- . 27 Cornelius Hill, Priest and Chief among the Oneida, 1907
- 28 Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, c. 202also referred to as Saint Irenaeus, was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, then a part of the Roman Empire (
- 29 Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles
July
· 1 Harriet Beecher Stowe, Writer and Prophetic
Witness, 1896 and Pauli Murray, Lawyer, Poet, Author, Activist, Priest
(First African-American Woman ordained in Episcopal Church), 1985
· 6 Jan Hus,
Prophetic Witness and Martyr, 1415often referred to in English as John Hus
or John Huss, was a Czech priest, philosopher, early Christian reformer
and Master at Charles University in Prague. After John
Wycliffe, the theorist of ecclesiastical Reformation, Hus is considered the
first Church reformer, as he lived before Luther,
Calvin
and Zwingli.
OLD TESTAMENT: 2 Kings 2:
1 - 2, 6 - 14 (RCL)
2Kin 2:1 (NRSV) Now when the LORD was about to take
Eli'jah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Eli'jah and Eli'sha were on their way from
Gil'gal. 2 Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me
as far as Beth'el." But Eli'sha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you
yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Beth'el.
6 Then Eli'jah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD
has sent me to the Jordan."
But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not
leave you." So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the company of
prophets {Heb [sons of the prophets]} also went,
and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.
8 Then Eli'jah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the
water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them
crossed on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Eli'jah said to Eli'sha,
"Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you." Eli'sha
said, "Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit." 10 He
responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being
taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not." 11 As they
continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated
the two of them, and Eli'jah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Eli'sha
kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of Israel
and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own
clothes and tore them in two pieces.
13 He picked up the mantle of Eli'jah that had fallen from
him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
14 He took the mantle of Eli'jah that had fallen from him, and struck the
water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Eli'jah?" When he had
struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and
Eli'sha went over.
1 Kings 19: 15 - 16, 19 -
21 (alt. for RCL)
1 Kings 19: 16b, 19 - 21
(Roman Catholic)
1Kin 19:15
(NRSV) Then the LORD said to him [i. e., Elijah], "Go, return on your way
to the wilderness of Damascus; when
you arrive, you shall anoint Haz'ael as king over Ar'am. 16 Also you shall
anoint Je'hu son of Nim'shi as king over Israel;
and you shall anoint Eli'sha son of Sha'phat of A'bel-meho'lah as prophet in your
place.
19 So he set out from there, and found Eli'sha son of
Sha'phat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he
was with the twelfth. Eli'jah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. 20
He left the oxen, ran after Eli'jah, and said, "Let me kiss my father and
my mother, and then I will follow you." Then Eli'jah said to him, "Go
back again; for what have I done to you?" 21 He returned from following
him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the
oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he
set out and followed Eli'jah, and became his servant.
PSALM 77: 1 - 2, 11 - 20
(RCL)
Psal 77:1 (NRSV) I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD;
I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work,
and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. [Se'lah]
16 When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies thundered;
your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lit up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea,
your path, through the mighty waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
77 Voce mea ad Domi (ECUSA BCP)
1 I will cry aloud to God; *
I will cry aloud, and he will hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought
the Lord; *
my hands were stretched out by night and did
not tire;
I refused to be comforted.
11 I will
remember the works of the Lord, *
and call to mind your wonders of old time.
12 I will
meditate on all your acts *
and ponder your mighty deeds.
13 Your
way, O God, is holy; *
who is so great a god as our God?
14 You
are the God who works wonders *
and have declared your power among the
peoples.
15 By
your strength you have redeemed your people, *
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The
waters saw you, O God;
the waters saw you and trembled; *
the very depths were shaken.
17 The
clouds poured out water;
the skies thundered; *
your arrows flashed to and fro;
18 The
sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lit up the world; *
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your
way was in the sea,
and your paths in the great waters, *
yet your footsteps were not seen.
20 You
led your people like a flock *
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Psalm 16 (alt. for RCL)
Psalm 16: 1, 2a, 5, 7 -
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: Galatians
5: 1, 13 - 25 (all but Roman Catholic)
Galatians
5: 1, 13 - 18 (Roman Catholic)
Gala 5:1 (NRSV) For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand
firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;
only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through
love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a
single commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15
If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not
consumed by one another.
16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the
desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit,
and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to
each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by
the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are
obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities,
strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness,
carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before:
those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom
of God.
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and
self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to
Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we
live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
h/t Montreal
Anglican
Paul wrote this letter to counter certain evangelists in Galatia
who expected Christians to adopt some (but not all) practices of Judaism. They
seem to have argued: so long as you are circumcised and keep Jewish feasts, you
are free to do anything you like – you can indulge in “the flesh” (v. 16,
self-centeredness and the vices listed in vv. 19-21).
Paul denounces this theology vehemently. He has said that what “counts is faith
working through love” (v. 6).
In v. 14,
he may be thinking of Leviticus 19:18,
or a contemporary Jewish summary of the Law, or of Jesus’ summary. In v. 16,
“live” is literally walk by, a Semitism for conduct yourself. The
way of God, brought to us by the Spirit, is incompatible with doing whatever we
wish (v. 17).
The way of the Spirit also brings freedom from an external norm, i.e. the Law,
for our norm is within us (v. 18).
The results of living by the Spirit are in v. 22;
note that the first is “love”. V. 24
is a summary: Christians share in Christ’s death to worldliness; we died
(“crucified”, cast aside) not only to the Law but also to self-centeredness and
its degrading tendencies. We have undergone a basic reorientation – to God.
Thus reoriented, our actions should be guided “by the Spirit” (v. 25).
Verses 2-12: To seek justification by legal works is futile; Christ and the Mosaic law of circumcision are mutually exclusive. Faith alone justifies, but the faith that justifies is not alone – it produces good works “through love” (v. 6). [ NOAB]
Verse 2: “Christ will be of no benefit to you”: NJBC translates the Greek as Christ can do nothing for you. See also 2:21.
Verse 3: See also Romans 2:25 (“Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision”) and James 2:10 (“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it”). [ CAB]
Verse 4: Paul sees that either one obeys Mosaic law or one lives by the promise of Christ, but not both. [ CAB] As NJBC puts it: the Galatians must choose one or the other: Christ and freedom or the Law and slavery.
Verse 5: For Paul, God always remains the promising God, whose future judgement will come. See also v. 18 and Romans 2:5-16 (where he says that of those who take on God’s role of judging the godliness of others “by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed”). [ CAB]
Verse 6: The ethical results of the gospel is one’s faith expressing itself in loving deeds. If the Greek translated as “working” is rendered as “made effective” (per NRSV footnote), the sense may be coming to effective expression in love or made effective by God’s love. [ NOAB] Paul writes in 6:15: “For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!”. See also 1 Corinthians 7:19 and Romans 14:13-21 (“Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another ...”). [ CAB]
Verse 6: “circumcision”: Literally the foreskin. [ NJBC]
Verse 6: “faith working through love”: This is the example set by Christ. In 2:20, Paul says: “the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”. See also Romans 5:5-8. [ NJBC]
Verse 7: “You were running well”: In 2:2, Paul tells us that he visited Jerusalem and conferred with the leaders of the Church there about his missionary efforts: “ in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain”. He also uses the simile of Christian effort being like runners in a race, in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough”: A proverb. The Judaizing influence can spread rapidly and widely. [ NJBC] Paul also quotes this proverb in 1 Corinthians 5:6; Jesus uses it in Matthew 16:1 (and in the parallel, Luke 12:1) and Matthew 13:33 (and in the parallel, Luke 13:20-21). [ CAB]
Verse 11: “if I am still preaching circumcision”: There are four possible interpretations:
- Paul might have preached circumcision at one time if he was once a missionary for Judaism
- A charge based on the case of Timothy reported in Acts 16:1-3: Timothy’s mother was Jewish and his father Gentile, thus Timothy was Jewish; Paul “had him circumcised because of the Jews who were in those places”. [ NOAB]
- Evidently Paul’s opponents were saying that he still would uphold the command for circumcision [ CAB]
- The Judaizers may have claimed that Paul himself admitted the validity of circumcision, when it suited his purposes: in 1 Corinthians 9:20 he says “To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law ... so that I might win those under the law”. He answers: if I were still of that mind I would not be opposed by the Judaizers. In 2:3 he points out that he did not demand that Titus, a Gentile, be circumcised. [ NJBC] I prefer this interpretation.
Verse 12: A bitterly satirical wish. In Philippians 3:2, Paul says: “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!”. [ NOAB]
Verse 12: “castrate”: In Galatia, castration was ritually practised in the Attis and Cybele cults. [ CAB]
Verses 13-26: Though free from the Law, Christians must not abuse their liberty. Paul’s emphasis on ethical responsibility may be intended to answer those concerned about libertine opponents, though his letters regularly include moral imperatives. For example, see Romans 12:1-8. [ NOAB]
Verse 13: Freedom from the cross must not be understood as rank libertinism. [ CAB]
Verse 13: “opportunity”: NJBC offers incentive.
Verse 13: “slaves”: Paul’s choice of this word is interesting. He seems to be saying that each Christian is to be totally devoted to every other. See v. 6 and Matthew 20:26 (“... whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant”). [ NOAB].
Verse 14: The quotation is Leviticus 19:18. [ CAB] In Leviticus, “neighbour” is one’s fellow Israelite but here it is anyone at all: in Romans 10:12, Paul says “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek”. [ NJBC]
Verse 14: “the whole law is summed up”: Jesus’ summary is in Matthew 7:12. See also Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 22:34-40 (and the parallels: Mark 12:28-34 and Luke 10:25-28). [ CAB]
Verse 16: “Spirit ... flesh”: In 3:3, Paul asks: “Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?”. See also Romans 8:5-11. To “live by the Spirit” is to belong to the new community of faith where God dwells as Spirit. [ NOAB] Christians no longer live according to worldly standards (“the flesh”) but by God’s standards (“the Spirit”). See also vv. 5, 18 and Romans 8:1-8. [ CAB] “Flesh” is the symbol of all human opposition to God. [ NJBC]
Verse 17: Paul gives a graphic description of his experience in Romans 7:15-23: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate ...”. [ NOAB]
Verses 19-21: Similar lists were used in Greco-Roman moral instruction. For other Pauline lists of vices, see Romans 1:29-31; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:9-10. [ NOAB] [ CAB] Paul contrasts the “works” (deeds) of the flesh with the “fruits” of the Spirit. [ NJBC]
Verses 22-23: In 2 Corinthians 6:6-7, Paul gives another list of virtues: “purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left” . [ NOAB] See also 1 Corinthians 13:13 and Philippians 4:8. [ CAB]
Verse 23: “There is no law against such things”: There is no need to enact a law against such “fruits” for the Law “was added because of transgressions” (see 3:19).
Verse 24: Paul writes in 2:19-20: “For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”. [ CAB]
GOSPEL: Luke 9: 51 - 62
(all)
Luke 9:51 (NRSV)
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of
the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because
his face was set toward Jerusalem.
54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want
us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But he
turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village.
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him,
"I will follow you wherever you go." 58 And Jesus said to him,
"Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay his head." 59 To another he said, "Follow me."
But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 60 But Jesus
said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and
proclaim the kingdom of God."
61 Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell
to those at my home." 62 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand
to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom
of God."
Vv. 57-62 contain sayings about discipleship which are hard to interpret because Jesus exaggerates to jolt his listeners out of complacency. The “Son of Man” is Jesus, the exemplary human. Those who follow him will not have a resting place , a position to which they can resort: there is no room for conservatism. We are to launch continually into new ways of being Christian. Burying a parent (v. 59) was deemed important in Jewish culture, but proclaiming the good news must have priority (v. 60). We must answer a call to tell the good news immediately (v. 61). A Palestinian plow required constant attention; diverting one’s attention for a moment led to disaster. Jesus demands constancy and concentration in proclaiming his message; once committed to Christ, there is no going back.
Verse 51a: NJBC translates this as It happened that in the fulfilment of the days of his assumption. The word translated “taken up” is symplerousthai . Here it is a noun; in Acts 1:2, 11, 22 (the Day of Pentecost), the verb form is used. The word can also be translated as fulfill, approach or come. The reference here in Luke is to Jesus’ death, crucifixion and resurrection. It may also be to Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit, but I doubt it. An almost identical expression, using the same basic word, is used in the Septuagint translation, of Elijah’s assumption (see 2 Kings 2:9-11; 1 Maccabees 2:58) and, in a Servant Song, of the Servant’s exaltation. [ BlkLk] [ JBC]
Verse 51: “set his face”: A Semitism frequently used in the Old Testament for opposition and hostility: see Ezekiel 6:2; 13:17; 14:8; Isaiah 50:7. [ JBC] However, BlkLk feels that while in the Septuagint translation this phrase implies decision, “his face” has no stronger meaning here than himself, as it has commonly in rabbinic writings. The Septuagint translation uses this phrase in Exodus 33:14; Deuteronomy 4:37; 2 Samuel 17:11.
Verse 52: “Samaritans”: That Luke would mention Jesus’ entry into a village that is Samaritan at this point is surprising. Luke’s emphasis in this section is generally on Jews and Judaism. He usually shows the Samaritans as friendly to Jesus: see 10:33 (the Good Samaritan) and 17:16 (the leper who thanks Jesus). In Acts 8:4-25, the Samaritans accept the message of the Christian Way. [ NJBC] The Samaritans were a mixture of:
- Jews whom the conquering Assyrians (in 721 BC) had deemed too insignificant to deport to Babylon and
- Gentile people whom the Assyrians had settled in Palestine.
Verse 53: “did not receive him”: Jesus encounters opposition in the initial stages of his journey to Jerusalem as he did at the start of his Galilean ministry: see 4:16-30 (Jesus speaks in the synagogue at Nazareth). BlkLk translates the Greek as they did not welcome him because he was going to Jerusalem. (The word receive has shifted meaning since the Revised Standard Version, the antecedent of the NRSV, was written.)
Verse 54: Perhaps this is why Jesus called James and John “Sons of Thunder” (see Mark 3:17). What they say echoes 2 Kings 1:10, 12: there Elijah calls down fire to destroy his enemies. [ CAB]
Verse 55: Comments: Jesus has taught non-retaliation against enemies: In 6:27-29, 35, he says, in his sermon in a level place: “‘... I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ... But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked’”. [ NJBC]
Verse 56: “another village”: Perhaps this village was also in Samaria. [ JBC]
Verses 57-62: See also Matthew 8:19-22. [ CAB] Jesus lives a risky, itinerant, life. His disciples can expect to do the same.
Verse 57: “along the road”: i.e. of discipleship. [ NJBC]
Verse 58: Another interpretation is that Jesus takes on the lowest estate possible. Recall 2:7: Mary “... laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn”. The saying also appears in Matthew 8:19-20. [ BlkLk]
Verse 58: “air”: The Greek literally means heavens. Whether this is significant is unknown.
Verse 59-62: Filial piety, especially in burying one’s parents, is deep within Judaism: see Genesis 49:28-50:3 (Jacob); Exodus 13:19; Tobit 4:3; 6:15. [ JBC] In 1 Kings 19:19-20, Elisha asks for time to bid his family farewell before following Elijah. Jesus refuses to allow the delays Elijah did. See also v. 62. Several other passages in Luke show the influence of the stories of Elijah and Elisha: 4:25-30; 7:11-17 (Jesus heals a widow’s son), 7:36-50. In 4:24-25 Jesus draws the close parallel between his own rejection at Nazareth and events in the lives of Elijah and Elisha. [ BlkLk]
Verse 60: Another is interpretation is: let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead, i.e. those who are not alive to seeing the greater demands of the Kingdom of God. Perhaps there is a warning in this verse that the ways of the Kingdom are not necessarily in step with human ways. [ NJBC]
Verses 61-62: Paul writes in Philippians 3:13: “Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead”. See also Hebrews 6:4-6. [ CAB]
Verse 62: Jesus demands more than God required of Elisha: in 1 Kings 19:19-21, as Elijah suggested, Elisha returned to his plow and oxen before following Elijah. [ JBC] The Palestinian plow was very light. With one hand the plowman guided the plow; with the other he drove the unruly oxen. If he looked back, the new furrow became crooked. [ NJBC]
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