OLD TESTAMENT: Deuteronomy 18: 15 - 20 (all) Deut 18:15 (NRSV) The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. 16 This is what you requested of the LORD your God at Ho'reb on the day of the assembly when you said: "If I hear the voice of the LORD my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die." 17 Then the LORD replied to me: "They are right in what they have said. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. 19 Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. 20 But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak--that prophet shall die." PSALM 111 (all but Roman Catholic) Psal 111:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and merciful. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8 They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever. 111 Confitebor tibi (ECUSA BCP) 1 Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, * in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation. 2 Great are the deeds of the Lord! * they are studied by all who delight in them. 3 His work is full of majesty and splendor, * and his righteousness endures for ever. 4 He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; * the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. 5 He gives food to those who fear him; * he is ever mindful of his covenant. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works * in giving them the lands of the nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; * all his commandments are sure. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, * because they are done in truth and equity. 9 He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant for ever; * holy and awesome is his Name. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; * those who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures for ever. Psalm 95: 1 - 2, 6 - 9 (Roman Catholic) Psal 95:1 (NRSV) O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! 8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Mer'ibah, as on the day at Mas'sah in the wilderness, 9 when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 8: 1 - 13 (RCL) 1Cor 8:1 (NRSV) Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; 3 but anyone who loves God is known by him. 4 Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "no idol in the world really exists," and that "there is no God but one." 5 Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth--as in fact there are many gods and many lords-- 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 7 It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 "Food will not bring us close to God." We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? 11 So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. 12 But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall. h/t Montreal Anglican In 7:1, Paul says: “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote ...” In today’s reading, he continues to answer the Christians at Corinth, with advice. Much of the meat sold in markets was left over from pagan festivals. Some members of the community had scruples about eating such meat, but others considered such scruples to be irrelevant, even to the point of showing contempt towards these “weak believers” (v. 11). Such an attitude seems to have been disrupting the community. Paul is on the side of liberalism, but not at all costs. The quotes are from the strong, those smart people who have thought through the theology. In v. 1, Paul warns against being headstrong with knowledge: knowledge can be dangerous; what really matters is “love”: it builds the community. Real knowledge of God (v. 2), the “necessary knowledge”, is realizing that being known by God, in love, is what really counts. Smart people know that the Greco-Roman gods don’t exist (v. 4), that only God exists, so sacrificing to gods is meaningless, and should not concern us. In speaking about God as the source and destination of all that is, we should not forget Christ’s role as mediator in creation (v. 6). The weak, he says, have not yet matured in their thinking as Christians: they have not yet shed their cultural attachments to idols; they feel that eating sacrificial meat is disloyal to Christ. Then vv. 8-9: in arguing that what one eats is irrelevant, the strong should be careful that their libertarian attitude does not impede the progress of “the weak” towards God. Then v. 10-11: if they see strong people joining in festive meals (often held in temples) where such meat is served, might they be tempted back into idolatry? So in joining in such meals you weaken the faith of fellow Christians: this offends Christ. Finally v. 12: in spite of his liberalism, if eating this meat might cause anyone to falter in the Way of God, he will abstain from all meat The questions Paul answers are found in 7:25 (“Now concerning virgins ...”); 8:1 (“Now concerning food sacrificed to idols ...”); 12:1 (“Now concerning spiritual gifts ...”); 16:1 (“Now concerning the collection for the saints ...”), 12 (“ Now concerning our brother Apollos ...”). [NOAB] Here he tackles problems associated with living in a pagan environment. [NJBC] Comments: the strong and the weak: This terminology comes from Romans 15:1: “We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves”). [NJBC] Verse 1: “love builds up”: Authentic Christian knowledge must be rooted in love. In Philippians 1:9-10, Paul says: “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best ...” [NJBC] Verses 2-3: The true blessedness consists, not in knowing, but being known by, God, and it is in love that one is thus known. [NOAB] Verse 4: “eating of food offered to idols”: Meat purchased in Greco-Roman cities was nearly always linked in some way with pagan religious practices, such as having been offered to an idol. [CAB] Normally meat was available in the ancient world only after great festivals when the priests sold the surplus of the meat of sacrificial victims that was their share. The problem is also dealt with in Romans 14:1-15:13. [NJBC] Verse 6: Paul expands basic Old Testament (“The LORD is our God, the LORDalone”, Deuteronomy 6:4) and early Christian (“every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”, Philippians 2:11) confessions: see also Malachi 2:10 and Romans 11:36. They are combined to speak of God and Christ, each with regard to creation. See also 10:26. [NOAB] God and “Jesus Christ” are unique – so other gods do not exist. [CAB] To NJBC, this verse is probably from a baptismal liturgy. Verse 7: “conscience”: The Greek word is syneidesis. It means awareness that one has sinned. [NJBC] Verse 8: “Food will not bring us close to God”: i.e. food is morally neutral. In 6:13, Paul says: “‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food,’ and God will destroy both one and the other.” [NJBC] Verse 8: “We are no worse off it we do not eat, and no better off if we do”: NJBC says that the preferable translation is we are neither better off if we do not eat, nor worse off if we do eat. Verse 10: The fact that the strong participated in temple banquets put the weak in an impossible position as regards invitations, e.g to family reunions at which idol-meat would be served. [NJBC] Verse 11: “believers”: The Greek is adelphos, meaning brother. [NJBC] Verse 12: “Christ”: Meaning, here, the community. [NJBC] Verse 13: Renunciation of one’s rights for the sake of others. [NOAB] Paul does not impose a course of action on the strong; he simply tells them what he would do. [NJBC] GOSPEL: Mark 1: 21 - 28 (all) Mark 1:21 (NRSV) They went to Caper'naum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching--with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee. Mark has just told us about the calling of Peter (“Simon”, v. 16), Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee. Our passage tells us of the recognition of Jesus’ authority, both in word and deed. He and his disciples go to Capernaum, a prosperous town on the Sea of Galilee. A synagogue was where Jews met to gain a fuller understanding of their tradition through study and worship. (At the time, it was probably not a building set apart for study and worship.) Anyone with sufficient knowledge could teach. The “scribes” (v. 22) were specialists in the interpretation and application of Mosaic law to daily life. They frequently quoted scripture and tradition, but Jesus (on this occasion) does not: he speaks directly, confident of his “authority”, of his very essence. The Greek word is like the one in the Nicene Creed which is translated as being or substance. The “man with an unclean spirit” (v. 23) was, in our terms, possessed: he was under the influence of evil forces. In Jewish terms, he was under Satan’s direction, separated from God. The devil, speaking through this man (v. 24), asks what Jesus is doing meddling in the domain of evil; he recognizes who Jesus is and that his coming spells the end of the devil’s power. He understands the significance of the coming Kingdom. Wonder-workers of the day healed using ritual or magic, but Jesus exorcises simply through verbal command (v. 25), so clearly he is divine. V. 27, on the lips of the crowd, acknowledges Jesus’ “authority” in word and deed. NJBC notes that vv. 21-45 are all set on one day in Capernaum: • vv. 21-28: Teaching and healing at Capernaum • vv. 29-31: Healing of Peter’s mother-in-law • vv. 32-34: Healings during the evening • vv. 35-39: Jesus’ temporary withdrawal to a deserted place • vv. 40-45: Healing of the leper Verses 21-22: See also Matthew 7:28-29 (“Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes”) and Luke 4:31-32 (“He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbath. They were astounded at his teaching, because he spoke with authority”). [NOAB] Verse 21: “Capernaum”: A prosperous town on the main trade route from eastern Syria to Palestine and its port cities. [CAB] Verse 22: “having authority”: BlkMk translates this as as one possessing authority and notes that the Greek word, exousia, is used elsewhere in Mark for Jesus' power to work miracles. “Scribes” whenever based their teaching on tradition. Comments: The Greek word is like the one in the Nicene Creed which is translated as being or substance The Greek word, here and in v. 27, is exousia. The Canadian Anglican Book of Alternative Services says in the Creed of Nicea-Constantinople: “... Jesus Christ, ... of one being [homoousion] with the Father”. An older translation is substance. Verses 23-28: The parallel is Luke 4:33-37. [NOAB] Verse 24: “Have you come to destroy us?”: NJBC says that this is better taken as a statement than as a question. Verses 25-27: Jesus’ exorcisms were viewed as victorious moments in the ongoing struggle with Satan. [NJBC] Verse 27: “with authority! He commands ...”: NJBC suggests that a better translation may be With authority he commands ...