OLD TESTAMENT: Judges 4: 1 - 7 (RCL)

Judg 4:1 (NRSV) The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, after E'hud died. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of King Ja'bin of Ca'naan, who reigned in Ha'zor; the commander of his army was Sis'era, who lived in Haro'sheth-ha-goi'im. 3 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the
Israelites cruelly twenty years.
4 At that time Deb'orah, a prophetess, wife of Lap'pidoth, was judging Israel. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deb'orah between Ra'mah and Beth'el in the hill country of E'phraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and summoned Bar'ak son of Abin'oam from Ke'desh in Naph'tali, and said to him, "The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you, "Go, take position at Mount Ta'bor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naph'tali and the tribe of Zeb'ulun. 7 I will draw out Sis'era, the general of Ja'bin's army, to meet you by the Wadi Ki'shon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.'"


Zephaniah 1: 7, 12 - 18 (C of E, alt. for RCL)

Zeph 1:7 (NRSV) Be silent before the Lord GOD!
For the day of the LORD is at hand;
the LORD has prepared a sacrifice,
he has consecrated his guests.

12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the people
who rest complacently on their dregs,
those who say in their hearts,
"The LORD will not do good,
nor will he do harm."
13 Their wealth shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.
14 The great day of the LORD is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter,
the warrior cries aloud there.
15 That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.
17 I will bring such distress upon people
that they shall walk like the blind;
because they have sinned against the LORD,
their blood shall be poured out like dust,
and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the LORD's wrath;
in the fire of his passion
the whole earth shall be consumed;
for a full, a terrible end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.


Proverbs 31: 10 - 13, 19 - 20, 30 - 31 (Roman Catholic)

Prov 31:10 (NRSV) A capable wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.

19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor,
and reaches out her hands to the needy.

30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her a share in the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the city gates.


PSALM 123 (RCL)

Psal 123:1 (NRSV) To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 As the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
until he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than its fill
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.


123 Ad te levavi oculos meos (U. S. Book of Common Prayer)

1 To you I lift up my eyes, *
to you enthroned in the heavens.

2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *
and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

3 So our eyes look to the LORD our God, *
until he show us his mercy.

4 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy, *
for we have had more than enough of contempt,

5 Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *
and of the derision of the proud.


Psalm 90: 1 - 8 (9 - 11) 12 (C of E, alt. for RCL)

Psal 90:1 (NRSV) Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn us back to dust,
and say, "Turn back, you mortals."
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like yesterday when it is past,
or like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning;
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
7 For we are consumed by your anger;
by your wrath we are overwhelmed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
our years come to an end like a sigh.
10 The days of our life are seventy years,
or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
even then their span is only toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger?
Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
12 So teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.


90 Domine, refugium (U. S. Book of Common Prayer)

1 Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.

3 You turn us back to the dust and say, *
"Go back, O child of earth."

4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday
when it is past *
and like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.

6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.

7 For we consume away in your displeasure; *
we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation.

8 Our iniquities you have set before you, *
and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

9 When you are angry, all our days are gone; *
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

10 The span of our life is seventy years,
perhaps in strength even eighty; *
yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow,
for they pass away quickly and we are gone.

11 Who regards the power of your wrath? *
who rightly fears your indignation?

12 So teach us to number our days *
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.


Psalm 128: 1 - 5 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 128:1 (NRSV) Happy is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion.
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.


NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Thessalonians 5: 1 - 11 (RCL, C of E)
1 Thessalonians 5: 1 - 6 (Roman Catholic)

1The 5:1 (NRSV) Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.



h/t Montreal Anglican

Paul has just told the Thessalonian Christians that, at the end of the age, both the faithful who have already died and those still alive will ascend to heaven to be with God for ever. Now, he says, concerning when Christ will come again, you are well aware that he will come suddenly and unexpectedly (“like a thief in the night”, v. 2). Others who are lulled by the “peace and security” (v. 3) will be separated from God for ever (“sudden destruction”), as suddenly as a “woman” comes into labour; God’s condemnation of them will be inescapable.
Then, in vv. 4-8a, he exhorts his readers to moral vigilance. Being “children of light”, (i.e. united with Christ, the light of the world), they will not be surprised by Christ’s second coming. So let us not become careless and sinful (“fall asleep”, v. 6) as others do, but let us be prepared. Let us have the sobriety of people who have peace of mind through trust in God. Sleep and drunkenness are attributes of children of darkness, those who ignore or oppose God’s ways.
We are, (here he uses a military image) to possess the Christian virtues of “faith” (v. 8), “love” and “hope” – the certain hope of “salvation”; these virtues protect us from evil. For God has pre-ordained (“destined us”, v. 9) that we are saved through Christ rather than being damned eternally (“wrath”). Jesus rescues us from sin, so that, whether we are alive (“awake”, v. 10) or physically dead (“asleep”) when he comes again, we will live with him in heaven. Finally, he advises his readers to “build up” (v. 11) each other, to support each other spiritually: here he sees the church as the temple of God under construction; the builder is God, and Christians can participate in the work.

These verses come close to repeating 4:13-18, albeit from a different perspective, so some scholars consider it to be a corrective added to this letter by a later author. There Paul commends the fate of the dead to God; here he reflects on the implications of the Day of the Lord for those who are alive. [NJBC]
Verse 1: “the times and the seasons”: i.e. the day(s) when the things mentioned in 4:13-17 (i.e. the fate of the faithful departed and the manner of Christ’s second coming) will occur. In Acts 1:6-7, the apostles ask Jesus “‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’” and he replies “‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority ...”. [CAB]
Verse 1: “brothers and sisters”: Some desired an eschatological timetable: see Acts 1:6-7. [NOAB]
Verse 2: Paul reiterates Jesus’ warning: in Matthew 24:43-44, Jesus says: “‘if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour’”. See also Luke 12:39-40. [NOAB]
Verse 2: “the day of the Lord”: This is, in the Old Testament, the day when God will vindicate his cause and execute judgement: see Amos 5:18-19 (“Alas for you who desire the day of the LORD! Why do you want the day of the LORD? It is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake”); Joel 2:31 (“The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes”); Malachi 4:5 (“Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes”); Zephaniah 1:7. [CAB]
In the New Testament, Acts 2:20-21 tells us: “The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” and in 1 Corinthians 5:5 Paul predicts the destiny of a man who is living immorally: “you are to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord”. In Philippians 1:6, 10, a later letter, Paul calls it “the day of Christ”, but here in 1 Thessalonians the implication is that “the Lord” is God. Speculation about the coming of the end-times is characteristic of an apocalyptic world view. Some apocalyptic writings divide this coming into periods: see Daniel 9:2, 24-27 and 2 Esdras 14:5. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “peace and security”: See also Jeremiah 6:14. In Ezekiel 13:10-17, Yahweh speaks through the prophet of the fate of those who preach peace and security falsely. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “sudden destruction”: In Luke 21:34-36, Jesus advises: “‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man’”. [CAB]
Verse 3: “pregnant woman”: This is a common Old Testament prophetic expression for the suddenness, precariousness, and inevitability of the Day of the Lord: see Isaiah 13:8; 21:3; 37:3; Jeremiah 6:24; Hosea 13:13; Mark 13:8. [NOAB] [CAB] [NJBC]
Verses 4-8: Many scholars believe that this exhortation reflects Christian baptismal catechesis. [NJBC]
Verse 4: In Romans 13:12, Paul writes: “the night is far gone, the day is near”. [CAB]
Verse 5: “children of light and ... of darkness”: Job 22:11 speaks of darkness as evil. In Luke 16:8 Jesus contrasts the “children of this age” with the “children of light”. John 12:36 and Ephesians 5:8 advises the faithful to “live as children of light”. In 1 John 1:5-6 we read: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all”. The Qumran community contrasted the children of light with the children of darkness: see 1QS (Rule of the Community) 1:9-10; 3:13; 1QM (War Scroll) 1. See also Testament of Naphtali 2:7-10. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 6: “let us not fall asleep”: i.e. in carelessness and sin. In Matthew 24:42, Jesus advises: “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming”. See also Matthew 24:49; Luke 12:39, 45; Mark 13:35-36. [CAB]
Verse 8: “breastplate ... helmet”: The military analogy is also found in Isaiah 59:17; Wisdom of Solomon 5:17-23; Romans 13:12; 2 Corinthians 6:7; 10:4; Ephesians 6:11-17. [NOAB] [NJBC]
Verse 8: “faith ... love ... hope”: At least two of these notions also appear in each of 1:3; Romans 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:5-6; Colossians 1:4-5; Hebrews 10:22-24; 1 Peter 1:21-22. [CAB]
Verses 8,9: “salvation”: i.e. all the benefits of life in Christ, present and future. [CAB]
Verse 9: “destined”: i.e. pre-ordained but not pre-destined.
Verse 10: According to NJBC, another fragmentary credal formula. In 1:10, Paul writes: “... to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming”.
Verse 10: “awake or asleep”: Salvation accrues to all, whether they are alive or not. In 4:14, Paul says: “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died”. See also 4:16-17. [NJBC]



GOSPEL: Matthew 25: 14 - 30 (RCL, C of E)
Matthew 25: 14 - 15 (16 - 18) 19 - 21 (22 - 30) (Roman Catholic)

Matt 25:14 (NRSV) "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, "Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' 21 His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, "Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.' 23 His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, "Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' 26 But his master replied, "You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Jesus continues to tell parables about the kingdom of heaven. In the previous parables, he has told us that we need to be prepared for the Second Coming at all times. Today’s parable is set in the realm of finance. A master, before leaving on a journey, entrusts his slaves with his money, “each according to his ability” (v. 15). (A talent was about 15 years’ wages for a labourer, a large sum of money.) Two servants invest the money and earn more (vv. 16, 17); the third simply buries it (v. 18). When the master returns (v. 19), he praises the investors; they, he says, will be made responsible for “many things” (vv. 21, 23), and will “enter into the joy of your master”. But the third slave, admitting that he was afraid of his master’s wrath (v. 24), simply returns the original sum (v. 25). The master chastises him for his wickedness and laziness. This slave loses what he has been given (v. 28) and is condemned to “outer darkness” (v. 30). This would have caused a stir in Jesus’ day, for a rabbinic maxim commends burial of money as a way of protecting it.
But this parable is about the kingdom of heaven, so what is the lesson it teaches? “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” (v. 30) is a stock phrase for condemnation of the wicked at the Last Day. The master stands for God and the servants for various kinds of people. Yes, God both rewards generously and is a stern judge. He expects us to be good stewards of his gifts. We will be commended and rewarded for faithfully carrying out his mission. Failure to use what he gives us will result in punishment – by separation from him, the essence of goodness. We are expected to make it grow. He is free to distribute his gifts as he sees fit (vv. 28-29).

Perhaps Mark 13:34 contains the germ of, or a vestige of, this parable: “It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch”.
The first and second slaves play one role. [Blomberg]
Comments: This would have caused a stir in Jesus’ day, for a rabbinic maxim commends burial of money as a way of protecting it: On the other hand, the Jewish law which commended burial of money spoke only of safeguarding the trust of a friend or client, not of an appropriate way of dealing with finances intended for investment. (Luke 19:13, a verse in a possible parallel, says: “He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back’”.) So perhaps the third slave’s behaviour should be seen as foolish. On this reading, neither the action of the slave (nor the response of the master) is implausible, but is unusual. [Blomberg]
Verses 14,20,22: “entrusted ... handed over ... handed over”: The Greek verb is paradidomi, a technical term for tradition. So an earlier version of the story might have reproached a static (possibly Sadducean) attitude to religious tradition, which refuses to develop it. The third slave then hides his talent and guards tradition in a static way. [NJBC]
Verse 15: “to each according to his ability”: This phrase has led, in modern languages, to the use of the term talent for gift, aptitude and flair. [NJBC]
Verse 19: “After a long time”: Perhaps an indication that Christ’s second coming will not be within the lifetimes of those who knew Jesus during his earthly life.
Verse 21: “trustworthy”: Here the meaning of the Greek word includes believing and risk-taking. [NJBC]
Verses 24-25: See Job 23:13-17; Mishna ‘Abot 1:3; 2:15; 3:17. [NJBC]
Verse 27: “invested my money with the bankers”: Probably a risky proposition, as is all finance. Perhaps Jesus is saying that disciples are expected to take risks.
Verse 27: “with interest”: Perhaps moderate capitalism is in view. [NJBC]
Verses 28-29: To many scholars, these verses do not seem to fit with the parable; however in v. 29, Jesus may well have been implying the context, expecting the hearer to understand “have” as have earned and “have not” as have not earned. V. 28 makes sense in this context when one rereads v. 14: “a man ... entrusted [all] his property to them”. [Blomberg] To NOAB, Jesus speaks in two settings simultaneously: as the third slave had his original talent, yet earned nothing by it, so individuals can have their earthly existence and all that derives from it, yet lack merit in the final judgement (v. 30).
Verse 29: In Mark 4:25, Jesus says: “... to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away”; in Matthew 13:12, he says “to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away”; in Luke 8:18, he says “for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away”. [NJBC]
Verse 30: “worthless”: i.e. without value to his master. [NOAB]