or dream-diviner. (13:1-6/2-7)
- Execute anyone who entices another person to commit idolatry. (13:6-11/7-12)
- Execute the inhabitants of idolatrous towns, burn those towns, and destroy all spoil. Do not rebuild at any of those sites. (13:12-18/13-19)
- Avoid mourning rituals associated with pagan peoples. (14:1-2)
- Eat only ritually clean foods. (14:3-21)
- Pay a tenth of your crops and livestock to God. (14:22-26)
- Provide for the needy and the Levites. (14:27-29)
- Provide debts and free slaves every seventh year. (15:1-18)
- Sacrifice all male firstlings born into your flock to God, assuming that it is a proper physical specimen. (15:19-23)
- Keep a detailed festival calendar and the accompanying instructions. (16:1-17)
- Appoint magistrates who will govern honestly and justly, taking no bribes. (16:18-20)
- Erect no posts, as in honor to Astarte. (16:21-22)
I have mixed feelings about that material. On one hand, I approve of the social justice imperative parts of it. I find even the acceptance of any form of slavery offensive and the command to execute people intolerable. I know that one theme of the Law of Moses is absolute loyalty to God, so idolatry equaled treason, but some commands seem barbaric to me. So far as dietary laws are concerned, I note that I have never cared about them. Proper refrigeration negates some health concerns, as does thorough cooking. One analysis of the forbidden list says that those animals did not fit nearly into certain categories. Assuming that the analysis is correct, what was the problem? Besides, I like to eat ham and intend to continue to do so.
In Matthew 13 we read a series of mostly agricultural parables: the sower and the seed, the darnel and the mustard seed, the treasure in the field, the merchant and the pearls, and the fish of mixed quality. And, at the end of the chapter, people in Nazareth lack faith him. Perhaps they know too much to realize even more.
From those parables I glean certain lessons:
- One should remain focused on God, not allowing anything or anyone to function as a distraction.
- The good and the bad will grow up together and come mixed together. God will sort everything into the correct categories at the right time. That task does not fall to us, mere mortals.
- Nothing is more important than seeking, finding, and keeping the Kingdom of God.
I detect much thematic overlap between that material and Deuteronomy 13:1-16:22, with the notable absence of commands about when to execute or destroy. Yes, Matthew is more riveting reading than Deuteronomy.
I read the Law of Moses as a Gentile, specifically an Episcopalian who grew up a United Methodist. The Law was like a household servant who raised children, St. Paul the Apostle tells us. Now that Christ has arrived on the scene, I have only two commandments, not over 600. So, as long as I am growing via grace into loving God fully and my neighbor as myself, that ham sandwich should not bother my conscience. And I refuse to execute anyone, for I serve an executed and resurrected Lord and Savior. To him I am loyal. In him, not a law code, do I find my identity.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 7, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMITIAN OF HUY, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP
THE FEAST OF HARRIET STARR CANNON, COFOUNDER OF THE COMMUNITYN OF SAINT MARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROSE VENERINI, FOUNDER OF THE VENERINI SISTERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT THEODARD OF NARBONNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP; AND SAINTS JUSTUS AND PASTOR, MARTYRS
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Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/devotion-for-october-15-16-and-17-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Nazareth, Palestine, 1934-1939
Image Source = Library of Congress
(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mpc2004003044/PP/)
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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:
Genesis 16:1-9, 15-17:22
Psalm 84 (Morning)
Psalms 42 and 32 (Evening)
Mark 6:1-13
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Some Related Posts:
Genesis 16-17:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/thirty-second-day-of-lent/
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/second-sunday-in-lent-year-b/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/week-of-proper-7-thursday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/week-of-proper-7-friday-year-1/
Mark 6:
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/week-of-4-epiphany-wednesday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/proper-9-year-b/
Matthew 13 (Parallel to Mark 6):
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/week-of-proper-12-friday-year-1/
Luke 4 (Parallel to Mark 6):
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/fifth-day-of-epiphany/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/third-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-c/
http://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/fourth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-c/
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/seventeenth-day-of-lent/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/week-of-proper-17-monday-year-1/
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/week-of-proper-17-monday-year-2/
Prayer:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/prayer-for-the-second-sunday-of-lent/
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-second-sunday-in-lent/
Prayer of Confession:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/prayer-of-confession-for-the-second-sunday-in-lent/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-the-second-sunday-in-lent/
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If you, O reader, are very observant regarding the Book of Genesis, you have noticed something about Chapter 17. It reads as if Chapter 15 does not exist. Do not take my word for it; read the texts for yourself. There is a simple explanation: 15 comes mostly from J and 17 from P. Thus we have two accounts of the Abrahamic Covenant.
While I am discussing textual differences, I turn to the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth. Here are some facts one can confirm with just a little effort:
- The rejection occurs in Mark 6:1-6, Matthew 13:53-48, and Luke 4:16-30.
- The tempting of Jesus in the wilderness occurs in Mark 1:12-13, Matthew 4:1-11, and Luke 4:1-13.
- Thus Mark and Matthew place more chronological distance between the two events than does Luke, who separates them with two verses.
Now you know.
Now for my main point:
Jesus could not work well among those around whom he had grown up. Yet his Apostles performed wonders among strangers, who had no preconceived notions about them. Speaking of preconceived notions (yes, a pun), Sarai/Sarah had a bad attitude toward Hagar. Sarai/Sarah was of two minds about Hagar’s proper relationship to Abram/Abraham, and therefore to her. The second mind–that of scorn and rejection–triumphed.
Sometimes we humans ponder those closest to us genetically, emotionally, or geographically and think that we know more about them that we do. So misunderstandings and jealousies arise, creating unfortunate results–perhaps estrangement. Relationships can be difficult. Actually, some of my best relationships have been to cats, not people, so I am hardly a candidate for dispensing much helpful relationship advice. But I do offer this nugget: May we begin by admitting to ourselves how little we know about others. Disappointment is relative to expectation, which are frequently erroneous. May we deal with people as they are, not as we expect them to be. Doing that will help a great deal and be better for all parties involved.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 14, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS MAKEMIE, FATHER OF U.S. PRESBYTERIANISM
THE FEAST OF NGAKUKU, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
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Adapted from this post:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/devotion-for-the-second-sunday-in-lent-lcms-daily-lectionary/
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Above: Graveyard and Church
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1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (The Jerusalem Bible):
We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him. We can tell you this from the Lord’s own teaching, that any of us who are left alive until the Lord’s coming will not have any advantage over those who have died. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, then those of us who are still alive will be taken up in the clouds, together with them, to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall stay with the Lord for ever. With such thoughts as these you should comfort one another.
Psalm 96 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the whole earth.
2 Sing to the LORD and bless his Name;
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations
and his wonders among all peoples.
4 For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;
he is more to be feared than all gods.
5 As for the gods of the nations, they are but idols;
but it is the LORD who made the heavens.
6 Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence!
Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!
7 Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples;
ascribe to the LORD honor and power.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the honor due his Name;
bring offerings and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.
10 Tell it out among the nations: ”The LORD is King!
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
12 Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the LORD when he comes,
when he comes to judge the earth.
13 He will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with his truth.
Luke 4:16-30 (The Jerusalem Bible):
He [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read, and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:
The spirit of the Lord has been given to me,
for he has anointed me.
He has sent me bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.
He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to speak to them,
This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.
And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.
They said,
This is Joseph’s son, surely?
But he replied,
No doubt you will quote the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”
And he went on,
I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.
There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of those; he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.
When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
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The Collect:
Lord of all power and might, the 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 our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
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The spirit of the Lord Yahweh has been given to me,
for Yahweh has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring good news to the poor,
to bind up hearts that are broken;
to proclaim liberty to captives,
freedom to those in prison;
to proclaim a year of favour from Yahweh,
a day of vengeance for our God,
to comfort all those who mourn and to give them
for ashes a garland;
for mourning robe the oil of gladness,
for despondency, praise.
–Isaiah 61:1-3a (The Jerusalem Bible)
The story of our Lord and Savior’s rejection in his hometown appears in all three synoptic gospels. In Mark and Matthew, however, the rejection is immediate. But Jesus finds immediate adulation in the Lukan account. Only after he keeps talking about the extension of grace to Gentiles does he face rejection.
None of this bothers me, for I am not a Biblical literalist. In these devotions I read the accounts in their literary context, not as a great, unified harmony of the gospels. Minor differences exist among parallel readings, but so be it. I have my eyes on more important matters.
With this post I follow the Canadian Anglican lectionary into the Gospel of Luke. The story before this reading is simple: Mary becomes pregnant. So does her cousin Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist. Both women give birth. Prophecies unfold. Shepherds visit shortly after the birth of Jesus. At age 12, Jesus astounds scholars of the Scriptures at the Jerusalem Temple. Jesus grows up, and eighteen years pass. John the Baptist announces the coming of the Messiah, baptizes Jesus, and speaks out against the tetrarch Herod, who sends John to prison. Jesus then goes into the wilderness, passes the test of temptations, and begins to preach, to much acclaim.
So we come to this day’s reading from Luke. The quote from Isaiah 61 matches one of the central concerns of the Lukan Gospel: God’s care for the poor. And let us remember another theme of the book: The Jews are the chosen people, but God calls Gentiles, too.
Now, for 1 Thessalonians…
You and I, O reader, have an advantage that the Thessalonian Christians of circa 50-51 C.E. lacked. We have the benefits of subsequent history and theological development. Christian theology was in its infancy during the time of Paul. A common expectation among followers of Jesus at the time was that the Lord would return very soon. But people who had come to faith in Christ began to die. There was some concern in the Thessalonian church that the deceased believers would be a great disadvantage upon the Second Coming. This is where history comes in: Those alive at the time of the writing of 1 Thessalonians died without seeing the Second Coming either.
Paul assured the members of the Thessalonian church that nobody who trusted in Jesus, whether he or she have a pulse or not, was at a disadvantage. Death did not break the relationship of faith. Those who have predeceased us are still alive in God.
And, as Luke reminds us, those who can come to this faith include Gentiles. So God places no obstacles–not even death–in the way of a continued faith life. Neither race nor ethnicity nor cultural background nor death have dominion. Jesus came to preach a liberating message, the best news of all. It is for you, and it is for me. And Jesus keeps his promises. Deo gratias!
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 9, 2011 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT GREGORY OF NYSSA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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Published originally at ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS BY KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR on March 9, 2011
Adapted from this post:
http://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/week-of-proper-17-monday-year-1/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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