This week's lectionary analysis is one below the top....Happy All Saint's day!

·  26 Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 899 was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.

·  28 Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles

·  29 James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, and his Companions, Martyrs, 1885

·  30 John Wyclif, Priest and Prophetic Witness, 1384 was an English scholastic philosopher, theologian, lay preacher, translator, reformer and university teacher at Oxford in England. He was an influential dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. His followers were known as Lollards, a somewhat rebellious movement, which preached anticlerical and biblically-centred reforms.

·  31 Paul Shinji Sasaki, Bishop of Mid-Japan, and of Tokyo, 1946, and Philip Lindel Tsen, Bishop of Honan, China, 1954

OLD TESTAMENT:  Job 42: 1 - 6, 10 - 17   (RCL)

Job  42:1 (NRSV) Then Job answered the LORD:

2 "I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

3 "Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

4 "Hear, and I will speak;

I will question you, and you declare to me.'

5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

but now my eye sees you;

6 therefore I despise myself,

and repent in dust and ashes."

10 And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. 12 The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first Jemi'mah, the second Kezi'ah, and the third Ker'en-hap'puch. 15 In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job's daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children's children, four generations. 17 And Job died, old and full of days.

Jeremiah 31: 7 - 9   (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL)

Jere 31:7 (NRSV) For thus says the LORD:

Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;

proclaim, give praise, and say,

"Save, O LORD, your people,

the remnant of Israel."

8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,

and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,

among them the blind and the lame,

those with child and those in labor, together;

a great company, they shall return here.

9 With weeping they shall come,

and with consolations I will lead them back,

I will let them walk by brooks of water,

in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;

for I have become a father to Israel,

and E'phraim is my firstborn.

PSALM 34: 1 - 8, (19 - 22)   (RCL)

Psal 34:1 (NRSV) I will bless the LORD at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD;

let the humble hear and be glad.

3 O magnify the LORD with me,

and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me,

and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Look to him, and be radiant;

so your faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,

and was saved from every trouble.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 O taste and see that the LORD is good;

happy are those who take refuge in him.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD rescues them from them all.

20 He keeps all their bones;

not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil brings death to the wicked,

and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants;

none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

34   Benedicam Domi   (ECUSA BCP)

1          I will bless the Lord at all times; *

     his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

2          I will glory in the Lord; *

     let the humble hear and rejoice.

3          Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; *

     let us exalt his Name together.

4          I sought the Lord, and he answered me *

     and delivered me out of all my terror.

5          Look upon him and be radiant, *

     and let not your faces be ashamed.

6          I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me *

     and saved me from all my troubles.

7          The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, *

     and he will deliver them.

8          Taste and see that the Lord is good; *

     happy are they who trust in him!

 

19         Many are the troubles of the righteous, *

     but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.

20         He will keep safe all his bones; *

     not one of them shall be broken.

21         Evil shall slay the wicked, *

     and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

22         The Lord ransoms the life of his servants, *

     and none will be punished who trust in him.

Psalm 126   (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL)

Psal 126:1 (NRSV) When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who dream.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then it was said among the nations,

"The LORD has done great things for them."

3 The LORD has done great things for us,

and we rejoiced.

4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like the watercourses in the Neg'eb.

5 May those who sow in tears

reap with shouts of joy.

6 Those who go out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

carrying their sheaves.

126   In convertendo    (ECUSA BCP)

1          When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, *

     then were we like those who dream.

2          Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *

     and our tongue with shouts of joy.

3          Then they said among the nations, *

     “The Lord has done great things for them.”

4          The Lord has done great things for us, *

     and we are glad indeed.

5          Restore our fortunes, O Lord, *

     like the watercourses of the Negev.

6          Those who sowed with tears *

     will reap with songs of joy.

7          Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *

     will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.

NEW TESTAMENT:   Hebrews 7: 23 - 28   (RCL)

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.

Hebrews 5: 1 - 6   (Roman Catholic)

Hebr 5:1 (NRSV) Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,

"You are my Son,

today I have begotten you";

6 as he says also in another place,

"You are a priest forever,

according to the order of Melchiz'edek."

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchiz'edek.

h/t Montreal Anglican

The author has written: “we have a great high priest” ( 4:14). He asks: “If perfection [the completion of God’s plan of salvation] had been attainable through the ... [Temple] priesthood” (v. 11) why would there be need to speak of another priest? The levitical priests were under Mosaic law, but “there is ... the introduction of a better hope, through which we approach God” (v. 19). Jesus, the high priest, unlike others, “became a priest with an [divine] oath” (v. 21). Psalm 110:4, the author asserts, is about Christ: “The Lord has sworn ... ‘You are a priest for ever’”, so “Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better [new] covenant.” (v. 22).
Platonism distinguished between

·  a single, eternal ideal of earthly things and

·  multiple transitory copies of the ideal on earth.

In vv. 23-24, the author sees “former [Temple] priests” as transitory (because individual high priests died) and Jesus as the eternal ideal (“he continues forever”, v. 24). So “for all time” (v. 25) Jesus is the way to God and to salvation for those who are godly because he (as priest) lives to plead with God on their behalf (“intercession”). Under Mosaic law, priests subject to “weakness” (v. 28, sin) were appointed without divine oath, but “a Son” has been appointed, by God’s “oath”, superceding the Law, a “perfect” (ideal) priest forever. Vv. 26-27 list Christ’s qualities. He has no need to sacrifice continually for his own sins and those of others (as, the author asserts, earthly high priests did) for he is “separated from sinners, and exalted” (v. 26), i.e. with the Father; in dying, he offered sacrifice “once for all” (v. 27) for our sins.

In the Qumran community, Melchizedek was regarded as an angelic, heavenly figure, and judge, who rescues the righteous. [ NOAB] See 11QMelch (Melchizedek text). [NJBC]
Verses 1-10: From Genesis 14:17-20, the author deduces that the mysterious priest-king Melchizedek was greater than both Abraham and his descendent, Levi. [NOAB] The assumption that Melchizedek was a priest of the God of Israel is accepted by the author.
Verse 2: “one-tenth”: Genesis does not make clear who paid tithes to whom. The idea that Abraham paid them was a contemporary understanding: 1QapGen (Qumran Genesis Apocryphon) 22:17 says “... (Abraham) gave him [Melchizedek] a tithe of all the flocks of the king of Elam and his allies”. See also Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 1.10.2. [ NJBC] [ Martinez]
Verse 2: “‘king of righteousness’ ... ‘king of peace’”: These were popular etymologies of Melchizedek’s name. The author probably gives them because Melchizedek is regarded as a prototype of Jesus, the Messiah, and the messianic blessings include justice and peace: Isaiah 9:5-6 says “... For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. See also Isaiah 32:1, 17. [ NJBC]
Verse 3: “Without father, without mother ...”: Melchizedek’s ancestry, birth and death are not recorded in the Bible. [ NOAB] According to a principle of rabbinic exegesis, what is not mentioned in the Torah does not exist. This is a partial, although probably insufficient, explanation for the ascription of eternal life to Melchizedek. Perhaps Psalm 110:4 led to this ascription both here and at Qumran. But this ascription leads to a problem: are there two eternal priests, Melchizedek and Jesus, even though the author says that Melchizedek only resembled “the Son of God” (v. 3)? [ NJBC] Similar problems are found elsewhere where the midrashic technique is used (in the rabbinical literature, e.g. in Midrash Rabba). The only eternal priesthood for the author is indeed that of Christ.
Verse 5: “tithes”: Per Numbers 18:20-32, the Israelites had to pay to the levitical priests one-tenth of all products of the land. [ CAB]
Verse 5: “a commandment in the law”: In v. 12, the author will argue that the priesthood and the Law are so closely related that the passing away of the former involves the passing away of the latter. [ NJBC]
Verse 7: “It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior”: He who can demand payment is “the superior”, namely the levitical priests (v. 5) and Melchizedek (v. 6); however, in Genesis Melchizedek had no right to demand payment; it was a pure gift. Melchizedek is especially superior because the payer was the recipient of God’s “promises” (v. 6).
However, the words in this verse contradict what is said in the Old Testament: see 2 Samuel 14:22 (Joab blesses the king) and Job 31:20 (the poor bless Job). The author may have this particular liturgical situation in mind. [ NJBC]
Verse 8: “those who are mortal”: i.e. levitical priests. [ NOAB]
Verses 9-10: “Levi”: i.e. not just the son of Jacob but also the priestly tribe descended from him. [ NJBC]
Verses 11-14: The levitical priesthood is inadequate because it is provisional and temporary. [ NOAB]
Verse 11: “perfection”: V. 19 uses “perfect” with respect to the Law, so “perfection” here means cleansing from sin and the consequent ability to approach God, rather than priestly consecration, the meaning elsewhere in Hebrews. [ NJBC]
Verse 11: “for the people received the law under this priesthood”: NJBC offers on the basis of which the people received the law. The Law was given to Israel as a means of union with God, and the priesthood was the instrument by which the Law was meant to achieve its purpose.
Verse 13: “the one”: i.e. Jesus, the priest “according to the order of Melchizedek” (v. 17), about whom Psalm 110:4 speaks. [ NJBC]
Verse 14: “our Lord was descended from Judah”: The author accepts the tradition that Jesus was of the family of David: see also Romans 1:3. [ NJBC]
Verses 15-19: On the other hand, a “priest ... resembling Melchizedek” is eternal, as Psalm 110:4 shows. [ NOAB]
Verses 15-16: “another priest arises, resembling Melchizedek”: The author argues that Jesus’ priesthood supplanted that of the Levites. [ JBC]
Verse 16: “an indestructible life”: The principal point of comparison between Melchizedek and Jesus is that both are eternal. Jesus possesses this “life” because of his resurrection, in virtue of his exaltation, not because of his divine nature. 5:5 says: “So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’”. [ NJBC]
Verse 16: “a legal requirement concerning physical descent”: Old Testament priests had to be descendants of Levi who were of the family of Aaron: see Numbers 3:3, 10. [ NJBC]
Verses 18-19: While the author was no doubt aware that the Aaronic priesthood was to be eternal (see Exodus 40:15), this does not come into his argument because, in vv. 23-24, he contrasts the transitory life of individual Jewish priests with the eternal life of Jesus and he asserts that Jesus’ eternal priesthood was confirmed by God’s oath, while God made no such oath about levitical priests (v. 20-21). But the main reason for the transfer of the priesthood was that Jesus has achieved that of which the Old Testament priests were incapable. [ NJBC]
Verse 19: “a better hope”: It is based on the accomplished sacrifice of the Son of God, through which we have access to the Father. See 4:16. In Hebrews, “better” designates the new order: see also 1:4; 7:22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34. [ NJBC]
Verse 19: “approach God”: In the Septuagint translation of Leviticus 10:3, the priests are those who approach God. [ NJBC]
Verse 22: “a better covenant”: This covenant is “better” than the old because it will remain as long as the priesthood on which it is founded remains, and the eternity of that priesthood has been confirmed by God’s oath. Thus, Jesus, the priest of this covenant, is himself “the guarantee” of its permanence. [ NJBC]
Verse 24: “permanently”: The Greek word, aparabaton , can mean permanentor untransferable. While the context favours the former, the notions are so closely linked that one involves the other. [ NJBC]
Verse 25: Scholars argue that Jesus continually offers sacrifice. The intercession of Jesus is also mentioned in Romans 8:34, in like words: “... It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.” [ NJBC]
Verse 26: “above the heavens”: In ancient thinking, heavens were in a hierarchy, with God in the highest heaven, so “heavens” here are lower heavens. This seems to be a reference to Jesus’ passage through the intermediate heavens into the heavenly sanctuary, the abode of God. See also 4:14 and 9:24. [ NJBC]
Verse 27: A levitical priest was only required to offer such sacrifices on the Day of Atonement, not “day after day”. The author exercises license to prove his point. For the offerings which were required daily, see Exodus 29:38-42; Leviticus 6:6-16; Numbers 28:3-8. [ NJBC]
Verse 28: The author deals with the possible objection that the Mosaic law set aside the priesthood of which Psalm 110:4 speaks. He says that the promise of the new non-levitical priesthood came long after the Law that established the Old Testament priesthood, and it set up as high priest not the weak, transitory high priests of the Old Testament but the Son who has been consecrated for ever. [ NJBC]

GOSPEL: Mark 10: 46 - 52    (all)

Mark 10:46 (NRSV) They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimae'us son of Timae'us, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." 52 Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Jesus and his disciples are now nearing the end of their journey from Caesarea Philippi (in the north) to Jerusalem: “Jericho” is some 25 km (15 miles) from Jerusalem. We have seen the disciples’ misunderstanding and blindness to Jesus’ message. Mark has told us of the healing of an unnamed blind man ( 8:22-26), one who is healed gradually.
Here Mark gives tells us the name of this “blind beggar” . Bartimaeus makes a politically charged statement: Jesus is “Son of David” (v. 47), King of the Jews, and Messiah. Elsewhere, Jesus orders silence on the matter, but not here: his time is approaching. For the first time, a sane person immediately proclaims Jesus’ true identity. The “cloak” (v. 50, garment) Bartimaeus throws off is probably the cloth he uses to receive handouts; in Mark, garments often indicate the old order, so Bartimaeus has accepted the new. Jesus’ question in v. 51 is the one he asked James and John when they sought status in the kingdom ( 10:36), but Bartimaeus’ approach is different: he comes in humility (“My teacher”, v. 51). Jesus simply tells him that his “faith”, (v. 52, his receptivity of God’s healing word), “has made you well” (also meaning has saved you from impending destruction). Bartimaeus is cured immediately and becomes a follower of Jesus (“the way”).

The parallels are Matthew 20:29-34 and Luke 18:35-43. [ NOAB]
Note the contrast between Bartimaeus’ healing and that of the blind man:

• Bartimaeus seeks out Jesus himself while the unnamed man is brought to Jesus.
• Bartimaeus’ healing is immediate, while the earlier healing is gradual. [ NJBC]

Perhaps Mark is suggesting that understanding of Christ’s mission has grown. (Peter gradually recognizes Jesus as Messiah in 8:27-30.)
Matthew (in 20:34) records a healing gesture, but Mark does not; he emphasizes the man’s faith rather than the cure.
Verse 46: “They came to Jericho”: The story of the cure of the unnamed blind man begins similarly: “They came to Bethsaida” (see 8:22).
Verse 46: “Bartimaeus”: In Aramaic, bar means son of. [ NOAB] It is unusual for Mark to name the person healed. (He identifies Jairus, but not his daughter: see 5:21-43.) Neither Matthew nor Luke name him. [ NJBC]
Verse 47: “shout out”: The Greek word occurs in connection with manifestations (see 6:49) and recognitions of Jesus’ transcendence. It is also found in 1:24; 3:11; 5:7, 9; 9:24, 26; 11:9. [ JBC]
Verse 47: “Son of David”: This title designates Jesus as heir of the promise made to David through Nathan: see 2 Samuel 7:12-16; 1 Chronicles 17:11-14; Psalm 89:28-37. Up to this point, except for Peter, only demons have recognized Jesus’ true identity. [ NJBC]
Verse 48: “ordered him to be quiet”: In 3:12 and 8:30, Jesus orders silence.
Verse 50: “cloak”: For situations in Mark where references to garments indicate that someone was leaving behind the old order, see 2:21; 5:25-30; 6:56; 9:3; 11:7-8; 13:16; 15:20, 24. Mark probably uses the word “cloak” here to symbolize this: most of the references are to cloaks (plural).[NJBC] However NOAB says that the “cloak” is Bartimaeus’ outer garment.
Verse 51: “My teacher”: rabbouni: a term of respect. [ CAB]
Verse 51: “What do you want me to do for you?”: Blind Bartimaeus has seen the nature of Jesus’ kingly authority better than James and John. [ JBC] Jesus may be asking what kind of help do you want me to provide to you? . Bartimaeus makes his intent clear: he wishes to understand Jesus’ teachings and to be healed of blindness; he is not seeking the political independence of Israel.
Verse 52: “made you well”: The Greek word was a technical term in early Christian circles for salvation and resurrection life, so it may be that early Christians took this healing as an anticipation of the resurrection life of Jesus and of those who believe in him. The word is also found in Matthew 9:21-22; Mark 5:23, 28, 34; Luke 8:36, 48, 50; 17:19; 18:42. It also carries with it the idea of rescue from impending destruction or from a superior power. [ NOAB]
Verse 52: “on the way”: In the early centuries, Christianity was known as The Way.

·  1 ALL SAINTS

·  2 Commemoration of All Faithful Departed

·  3 Richard Hooker, Priest, 1600 was an English priest in the Church of England and an influential theologian.^[2] He was one of the most important English theologians of the sixteenth century.^[3] His defence of the role of redeemed reason informed the theology of the seventeenth century

·  6 William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1944

·  7 Willibrord, Archbishop of Utrecht, Missionary to Frisia, 739 was a Northumbrian missionary saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands.

OLD TESTAMENT:   Wisdom 3: 1 - 9   (RCL)

Wis. 3:1 (NRSV) But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,

and no torment will ever touch them.

2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,

and their departure was thought to be a disaster,

3 and their going from us to be their destruction;

but they are at peace.

4 For though in the sight of others they were punished,

their hope is full of immortality.

5 Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good,

because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;

6 like gold in the furnace he tried them,

and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.

7 In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,

and will run like sparks through the stubble.

8 They will govern nations and rule over peoples,

and the Lord will reign over them forever.

9 Those who trust in him will understand truth,

and the faithful will abide with him in love,

because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones,

and he watches over his elect.

Isaiah 25: 6 - 9   (alt. for RCL)

Isai 25:6 (NRSV) On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples

a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,

of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.

7 And he will destroy on this mountain

the shroud that is cast over all peoples,

the sheet that is spread over all nations;

he will swallow up death forever.

8 Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces,

and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,

for the LORD has spoken.

9 It will be said on that day,

Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.

This is the LORD for whom we have waited;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Revelation 7: 2 - 4, 9 - 17   (Roman Catholic)

Reve 7:2 (NRSV) I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, 3 saying, "Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads."

4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel:

9 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 singing,

"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom

and thanksgiving and honor

and power and might

be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" 14 I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,

and worship him day and night within his temple,

and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.

16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;

the sun will not strike them,

nor any scorching heat;

17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

PSALM 24   (RCL)

Psalm 24: 1 - 6   (C of E, Roman Catholic)

Psal 24:1 (NRSV) The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it,

the world, and those who live in it;

2 for he has founded it on the seas,

and established it on the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?

And who shall stand in his holy place?

4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,

who do not lift up their souls to what is false,

and do not swear deceitfully.

5 They will receive blessing from the LORD,

and vindication from the God of their salvation.

6 Such is the company of those who seek him,

who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!

and be lifted up, O ancient doors!

that the King of glory may come in.

8 Who is the King of glory?

The LORD, strong and mighty,

the LORD, mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O gates!

and be lifted up, O ancient doors!

that the King of glory may come in.

10 Who is this King of glory?

The LORD of hosts,

he is the King of glory. [Se'lah]

24   Domini est terra    (ECUSA BCP)

1          The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, *

     the world and all who dwell therein.

2          For it is he who founded it upon the seas *

     and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

3          “Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? *

     and who can stand in his holy place?”

4          "Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, *

     who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,

     nor sworn by what is a fraud.

5          They shall receive a blessing from the Lord *

     and a just reward from the God of their salvation."

6          Such is the generation of those who seek him, *

     of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

7          Lift up your heads, O gates;

lift them high, O everlasting doors; *

     and the King of glory shall come in.

8          “Who is this King of glory?” *

     “The Lord, strong and mighty,

     the Lord, mighty in battle.”

9          Lift up your heads, O gates;

lift them high, O everlasting doors; *

     and the King of glory shall come in.

10         “Who is he, this King of glory?” *

     “The Lord of hosts,

     he is the King of glory.”

NEW TESTAMENT:   Revelation 21: 1 - 6a   (RCL)

Reve 21:1 (NRSV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

"See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them as their God;

they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away."

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

h/t Montreal Anglican

This book is “the revelation of Jesus Christ” ( 1:1) made known through John. It is prophecy which reveals secrets of heaven and earth. Our reading is from John’s record of his vision of the end-times. He has told of the destruction of the old city, Babylon (code name for Rome) and of the old heaven and earth ( 20:11); the ungodly have been driven off to punishment ( 20:15). Only the godly, a remnant, remain. Isaiah 65:17-25 and 66:22 predict that all creation will be renewed, freed from imperfections and transformed by the glory of God.
Now John sees the new creation. The “sea” ( 21:1), a symbol of turbulence, unrest and chaos, is no more. He sees “the new Jerusalem” ( 21:2), probably not made with bricks and mortar, “holy”, of divine origin, beautiful and lovely as a “bride”. (Marriage is a symbol of the intimate union between the exalted Christ and the godly remnant. Some see the city as the church, set apart for God’s use in the world.)
John hears “a loud voice” ( 21:3) interpreting 21:2: God again comes to “dwell” (be present spiritually) with “his peoples”. Sorrow, death and pain – characteristics that made the old earth appear to be enslaved to sin – will disappear ( 21:4). God, “seated on the throne”, speaks in vv. 5-6: he will do everything described in 21:1-4; he is sovereign over all that happens in human history. (“Alpha” and “Omega” are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, so God encompasses all.) God will give the gift of eternal life (“water”, 21:6b) to all who seek him.

Chapters 17-18: A description of the old corrupt city. Babylon’s (Rome’s) fate is foretold in 18:21-23.
Verse 1: See also Romans 8:19-21. [ NOAB]
Verse 1: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth”: Isaiah 65:17 says “For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind”. See also Isaiah 66:22. Creation will be renewed or refurbished in order to befit redeemed humanity. [ JBC]
Verse 1: “sea”: Evil oppressors have come from the sea ( 13:1). [ CAB] God conquered mythical monsters ruling over primeval chaos when he ordered the universe: Rahab or Leviathan in the Bible, Tiamat in Babylonia (Job 26:12ff; Psalm 89:10; Isaiah 51:9). He will annihilate them at the time of the new creation (Isaiah 27:1). Brutal power and violence are incompatible with the peace of the world to come. [ JBC]
Verse 2: This verse is inspired by Isaiah 54. As in 2 Esdras 9:38-10:59, a historical restoration of Jerusalem is not expected. [ NJBC]
Verse 2: “holy city”: See also 3:12 and 22:19. God is the architect and builder of the city (Hebrews 11:10). It is “holy” because it is definitively consecrated to God, a notion already found in the Old Testament: see Isaiah 54; 60; Ezekiel 48:30-35. [ JBC]
Verse 2: “new Jerusalem”: See also Galatians 4:26; Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 11:10; 12:22. [ CAB] [ JBC]
Verse 2: “coming down out of heaven”: See also James 1:17. [ JBC]
Verse 2: “adorned for her husband”: In contrast to the old city, which is described in terms of harlotry and drunkenness ( 17:1-2). [ CAB]
Verse 2: “bride adorned for her husband”: See also 19:7-9. [ NOAB]
Verse 3: This is the fulfilment of prophecies foretelling the intimate union of God with the chosen people in the era of salvation. See Ezekiel 36:26-28; 37:27; Jeremiah 31:33ff; Zechariah 2:4ff; 8:8; Leviticus 26:12; 2 Samuel 7:13 and also 2 Corinthians 6:16. The intimacy proto-human enjoyed in the Garden of Eden is now granted to all members of the people of God forever ( 7:15-17). [ JBC]
Verse 3: “loud voice”: JBC suggests that the speaker is one of the four fantastic living creatures described in earlier chapters.
Verse 3: “dwell”: The Greek word is the same as that in John 1:14: “... the Word became incarnate and lived [dwelled] among us.” The literal translation is tabernacled. [ CAB]
Verse 4: See also 7:16-17; Isaiah 25:8; 35:10. [ NOAB] The old city brought pain and death to its victims ( 18:24), but God’s new city will provide healing for the nations ( 22:2). [ CAB]
Verse 4: “wipe every tear”: See also 7:16ff and Jeremiah 31:16. [ JBC]
Verse 4: “Death will be no more”: See also 20:13. [ NJBC]
Verse 4: “mourning and crying and pain”: See also Isaiah 35:10; 65:19. This condition is the exact opposite of Babylon’s (Rome’s) fate: see 18:22-23. [ JBC]
Verse 5: the one who was seated on the throne”: See also 1:8; 4:2, 9; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; Romans 14:10.
Verse 5: “‘I am making all things new’”: See also Isaiah 43:18ff (”... I am about to do a new thing ...”); 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15. This is the only passage in Revelation where God himself speaks. [ JBC]
Verse 5: “trustworthy and true”: See also 3:14 (“... the faithful and true witness ...”); 19:11 (“... Its rider is called Faithful and True”) and 22:6 (“... These words are trustworthy and true ...”) [ JBC]
Verse 6: “the Alpha and the Omega”: See also 1:8. [ CAB]
Verse 6: “water of life”: See also Isaiah 55:1; John 4:10, 13; 7:37-39; Psalm 42:1; Jeremiah 2:13; Zechariah 14:8. [ NOAB] [ JBC]
Verse 7: “Those who conquer”: Note the endings of the seven letters to specific churches. All include “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches” and also:

• 2:7: “... To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God”
• 2:11: “... Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death”
• 2:28: “... To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star”
• 3:5: “If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life ...”
• 3:12: “If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. ...”
• 3:21: “To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne”. [ NOAB]

This military phrase takes for granted that the Christian life is a battle. In Revelation, this phrase is applied to the faithful Christian soldier (see also 12:11 and 15:2) and to Christ (see 3:21b; 5:5; 17:14). [ JBC]
Verse 7: “I will be their God and they will be my children”: In Genesis 17:7, God tells Abraham: “I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, ... to be God to you and to your offspring after you”. See also God’s covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:14. [ CAB] Note that Revelation, unlike the gospel of John, looks primarily to the future for the fulfilment of eschatological hopes: here “I will be”. [ JBC]
Verse 8: The “cowardly”, the “faithless”, etc. do not have faith enough to endure trials, and so will fall away in time of persecution. [ NOAB] JBC notes that John gives first place to those who have sinned against the faith. He sees the “cowardly” as those whose superficial and unstable faith has succumbed to persecution.
Verse 8: “sorcerers”: Literally poisoners, i.e. those dealing in philters and poisons. Acts 19:19 tells us of such people who, coming to the faith, burned their valuable books publicly. [ NOAB]
Verse 8: “the lake”: See also 19:20. The “lake” is Gehenna. In Matthew 18:9, Jesus says “‘And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire’”. The Greek word translated “hell of fire” is Gehenna. [ NOAB] This was literally the valley of Hinnon (ge’Hinnon) outside Jerusalem where garbage (rubbish) was gathered and burned. Per 2 Kings 23:10, Hinnon had been the site of child sacrifice: see also Jeremiah 7:31; 19:5-6. It provided a physical reminder of the place of eternal punishment. See 1 Enoch 27:2; 90:24-26; 2 Esdras 7:36. [ JBC]
Verse 8: “the second death”: i.e. the final condemnation of sinners. See also 2:11. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus says “‘Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell’”. Gain, “hell” translates Gehenna. Note the contrast with the “water of life” (v. 6). [ NOAB] “The second death” is probably a reference to the fact that those who are banished to eternal punishment are temporarily resurrected from their first death. [ CAB]

GOSPEL:   John 11: 32 - 44   (RCL)

John 11:32 (NRSV) When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Laz'arus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Lazarus, Mary’s brother, has died. Martha has told Jesus that he would not have died had Jesus been present, but that the Father will grant whatever Jesus asks. Jesus has said to her: “Your brother will rise again” (v. 23), which she takes to refer to the general resurrection Jews expected at the end of time. Jesus has answered: “I am the resurrection and the life” (v. 25); even though a believer dies physically, he or she will live on as a person. She has added: “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world” (v. 27).
Now Mary repeats Martha’s earlier assertion (in v. 21). Jesus is stirred with indignation, probably at the sorrow death brings. Touched by the pain of those he loves, he weeps: he shares that pain in some real way. Martha tries to restrain Jesus from viewing the decomposing corpse of his friend (v. 39). Jesus says to her: did I not tell you that if you believed you would see God’s power to end death? God, Father and Son, bring Lazarus back to physical life. Jesus verbalizes his thanks to the Father as he tells the unbelieving “crowd” (v. 42) that he is sent by the Father. On Jesus’ command, Lazarus emerges, still wrapped in burial cloths

Verse 24: Note that Martha speaks only of resurrection, and not of judging and judgement. Popular belief (especially among Pharisees) was that all Jews (and, for some, Gentiles as well) would be raised. [ JBC] Their fate would depend on their state of integrity from God’s viewpoint.
Verse 25: “on the last day”: This phrase occurs in the New Testament only in John: see also 6:39-40, 44, 54; 12:48.
Verse 25: Jesus modifies Pharisaic doctrine. His words are not only about resurrection but also about the fate of those faithful to him. Jesus is not only the agent of final resurrection but also gives life now: see also Romans 6:4-5; Colossians 2:12; 3:1. Mere physical death can have no hold over the believer.
Verse 26: The believer has passed from the death of sin into life: see also Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8.
Verse 27: “‘I believe’”: A scholar translates this as I am convinced.
Verse 27: “‘the Messiah’”: An affirmation made by Andrew in 1:41.
Verse 27: “‘the Son of God’”: An affirmation made by Nathanael in 1:49.
Verse 27: “‘the one coming into the world’”: An affirmation made by those present at the Feeding of the Five Thousand in 6:14.
Verse 28: We aren’t told that Jesus has committed to raising Lazarus. In faith that he will, Martha simply goes to fetch Mary: [ CAB] as does Andrew, in fetching his brother to Jesus ( 1:41) and as does the Samaritan woman in fetching men from her city ( 4:28ff). Martha, the organizer, assumes that Jesus wishes Mary to be present.
Verse 33: “moved”: Another translation is troubled. Jesus is stirred with indignation, probably at the power of death: see 12:27. [ NOAB]
Verse 34: “laid”: i.e. buried. [ NOAB]
Verse 35: Jesus realizes that the miracle he is about to perform will precipitate a final clash with the authorities, and so bring about his own death – a prospect from which he instinctively recoils.
Verse 35: A sign of Jesus’ humanity.
Verse 38: “cave”: Tombs were carved out of the limestone rock, either out of the ground or out of a rock face. A stone formed a slab or door to cover the entrance. The NRSV translation assumes that Lazarus was placed in a tomb in a rock face.
In Israel, spices were used to arrest the odour caused by decay but not, as in Egypt, to arrest decay.
Verse 40: Actually, Jesus has told the disciples, but not Martha, that they “would see the glory of God”; however revelation of his glory is implied in Jesus’ conversation with her in vv. 23-26. God will act to reveal his power as life-giver.
Verse 42: “I knew”: It is helpful to make an insertion here, so the reading becomes I, for my part, knew.
Verse 42: “always”: A scholar translates this as every time.
Verse 42: Comments: to help the crowd understand that his power is from God, and not magic: See also 3:17; 5:36, etc.
Verse 43: “cried with a loud voice”: 5:28-29 says that the hour is coming when all in the tombs (as Lazarus is) will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done what is good to resurrection life. The raising of Lazarus is a fulfilment of Jesus’ words in Chapter 5. [ NJBC]
Verse 44: The resurrection of the body is not the same as resuscitation of corpses, as Paul shows: see 1 Corinthians 15:42ff. This is not the resurrection and not a resurrection – it is resuscitation, a foretaste of the resurrection.
Verse 44: Corpses were completely bound up, with the feet bound at the ankles, so Lazarus could not possibly walk. He might have been able to shuffle to the entrance – so he would need to be unbound.
Verses 46ff: Members of the Sanhedrin meet, fearing that the Jesus movement may provoke Roman intervention, which could lead to the destruction of the temple and of the Jewish state.
The stories in the Synoptic Gospels in which Jesus restores life to a person concern one who has just died, but this miracle is a sign that Jesus really is the power of life evident in resurrection: he calls to life a person already buried in a tomb.