OLD TESTEMENT: Exodus 32: 1 - 14 (RCL)

Exod 32:1 (NRSV) When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the LORD." 6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.
7 The LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'" 9 The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation."
11 But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, "It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, "I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" 14 And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.


Isaiah 25: 1 - 9 (alt. for RCL)
Isaiah 25: 6 - 10a (Roman Catholic)

Isai 25:1 (NRSV) O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you, I will praise your name;
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2 For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of aliens is a city no more,
it will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
5 the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled.
6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
7 And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
8 Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
10 For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.


PSALM 106: 1 - 6, 19 - 23 (RCL)

Psal 106:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD,
or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.

19 They made a calf at Ho'reb
and worshiped a cast image.
20 They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them--
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.


106 (ECUSA BCP)

1 Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, *
for his mercy endures for ever.

2 Who can declare the mighty acts of the LORD *
or show forth all his praise?

3 Happy are those who act with justice *
and always do what is right!

4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favor you have
for your people, *
and visit me with your saving help;

5 That I may see the prosperity of your elect
and be glad with the gladness of your people, *
that I may glory with your inheritance.

6 We have sinned as our forebears did; *
we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.


19 Israel made a bull-calf at Horeb *
and worshiped a molten image;

20 And so they exchanged their Glory *
for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.

21 They forgot God their Savior, *
who had done great things in Egypt,

22 Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham, *
and fearful things at the Red Sea.

23 So he would have destroyed them,
had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, *
to turn away his wrath from consuming them.


Psalm 23 (alt. for RCL, Roman Catholic)

Psal 23:1 (NRSV) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff--
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
my whole life long.


23 Dominus regit me (ECUSA BCP)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.

3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.

4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those
who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.

6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


NEW TESTAMENT: Philippians 4: 1 - 9 (RCL)

Phil 4:1 (NRSV) Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
2 I urge Euo'dia and I urge Syn'tyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

h/t Montreal Anglican
notes
Paul began the conclusion to the letter back in 3:1a. After a digression – to warn against heresy and self-indulgence and to urge devotion to Christ – he tries to finish the letter, but certain concerns intrude. It seems that “Euodia” (v. 2) and “Syntyche”, two workers for Christ at Philippi, differ in their understanding of what the way of Christ is, and that this is causing disunity in the community. We do not know to whom Paul refers as his “loyal companion” (v. 3); he is asked to be instrumental in achieving reconciliation. We read of “Clement” nowhere else. The idea that God keeps of “book of life”, a roll of the faithful to be opened at the end of time, is also found in Exodus 32:32 and Psalm 69:28; in Luke 10:20, Jesus bids his disciples to “rejoice that ... [their] names are written in heaven”. V. 4 is the conventional Greek salutation (like our goodbye) but here Paul means “rejoice” literally. He expects the Second Coming soon: “The Lord is near” (v. 5). Then v. 6: rather than worrying on their own, the Philippians should ask God to help them, through prayer, both of “supplication” (petition) and “thanksgiving”. God’s peace will protect them against their own failings and external threats. The virtues Paul exhorts his followers to pursue in v. 8 are those for which any Greek was expected to strive: he urges moral uprightness to all who follow Christ.

Verse 1: “joy and crown”: Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20: “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? Yes, you are our glory and joy!”. [NOAB]
Verse 3: “my loyal companion”: Probably a leader in the church at Philippi. The Greek word for “companion” can be understood as a proper name, Syzygus. [NOAB] It may be simply an affectionate term, yoke-bearer. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “the book of life”: Daniel 12:1 says “... at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book”. For other references to the book of life, see Exodus 32:32; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 5: “The Lord is near”: This notion is also expressed in Psalm 119:151. The original is marana tha, an Aramaic expression transliterated into Greek. meaning Our Lord is come or Our Lord, come. The use of this expression in 1 Corinthians 16:22 suggests that this was an early prayer originating in the Palestinian church. [HBD] See also Revelation 22:20. [JBC]
Verse 7: “which surpasses all understanding”: Either beyond the human mind to grasp or as achieving more than we can possibly hope for. [NJBC]
Verse 8: The values are from Stoic philosophy. [NJBC]
Verses 10-20: Perhaps Paul’s thank-you note for the provisions brought by Epaphroditus, who became ill soon after his arrival at the prison. See 2:25-28. If this was indeed a separate letter, it is probably the earliest of the letters making up the book – placed at the end to soften the harsh tone of Chapter 3. [NOAB] [CAB]
Verse 11: “content”: i.e. financially independent. See also 1 Thessalonians 2:5-9; 1 Corinthians 9:4-18; 2 Corinthians 11:7-10; 12:13-18. [NJBC]
Verse 14: “distress”: The frustrations of being in prison, of being falsely accused about his teachings.
Verse 15: “in the early days of the gospel”: i.e. in Europe. Paul’s first missionary work on this continent was in Philippi: see Acts 16:9-10. [NJBC]
Verse 15: “when I left Macedonia”: See Acts 16:40. Macedonia was a Roman province in what is now northern Greece and southern Albania. Philippi was one of its major cities and Thessalonica its capital. [CAB]
Verse 15: “no church shared with me ... except you alone”: Paul writes to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11:8-9: “I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the friends who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way”. [CAB]
Verse 16: Acts 17:1 tells us that Paul went from Philippi to Thessalonica. [NOAB]
Verse 17: “the profit”: Paul’s language is commercial but the profit, credit, is spiritual. Note also “I am paid in full” (v. 18), i.e. please don’t send me any more gifts at the moment, and “riches” (v. 19).
Verse 18: “a fragrant offering”: Language taken from the Old Testament which suggests that the true recipient of the gifts is God. For example, Exodus 25:1-6 says: “The LORD said to Moses: Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me. ... spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense”. See also Exodus 30:7; 31:11. [NJBC]
Verse 18: Paul mentions his sending of Epaphroditus, and the latter’s illness, in 2:25-30. [CAB]
Verse 19: “his riches in glory”: God’s repayment will be in glory, in which he is supremely rich. Glory is divine power and presence, working the transformation into God’s own likeness. [NJBC] See also 3:21; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Romans 5:2; 8:18-25, 29-30.
Verse 21: “saint”: A common Pauline term for a fellow Christian. Literally: one set apart for the service of God in the world. See also 1 Corinthians 1:2. [CAB]
Verse 22: “the emperor’s household”: Probably some of his jailers are converts to the faith. While it is tempting to see Paul’s imprisonment as being in Rome, recall that we know that he was also in prison in Caesarea and Ephesus. He may also have served time elsewhere. Members of the imperial household and administration the emperor’s household even when out in the provinces.
Verse 23: Three other Pauline letters end with these words or similar ones. See Galatians 6:18; Philemon 25; 1 Thessalonians 5:28.



GOSPEL: Matthew 22: 1 - 14 (all)

Matt 22:1 (NRSV) Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.' 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.'
10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."

notes
This is the third parable about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ audience would naturally associate a festive meal with the celebration of God’s people at the end of time. This story has elements of harshness and tragedy; some responses seem disproportionate to the crime. It was the custom for the host to send “his slaves” (v. 3) to invite the guests, and again to tell them when dinner was ready; preparing a banquet took many hours. To refuse to come, to refuse a king’s command, is treason; to kill his slaves (v. 6) amounts to insurrection, so the king sends troops to put down the rebellion. After those whom the king had chosen refuse to come, he invites all people, “both good and bad” (v. 10). (In Jesus’ day tax collectors were considered “bad”.) One guest is ill-prepared for the banquet (v. 11); the king banishes him to torment.
We recognize the king as God. The first guests are those who are hostile to Jesus; the one without the wedding robe represents those who do not count the cost in becoming disciples. The judgement on anyone who does not prepare will be at least as severe as that on those who reject Christ. The final verse is the moral of the story – a generalization of Jesus’ intent in telling the parable.

This parable is known as The Wedding Feast or The Great Supper. The parallel is Luke 14:15-24 (although see below). The Lucan version follows the dinner at the home of a Pharisee, whom Jesus challenges to invite those who cannot repay his hospitality: the “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” (14:13). [NOAB] [CAB]
Blomberg makes a good case for viewing the parables in Matthew and Luke as two different teachings of Jesus given on two different occasions.
If the three parables in Chapters 21-22 were given consecutively, the first audience was the members of the Sanhedrin (“the chief priests and the elders of the people”, 21:23), a body who later in the same week judged Jesus, in spite of their apparent incompetence to do so (21:27).
Verse 2: “wedding banquet”: The imagery of a meal as a symbol of the end-time celebration of God’s people was standard in Jewish thought. [Blomberg] See Isaiah 25:6-10.
Verses 3-4: The double invitation merely reflects Middle-Eastern custom.
Verse 3: “his slaves”: Per NJBC, the prophets.
Verse 4: “everything is ready”: Twice in this verse and once in v. 8 the idea of readiness occurs. NJBC sees this as connoting extreme eschatological urgency.
Verse 5: In Luke 14:18-20, the excuses of the guests are more explicit; however, whether here or in Luke, the excuses are very lame and would strike the first hearers as ridiculous. They point out how absurd it is to reject God’s call to his kingdom. In the Lucan version, it is possible that the reasons for not serving in a holy war are in view: see Deuteronomy 20:5-9. If so, a contrast is intended: there are no acceptable reasons for not enlisting for the Kingdom when called. [Blomberg]
Verse 6: The intended guests’ violence was a known method of signalling their insurrection and refusal to show allegiance to their sovereign. [Blomberg]
Verse 7: Refusal to attend the marriage feast of a king’s son is tantamount to high treason. [Blomberg]
Verse 7: “burned their city”: CAB and NJBC see this as a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Further, CAB sees those subsequently invited as those on the margin of society (even though v. 10 says “both good and bad”).
Verse 8: “those invited were not worthy”: They must show an appropriate moral and spiritual response: see also 10:10, 11, 13, 37-39. [NJBC] Luke 14:24 puts it more strongly: “none of those who were invited will taste my dinner”.
Verse 9: “main streets”: Where crowds swarm in an oriental city. The people there are the outcasts of Israel: tax collectors and people from despised trades. [NJBC]
Verse 9: “invite everyone”: The Luke 14:21 is more extreme: “bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame”.
Verse 10: “both good and bad”: Real sinners are invited too. The Church includes both: see 13:37-43, 47-50. [NJBC]
Verses 11-13: Unlike the parable in Luke, the second set of guests are not said to be poor or of lacking time to prepare properly for the banquet, so perhaps one should assume that they (including the incorrectly attired man) had time to don appropriate apparel. [Blomberg]
Verse 11: “wedding robe”: This represents a converted life full of good deeds. Sinners are invited but are expected to repent. [NJBC]
Verse 13: “Bind him hand and foot”: This is part of salvation history but does not fit the story line. [NJBC]
Blomberg makes three main points:
• God invites many people of different kinds into his kingdom.
• Overt rejection of God’s invitation leads to eventual retribution.
• Failure to prepare adequately even when apparently accepted by God proves no less culpable or liable to eternal punishment.
There is a striking parallel in the Talmud which is attributed to a first-century rabbi:
This may be compared to a king who summoned his servants to a banquet without appointing a time. The wise ones adorned themselves and sat at the door of the palace, [“for”], said they, “is anything lacking in a royal palace?” The fools went about their work, saying, “can there be a banquet without preparations?” Suddenly the king desired [the presence] of his servants: the wise entered adorned, while the fools entered soiled. The king rejoiced at the wise but was angry with the fools. “Those who adorned themselves for the banquet,”, ordered he, “let them sit, eat and drink. But those who did not adorn themselves for the banquet, let them stand and watch. [Blomberg]
NJBC says that Matthew has modelled his tradition on the parable of the Vineyard (see 21:33-46).