Archive for the ‘Luke 18’ Tag
Above: St. Simon Peter, by Peter Paul Rubens
Image in the Public Domain
Hesed
SEPTEMBER 3, 2023
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Exodus 6:2-8
Psalm 138
Romans 11:33-36
Matthew 16:13-20
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
God of all creation,
you reach out to call people of all nations to your kingdom.
As you gather disciples from near and far,
count us also among those
who boldly confess your Son Jesus Christ as Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 27
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
O almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life,
grant us without doubt to know your Son Jesus Christ
to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life
that, following his steps,
we may steadfastly walk in the say that leads to eternal life;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 77
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
One day in Athens, Georgia, I visited my favorite thrift store in search of a lamp. I saw a wooden lamp that needed polishing. The item looked ugly in the store. However, I recognized the lamp’s potential. So, I purchased the lamp, took it home, and polished it. I owned an attractive lamp.
In the assigned lessons, we read of the faithfulness of God.
- The Book of Exodus makes clear that God freed the Hebrew slaves in Egypt.
- Psalm 138 extols the faithful love of God.
- Romans 11:33-36 needs no summary; read the passage, O reader. No paraphrase can do justice to the text.
- When we turn to Matthew 16:13-20, we read one account of the Confession of St. Peter. St. (Simon) Peter is the rock in this passage; make no mistake to the contrary, O reader. 16:19 (addressed to St. Peter) resembles 18:18 (addressed to the disciples). Binding and loosing refer to rabbinic authoritative teaching–interpretation of the Law of Moses. Putting 16:19 and 18:18 together, the disciples, with St. Peter as the leader, had Christ’s approval to teach authoritatively, and this role played out on the congregational level.
Consider the Twelve, O reader. The canonical Gospels frequently portray them as being oblivious. The Gospel of Mark goes out of its way to do this. The other three Gospels tone down that motif. If there was hope for the Twelve, there is hope for us.
Jesus recognized potential in the Twelve.
Jesus recognizes potential in you, O reader. Jesus recognizes potential in me. If that is not an example of divine faithful love, I do not know what is.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 23, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN GERARD, ENGLISH JESUIT PRIEST; AND SAINT MARY WARD, FOUNDER OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE VIRGIN MARY
THE FEAST OF HEINRICH GOTTLOB GUTTER, GERMAN-AMERICAN INSTRUMENT MAKER, REPAIRMAN, AND MERCHANT
THE FEAST OF JOHN JOHNS, ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST VINCENT LEBBE, BELGIAN-CHINESE ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MISSIONARY; FOUNDER OF THE BROTHERS OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST
THE FEAST OF WILHELM HEINRICH WAUER, GERMAN MORAVIAN COMPOSER AND MUSICIAN
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Saul and the Witch of Endor, by Benjamin West
Image in the Public Domain
Building Up Each Other in Christ
NOVEMBER 7, 2021
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 Samuel 28:1-20 or Lamentations 2:1-13
Psalm 113
Romans 14:1-13, 17
Luke 18:9-14
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You must not let what you think good be brought into disrepute; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but justice, peace, and joy, inspired by the Holy Spirit….Let us, then, pursue the things that make for peace and build up the common life.
–Romans 14:16-17, 19, The Revised English Bible (1989)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The context of Romans 14 is a communal one. Food is a major topic. Rather, what and how people think food–which food is acceptable to eat, for example–is a major topic. Within that context, we read counsel to refrain from judging one another in faith community. The cultural context of Romans 14 may not apply to one’s life, but the timeless principle does.
God commands us to care for and build up each other, especially the vulnerable, the poor, and the distressed. If one keeps reading in 1 Samuel 28, one may notice that the necromancer/witch is concerned about King Saul, depressed. The Law of Moses forbids exploiting people and teaches mutuality. The theology of the Babylonian Exile is that consistent disregard for the Law of Moses led to the exile. Psalm 113 tells us that God raises the poor from the dust and needs from the dunghill then seats him with princes.
When we turn to the Gospel lesson, we may ask ourselves which character we resemble more. So we think more highly of ourselves than we should? Are we so busy judging others that we do not see our true character? Or do we know exactly what our character is and beg for divine mercy? Conventional piety can function as a set of blinders. Appearances can deceive. Self-defense mechanisms that guard our egos can be difficult to break down.
God’s standards and categories are not identical to ours, despite some minor overlapping. Many who think of themselves as insiders are really outsiders, and visa versa. That should inspire us to be humble before God and to avoid looking down our noses at others.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 1, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES AND MARTYRS
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/building-up-each-other-in-christ-part-vi/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Avenge Me of Mine Adversary
Image in the Public Domain
Resisting Evil Without Joining Its Ranks
OCTOBER 31, 2021
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 Samuel 26:2-23 or Lamentations 1:1-12
Psalm 112
Romans 12:9-21
Luke 18:1-8
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Never pay back evil for evil….Do not let evil conquer you, but use good to conquer evil.
–Romans 12:17a, 21, The Revised English Bible (1989)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
All of the lesson from Romans 12 explains itself and constitutes timeless advice about how to live in community. I encourage frequent reading of it, followed by corresponding actions. Details will differ according to circumstances, such as who, where, and when one is, of course. The principles remain constant, however.
“Anger” comes from the Old Norse word for “grief.” Anger flows from grief, literally. Others may commit evil or some lesser variety of sin, causing us to suffer. We may be properly sad and angry about that. Human beings bear the image of God, not the image of doormats, after all. Resisting evil is a moral imperative. So is resisting evil in proper ways. One cannot conquer evil if one joins the ranks of evildoers.
I have struggled with this spiritual issue in contexts much less severe than the fall of the Kingdom of Judah and the time of the Babylonian Exile. I have known the frustration that results from powerlessness as my life, as I have known it, has ended. I have learned to read the angry portions of the Book of Psalms and identity with them. I have also learned of the toxicity of such feelings. I have learned the wisdom of obeying God and letting go of grudges, even when forgiveness has been more than I could muster.
After all, all people will reap what they sow. Why not leave vengeance to God? Why not strive to become the best version of oneself one can be in God? Why not seek the support of one’s faith community to do so? Why not support others in one’s faith community in their spiritual growth?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 30, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JAMES MONTGOMERY, ANGLICAN AND MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF DIET EMAN; HER FIANCÉ, HEIN SIETSMA, MARTYR, 1945; AND HIS BROTHER, HENDRIK “HENK” SIETSMA; RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS
THE FEAST OF JAMES RUSSELL MACDUFF AND GEORGE MATHESON, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS AND AUTHORS
THE FEAST OF SARAH JOSEPHA BUELL HALE, POET, AUTHOR, EDITOR, AND PROPHETIC WITNESS
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/resisting-evil-without-joining-its-ranks-part-v/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Jehoiakim
Image in the Public Domain
Good and Bad Shepherds
NOVEMBER 18 and 19, 2022
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Collect:
O God, our true life, to serve you is freedom, and to know you is unending joy.
We worship you, we glorify you, we give thanks to you for your great glory.
Abide with us, reign in us, and make this world into a fit habitation for your divine majesty,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 53
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Assigned Readings:
Zechariah 11:1-17 (Friday)
Jeremiah 22:18-30 (Saturday)
Psalm 46 (Both Days)
1 Peter 1:3-9 (Friday)
Luke 18:15-17 (Saturday)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
God is our refuge and our strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved,
and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
Though its waters rage and foam,
and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
–Psalm 46:1-4, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The reading from Second Zechariah is an allegory of a selfish and foolish shepherd who, instead of protecting the sheep of his flock, sells them to their slaughterer for the sum of thirty shekels of silver. The identification of the shepherd (code for political leader) is open-ended, and the price for which he sells the sheep of his flock to their doom is the same amount Judas Iscariot went on to receive for betraying Jesus in Matthew 26:14-16. One might surmise correctly that many members of Matthew’s audience, being Jews familiar with their scriptural heritage, would have recognized the echo of Zechariah 11.
Perhaps Second Zechariah was thinking of monarchs such as Jehoiakim (reigned 608-598 B.C.E.), of whom one can read in Jeremiah 22:13-19, 2 Kings 23:36-24:7, and 2 Chronicles 36:5-8, and of his son, Jeconiah/Jehoiachin (reigned 597 B.C.E.), of whom one can read in Jeremiah 22:20-30, 2 Kings 24:8-17, and 2 Chronicles 36:9-10. Jehoiachin was the penultimate King of Judah, and, by the time of his deposition by a foreign potentate, the realm Kingdom of Judah was obviously independent in name only.
Of Jehoiakim, father of Jehoiachin, Jeremiah 22 says in part:
Woe to him who builds his house on wrong,
his terraces on injustice;
Who works his neighbor without pay,
and gives him no wages.
Who says, “I will build myself a spacious house,
with airy rooms,”
Who cuts out windows for it,
panels it with cedar,
and paints it with vermillion.
–Verses 13-14, The New American Bible (1991)
Such shepherds abound, unfortunately. I refer not to those who strive to do the right thing for their populations yet fail to accomplish their goals, but to those to operate not out of any sense of seeking the common good but out of greed, self-aggrandisement, and indifference toward justice, especially that of the economic variety.
Among the most familiar images of Jesus in the Gospels is that of the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-21), who not only watches his flock attentively but lays down his life for it. The Good Shepherd is the polar opposite of the shepherd in Zechariah 11. The Good Shepherd is Jesus in 1 Peter 1 and the figure who points to powerless children as spiritual models in Luke 18. The Good Shepherd is one consistent with the description of God in Psalm 46.
To be a sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd is wonderful indeed.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 7, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK LUCIAN HOSMER, U.S. UNITARIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY GIANELLI, FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARIES OF SAINT ALPHONSUS LIGUORI AND THE SISTERS OF MARY DELL’ORTO
THE FEAST OF CHARLES AUGUSTUS BRIGGS, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN PASTOR THEN EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROBERT OF NEWMINSTER, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND PRIEST
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/good-and-bad-shepherds/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: The Temple at Jerusalem
Image in the Public Domain
Optimism and Pessimism
NOVEMBER 12, 2022
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Collect:
O God, the protector of all who trust in you,
without you nothing is strong, nothing is holy.
Embrace us with your mercy, that with you as our ruler and guide,
we may live through what is temporary without losing what is eternal,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 53
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 10:1-19
Psalm 98
Luke 17:20-37
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
–Psalm 98:1, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Psalm 98 is the most optimistic reading for this day. In Ezekiel 10 (carried over into Chapter 11) the Presence of Yahweh departs from Jerusalem, leaving it open to invasion and destruction by foreigners. The divine Presence remains absent until Ezekiel 43. In Luke 17:21 the Kingdom of God is present yet persecution and generally dark, eschatological times are en route. On the other hand, in Luke 18, Jesus encourages his followers to continue praying and never to lose heart. There is a way through the difficult times while living or dead, and always faithful to God.
The tone of these readings, taken together, fits the time of the church year well. In the Revised Common Lectionary and several other lectionaries the selected portions of scripture become increasingly apocalyptic during the last few weeks before Advent and into that season. Some Confessional Lutheran bodies even go so far as to label the last four Sundays of the Season after Pentecost the End Time Season.
May we remember that out of the creative destruction in Revelation 4-20 comes a new creation in Chapters 21 and 22. Hope in God is real and well-founded, for God will win in the end.
That is a reason for optimism.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 6, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FRANKLIN CLARK FRY, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA AND THE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CLAUDE OF BESANCON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, MONK, ABBOT, AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF HENRY JAMES BUCKOLL, AUTHOR AND TRANSLATOR OF HYMNS
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM KETHE, PRESBYTERIAN HYMN WRITER
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/06/06/optimism-and-pessimism/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Shalmaneser V
Image in the Public Domain
Attachments and Idolatry
SEPTEMBER 5-7, 2022
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Collect:
Direct us, O Lord God, in all our doings by your continual help,
that all our works, begun, continued, and ended in you,
may glorify your holy name; and finally, by your mercy,
bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 47
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Assigned Readings:
2 Kings 17:24-41 (Monday)
2 Kings 18:9-18 (Tuesday)
2 Kings 18:19-25; 19:1-7 (Wednesday)
Psalm 101 (All Days)
1 Timothy 3:14-4:5 (Monday)
1 Timothy 4:6-16 (Tuesday)
Luke 18:18-30 (Wednesday)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Those who in secret slander their neighbors I will destroy;
those who have a haughty look and a proud heart I cannot abide.
My eyes are upon the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me,
and only those who lead a blameless life shall be my servants.
Those who act deceitfully shall not dwell in my house,
and those who tell lies shall not continue in my sight.
I will soon destroy all the wicked in the land,
that I may root out all evildoers from the city of the LORD.
–Psalm 101:5-8, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That depiction of God is consistent with the one in 2 Kings 17:25, in which, after the fall of the Kingdom of Israel to kill the Assyrians, God sent lions to kill some of the godless settlers. That story troubles me, for, although I do not mistake God for a divine warm fuzzy, I do not confuse God for a vengeful thug either.
The emphasis in the composite pericope from 2 Kings, however, is on King Hezekiah of Judah (reigned 727/715-698/687 B.C.E.) and the predicament of his realm. Judah had to pay tribute to Assyria, after all. Furthermore, Rabshakeh, the envoy of King Shalmaneser V of Assyria (reigned 727-722 B.C.E.), blasphemed, claiming that God was on the side of Assyria and that the people should disregard Hezekiah, who advised trusting in God for deliverance. In 2 Kings 19 God saved Judah from Assyrian forces.
We should trust in God, laying aside our attachments to fear, political power, military might, false teaching, and wealth, among other things. In that list the only inherently negative item is false teaching. Fear can save one’s life and protect one’s health, but it can also lead to violence, hatred, bigotry, and insensitivity to human needs. Wealth is morally neutral, but how one relates to it is not. The same principle applies to political power and military might.
Each of us has attachments which distract from God. These attachments are therefore idols in so far as they distract from God. We might not need to abstain from certain behaviors or goods to get closer to God, but we do need at least to redefine our relationships to them. That is difficult, but it is possible via grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 18, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MALTBIE DAVENPORT BABCOCK, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN I, BISHOP OF ROME
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/05/18/attachments-and-idolatry/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Christ Giving Sight to Bartimaeus, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
God, Beside Us in Suffering
JULY 17, 2021
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Collect:
O God, powerful and compassionate,
you shepherd your people, faithfully feeding and protecting us.
Heal each of us, and make us a whole people,
that we may embody the justice and peace of your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 42
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 12:1-13
Psalm 23
Luke 18:35-43
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The LORD is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;
he restores my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for the sake of his name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff comfort me.
You set a table before me
in front of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me
all the days of my life;
I will dwell in the house of the LORD
for endless days.
–Psalm 23, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2010)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jeremiah lamented the fact that the wicked (many of them, anyway) prosper and that the righteous (many of them, anyway) suffer. He also prayed for divine wrath against the wicked. That was a predictable and understandable attitude, one which many people have shared. May we be honest, O reader? Have you and I not rejoiced to learn that some scoundrel got his just desserts?
I perceive, however, that Jesus never rejoiced in that. Yes, he became angry with and confronted people who acted in certain ways and harbored certain attitudes, but I sense that he would have preferred that they repent and follow him. He did not even seem confrontational with the wealthy man in Luke 18:18-30, just a few verses before healing a blind man near Jericho. Later our Lord and Savior prayed for those who executed him and consented to his execution.
Blessed are you when people hate you and ostracize you, when they insult you and slander your very name, because of the Son of Man. On that day exult and dance for joy, for you have a rich reward in heaven; that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
–Luke 6:22-23, The Revised English Bible (1989)
The same God who sets a table for us in the presence of our enemies abides with us during difficult times. I have known that presence during my darkest hours. I treasure the blessing of that presence without possessing any nostalgia for the context thereof.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu told a story about a Jew during the Holocaust. A Nazi guard was forcing him to perform an especially dirty, degrading, disgusting, and unpleasant cleaning job.
Where is your God now?,
the guard asked sarcastically. The Jew replied,
Beside me, here in the muck.
Here ends the lesson.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 4, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE EVE OF EASTER, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF BENJAMIN HALL KENNEDY, GREEK AND LATIN SCHOLAR, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND ANGLICAN PRIEST
THE FEAST OF SAINT GEORGE THE YOUNGER, GREEK ORTHODOX BISHOP OF MITYLENE
THE FEAST OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/god-beside-us-in-suffering/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Design Drawing for a Stained -Glass Window with the Publican
Image Source = Library of Congress
Designed by J. & R. Lamb Studios between 1857 and 1999
Grace, Divine and Human
The Sunday Closest to October 26
Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost
OCTOBER 23, 2022
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Assigned Readings:
Joel 2:23-32 and Psalm 65
or
Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 35:12-17 or Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22 and Psalm 84
then
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Luke 18:9-14
The Collect:
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Some Related Posts:
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-twenty-third-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Confession:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/prayer-of-confession-for-the-twenty-third-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-twenty-third-sunday-after-pentecost/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The biblical texts contain many repeated themes. Among them is the command to obey God’s laws coupled with warnings of the consequences for not doing so followed by those consequences. The Prophet Jeremiah, aware of those sins and their consequences, asked God for mercy on the people in Chapter 14. In Jeremiah 15, however, God paid “no” in many words.
Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 35, which speaks of the divine preference for the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the wronged, begins with:
To keep the law is worth many offerings;….—35:1, The Revised English Bible
Much of the Old Testament tradition agrees with that statement. So does the Pharisee from the parable in Luke 18:9-14. He has kept the Law of Moses as best he knows how, as his tradition has told him to do. But he misses one thing, another element of the Old Testament tradition: humility before God.
You desire no sacrifice, or I would give it:
But you take no delight in burnt offerings.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit:
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
–Psalm 54:16-17, A New Zealand Prayer Book (1989)
St. Paul the Apostle understood all this well. What admirers wrote in his name after he died the Apostle could have said during his lifetime:
I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith;….—2 Timothy 4:7, The New Jerusalem Bible
The crown of righteousness is a matter of grace; we do not earn it. Yes, James 2:24 (The Revised English Bible) tells us:
You seen then it is by action and not by faith alone that a man is justified.
But faith, in that formulation, is intellectual, so words are necessary for justification to God. In the Pauline tradition, however, faith is inherently active, so:
For all alike have sinned, and are justified by God’s free grace alone, through his act of liberation in the person of Christ Jesus.
–Romans 3:23-24, The Revised English Bible
Therefore:
What room then is left for human pride? It is excluded. And on what principle? The keeping of the law would not exclude it, but faith does. For our argument is that people are justified by faith quite apart from any question of keeping the law.
–Romans 3:27-28, The Revised English Bible
According to St. Paul, the Law of Moses did its job until Christ did his, so Jesus has fulfilled the Law.
Even in judgment there can be hope, hence the lection from Joel. The judgment which Jeremiah hoped would not come did arrive. Later, however, so did mercy in extravagant doses. Grace indeed!
Grace is also something we are supposed to extend to each other.
In January 2013 Jim McGown, a friend (now deceased), gave me a good book, the last of a sequence of fine volumes he imparted to me. The last book is a daily devotional guide for Lent, Year C, by Bishop N. T. Wright. The following lines come from Wright’s discussion of the parable from Luke:
Wasn’t the poor chap [the Pharisee] simply doing what God had told him to do?
Well, from one point of view, yes. But Jesus was constantly nudging people, or positively shoving them, towards seeing everything differently. Prayer is about loving God, and the deepest Jewish traditions insist that loving God is something you do with your hart, mind, soul and strength, and your neighbour as yourself, not calculating whether you’ve done everything just right and feeling smug because your neighbour hasn’t managed it so well.
—Lent for Everyone: Luke, Year C—A Daily Devotional (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2012, pages 77-78; published originally in the United Kingdom in 2009 by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge)
So I extend to you, O reader, a small portion of grace which a friend, at God’s prompting, gave to me. Each of us is called to respond positively to God, who has done much for us. Part of this sacred vocation is extending grace to our fellow human beings. We have an excellent role model: Jesus of Nazareth. May we follow him.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 8, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BENEDICT II, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF DAME JULIAN OF NORWICH, SPIRITUAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MAGDALENA OF CANOSSA, FOUNDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY AND THE SONS OF CHARITY
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER OF TARENTAISE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/grace-human-and-divine/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, by Rembrandt Van Rijn
The Efficacy of Prayer
The Sunday Closest to October 19
Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost
OCTOBER 16, 2022
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 31:27-34 and Psalm 119:97-104
or
Genesis 32:22-31 and Psalm 121
then
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Luke 18:1-8
The Collect:
Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Some Related Posts:
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-twenty-second-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Confession:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/prayer-of-confession-for-the-twenty-second-sunday-after-pentecost/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-twenty-second-sunday-after-pentecost/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the LORD your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice. You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. Justice, justice you shall pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving to you.
–Deuteronomy 16:18-20, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Through your commandments I gain understanding;
Therefore I hate every lying way.
–Psalm 119:104, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A judge was supposed to issue impartial rulings, but the woman in the parable from Luke 18:1-8 had to resort to threats of physical violence (slapping the judge in the face or giving him a black eye), to get justice. Extraordinary circumstances required extraordinary methods. But God, as Jesus tells us, is impartial. Deuteronomy 10:17-19 agrees and imposes a set of obligations on the people:
For the LORD your God is God supreme and Lord supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing. You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. (TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures)
There is a profound link between how we regard God and how we act toward one another, not that Atheists cannot be moral people and agents of what the Lutheran confessions of faith call civic righteousness. Yet, if we love God, we will love one another actively.
Another theme in the readings for this Sunday is persistence in prayer. But what is prayer? The Book of Common Prayer (1979) defines it as
…responding to God, by thought and deeds, with or without words. (page 856)
Christian prayer, according to the same page of the same volume, is
…response to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is a state of being. It is how we think and therefore act. Prayer is far more than the definition I heard in children’s Sunday School:
talking to God.
No, prayer is really about the covenant God has written on our hearts.
So, according to that definition, how is your prayer life? You might struggle with God, O reader, but that is fine. In Islam people submit to Allah, but in Judaism they struggle and argue with God. I, being a strong-minded person, enjoy that part of my religious heritage. At least there is a relationship with God through all that struggling. And a transformed state awaits each of us at the end. A trickster came to play a prominent role in salvation history. And one gains much valuable understanding through the struggles.
May we persist in our struggles with God and in our efforts to behave justly, for the glory of God and the benefit of others. The process will transform us, making us better. That is one valid way to understand the efficacy of prayer.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 8, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT BENEDICT II, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF DAME JULIAN OF NORWICH, SPIRITUAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MAGDALENA OF CANOSSA, FOUNDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY AND THE SONS OF CHARITY
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER OF TARENTAISE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/the-efficacy-of-prayer/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Above: Christ Healing the Blind Man, by Eustache Le Sueur
The Imperative of Active Love
NOVEMBER 14, 2022
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Revelation 1:1-3; 2:1-5 (Revised English Bible):
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him so that he might show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who in telling all that he saw has borne witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Happy is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and happy those who listen if they take to heart what is here written; for the time of fulfillment is near.
…
To the angel of the church at Ephesus write:
These are the words of the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven gold lamps: I know what you are doing, how you toil and endure. I know you cannot abide wicked people; you have put to the test those who claim to be apostles but are not, and you have found them to be false. Endurance you have; you have borne up in my cause and have never become weary. However, I have this against you: the love you felt at first you have now lost. Think from what a height you have fallen; repent, and do as once you did. If you do not, I will come to you remove your lamp from its place.
Psalm 1 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2 Their delight is in the law of the LORD,
and the meditate on his law day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither,
everything they do shall prosper.
4 It is not so with the wicked;
they are like the chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes,
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the ways of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked is doomed.
Luke 18:35-43 (Revised English Bible):
As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man sat at the roadside begging. Hearing a crowd going past, he asked what was happening, and was told that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Then he called out,
Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.
The people in front told him to hold his tongue; but he shouted all the more,
Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.
Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came up Jesus asked him,
What do you want me to do for you?
He answered,
Sir, I want my sight back.
Jesus said to him,
Have back your sight; your faith has healed you.
He recovered his sight instantly and followed Jesus, praising God. And all the people gave praise to God for what they had seen.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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 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.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Some Related Links:
Week of Proper 28: Monday, Year 1:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2011/05/24/week-of-proper-28-monday-year-1/
A Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/09/11/911-a-prayer-of-st-francis-of-assisi/
A Franciscan Blessing:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/a-franciscan-blessing/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Procedural Comments on the Monday-Saturday Posts for the Weeks of Propers 28 and 29:
The Canadian Anglican lectionary I am following leads me through Revelation for the last two weeks of the church year every other year. This being the first post of that series, I make some procedural comments here and now.
Religious imagination is important, for the most effective way to communicate some religious truths is imaginatively, as in poetry and other symbolic language. Word pictures can be more vivid than dry explanations. I recognize and embrace this fact. You, O reader, also need to know that I am not an avid consumer of prophesy-themed content, much of which is full of bologna (to use a polite term) anyway. My training is in history and the analysis of texts. So, when I approach a part of the Bible, I want to know, in context, what the message was or the messages were to the original audience. Then I extrapolate to today.
That said, here is some of what we know:
- The author was one John of Patmos, an exile who did not write the Gospel of John. He probably composed the Revelation, or Apocalypse, of John in the 90s C.E., a time of sporadic persecutions throughout the Roman Empire.
- The main purposes of the book were to encourage persecuted Christians and Christians who might face persecution, and to remind them of the contrast between Christianity and the dominant Greco-Roman culture.
- The Apocalypse’s language is symbolic. Fortunately, we can decode it. “Babylon,” for example, is the Roman Empire. And sometimes the text decodes language, as in 1:20.
- Revelation is an essentially positive book, one which tells us that God will win and evil will face destruction.
- Protestant Reformers Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli detested Revelation. They would have removed it from the New Testament, had that been possible.
Now I proceed to my comments specific to this day’s assigned readings.
KRT
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The blind man in Luke 18:35-43 called out for Jesus as people told him to be quiet. But the man refused to obey them. His persistence paid off, for the got our Lord’s attention and regained his sight. Those who told the man to be quiet–to cease to be inconvenient and annoying–did not act out of love for him.
Active love is of the essence in today’s post. The message to the church at Ephesus commended it for holding to orthodoxy during persecution yet condemned it for waning in either devotion to Christ or care for each other or both. The church did, however, have an opportunity to repair its ways, thereby avoiding dispossession by Jesus. This message reminds me of Matthew 25:31-46, in which the test of devotion is active love.
The lesson remains as germane for us today as it was for ancient Christians. None of us can do everything, but each of us can do something, at least some of the time. The challenge is to do what we can as opportunities present themselves. Fortunately, helping others can assume many forms. Some women grow their hair long then sell it for use in wigs for women who have lost their hair because of chemotherapy. And certain professions are inherently human service-oriented. I have heard of medical professionals who prefer to work in an Emergency Room setting out of a religious obligation. Furthermore, volunteer opportunities abound, providing opportunities outside time on the clock. And comedy can help people through difficult times; sometimes we need to laugh.
Purely intellectualized orthodoxy is not helpful; it must find compassionate expression. Likewise, good deeds themselves are inadequate; love must animate them for the maximum effect. (See 1 Corinthians 13.) If I, for example, affirm that each person bears the image of God, I make an orthodox doctrinal statement rooted in Genesis 1:27. (I do affirm it, by the way.) But, if I do not act on that proposition, it is useless. How ought that item of orthodox doctrine inform my life? I cannot, in good conscience, approve of racism if I really believe that each person bears the image of God. (I have an interest in civil rights.)
May our love for God and our fellow human beings deepen and become more active as time passes. I wonder how much the world will improve as that happens. By grace, may we and those who succeed us on this planet learn the answer.
KRT
http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/the-imperative-of-active-love/
ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
You must be logged in to post a comment.