Archive for the ‘Luke 11’ Tag
Above: A Dining Room
Image in the Public Domain
If Jesus Were Your Dinner Guest
AUGUST 22, 2021
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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1 Samuel 2:1-10 or Jeremiah 15:15-21
Psalm 102:1-17
Romans 6:1-11
Luke 11:37-54
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These five assigned readings merge neatly into a unified message: Turn to God. Do not turn away from God. Otherwise, suffer the consequences.
Jesus, speaking in Luke 11:37-54, establishes some standards, in a particular context. The list is hardly comprehensive, but it does not prove useful. Besides, if he were speaking to a different audience, he would offer a different list of sins. The list from Luke 11:37-54 is:
- Placing too much emphasis on the superficial and too little on the consequential,
- Overlooking justice/righteousness and the love of God,
- Feeding ego rather than glorifying God,
- Imposing and maintaining unendurable burdens on people,
- Being shameless hypocrites, and
- Teaching the Torah badly, thereby misleading people.
Contrast Jesus’s hosts in Luke 11:37-54 with the notorious sinners with whom our Lord and Savior dined. The latter groups were not respectable, but they did not understand themselves and acknowledge their need to repent. They accepted the opportunity to learn from and to follow Jesus.
“Justice” and “righteousness” are the same word in the Bible. Translators choose either “justice” or “righteousness” on a case-by-case basis. Standards of justice/righteousness are somewhat relative; they depend on contexts. How one lives the timeless principles properly depends on who, when, and where one is. Reread the list from a previous paragraph, O reader. Ponder the third sin: feeding ego rather than glorifying God. Two people may commit that sin yet do so differently. Likewise, two people may glorify God rather than feed ego, and do so differently.
If Jesus were your dinner guest, O reader, what would he tell you? And how would you react or respond to him?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 20, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANNES BUGENHAGEN, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN, MINISTER, LITURGIST, AND “PASTOR OF THE REFORMATION”
THE FEAST OF SAINTS AMATOR OF AUXERRE AND GERMANUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; SAINT MAMERTINUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT MARCIAN OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN X, KING OF DENMARK AND ICELAND; AND HIS BROTHER, HAAKON VII, KING OF NORWAY
THE FEAST OF MARION MACDONALD KELLARAN, EPISCOPAL SEMINARY PROFESSOR AND LAY LEADER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/if-jesus-were-your-dinner-guest/
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Above: The Grief of Hannah
Image in the Public Domain
Rhapsodic Faith
AUGUST 15, 2021
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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1 Samuel 1:1-20 or Jeremiah 14:1-22
Psalm 101
Romans 5:12-21
Luke 11:27-36
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Your love and justice will I sing,
to you, Yahweh, will I chant,
I will rhapsodize about your dominion complete.
When will you come to me?
–Psalm 101:1b-2a, Mitchell J. Dahood (1970)
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The Psalter in The Book of Common Prayer (1979) renders the third line quoted above as,
I will strive to follow a blameless course…
The germane notes in Dahood’s third (of three) volumes on the Book of Psalms for The Anchor Bible series cite Hebrew words and linguistic nuances to justify his choice of translation. Part of the pleasure of reading Dahood on the Psalms is studying, after a fashion, under a master of his field–in his case, ancient Semitic languages. I recommend purchasing his three volumes on the Psalms if one seeks to study the Book of Psalms deeply.
Part of the Hebrew text of Psalm 101 can legitimately read in English as,
I will strive to follow a blameless course,
and as,
I will rhapsodize about your dominion complete.
Think about that, O reader. One rendering focuses on deeds; the other zeroes in on joyfulness and singing. No single English-translation can capture the richness of the Hebrew text.
The attitude of the Psalmist, like that of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1-20, contrasts with that of the wicked people and generations in the other assigned readings.
- Human nature is flawed; that is obvious to me. Human depravity is not even an article of faith for me; I need no faith to accept that for which I have evidence.
- Sadly, false prophets (frequently supporting a political establishment) remain with us. One may read of the false prophets in the Book of Jeremiah and think readily of some of some of their contemporary counterparts.
- The quest for signs indicates faithlessness. Furthermore, human memories and attention spans can be fleeting. Consider, O reader, John 6. One reads of the Feeding of the Five Thousand in the first fifteen verses. One also reads in verse 30, set on the following day, “Then what sign will you do, that we may see, and believe you?”
May we, by grace, pay attention. May we mark, learn, and inwardly digest the law of of God. May we find that law written on our hearts. Then may we rejoice. May we rhapsodize consistently and strive to follow a blameless course. And may we succeed, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 19, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALPHEGE, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, AND MARTYR, 1012
THE FEAST OF DAVID BRAINERD, AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF SAINT EMMA OF LESUM, BENEFACTOR
THE FEAST OF MARY C. COLLINS, U.S. CONGREGATIONALIST MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF OLAVUS PETRI, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN, HISTORIAN, LITURGIST, MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND “FATHER OF SWEDISH LITERATURE;” AND HIS BROTHER, LAURENTIUS PETRI, SWEDISH LUTHERAN ARCHBISHOP OF UPPSALA, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND “FATHER OF SWEDISH HYMNODY”
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/rhapsodic-faith/
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Above: The Importune Neighbour, by William Holman Hunt
Image in the Public Domain
Getting Off Our Values and Getting to Work
AUGUST 8, 2021
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Judges 19 (portions) or Jeremiah 13:1-11
Psalm 94:1-15
Romans 4:13-25
Luke 10:38-11:13
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We have quite a collection of readings this Sunday!
- Judges 19 gives us a tale of rape, death, dismemberment, and the prelude to genocide, played out in Judges 20 and 21.
- Stay away from God’s bad side, as in Jeremiah 13 and Psalm 94.
- Romans 4 reminds us of the importance of living according to faith.
- The executive summary of the lesson from Luke is to learn from Jesus (even to violate social conventions to do so) and to act according to those teachings.
Judges 19, the first portion of a section spanning chapters 19-21, contains enough material for many posts, given its background, its literary contexts, and the ink many exegetes have spilled regarding the story. However, my purpose in this post entails reading Judges 19 in the context of the other lessons. One note from The Jewish Study Bible (2nd. ed.) offers a useful sentence:
The story depicts a unified society, sensitive to the problems of ethics and serving the LORD.
–536
The society Jeremiah critiqued was insensitive to ethics and serving the LORD. On the other hand, St. Mary of Bethany, St. Paul the Apostle, and the author of Psalm 94 were sensitive to ethics and serving the LORD. So was St. Martha of Bethany, also insistent on being a good hostess who offered proper hospitality, a Biblical virtue.
Prayer comes attached to action in Luke 11:9-13. That is an important lesson: pray then, as able, act to effect positive change. Self-serving politicians who offer “thoughts and prayers” after terrible events then do nothing, even though they have the power to do so, make a mockery of the teaching in Luke 11:9-13. One of the lessons my father taught me is that prayer should have feet whenever possible. Be salt and light in the world, Jesus still commands us.
I recall an editorial from a Roman Catholic periodical during the middle 1990s, when many politicians beat the drum of “family values” with more words than deeds. As I remember, the title of the editorial was,
GET OFF YOUR VALUES AND GET TO WORK.
Talk is cheap. We need to get off our values and get to work. After all, faith, in the theology of St. Paul the Apostle, is inherently active.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 18, 2020 COMMON ERA
SATURDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF ROGER WILLIAMS, FOUNDER OF RHODE ISLAND; AND ANNE HUTCHINSON, REBELLIOUS PURITAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT CORNELIA CONNELLY, FOUNDRESS OF THE SOCIETY OF THE HOLY CHILD JESUS
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA ANNA BLONDIN, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SISTERS OF SAINT ANNE
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MURIN OF FAHAN, LASERIAN OF LEIGHLIN, GOBAN OF PICARDIE, FOILLAN OF FOSSES, AND ULTAN OF PERONNE, ABBOTS; AND SAINTS FURSEY OF PERONNE AND BLITHARIUS OF SEGANNE, MONKS
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ARCHUTOWSKI, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1943
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/18/getting-off-our-values-and-getting-to-work/
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Above: Woe Unto You, Scribes and Pharisees, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
Prelude to the Passion, Part I
AUGUST 20, 2023
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 22:1-9 or Zechariah 7:7-14
Psalm 58
Matthew 23:13-39 or Luke 11:37-54
1 Timothy 3:1-6
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In Timothy Matthew Slemmons’s Year D (2013) Propers 15-18 are the “Prelude to the Passion” of Jesus Christ.
The emphasis of the readings this Sunday is the moral responsibility of leaders to effect social justice–especially for widows, orphans, aliens, the poor, victims of evil plots, victims of judicial corruption, and the innocent killed. Fasting and otherwise maintaining appearances of piety and respectability does not deceive God, who is righteously angry. J. B. Phillips, in The New Testament in Modern English–Revised Edition (1972), cuts to the point, as he usually does in that translation. Instead of the customary
Woe to you,
we read Jesus thundering,
Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you utter frauds!
–Matthew 23:23
and
What miserable frauds you are, you scribes and Pharisees!
–Matthew 23:27 and 29.
Those who dress up their impiety in righteousness are just that–utter and miserable frauds. The job descriptions for bishops and deacons require officeholders to be the opposite of utter and miserable frauds.
Utter and miserable frauds in secular and religious settings continue to exist, of course. So does divine judgment against them.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 17, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST; AND MARIA STEWART, ABOLITIONIST, FEMINIST, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF EGLANTYNE JEBB AND DOROTHY BUXTON, FOUNDERS OF SAVE THE CHILDREN
THE FEAST OF FRANK MASON NORTH, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MARY CORNELIA BISHOP GATES, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/prelude-to-the-passion-part-i/
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Above: Detail from The Penitent Magdalene, by Georges de La Tour
Image in the Public Domain
Loving Our Enemies and Praying for Our Persecutors
JULY 9, 2023
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Kings 6:8-23
Psalm 57 or 3
Matthew 12:38-50 or Luke 11:24-36
1 Corinthians 5:1-6a (6b-8) 9-13; 6:1-11
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To seek deliverance from enemies and evildoers is understandable and justifiable; to seek revenge against them is understandable and unjustifiable.
You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
–Matthew 5:43-48, Revised Standard Version–Second Edition (1971)
Perfection, in this case, indicates suitability for one’s tasks and purpose. We who claim to follow Jesus and hopefully do more than claim to do so have the commandment to live according to love (2 John 5b-6). If those who are negative influences among us will not change their ways, we may remove them from our faith community (1 Corinthians 5), but that is different from committing or condoning violence against them. Consider, O reader, the treatment of the Aramean raiders in 2 Kings 6; making them guests at a lavish feast before repatriating them is far from being harsh toward them.
How we treat others–especially enemies and oppressors–is about who we are, not who they are. We are supposed to be children of light, those who love God and our fellow human beings not because of signs and wonders but because of who God is and because to do so is the right thing to do. We ought to dwell on a moral plain higher than the lowest common denominator. This is frequently difficult, but it is possible, via grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 17, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST; AND MARIA STEWART, ABOLITIONIST, FEMINIST, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF EGLANTYNE JEBB AND DOROTHY BUXTON, FOUNDERS OF SAVE THE CHILDREN
THE FEAST OF FRANK MASON NORTH, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MARY CORNELIA BISHOP GATES, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/loving-our-enemies-and-praying-for-our-persecutors/
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Above: Archery Target
Image Source = Alberto Barbati
Missing the Point, Part I
JUNE 11, 2023
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 32:28-47 or Isaiah 5:18-30
Psalm 74
Matthew 12:22-37 or Luke 11:14-23
1 John 3:8-15 (16-24); 4:1-6
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Ah,
Those who call evil good
And evil good;
Who present darkness as light
And light as darkness;
Who present bitter as sweet
And sweet as bitter!
Ah,
Those who are so wise–
In their own opinion;
So clever–
In their own judgment!
–Isaiah 5:20-21; TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
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But the Pharisees on hearing this remark said, “This man is only expelling devils because he is in league with Beelzebub, the prince of devils.”
–Matthew 12:24, J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English–Revised Edition (1972)
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Missing the point is a recurring theme in the assigned readings for Proper 5. Psalm 74, an exilic text, asks why the Babylonian Exile has occurred. Deuteronomy 32 and Isaiah 5 answer the question; faithlessness, evident in idolatry and rampant in institutionalized social injustice is the cause. Certain opponents on Jesus accuse him of being in league with Satan when he casts out demons (in the Hellenistic world view). However we moderns classify whatever Jesus did in exorcisms, that is not a point on which one should fixate while pondering the texts from the Gospels.
How often do we fail to recognize good for what is evil for what it is because of any number of reasons, including defensiveness and cultural conditioning? How often do we become too lax or too stringent in defining sin? I recall a single-cell cartoon. A man is standing before St. Simon Peter at the Pearly Gates. The apostle tells him,
No, that is not a sin either. You must have worried yourself to death.
Falling into legalism and condemning someone for playing bridge or for having an occasional drink without even becoming tipsy is at least as bad as failing to recognize actual sins.
1 John 3:18-20 provides guidance:
Children, love must not be a matter of theory or talk; it must be true love which shows itself in action. This is how we shall know if we belong to the realm of truth, and reassure ourselves in his sight where conscience condemns us; for God is greater than our conscience and knows all.
—The Revised English Bible (1989)
Love does not object when Jesus cures someone on the Sabbath or any other day. (Consult Matthew 12:1-14) for the Sabbath reference.) Love does not seek to deny anyone justice, as in Isaiah 5:23. Love does not compel one to seek one’s own benefit at the expense of others. Love is not, of course, a flawless insurance policy against missing the point, but it is a good start.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 16, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF GUSTAF AULEN, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT FILIP SIPHONG ONPHITHAKT, ROMAN CATHOLIC CATECHIST AND MARTYR IN THAILAND
THE FEAST OF MAUDE DOMINICA PETRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MODERNIST THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF RALPH ADAMS CRAM AND RICHARD UPJOHN, ARCHITECTS; AND JOHN LAFARGE, SR., PAINTER AND STAINED GLASS MAKER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/12/16/missing-the-point-part-i/
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Above: Joshua and the Israelite People
Image in the Public Domain
Living in Community, Part I: Misunderstanding
AUGUST 19-21, 2021
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The Collect:
Holy God, your word feeds your people with life that is eternal.
Direct our choices and preserve us in your truth,
that, renouncing what is evil and false, we may live in you,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 45
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The Assigned Readings:
Joshua 22:1-9 (Thursday)
Joshua 22:10-20 (Friday)
Joshua 22:21-34 (Saturday)
Psalm 34:15-22 (All Days)
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (Thursday)
Romans 13:11-14 (Friday)
Luke 11:5-13 (Saturday)
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The man who does right may suffer many misfortunes,
but the LORD rescues him from them all.
He keeps him safe from physical harm,
not a bone of his body is broken.
–Psalm 34:20-21, Harry Mowvley, The Psalms Introduced and Newly Translated for Today’s Readers (1989)
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I have read and written of martyrs, such as St. James Intercisus (died circa 421), whose lives contradicted those verses. Reality has proven much of the Book of Psalms to be naively optimistic.
The theme of this post comes from Romans and 1 Thessalonians. I begin with Romans 13:12b-13a:
Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day….
—The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
I continue with 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11:
God destined us not for his retribution, but to win salvation through our lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, awake or asleep, we should still be united to him. So give encouragement to each other, and keep strengthening one another, as you do already.
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
Rabbi Hillel, who was an old man when Jesus was a juvenile, summarized the Torah by quoting the Shema then saying,
The rest is commentary; go and learn it.
I apply the same statement to the remainder of the pericopes from Romans 13 and 1 Thessalonians 5. It is commentary; go and learn it.
Living properly in community before God requires much of us. It means that we must put up with inconveniences sometimes, for the sake of hospitality, which was frequently a matter or life or death in Biblical times. It also means that, among other things, we must lay aside misunderstandings and encourage one another. The altar in Joshua 22 was, in fact, not a threat to the central place of worship. Neither did it constitute evidence of any variety of treachery before God, contrary to the charge in verse 16. How many people might have died needlessly had the planned war against the transjordan tribes, based on a misunderstanding, occurred?
Often those who plot and commit errors seek to behave correctly, but they proceed from false assumptions and understandings. This statement remains correct in current times, unfortunately. More people (especially those who decide policies) need to check their information more often. The rest of us (not the policy makers) carry erroneous assumptions in our heads. As I heard a professor who is an expert in critical thinking say years ago, our most basic assumptions are the ones we do not think of as being assumptions. How can we live in peace with our neighbors if we do not understand their actions correctly?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 1, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL STENNETT, ENGLISH SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER; AND JOHN HOWARD, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUSTIN MARTYR, APOLOGIST
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PAMPHILUS OF CAESAREA, BIBLE SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON OF SYRACUSE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/living-in-community-part-i/
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Above: Christ Pantocrator Moody
Image in the Public Domain
Calling Good Evil
JUNE 9, 2021
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The Collect:
All-powerful God, in Jesus Christ you turned death into life and defeat into victory.
Increase our faith and trust in him,
that we may triumph over all evil in the strength
of the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 39
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 26:16-27:1
Psalm 74
Luke 11:14-28
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Bestir Yourself because of the perpetual tumult,
all the outrages of the enemy in the sanctuary.
–Psalm 74:3, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
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O LORD: In their distress they sought You;
Your chastisement reduced them
To anguished whispered prayer.
–Isaiah 26:16, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
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But [Jesus] said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
–Luke 11:28, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
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The Bible, being of human authorship and containing texts reflecting changing perspectives over a long period of time, contradicts itself on points small, medium, and large. This fact does not trouble me, for (A) I am not a biblical literalist, and (B) I worship God, not the Bible. I do detect much biblical consistency, however. Again and again biblical texts tell us, for example, to obey the commandments of God and agree that these include social and economic justice. Texts tell us consistently of divine preference for the poor and disapproval of the exploitation of people. Pure doctrine alone is insufficient, for justice matters to God.
The people in Isaiah 26 had committed idolatry, as had our Lord and Savior’s accusers in Luke 11. The idols in Luke 11 were ideas about God and how God works. Jesus exposed these ideas as false, but ideologies clung to their doctrines and attempted to explain away the evidence they saw. The enemies in the sanctuary were among the professional religious people.
Lest we, you and I, O reader, congratulate ourselves on our fidelity to God (unlike those people of Judah in Isaiah 26 and like those religious officials in Luke 11), may we avoid the sin of self-righteousness. God remains active and continues to refuse to fit into the God-shaped boxes we call theology. Do we see God’s actions then call them evil? We might. Have we confused our opinions for God’s facts? Certainly, at least part of the time. May we be and remain open to spiritual correction and recognize good when we see it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 18, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LEONIDES OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR; ORIGEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN; DEMETRIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; AND ALEXANDER OF JERUSALEM, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANSELM II OF LUCCA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAUL OF CYPRUS, EASTERN ORTHODOX MARTYR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/calling-good-evil/
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Above: Jeremiah, from the Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo Buonarroti
Image in the Public Domain
Love and Vengeance
JUNE 24, 2023
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The Collect:
Teach us, good Lord God, to serve you as you deserve,
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
except that of knowing that we do your will,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 40
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 20:1-6
Psalm 69:7-10 [11-15], 16-18
Luke 11:53-12:3
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Draw me out of the mire, that I sink not;
let me be rescued from those who hate me and out of the deep waters.
–Psalm 69:16, Common Worship (2000)
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Jesus was very smart—sufficently intelligent to avoid becoming trapped in his own words and able to turn the tables on his would-be ensnarers in the process. The prophet Jeremiah was in literal stocks for doing what God had told him to do. Obeying the will of God leads sometimes to the creation of enemies, who would rather double down than repent.
Revenge and judgment, along with forgiveness, are activities of God, who knows better than we do. We are also to forgive, of course, for it is especially good for us and our communities. But revenge and personal judgment are for God alone to mete out. This does not satisfy many people, but it does avoid human error as well as the spiritual toxins which the desire for revenge release in one. Besides, I would rather err on the side of generosity of spirit than on the side of anger and vengeance. How about you, O reader?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 23, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT DESIDERIUS/DIDIER OF VIENNE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT GUIBERT OF GORZE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN BAPTIST ROSSI, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF NICOLAUS COPERNICUS, SCIENTIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/05/29/love-and-vengeance/
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Above: The Blind and Mute Man Possessed by Devils, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
The Sure Promises of God
NOT OBSERVED THIS YEAR
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The Collect:
God of tender care, like a mother, like a father, you never forget your children,
and you know already what we need.
In all our anxiety give us trusting and faithful hearts,
that in confidence we may embody the peace and justice
of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 37
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The Assigned Readings:
Isaiah 31:1-9
Psalm 131
Luke 11:14-23
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O Lord, my heart is not proud:
my eyes are not raised too high.
I do not occupy myself with matters too great for me:
or with marvels that are beyond me.
But I have stilled and made quiet my soul,
like a weaned child nestling to its mother:
so like a child, my soul is quieted within me.
O trust in the Lord:
from this time forth and for ever.
–Psalm 131, A New Zealand Prayer Book (1989)
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To place one’s trust in the wrong place is to commit a grave error. Egypt was not material for an ally, so the alliance to which Isaiah 31 refers was stupid, foolish, and other choice adjectives. And Jesus, by bypassing the healing function of religious authorities, made powerful enemies. They trusted in the power structure which collaborated with the Roman Empire—again not the cloth from which to create the garment of a good alliance.
Egypt and Rome acted according to form. The former was no ally and the latter brooked no opposition or the semblance thereof. The Roman Empire, as Tacitus wrote, made a desert and called it peace. This violence was the foundation of the Pax Romana.
But, as Jesus said,
…the kingdom of God has come to you.
–Luke 11:20, The New Revised Standard Version
That kingdom stands not on violence, but on love and righteousness. It stands upon God, the rock. It is the kingdom of the Beatitudes. And that kingdom is simultaneously present with us and not realized fully. Its unveiling remains an ongoing process.
The message of this day’s readings is to trust God, who is faithful. As Martin Luther affirmed in various theological debates and questions, the promises of God are sure, thus our spiritual emphasis belongs there.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 10, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THEODORE PARKER, ABOLITIONIST AND MAVERICK UNITARIAN PASTOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTONY PIEROZZI, A.K.A. ANTONINUS OF FLORENCE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF FLORENCE
THE FEAST OF JOHN GOSS, ANGLICAN CHURCH COMPOSER AND ORGANIST; AND WILLIAM MERCER, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF NICOLAUS LUDWIG VON ZINZENDORF, RENEWER OF THE CHURCH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/the-sure-promises-of-god/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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