·
6 William W. Mayo, 1911, and Charles
Menninger, 1953, and their sons, pioneers in medicine
·
7 Perpetua &
Felicity and their Companion Martyrs, Martyrs at Carthage, 203 The Passion
of St. Perpetua, St. Felicitas, and their Companions is one of the oldest and most notable
early Christian texts. It survives in both Latin and Gree
·
8 Geoffrey
Anketell Studdert Kennedy, Priest, 1929
·
9 Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, c. 394 was bishop of Nyssa from 372 to 376
and from 378 until his death. He is venerated as a saint in Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism.
- 12 Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, 604
was bishop of Nyssa from 372 to 376 and from 378 until his death. He is
venerated as a saint in Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental
Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism. Gregory, his elder brother Basil
of Caesarea, and their friend Gregory of Nazianzus are collectively known
as the Cappadocian Fathers.
OLD TESTAMENT Genesis 2: 15 - 17, 3: 1 - 7 (RCL)
Genesis 2:
7 - 9, 3: 1 - 7 (Roman Catholic)
Gene 24 (NRSV)
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
In the day that
the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was
yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up--for the LORD God
had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the
ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of
the ground-- 7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and
breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living
being. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he
put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow
every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life
also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil.
15 The LORD God
took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And
the LORD God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the
garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."
25 And the man and
his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. 31 Now the serpent was more
crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the
woman, "Did God say, "You shall not eat from any tree in the
garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit
of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, "You shall not eat of the
fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it,
or you shall die.'" 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will
not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and
you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that
the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the
tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she
also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of
both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves
together and made loincloths for themselves.
PSALM 32 (RCL)
Psal 321 (NRSV)
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is
covered.
2 Happy are those
to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,
and in whose
spirit there is no deceit.
3 While I kept
silence, my body wasted away
through my
groaning all day long.
4 For day and
night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was
dried up as by the heat of summer. [Se'lah]
5 Then I
acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide
my iniquity;
I said, "I
will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin. [Se'lah]
6 Therefore let
all who are faithful
offer prayer to
you;
at a time of
distress, the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach
them.
7 You are a hiding
place for me;
you preserve me
from trouble;
you surround me
with glad cries of deliverance. [Se'lah]
8 I will instruct
you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you
with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a
horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must
be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not
stay near you.
10 Many are the
torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love
surrounds those who trust in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the
LORD and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy,
all you upright in heart.
32 Beati quorum (ECUSA BCP)
1 Happy
are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
and
whose sin is put away!
2 Happy
are they to whom the Lord imputes
no guilt, *
and
in whose spirit there is no guile!
3 While
I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *
because
of my groaning all day long.
4 For
your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *
my
moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
5 Then
I acknowledged my sin to you, *
and
did not conceal my guilt.
6 I
said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”
*
Then
you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
7 Therefore
all the faithful will make their prayers to you in
time of trouble; *
when
the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
8 You
are my hiding-place;
you preserve me
from trouble; *
you
surround me with shouts of deliverance.
9 “I
will instruct you and teach you in the way that you
should go; *
I
will guide you with my eye.
10 Do
not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *
who
must be fitted with bit and bridle,
or
else they will not stay near you.”
11 Great
are the tribulations of the wicked; *
but
mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
12 Be
glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord;
*
shout
for joy, all who are true of heart.
Psalm 51: 1 - 4, 10 -
12, 15 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 511 (NRSV)
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your
steadfast love;
according to your
abundant mercy
blot out my
transgressions.
2 Wash me
thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me
from my sin.
3 For I know my
transgressions,
and my sin is ever
before me.
4 Against you, you
alone, have I sinned,
and done what is
evil in your sight,
so that you are
justified in your sentence
and blameless when
you pass judgment.
5 Indeed, I was
born guilty,
a sinner when my
mother conceived me.
6 You desire truth
in the inward being;
therefore teach me
wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with
hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy
and gladness;
let the bones that
you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face
from my sins,
and blot out all
my iniquities.
10 Create in me a
clean heart, O God,
and put a new and
right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me
away from your presence,
and do not take
your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me
the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me
a willing spirit.
13 Then I will
teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will
return to you.
14 Deliver me from
bloodshed, O God,
O God of my
salvation,
and my tongue will
sing aloud of your deliverance.
15 O Lord, open my
lips,
and my mouth will
declare your praise.
16 For you have no
delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give
a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice
acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and
contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion
in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls
of Jerusalem,
19 then you will
delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings
and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be
offered on your altar.
Note Verse numbering in
the Roman Catholic bible is two higher than the above.
NEW TESTAMENT Romans 5: 12 - 19 (RCL, Roman Catholic)
Roma 512 (NRSV)
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came
through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned-- 13 sin was
indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no
law. 14 Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose
sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was
to come.
15 But the free
gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's
trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace
of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16 And the free gift is
not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgment following one
trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses
brings justification. 17 If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised
dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the
abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life
through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore just
as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of
righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the
one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's
obedience the many will be made righteous.
h/t Montreal Anglican
Paul has said that
Christians, reconciled to God, will be saved, sharing in the risen life of
Christ. Two notions are important here:
·
the punishment for Adam’s sin was to die both physically and spiritually
(“death came through sin”); and
·
we both sin ourselves and share in his sin (“spread to all”).
Paul contrasts Adam and
Christ, both inaugurators of eras. Adam foreshadowed Christ as head of humanity
(“type”, v. 14,
precursor). Adam disobeyed God’s direct command (“the transgression”, v. 14,
“the trespass”, v. 15).
The “free gift”, i.e. Christ, is unlike Adam’s sin:
·
“many died” before Christ’s coming but even more so are “many” (indeed all)
saved through Christ;
·
Adam’s sin allowed “death” (v. 17)
to rule through the Devil (“that one”) but we let good rule our hearts
(“dominion in life”); and
·
Adam’s action led to the sin of many but Christ’s will lead many to
godliness (v. 19),
to “eternal life” (v. 21).
(Vv. 13-14b are
an aside: before God gave Moses the Law, humans were not held
accountable for their sins; even so they died.)
Verse 12: “death came through sin”: Wisdom of Solomon 2:24 says “... through the devil’s entry death entered the world ...”. [ NJBC]
Verses 12,14,20: Paul pictures the world as a stage. He personifies three actors: Sin (Hamartia), Death (Thanatos) and Law (Nomos). [ NJBC]
Verses 13-14: Paul divides the pre-Christian era into two sub-eras: from “Adam to Moses” and from Moses to Jesus. He says that before Moses, before there was a law, no one could be charged with breaking a non-existent law; even so people died. [ NJBC]
Verses 13-16: 1 Corinthians 15:45 tells us that Christ is “the last Adam”. See also 1 Corinthians 15:21-23, 45-49; Galatians 3:17; Romans 3:20; 7:7-8. [ NJBC] [ CAB]
Verse 15: “many”: The Greek word also means all in 5:18; 12:5; 1 Corinthians 10:17 (where it is translated as such). [ NJBC]
Verse 16: “the free gift”: Paul writes in 3:23-24: “since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.
Verse 16: “justification”: REB translates the Greek as acquittal.
Verse 17: “dominion in life”: This notion is developed in 6:12-23. [ CAB]
Verse 18: “leads to justification and life”: One scholar offers for acquittal and life. [ NJBC]
Verse 19: In 1:5, Paul speaks of Jesus as the one “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name”. See also Hebrews 12:2. [ CAB]
Verse 20: “But law came in, ... multiplied”: This is explained in 7:7-13. [ NOAB]. In Galatians 3:19, Paul asks: “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator”. [ CAB]
Verse 21: “death”: Death is a cosmic force (see 8:38 and 1 Corinthians 3:22), the “last enemy” to be vanquished (see 1 Corinthians 15:56).
GOSPEL Matthew 4: 1 - 11 (all)
Matt 41 (NRSV)
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.
3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command
these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is
written,
"One does not
live by bread alone,
but by every word
that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5 Then the devil
took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6
saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is
written,
"He will
command his angels concerning you,'
and "On their
hands they will bear you up,
so that you will
not dash your foot against a stone.'"
7 Jesus said to
him, "Again it is written, "Do not put the Lord your God to the
test.'"
8 Again, the devil
took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world
and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if
you will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with
you, Satan! for it is written,
"Worship the
Lord your God,
and serve only
him.'"
11 Then the devil
left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
In Mark, only the essential historical
facts are recorded: those in vv. 1, 2 and 11c. The disciples probably knew none of the details
of Jesus’ trials, for temptation is essentially a personal inner battle with
one’s conscience. “Forty days” (v. 2) reminds us of Moses and Elijah, both of whom also fasted
for forty days as they prepared for their roles as God’s agents to Israel – as
does Jesus. All three of the temptations the Devil (“the tempter”, v. 3, “Satan”, v. 10) presents to Jesus are ways of sinning against the great
commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, ... soul, and ... might”. The “heart” was the seat of will, of moral
choice; “soul” means life; “might” means possessions. (All Jesus’ answers are from
Deuteronomy 6-8.) To change “stones” (v. 3) into bread would be to use his power for his personal
benefit. Jesus says that the “word” (v. 4) of God is the chief nourishment. The “holy city” (v. 5) is Jerusalem; a “pinnacle” probably overlooked the temple
courts and the deep Kidron Valley. Jesus answers: testing God’s protection by
unnecessarily risking life is a mockery of real martyrdom – and of his
sacrifice to come (v. 7). The Devil, evil forces personified, invites Jesus to
prefer personal wealth and power over love of God (vv. 8-9). Jesus answers: God is the only god to be
worshipped and served (v. 10). The details make the point that Jesus is the perfect lover
of God, the ideal Israelite, the founder of a new way of being human.
The parallels are Mark 1:12-13 and
Luke 4:1-13.
The accounts illustrate Jesus' habitual refusal to allow his sense of mission
to be influenced by concern for his safety or for merely practical interests. [ NOAB]
Note that Mark tells of
this event in only two verses: “... the Spirit immediately drove him out into
the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he
was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him”. He probably tells what
the disciples knew of this event: they knew that Jesus had been tempted but
they did not know exactly what had gone on in Jesus’ consciousness. The
accounts in Matthew and Luke (which both seem to come from the Q source), are a narrative midrash or interpretation of the
event in such as way as to make it pastorally useful for believers. This is
accomplished by linking Jesus’ experience with the fasts of Moses and Elijah
and the rebellion of the Israelites against divine nourishment (manna) during
the Exodus. [ NJBC] Hebrews 2:18 is
particularly instructive: “Because he himself was tested by what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested”, as is Hebrews 4:15.
Evil forces are
personified, as are sin, death and law in Romans 5.
Both “the tempter” (v. 3)
and “Satan” (v. 10)
are names for evil conceived as a personal will actively hostile to God. See
also Luke 13:11, 16.
[NOAB]
Another interpretation:
Jesus refuses to use his power in self-gratifying ways, to allow his sense of
mission to be influenced by concern for his safety or merely practical
interests.
Verse 2: “forty days and forty nights”: For Moses’ fast
on Mount Sinai being of this duration, see Exodus 34:28;
for Elijah’s fast on the same mountain, see 1 Kings 19:8.
[ NOAB]
Verse 3: “Son of God”: The tempter is calling Jesus the
representative of Israel (rather than messiah). [NJBC]
Verse 4: The quotation is Deuteronomy 8:3.
In Deuteronomy 6-8 the
word of God is the chief nourishment. [ NOAB]
Verse 5: “the holy city”: Jerusalem is only called this
in the New Testament in Matthew and Revelation. In the Old Testament, Jerusalem
is called “holy” in Nehemiah 11:1, 18;
Isaiah 53:1;
Daniel 9:24.
[BlkMt]
Verse 5: “pinnacle of the temple”: The Greek word
translated as pinnacle literally means little wing.
It seems to be some lofty projection or pinnacle from which one might well fall
to one’s death. God’s power might be expected to be at its greatest around the
Temple. [ BlkMt]
Verse 6: The quotations are Psalm 91:11-12,
in the Septuagint translation.
[ NOAB]
Verse 6: “bear you up”: i.e. keep you from serious
injury or death. [ BlkMt]
Verse 7: The quotation is Deuteronomy 6:16.
Putting God to the test would show lack of faith. [ BlkMt] Paul picks up on this in 1
Corinthians 10:9.
[ NJBC]
Verse 8: There is no mountain from which one can see
“all the kingdoms of the world”. [ BlkMt]
Verse 11: “suddenly angels came and waited on him”: BlkMt says that the ministry of
“angels” probably included both spiritual support and provision in some way of
needed food for the body.
The temptation of Jesus
has universal significance:
- Jesus stands for Israel because he is the beginning of
the new people of God, the founder of a new humanity;
- the basic temptation is not to love God with a unified
heart, at the risk of life, at the cost of wealth;
Jesus is here shown to
be the perfect lover of God
No comments:
Post a Comment