Archive for the ‘Repentance’ Tag
Above: Pentecost, by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
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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Acts 3:13-15, 17-26
Psalm 148
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31
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Almighty God, we have celebrated with joy
the festival of our Lord’s resurrection.
Graciously help us to show the power of the resurrection
in all that we say and do;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 21
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Grant, almighty God,
that we who have celebrated the mystery of the Lord’s resurrection
may by the help of your grace bring forth
the fruits thereof in our life and conduct;
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), 50
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Biblical authors did not always define certain words the same way. For example, “sin” meant a moral failing in Matthew 18:18 yet a theological failing in John 20:22-23. In the Johannine theological context, sin was the failure to recognize the revelation of God in Jesus. Hence, a Christian did not sin, in Johannine theological terms (1 John 3:6). Also, forgiving sins was a task for the faith community empowered by the Holy Spirit. This faith community, empowered by the Holy Spirit, continued the work of Jesus.
The First Epistle of John tells us that the love of God entails keeping divine commandments, which are not burdensome. The Gospel of John has Jesus say that those who love him will keep his commandments (14:23). The most basic commandment of Jesus is the Golden Rule. That should not be burdensome, should it?
God forgives sins, whichever definition one uses. So should the communities of the people of God. Repentance must precede forgiveness, especially if one defines sins as moral failings. Forgiveness without prior repentance is cheap grace–something meaningless and not transformative.
Just as repentance must precede forgiveness for forgiveness to mean anything, truth must precede reconciliation, something else Jesus brings and God grants. In the Johannine lexicon, truth means “activated integrity.” It is not a philosophical abstraction; no truth is something lived. The hard work of being honest must precede the graces of reconciliation and forgiveness. This is a lesson which many people–including certain politicians and many of their supporters–prefer to ignore. They seek to brush difficulties of the collective and/or individual past under the proverbial rug. They seek the cheap graces of painless forgiveness and faux reconciliation without prior repentance and the acknowledgment of reality. And they often do so in the name of Jesus, unfortunately. They, therefore, mock God, truth, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 20, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SEBASTIAN CASTELLIO, PROPHET OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
THE FEAST OF CHRISTOPHER WORDSWORTH, HYMN WRITER AND ANGLICAN BISHOP OF LINCOLN
THE FEAST OF ELLEN GATES STARR, U.S. EPISCOPAL THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC SOCIAL ACTIVIST AND REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA JOSEFA SANCHO DE GUERRA, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SERVANTS OF THE POOR
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL RODIGAST, GERMAN LUTHERAN ACADEMIC AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SIMON WILLIAM GABRIEL BRUTÉ DE RÉMUR, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF VINCENNES
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Jesus Heals the Man with Palsy, by Alexandre Bida
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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Isaiah 43:18-25
Psalm 41 (LBW) or Psalm 130 (LW)
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Mark 2:1-12
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Lord God, we ask you to keep your family, the Church, faithful to you,
that all who lean on the hope of your promises
may gain strength from the power of your love;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 16
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God of compassion, keep before us the love
you have revealed in your Son, who prayed even for his enemies;
in our words and deeds help us to be like him
through whom we pray, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 16
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O Lord, keep your family and Church continually in the true faith
that they who lean on the hope of your heavenly grace
may ever be defended by your mighty power;
through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 28
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The key word this week is forgiveness. A second word–faithfulness–relates to it. As we read in 1 Corinthians 1:18, God is faithful.
I, I wipe away your transgressions for My sake,
and your offenses I do not recall.
–Isaiah 43:15, Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary, Vol. 2, Prophets (2019), 766
Those are words addressed to Jews at the twilight of the Babylonian Exile. This forgiveness is unconditional and absolute, apparently without any sign of repentance.
Psalm 130 reminds us that nobody could endure if God were to “watch for wrongs” (Robert Alter) and encourages the chosen people of God to wait for God, in whom is steadfast kindness.
Psalm 41 cites the betrayal by the author’s enemies, including a former friend. The author, not forgiving, seeks divine vindication:
But you, LORD, take note of me to raise me up
that I may repay them.
–Psalm 41:11, The New American Bible–Revised Edition
A rejoinder from the Gospels is appropriate:
For if you forgive others, the wrongs they have done, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs that you have done.
–Matthew 6:14-15, The Revised English Bible
Forgiveness, from a human perspective, can be challenging to commit or to accept. Committing forgiveness liberates one, regardless of the effect on the person or persons forgiven. Lugging a grudge around is never spiritually helpful and healthy.
Forgiving someone is a matter separate from seeking justice. Some deeds are inexcusable and indefensible. Sometimes justice requires punishment. Forgiveness precludes revenge, not justice.
Isaiah 43:25 occurs in a particular context. I notice the lack of penitence and repentance between verses 24 and 25. This does not mean that penitence and repentance are irrelevant; they occur in other passages. Yet Isaiah 43:25 tells us that sometimes God forgives for divine purposes.
Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance throughout the Bible. Trust nobody, O reader, who pretends to know what that balance is. I have some guesses. Some may be correct for the same reason for the same reason that a broken clock is correct twice a day. Grace remains a glorious mystery.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 14, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF FANNIE LOU HAMER, PROPHET OF FREEDOM
THE FEAST OF ALBERT LISTER PEACE, ORGANIST IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND
THE FEAST OF HARRIET KING OSGOOD MUNGER, U.S. CONGREGATIONALISTS HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF NEHEMIAH GOREH, INDIAN ANGLICAN PRIEST AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT VINCENZINA CUSMANO, SUPERIOR OF THE SISTERS SERVANTS OF THE POOR; AND HER BROTHER, SAINT GIACOMO CUSMANO, FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS SERVANTS OF THE POOR AND THE MISSIONARY SERVANTS OF THE POOR
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LEDDRA, BRITISH QUAKER MARTYR IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY, 1661
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Ruins of Nineveh
Image Source = Google Earth
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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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Jonah 3:1-5, 10
Psalm 62:6-14 (LBW) or Psalm 62:5-12 (LW)
1 Corinthians 7:39-31
Mark 1:14-20
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Almighty God, you sent your Son to proclaim your kingdom
and to teach with authority.
Anoint us with the power of your Spirit, that we, too,
may bring good news to the afflicted,
bind up the brokenhearted,
and proclaim liberty to the captive;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 15
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O Lord God Almighty, because you have always supplied your servants
with the special gifts which come from your Holy Spirit alone,
leave also us not destitute of your manifold gifts nor of grace
to use them always to your honor and glory and the good of others;
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), 24
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For the world in its present form is passing away.
–1 Corinthians 7:31b, The New American Bible–Revised Edition
Yet here I am in March 2023, typing words (in English translation) dictated in Greek in the fifties C.E. So, we may consider the marital advice in the verses before and after 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 in the context of an inaccurate prediction of the Second Coming of Jesus.
We read in Mark 1 that “the Kingdom of God has drawn near.” In the canonical Gospels, the Kingdom of God is simultaneously present and future. The Kingdom of God, partially realized, is present. The fully-realized Kingdom of God awaits. Nevertheless, I harbor much sympathy for Alfred Loisy’s lament:
Jesus foretold the kingdom, and what came was the Church.
Now we return to the Gospel of Mark:
The time has arrived; the kingdom of God is upon you. Repent, and believe the gospel.
–Mark 1:15, The Revised English Bible
David Bentley Hart translates a particular Greek verb not as “repent” but as “change your hearts.” Although “repent” is familiar, many people misunderstand it. Many think, for example, that repentance is remorse for sins. No, remorse precedes repentance.
In much of the Bible, repentance can prevent divine judgment. That is the sense in Mark 1:15.
Yet, in the brilliant and profound work of fiction called the Book of Jonah, the reluctant prophet does not offer repentance to his enemies. No, he predicts their destruction in the near future. Jonah seeks his foes’ annihilation. In the story, however, the population of Nineveh overturns it ways; it repents. God does not overthrow the city, much to Jonah’s distress.
I have read the Hebrew prophetic genre closely enough to understand that the genre is inconsistent regarding whether collective repentance will suffice to prevent destruction. Any given Hebrew prophetic book may contain several strata. So, for example, a layer from before the Babylonian Exile may state that the time for repentance has passed and that God will no longer forgive. Yet a stratum from during or following the Babylonian Exile may hold that repentance remains possible. This contradiction would bother me if I were an Evangelical or a fundamentalist. I have no such problem, fortunately.
I argue that repentance may remain a feasible option longer than many people may think. When repentance ceases to be a feasible option is for God to decree. I am not God.
But why wait to repent? Why wait to respond favorably and faithfully to God?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 10, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF MARIE-JOSEPH LAGRANGE, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF SAINT AGRIPINNUS OF AUTUN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT GERMANUS OF PARIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; AND SAINT DROCTOVEUS OF AUTUN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF ALEXANDER CLARK, U.S. METHODIST PROTESTANT MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
THE FEAST OF FOLLIOT SANDFORD PIERPOINT, ANGLICAN EDUCATOR, POET, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN OGLIVIE, SCOTTISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1615
THE FEAST OF SAINT MACARIUS OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Icon of the Baptism of Christ
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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Isaiah 42:1-7
Psalm 45:7-9
Acts 10:34-38
Mark 1:4-11
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Father in heaven, at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan
you proclaimed him your beloved Son
and anointed him with the Holy Spirit.
Make all who are baptized into Christ
faithful in their calling to be your children
and inheritors with him of everlasting life;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 15
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Father in heaven, as at the baptism in the Jordan River
you once proclaimed Jesus your beloved Son
and anointed him with the Holy Spirit,
grant that all who are baptized in his name may
faithfully keep the covenant into which they have been called,
boldly confess their Savior,
and with him be heirs of life eternal;
through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 21
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Justice is a theme that unites the readings from the Hebrew Bible. Psalm 45, a wedding text for a Hebrew king, lists the maintenance of justice as a royal duty. Second Isaiah’s servant of God is a personification of the Jewish people–a covenant people’s duties include maintaining and practicing justice, also known as righteousness–right relationship with God, self, others, and creation.
Much of Christian tradition interprets the servant in Isaiah 42:1f as Jesus, of whom we read in the lessons from the New Testament. There we read of sinless Jesus accepting St. John the Baptist’s baptism for repentance–as David Bentley Hart translated the germane word:
the heart’s transformation.
That seems odd, does it not? Why would sinless Jesus do such a thing?
I harbor no objections to competing answers to that question, so long as they remain close to the text. Indeed, as a review of my blogging on the Baptism of Jesus reveals, I have a record of writing about different answers. I let those posts stand. I also take a different path in this post. Why not? More than one answer to the same question may be true.
Those others who accepted the baptism which St. John the Baptist offered needed the transformation of their hearts. This rite was more than a ritual that started his ministry. The baptism of Jesus was more than a ceremony in which he identified with the rest of us. It was more than a way of associating himself with St. John the Baptist’s movement. It was all of the above and more. Jesus revealed who he was in God. Yet throughout the Gospel of Mark, those closest to Jesus remained oblivious to who Christ was. Yet stray evil spirits understood well.
The Gospel of Mark has two bookends about the identity of Jesus in God. We have one in chapter 1. The other bookend is the crucifixion.
The identity of Jesus was in God.
Likewise, my identity, your identity, and our identities are in God. Both collective and individual identities are in God. We human beings are in God. We human beings bear the image of God. Whenever we–collectively or individually–trample groups and individuals, we dishonor the image of God in each other.
Q: What does it mean to be created in the image of God?
A: It means that we are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and with God.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), 845
My regimen of daily prayer includes a petition for all individuals and groups of people, that God’s best for them will be their reality. This is a holistic request; it includes both tangible and intangible aspects of life. I also pray that we will, by grace, cooperate with God in this effort. I understand not cooperating with God in this effort as constituting the definition of sin.
Jesus was–is–the Son of God, with a capital “S.”
I am a son of God, with a lower case “s.” My mother is a daughter of God, with a lowercase “d.” God is the ground of our identities, properly. I need to repent of not grounding my identity solely in God.
I also confess that I frequently experience difficulty recognizing the image of God in many of those with whom I have profound differences. I admit freely that I fall short of spiritual perfection. Yet, by grace, I recognize progress and growth.
I still need transformation of my heart. And I trust in Jesus, who revealed his identity in God at the River Jordan long ago. I trust in Jesus, the full identity of whom in God became apparent, even to many formerly oblivious people, at Calvary.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 3, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TENTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL, FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTONIO FRANCESCO MARZORATI, JOHANNES LAURENTIUS WEISS, AND MICHELE PRO FASOLI, FRANCISCAN MISSIONARY PRIESTS AND MARTYRS IN ETHIOPIA, 1716
THE FEAST OF SAINT GERVINUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HENRY ELIAS FRIES, U.S. MORAVIAN INDUSTRIALIST; AND HIS WIFE, ROSA ELVIRA FRIES, U.S. MORAVIAN MUSICIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT TERESA EUSTOCHIO VERZERI, FOUNDER OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
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Adapted from this post
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READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART LXXXII
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Psalms 146, 147, 148, 149, and 150
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Psalms 146-150 constitute the concluding doxology of the Hebrew Psalter. Pulling these texts together, a partial list of statements about God emerges:
- God heals, restores, and delivers individuals and communities.
- God, the Creator, is evident in nature and history.
- Nature itself praises God.
- God is universal and sovereign.
- God, who grants military victory, punishes the wicked.
These themes recur in the Hebrew Psalter, from Psalm 1 to Psalm 145. Rather than repeat many comments from previous posts in this series, I prefer to focus on a point that has become prominent in my theology and prayers. This is also a point about which I have written in this series. Some repetition is inevitable in this series.
I grew up learning about sin. It seemed abstract to me for a long time. The sins about which I learned were mostly personal peccadilloes; collective, institutional sins received less attention. As I aged and read more deeply, I began to focus less on personal peccadilloes (without ignoring them) and to focus more on collective, institutional sins. My inner Reinhold Niebuhr asserted itself. Later, I incorporated sin and repentance into my concept of “God’s best.” I came to think of congregations, communities, et cetera enjoying God’s best for them, and to pray that God’s best for them would be their reality. So, repentance and amendment of life are not mostly about angering or grieving God, lest punishment ensue. No, repentance and amendment of life are mostly about responding faithfully to God in love, awe, and loyalty, and growing into full potential in God. “God’s best” is shalom–complete well-being.
Thank you, O reader, for joining me on this journey through the Book of Psalms. As we take leave of each other, I wish you shalom. May you and yours grow into your full potential in God. May God’s best for you–both individually and in community–become your reality.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 25, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FOURTH DAY OF LENT
THE FEAST OF SAINT GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS THE ELDER, SAINT NONNA, AND THEIR CHILDREN: SAINTS GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS THE YOUNGER, CAESARIUS OF NAZIANZUS, AND GORGONIA OF NAZIANZUS
THE FEAST OF BERNHARDT SEVERIN INGEMANN, DANISH LUTHERAN AUTHOR AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT FELIX VARELA, CUBAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND PATRIOT
THE FEAST OF JOHN ROBERTS, EPISCOPAL MISSIONARY TO THE SHOSHONE AND ARAPAHOE
THE FEAST OF KARL FRIEDRICH LOCHNER, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF THEODOR FLIENDER, RENEWER OF THE FEMALE DIACONATE; AND ELIZABETH FEDDE, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN DEACONESS
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READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART XXXIX
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Psalm 51
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Psalm 51, attributed to David after the events of 2 Samuel 11 and 12, most probably dates to centuries later. The reference to rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in verse 20 (Jewish versification) is a major clue. Alternatively, the final two verses constitute an addition. Regardless, an elaborate confession of sins is typical in later psalms, not earlier ones. So, Davidic authorship is highly unlikely.
My associations with Psalm 51 are musical and liturgical. I recall Miserere Mei, Deus, the masterpiece by Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652). The alternating pattern between Gregorian Chant and glorious Renaissance polyphony is astounding. I also pray Psalm 51 as a member of my Episcopal congregation every Ash Wednesday.
Look, in transgression was I conceived,
and in offenses my mother spawned me.
–Psalm 51:7, Robert Alter
Original sin is a Western Christian–not a Jewish or Eastern Christian–doctrine. Given that Psalm 51 is a Jewish text, Psalm 51:7 cannot be, in Jewish terms, a proof text for original sin. The Jewish Study Bible, Second Edition (2014) suggests that the psalmist’s words were expressions of extreme guilt that caused him to think of himself as inherently sinful. Robert Alter notes that yaham, the verb attached to the mother, indicates lust and usually refers to animals in heat. Verse 7 refers to an individual case, not all of humanity.
The psalmist, aware of the severity of his sins, feels the weight of them. He understands that he deserves harsh punishment from God. Yet the psalmist perceives correctly that truth must precede reconciliation. So, he, remorseful, confesses his sinful state and repents.
I seek to be clear. Remorse precedes confession and repentance. To repent is to change one’s mind and to turn one’s back to sins. Repentance is a change of attitudes and a matter of actions. As we think, we are.
One timeless pattern playing out yet again as I write this blog post is that a politician, caught being a scuzbucket, a confidence man, and a shameless, serial liar, seeks forgiveness without expressing genuine remorse. We all do stupid things, he says. Yes, we do, but we all do not lie to use the Holocaust for our political gain. To seek forgiveness without expressing genuine remorse is to seek cheap grace, which costs nothing and is worth as much. Grace is free yet not cheap; it requires faithful response from the recipient.
So, O reader, what does grace require of you?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 13, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT HILARY OF POITIERS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF POITIERS, “ATHANASIUS OF THE WEST,” AND HYMN WRITER; AND HIS PROTÉGÉ, SAINT MARTIN OF TOURS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF TOURS
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN KEIMANN, GERMAN LUTHERAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDGAR J. GOODSPEED, U.S. BAPTIST BIBLICAL SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF GEORGE FOX, FOUNDER OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS
THE FEAST OF MARY SLESSOR, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY IN WEST AFRICA
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL PREISWERK, SWISS REFORMED MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
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READING THE BOOK OF PSALMS
PART XXIII
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Psalm 30
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Superscriptions in the Book of Psalms are not always accurate. Aside from the tradition of writing a text then attributing it to a famous dead person–David, for example–some superscriptions are obviously inaccurate. Consider Psalm 30, O reader:
A psalm of David. A song for the dedication of the House.
“The house” is the (First) Temple, constructed after David’s death and dedicated by Solomon.
Yet I have more important matters about which to write.
Recall the Hebrew concept of Sheol, O reader: The dead, in the underworld, could not praise God. Living people could praise God, however.
The psalmist had been seriously ill; death had seemed probable. Yet he recovered then praised God. Between the beginning and the end of the psalm, the psalmist made some important points:
- Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance. Divine anger passes quickly–“but a moment.”
- Spiritual complacency comes easily during good times. Times of difficulty can be occasions for spiritual growth if one does not turn away from God.
- Divine judgment is frequently an opportunity for repentance.
The caveat on all this is that Psalm 30 has a human filter. We read the psalmist’s perceptions, filtered through a theological and cultural context. We mere mortals have human filters for everything; we cannot change that. The reality of God exceeds our abilities to perceive God. None of this means that many human perceptions of God are correct, of course. They are all partial, however.
As for me, I thought in my quiet days,
“Never will I stumble.”
–Psalm 30:7, Robert Alter
I resemble that remark. Perhaps you, O reader, resemble it, too.
I also attest that God has turned my dirge into a dance. I await a repeat performance. Until then, I am not going anywhere.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
THE FEAST OF THE HOLY INNOCENTS
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Above: The Parable of the Unworthy Wedding Guest, by Claes Corneliszaen Moeyaert
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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Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 23
Philippians 4:4-13
Matthew 22:1-10 (11-14)
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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 eschatological banquet is a motif in the Bible. It is a powerful image, given that (a) most people were poor, and (b) most land was not arable. The eschatological banquet speaks of divine abundance. Isaiah 25 comes from the great proto-apocalypse of Third Isaiah (see chapters 24-27). The Parable of the Wedding Feast tells of God’s inclusiveness in inviting guests and of the dire consequences of attending without the “garment” of repentance of sins. Psalm 23 depicts God as overpowering yet not destroying the Psalmist’s enemies, who must watch the banquet to which God has not invited them.
Philippians 4:8 meshes well with the theme of repentance, present in the parable:
Finally, brothers, let your minds be filled with everything that is true, everything that is honourable, everything that is upright and pure, everything that we love and admire–with whatever is good and praiseworthy.
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
That is a fine description of a metaphorical wedding garment.
Recall also, O reader, that in Psalm 23, only goodness and mercy pursue or accompany (depending on the translation) the Psalmist. The enemies cannot keep up with God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 19, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIXTUS III, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF BLAISE PASCAL, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC SCIENTIST, MATHEMATICIAN, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF GEERT GROOTE, FOUNDER OF THE BRETHREN OF THE COMMON LIFE
THE FEAST OF IGNAZ FRANZ, GERMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MAGNUS AND AGRICOLA OF AVIGNON, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF AVIGNON
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM HAMMOND, ENGLISH MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post
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Above: The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, by Rembrandt Van Rijn
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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Isaiah 55:6-9
Psalm 27:1-13 (LBW) or Psalm 27:1-9 (LW)
Philippians 1:1-5 (6-11), 19-27
Matthew 20:1-16
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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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Grace does not discriminate based on when one accepts it; all who accept grace receive the same rewards and the same duties to God and other human beings. The call to repentance from immediately before the end of the Babylonian Exile (Isaiah 55) remains current. Repentance is an appropriate response to grace. St. Paul the Apostle’s call for the Philippian congregation always to
behave in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ
(1:27)
remains current for congregations, all levels of the institutional church, and individuals.
Resentment is a motif in some of the parables of Jesus. Think O reader, of the Prodigal Son’s older brother, for example. Recall that he honored his father and fulfilled his duty. So, why was that disrespecful wastrel getting an extravagant party upon returning home? One may easily identify with the grumbling of laborers who thought they should receive more than a day’s wages because people who started working later in the day also received the promised payment of a denarius.
Are you envious because I am generous?
–Matthew 15:15b, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
That is God’s question to grumbling, dutiful people today, too. All people depend completely on grace. Those who grumble and harbor resentment over divine generosity need to repent of doing so. To refuse to repent of this is to behave in a manner unworthy of the gospel of Christ.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 16, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN DIEFENBAKER AND LESTER PEARSON, PRIME MINISTERS OF CANADA; AND TOMMY DOUGLAS, FEDERAL LEADER OF THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALIPIUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF TAGASTE, AND FRIEND OF SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
THE FEAST OF JOHN COURTNEY MURRAY, U.S. ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JOHN JONES OF TALYSARN, WELSH CALVINISTIC METHODIST MINISTER AND HYMN TUNE COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF MATTHIAS CLAUDIUS, GERMAN LUTHERAN WRITER
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Adapted from this post
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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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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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