·  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.