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]