OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis 9: 8 - 17 (RCL) Genesis 9: 8 - 15 (Roman Catholic) Gene 9:8 (NRSV) Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 "As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." 12 God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." 17 God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth." PSALM 25: 1 - 10 (RCL) Psalm 25: 4 - 9 (Roman Catholic) Psal 25:1 (NRSV) To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. 3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. 4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. 6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O LORD! 8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. 10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. Note: Versification in your psalter may differ from the above. 25 Ad te, Domine, levavi (ECUSA BCP) 1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; my God, I put my trust in you; * let me not be humiliated, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 2 Let none who look to you be put to shame; * let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes. 3 Show me your ways, O Lord, * and teach me your paths. 4 Lead me in your truth and teach me, * for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long. 5 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, * for they are from everlasting. 6 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; * remember me according to your love and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord. 7 Gracious and upright is the Lord; * therefore he teaches sinners in his way. 8 He guides the humble in doing right * and teaches his way to the lowly. 9 All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness * to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Peter 3: 18 - 22 (all) 1Pet 3:18 (NRSV) For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, 20 who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. 21 And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you--not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. h/t Montreal Anglican In vv. 15-16, the author has written: “Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you ... Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.” We are called to do more than defend ourselves: we are to respond to any request for explanation of our “hope”, engage the outsider in conversation, with the goal of converting him or her. This may entail suffering, for which Christ is the example. Christ suffered for the sins of us all (v. 18); he is “the righteous”. (In Acts 7:52 he is called the “Righteous One”.) He brings us to God. He really died (“in the flesh”), but he overcame death; he rose to new life. Now vv. 19-20: in Genesis 6:1-4, angelic beings had intercourse with women, thus breaking the boundary between heaven and earth. In late Judaism, people believed that the action of these beings provoked the Flood. In 1 Enoch, a popular book when 1 Peter was written, Enoch, on God’s behalf, goes to tell these beings that they are confined to prison. In v. 19, the story of Enoch is applied to the risen Christ: the “spirits in prison” are these bad angels. During the building of the ark, “God waited patiently” (v. 20) for humankind to turn to him, but none did. The “eight” are Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives. Then v. 21: baptism also involves water, but differently. Its role is not ritual cleansing (“removal of dirt”); baptism saves us, putting us in a condition to be found worthy by God at the Last Day (“appeal”), sharing as we do in Christ’s death and resurrection. Christ has gone to heaven, and is in God’s place of honour (on his “right hand”, v. 22), and has angelic beings (“angels, authorities, and powers”) subject to him. God saved people in the past; now he saves us through baptism. erses 13-17: Patience under persecution. See also Matthew 5:10-11 (part of the Beatitudes). For other references to persecution in this book, see 1:6-7; 2:12, 15, 19-20; 4:12-19. For persecution of Christians elsewhere in the New Testament, see James 1:12; Revelation 6:9; 14:13. [CAB] Verse 13: “harm”: Here, weaken you in the Christian faith. [NJBC] Verse 14: “if”: This does not imply that the possibility of suffering is remote, but rather is a gentle introduction to a painful subject. In effect, the author means “when”. [NJBC] Verse 14: This verse indicates that the readers have suffered for no other reason than that they are Christians. [CAB] Verses 14-15: “Do not fear ... Lord”: This seems to be patterned after Isaiah 8:12-13. [CAB] Verse 15: “sanctify Christ as Lord”: In Isaiah 8:13, God is to be sanctified (reverenced); here it is Christ. [NJBC] Verses 15-16: “Always be ready to make your defence ... with gentleness ...”: See also 1 Corinthians 4:12-13. Verse 15: “the hope that is in you”: i.e. your faith. See also 1:13 (“set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed”), 1:21 (“Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God”); 3:5. [CAB] Verse 16: “may be put to shame”: i.e. and stop harassing Christians. [NJBC] Verse 17: “better”: In this context, more suitable or morally better. [NJBC] Verses 18-22: Two scholarly views: Vv. 18-19, 22 are a fragment of an early christological hymn. For others, see Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 1:15-20; Ephesians 2:14-16; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:1-18. [CAB] Vv. 18-22 is a fusion of a creedal statement or hymn; vv. 19-21 are a catechetical section on baptism. Verses 18-19: The example of Christ’s suffering. See also 2:21-25. [CAB] Verse 18: “the righteous”: A description often used of Jesus. See also Acts 7:52 (where Stephen speaks of Jesus as “the Righteous One”); 1 John 2:1; 3:7. [CAB] Verse 18: “in order to bring you to God”: See also Romans 5:2 and Ephesians 2:18; 3:12. [CAB] Verse 18: “He was put to death in the flesh”: The Apostles’ Creed says either (in traditional language) “He descended into hell” or (in modern language) “He descended to the dead”. Jesus went to the abode of the dead. See also Romans 10:6-7; Hebrews 13:20; Acts 2:24, 31 (Peter’s sermon); Matthew 12:40. For death not holding him, see 1 Corinthians 15:35-50. [CAB] [NJBC] Verses 19-20: Who are “the spirits in prison”? From these verses, they appear to be those who were on earth before the Flood, with the exception of Noah and his family (“eight persons”, i.e. Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives). But note 4:6: “For this is the reason the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead, so that, though they had been judged in the flesh as everyone is judged, they might live in the spirit as God does.” So the author may also have all those who are dead in view. [NOAB] Further, note mention of subjugation of heavenly beings to Christ in v. 22. So the author may include fallen angels in the group to whom Christ proclaimed the good news. Jude 6 (like 1 Peter, considered by many to be a relatively late book) says: “And the angels who did not keep their own position, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains in deepest darkness for the judgment of the great Day”. Also 2 Peter 2:4-5 says “For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of deepest darkness to be kept until the judgment; and if he did not spare the ancient world, even though he saved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood on a world of the ungodly”. (One should not assume that the author of 2 Peter is the same as that of 1 Peter.) Further again, we should remember that 1 Enoch and 2 Enoch were popular books in the time of the early Church. Although not canonical, Christians assigned some value to these books. 1 Enoch picks up on Genesis 6:1-4: the “sons of God” (see Genesis 6:2) had intercourse with human women, and thus became fallen angels. Their offspring were the Nephilim: now “The Nephilim, sons of divine beings and humans, were around at the time of the Flood” (Genesis 6:4). In 1 Enoch 6-11, Enoch, on a mission from God, goes and announces to these rebellious angels that they are condemned to prison. This tradition specifically links the rebellion of the angels to the Flood. Then, in 2 Enoch 7:1-3; 18:3-6, Enoch passes through the heavens and meets the rebellious angels imprisoned in the second heaven. [NJBC] Now some quotations from the New Testament: Ephesians 4:8-10 (and similar ideas elsewhere): “Therefore it is said, ‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’ (When it says, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)” Hebrews 4:14: “Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.” Ephesians 1:20-22: “God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.” 1 Timothy 3:16: “Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.” Perhaps the story of Enoch is applied to Christ. So the author may have in view all who have been condemned to adverse judgement: humans, fallen angels and Nephilim drowned (in judgement) at the time of the Flood, and all who since have died without turning to God’s ways. All have the opportunity to be redeemed through Christ. While it is not entirely clear who the “spirits” are, in the end, the key issue is the availability of reversal of condemnation. These verses have been interpreted in various ways over the centuries. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 - c. 215) wrote that during Jesus’ three days in the grave he proclaimed the good news to those who died in the Flood. Augustine of Hippo (354-450) said that Christ, in his pre-existence, preached through Noah to the sinners of his generation, not in Hades but on earth. [NOAB] [CAB] [NJBC] Verse 19: “he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison”: Orthodox Christians believe that, during his three days in the grave, Jesus visited the dead and proclaimed the good news to them. Verse 20: “God waited patiently”: An allusion to the interval in the Genesis account between God’s resolve (see Genesis 6:7) and the execution of it (see Genesis 7:11). [NJBC] Verse 20: “Noah”: The story of Noah and the Flood is in Genesis 6-8. Noah frequently appears as a great hero of the past in both Jewish and Christian literature. See Ezekiel 14:14, 20; Wisdom of Solomon 10:4; Sirach 44:17; Matthew 24:37-38; Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:5. In 2 Peter 2:5, we read that Noah warned his contemporaries of the coming punishment, that they might repent. [CAB] [NJBC] Verse 20: “saved through water”: See also 1 Corinthians 10:1-2, where “our ancestors”, the Israelites, “passed through the sea and ... were baptized into Moses ... in the cloud and in the sea”, the “cloud” being God’s presence. See also Midrash Genesis Rabba 7:7. [NJBC] Verse 21: “prefigured”: In 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 the passage through the Red Sea prefigures baptism; here the Flood prefigures it. God’s saving acts in the past occur again in the present, and in baptism God’s salvation is available to all. For the connection between Jesus’ resurrection and baptism, see Romans 6:1-11. [CAB] Verse 21: “not as a removal of dirt from the body”: Literally not putting aside of the dirt of the body. This would be a strange way of referring to the act of mere washing. The language is better suited to the Jewish rite of circumcision. [NJBC] Verse 21: “resurrection”: In 1:3, the author writes: “... By his [the Father’s] great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”. See also 3:18. [NJBC] Verse 22: In Romans 8:38, Paul writes in terms of the orders of angelic beings accepted in his day: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”. See also 1 Corinthians 15:24-25 (“every ruler and every authority and power”); Galatians 4:3 (“elemental spirits of the world”), 4:9; Colossians 2:8; Philippians 3:21. [CAB] Verse 22: “at the right hand of God”: This is an application of Psalm 110:1 (“The LORD says to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool’”) to Christ. Jesus quotes this verse in Matthew 22:44. In Acts 2:33-35, Peter interprets and quotes it: “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he [Jesus] has poured out this that you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’'”. See also Romans 8:34; Hebrews 8:1. This phrase reflects the ancient Near East (especially Egyptian) custom of depicting the king seated at the right hand of god, thus denoting his divinity as god’s viceregent to whom all authority and power are entrusted. [NOAB] Verse 22: “with angels ...”: Christians, with Christ, share victory over hostile spirits, over all who represent disobedience, rebellion and persecution. “Authorities” and “powers” are also heavenly beings. See also Philippians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 15:24, 27; Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 2:10, 15. [NOAB] GOSPEL: Mark 1: 9 - 15 (RCL) Mark 1: 12 - 15 (Roman Catholic) Mark 1:9 (NRSV) In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." 12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." John the Baptist has come, “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (v. 4). Many have taken the opportunity to start new lives in God. Jesus, too, is baptised by John – Mark does not tell us why. The opening of the heavens symbolizes the start of a new mode of communication between God and humankind. Perhaps “like a dove” (v. 10) is an allusion to the spirit hovering in Genesis 1:2. To Mark, the “voice ... from heaven” (v. 11) confirms the already existing relationship between God and Jesus. Matthew and Luke describe Jesus’ temptation in some detail, but Mark mentions it only briefly: all three say that Jesus overcame tempting, enticement, by the devil. “Satan” (v. 13) is the supreme demon whose kingdom is now ending. “Forty” recalls Israel’s 40 years in the “wilderness”; it echoes the 40 days of testing Moses endured when the covenant was renewed after the gold calf incident (Exodus 34:28). Elijah too spent “forty days” on Mount Sinai (1 Kings 19:8). In the “wilderness” (probably the Judean desert, the home of demons), “wild beasts” may attack him, but “angels” protect him. The word Mark uses here for arrest (v. 14) also occurs in the story of Jesus’ passion and death: John’s fate foreshadows Jesus’ fate. Jesus returns to Galilee. His message begins with “the time is fulfilled”: the time appointed by God, the decisive time for God’s action, has arrived. “The kingdom of God has come near”: the final era of history is imminent. Jesus calls people to start a new life in God’s way, to “repent, and believe in the good news.” Verse 9: “Nazareth”: A small village near Sepphoris, the capital of the province of “Galilee”. [NOAB] Verse 10: The opening of the heavens symbolizes the start of a new mode of communication between God and humankind: see also Isaiah 64:1 and 2 Baruch 22:1. [NJBC] Verse 11: Here the voice is addressed to Jesus but in Matthew and Luke the voice addresses those present. However NJBC suggests that Mark may not have intended this as a private vision. Verse 11: “Beloved”: The meaning of the Greek word is similar to our word chosen: Isaiah 42:1 says “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations”. See also Psalm 2:7 (“’You are my son; today I have begotten you’”); Luke 9:35 (the Transfiguration); 2 Peter 1:17. [NOAB] “Beloved” echoes Genesis 22:2 (the near-sacrifice of Isaac) and Isaiah 44:2. [NJBC] Verse 11: “with you I am well pleased”: This echoes Isaiah 42:1 (the opening of the first Servant Song), suggesting a connection between the Son of God and the Servant of God. [NJBC] Verse 13: “Satan”: 1 Chronicles 21:1 shows him as David’s adversary; Zechariah 3:1-3 depicts him as the “accuser”, the prosecuting attorney, in God’s court. [CAB] See also Job 1-2. [NJBC] Verse 13: “with the wild beasts”: The Judean wilderness was the habitat of various wild animals. The link between these animals and ministering “angels” suggests an echo of Psalm 91:11-13: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot”. [NJBC] Verse 14: “good news”: The Greek word euangelion echoes the terminology of the Septuagint translation of Deutero-Isaiah: Isaiah 40:9 says “Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’”. See also Isaiah 41:27; 52:7; 52:7; 60:6; 61:1-2. [NJBC] Verse 14: “of God”: The Greek means both from God and action by God. [NJBC] Verse 15: The whole of Mark is an expansion of this verse. [NOAB] Verse 15: “The time is fulfilled”: Apocalyptic books usually divide human history into periods: see 1 Enoch 93:1-10; 91:12-17; Assumption of Moses 10. When the timetable reached its goal, then God’s kingdom was to appear. Jesus warns that this milestone is now occurring. [NJBC] Verse 15: “kingdom of God”: This is equivalent to Matthew’s “the kingdom of heaven”. Jesus means that all God’s past dealings with his creation are coming to climax and fruition. Jesus taught both the present reality of God’s rule and its future realization. [NOAB]

OLD TESTAMENT: 2 Kings 2: 1 - 12 (RCL) 2Kin 2:1 (NRSV) Now when the LORD was about to take Eli'jah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Eli'jah and Eli'sha were on their way from Gil'gal. 2 Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Beth'el." But Eli'sha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Beth'el. 3 The company of prophets who were in Beth'el came out to Eli'sha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep silent." 4 Eli'jah said to him, "Eli'sha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. 5 The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Eli'sha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I know; be silent." 6 Then Eli'jah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Eli'jah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, "Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Eli'sha said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." 10 He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Eli'jah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Eli'sha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. Deuteronomy 5: 12 - 15 (Roman Catholic) Deut 5:12 (NRSV) Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 14 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work--you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. 15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day. PSALM 50: 1 - 6 (RCL) Psal 50:1 (NRSV) The mighty one, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. 3 Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him. 4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 "Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!" 6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. 50 Deus deorum (ECUSA BCP) 1 The LORD, the God of gods, has spoken; * he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. 2 Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty, * God reveals himself in glory. 3 Our God will come and will not keep silence; * before him there is a consuming flame, and round about him a raging storm. 4 He calls the heavens and the earth from above * to witness the judgment of his people. 5 “Gather before me my loyal followers, * those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice.” 6 Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause; * for God himself is judge. Psalm 81: 2 - 7, 9 - 10 (Roman Catholic) Psal 81:2 (NRSV) Raise a song, sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. 3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our festal day. 4 For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. 5 He made it a decree in Joseph, when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a voice I had not known: 6 "I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. 7 In distress you called, and I rescued you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Mer'ibah. [Se'lah] 9 There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. 10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. Note: Verse numbering in Roman Catholic bibles is one higher than the above. NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Corinthians 4: 3 - 6 (RCL) 2Cor 4:3 (NRSV) And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4: 6 - 11 (Roman Catholic) 2Cor 4:6 (NRSV) For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. 11 For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. h/t Montreal Anglican Paul continues to answer a letter from the Corinthian church. It appears that some have criticized him for failing to made the good news clear, or for limited success in bringing people to Christ. In v. 2 he says: “... by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God”. V. 3 recalls 1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing ...”, who will be destroyed at the Last Day (but their conversion is still possible.) “In their case” (v. 4), the devil or the god who is this world (a possible translation), materialism, has so filled their minds that they cannot see that the gospel illuminates, shows, the “glory of Christ” (and, per v. 6, of God shown by Christ), Christ being the perfect “image of God” (v. 4), representation of God – and the model for the Christian’s future state. In v. 5, Paul says that (contrary to what some may claim), he proclaims not himself but Jesus; he serves the church for Christ’s sake whatever suffering that may entail. In quoting Genesis (the first words God speaks in the Bible) in v. 6, he points out that God began the creation process with “light”, understanding. God reveals himself through history. The light of God undergirds the ministry Paul brings to the Corinthians. God’s light has been experienced by people throughout the ages; the believer’s transformation is in the heart. Those who see Jesus’ face reflect his glory. Verses 1-2: Paul develops the point he introduced in 3:12: “Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness”. [NJBC] Verse 1: “by God’s mercy”: Before his conversion (see 3:5-6), Paul had persecuted Christians: in 1 Corinthians 15:9 he writes: “I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God”. See also Galatians 1:13, 23. [NJBC] Verse 1: “we do not lose heart”: NJBC offers we are not fainthearted. Paul’s opponents “say, ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.’” (10:10). [NJBC] Verse 2: This is probably an oblique reference to the methods of the “false apostles” of 11:4, 13. Paul has called them “peddlers of God’s word” in 2:17. [NOAB] He has renounced practising cunning and falsifying the good news, while the “false apostles” continue these “shameful things”. To NJBC, “shameful hidden things” are things one hopes will never be brought to light. Verse 2: “practice cunning”: NJBC offers operating without scruple. By writing 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul has laid himself open to the charge of unscrupulous readiness to adopt any means to achieve his end. Verse 2: “falsify God’s word”: NJBC offers adulterating the word of God. Verse 3: “veiled”: In 3:18, Paul uses the same term of followers of Christ: “... all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord ...”. See also 2:15. [NOAB] A concession that his preaching has been partly ineffective implies an accusation, possibly that he failed to make many Jewish converts: in 3:14-16, he says of the Jews of his day: “... when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed”. [NJBC] Verse 4: “the god of this world”: Paul refers to Satan or Beliar; he says in 6:15: “What agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share with an unbeliever?”. (Beliar is an evil spirit mentioned in intertestamental literature; he was under, or identified with, Satan.) [NOAB] See also 1 Corinthians 1:20; 2:6, 8; 3:18; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 2:2; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11. [CAB] NJBC thinks it likely that the genitive here is one of content, so the god who in this world is a good translation. In Philippians 3:19, Paul says of such people: “Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things”. Sin plays the same role in Romans 3:9; 6:6-23. Verse 5: “Jesus Christ as Lord”: Paul appropriates a confessional formula which was probably common in his time. A similar phrase occurs in 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:10-11; Romans 10:9. [NJBC] Verse 5: “your slaves”: Elsewhere, Paul calls himself a “servant of Jesus Christ”: see Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 3:5; 4:1; 2 Corinthians 6:4; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1. See also Titus 1:1. [CAB] Verse 6: “‘Let light shine out of darkness’”: Paul may also be thinking of Isaiah 9:2; 42:6-7; 49:6 and 60:1-2, a passage which tells of the light going forth to the Gentile nations. [CAB] Verse 6: “who has shone in our hearts”: Recalls Paul’s own conversion experience on the road to Damascus: see Acts 9. [CAB] Verse 7: “clay jars”: A reference to the weakness of the body, and indeed to all human limitations. Recall Genesis 2:7: “the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being”. [NOAB] Verses 10-11: In his sufferings and perils, Paul shares in Jesus’ death; but it is given to him also to share in the life of the risen, victorious Christ. [NOAB] Verse 12: Paul dies, i.e. suffers, that the Corinthians and others may know the life in Christ. [NOAB] Verse 13: Paul quotes Psalm 116:10. The psalmist has faith in the midst of troubles. Our faith leads to confession of it. [NOAB] Verse 15: As the gospel of God’s grace (see 6:1) advances, “more and more people” respond in faith with thankfulness. [NOAB] GOSPEL: Mark 9: 2 - 9 (RCL) Mark 9:2 (NRSV) Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Eli'jah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Eli'jah." 6 He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Mark 2: 23 -28 (3: 1 - 6) (Roman Catholic) Mark 2:23 (NRSV) One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 The Phar'isees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" 25 And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? 26 He entered the house of God, when Abi'athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions." 27 Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath." 3:1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come forward." 4 Then he said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. 5 He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Phar'isees went out and immediately conspired with the Hero'dians against him, how to destroy him. Jesus has foretold his death and resurrection, and that God’s kingdom will begin soon. “... the Son of Man must ... be rejected ... and be killed, and ... rise again. He said this quite openly” (8:31-32). Then: if any want to follow him, let them renounce their self-centeredness. Those who play it safe will perish; those who give their lives for him and the gospel will be saved (8:34-35). Now “six days” (v. 2) after Peter’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus takes the inner circle of disciples (“Peter and James and John”) up a mountain. There he is “transfigured”, changed in form, metamorphosed. He appears in “dazzling white” (v. 3), a sign of God’s presence (as did Moses when he had been “talking with God”, Exodus 34:29). “Elijah” (v. 4) was taken up into heaven. Moses’ burial place was unknown (see Deuteronomy 34:6); in late Judaism, he was also thought to be taken up. (Others point out that Elijah represents the prophets and Moses the law, the basic authority in Judaism.) Peter rejoices in this experience (“good”, v. 5): it is a preview of Jesus’ glorification as God’s Son. He wishes to prolong the event by making “dwellings”, temporary shelters as erected at the Feast of Tabernacles, a joyous festival of God’s presence. V. 6 may say that he was so dumbfounded by the experience that what he said was irrational. The “cloud” (v. 7) is a symbol of God’s presence. The proclamation spoken by the divine voice is like that at Jesus’ baptism (see 1:11). The Son of Man is revealed to be Son of God. The vision ends “suddenly” (v. 8). Then v. 9: only when Jesus has risen will the vision make sense to others. The first incident, vv. 1-8, establishes Jesus’ glorious identity as the beloved Son of God , and the second (vv. 9-13) he places his divine sonship in the context of Jewish expectations about the kingdom and resurrection. [NJBC] Verse 1: The most convincing explanation of the Transfiguration is that Mark presents it as a preview or anticipation of the final coming of God’s kingdom, and thus as a commentary on this verse. [NJBC] Verses 2-8: The parallels are Matthew 17:1-8 and Luke 9:28-36. Verses 2-8: By this narrative the author means to describe a vision of Jesus as the Messiah. The version in Luke says that the purpose of ascending the mountain was to pray. The exact nature of this intense religious experience is uncertain. In Matthew, it is described as a “vision”. The aura of unnatural brilliance is associated with mystical experiences elsewhere: see Exodus 34:29-35 (after descending Mount Sinai, “Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God”) and Acts 9:3 (Paul’s vision). [NOAB] Verses 2-8: Like the transforming experiences of Moses and Elijah, Jesus receives heavenly confirmation of his special role in God’s purpose for his people. [CAB] Verse 2: “Six days later”: Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah is in 8:29: “‘You are the Messiah’”. [NOAB] NJBC suggests that this may be linked to Israel’s preparation and purification at Sinai (see Exodus 24:15-16) or, since the seventh day occurs after six days, this may be an anticipation of the passion week in Jerusalem. Verse 2: “a high mountain”: Some traditional identifications are Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon. Mountains are the usual settings for supernatural revelations and theophanies. [NJBC] Verse 2: “transfigured”: i.e. having a non-earthly appearance. [NOAB] The Greek word indicates that the form of Jesus was changed. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that the glorious state in which the three disciples see him is to be his eternal state after death and resurrection. [NJBC] Verse 4: “Elijah with Moses”: If these two Old Testament figures are meant to represent the Law and the Prophets, the order is strange. Matthew 17:3 has them in the reverse order. There may some reference to their being taken up into heaven or their expected roles in the coming of the kingdom. [NJBC] Deuteronomy 18:15 says “the LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet”. Verse 4: “Elijah”: He was expected to appear on earth before the Messiah appeared: Malachi 4:5-6 says : “Lo, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse”. [NOAB] Verse 5: “Rabbi”: Addressing Jesus in this way is strange. Matthew has “Lord” and Luke has “Master”. [NJBC] Verse 5: “Moses”: Then thought to be the author of the Pentateuch. These five books formed the basic authority in Judaism. [NOAB] Comments: Feast of Tabernacles: For the commandment regarding this feast, also known as the Feast of Booths, see Leviticus 23:39-43. [NJBC] Verse 7: Matthew 3:17 says: “... a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased’”. See also John 12:28-29 and 2 Peter 1:17-18. Verse 7: “a cloud overshadowed them”: Given the allusions to Exodus in this account, it is best to take the cloud as a vehicle of God’s presence as in Exodus 16:10; 19:9; 24:15-16; 33:9. The “voice” is the divine voice. [NJBC] Verse 7: “‘This is my Son, the Beloved”: To NJBC, the heavenly voice corrects Peter’s confession (see 8:29) and alludes to the identification of Jesus at his baptism (see 1:11). Verse 7: “listen to him!”: The command to hear Jesus may point to his passion predictions: see 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34. [NJBC] Verses 9-13: The parallel is Matthew 17:9-13. Verse 9: “he ordered them ...”: Unlike other commands to silence, this one has a good chance of being obeyed (because only three disciples are involved) and has a definite time limit. [NJBC] Verse 10: The disciples were unable to associate resurrection with the Son of Man. [NOAB] The issue for the disciples was how Jesus could be raised from the dead before the general resurrection (which in contemporary thought was to occur at the coming of God’s kingdom). [NJBC] Verse 11: In Malachi 4:5, Elijah’s return will precede the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. The disciples ask: how can you be raised from the dead unless Elijah comes first? [NJBC] In Matthew 11:14, Jesus says that if John the Baptist’s message were accepted, his activity would be that foretold in Elijah’s name. John was treated much as Elijah had been treated: see 1 Kings 19:2, 10. Jesus seems not to have expected the literal return of Elijah. [NOAB] Luke 1:17 predicts that John the Baptist will go before Jesus “with the spirit and power of Elijah ... to make ready a people prepared for the Lord”. Verse 12: “he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt”: Jesus concedes that Elijah must come first; he also insists that his own passion and death will precede his resurrection. [NJBC] Verse 13: “Elijah has come”: This statement indirectly identifies Elijah as John the Baptist. The fate he met prefigures that of Jesus, Son of Man. [NJBC]

OLD TESTAMENT: 2 Kings 5: 1 - 14 (RCL) 2Kin 5:1 (NRSV) Na'aman, commander of the army of the king of Ar'am, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Ar'am. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arame'ans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Na'aman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4 So Na'aman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 And the king of Ar'am said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Na'aman, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me." 8 But when Eli'sha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Na'aman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Eli'sha's house. 10 Eli'sha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." 11 But Na'aman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Aba'na and Phar'par, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, "Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. Proverbs 8: 1, 22 - 31 (C of E) Prov 8:1 (NRSV) Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? 22 The LORD created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. 23 Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth- 26 when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world's first bits of soil. 27 When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31 rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race. Leviticus 13: 1 - 2, 44 - 46 (Roman Catholic) Levi 13:1 (NRSV) The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a leprous disease on the skin of his body, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. [If] 44 he is leprous, he is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean; the disease is on his head. 45 The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, "Unclean, unclean." 46 He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. PSALM 30 (RCL) Psal 30:1 (NRSV) I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O LORD, you brought up my soul from She'ol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. 4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." 7 By your favor, O LORD, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O LORD, I cried, and to the LORD I made supplication: 9 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be my helper!" 11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever. 30 Exaltabo te, Domine (ECUSA BCP) 1 I will exalt you, O LORD, because you have lifted me up * and have not let my enemies triumph over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried out to you, * and you restored me to health. 3 You brought me up, O LORD, from the dead; * you restored my life as I was going down to the grave. 4 Sing to the LORD, you servants of his; * give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, * his favor for a lifetime. 6 Weeping may spend the night, * but joy comes in the morning. 7 While I felt secure, I said, “I shall never be disturbed. * You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.” 8 Then you hid your face, * and I was filled with fear. 9 I cried to you, O LORD; * I pleaded with the Lord, saying, 10 “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? * will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness? 11 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me; * O LORD, be my helper." 12 You have turned my wailing into dancing; * you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy. 13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; * O LORD my God, I will give you thanks for ever. Psalm 104: 24 - 35 (C of E) Psal 104:24 (NRSV) O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. 25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. 26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. 27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season; 28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. 31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works- 32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. 35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD! Note: Verse numbering in the C of E Psalter is two higher than the above. Psalm 32: 1 - 2, 5, 11 (Roman Catholic) Psal 32:1 (NRSV) Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the guilt of my sin. [Selah] 6 Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. [Selah] 8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart. NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 9: 24 - 27 (RCL) 1Cor 9:24 (NRSV) Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. 25 Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. 26 So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; 27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified. Paul has written that he has been “entrusted with a commission” (v. 17) from God to spread the good news. He has gone beyond what God expects of him, making himself the servant of all, not burdening the Corinthians financially, so that he may bring more to Christ. He has accepted this discipline voluntarily, and “for the sake of the gospel” (v. 23). Now he presents the metaphor of sports, one familiar to his first readers, for the Isthmian Games (of which the Olympics are a modern imitation) were once held in Corinth. He likens Christian life to track races – but every metaphor has its limitations. It seems that by being believers and joining in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church some Christians at Corinth thought themselves sure of eternal life – but the Christian way requires more than this. While we all set out on the Way in our baptism, not all persevere as we should. In athletics, one person wins; in Christian life, not all persevere beyond baptism so Paul says “run in such a way that you may win it” (v. 24). Do this by exercising “self-control” (v. 25, self-discipline), whatever your way to Christ. (Paul thinks of other sports too: see v. 26). Winners in the Games received a crown of dried celery, a “perishable wreath” (v. 25), while Christians who strive towards the goal of being more Christ-like will, by God’s grace, be given eternal life. Paul not only exerts great effort but does so purposefully and effectively: a boxer who beats the air loses (v. 26). Paul disciplines his “body” (v. 27) and harnesses it to God’s purposes, lest he be “disqualified” from eternal life. Thus he warns his readers. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul speaks of his restraint from asserting his rights as an apostle: “... we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children”. [NOAB] Verses 1-2: “an apostle”: In 15:8-9, Paul writes: “Then he [Jesus] appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles ...”. See also Galatians 1:1, 11-12; Acts 9:3-6 (Paul’s vision), 17. [NOAB] Verse 1: “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?”: See 15:8 (quoted above). [NJBC] Verse 4: i.e. at the expense of the church. [NOAB] Verse 5: “the brothers of the Lord”: In Matthew 13:55, some who have heard Jesus in the synagogue ask “... And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?”. That they and “Cephas” (presumably Peter) are mentioned suggests that the opposition to Paul originated in Jerusalem. Of Jesus’ brothers, Paul only names one: James (see Galatians 1:19). See also Mark 3:31; 6:3; Acts 1:14. [NJBC] Verse 5: “a believing wife”: Mark 1:30 tells us that Peter was married: “Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever ...”. [NOAB] Verse 6: “Barnabas”: He is mentioned in Galatians 2:1 as Paul’s companion on his visit to Jerusalem. In Galatians 1:13, Paul says of him: “even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy”, meaning the hypocrisy of Jerusalem Christians. “Alone” is singular in the Greek so Paul may have suddenly remembered another apostle whose practice mirrored his own. [NJBC] Verse 6: “ have no right to refrain from working for a living”: Paul employs four arguments to justify the right to support: • From common sense (v. 7-8, “on human authority”), an argument also used in 2 Timothy 2:3-6 • Mosaic law (vv. 8-9) • Ancient cultic practice (v. 13), and • Jesus’ directive for the Palestinian mission (v. 14) [NJBC] Verse 9: The quotation is from Deuteronomy 25:4. The ox has a right to eat the grain. [NOAB] Verse 11: A quid pro quo. [NJBC] Verse 12: “If others ...”: Other missionaries have passed through Corinth, and have had the right to support accepted. [NJBC] Verse 13: In Judaism, this is prescribed in Leviticus 7:28-35. It was also the practice in Hellenic cults. [NOAB] Verse 14: In Luke 10:7, Jesus tells the pairs of emissaries he sends out: “Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid”. Deuteronomy 25:4 and this verse are quoted in 1 Timothy 5:18. [NOAB] Verses 15-18: In 2 Corinthians 11:7-12, Paul says that his mission to the Corinthians is financed by “friends who came from Macedonia”. [NOAB] Verse 17: “entrusted with a commission”: In Galatians 1:15-17, Paul tells us “ ... when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, ... I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.” [NJBC] Verse 18: “free of charge”: NJBC sees this as a feeble joke. The wages of one not entitled to any is to work for nothing! Verse 18: “not to make full use of”: The verb in Greek is katachraomai, meaning overuse. NJBC says that Paul uses this word deliberately to disguise a mental reservation, because while at Corinth he was subsidized from Macedonia. Verses 20-22: Paul proceeds with his mission with consideration and tact, not cowardice and compromise. [NOAB] Verse 21: This verse is difficult to understand; in Comments I present a general understanding of vv. 19-23. Blk1Cor says “this is one of the most difficult sentences in the epistle”. It is perhaps helpful to recall Galatians 6:2, where the “law of Christ” is fulfilled by bearing one another’s burdens, i.e. in love. Christ fulfills “God’s law” but now love helps us to be obedient to God, as Paul is: he is “entrusted with a commission”. NJBC also sees an allusion to the “law-less” at Corinth, i.e. those who saw no requirement for ethical behaviour because the Second Coming was thought to be so close. See 6:12 and 10:23. Verse 22: Comments: eating meat left over from pagan rites: In 8:12-13, Paul submits himself to the conscience (and discipline) of the “weak” and recommends such discipline to others who have progressed significantly in their journeys of faith: “... when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ”. [NJBC] Verse 22: “win the weak”: As will become clear in 10:23-11:1, the hearts of the weak also needed to be changed. [NJBC] Verses 24-27: Athletic metaphors on the importance of self-discipline out of consideration for others. [NOAB] In a sense, Paul trains himself to better carry out his God-given commission. h/t Montreal Anglican GOSPEL: Mark 1: 40 - 45 (all except C of E) Mark 1:40 (NRSV) A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." 41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44 saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." 45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. At Capernaum Jesus has surprised those worshipping and studying in the synagogue by teaching with a new kind of authority and by healing a mentally disturbed man by command alone. He has then cured Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever. Later people in a crowd have witnessed him curing many. After communing with God in “a deserted place” (v. 35) he moves on to spread the good news in other towns. Now a leper approaches him in supplication (“kneeling”, v. 40). The man recognizes something of the essence of God: God chooses whom he heals (and saves). Jesus is “moved” (v. 41) emotionally: he touches the man – thus making himself ritually unclean and risking leprosy himself. Jesus’ stern “warning” (v. 43) is to “say nothing to anyone” (v. 44), but the man ignores it (v. 45). Jesus does not wish to be misunderstood: physical healing is only an indicator of the Kingdom; he is not merely a wonder-worker. For the man to be readmitted to Jewish society, the healing needs to be confirmed by a “priest” (v. 44) – a requirement of Mosaic law (“what Moses commanded”). Leviticus 14 requires him to make certain sacrifices (“offer for your cleansing”) so he could be ritually purified. (The “testimony to them” may either be to the crowds or be to the power of God now available to all believers.) Lest he be misunderstood, Jesus continues his ministry secretly, “out in the country” (v. 45), away from the crowds. The parallels are Matthew 8:2-4 and Luke 5:12-16. [NOAB] The first part of the story, vv. 40-42, follows the usual outline of healing accounts: the disease is described; Jesus heals; and the healing is clearly complete. Then it is complicated by Jesus’ command that he show himself to the priest (vv. 43-44). [NJBC] Verse 40: “make me clean”: The Greek word, katharisai, could mean declare clean. So the leper may be asking Jesus rather than the Jerusalem priests to declare him ritually pure; however everything in the present form of the story indicates that the leper is seeking a cure. [NJBC] Verse 42: “leprosy”: CAB says that the unidentified skin ailment was probably a form of mould and not Hansen’s disease (which we commonly call leprosy.) NJBC says that leprosy was a general term for repulsive skin diseases including psoriasis, favus, and seborrheic dermatitis. Leviticus 13 describes the various kinds of afflictions and their detection by the priests. Verse 43: “sternly warning”: To CAB, this is what effects the cure. This he says may be a variant of Jesus’ commanding word, his rebuke, to the “demons” (v. 25). Verses 43-44: Jesus wishes the healing to carry with it a spiritual obligation. [NOAB] Verse 44: “say nothing to anyone”: This may be part of the messianic secret device found elsewhere in Mark, but it may only indicate Jesus’ command that the man present himself to the priest-inspectors as soon as possible. [NJBC] Comments: he touches the man – thus making himself ritually unclean: The regulation is in Leviticus 15:5. Verse 45: Whether this verse belongs to the story is in some doubt. As part of the story, the man appears to disobey Jesus and goes against Jesus’ desire to keep his true identify secret. [NJBC] Verse 45: “he”: If this refers to Jesus, the verse begins a new paragraph, summarizing Jesus’ activity between 1:40-44 and 2:1-12 in terms already used in 1:38. When “he” is taken as Jesus, the problem of the man’s disobedience disappears and the connection with the messianic secret vanishes.

OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 40: 21 - 31 (RCL) Isai 40:21 (NRSV) Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; 23 who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. 25 To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. 30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; 31 but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Job 7: 1 - 4, 6 - 7 (Roman Catholic) Job 7:1 (NRSV) "Do not human beings have a hard service on earth, and are not their days like the days of a laborer? 2 Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like laborers who look for their wages, 3 so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me. 4 When I lie down I say, "When shall I rise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossing until dawn. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and come to their end without hope. 7 "Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good. PSALM 147: 1 - 11, 20c (RCL) Psalm 147: 1 - 6 (Roman Catholic) Psal 147:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. 2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. 6 The LORD lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre. 8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry. 10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner; 11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. 20 Praise the LORD! Note: the last line (v. 20c) is optional for the C of E 147 Laudate Dominum (ECUSA BCP) 1 Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God! * how pleasant it is to honor him with praise! 2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; * he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted * and binds up their wounds. 4 He counts the number of the stars * and calls them all by their names. 5 Great is our LORD and mighty in power; * there is no limit to his wisdom. 6 The LORD lifts up the lowly, * but casts the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; * make music to our God upon the harp. 8 He covers the heavens with clouds * and prepares rain for the earth; 9 He makes grass to grow upon the mountains * and green plants to serve mankind. 10 He provides food for flocks and herds * and for the young ravens when they cry. 11 He is not impressed by the might of a horse; * he has no pleasure in the strength of a man; 12 But the LORD has pleasure in those who fear him, * in those who await his gracious favor. 21 Hallelujah! NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 9: 16 - 23 (all) 1Cor 9:16 (NRSV) If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel. 19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings. h/t montreal anglican Paul has written that, whatever others may think, he is an apostle for he has seen the risen Christ and he has brought many to him, especially at Corinth. So he, as are other apostles, is entitled “to be accompanied by a believing wife” (v. 5) and to be supported financially by the Church. However, lest asserting this “right” to be paid put an “obstacle” (v. 12) to faith in the way of coming to Christ, he will not insist on this right. Nothing must get in the way of “boasting” (v. 15, telling), the good news. But proclaiming (boasting) the gospel is an obligation placed on him, so he has no grounds for boasting about his performance. He does not proclaim the good news of his own will, but rather as one commissioned to do so by God; however that he does so “free of charge” (v. 18), without being paid, is his choice (of his own will), so he is due a “reward” (v. 17). This reward is: • freedom from constraints which others would place on him (“free with respect to all”, v. 19), and • being an even more effective emissary of Christ, bringing even more people to him. He has brought people to Christ by becoming as one (v. 20) religiously with them: he has behaved in a way not to give offense to prospects for conversion, in order to establish communications with them, respecting their customs. He has voluntarily restricted the freedom he has in Christ, making himself “a slave to all” (v. 19). With those who are “weak” (v. 22), those who easily lose faith when apparent obstacles appear (e.g. eating meat left over from pagan rites) he has avoided doing what would upset them (e.g. he has refrained from eating such meat). He has accepted self-control and self-denial the more effectively to spread the good news (v. 23). He can only share in Christ’s gifts if he carries out God’s commission. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul speaks of his restraint from asserting his rights as an apostle: “... we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children”. [NOAB] Verses 1-2: “an apostle”: In 15:8-9, Paul writes: “Then he [Jesus] appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles ...”. See also Galatians 1:1, 11-12; Acts 9:3-6 (Paul’s vision), 17. [NOAB] Verse 1: “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?”: See 15:8 (quoted above). [NJBC] Verse 4: i.e. at the expense of the church. [NOAB] Verse 5: “the brothers of the Lord”: In Matthew 13:55, some who have heard Jesus in the synagogue ask “... And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?”. That they and “Cephas” (presumably Peter) are mentioned suggests that the opposition to Paul originated in Jerusalem. Of Jesus’ brothers, Paul only names one: James (see Galatians 1:19). See also Mark 3:31; 6:3; Acts 1:14. [NJBC] Verse 5: “a believing wife”: Mark 1:30 tells us that Peter was married: “Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever ...”. [NOAB] Verse 6: “Barnabas”: He is mentioned in Galatians 2:1 as Paul’s companion on his visit to Jerusalem. In Galatians 1:13, Paul says of him: “even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy”, meaning the hypocrisy of Jerusalem Christians. “Alone” is singular in the Greek so Paul may have suddenly remembered another apostle whose practice mirrored his own. [NJBC] Verse 6: “ have no right to refrain from working for a living”: Paul employs four arguments to justify the right to support: From common sense (v. 7-8, “on human authority”), an argument also used in 2 Timothy 2:3-6 Mosaic law (vv. 8-9) Ancient cultic practice (v. 13), and Jesus’ directive for the Palestinian mission (v. 14) [NJBC] Verse 9: The quotation is from Deuteronomy 25:4. The ox has a right to eat the grain. [NOAB] Verse 11: A quid pro quo. [NJBC] Verse 12: “If others ...”: Other missionaries have passed through Corinth, and have had the right to support accepted. [NJBC] Verse 13: In Judaism, this is prescribed in Leviticus 7:28-35. It was also the practice in Hellenic cults. [NOAB] Verse 14: In Luke 10:7, Jesus tells the pairs of emissaries he sends out: “Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid”. Deuteronomy 25:4 and this verse are quoted in 1 Timothy 5:18. [NOAB] Verses 15-18: In 2 Corinthians 11:7-12, Paul says that his mission to the Corinthians is financed by “friends who came from Macedonia”. [NOAB] Verse 17: “entrusted with a commission”: In Galatians 1:15-17, Paul tells us “ ... when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, ... I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.” [NJBC] Verse 18: “free of charge”: NJBC sees this as a feeble joke. The wages of one not entitled to any is to work for nothing! Verse 18: “not to make full use of”: The verb in Greek is katachraomai, meaning overuse. NJBC says that Paul uses this word deliberately to disguise a mental reservation, because while at Corinth he was subsidized from Macedonia. Verses 20-22: Paul proceeds with his mission with consideration and tact, not cowardice and compromise. [NOAB] Verse 21: This verse is difficult to understand; in Comments I present a general understanding of vv. 19-23. Blk1Cor says “this is one of the most difficult sentences in the epistle”. It is perhaps helpful to recall Galatians 6:2, where the “law of Christ” is fulfilled by bearing one another’s burdens, i.e. in love. Christ fulfills “God’s law” but now love helps us to be obedient to God, as Paul is, “entrusted with a commission”. NJBC also sees an allusion to the “law-less” at Corinth, i.e. those who saw no requirement for ethical behaviour because the Second Coming was thought to be so close. See 6:12 and 10:23. Verse 22: Comments: eating meat left over from pagan rites: In 8:12-13, Paul submits himself to the conscience (and discipline) of the “weak” and recommends such discipline to others who have progressed significantly in their journeys of faith: “... when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ”. [NJBC] Verse 22: “win the weak”: As will become clear in 10:23-11:1, the hearts of the weak also needed to be changed. [NJBC] Verses 24-27: Athletic metaphors on the importance of self-discipline out of consideration for others. [NOAB] In a sense, Paul trains himself to better carry out his God-given commission. GOSPEL: Mark 1: 29 - 39 (all) Mark 1:29 (NRSV) As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." 38 He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. Mark has begun to tell us of a day, a sabbath, early in Jesus’ ministry spent at Capernaum. In the synagogue, Jesus has taught “as one having authority” (v. 22) beyond knowledge of the scriptures; he has healed a man possessed by evil – simply by commanding the evil force to leave him. Now, with the four disciples he has called so far, he heals the mother of Peter’s wife. That she serves them shows that she is completely and immediately cured (v. 31). Note that Jesus “took her by the hand”: no respected religious leader would do so, especially not on the Sabbath. Was she so seriously ill that Jesus could not wait a few hours to heal her until the Sabbath ended, thus avoiding controversy as to whether this healing could be done on the Sabbath? Mark doesn’t tell us of any. Then, after the Sabbath, at the start of the next Jewish day (“that evening”, v. 32), many who are in like condition to the man in the synagogue (mentally ill) and to Peter’s mother-in-law (physically ill) are brought to him. Many gather around the doorway (“door”, v. 33) of the house to see his miracles. The evil forces recognize his power over them but he intends to show himself as God’s agent later, so he does not “permit the demons to speak” (v. 34). Jesus then withdraws to be alone to commune with God (v. 35). Perhaps Peter and the others see him as missing an opportunity to heal, but Jesus insists that his mission extends beyond Capernaum (v. 38). He travels throughout the region, proclaiming the good news to Jews who meet for worship and study, and overcoming evil forces in people (v. 39). Verses 29-34: The parallels are Matthew 8:14-17 and Luke 4:38-41. [NOAB] Verse 29: “the house of Simon and Andrew”: Archeologists may have discovered this house south of the synagogue at Capernaum. The four disciples are called in vv. 16-20. [NJBC] Verse 30: “fever”: We do not know what kind of “fever” this was. Such ailments, which [mostly] come and go quickly, are common in the Near East. Malaria is a possibility. [BlkMk] Verse 31: “He ... took her by the hand”: Jesus could be accused of contracting uncleanness. [HenMk] Verse 31: “she began to serve them”: The religious authorities generally disapproved of a woman’s serving at table but in villages women always had more freedom, and the Pharisees still had little influence in Galilee. [BlkMk] HenMk quotes a rabbinic writer, admittedly 200 years later: “‘One must under no circumstances be served by a woman, be she adult or child’”. The meal she served them what would be the one at the end of Shabbat, which would be an important part of her religious practice – a big mitzvah – especially with guests. [Christopher Seal] Comments: wait a few hours: Some scholars see 1:24-34 as being the events of one Jewish day. This view would place the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law near the end of the day. Verses 35-39: See also Matthew 4:23-25 and Luke 4:42-44. [NOAB] Verse 35: For prayer as part of many recorded momentous events in Jesus’ life, see also Luke 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28 (the Transfiguration); 11:1; 22:41-46 (on the Mount of Olives). [NOAB] Verse 35: “he ... went out to a deserted place”: This recalls his initial preparation by the Spirit for ministry in the “wilderness” (v. 12). [CAB]