Archive for the ‘Luke 6’ Tag
Above: Ancient City of Laodicea
Image Source = Google Earth
Wealth as an Idol
AUGUST 21, 2022
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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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Genesis 8:1-13 or Acts 26:1, 9-23, 27-29, 31-32
Psalm 132:1-5, 11-18
Revelation 3:14-22
John 8:31-47
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Laodicea was a wealthy city, a center of the refining of gold, the manufacture of garments, and the manufacture of a popular salve for eyes. The church in that city was also wealthy, not on Christ. Jesus said to keep his commandments. St. Paul the Apostle relied on Christ.
As I have written many times, deeds reveal creeds. To quote Proverbs, as a man thinks, he is. And as one thinks, one does. God is like what God had done and does, in Jewish theology. Likewise, we are like what we have done and do.
Are we like the Laodicean congregation? Are we lukewarm? Are we comfortable, resting on our own laurels and means? Do we have the luxury of being that way? (FYI: “We” can refer either to congregations or to individuals.)
Wealth is not the problem. No, wealth is morally neutral. Relationships to wealth are not morally neutral. To the extent that a person or a congregation may rely on wealth, not God, one makes wealth an idol.
There was once a man who owned a large tract of land. He enjoyed boasting about how much land he owned. One day, the landowner was bragging to another man:
I can get in my truck early in the morning and start driving around the edge of my property. Late in the day, I haven’t gotten home yet.
The other man replied,
I used to have a truck like that, too.
The Bible burst the proverbial balloons of those who trust in their wealth, not in God. Aside from Revelation 3:14-22, one may think readily of the Gospel of Luke and various Hebrew prophets, for example. One may also quote 1 Timothy 6:10 (The Jerusalem Bible, 1966):
The love of money is the root of all evils and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls to any number of fatal wounds.
One may also quote Luke 6, in which the poor are blessed (verse 20), but the rich are having their consolation now (verse 24).
Wealth is morally neutral. Relationships to it are not. May we always trust in God and acknowledge our duties to one another, in mutuality, under God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 21, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MIROCLES OF MILAN AND EPIPHANIUS OF PAVIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ALBAN ROE AND THOMAS REYNOLDS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, 1642
THE FEAST OF EDGAR J. GOODSPEED, U.S. BAPTIST BIBLICAL SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN YI YON-ON, ROMAN CATHOLIC CATECHIST AND MARTYR IN KOREA, 1867
THE FEAST OF W. SIBLEY TOWNER, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/21/wealth-as-an-idol/
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This is post #1000 of ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS.
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Above: Communion of Saints
Image in the Public Domain
The Communion of Saints
NOVEMBER 1, 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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Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Psalm 149
Ephesians 1:11-23
Luke 6:20-31
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O blest Communion! Fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle; they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Hallelujah!
–William Walsham How (1823-1897), 1854
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A saint, in terms of the New Testament, is a Christian. The concept of Biblical sainthood is that being holy, as YHWH is holy (Leviticus 19:2). Saints (in Daniel 7:18) will receive the Kingdom of God (yes, in the apocalyptic sense of the kingdom).
The backdrop of three of the four readings (except 149) is apocalypse, or rather, the expectation of the apocalypse–the Day of the Lord (in Hebrew Biblical terms) and the eventual (yet delayed) return of Christ in the New Testament lessons. One function of apocalyptic language is to contrast the world order with God’s order, the Kingdom of God. Luke 6:20-31 hits us over the head with this contrast.
- The poor are blessed and will inherit the Kingdom of God. The rich, in contrast, are receiving their consolation. (I belong to monthly book group focused on the historical Jesus and the early church. According to what I have read, the correct translation is that the rich are receiving their consolation, not that they have received it.)
- The hungry are blessed and will be full. Those who are full will be hungry.
- Those who weep are blessed and will laugh. Those who laugh will mourn and weep.
- Those who endure hatred and exclusion on account of the Son of Man (a call back to Daniel) are blessed and should rejoice. Those who enjoy respect share accolades with false prophets.
- The Bible never says to hate enemies, despite the impressions one may get from certain angry texts, especially in the Book of Psalms. Nevertheless, love of enemies is a difficult commandment. It is possible only via grace.
- The Golden Rule is a timeless principle present in most of the world’s religions. Working around the Golden Rule is as ubiquitous as the commandment, unfortunately.
Christian saints are those who, trusting in Christ crucified, resurrected, and sovereign, follow him. They bear the seal of the Holy Spirit and fight spiritual battles daily. And when Christian saints rest from their labors, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, gathers them up.
Think about saints you have known, O reader. They probably infuriated you at times. They were human and imperfect, after all. (So are you, of course.) They struggled with forces and problems you may not have been able to grasp. And they struggled faithfully. These saints did the best they could with what they had, as best they knew to do. And they brought joy to your life and helped you spiritually. You probably miss them. I miss mine, too.
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
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/04/30/the-communion-of-saints-part-iv/
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Above: King Josiah
Image in the Public Domain
Parts of One Body III
JUNE 13, 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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2 Chronicles 34 or Joshua 23 (portions)
Psalm 82
Ephesians 5:21-33
Luke 6:27-42
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The faithfulness of God calls for faithfulness to God. We humans, living in communities, have a moral obligation to obey the lofty principles in the Law of Moses, as in Leviticus 18:
- We are responsible to each other.
- We are responsible for each other.
- We depend entirely on God.
- We depend on each other.
- We have no right to exploit each other.
To act on these principles is to behave in a way consistent with righteousness/justice (the same word in the Bible).
We have some difficult readings this week. “Do I have to love my enemies?” “But I enjoy judging people without (much, if any) evidence!” These are responses with which all of us can identify. Hopefully, we have progressed in our spiritual pilgrimages in Christ. Ephesians 5 and 6 contain some really chair-squirming material regarding husbands, wives, masters, and slaves. I do not excuse that which I consider inexcusable. I reject all forms of slavery at all times and in all places. I also affirm gender equality. Furthermore, I contextualize those passages within the epistle.
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
–Ephesians 5:21, The Revised English Bible (1989)
That verse exists within the context of Ephesians 4:25:
Then have done with falsehood and speak the truth to each other, for we belong to one another as parts of one body.
Regardless of one’s cultural context, if one treats others according to that context, one will do well. Likewise, a society with norms that encourage that principle has much to commend it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 21, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH, AND JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH, COMPOSERS
THE FEAST OF JOHN S. STAMM, BISHOP OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH THEN THE EVANGELICAL UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH
THE FEAST OF SAINT NICHOLAS OF FLÜE AND HIS GRANDSON, SAINT CONRAD SCHEUBER, SWISS HERMITS
THE FEAST OF SAINT SERAPION OF THMUIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF UMPHREY LEE, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER AND MINISTER OF SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/21/devotion-for-the-eighth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-c-humes/
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/03/21/parts-of-one-body-iii/
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Above: King Manasseh
Image in the Public Domain
Parts of One Body II
JUNE 6, 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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2 Chronicles 33:1-13 or Joshua 20
Psalm 81
Ephesians 5:1-20
Luke 6:17-26
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Ephesians 4:25 (from the previous post in this series) provides essential context for all these readings, not just Ephesians 5:1-20.
Then have done with falsehood and speak the truth to each other, for we belong to one another as parts of one body.
–Ephesians 4:25, The Revised English Bible (1989)
All of us can change and need grace. Even the most wicked person can revere course. Those who commit crimes unwittingly (see Joshua 20) differ from those who do so purposefully. Mercy does not negate all consequences for actions, but mercy is present, fortunately. All of us ought to be at home in the light of God and to act accordingly, as Ephesians 5:1-20 details. Alas, not all of us are at home in that light, hence the woes following the Beatitudes in Luke 6.
I live in a topsy-turvy society glorifies the targets of Lukan woes and further afflicts–sometimes even criminalizes–the targets of Lukan Beatitudes. I live in a society in which the advice from Ephesians 5:1-20 is sorely needed. I read these verses and think,
So much for the most of the Internet and much of television, radio, and social media!
I do not pretend, however, that a golden age ever existed. No, I know better than that. We have degenerated in many ways, though, compared to previous times. We have also improved in other ways. All in all, we remain well below the high standard God has established.
How does one properly live into his or divine calling in a politically divided and dangerous time, when even objective reality is a topic for political dispute? Racist, nativisitic, and xenophobic and politically expedient conspiracy theories about Coronavirus/COVID-19 continue to thrive. Some members of the United States Congress continue to dismiss the threat this pandemic poses. How does one properly live into one’s divine calling in such a context? I do not know. Each person has a limit of how much poison one can consume before spiritual toxicity takes its toll? Is dropping out the best strategy? Perhaps not, but it does entail less unpleasantness and strife.
May we listen to and follow God’s call to us, both individually and collectively. May we function as agents of individual and collective healing, justice, and reconciliation. We do, after all, belong to one another as parts of one body.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 20, 2020 COMMON ERA
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. EPISCOPALIAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC SOCIAL ACTIVIST AND REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA JOSEFA SANCHO DE GUERRA, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SERVANTS OF JESUS
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL RODIGAST, GERMAN LUTHERAN ACADEMIC AND HYMN WRITER
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Based on this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/20/devotion-for-the-seventh-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-c-humes/
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/03/20/parts-of-one-body-ii/
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Above: King Hezekiah
Image in the Public Domain
Parts of One Body I
JUNE 2, 2013
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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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2 Chronicles 29:1-10 or Joshua 7 (portions)
Psalm 79
Ephesians 4:17-32
Luke 6:1-11
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The Law of Moses teaches, among other lessons, that we are responsible to and for each other. Experiences and the past teach us that one person can improve the situation of many people or cause unfortunate events to befall them. As we read in Ephesians 4:25,
we belong to one another as parts of one body.
—The Revised English Bible (1989)
May we, belonging to one another as parts of one body, put on the new nature created in God’s likeness. May we, therefore, build each other up every day–even commit good works on the Sabbath. May we rejoice in each other’s blessings and support each other during times of adversity and suffering. May those in positions of authority and power build up their countries and the world for the long-term common good, not selfishly build up themselves and boost their egos at high costs to many others. May those who violate this principle fall from power, and may people who will honor this principle replace them. May all of us love ourselves as people who bear the image of God then extend that love to all other human beings. Such radical, certainly politically and socially subversive love and respect is consistent with Jewish and Christian moral teaching.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 20, 2020 COMMON ERA
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. EPISCOPALIAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC SOCIAL ACTIVIST AND REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA JOSEFA SANCHO DE GUERRA, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SERVANTS OF JESUS
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL RODIGAST, GERMAN LUTHERAN ACADEMIC AND HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/20/devotion-for-the-sixth-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-c-humes/
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/03/20/parts-of-one-body-i/
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Above: All Saints
Image in the Public Domain
The Communion of Saints
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The Episcopal Church has seven Principal Feasts: Easter Day, Ascension Day, the Day of Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints’ Day, Christmas Day, and the Epiphany.
The Feast of All Saints, with the date of November 1, seems to have originated in Ireland in the 700s, then spread to England, then to Europe proper. November 1 became the date of the feast throughout Western Europe in 835. There had been a competing date (May 13) in Rome starting in 609 or 610. Anglican tradition retained the date of November 1, starting with The Book of Common Prayer (1549). Many North American Lutherans first observed All Saints’ Day with the Common Service Book (1917). The feast was already present in The Lutheran Hymnary (Norwegian-American, 1913). The Lutheran Hymnal (Missouri Synod, et al, 1941) also included the feast. O the less formal front, prayers for All Saints’ Day were present in the U.S. Presbyterian Book of Common Worship (Revised) (1932), the U.S. Methodist Book of Worship for Church and Home (1945), and their successors.
The Feast of All Saints reminds us that we, as Christians, belong to a large family stretching back to the time of Christ. If one follows the Lutheran custom of commemorating certain key figures from the Hebrew Bible, the family faith lineage predates the conception of Jesus of Nazareth.
At Christ Episcopal Church, Valdosta, Georgia, where I was a member from 1993 to 1996, I participated in a lectionary discussion group during the Sunday School hour. Icons decorated the walls of the room in which we met. The teacher of the class called the saints depicted “the family.”
“The family” surrounds us. It is so numerous that it is “a great cloud of witnesses,” to quote Hebrews 12:1. May we who follow Jesus do so consistently, by grace, and eventually join that great cloud.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF PETER OF CHELCIC, BOHEMIAN HUSSITE REFORMER; AND GREGORY THE PATRIARCH, FOUNDER OF THE MORAVIAN CHURCH
THE FEAST OF GODFREY THRING, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JANE CREWDSON, ENGLISH QUAKER POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF NARAYAN SESHADRI OF JALNI, INDIAN PRESBYTERIAN EVANGELIST AND “APOSTLE TO THE MANGS”
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Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in the mystical body of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord:
Give us grace to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living,
that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Year A:
Revelation 7:9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
Matthew 5:1-12
Year B:
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9 or Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 24
Revelation 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44
Year B:
Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Psalm 149
Ephesians 1:11-23
Luke 6:20-31
—Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2006), 663; also Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 59
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Revelation 7:(2-8), 9-17
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12
—Lutheran Service Book (2006), xxiii
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Originally published at SUNDRY THOUGHTS
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Above: Embrace of Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary
Image in the Public Domain
Humility and Arrogance
MAY 31, 2023
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The Collect:
Almighty God, in choosing the virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son,
you made known your gracious regard for the poor and the lowly and the despised.
Grant us grace to receive your Word in humility, and so made one with 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), 33
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The Assigned Readings:
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Psalm 113
Romans 12:9-16b
Luke 1:39-57
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Depending on the date of Easter, and therefore of Pentecost, the Feast of the Visitation can fall in either the season of Easter or the Season after Pentecost.
The history of the Feast of the Visitation has been a varied one. The feast, absent in Eastern Orthodoxy, began in 1263, when St. Bonaventure introduced it to the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans), which he led. Originally the date was July 2, after the octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24). Pope Urban VI approved the feast in 1389, the Council of Basel authorized it in 1441, propers debuted in the Sarum breviary of 1494, and Pope Pius V added the feast to the general calendar in 1561. In 1969, during the pontificate of Paul VI, Holy Mother Church moved the Feast of the Visitation to May 31, in lieu of the Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which Pope Pius XII had instituted in 1954. The Episcopal Church added the Feast of the Visitation to its calendar in The Book of Common Prayer (1979). The feast had long been July 2 in The Church of England and much of Lutheranism prior to 1969. Subsequent liturgical revision led to the transfer of the feast to May 31 in those traditions.
The corresponding Eastern Orthodox feast on July 2 commemorates the placing of the Holy Robe of the Mother of God in the church at Blachernae, a suburb of Constantinople.
The theme of humility is prominent in the assigned readings and in the Lutheran collect I have quoted. A definition of that word might therefore prove helpful. The unabridged Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language (1951), a tome, defines humility as
Freedom from pride and arrogance; humbleness of mind; a modest estimate of one’s own worth; also, self-abasement, penitence for sin.
Humility refers to lowliness and, in the Latin root, of being close to the ground. God raising up the lowly is a Lukan theme, as is God overthrowing the arrogant. After all, the woes (Luke 6:24-26) follow the Beatitudes (6:20-25), where Jesus says,
Blessed are you who are poor,
not
Blessed are you who are poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3).
The first will be last and the last will be first, after all.
Wherever you are, O reader, you probably live in a society that celebrates the boastful, the arrogant. The assigned readings for this day contradict that exultation of the proud, however. They are consistent with the ethic of Jeremiah 9:22-23:
Yahweh says this,
“Let the sage not boast of wisdom,
nor the valiant of valour,
nor the wealthy of riches!
But let anyone who wants to boast, boast of this:
of understanding and knowing me.
For I am Yahweh, who acts with faithful love,
justice, and uprightness on earth;
yes, these are what please me,”
Yahweh declares.
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
St. Paul the Apostle channeled that ethic in 1 Corinthians 1:31 and 2 Corinthians 10:17, among other passages.
That which he understood well and internalized, not without some struggle, remains relevant and timeless.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 1, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JUSTIN MARTYR, CHRISTIAN APOLOGIST AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAMPHILUS OF CAESAREA, BIBLE SCHOLAR AND TRANSLATOR; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL STENNETT, ENGLISH SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST MINISTER AND HYMN-WRITER; AND JOHN HOWARD, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON OF SYRACUSE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
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Adapted from this post:
https://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/devotion-for-the-feast-of-the-visitation-of-mary-to-elizabeth-years-a-b-c-and-d-humes/
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Above: Christ Healing the Man with the Withered Hand
Image in the Public Domain
Compassion and the Sabbath
AUGUST 22-24, 2022
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The Collect:
O God, mighty and immortal, you know that as fragile creatures
surrounded by great dangers, we cannot by ourselves stand upright.
Give us strength of mind and body, so that even when we suffer
because of human sin, we may rise victorious through
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 46
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The Assigned Readings:
Ezekiel 20:1-17 (Monday)
Ezekiel 20:18-32 (Tuesday)
Ezekiel 20:33-44 (Wednesday)
Psalm 109:21-31 (All Days)
Hebrews 3:7-4:11 (Monday)
Revelation 3:7-13 (Tuesday)
Luke 6:6-11 (Wednesday)
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Let them know that yours is the saving hand,
that this, Yahweh, is your work.
–Psalm 109:27, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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Ezekiel 20 is a stinging indictment of an intergenerational, societal pattern of infidelity to God, who has done so much and required mere obedience in return. In the Hebrew Bible keeping the Law of Moses is a faithful response to God. Not observing that code, with its timeless principles and culturally specific applications thereof, leads to negative consequences in the Old Testament. In contrast to Ezekiel 20 is Revelation 3:7-13, in which the church at Philadelphia has remained faithful in the midst of adversity. The text encourages that congregation to remain faithful amidst hardship, a message also present in the lection from Hebrews.
Keeping the Sabbath is a related theme in some of these days’ readings. I covered that topic in the previous post, so I will not repeat myself here. In Luke 6:6-11 Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. Certain critics of our Lord and Savior accused him of having acted inappropriately, given the day. Jesus replied that all days are good days to commit good deeds.
As I understand Jewish Sabbath laws, Jesus acted consistently with the best spirit of them. I have heard, for example, of Jewish doctors and nurses whose work in emergency rooms (including on the Jewish Sabbath) is an expression of their faith. As for the account in Luke 6:6-11, our Lord and Savior’s accusers were especially strict and represented one part of the spectrum of opinion regarding the question of how to keep the Sabbath. According to a note in The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011), the Law of Moses forbade work on the Sabbath without defining “work.” Germane texts were Exodus 20:10; Exodus 31:14-15; and Leviticus 23:3. Previous study has revealed to me that, at the time of Jesus, strict Jewish Sabbath regulations permitted providing basic first aid and saving a life on that day. If saving a life was permissible on the Sabbath, why not healing on that day?
I suppose that our Lord and Savior’s accusers in Luke 6:6-11 thought they were holding fast to their obligations to God. They erred, however, by becoming lost in details and losing sight of compassion and kindness.
May we avoid the opposite errors of caring about the wrong details in the name of piety and of not caring enough or at all. May we act out of compassion and kindness every day of the week.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 24, 2016 COMMON ERA
MAUNDY THURSDAY
THE FEAST OF THOMAS ATTWOOD, “FATHER OF MODERN CHURCH MUSIC”
THE FEAST OF SAINT DIDACUS JOSEPH OF CADIZ, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF OSCAR ROMERO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF SAN SALVADOR, AND THE MARTYRS OF EL SALVADOR
THE FEAST OF PAUL COUTURIER, ECUMENIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/compassion-and-the-sabbath/
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Above: Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Sautee, Georgia, February 8, 2015
Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
Sabbath
AUGUST 18-20, 2022
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The Collect:
O God, mighty and immortal, you know that as fragile creatures
surrounded by great dangers, we cannot by ourselves stand upright.
Give us strength of mind and body, so that even when we suffer
because of human sin, we may rise victorious through
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 46
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The Assigned Readings:
Numbers 15:32-41 (Thursday)
2 Chronicles 8:12-15 (Friday)
Nehemiah 13:15-22 (Saturday)
Psalm 103:1-8 (All Days)
Hebrews 12:13-17 (Thursday)
Acts 17:1-9 (Friday)
Luke 6:1-5 (Saturday)
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Bless Yahweh, my soul,
from the depths of my being, his holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul,
never forget all his acts of kindness.
–Psalm 103:1-2, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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Keeping divine commandments is one way of manifesting love for God. Observing the Sabbath is the dominant issue in these days’ readings, so I focus on it.
Sabbath is an indication of freedom. When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, they had no days off. Since they were free, however, they had a day off each week. Violating it carried a death sentence, though. (That was unduly harsh!) The reality of the death penalty for that infraction indicated the importance of keeping Sabbath in that culture, which understood that individual violations led to communal punishment.
Our Lord and Savior’s Apostles plucked grain with their hands one Sabbath. This was permissible in Deuteronomy 23:25 yet not in Exodus 34:21. Jesus preferred to cite the former, but his accusers favored the latter. He also understood the precedent David set in 1 Samuel 21:1-6, in which, in an emergency, he and his soldiers consumed holy bread. Jesus grasped a basic reality–people need the Sabbath, but there should be flexibility regarding the rules of the day. In this respect he fit in nicely with his Jewish culture, with its various understandings of Sabbath laws.
Life brings too many hardships to endure (often for the sake of righteousness). Fewer of them would exist if more people would be content to mind their own business. Why, then, do so many observant people add to this by turning a day of freedom into one of misery? I suppose that legalism brings joy to certain individuals.
May we keep the Sabbath as a day of rest, relaxation, and freedom, not legalism and misery. If we must work on our usual Sabbath, may we keep Sabbath another day.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 24, 2016 COMMON ERA
MAUNDY THURSDAY
THE FEAST OF THOMAS ATTWOOD, “FATHER OF MODERN CHURCH MUSIC”
THE FEAST OF SAINT DIDACUS JOSEPH OF CADIZ, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF OSCAR ROMERO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF SAN SALVADOR, AND THE MARTYRS OF EL SALVADOR
THE FEAST OF PAUL COUTURIER, ECUMENIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/03/24/sabbath/
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Above: Christ Giving Sight to Bartimaeus, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
God, Beside Us in Suffering
JULY 17, 2021
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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
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The Assigned Readings:
Jeremiah 12:1-13
Psalm 23
Luke 18:35-43
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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)
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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
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/04/04/god-beside-us-in-suffering/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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