• 2 Channing Moore Williams, Missionary Bishop in China and Japan, 1910 • 3 Francis Xavier, Missionary to the Far East, 1552 • 4 John of Damascus, Priest, c. 760 is considered "the last of the Fathers" of the Eastern Orthodox church and is best known for his strong defense of icons • 5 Clement of Alexandria, Priest, c. 210 is regarded as a Church Father, like Origen. • 6 Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c. 342 • 7 Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397 was an archbishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was one of the four original doctors of the Church. • 8 Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Richard Baxter, Pastor and Writer, 1691 • 9 OLD TESTAMENT Jeremiah 33: 14 - 16 (RCL, Roman Catholic) Jere 33:14 (NRSV) The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called "The LORD is our righteousness." PSALM 25: 1 - 10 (RCL) Psalm 25: 4 - 4, 8 - 10, 14 (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. 14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear hin, and he makes his covenant known to them. Note: Verse numbering may differ in your Psalter. 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 Thessalonians 3: 9 - 13 (RCL) 1The 3:9 (NRSV) How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith. 11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. h/t Montreal Anglican Paul predicted, when he was in Thessalonika, that some Christians there would be persecuted. This has now happened; he has sent Timothy to “strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so no one would be shaken by these persecutions” (vv. 2-3). Timothy has now returned to Paul in Athens, and has conveyed to him “the good news of your faith and love” (v. 6). Indeed, their faith has encouraged Paul in facing persecution himself. Now he considers their prayer for him to be a debt to be repaid (“in return”, v. 9). Even though he lives continually in gratitude to, and dependence on, God (“before our God”; “Night and day”, v. 10), “all the joy” (v. 9) their faith brings to him is hard to repay, but he does give thanks. He also prays that he may visit them (“see you face to face”, v. 10) to “restore” (or make good) lacks in their knowledge of the faith, to give them further instruction in specific areas (likely what will happen when Jesus comes again: see v. 13). In vv. 11-13, he prays, intercedes with God, on their behalf: • that he may visit them again (“direct ...”, v. 11); • that they may have a superabundance of love for their fellow Christians and for others (“all”, v. 12), as Paul, Timothy and Silvanus (“we”) have for them; and • that their very beings (“hearts”, v. 13) may become so God-like (“holiness”) that they may be totally free of sin (“blameless”) when Christ comes again with all those who belong to God (“his saints”) at the end of time. At that time, says 4:13-17, Christ will bring the faithful dead with him; they will rise to be with God first; then those who are still alive will join them in heaven forever. Verse 1: “Athens”: For Paul’s visit to Athens, see Acts 17:16-34. [CAB] Verse 5: “the tempter”: As Satan has prevented Paul from visiting the Christian community at Thessalonika (see 2:18), he fears that the devil may have caused members of it to fall away from the faith. For Satan as the adversary of God’s kingly rule, see Matthew 4:1 (Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness); Romans 16:20; 2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Timothy 1:20. “The tempter” and Satan are names for evil conceived as a personal will actively hostile to God. [NOAB] See also 2 Corinthians 2:11. [CAB] Verse 5: “labour”: The Greek word, kopos, is almost a technical term to describe apostolic activity (also found in 1:3; 2:9; 1 Corinthians 3:8; 2 Corinthians 6:5) – which ought not be to without fruit, not in vain (see 2:1 and Philippians 2:16) . [NJBC] Verse 7: “our distress and persecution”: See Acts 18:6, 12 (Paul in Corinth). [NOAB] See also Acts 16:11-17:15 (at Philippi). 1 Thessalonians 2:14 indicates that the Christians at Thessalonika suffered at the hands of both Jews and Gentiles. [CAB] But is Paul talking about earthly distress and persecution? To NJBC, the accumulation of terms is typical of apocalyptic language. Verse 8: “stand firm”: Paul frequently writes about standing firm in the faith: see also 1 Corinthians 16:13; Galatians 5:1; Philippians 1:27. [NJBC] Verses 9-10: “before our God ... Night and day”: For the continual nature of Paul’s relationship with God, see also 1:2; 2:13; 5:17. See also 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 11; 2:13; Luke 18:1 (“Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart”). [NJBC] Verse 10: “pray”: This prayer was answered some years later: Acts 20:1-2 tells us: “Paul sent for the disciples; and after ... saying farewell, he left for Macedonia. When he had gone through those regions ... he came to Greece, where he stayed for three months”. Thessalonika was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. [NOAB] Verse 10: “whatever is lacking in your faith”: Chapters 4 and 5 make up for this in writing, perhaps partly. [NJBC] Verses 11-13: The ancient style of writing did not permit including a prayer in a letter, so Paul couches his prayer in the form of a blessing. [NJBC] Verse 11: This petition is addressed to “our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus”. The verb is in the singular, as if the Father and Jesus are to act as one. [NJBC] Verse 12: This petition is addressed to Christ, the risen and eschatological “Lord”. For Paul and his co-workers (“co-worker for God”, v. 2) see also 1:5-6 (“... you became imitators of us and of the Lord ...”). [NJBC] Verse 13: “coming”: The Greek word is parousia, literally meaning presence. It is a technical term used by Paul (in 2:19 and 4:15) and in some later New Testament writings (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8, 9; Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39; James 5:7, 8; 2 Peter 1:16). [NJBC] Verse 13: “hearts”: In Paul’s day the heart was considered to be the controlling centre of personality, not the organ of feeling and emotion as it is today. [NOAB] Verse 13: “holiness ... blameless”: Both are qualities of fully realized eschatological existence. [NJBC] Verse 13: “saints”: or holy ones, those who belong to God. See also 4:17 and the Septuagint translation of Zechariah 14:5. [NJBC] Timothy was a co-worker on whom Paul relied heavily at times: see also 1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10; Philippians 2:19-22. Per Acts 16:1, Timothy was the son of a Jewish Christian woman and a Gentile father from Lystra, and evidently became a Christian under Paul’s influence (1 Corinthians 4:17). He is joint sender of 1 Thessalonians, Philippians, 2 Corinthians, Philemon, Colossians and 2 Thessalonians. Church tradition says that he became Bishop of Ephesus. GOSPEL Luke 21: 25 - 36 (RCL) Luke 21: 25 - 28, 34 - 36 (Roman Catholic) Luke 21:25 (NRSV) "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see "the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." 29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34 "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Jesus has foretold the destruction of the Temple (v. 6). Some have asked him when this will occur and what will indicate that it is about to happen (v. 7). Given that “all the people were spellbound by what they heard” (19:48) and that the religious authorities “kept looking for a way to kill him” (19:47), the destruction must have spiritual meaning. Jesus tells of events commonly expected at the end of the era, and adds some which are specifically Christian. First, Christians will be persecuted by religious and civil authorities (v. 12). Then there will be “wars and insurrections” (v. 9), but “the end will not follow immediately” (as people expected). Disastrous natural phenomena, cause for great distress, will occur (v. 11), and when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies (v. 20), the city will soon fall: either physically or spiritually. Again the end will be delayed: the killing and deportation of citizens will continue “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (v. 24), i.e. until non-Jews have had the opportunity to come to Christ. Now Jesus foretells unnatural events (“signs ...”, v. 25) and the resulting confusion among nations and people, not knowing what will happen next. But the “Son of Man” (v. 27), the ideal human, Christ, will come from heaven (“in a cloud”, a symbol of divine presence, as at the Transfiguration) with power to control events. Then “redemption” (v. 28), God’s acts of freeing his chosen people, will be near. Just as the leafing of trees shows that “summer is ... near” (v. 30), so the occurrence of all these events will show that “the kingdom of God is near” (v. 31): this time will be evident to the faithful. The signs will be as striking as is seen in fig trees: in winter, they look dead but in spring they sprout. In spite of the delay, the era will end before all those alive now have died (v. 32). Jesus’ “words” (v. 33) are even more eternal than creation (“heaven and earth”). Finally, he advises vigilance: do not be so “weighed down” (v. 34) with day-to-day earthy matters that you are unprepared for the final call (“that day”). It will be for all those who survive all disasters (v. 35). Pray that God may give you the strength to resist all evils, so that you may “stand before” (v. 36) Christ, be deemed worthy by him. Verses 5-38: This section opens up two windows: • Through one, the reader may look back on 19:47-21:4 and see the consequences of the religious leaders’ rejection of Jesus and his teaching in the Temple. • Through the other window, the reader looks beyond the events of Luke 22-23 and sees God’s vindication of the rejected Son of Man and Jesus’ strengthening of his disciples, who will be rejected because of their allegiance to him. [NJBC] Verses 5-36: The parallels are Mark 13:1-37 and Matthew 24:1-36. [NOAB] Many of the events to occur at the end of the age are to be found in 2 Esdras, but 2 Esdras is probably partly Jewish and partly Christian, and parts may have been written after Jesus spoke these words. Verse 5: “adorned with beautiful stones”: The second Temple was begun after the return from exile (c. 520 BC), and was modest. Herod began construction of the third Temple in 20 BC; it was finished in 63 AD, and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD at the end of the Jewish revolt. It was still under construction in Jesus’ day. The stones were some 11 m (35 feet) long x 5.5 m (18 feet) wide x 3.6 m (12 feet) high. The Temple was begun by Herod the Great. [NOAB] [CAB] Jesus’ prediction of its destruction is also found in Mark 14:57-58; 15:29; Matthew 26:61; Luke 19:43-44; John 2:19; Acts 6:14. [NOAB] Jesus stands in the tradition of Old Testament prophets who had predicted this event: see Micah 3:12 and Jeremiah 26:18. However, in that other events mentioned in this passage seem to be meant symbolically, so may this event. [NJBC] Micah 3:12 says: “... Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height”. Jeremiah 26:18 quotes Micah with one variant. Early Christians saw the destruction of the Temple as fulfilling Jesus’ prediction. [NJBC] Note that Jerusalem was completely flattened in the 130s AD. Verse 7: See also 17:20 (where the Pharisees ask this question) and Acts 1:6 (“Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”). [NOAB] Verse 8: In 17:23, Jesus warns: “They will say to you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ Do not go, do not set off in pursuit”. See also John 8:24. [NOAB] Verse 8: “I am he!”: This alludes to the Old Testament revelation formula: see Exodus 3:14 (to Moses); Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10. See Mark 13:21-23 and 1 John 2:18 for prediction of false christs/messiahs. Verse 9: “the end will not follow immediately”: For descriptions of the end time, see Daniel 8:17; 9:25; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9, 13. [JBC] Verse 10: “kingdom against kingdom”: See also Isaiah 19:2; Ezra 5:12; 1QM (Qumran War Scroll) 1:2. Similar language is found in 2 Chronicles 15:6. [NOAB] 1QM 1:2 says: “The sons of Levi, the sons of Judah and the sons of Benjamin, the exiled of the desert, will wage war against them.” [Martinez] Verse 11: “great earthquakes”: Joel 2:10 says that on the day of Yahweh there will be earthquakes and other signs. See also Revelation 6:12. Verses 12-19: See also 10:17-22 (the return of the Seventy). [NOAB] Verse 12: “hand you over”: The Greek verb is paradidomi, a term used later of Jesus’ betrayal. The mention of the sufferings of Jesus’ disciples looks forward to Jesus’ own sufferings. [NJBC] In John 16:2, Jesus foretells: “They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God”. [NOAB] Verse 12: “kings and governors”: Pilate and Herod Antipas would be good examples. [NJBC] See also Acts 25:24 (Festus consults Agrippa about Paul). [NOAB] Verse 13: In Philippians 1:12-13, Paul says “I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ”. [NOAB] Verse 15: “words and a wisdom”: 12:11-12 ascribes this inspiration to the Holy Spirit; [NOAB] John 16:13-15 enlarges on the same thought. Verse 16: “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers ...”: The idea of the end-times as a time of personal divisions was commonplace in Jewish apocalyptic writings: see 2 Esdras 5:9; 6:24; Jubilees 23:19; 2 Baruch 70:3. [NJBC] See 12:52-53: there Jesus gives a similar prediction. [NOAB] Verse 17: In John 15:18-21, Jesus says: “... they will do all these things to you [i.e. hate you and persecute you] on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. [NOAB] Verse 18: Jesus says, in 12:7: “even the hairs of your head are all counted”. [NOAB] Verse 19: “gain your souls”: In Matthew 10:22, Jesus says “the one who endures to the end will be saved”. See also Revelation 2:7. [NOAB] Verses 20-22: See also 19:41-44; 23:28-31; 17:31. [NOAB] Verses 20-21: The destruction of the city is predicted in Daniel 9:27; 12:11; 1 Maccabees 1:57. [JBC] Verses 20,25: “surrounded by armies ... signs in the sun, ...”: See also Zephaniah 1:15. The “armies” are Roman legions. [NOAB] Verse 22: “vengeance”: This is God’s vengeance. It is the same vengeance that produces the vindication of God’s faithfulness at the expense of an unfaithful people. It also produces the vindication of the people called in God’s name in the presence of the Gentiles. For an example of the theological pattern involved here, see Deuteronomy 32:20, 35, 36, 39. [NJBC] Verse 23: See also John 15:18-21. [NOAB] Verse 24: See also Isaiah 63:18; Daniel 8:13; Revelation 11:2. [NOAB] Verse 24: “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”: In Matthew 20:16, Jesus says: “‘the last will be first, and the first will be last’”. See also Romans 11:25. [NOAB] We can only guess at what is meant here. One possibility is: the spiritual opportunity God had previously given to Jews is now extended to non-Jews. See also Mark 13:10. Verses 25-26: Images of cosmic signs, and of the Son of Man are found in the Old Testament, but here they are brought together, with the second coming of Jesus, “the Son of Man”, as the key event. His glorious arrival will be the final proof of God’s victory over the forces of evil. The Old Testament texts echoed are Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Jeremiah 4:23-26; Ezekiel 32:7; Amos 8:9; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Haggai 2:6, 21, but in no instance does such an image precede the coming of the Son of Man. The list of portents is a way of saying that all creation will signal his coming. [NJBC] See also 2 Esdras 7:39 and Revelation 6:12-13. [NOAB] Verse 25: Darkness day and night was considered a sign of the coming of divine judgement: see Isaiah 13:10. [JBC] Verse 25: “roaring of the sea”: See the Septuagint translation of Psalm 64:8. [BlkLk] Verse 26: “faint from fear”: See also Deuteronomy 28:28 and 2 Baruch 72:2. [BlkLk] Verses 26,29: “the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ... the fig tree”: See also Revelation 6:13. The fig tree is a symbol of life out of death. Verse 27: “they will see ‘the Son of Man coming ...’”: Daniel 7:13 says “As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.” An NRSV footnote says that “human being” is son of man in the Aramaic original. See also Mark 8:38; Matthew 10:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. [NOAB] Whether Jesus spoke of himself as “the Son of Man” is debated, but see Mark 14:61-62. [NJBC] See also Micah 1:3ff. Verse 28: “redemption”: The Greek word is apolytrosis. It is also used in 2:38; Ephesians 1:7, 14; 4:30; Romans 3:24; 8:23; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Colossians 1:14. Apolytrosis literally means buying back, but it is rooted in the Old Testament idea of redemption, God’s powerful act of freeing his chosen people in need. [JBC] Verse 29: “fig tree”: Joel 2:22 uses the image of fig tree’s blossoming to signify divine blessing. No tree looks as dead as a fig tree in the Palestinian winter. [JBC] Verse 32: The delay of Christ’s second coming troubled early Christians, because:: • Matthew 10:23 says that the Son of Man will come before the Twelve have finished their initial preaching. • From Mark 9:1; 13:30, we gather that at least some of Jesus’ contemporaries should have lived to see Christ’s second coming. • John 21:20-23 (part of the appendix to the gospel) awkwardly tries to account for the fact that, contrary to expectation, the “beloved disciple” did die before Christ’s coming. As time progressed, many Christians died and people doubted whether the resurrection of the dead would really happen: see 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Paul explained that Christ was the “first fruits” of the resurrection and at his second coming the dead would be made alive: see 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 and 1 Thessalonians 3:13. 2 Peter proposes several reasons for the apparent delay (see 3:3-9), but insists that the Day of the Lord may still come at any time: see 3:10. See also Ezekiel 12:21-28. The writer of Revelation likewise believed and promised that Jesus would come “soon”: see, for example, 1:1, 3; 22:6-7, 10, 20. No New Testament passage refers to Jesus’ second coming as such. In John 14:3, Jesus says he will come again, and the writer of Hebrews (9:28) says that Christ will appear a second time. Usually, however, the reference is simply to the coming of the Son of Man or Christ as Lord which, like the coming of the Kingdom of God, the Day of Judgement, and the resurrection of the dead, was expected in the not too far distant future, at the end of the present era. Verse 32: “all things”: i.e. the whole process of salvation history. Verse 33: See also 16:17. Jesus, to meet a violent death in Jerusalem, utters words of eternal significance. Verses 34-36: For parallels to these exhortations, see 8:11-15 (the explanation of the Parable of the Sower); 11:5-8; 12:22-31, 45; 18:1-8 (the Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge). [NJBC] The terminology is so akin to Paul’s that perhaps Luke is using a fragment from some lost epistle written by Paul or one of his disciples: for v. 34, see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; for v. 34a, see 1 Thessalonians 5:7; for v. 36, see 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10, 18. Even the rare Greek word agrypneo appears here and in 1 Thessalonians. Verse 34: See also Mark 4:19. [NOAB] Verse 36: See also Matthew 7:21-23; Mark 13:33 (“‘Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come’”); 2 Corinthians 5:10 (“... all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil”). [NOAB]

25 James Otis Sargent Huntington, Priest and Monk, 1935 a priest of the Episcopal Church, was the founder of the Order of the Holy Cross, an Anglican Benedictine monastic order for men 26 Isaac Watts, Hymnwriter, 1748 27 28 Kamehameha and Emma, King and Queen of Hawaii, 1864, 1885 29 30 Saint Andrew the Apostle is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. December 1 Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon, 1637 2 Channing Moore Williams, Missionary Bishop in China and Japan, 1910 was an Episcopalian missionary to China and Japan and later bishop OLD TESTAMENT 2 Samuel 23: 1 - 7 (RCL) 2Sam 23:1 (NRSV) Now these are the last words of David The oracle of David, son of Jesse, the oracle of the man whom God exalted, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the favorite of the Strong One of Israel 2 The spirit of the LORD speaks through me, his word is upon my tongue. 3 The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, 4 is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land. 5 Is not my house like this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? 6 But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they cannot be picked up with the hand; 7 to touch them one uses an iron bar or the shaft of a spear. And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot. Daniel 7: 13 - 14 (Roman Catholic) Daniel 7: 9 - 10, 13 - 14 (C of E, alt. for RCL) Dani 7:9 (NRSV) As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. 13 As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. 14 To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed. PSALM 132: 1 - 12 (13 - 18) (RCL) Psal 132:1 (NRSV) O LORD, remember in David's favor all the hardships he endured; 2 how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 3 "I will not enter my house or get into my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, 5 until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." 6 We heard of it in Eph'rathah; we found it in the fields of Ja'ar. 7 "Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool." 8 Rise up, O LORD, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. 9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your faithful shout for joy. 10 For your servant David's sake do not turn away the face of your anointed one. 11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. 12 If your sons keep my covenant and my decrees that I shall teach them, their sons also, forevermore, shall sit on your throne." 13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his habitation 14 "This is my resting place forever; here I will reside, for I have desired it. 15 I will abundantly bless its provisions; I will satisfy its poor with bread. 16 Its priests I will clothe with salvation, and its faithful will shout for joy. 17 There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one. 18 His enemies I will clothe with disgrace, but on him, his crown will gleam." Verse numbering in your Psalter may differ from the above. 132 Memento, Domine (ECUSA BCP) 1 LORD, remember David, * and all the hardships he endured; 2 How he swore an oath to the LORD * and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 “I will not come under the roof of my house, * nor climb up into my bed; 4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep, * nor let my eyelids slumber; 5 Until I find a place for the LORD, * a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.” 6 “The ark! We heard it was in Ephratah; * we found it in the fields of Jearim. 7 Let us go to God's dwelling place; * let us fall upon our knees before his footstool.” 8 Arise, O LORD, into your resting-place, * you and the ark of your strength. 9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; * let your faithful people sing with joy. 10 For your servant David’s sake, * do not turn away the face of your Anointed. 11 The LORD has sworn an oath to David; * in truth, he will not break it: 12 “A son, the fruit of your body * will I set upon your throne. 13 If your children keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, * their children will sit upon your throne for evermore.” 14 For the LORD has chosen Zion; * he has desired her for his habitation: 15 “This shall be my resting-place for ever; * here will I dwell, for I delight in her. 16 I will surely bless her provisions, * and satisfy her poor with bread. 17 I will clothe her priests with salvation, * and her faithful people will rejoice and sing. 18 There will I make the horn of David flourish; * I have prepared a lamp for my Anointed. 19 As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; * but as for him, his crown will shine." Psalm 93 (C of E, alt. for RCL) Psalm 93: 1, 2, 5 (Roman Catholic) Psal 93:1 (NRSV) The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. 4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the LORD! 5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore. 93 Dominus regnavit (ECUSA BCP) 1 The Lord is King; he has put on splendid apparel; * the Lord has put on his apparel and girded himself with strength. 2 He has made the whole world so sure * that it cannot be moved; 3 Ever since the world began, your throne has been established; * you are from everlasting. 4 The waters have lifted up, O Lord, the waters have lifted up their voice; * the waters have lifted up their pounding waves. 5 Mightier than the sound of many waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea, * mightier is the Lord who dwells on high. 6 Your testimonies are very sure, * and holiness adorns your house, O Lord, for ever and for evermore. NEW TESTAMENT Revelation 1: 4b - 8 (RCL, C of E) Revelation 1: 5 - 8 (Roman Catholic) Reve 1:4 (NRSV) Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. h/t Montreal Anglican John begins and ends this book as a letter. Literally, it is “to the seven churches that are in Asia” (v. 4a), Asia being a Roman province in western Asia Minor, but “seven” symbolizes totality, so John may speak to all churches in the province, or to all everywhere. The salutation combines both Greek (“grace”) and Hebrew (“peace”) forms, and is from God, here described as being throughout time, meaning eternal. The salutation is also from “the seven spirits”: this may mean the Spirit of God (in Isaiah 11:2, the Spirt operates in seven ways) or the seven angels (Michael, Raphael, etc) closest to God (“before his throne”, v. 4) in contemporary Jewish thinking. Further, it is “from Jesus Christ” (v. 5), who is: • “the faithful witness”: he revealed the Father perfectly in his earthly life, and crowned this by the sacrifice of his life; • “firstborn of the dead”: in his resurrection, he inaugurated a new era; and • “ruler ...”: being now exalted, he has power over all creation. Vv. 5b-6 praise God: • Christ loves us continually and, by his death, he has freed us from sins; and • he has marked us as God’s, and has made us all “priests”, mediators between God and the rest of humanity. “Amen”, a Hebrew word, means It is sure and trustworthy! or so be it!: it is both valid and binding. (In 3:14, Christ is called “the Amen”.) V. 7 combines two Old Testament prophetic sayings to predict the return of Christ at the end of the age. Those who put him to death and all unbelievers “will wail” for showing hostility to Christ and his Church: they will be condemned when Jesus comes us as judge. V. 8 tells us that, from A to Z, God is sovereign over all events of human history; his power is supreme (“Almighty”). GOSPEL John 18: 33 - 37 (all) John 18:33 (NRSV) Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" 35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." 37 Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Note the Roman Catholic lectionary omits the first part of v. 33. This is part of John’s account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate. Pilate has met with those Jews seeking his death outside his “headquarters”, the praetorium. He has asked: what charge, valid in Roman law, do you have to bring against him? (v. 29). V. 30 shows that they have none to propose. Pilate refuses to get involved by telling them to try him under Jewish law. They then make it obvious that they seek Jesus’ death. Now Pilate goes inside the praetorium and asks Jesus: are you the leader of a revolutionary movement? In return, Jesus asks him: Is this question your idea, based on what you have heard, or did others put you up to it? Pilate shows his scorn for Jews; the religious authorities seek your death, but what grounds are there for killing you? In v. 36, Jesus begins to explain the nature of his kingship. Were he a rebel leader, his followers “would be fighting to keep me from being handed over” to the religious authorities, but he is no threat to Pilate’s authority. Pilate picks up on Jesus words “my kingdom”. Jesus is king of “truth” (v. 37); his subjects are those who belong to the truth. He was “born” and “came into the world” to establish the kingdom of God, the ultimate truth.

. • 18 Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680 • 19 Elizabeth, Princess of Hungary, 1231 was married at the age of 14, and widowed at 20. She then became one of the first members of the newly founded Third Order of St. Francis, relinquished her wealth to the poor, and built hospitals, where she herself served the sick • 20 Edmund, King of East Anglia, 870 • 21 William Byrd, 1623, John Merbecke, 1585, and Thomas Tallis, 1585, Musicians was an English composer who occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered one of England's greatest early composers. • 22 Clive Staples Lewis, Apologist and Spiritual Writer, 1963 is known for both his fictional work, especially The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Space Trilogy and his non-fiction, such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. • 23 Clement, Bishop of Rome, c. 100 • 24 • 25 James Otis Sargent Huntington, Priest and Monk, 1935 OLD TESTAMENT 1 Samuel 1: 4 - 20 (RCL) 1Sam 1:4 (NRSV) On the day when Elka'nah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Penin'nah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. 6 Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elka'nah said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?" 9 After they had eaten and drunk at Shi'loh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the LORD. Now E'li the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly. 11 She made this vow "O LORD of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head." 12 As she continued praying before the LORD, E'li observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore E'li thought she was drunk. 14 So E'li said to her, "How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine." 15 But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time." 17 Then E'li answered, "Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him." 18 And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your sight." Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer. 19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ra'mah. Elka'nah knew his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. 20 In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, "I have asked him of the LORD." Daniel 12: 1 - 3 (Roman Catholic, C of E, alt. for RCL) Dani 12:1 (NRSV) "At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. PSALM (or CANTICLE in this case) 1 Samuel 2: 1 - 10 (RCL) 1Sam 2:1 (NRSV) Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory. 2 "There is no Holy One like the LORD, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 6 The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to She'ol and raises up. 7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and on them he has set the world. 9 "He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail. 10 The LORD! His adversaries shall be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed." Psalm 16 (C of E, alt. for RCL) Psalm 16: 5, 8 - 11 (Roman Catholic) Psal 16:1 (NRSV) Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you." 3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. 4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips. 5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage. 7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. 10 For you do not give me up to She'ol, or let your faithful one see the Pit. 11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 16 Conserva me, Domine (ECUSA BCP) 1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; * I have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord, my good above all other." 2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, * upon those who are noble among the people. 3 But those who run after other gods * shall have their troubles multiplied. 4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, * nor take the names of their gods upon my lips. 5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; * it is you who uphold my lot. 6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; * indeed, I have a goodly heritage. 7 I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel; * my heart teaches me, night after night. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; * because he is at my right hand I shall not fall. 9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; * my body also shall rest in hope. 10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, * nor let your holy one see the Pit. 11 You will show me the path of life; * in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. NEW TESTAMENT Hebrews 10: 11 - 14 (15 - 18) 19 - 25 (RCL, C of E) Hebrews 10: 11 - 14, 18 (Roman Catholic) Hebr 10:11 (NRSV) And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of God," 13 and since then has been waiting "until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet." 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds," 17 he also adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. 19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. h/t Montreal Anglican The author has told us how much greater is Christ’s sacrifice of himself than the annual sacrifices of the high priest on the Day of Atonement. Now he says that what any priest offered daily in sacrificial ritual for the forgiveness of sins was worthless, unlike Christ’s “single sacrifice” (v. 12): after Jesus died and rose, he became king. (Kings “sat down”, but priests stood.) Since that time, he has been awaiting the final defeat of his “enemies” (v. 13). (The author does not say who they are.) For by offering himself on the cross he has “perfected” (v. 14), completed, the removal of sin from those whom God has “sanctified”, made holy, set apart for his service. (Elsewhere salvation will be completed when Christ comes again.) The writings of the Old Testament, divinely inspired through the “Holy Spirit” (v. 15), foretold this: Jeremiah wrote that there will be a new covenant, one in which God’s ways will be written in peoples’ very being (v. 16), and where God will, in effect, clean off the sin slate (v. 17). We have a new covenant (v. 18), a new deal with God. Vv. 19ff tell of the consequences of the new covenant: since Christ’s sacrifice allows us to enter into God’s presence (“sanctuary”, v. 19) boldly, now that there is no longer a barrier (“curtain”, v. 20) between the faithful and God, and since Christ is “a great [high] priest” (v. 21) who has sacrificed for the Church (“house of God” ), we have three privileges/duties: we can and must • approach God in faith with clear consciences (v. 22); • “hold fast” (v. 23) to our statement of faith (made at baptism), reciprocating God’s fidelity to us, and • stimulate the expression of “love and good deeds” (v. 24) in others. These duties must be performed in the context of the liturgical community, especially since “the Day” (v. 25, Christ’s second coming), is approaching. Verse 1: “shadow”: The sense here is foreshadow, rather than the Platonic heavenly-earthly contrast in 8:5 (“a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one”). The “good things to come” will come through Christ. Colossians 2:17 says: “These [dietary laws, Jewish feasts, etc.] are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ”. The annual sacrifices on the Day of Atonement were not able to remove sin; they simply foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus. [NJBC] Verse 2: The author’s argument is weak: even though past sins were taken away, there were still the sins committed since a year ago. But it is merely an overstatement of what the author’s faith assures him to be true. [NJBC] Verses 3-4: The Day of Atonement rituals reminded worshippers of their sins, but did not erase them. This statement of the inefficacy of the annual sacrifices contradicts the belief expressed in Jubilees 5:17-18. But is not clear whether it is God or the worshipper who remembers the sins. That it is God who remembers is suggested by 8:12; there God says “‘I will remember their sins no more’”; however, the author would then be saying that the sacrifices served only to remind God of sin (and thus call forth punishment on the offerer). [NJBC] Verses 5-7: The quotation is Psalm 40:6-7. The text roughly follows the Septuagint translation. In Psalms, “me” is the psalmist (or possibly Israel in exile); here “me” is Christ at his incarnation. The psalm speaks of ritual being inferior to obedience, rather than repudiation of sacrifice (as here). The majority of manuscripts of the Septuagint have for v. 6b: a body you prepared for me rather than “you have given me an open ear” (which is from the Masoretic text). The Septuagint translation is particularly applicable to Jesus, whose obedience was expressed by his willingness to give his body, himself. [NJBC] Verse 8: “ sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings”: These terms are probably meant to cover the four main types of sacrifice: respectively peace offerings, cereal offerings, holocausts, and sin offerings (including guilt offerings). [NJBC] Verse 9: “the first”: i.e. the sacrifices prescribed in “the law” (v. 8). [NJBC] Verse 9: “the second”: i.e. the self-offering of Jesus. [NJBC] Verse 10: “God’s will”, carried out by Christ, is his offering of his body, which God “prepared” (v. 5) for him. [NJBC] Verse 11: “every priest stands day after day”: This indicates that the author has switched from considering the high priest’s sacrifice to that of every priest in the Old Testament. [NJBC] Verses 12-13: The quotation is Psalm 110:1, a verse also quoted in 1:3; 8:1; 12:2. [NJBC] Verse 13: “wait ...”: Thus the author explains the period of time between Christ’s enthronement and his second coming. [NJBC] Verse 13: “enemies”: The author does not tell us who they are, unlike Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:24-26: “ after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power” and “death”. [NJBC] Verse 14: “sanctified”: Through the cleansing of the consciences that they may worship the living God (9:14), Jesus has given his followers access to the Father; they share in his priestly consecration. [NJBC] The priesthood of all believers is in view. Verses 16-17: The quotation is Jeremiah 31:33-34. These verses are also quoted in 8:8-12. [NJBC] Verse 19: “confidence to enter the sanctuary”: In 3:6, the author writes: “we are his [Christ’s] house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope”. See also 4:16; 6:19-20. [NJBC] Verse 20: “opened”: The Greek word, enkainizo, can also mean inaugurate or dedicate. It is translated as inaugurate in 9:18. Verse 20: As the “curtain” before the Holy of Holies was an obstacle to entering it, so too was Christ’s “flesh” (Greek: sarx). Perhaps the author is thinking of the rending of the Temple veil at the death of Jesus: see Mark 15:38. [NJBC] Verses 22-24: “faith ... hope ... love”: The triad may be intended. [NJBC] Verse 22: “sprinkled clean”: A metaphor for the purifying power of Christ (see 9:13). Jewish ritual sprinkling only produced external purity, but those washed with the blood of Christ are cleansed in their consciences. [NJBC] Verse 22: “washed with pure water”: Probably a reference to baptism. See also 1 Corinthians 6:11 and Titus 3:5. [NJBC] Verse 25: While reticence to gather for worship may have been for fear of persecution, it is more likely that it was due to lack of enthusiasm for the faith, bordering on apostasy: part of the reason Hebrews was written. [NJBC] Verse 25: “the Day”: of Christ’s second coming. See also Acts 1:10-11 (the Ascension); Philippians 2:16; Romans 13:12; 1 Corinthians 3:13. [NJBC] Verses 26-31: These verses tell of the fate of the person who willfully sins. He has a “fearful prospect of judgement”: if you know about Christ and willfully reject him, you will be punished by God! Verse 26: “willfully ... sin”: The sin is that of turning away from Christ, as v. 29 shows. [NJBC] Verse 28: Idolatry is probably the violation of the Law. Deuteronomy 17:2-7 prescribes the death penalty for this sin if confirmed by “two or three witnesses”. [NJBC] GOSPEL Mark 13: 1 - 8 (RCL, C of E) Mark 13:1 (NRSV) As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" 2 Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." 3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?" 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, "I am he!' and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs. Jesus has indicated to his disciples that the poor widow who gave all that she has is a good example of discipleship. We are nearing the end of his instructions to them. In vv. 1-2, Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple, as the prophets Micah and Jeremiah had done earlier. (His words were later used against him.) Did he mean it literally or figuratively? We don’t know. (Both the Temple and the religious system were destroyed in 70 AD.) Then he and his first four disciples visit the Mount of Olives – a place mentioned in Zechariah 14:4 as being connected with events at the end of the era. They ask him: when will the Temple (“this”, v. 4) be destroyed? How will we know that the end of the era is near? Jesus gives them three indicators: • false claimants to being God’s agent of renewal will appear, claiming “I am he!” (v. 6); • international political conflicts (v. 8a) will occur, as will • natural disasters. There will be other signs too (vv. 14-25). The figure of a woman in labour (“birthpangs”, v. 8) is also used in Jeremiah, Hosea and Micah. The parallels are Matthew 24:1-8 and Luke 21:5-11. [NOAB] Verse 1: The impression is given that this is the first time that the disciples have seen the Temple. This fits with Mark’s chronology of Jesus’ earthly life, in which he visits Jerusalem only once. [NJBC] Verse 1: “large stones”: The second Temple was begun after the return from exile (c. 520 BC), and was modest. Herod the Great began construction of the third Temple in 20 BC; it was finished in 63 AD, and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD at the end of the Jewish revolt. It was still under construction in Jesus’ day. The stones were some 11 m (35 feet) long by 5.5 m (18 feet) wide x 3.6 m (12 feet) high. The destruction of the Temple had already been foretold in Micah 3:12 and Jeremiah 26:18. [NOAB] [CAB] Jesus’ prediction of its destruction is also found in 14:57-58; 15:29; Matthew 26:61; Luke 19:43-44; John 2:19; Acts 6:14. [NOAB] Jesus stands in the tradition of Old Testament prophets who had predicted this event: see Micah 3:12 and Jeremiah 26:18. However, in that other events mentioned in this passage seem to be meant symbolically, so may this event. [NJBC] Micah 3:12 says: “... Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height”. Jeremiah 26:18 quotes Micah with one variant. Early Christians saw the destruction of the Temple as fulfilling Jesus’ prediction. [NJBC] Note that Jerusalem was completely flattened in the 130s AD. Verse 2: Jesus indulges in (Jewish) hyperbole. Jesus’ statement is the basis for the accusations in 14:58 and 15:29. Early Christians saw Jesus as predicting the physical destruction of the Temple. [JBC] Verses 3-37: On the end of the era. These verses are known as the little apocalypse. Verse 3: “on the Mount of Olives”: The Mount of Olives is to the east of Jerusalem, across the Kidron valley. It is spoken of in eschatological terms in Zechariah 14:4. Zechariah 14:1-6 says: “See, a day is coming for the LORD, when the plunder taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses looted and the women raped; half the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley; so that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee by the valley of the LORD's mountain, for the valley between the mountains shall reach to Azal; and you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” In 11:1, Mark points out that “Bethphage and Bethany” were “near the Mount of Olives”. From there Jesus sends two of his disciples to find the colt on which he is to enter Jerusalem. Verse 3: “Peter, James, John, and Andrew”: These were the first disciples Jesus called (1:16, 19). Peter, James and John were the inner circle, and were present at the Transfiguration (9:2) and in the Garden of Gethsemane (14:33). [JBC] Verse 4: In Luke 17:20, Jesus says: “‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you’”. [NOAB] Verses 5-14: To NOAB, the audience was wider than the first four disciples, named in v. 13. Verse 6: In John 8:24, Jesus tells some Jews “‘I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he’”. 1 John 2:18 warns: “As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come”. [NOAB] Verse 6: “will come in my name”: More than Jewish messianic pretenders (e.g. “Theudas” and “Judas the Galilean”, in Acts 5:36-37) seem to be in view here, for they will come in Christ’s name. See also vv. 21-23. [NJBC] Verse 6: “I am he!”: This phrase must allude to the Old Testament revelation formula applied to Yahweh, thus contributing the implicit christological message of the text. (In Exodus 3:14, God tells Moses “‘I AM WHO I AM’”; in Deuteronomy 32:39 he says “See now that I, even I, am he; there is no god beside me.” and in Isaiah 41:4, “I, the LORD, am first, and will be with the last”). [NJBC] Verse 7: “the end is still to come”: For descriptions of the end time, see Daniel 8:17; 9:25; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9, 13. [JBC] See also 2 Esdras. Verse 8: “kingdom against kingdom”: See also Isaiah 19:2; Ezra 5:12; 1QM (Qumran War Scroll) 1:2. 1QM 1:2 says: “The sons of Levi, the sons of Judah and the sons of Benjamin, the exiled of the desert, will wage war against them.” [Martinez] Verse 8: “birthpangs”: At the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, he said that the new era “has come near” (1:15 and Matthew 4:17); however, per v. 10, it will arrive only after a time of witness to his message. [NOAB] As pain precedes (and portends) birth of a child, so suffering will precede the arrival of the new era. The figure of a woman in labour is often used to describe the prelude to the Day of Judgement or the messianic era. See also Isaiah 13:8; 26:17; Jeremiah 6:24; Hosea 13:13; Micah 4:9-10; 1QH (Qumran Hymns) 11:6-10. 1QH 11:6-10 (Vermes: 3:6-10) says: Now, my soul ... they have counted me, and have put the soul like a boat in the depths of the sea, like a besieged city positioned opposite its enemies. I was in distress like a woman giving birth the first time when her birth-pangs come on her and a pain racks her womb to begin in the crucible of the pregnant woman. Since sons reach the frontiers of death she gives birth to a male, and there emerges from the pains of Sheol, from the crucible of the pregnant woman a splendid counsellor of strength, and the man is freed from the womb. [Martinez] It is recommended that vv. 24-27 be read with vv. 3-8; together they give perspective beyond Jerusalem and the contemporary generation. Verses 9-13: See also Matthew 10:17-22. [NOAB] Verse 9: “hand you over”: The Greek verb is paradidomi, a term used later of Jesus’ betrayal. The mention of the sufferings of Jesus’ disciples looks forward to Jesus’ own sufferings. [NJBC] Verse 9: “councils”: The Greek word, synedria, refers to local Jewish courts empowered to punish Jewish offenders. In 2 Corinthians 11:24, Paul tells of receiving lashes “from the Jews”. [NJBC] Verse 9: “governors and kings”: Pilate and Herod Antipas would be good examples. [NJBC] Verse 10: V. 11 naturally flows from v. 9, so NJBC’s observation that the vocabulary is typical of Mark suggests that this verse is an insertion by the author. Further, if Jesus was so explicit about the mission to Gentiles, why was there a debate in the early Church over this mission? See Galatians 2 and Acts 15 (the Council of Jerusalem). Verse 11: Jesus forbids anxious care (“worry”), not thought or preparation. [NJBC] In John 14:26, Jesus says: “‘... the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you”. See also John 16:7-11 and Luke 12:11-12. [NOAB] Verse 12: “Brother will betray brother”: The idea of the end-times as a time of societal breakdown is common in contemporary Jewish apocalyptic writings: see, for example, 2 Esdras 5:9; 6:24; Jubilees 23:19; 2 Baruch 70:3. [NJBC] 2 Esdras 5:9-10 says: “Salt waters shall be found in the sweet, and all friends shall conquer one another; then shall reason hide itself, and wisdom shall withdraw into its chamber, and it shall be sought by many but shall not be found, and unrighteousness and unrestraint shall increase on earth.” Verse 13: In John 15:18-21, Jesus says to the disciples: “‘If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world – therefore the world hates you. ... If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me’”. [NOAB] Verse 13: “the one who endures to the end will be saved”: In Mark, the message is one of patient endurance. [NJBC] Verses 14-23: By foretelling the events described in these verses, Jesus prepares his followers for what they will encounter. [NJBC] Verse 14: “the desolating sacrilege”: This would remind Jesus’ hearers of the desecration of the Temple: in 168 BC, Antiochus IV Epiphanes set up a statue of Olympian Zeus in the Temple; indeed, he tried to wipe out Judaism. Jesus’ inclusion of reference to a second such sacrilege leads me to think that the other signs of the end of the era should not be taken literally. Jesus is probably speaking symbolically of the elevation of the Roman emperor to being a god and the destruction of the Temple (and with it, the termination of the Judaic sacrificial system) or of general desertion of God’s ways. Note also that the Roman governor Caligula gave a similar order in 40 AD for a statue of himself as Jupiter to be placed in the Temple. [CAB] See 1 Maccabees 1:59; Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11. Verse 14: “(let the reader understand)”: This comment may refer to the events leading up to the destruction of the Temple or of Caligula’s abortive plan. Perhaps the phrase is a code intended to avoid Roman hostility. [JBC] Verses 14-15: When this happens, the faithful must flee to the countryside immediately. There will be no time to collect one’s belongings. Verse 17: In Luke 23:29, Jesus says: “For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed’”. [NOAB] 2 Esdras 6:21 says: “Children a year old shall speak with their voices, and pregnant women shall give birth to premature children at three and four months, and these shall live and leap about”. [HenMk] Verse 18: The cold and rainy winters in Palestine would make rural tracks almost impassable. There would be no crops then from which the refugees might be fed. [NJBC] Verse 19: “suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation”: So Jesus speaks not of warfare, but of something much more serious. This alludes to Daniel 12:1: “There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence.” [NJBC] Verse 20: “if the Lord had not cut short those days”: Daniel 12:7 suggests that God has established a time schedule for the coming of the Kingdom. For the idea of shortening the time, see two contemporary apocalyptic books: 1 Enoch 80:2; 2 Baruch 20:1-2; 83:1, 6. [NJBC] Verse 22: In Matthew 7:15, Jesus warns: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves”. See also John 4:48. [NOAB] Verse 23: “I have already told you everything”: NJBC offers I have foretold to you all these things. Verses 24-27: The images of cosmic signs, the Son of Man, and the gathering of the chosen are all found in the Old Testament, but here they are brought together, with the second coming of Jesus, “the Son of Man”, as the key event. His glorious arrival will be the final proof of God’s victory over the forces of evil. The Old Testament texts echoed are Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Ezekiel 32:7; Amos 8:9; Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15; Haggai 2:6, 21, but in no instance does such an image precede the coming of the Son of Man. The list of portents is a way of saying that all creation will signal his coming. [NJBC] Verse 24: Darkness day and night was considered a sign of the coming of divine judgement: Isaiah 13:10 says: “the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light”. [JBC] Verse 26: “they will see 'the Son of Man coming ...”: Daniel 7:13 says “As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.” An NRSV footnote says that “human being” is son of man in the Aramaic original. See also 8:38; Matthew 10:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. [NOAB] To Mark, “the Son of Man” is clearly Jesus, not the human figure in angelic form of Daniel 7:13. Whether Jesus spoke of himself as “the Son of Man” is debated, but see 14:61-62. [NJBC] Verse 27: “he will ... gather his elect from the four winds”: In Zechariah 2:6, Yahweh disperses the chosen. God’s gathering of the chosen is found in Deuteronomy 30:4; Isaiah 11:11, 16; 27:12; Ezekiel 39:27 and elsewhere in the Old Testament and in contemporary Jewish writings. [NJBC] Verse 27: “the four winds”: Winds were thought to originate at the four corners of the earth.

• 12 Charles Simeon, Priest, 1836 He was at first so unpopular that services were frequently interrupted, and he was often insulted in the streets • 13 • 14 Consecration of Samuel Seabury, First American Bishop, 1784 was the first American Episcopal bishop, the second Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA, and the first Bishop of Connecticut. • 15 Francis Asbury, 1816, and George Whitefield, 1770, Evangelists • 16 Margaret, Queen of Scotland, 1093 was a pious woman, and among many charitable works she established a ferry across the Firth of Forth for pilgrims travelling to Dunfermline Abbey • 17 Hugh, 1200, and Robert Grosseteste, 1253, Bishops of Lincoln • 18 Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680 was abbess at several monasteries and recognized for the wisdom that drew kings to her for advice. OLD TESTAMENT Ruth 3:1 - 5, 4:13 - 17 (RCL) Ruth 31 (NRSV) Na'omi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our kinsman Bo'az, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do." 5 She said to her, "All that you tell me I will do." 13 So Bo'az took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Na'omi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him." 16 Then Na'omi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Na'omi." They named him O'bed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David. 1 Kings 17: 8 - 16 (alt. for RCL) 1 Kings 17: 10 - 16 (Roman Catholic) 1Kin 178 (NRSV) Then the word of the LORD came to him [Elijah], saying, 9 "Go now to Zar'ephath, which belongs to Si'don, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you." 10 So he set out and went to Zar'ephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink." 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12 But she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." 13 Eli'jah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD the God of Israel The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth." 15 She went and did as Eli'jah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Eli'jah. Jonah 3: 1 - 5, 10 (C of E) Jona 3:1 (NRSV) The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 "Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you." 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. 10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. PSALM 127 (RCL) Psal 1271 (NRSV) Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved. 3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one's youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. 127 Nisi Dominus (ECUSA BCP) 1 Unless the LORD builds the house, * their labor is in vain who build it. 2 Unless the LORD watches over the city, * in vain the watchman keeps his vigil. 3 It is in vain that you rise so early and go to bed so late; * vain, too, to eat the bread of toil, for he gives to his beloved sleep. 4 Children are a heritage from the LORD, * and the fruit of the womb is a gift. 5 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior * are the children of one's youth. 6 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! * he shall not be put to shame when he contends with his enemies in the gate. Psalm 146: 7 - 10 (Roman Catholic) Psalm 146 (alt. for RCL) Psal 1461 (NRSV) Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. 4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. 5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD! 146 Lauda, anima mea (ECUSA BCP) 1 Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul! * I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, * for there is no help in them. 3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, * and in that day their thoughts perish. 4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! * whose hope is in the LORD their God; 5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; * who keeps his promise for ever; 6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, * and food to those who hunger. 7 The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; * the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; 8 The LORD loves the righteous; the LORD cares for the stranger; * he sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked. 9 The LORD shall reign for ever, * your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Hallelujah! Psalm 62: 5 - 12 (C of E) Psal 62:5 (NRSV) For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. [Selah] 9 Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, 12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work. NEW TESTAMENT Hebrews 9 24 - 28 Hebr 924 (NRSV) For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. h/t Montreal Anglican The author continues to see Christ as the great high priest, and to contrast him with a high priest in the Temple. Heaven is the perfect, ideal “sanctuary” (9:24), while the Holy of Holies is a “mere copy” of the divine one. Christ did not enter the Holy of Holies but rather “heaven itself” to “make intercession” (7:25) for us “in the presence of God” (9:24). Unlike the Temple high priest who entered the sanctuary annually to offer animal blood for the redemption of certain sins of the people, Christ sacrificed himself “once for all” (9:26), for all people, permanently abolishing sin – when release from sin previously only lasted a year. He came “at the end of the age” of the first covenant, of the pre-Christian era. God has appointed that humans “die once” (9:27) and later be judged (at the end of the current era); likewise Christ sacrificed himself once and will later return. But his second coming will be to complete and finalize the salvation of his followers. By taking our sin on himself, he has already taken it away. 9:15-10:18: Christ’s death as the sacrifice ratifies forever the new covenant, replacing the elaborate but temporary system of purification decreed under the Law of ancient Israel. The latter dealt with sin at the earthly level and on a repeated, temporal basis, but Christ’s sacrifice for us was “once for all” (9:28) and has eternal effects. The new community now awaits his reappearance from heaven, when he will take its members forever into God’s presence. This radical change was anticipated in the Old Testament. No further offering for human sin is necessary. [CAB] 9:15: Christ’s death redeemed also the Old Testament saints (see also 11:39-40), and inaugurated the new covenant. See also Romans 3:24-25 and 1 Corinthians 11:25 (the Last Supper: “... This cup is the new covenant in my blood...”). [NOAB] 9:15,17: “covenant ... will”: The Greek word is the same, per the NRSV footnote. [NOAB] 9:18-20: See Exodus 24:6-8, where Moses says: “See the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words”. [NOAB] 9:23: “the heavenly things themselves need better sacrifices than these”: Does the author really mean that the heavenly tabernacle really needs purification? Surely not. There seems to be no satisfactory interpretation. NJBC suggests that the intermediate heavens may be in view, that they correspond to the outer part of the earthly tabernacle. Perhaps Job 15:15 may then be pertinent: “God puts no trust even in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his sight”. 9:24: “mere copy”: The Greek word is antitypon, antitype, but with the meaning of “copy”. [NJBC] 9:24: “to appear in the presence of God on our behalf”: See also 7:25 and Romans 8:34, where Paul writes: “It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us”. [NJBC] 9:25-26: While the author rejects repeated suffering by Jesus, he does not reject the eternal presence of his one sacrifice. [NJBC] The author may use the language of Platonism, with its eternal heavenly reality contrasted with temporal earthly shadow, but he modifies it in view of his strong Christian faith: it is Jesus’ sacrifice on earth that really counts. 9:25: The high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. As noted in Comments last week, the author earlier used “Holy Place” as the name of the outer “tent”. Here he must mean the Holy of Holies. For the Day of Atonement liturgy, see Leviticus 16:1-34, especially v. 14: “He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times”. 9:28: “the sins of many”: See also Isaiah 53:12 (part of the fourth Servant Song, “... he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors ...”); Mark 10:45 (“... the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many”); Romans 5:19; Revelation 7:9-10. [NOAB] 9:28: “appear a second time”: The author may also be thinking of the emergence of the high priest from the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. See also Acts 1:10-11 (“... This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven”) and Philippians 3:20. [NOAB] The appearance of Jesus will be like that of the high priest emerging from the Holy of Holies. For a fine portrait of the high priest’s emergence, see Sirach 50:1-5. [NJBC] 9:28: “save”: See also 1:14. [NJBC] Mark 1: 14 - 20 (C of E) Mark 1:14 (NRSV) 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." 16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea-for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. A scribe has asked Jesus: which is the greatest precept in the law? His agreement that to love God and to love one’s neighbour are the most important has led Jesus to tell him that he is almost ready for the kingdom of God. Now, as Jesus teaches in the synagogue, he warns of certain scribes (professional interpreters of the Law) who “walk around” ostentatiously, seek honour in public places (“marketplaces”) and seek prestige “in ... synagogues” (v. 39) and “at banquets”. (“Long robes”, v. 38, may be prayer shawls, normally worn only when praying. The “best seats”, v. 39, in the synagogue were near the Ark – where the scrolls were kept – and faced the congregation; the “places of honour” were couches at the host’s table.) Certain scribes, as legal trustees of a widow’s estate, charged exorbitantly for their services. The fee was usually a part of the estate, but some took the “widows’ houses” (v. 40). Some kept up an appearance of piety. They will be judged harshly in the greatest court of all on Judgement Day. Jesus’ disciples are not to be like them. On the other hand, a “poor widow” (v. 42) is an example of good discipleship. Jesus is “opposite the treasury” (v. 41), possibly in the outer court of the Temple, where people placed their offerings in chests. The “poor widow” – widows were often poor – makes a real sacrifice in giving two leptas, the lowest value coin in circulation; she “has put in more than all those” (v. 43) rich people who only give what they do not need. The parallels of vv. 38-40 are Matthew 23:1-36 [CAB] and Luke 20:45-47. The parallel of vv. 41-44 is Luke 21:1-4. [NOAB] Verse 39: “best seats in the synagogues”: James 2:2-3 asks rhetorically: “For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please,’ while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there,’ or, ‘Sit at my feet,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?”. [NOAB] Verse 39: “places of honour”:In Luke 11:43, Jesus says: “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honour in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces’. See also Luke 14:7-11. [NOAB] Verse 41: “putting money into the treasury”: There were thirteen chests in the temple court, each one labelled with the purpose to which the funds would be put. The chests were shaped like an inverted trumpet – for protection against theft. [NOAB] Verse 42: “small copper coins”: i.e. lepta. [NJBC] Verse 42: “penny”: A labourer’s daily wage was 64 pennies. [NOAB] The Greek word is quadrans, meaning a fourth part; hence the translation farthing in the King James Version. Verse 43: Jesus’ words are a paradox which require the disciples to do some thinking.

5 6 William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1944 is perhaps best known for his 1942 book Christianity and Social Order, which set out an Anglican social theology and a vision for what would constitute a just post-war society. 7 Willibrord, Archbishop of Utrecht, Missionary to Frisia, 739 8 9 10 Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome, 461 was an Italian aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy. 11 Martin, Bishop of Tours, 397 was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela OLD TESTAMENT: Ruth 1: 1 - 18 (RCL) Ruth 1:1 (NRSV) In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Mo'ab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elim'elech and the name of his wife Na'omi, and the names of his two sons were Mah'lon and Chil'ion; they were Eph'rathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Mo'ab and remained there. 3 But Elim'elech, the husband of Na'omi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Mo'abite wives; the name of the one was Or'pah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mah'lon and Chil'ion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Mo'ab, for she had heard in the country of Mo'ab that the LORD had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Na'omi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back each of you to your mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband." Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, "No, we will return with you to your people." 11 But Na'omi said, "Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me." 14 Then they wept aloud again. Or'pah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 So she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 16 But Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die-- there will I be buried. May the LORD do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!" 18 When Na'omi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. Deuteronomy 6: 1 - 9 (alt. for RCL) Deuteronomy 6: 2 - 6 (Roman Catholic) Deut 6:1 (NRSV) Now this is the commandment--the statutes and the ordinances--that the LORD your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, 2 so that you and your children and your children's children may fear the LORD your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. PSALM 146 (RCL) Psal 146:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. 4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. 5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD! 146 Lauda, anima mea (ECUSA BCP) 1 Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul! * I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, * for there is no help in them. 3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, * and in that day their thoughts perish. 4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! * whose hope is in the LORD their God; 5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; * who keeps his promise for ever; 6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, * and food to those who hunger. 7 The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; * the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; 8 The LORD loves the righteous; the LORD cares for the stranger; * he sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked. 9 The LORD shall reign for ever, * your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Hallelujah! Paslm 119: 1 - 8 (alt. for RCL) Psal 119:1 (NRSV) Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD. 2 Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways. 4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! 6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous ordinances. 8 I will observe your statutes; do not utterly forsake me. 9 How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. 11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes. 13 With my lips I declare all the ordinances of your mouth. 14 I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. 119 (ECUSA BCP) Aleph Beati immaculati 1 Happy are they whose way is blameless, * who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Happy are they who observe his decrees * and seek him with all their hearts! 3 Who never do any wrong, * but always walk in his ways. 4 You laid down your commandments, * that we should fully keep them. 5 Oh, that my ways were made so direct * that I might keep your statutes! 6 Then I should not be put to shame, * when I regard all your commandments. 7 I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, * when I have learned your righteous judgments. 8 I will keep your statutes; * do not utterly forsake me. Psalm 18: 1 - 3, 46, 50 (Roman Catholic) Psal 18:1 (NRSV) I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies. 46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation, 50 Great triumphs he gives to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever. NEW TESTAMENT: Hebrews 9: 11 - 14 (RCL) Hebr 9:11 (NRSV) But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! h/t Monrteal Anglican Vv. 1-7 tell of temple practice in ancient Israel. The forerunner of the Temple was a “tent” (v. 2), called the “Holy Place”. Within this “tent” was a second one, called the “Holy of Holies” (v. 3), where God dwelt. On the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), only the high priest went into “the second” tent (v. 7), to offer a sacrifice of animal blood for the redemption of unintentional sins. Annual repetition of this ritual shows that redemption from sin was of limited duration; that there were two tents shows that sacrifices could not remove the inner guilt (“perfect the conscience”, v. 9) of the faithful. In somewhat like manner, when Christ came the first time, to redeem us of our sin, he passed through his risen body (the equivalent of the outer tent) into “the Holy Place” (v. 12, which must be the Holy of Holies, i.e. heaven). The blood in his saving act was his own (in crucifixion), not animal blood; therefore the redemption it achieved is forever. In the Temple, “ashes of a heifer” (v. 13) were mixed with water and used to purify the flesh, i.e. restore the ritual purity, of those who had touched the dead. If the high priest was able to achieve this, how much greater will be the effect of Jesus’ “blood” (v. 14), his sacrifice of his sinless self, in removing all traces of guilt for our past ungodly (“dead”) deeds enabling us to “worship the living God”. (His “eternal Spirit” is probably his spirit of self-offering.) Hebrews 7: 23 - 28 (Roman Catholic) Hebr 7:23 (NRSV) Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. Verses 1-10: The specifications for the furnishing of the tabernacle are found in Exodus 25:10-40. [NOAB] Verses 2-3: Strangely, Hebrews speaks of two tents while Exodus speaks of one tent divided into two parts. [NJBC] Verse 2: “tent”: The forerunner of the Temple was the tent of meeting: see Exodus 25-26 and Numbers 9:15-23. [CAB] Verse 2: “the bread of the Presence”: The law regarding it is given in Leviticus 24:5-9. [NOAB] Verse 3: Exodus 26:31-33 prescribes the curtain separating “the holy place from the most holy”. [NOAB] Verse 3: “second curtain”: This is the second one because there was also one at the entrance: see Exodus 26:36. [NJBC] Verse 4: “the golden altar of incense”: In Hebrews, it is said to be in the “Holy of Holies”; however, in Exodus 30:6 it is in the “Holy Place”. NJBC believes that the author made a mistake here, misinterpreting the Exodus text. Similarly, the Old Testament does not say that the “golden urn” and “Aaron’s rod” were in the ark: see Deuteronomy 10:5. Verse 4: “the ark of the covenant”: The specifications for this chest containing the tablets of the Law are given in Exodus 25:10-22. [NOAB] Verse 4: “a golden urn holding the manna”: Moses tells of Yahweh’s command that manna be preserved, and specifies how it shall be kept, in Exodus 16:32-24. [NOAB] Verse 4: “Aaron’s rod that budded”: Numbers 17:1-10 tells of the budding of Aaron’s rod, a sign that his tribe, Levi, has special status. [NOAB] Verse 5: “mercy seat”: It was so called because the blood of the sacrifices of the Day of Atonement were sprinkled on it. The word is also translated as place of expiation (of sins). [NJBC] Verse 6: “the priests go continually into the first tent”: i.e. to take care of the lamps on the lampstand (see Exodus 30:7), to burn incense on the incense altar morning and evening (see Exodus 30:7), and to replace every week the loaves on the table of showbread (see Leviticus 24:5-8). [NJBC] Verse 7: For the law concerning the Day of Atonement, see Leviticus 16:1-34, especially v. 14: “He [the high priest] shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle the blood with his finger seven times”. [CAB] Verse 7: “blood”: It was seen as the element in which life resided. Insofar as it is life, the blood is the peculiarly divine element in the human person, so sprinkling it on the mercy seat was an effective symbol of the purification of sin and of re-establishment of union between God and the offerer. [NJBC] Verse 8: “the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed”: NJBC offers revealed. The goal of worship was access to God. That only the high priest could enter that part of the tabernacle (the earthly counterpart of God’s heavenly abode), showed that Old Testament worship did not attain that goal. Verse 9: “the present time”: This is not merely a chronological indication. The Greek also means present age, in contrast to the age to come. Even now the age to come is present, in an anticipatory way, and Christians have experienced its powers: see 6:4-5. [NJBC] Verse 10: “deal only with food and drink and various baptisms”: NJBC offers only [to cleanse] in respect of food and drink and various kinds of ritual washings. He says that the author limits the efficacy of Old Testament sacrifices to a cleansing from defilements caused by the violation of ritual laws, i.e. the dietary prescriptions of Leviticus 11 and Numbers 6:1-4 and ritual washings: see Leviticus 14:8 and Numbers 19:11-21. This low estimate of their efficacy would hardly have been accepted by any Hebrew. [NJBC] Verse 10: “the time comes to set things right”: i.e. the period of the new covenant, inaugurated by the death of Christ. [NOAB] Verses 11-12: The author seems to be stretching the metaphor of Christ as high priest beyond understandable limits. A scholar devotes several pages to interpreting these ways without reaching a definitive interpretation. Verse 11: “high priest of the good things that have come”: Perhaps a reference to Christ’s saving act of sacrificing himself on the cross, or an oblique reference to the Gospel (good news), but many manuscripts have good things to come. [NJBC] Verse 11: “the greater and perfect tent”: This may be a reference to John 2:19-21: “But he was speaking of the temple of his body.” On the other hand, the “tent” may be the heavenly regions, the heavenly counterpart of the outer tabernacle, through which Jesus passed (4:14) into the highest heaven (“heaven itself”), the abode of God (9:24). [NJBC] Verse 12: “not with the blood of goats and calves”: The high priest gained access to the Holy of Holies because he bore the blood of the sacrificial animals; Jesus’ life offered in sacrifice gives him access to the heavenly sanctuary. Jesus’ entrance into the sanctuary is part of his sacrifice begun on earth and completed in heaven. [NJBC] Verse 12: “obtaining eternal redemption”: The Greek word translated as “redemption” must be understood in the light of its usage in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament. In Daniel 4:34, it expresses the notion of deliverance. It is frequently used with reference to deliverance from Egypt (see Exodus 6:6 and Deuteronomy 7:8), from captivity in Babylon (see Isaiah 41:14; 44:22, 24), and from sin (see Psalm 130:7-8). In none of these cases is there a notion of ransom. [NJBC] Verse 13: “the ashes of a heifer”: The ashes were mixed with water and used to cleanse those who had become “defiled” by contact with corpses, human bones, or graves. See Leviticus 16:6, 16; Numbers 19:9, 14-21. [NJBC] [NOAB] Verse 14: “eternal Spirit”: 7:16 speaks of Christ having become a priest “through the power of an indestructible life”. So it is likely that this is what is meant by “eternal Spirit” here. Christ’s priesthood differs from that of the Old Testament priesthood in that it will never end; his sacrifice is once and for all future time. [NJBC] Verse 14: “without blemish”: This recalls the Old Testament requirement that a sacrificial animal be physically unblemished: see Exodus 29:1. Here the phrase is used in a moral sense, as it is in 1 Peter 1:19. [NJBC] Verse 14: “to worship the living God!”: This is primarily sharing in Jesus’ sacrificial worship, through which Christians have access to God: see also 4:16; 7:25; 10:19-22. That the way Christians live is a cultic action, is also in view. Paul shares this view: in Romans 12:1, he writes: “I appeal to you ... brothers and sisters ... to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship”. [NJBC] GOSPEL: Mark 12: 28 - 34 (all) Mark 12:28 (NRSV) One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" 29 Jesus answered, "The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32 Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that "he is one, and besides him there is no other'; 33 and "to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and "to love one's neighbor as oneself,'--this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question. Some religious leaders have asked Jesus questions about issues central to Jewish thinking, trying to trap him: • Will he state publicly that his authority is from God? • Should a Jew pay poll taxes to Caesar? He has avoided entrapment in both cases. Now, in Mark, a scribe asks a question to learn rather than to entrap. There were 613 precepts in Jewish law. Which is the most important? Jesus offers two, not one; the first is the shema (“Hear, ...”, v. 29), recited twice daily by pious Jews. He links a second to the first: love your neighbour, whoever he is, as you do yourself (v. 31). Jesus combines these two precepts into a moral principle, linked by love. The scribe agrees and elaborates (vv. 32-33): there being only one God, we should love him undividedly, with all our faculties. Both precepts are “much more important” than temple-based religion. Jesus tells him that he is now almost ready for the coming kingdom of God. The parallels are Matthew 22:34-40 and Luke 10:25-28. The setting is probably the outer court of the Temple: 11:27 says: “Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him”. Early Christians understood this passage as permission to disregard the commandments pertaining to ritual. First paragraph of Comments: The references are (1) 11:27-33 and (2) 12:13-17. Jesus has handled the questions as follows: 1. He has avoided a charge of blasphemy by posing a counter-question, which silenced his opponents: what was the origin of John the Baptist’s authority? 2. Jesus has answered: give to the emperor what is his, and to God what is God’s. Verses 29-31: The quotations are from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (the introduction to the Ten Commandments and the first commandment) and Leviticus 19:18. [CAB] Jesus’ quotation of the Pentateuch underlines his orthodoxy as a Jewish teacher and illustrates his fondness for going to the root of things. Verse 29: The three texts which pious Jews recited daily were Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37-41. Verses 30-31: This summary of the Law need not have been original with Jesus. Note that in Luke 10:25-28 it is a lawyer who utters it. Rabbi Akiba (martyred about 135 AD) said that Leviticus 19:18 (“you shall love your neighbour as yourself”) was a great principle of the Law. The golden rule (“do to others as you would have them do to you”, Matthew 7:12) is another summary of the Law attributed to Jesus. [BlkMk] Verse 30: The quotation is similar to the Septuagint translation of Deuteronomy 6:5 but differs from it: there mind appears rather than “heart”, “with all your mind” is missing, and the word translated “strength” is different. So Jesus’ words may be from a tradition of what he actually said, rather than being a quotation from the then-current translation of the Old Testament. [BlkMk] Verse 31: Hillel, the great Jewish teacher of Jesus’ time, gave a famous answer to the question put to Jesus: “What you hate for yourself, do not do to your neighbour. This is the whole law; the rest is commentary. Go and learn.” (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a) To him, this summarized the law and gives the 613 precepts a coherent principle. Verse 33: The scribe’s statement merely echoes Hosea 6:6 and 1 Samuel 15:22; [NOAB] it is not necessarily a condemnation of the sacrificial system. See also Micah 6:6-8 and Matthew 9:13. Verse 33: Loving God and one’s neighbour is done everywhere while “burnt offerings and sacrifices” were only made in the Temple in Jerusalem. [NOAB]