Archive for the ‘Matthew 10’ Tag
Above: Icon of Jeremiah
Image in the Public Domain
Loyalty to God
JULY 9, 2023
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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 28:5-9
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18 (LBW) or Psalm 119:153-160 (LW)
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:34-42
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O God, you have prepared for those who love you
joys beyond understanding.
Pour into our hearts such love for you that,
loving you above all things,
we may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 25
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O God, because you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as surpass our understanding,
pour into our hearts such love towards you that we,
loving you above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 67
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Jeremiah 28:1-17 is the story of Hananiah, a false prophet who offered false hope in the waning years of the Kingdom of Judah. Hananiah had predicted that God would terminate the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian threat. Jeremiah confronted him and accused him of encouraging disloyalty to God.
Psalms 89 and 119, like Jeremiah, extol and encourage loyalty to God in the midst of disloyalty to God.
St. Paul the Apostle encourages us down the corridors of time to be
dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.
–Romans 6:11b, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
When we return to Matthew 10:37-38, we read of the priority of loving Jesus most of all and of taking up one’s cross and following him. Heeding this advice entails reordering one’s priorities if they are askew.
Those who are loyal to God will stand out compared to those who are disloyal to God. Given the human tendency to promote conformity, some negative consequences will befall those who are loyal to God. Those dispensing the negative consequences may include co-religionists. That is especially unfortunate.
I offer one caution, O reader. Do not mistake serial contrariness against “the world” for loyalty to God. “The world” does not get everything wrong. Instead, follow the coherent moral standards summarized in the Golden Rule. How would a world in which the Golden Rule was the accepted standard function, in contrast to the one in which we live?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 5, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CHARLES WILLIAM SCHAEFFER, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, HISTORIAN, THEOLOGIAN, AND LITURGIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT CATERINA CITTADINI, FOUNDER OF THE URSULINE SISTERS OF SOMASCO
THE FEAST OF SAINT EDMUND IGNATIUS RICE, FOUNDER OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE BROTHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS OF IRELAND AND THE CONGREGATION OF PRESENTATION BROTHERS
THE FEAST OF FRIEDRICH VON HÜGEL, ROMAN CATHOLIC INDEPDENDENT SCHOLAR AND PHILOSOPHER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS HONORATUS OF ARLES AND HILARY OF ARLES, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; AND SAINTS VENANTIUS OF MODON AND CAPRASIUS OF LERINS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Jeremiah
Image in the Public Domain
Human Agents of God
JULY 2, 2023
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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 20:7-13
Psalm 69:1-20 (LBW) or Psalm 91 (LW)
Romans 5:12-15
Matthew 10:24-33
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O God our defender,
storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid.
Rescue your people from despair,
deliver your sons and daughters from fear,
and preserve us all from unbelief;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 25
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O Lord, whose gracious presence never fails to guide
and govern those whom you have nurtured
in your steadfast love and worship,
make us ever revere and adore your holy name;
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), 66
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Following God is frequently a guarantee that one will experience rejection, often from devout people. The Golden Rule exists in most of the world’s religions. Yet, O reader, practice the Golden Rule and notice how much criticism you receive from some adherents to some of these religions, including your own.
Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.
Faith has the power to transform people. Religion often reinforces positive and negative tendencies people have. God or a deity frequently functions as a justification for what one wants to do anyway. People often create God in their image.
Jeremiah did not create God in his image. The Weeping Prophet struggled with God, complaining while obeying. The authors of the assigned texts from the Hebrew Bible wrote of divine protection. Divine protection kept Jeremiah alive yet did not prevent his involuntary exile in Egypt. And Jesus died horribly via crucifixion.
Martyrs populate Christian calendars of saints. This is consistent with various sayings of Jesus from the canonical Gospels. Commandments to deny oneself, take up one’s cross, and follow Jesus dovetail with Matthew 10:24:
No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master.
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
Yet, in sovereignty, God makes unjust suffering work for a positive end. Persecutions and martyrdoms water the church. Redemption comes via the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Often, social injustice prompts a backlash in favor of social justice. The New Testament depicts the violent, oppressive Roman Empire as an involuntary tool of God. God works with what is available.
As much as I enjoy forces of evil functioning involuntarily as agents of God, I assert that being a voluntary agent of God is superior. I try to be one of these voluntary agents of God. To the extent I succeed, I do so by grace. May you, O reader, succeed by grace, in that effort, too.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 4, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CEFERINO JIMENEZ MALLA, SPANISH ROMANI MARTYR, 1936
THE FEAST OF ANGUS DUN, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF WASHINGTON, AND ECUMENIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT BASIL MARTYSZ, POLISH ORTHODOX PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF SAINT JEAN-MARTIN MOYË, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, MISSIONARY IN CHINA, AND FOUNDER OF THE SISTERS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE AND THE CHRISTIAN VIRGINS
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JOHN HOUGHTON, ROBERT LAWRENCE, AUGUSTINE WEBSTER, HUMPHREY MIDDLEMORE, WILLIAM EXMEW, AND SEBASTIAN NEWDIGATE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 1535
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Sheep
Image in the Public Domain
Reconciliation
JUNE 25, 2023
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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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Exodus 19:2-8a
Psalm 100
Romans 5:6-11
Matthew 9:35-10:8
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God, our maker and redeemer,
you have made us a new company of priests
to bear witness to the Gospel.
Enable us to be faithful to our calling
to make known your promises to all the world;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 24
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Almighty and everlasting God,
give us an increase of faith, hope, and love;
and that we may obtain what you have promised,
make us love what you have commanded;
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), 65
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The mandate of the people of God–Jews and Gentiles alike–is to be, in the language of Exodus 19:6,
…a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985, 1999)
Individually and collectively agreeing to that is relatively easy. Following through on that commitment is relatively difficult, though. It is impossible without grace. We are sheep–prone to go astray with little or no prompting. We need reconciliation to God and one another, as well as to ourselves.
God has acted to effect reconciliation. That, then, leaves the human side of the relationship. Grace is free, not cheap; it imposes the obligation of faithful response to God. How we treat our fellow human beings is bound up with our response to God.
Do not imagine, O reader, that I have worked out all these details in my life. Do not think that I have achieved an advanced stage of spiritual development. I know myself too well to assert that I have done what I described in the first two sentences of this paragraph. No, I muddle through, accumulating a mixed record daily. Therefore, I write this post to myself as much as I write it to you.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 3, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CAROLINE CHISHOLM, ENGLISH HUMANITARIAN AND SOCIAL REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINT 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: Joseph Interprets Dreams in Prison, by Friedrich Wilhelm Schadow
Image in the Public Domain
God, the Genuine Article
SEPTEMBER 10, 2023
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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 40 or Isaiah 44:1-8
Psalm 21
1 Corinthians 9:1-16
Matthew 12:38-50
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The most succinct summary of the readings from the Hebrew Bible I can muster is that God is the genuine article. God, who is reliable, mighty, and merciful, is worthy of all praise. The context in Genesis 40 is the interpretation of dreams of the Pharaoh. The setting in Isaiah 44 is the prediction of restoration after the Babylonian Exile. In Psalm 21 a Jewish monarch praises God.
Matthew 12:38-50 has much occurring theologically in it. The element that attracts my attention today is spiritually fictive kinship (verses 46-50). This concept comforts many of my fellow Christians, those rejected their relatives. Matthew 12:38-50 fits neatly with Matthew 10:34-39, among other passages.
It was a kinship in short supply in the Corinthian church and between that congregation and St. Paul the Apostle. He apparently felt the need to defend himself and his traveling companions against allegations, some of which he might have anticipated.
Personalities and perceptions can be troublesome. Perceptions can be false yet tenacious. One might be deeply entrenched in a false religion or mindset that objective reality contradicts. To quote John Adams,
Facts are stubborn things.
Yet objectively false conclusions are frequently more stubborn. This is why fact-based arguments fail much of the time. It would be different if one were debating the great English linguist and moralist Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), but how many of us are in his league?
Then there is truth we cannot prove via Enlightenment Modernism. This is a major problem with much of Christian apologetics, for work in that field has a flawed methodology. And, as the great Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998) taught, Jesus of Nazareth is the sole basis of the truth of the Gospel, and to appeal to any outside standard to prove the truth of the Gospel is to make that outside standard more important than the Gospel.
No, God, is the genuine article. Some truth one must accept on faith, or not at all. Enlightenment Modernism and the scientific method are valid in many projects; we should embrace them as far as they can take us. Yet when they run out, there is God, the genuine article.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 27, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS GALLAUDET AND HENRY WINTER SYLE, EPISCOPAL PRIESTS AND EDUCATORS OF THE DEAF
THE FEAST OF SAINT AMADEUS OF CLERMONT, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK; AND HIS SON, SAINT AMADEUS OF LAUSANNE, FRENCH-SWISS ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC BARBERI, ROMAN CATHOLIC APOSTLE TO ENGLAND
THE FEAST OF HENRIETTE LUISE VAN HAYN, GERMAN MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/08/27/god-the-genuine-article/
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Above: The Seduction of Dinah, Daughter of Leah, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
Trusting in God, Part I
AUGUST 13, 2023
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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 34 or Isaiah 29:13-24
Psalm 18:1-15
1 Corinthians 5:1-13
Matthew 10:34-11:1
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We have some unpleasant content this week–rape, deceit, and murder in Genesis 34 and incest in 1 Corinthians 5.
The rape of Dinah is one of those stories that makes people squirm. Dinah is the only completely sympathetic character. Jacob, her father, is indifferent to her plight. Her brothers Simeon and Levi are sympathetic until they entrap and massacre Canaanite men still recuperating from circumcision. Shechem the rapist is not sympathetic at all; neither is his father Hamor. Still, Simeon and Levi, avengers of their sister, are somewhat sympathetic characters.
At least they cared about what had happened to her, what was happening to her, and might happen to her.
As for Dinah, given the realities of her situation in a patriarchal culture that shamed raped women, her future seemed bleak. Who would marry her now? And marrying her rapist was not a good option either. She almost dropped out of the narrative; her name recurred in the census in Genesis 46. She had no descendants.
Her brothers’ vengeance brought them material gain and ego boosts, but wounded their souls and diminished them as human beings. It made a bad situation worse.
Trust in God, most of the assigned readings tell us. Trust in God when doing so is difficult. Trust in God and live accordingly. Trust in God, take up one’s cross, follow Jesus, and take care of each other. Trust in God when one’s family abandons one.
Trusting in God can prove challenging during the best of times, especially if one insists on self-reliance. Trusting in God when one is in dire straits can therefore be more difficult. Yet I know from experience that trusting in God might be easier in times of dire straits if, for perhaps no other reason, one is acutely aware of one’s dependence on God and of God’s presence. God is always with us. If one likens God to a lamp turned on, one might understand my point. One might notice the light during daylight, but the light is more noticeable at night.
Trusting in God also entails leaving desires for revenge unfulfilled. Vengeance might prove satisfying in the short term, but it devours those who have committed it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 30, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CLARENCE JORDAN, SOUTHERN BAPTIST MINISTER AND WITNESS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CHRYSOLOGUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF RAVENNA AND DEFENDER OF ORTHODOXY
THE FEAST OF SAINT VICENTA CHÁVEZ OROZCO, FOUNDRESS OF THE SERVANTS OF THE HOLY TRINITY AND THE POOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT WILLIAM PINCHON, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/07/30/trusting-in-god-part-vii/
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Above: The Reunion of Esau and Jacob, by Francesco Hayez
Image in the Public Domain
Facing God, Other People, and Ourselves
AUGUST 6, 2023
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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 33:1-11 or Isaiah 17:7-13
Psalm 17:1-8
1 Corinthians 4:1, 9-21
Matthew 10:16-33
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One might suffer for any one of a variety of reasons. One might suffer (as in the case of Damascus, in Isaiah 17) as punishment for idolatry and injustice. Maybe (as in 1 Corinthians 4 and Matthew 10) one might suffer for the sake of righteousness. Perhaps one is merely unfortunate. Or maybe another explanation fits one’s circumstances.
Either way, the commandment to remember, honor, and obey God remains. Also, judgment for disobedience is both collective and individual.
As worthwhile as those points are, another one interests me more. Certain verses in Genesis 32 and 33 refer to faces–of Jacob, Esau, and God. Karen Armstrong, writing in In the Beginning: A New Interpretation of Genesis (1996), makes a vital point: they are all the same face. Jacob, in confronting Esau, also confronts God and himself.
We human beings go to great lengths to avoid facing God, other people, and ourselves. In the city in which I live, seldom do I enter a store or a restaurant in which music is not playing; silence is apparently anathema. Unfortunately, the music is almost always bad, especially in one thrift store, the management of which pipes contemporary Christian “seven-eleven” songs over the speakers. (I avoid that thrift store more often than not.) Or, if there is no music, a television set is on. Sensory stimulation is the order of the day.
But when we are alone and silent, we cannot ignore God and ourselves so easily. And if we cannot face ourselves honestly, we cannot face others honestly either. If we persist in running away, so to speak, we will cause our own suffering. It will not be a matter of God smiting us, but of us smiting ourselves.
One would think that silence would be welcome in more churches. The silence at the end of the Good Friday service in The Episcopal Church is potent, for example. Yet many churchgoers have an aversion to silence. And I recall that, one Good Friday, during that potent silence after the service had ended, someone’s cellular telephone rang, causing spiritual and liturgical disruption.
if we are to become the people we are supposed to be in God, we need to take time to turn off the distracting stimulation and face God, others, and ourselves.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 30, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CLARENCE JORDAN, SOUTHERN BAPTIST MINISTER AND WITNESS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
THE FEAST OF SAINT PETER CHRYSOLOGUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF RAVENNA AND DEFENDER OF ORTHODOXY
THE FEAST OF SAINT VICENTA CHÁVEZ OROZCO, FOUNDRESS OF THE SERVANTS OF THE HOLY TRINITY AND THE POOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT WILLIAM PINCHON, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/07/30/facing-god-other-people-and-ourselves/
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Above: Jacob Struggles with the Angel, from the Gutenberg Bible
Image in the Public Domain
Wrestling with God
JULY 30, 2023
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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 32:3-31 or Isaiah 14:5-20
Psalm 15
1 Corinthians 3:10-23
Matthew 10:1-15
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Jacob had been wrestling all his life. In the womb he and his brother Esau had struggled with each other. Jacob had, so to speak, wrestled with Esau during childhood and adulthood. Jacob had also been wrestling with himself. On the eve of what turned out to be reconciliation with Esau, Jacob literally wrestled with God or an angel in human form and received a blessing, as well as a limp. Jacob, literally “supplanter,” also became Israel, literally “may God rule.”
I admire Judaism, from which I learn much. One aspect of Judaism I find especially helpful is struggling with God as part of a relationship with God. One finds evidence of that collective struggle throughout the Hebrew Bible. One also finds evidence of divine judgment and mercy, hence restoration following exile. The reading from Isaiah 14 is a song of taunting against the defeated Babylonian/Neo-Chaldean monarch.
According to the high standards of Psalm 15, not one of we mere mortals has any hope, except via grace. Moral perfectionism is an impossible standard, but we should still strive to be the best versions of ourselves we can be.
St. Paul the Apostle wrote to the quarrelsome Corinthian church that it was God’s temple. (The “you” is plural in the reading.) That congregation needed to shape up and come closer to its spiritual potential. Unfortunately, as anyone who has studied the (First) Letter to the Corinthians from St. Clement (I) of Rome (circa 100) should know, the congregation remained quarrelsome and troublesome for at least a generation after St. Paul’s demise.
As my father taught me, troubled people cause trouble.. They are like Jacob. They are wrestling, metaphorically, with themselves and others. Perhaps they are wrestling with God also. In the meantime, in the context of congregational life, are holding a church back, and other members of that community are permitting them to do so. This is a dynamic present in come congregations I have observed.
One progression in the Gospel of Matthew is the expansion of the audience for the message. The audience in 7:6 consists of Jews. Yet, in 28:19, the audience is
all nations.
I, as a Gentile, am grateful for this expansion of the audience. Through it the wisdom of Judaism, has come to me. As I struggle with God, others, and myself, I hope that I cause no trouble in churches. I hope that I am improving spiritually. I hope that people will recognize the light of Christ in me. To the extent any of this comes true, God deserves all the glory.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JULY 24, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS À KEMPIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK, PRIEST, AND SPIRITUAL WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOHN NEWTON, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WALTER RAUSCHENBUSCH, U.S. BAPTIST MINISTER AND THEOLOGIAN OF THE SOCIAL GOSPEL
THE FEAST OF SAINTS VINCENTIA GEROSA AND BARTHOLOMEA CAPITANIO, COFOUNDERS OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF LOVERE
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/07/24/wrestling-with-god-part-ii/
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Above: The Testament and Death of Moses, by Luca Signorelli
Image in the Public Domain
The Apocalyptic Discourse, Part II
JULY 23, 2023
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 31:(1-22) 23-29 or Micah 7:1-7 or Daniel (11:40-45) 12:1-13
Psalm 54
Matthew 10:17-22a; 24:9-14 or Mark 13:9-13
1 Corinthians 9:1-15
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Human nature is corrupt, we read in Deuteronomy 31 and Micah 7. We do not require these or any other texts to grasp that truth, do we? All we need to do is to understand ourselves and follow current events and study the past if we are to be aware of our flawed nature. As St. Paul the Apostle reminds us down the corridors of time, our only proper basis is in God–Christ Jesus, to be precise. God will ultimately destroy the corrupt human order, founded on violence and exploitation, and replace it with a just social, economic, and political order. Certainly we are incapable of accomplishing that goal.
As much as we might seek divine destruction of our enemies, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of living as vengeful people. As we read in 2 John 5b-6, love is supposed to be our rule of life. Even during times of persecution love is properly the rule of life. This is a lofty spiritual goal–one which requires us to resist our nature and to rely on divine grace. How can we be God’s salt and light in the world if we do otherwise? We are free in Christ Jesus to glorify God wherever we are, and no matter under what circumstances we live. May we, in all circumstances, to quote my bishop, love like Jesus, by grace.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 17, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY OF ADVENT
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, ABOLITIONIST AND FEMINIST; AND MARIA STEWART, ABOLITIONIST, FEMINIST, AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF EGLANTYNE JEBB AND DOROTHY BUXTON, FOUNDERS OF SAVE THE CHILDREN
THE FEAST OF FRANK MASON NORTH, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MARY CORNELIA BISHOP GATES, U.S. DUTCH REFORMED HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/12/17/the-apocalyptic-discourse-part-ii/
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Above: World Map 1570
Image in the Public Domain
Nationality and Discipleship
OCTOBER 10-12, 2022
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The Collect:
Almighty and most merciful God, your bountiful goodness fills all creation.
Keep us safe from all that may hurt us,
that, whole and well in body and spirit,
we may with grateful hearts accomplish all that you would have us to do,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
—Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 50
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Kings 5:15-19a (Monday)
2 Kings 5:19b-27 (Tuesday)
2 Kings 15:1-7 (Wednesday)
Psalm 61 (All Days)
Acts 26:24-29 (Monday)
Ephesians 6:10-20 (Tuesday)
Matthew 10:5-15 (Wednesday)
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So I will always sing he praise of your Name,
and day by day I will fulfill your vows.
–Psalm 61:8, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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In the assigned readings for these three days we read of people accepting and recognizing God or doing the opposite. Jews and Gentiles alike accept and recognize God. Jews and Gentiles alike do the opposite. The standard of acceptability before God has nothing to do with national identity.
This principle occurs elsewhere in scripture. Off the top of my head, for example, I think of the Book of Ruth, in which a Moabite woman adopts the Hebrew faith and marries into a Hebrew family. I recall also that Matthew 1:5 lists Ruth as an ancestor of Jesus. That family tree also includes Rahab the prostitute (Joshua 2:1-21 and 6:22-25), who sheltered Hebrew spies in Jericho. I think also of St. Simon Peter, who, at the home of St. Cornelius the Centurion, said:
The truth I have now come to realize is that God does not have favorites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
–Acts 10:34-35, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
Nationalism is inherently morally neutral. What people do with it is not morally neutral, however. These applications can be positive or negative. Nationalism seems to be a human concern, not a divine one. As we seek to build up our communities and nations may we not label those who are merely different as dangerous because of those differences. Many of them might be people of God, after all. Others might become followers of God. Furthermore, many within our own ranks might not be devout.
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/nationality-and-discipleship/
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Above: Creek in Desert
Image in the Public Domain
A Faithful Response
SEPTEMBER 2 and 3, 2022
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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
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The Assigned Readings:
Deuteronomy 7:12-26 (Friday)
Deuteronomy 29:2-20 (Saturday)
Psalm 1 (Both Days)
Colossians 4:7-17 (Friday)
Matthew 10:34-42 (Saturday)
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Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingered in the seat of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful.
–Psalm 1:1, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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As I indicated in the previous post, Psalm 1 is overly optimistic. It is also in the company of many passages of the Hebrew Bible, such as our reading from Deuteronomy 7. “Obey God and prosper,” they say. Deuteronomy 29 is correct to remind people of God’s mighty acts. Such grace requires a faithful response, does it not? And, in the long view, the good prosper and the wicked perish in the end. In the meantime, however, we still read of the righteous Job suffering (Job 1 and 2), the persecution of the righteous (Matthew 10:16ff), and the query of the martyrs in heaven, who want to know how long until God avenges them (Revelation 6:10).
If St. Paul the Apostle wrote or dictated the Letter to the Colossians, he produced the document in prison. Regardless of the reality of the question of authorship, the advice for Archippus applies to all of us:
See that you carry out the duty entrusted to you in the Lord’s service.
–Colossians 4:17b, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Grace does, after all, require a faithful response.
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
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/05/18/a-faithful-response/
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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