Archive for the ‘Mark 10’ Tag
Above: The Healing of the Blind Man of Jericho
A Mosaic in Ravenna, Italy
Image in the Public Domain
Imagination and Perfection
OCTOBER 27, 2024
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm 126
Hebrews 5:1-10
Mark 10:46-52
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Almighty and everlasting God,
increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity;
and, that we may obtain what your promise,
make us love what you command;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 29
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Almighty God, we pray,
show your humble servants your mercy,
that we, who put no trust in our own merits,
may be dealt with not according to the severity of your judgment
but according to your mercy;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 87
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…he learnt obedience, Son though he was, through his sufferings; when he had been perfected, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek.
–Hebrews 5:8-10, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
Perfection, in this case, indicates suitability for one’s task(s). This is the same definition of perfection according to which sacrificial animals who fulfill the standards are perfect and the Bible says we should be perfect.
We have, then, questions to consider. What are our tasks, properly? What does God expect us and equip us (both collectively and individually) to do? And how can we discern these vocations?
The formerly blind man of Jericho understood his new vocation; he followed Jesus into Jerusalem for that fateful Passover Week. The narrative drops the man after Mark 10:52, but we can imagine how the erstwhile blind man felt about what he saw and how these experiences altered his life.
The readings from the Hebrew Bible speak of God restoring ancient Israel. Jeremiah 31:7-9 envisions the restoration of the remnant of the northern Kingdom of Israel into the Judean community. This matter raises the question of human willingness to welcome those brothers and sisters back into the fold.
May we refrain from overdoing individualism. The dominant ethos in the Bible is communitarian. So, may the individualistic focus subordinate to the communal focus as we ponder what God calls and equips us to do. Besides, we can accomplish more together than alone. The question is not, “What does God call and equip me to do?” as often as it is, “What does God call and equip us to do?”
People live in situations, not abstractions. Therefore, faithful response to this divine call will look different from place and time to place and time. The challenges and circumstances of one community may differ from those of another. So be it. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, not the cooking. Results matter.
One application of this principle of collectively responding faithfully to God is to the church as membership declines and budgets reduce. As I write this post, inflation is another challenge to already-tight congregational budgets. How can we best be the church when and where we are? How must we change? What must never change? The Episcopal catechism lists lay members as ministers before it lists ordained people as ministers. Yet, in a sacramental tradition, sacramentalists are crucial. So, a congregation lacking a priest has an additional challenge. Yes, such a congregation can rent a prieset for any given Sunday, but that is not the same as having a regular priestly presence.
Often we need something intangible more than we require something tangible. We need the imagination to think anew and to recognize what we have that is tangible and how to use it most effectively. We require the imagination to perceive God calling us and God’s call to us. We need the imagination to believe that we can fulfill the vocation(s) for which God equips us.
Then we will be perfect–suitable for our tasks.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 3, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF CAROLINE CHISHOLM, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF ANTONIN DVORÁK, CZECH ROMAN CATHOLIC COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH HODGES, EPISCOPAL PRIEST, LITURGIST, ORGANIST, AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF MARIE-LÉONIE PARADIS, FOUNDER OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY
THE FEAST OF SAINTS MAURA AND TIMOTHY OF ANTINOE, MARTYRS, 286
THE FEAST OF SAINT TOMASSO ACERBIS, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Icon of Christ Pantocrator
Scanned by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
Suffering and Spiritual Doltage
OCTOBER 20, 2024
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 53:10-12
Psalm 91:9-16
Hebrews 4:9-15
Mark 10:35-45
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Almighty and everlasting God,
in Christ you 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 your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us
that we may continually be given to good works;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 86
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In historical context, (Second) Isaiah 53:10-12 is about the Jews–a seemingly unimportant group of people–as they approached the conclusion of the Babylonian Exile. They had suffered greatly. Yet they, having survived, had suffered in such a way as to benefit exiles. Second Isaiah, writing circa 540 B.C.E., looked ahead about one year, to freedom, not five and a half centuries, to Jesus of Nazareth.
Suffering is also a theme in Psalm 91. Biblically, well-being is in God. So, suffering for the sake of righteousness does not preclude the maintenance of well-being.
Speaking of suffering and Jesus, we turn to the New Testament. The inappropriate request of Sts. James and John (sons of Zebedee and first cousins of Jesus) immediately follows Mark 10:32-34, a prediction of the Passion of Jesus. The other bookend is Mark 10:46-52, in which Jesus heals a blind man. The bookends comment upon the lection in Mark: Sts. James and John were blind to the Passion of Jesus and the cost of discipleship shortly prior to the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11).
Yet Sts. James, John, and the other disciples did not have a monopoly on spiritual doltage. So, as we turn to ourselves and to the Epistle to the Hebrews, may we also turn to Jesus, the sinless high priest who empathizes with us. Are we as forgiving of our foibles and ourselves as Jesus is? Are we as forgiving of the foibles and sins of other people as Jesus is? And, returning to the theme of suffering, do we identify our suffering with that of Jesus, who identifies with us–as individuals, communities, and a species?
All these questions may present challenges. So be it. We need not face these challenges on our own strength. Indeed, we cannot do so.
Let us, then, approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and to find grace in time f need.
–Hebrews 4:16, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 2, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA; PATRIARCH; AND SAINT ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, PATRIARCH AND “FATHER OF ORTHODOXY”
THE FEAST OF CHARLES SILVESTER HORNE, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH HASSE, GERMAN-BRITISH MORAVIAN COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF ELIAS BOUDINOT, IV, U.S. STATESMAN, PHILANTHROPIST, AND WITNESS FOR CIVIL JUSTICE
THE FEAST OF JULIA BULKLEY CADY CORY, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIGISMUND OF BURGUNDY, KING; SAINT CLOTILDA, FRANKISH QUEEN; AND SAINT CLODOALD, FRANKISH PRINCE AND ABBOT
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Icon of Amos
Image in the Public Domain
Idolatry and Apostasy
OCTOBER 13, 2024
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
Psalm 90:12-17 (LBW) or Psalm 119:73-80 (LW)
Hebrews 3:1-6
Mark 10:17-27 (28-30)
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Almighty God, source of every blessing,
your generous goodness comes to us anew every day.
By the work of your Spirit,
lead us to acknowledge your goodness,
give thanks for your benefits,
and serve you in willing obedience;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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Enlighten our minds, we pray, O God,
by the Spirit who proceeds from you,
that, as your Son has promised,
we may be led into all truth;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 85
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The prophet Amos channeled the Law of Moses when he condemned economic injustice. The cheating of people and the exploitation of the poor and vulnerable stirred up the prophet’s righteous anger. The original context was the northern Kingdom of Israel about half a century prior to its demise in 722 B.C.E. Sadly, Amos 5:6-15 has never ceased to apply somewhere, at least in spirit.
If Amos were alive today, many people–including many conventionally pious folk–would dismiss him as a “Social Justice Warrior” and as “woke.” So be it. Cynics and defenders of social injustice are always present, as is the divine judgment upon them.
The selections from the Book of Psalms attest to dedication to living so as to obey and honor God. This attitude is a good start–a better start than disregard for those purposes. Yet a good start does not always result in a good conclusion. As the lection from Mark 10 indicates, wealth can stand in the way by blinding one to total dependence on God. Wealth is, by itself, morally and spiritually neutral. And a review of Christ’s spiritual counsel in the reveals that he tailored advice to fit its recipients, in their circumstances. Regarding wealth, as we read elsewhere in the New Testament, the love of money is the root of all evil–the delusion that we can and must rely on ourselves, not God.
The most succinct summary of the Epistle to the Hebrews I have heard is:
There is x, then there is Jesus.
In Hebrews 3:1-6, for example, we read that Jesus is greater than Moses. God is the builder of the household of God, Moses was a faithful member of that household, Christ is faithful as a son over his household, and the people of God are the household of God. There is a caveat, though:
…And we are his household, as long as we maintain his boldness and the boast of hope.
–Hebrews 3:6, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible
In other words, we are the household of God as long as we do not drop out of it. Apostasy is a theme in the Epistle to the Hebrews, set against the backdrop of persecution.
What distracts us from God? What are our idols? For some, wealth is an idol. Yet money and property are not idols for all wealthy people. Fear of persecution is another popular idol. Insensitivity to human suffering is yet another frequent idol. The list is long.
May God reveal our idols to us. Then may we repent and follow God, to the benefit of others and ourselves, as well as to the glory of God, regardless of the cost to us.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 28, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTIETH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF JAROSLAV VAJDA, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HYMN TRANSLATOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOZEF CEBULA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1941
THE FEAST OF SAINT LOUIS DE MONTFORT, FOUNDER OF THE COMPANY OF MARY (THE MONTFORT MISSIONARIES) AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF WISDOM; AND SAINT MARIE-LOUISE TRICHET, CO-FOUNDER OF THE DAUGHTERS OF WISDOM
THE FEAST OF SAINT PAMPHILIUS OF SULMONA, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND ALMSGIVER
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CHANEL, PROTOMARTYR OF OCEANIA, 1841
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Female Symbol
Image in the Public Domain
Dignity
OCTOBER 6, 2024
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Genesis 2:18-24
Psalm 128 (LBW) or Psalm 119:49-56 (LW)
Hebrews 2:9-11 (12-18)
Mark 10:2-16
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Our Lord Jesus, you have endured
the doubts and foolish questions of every generation.
Forgive us for trying to be judge over you,
and grant us the confident faith to acknowledge you as Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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O God, whose almighty power is made known chiefly
in showing mercy and pity,
grant us the fullness of your grace
that we may be partakers of your heavenly treasures;
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 84
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For me to write about wives may seem or be ironic, for I have never married. I have, however, had a girlfriend, whom I loved dearly and struggled to keep alive for a decade, until her suicide. So, some of the material for this Sunday rings true for me in tangible ways.
Richard Elliott Friedman, in his Commentary on the Torah (2001), refers to Eve not as a helper for Adam but as
a strength corresponding to him.
Friedman notes that the Hebrew root ezer can mean both “helper” and “strength.” Then he continues to justify his translation choice by citing Genesis 1 (both males and females bear the image of God) and Genesis 2 (males and females are corresponding strengths).
Psalm 128 is not palatable to modern, egalitarian sensibilities, such as mine:
Your wife is like a fruitful vine
in the recesses of your house,
your children like young olive trees
around your table.
Look, it is thus
that the man is blessed who fears the LORD.
–Verses 3-4, Robert Alter
In Psalm 128, a pious wife stays home and bears and raises children.
The teachings of Jesus about marriage, divorce, remarriage, and children came in a cultural context. Some wealthy people used divorce and remarriage to increase their wealth and land holdings at the expense of others. And women and children were vulnerable members of their patriarchal society. Jesus affirmed the value and dignity of women, children, and the home.
Jesus also affirmed human dignity via the Incarnation:
It was essential that he should in this way be made completely like his brothers so that he could become a compassionate and trustworthy high priest for their relationship to God, able to expiate the sins of the people.
–Hebrews 2:16, The New Jerusalem Bible
“Expiate” is not a household word. It means:
An atoning sacrifice which obliterates sin from God’s sight and so restores to holiness and the divine favor.
–Raymond Abba, in The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, E-J (1962), 200
Such love requires of us who benefit from us who benefit from it that we love God. This faithful response manifests in how we treat each other.
So, how do we treat each other? Do we habitually affirm the dignity of people, especially those who differ from us? How do we think about matters of the equality of races, genders, et cetera? Do we recognize the image of God in all people? If so, how does that affect our attitudes and actions toward them? Or do we persist in harboring hateful prejudices, acting on them, and perhaps citing religion as a justification?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 27, 2024 COMMON ERA
THE NINETEENTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE WASHINGTON DOANE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF NEW JERSEY; AND HIS SON, WILLIAM CROSWELL DOANE, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF ALBANY; HYMN WRITERS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANTONY AND THEODOSIUS OF KIEV, FOUNDERS OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX MONASTICISM; AND SAINT STEPHEN OF KIEV, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI, POET AND RELIGIOUS WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS REMACLUS OF MAASTRICHT, THEODORE OF MAASTRICHT, LAMBERT OF MAASTRICHT, HUBERT OF MAASTRICHT AND LIEGE, AND FLORIBERT OF MAASTRICT, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; SAINT LANDRADA OF MUNSTERBILSEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBESS; AND SAINTS OTGER OF UTRECHT, PLECHELM OF GUELDERLAND, AND WIRO, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
THE FEAST OF SAINT ZITA OF TUSCANY, WORKER OF CHARITY
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Christ with the Children, by Carl Heinrich Bloch
Image in the Public Domain
Resentment and Righteousness
SEPTEMBER 22, 2024
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Jeremiah 11:18-20
Psalm 54:1-4, 6-7a (LBW) or Psalm 119:25-32 (LW)
James 3:16-4:6
Mark 9:30-37
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Lord God, you call us to work in your vineyard
and leave no one standing idle.
Set us to our tasks in the work of your kingdom,
and help us to order our lives by your wisdom;
through your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 28
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Keep, we pray you, O Lord, your Church with your perpetual mercy;
and because without you we cannot but fall,
keep us ever by your help from all things hurtful
and lead us to all things profitable for our salvation;
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 81-82
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Jealousy, disharmony, and resentment come to us in this week’s readings.
- The lessons from the Hebrew Bible flow from the context of persecution for faithfulness. In Jeremiah 11:18-20 and Psalm 54, the context is mortal threat.
- James 3:16-4:6 tells us that peace is a fruit of righteousness–right relationship with God, self, others, and all of creation. As my father taught me, troubled people cause trouble. So, peace is not more commonplace than it is, unfortunately.
- Oblivious disciples, jockeying for position relative to Jesus, received a profoundly counter-cultural lesson in a society that did not value children as people: Those who welcome a child in the name of Jesus welcome Jesus and God.
- Those same disciples also learned that they lacked a monopoly on exorcisms, whatever the causation of “possession,” in Hellenistic terms, may be in modern medical and psychiatric diagnoses. (I, having been in a long-term relationship with a woman who had schizophrenia and manic depression, understand, that in antiquity, she would have been “possessed.” I also accept that possession is real in many cases. The Roman Catholic Church, before authorizing an exorcism, wisely checks medical and psychiatric diagnoses first.) Anyone not opposed to Jesus was on his side.
“Righteousness” is a common word. But how do we use it? Given that I have already defined it in this post, I choose not to define it again in this paragraph. And, to repeat myself for the zillionth time, righteousness and justice are interchangeable in the Bible. Why not? That makes sense. As the Epistle of James–especially–keeps reminding us, how we treat others is a matter of great concern to God. Therefore, we need to shape up morally, in community. We–both collectively and individually–ought never to trample the rights of people, especially in the name of God and morality. Yes, morally gray areas exist in real life. Life becomes complicated much of the time. But we can do our best, with the help of God, in these circumstances. If making the least bad decision is the best possible outcome, so be it. If an unambiguously good result is possible, wonderful.
The actions to which the ethos of shaping up morally in community lead us will vary according to circumstances. We mere mortals live in circumstances, not abstractions. Yet, to focus on one timeless principle, I ask you, O reader: In whom do you struggle to recognize the image of God? In which type of person do you not see the image of God, at least not easily? And how is God calling you to think of such people and to behave toward them differently?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 21, 2023 COMMON ERA
THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF EASTER
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ADAME ROSALES, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1927
THE FEAST OF SAINT CONRAD OF PARZHAM, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF DAVID BRAINERD, AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE B. CAIRD, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST THEN UNITED REFORMED MINISTER, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF GEORGIA HARKNESS, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, ETHICIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMEON BARSABAE, BISHOP; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 341
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: The Statue of Liberty
Image in the Public Domain
What Thanksgiving Day Means to Me
NOVEMBER 28, 2024
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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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Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 126
Philippians 1:3-11
Mark 10:28-31
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Torah piety teaches the following, among other truths:
- We depend entirely on God.
- We depend on each other.
- We are responsible to each other.
- We are responsible for each other.
- We have no right to exploit each other.
The selection of readings indicates the immigrant experience in the United States of America, going back to colonial times. In the United States, we are all immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Even indigenous people descend from those who, long ago, in prehistory, migrated to the what we now call the Americas. I descend primarily from people who left the British Isles. My family tree also includes Germans, French Protestants, and Oklahoma Cherokees. The Cherokee DNA is outwardly more obvious in other members of my family. Nevertheless, I hear occasionally from people who say I look Greek, Jewish, or somewhat Native American.
I have hopes and dreams for my country. I want polarization to end. I want the politics of bigotry to become unacceptable, as measured via votes in elections and legislatures. I want us, individually and collectively, to be compassionate. I want high principles to define both ideals and policies. I want the rhetoric of religion to justify the best of human conduct and government policy, not the worst of both.
That is what Thanksgiving Day means to me.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF BROOKE FOSS WESTCOTT, ANGLICAN SCHOLAR, BIBLE TRANSLATOR, AND BISHOP OF DURHAM; AND FENTON JOHN ANTHONY HORT, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN HENRY BATEMAN, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHAN NORDAHL BRUN, NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN BISHOP, AUTHOR, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST AND RENEWER OF THE CHURCH; AND HIS GRANDSON, WILLIAM REED HUNTINGTON, U.S. ARCHITECT AND QUAKER PEACE ACTIVIST
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/what-thanksgiving-day-means-to-me/
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Above: Christ Giving Sight to Bartimaeus, by William Blake
Image in the Public Domain
Spiritual Blindness
NOVEMBER 3, 2024
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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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Numbers 13:1-2, 17-32 or 2 Kings 5:1-17
Psalm 71:1-12
Hebrews 11
Mark 10:46-52
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Proper faith is optimistic, not foolish. It acknowledges difficulties and trusts in God. Proper faith casts out improper fear.
The story of blind Bartimaeus (Son of Timaeus, literally) is instructive. In the context of the Gospel of Mark, it immediately precedes the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (Mark 11). One may state that Bartimaeus to follow Jesus at a very difficult time. The character’s physical blindness functions as a commentary on the spiritual blindness of the Apostles earlier in Chapter 10. One may conclude that, for Jesus, healing physical blindness was easier than healing the spiritual blindness of people around him.
The most basic commandment of Jesus to take one’s cross and follow him. The details of that order vary person to person, depending on who, where, and when one is. The principle is timeless, though.
May God forgive all of us for our spiritual blindness and heal us, so that we may follow him as well as possible.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/spiritual-blindness-part-iv/
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This is post #950 of ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS.
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Above: Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, by Heinrich Hofmann
Image in the Public Domain
Grace
OCTOBER 27, 2024
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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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Numbers 11:4-29 or 2 Kings 4:8-37
Psalm 70
Hebrews 10:16-25
Mark 10:17-31
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Grace, who is good, works in a variety of ways to meet human needs, tangible and intangible. Gratitude is always an appropriate response. Gratitude assumes a range of expressions. One may choose the form of gratitude that best suits any given circumstance, but gratitude is not optional; it is far more than a merely good idea.
One form of gratitude is keeping commandments. If we love God, we will keep divine commandments. If we love Jesus, we will keep his commandments. Depending entirely on God is one of those commandments. Practicing humility is another one.
These are extremely difficult commandments to keep. They are impossible to keep if one relies on human agency. We do not have to do that, fortunately. We cannot do that under any set of circumstances, anyway. We can, however, succeed by relying on grace. Will we accept it and the responsibilities that accompany it?
I used to have a shirt that read,
GRACE HAPPENS.
(The garment wore out after too many washings, as garments do.)
Terrible and other unfortunate events happen, of course, but so does grace. We can never escape grace, happily. If we accept it, we also accept certain obligations to extend it to others. Therefore, it alters people around us. So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/grace-part-ii/
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Above: Engagement and Wedding Rings, 1922
Image in the Public Domain
Good Society, Part II
OCTOBER 20, 2024
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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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Numbers 6:22-27 or 2 Kings 4:1-7
Psalm 69:1-3, 7-18
Hebrews 9:1-14; 10:19-31
Mark 10:1-15
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Four of the five readings occur in the context of adversity. Two of these mention women and children.
Women and children were often the most vulnerable people in the Bible. This was especially true if the women were widows and the children were minors and/or orphans. The test/trap question about divorce in Mark 10:1-12 brought divorced women into the mix.
One of the greatest contributions of Richard Horsley to Biblical scholarship is focusing on practical considerations in the teachings of Jesus. In this case, consider the economic hardships of Jewish peasants in Roman-occupied Palestine. Horsley’s work on Christ’s thoughts about divorce in that cultural context informs my thinking.
Divorce was a leading cause of dire poverty among women, most of whom were already poor. Without the protection of marriage, their options were bad. Most widows knew that situation, too, unless they had a male relative (perhaps an adult son) to protect them. The family unit provided security.
The juxtaposition of the teaching on divorce and the statement about children and humility is not accidental. It tells another way the divine order differs from human societies.
Divorce remains a leading cause of poverty in the female population. Divorce is necessary or preferable sometimes, as in cases of domestic violence, alcoholism, attempted murder, et cetera. Nevertheless, it and marriage are matters to take seriously, for the good of all involved and for the good of society.
If more people practiced the Golden Rule more often, the world would be a better place and fewer people would suffer physical and/or emotional damage. May we deal graciously with each other as we pray that God will do the same to us.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 26, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANNE AND JOACHIM, PARENTS OF SAINT MARY OF NAZARETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/07/26/good-society-part-vii/
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Above: Jacob and Esau Are Reconciled, by Jan Van den Hoecke
Image in the Public Domain
Building Up Others
OCTOBER 14 and 15, 2022
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The Collect:
O Lord God, tireless guardian of your people,
you are always ready to hear our cries.
Teach us to rely day and night on your care.
Inspire us to seek your enduring justice for all the suffering world,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 50
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 31:43-32:2 (Friday)
Genesis 32:3-21 (Saturday)
Psalm 121 (Both Days)
2 Timothy 2:14-26 (Friday)
Mark 10:46-52 (Saturday)
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He will not let your foot be moved and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD himself watches over you; the LORD is your shade at your right hand,
So that the sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; it is he who shall keep you safe.
The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth for evermore.
–Psalm 121:3-8, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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Here is a saying you may trust:
“If we died with him, we shall live with him;
if we endure, we shall reign with him;
if we disown him, he will disown us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.”
Keep on reminding people of this, and charge them solemnly before God to stop disputing about mere words; it does no good, and only ruins those who listen.
–2 Timothy 2:11-14, The Revised English Bible (1989)
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God seeks to build us up; we should strive to the same for each other. That is the unifying theme of these lessons.
Distracting theological arguments constitute “mere words” (2 Timothy 2:14). Of course, many people do not think that such theological arguments are distracting and destructive. Partisans certainly understand them to be matters of fidelity to God. Such arguments help to explain the multiplicity of Christian denominations. I think in particular of the Church of God (Guthrie, Oklahoma), which separated from the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) in 1910-1911 over, in part, the parent body’s liberalization with regard to Sola Scriptura (or, more to the point, that which the Reformed churches call the Regulative Principle of Worship) and worldliness. The Anderson Church began to (gasp!) permit the wearing of neckties! (Shock horror) Granted, the original, narrow meaning of Sola Scriptura, especially in Lutheran theology, applies only to requirements for salvation, but certain schools of Christianity have expanded its scope to matters beyond salvation–from liturgy to the presence or absence of neckties.
Legalism does not build up the body of Christ. Reconciliation, however, does. We read a prelude to the reconciliation of Jacob and Esau (effected in Genesis 33) in Chapter 32. Jacob, who had, with the help of his mother, cheated his brother out of his birthright in Genesis 27, had gone on to become a recipient of trickery in Chapter 29. He parted company with his father-in-law, Laban, with whom he had a difficult relationship, in Genesis 31, and was nervous about what might happen at a reunion with Esau, who proved to be conciliatory.
The healing of blind Bartimaeus (literally, son of Timaeus) is familiar. Jesus, unlike many people in the account, has compassion for the blind man calling out to him. Those others, we might speculate with little or no risk of being wrong, thought of Bartimaeus as a nuisance at worst and an irritant at best. One need not use one’s imagination much to grasp the application of this story in daily life. Do we see people, or do we see irritants and nuisances?
A moral law of the universe is that, whatever we do to others, we do to ourselves also. This challenges us all, does it not? Tearing others down might be in one’s short-term interests, but, in the long term, those who injure others do so to their detriment.
How is God calling you to build up others today, O reader?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/building-up-others-2/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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