- 30 William Wilberforce, 1833 and Anthony Ashley Cooper, Lord Shaftesbury, 1885, Prophetic Witnesses
- 31 Ignatius of Loyola, Priest and Monastic, 1556
August
· 1 Joseph of Arimathaea was, according to all four
canonical Gospels,
the man who assumed responsibility for the burial of Jesus after Jesus' crucifixion.
· 5 Albrecht
Dürer, 1528, Matthias Grünewald, 1529, and Lucas Cranach the Elder, He was court
painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and
is known for his portraits, both of German princes and those of the leaders of
the Protestant Reformation1553, Artists
OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis 29:
15 - 28 (RCL)
Gene 29:15 (NRSV) Then La'ban said to Jacob, "Because
you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what
shall your wages be?" 16 Now La'ban had two daughters; the name of the
elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah's eyes were
lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel; so he
said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter
Rachel." 19 La'ban said, "It is better that I give her to you than
that I should give her to any other man; stay with me." 20 So Jacob served
seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the
love he had for her.
21 Then Jacob said to La'ban, "Give me my wife that I
may go in to her, for my time is completed." 22 So La'ban gathered
together all the people of the place, and made a feast. 23 But in the evening
he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. 24
(La'ban gave his maid Zil'pah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) 25 When
morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to La'ban, "What is this you
have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you
deceived me?" 26 La'ban said, "This is not done in our
country--giving the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this
one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven
years." 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week; then La'ban gave him his
daughter Rachel as a wife.
1 Kings 3: 5 - 12 (alt.
for RCL)
1 Kings 3: 5, 7 - 12
(Roman Catholic)
1Kin 3:5 (NRSV) At Gib'eon the LORD appeared to Solomon in
a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I should give you." 6 And
Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my
father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness,
and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great
and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And
now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David,
although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8
And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great
people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant
therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between
good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?"
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God
said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself
long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for
yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your
word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been
before you and no one like you shall arise after you.
PSALM 105: 1 - 11,
45b (RCL)
Psal 105:1 (NRSV) O give thanks to the LORD, call on his
name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4 Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually.
5 Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of his servant Abraham,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He is mindful of his covenant forever,
of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham,
his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,
to Israel
as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, "To you I will give the land
of Ca'naan
as your portion for an inheritance."
105 Part I Confitemini
Domino (ECUSA BCP)
1 Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works.
3 Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Search for the Lord and his strength; *
continually seek his face.
5 Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,
6 O offspring of Abraham his servant,
*
O children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God; *
his judgments prevail in all the world.
8 He has always been mindful of his
covenant, *
the promise he made for a thousand
generations:
9 The covenant he made with Abraham,
*
the oath that he swore to Isaac,
10 Which he established as a statute for
Jacob, *
an everlasting covenant for Israel,
11 Saying, “To you will I give the land of Canaan *
to be your allotted inheritance.”
Psalm 128 (alt. for above)
Psal 128:1 (NRSV) Happy is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion.
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
6 May you see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel!
128 Beati omnes (ECUSA BCP)
1 Happy are they all who fear the Lord, *
and who follow in his ways!
2 You shall eat the fruit of your
labor; *
happiness and prosperity shall be yours.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful
vine within your house, *
your children like olive shoots round about
your table.
4 The man who fears the Lord *
shall thus indeed be blessed.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion, *
and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days
of
your life.
6 May you live to see your children's
children; *
may peace be upon Israel.
Psalm 119: 129 - 136 (Alt. for RCL)
Psal 119:129 (NRSV) Your decrees are wonderful;
therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
131 With open mouth I pant,
because I long for your commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your custom toward those who love your name.
133 Keep my steps steady according to your promise,
and never let iniquity have dominion over me.
134 Redeem me from human oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
135 Make your face shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of tears
because your law is not kept.
119: 129 - 136 (ECUSA BCP)
Pe
Mirabilia
129 Your
decrees are wonderful; *
therefore I obey them with all my heart.
130 When
your word goes forth it gives light; *
it gives understanding to the simple.
131 I
open my mouth and pant; *
I long for your commandments.
132 Turn
to me in mercy, *
as you always do to those who love your
Name.
133
Steady my footsteps in your word; *
let no iniquity have dominion over me.
134
Rescue me from those who oppress me, *
and I will keep your commandments.
135 Let
your countenance shine upon your servant *
and teach me your statutes.
136 My
eyes shed streams of tears, *
because people do not keep your law.
Psalm 119: 57, 72, 76 -
77, 127 - 130 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 119:57 (NRSV) The LORD is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
76 Let your steadfast love become my comfort
according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
for your law is my delight.
127 Truly I love your commandments
more than gold, more than fine gold.
128 Truly I direct my steps by all your precepts;
I hate every false way.
129 Your decrees are wonderful;
therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
NEW TESTAMENT: Romans 8:
26 - 39 (RCL)
Romans 8:
28 - 30 (Roman Catholic)
Roma 8:26 (NRSV) Likewise the Spirit helps us in our
weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit
intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart,
knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the
saints according to the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together for good for
those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom
he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in
order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom
he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and
those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is
for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him
up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who
will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is
to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the
right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from
the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written,
"For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39
nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
h/t Montreal
Anglican
He now examines in detail how certain can we be that God will complete the execution of his plan of salvation. What, he asks, “are we to say about these things” (v. 31), especially “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” ( 8:1). He puts his questions in the language of the law court. God is so “for us” (v. 31) that he gave us his very Son, so he will surely follow through with the rest of his plan. God has passed a favourable sentence on us (“justifies”, v. 33) so who is there to accuse us of anything? We have Christ, in his place of power and authority (“at the right hand of God”, v. 34) pleading for us. (He is also the judge: see 2:16.) No hardship can separate the true Christian from Christ’s love for us (v. 35). Psalm 44:22 foretold the sufferings of Christians (v. 36); in them we are winning a resounding victory (“more than conquerors”, v. 37). Whether dead or alive at the Last Day, nothing – whether spiritual powers (“angels ... rulers ... powers”, v. 38) or astrological powers (commonly believed to control human destiny, “height, nor depth”, v. 39) or anything else – can separate us from God’s love – and defeat God’s purpose for us.
Verse 27: This verse is difficult to understand because it was written before the Trinitarian notion was clearly defined. Paul does not have the language to express this notion. In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul asks rhetorically: “‘For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”. In Romans 8:15-6, he says: “... When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God”. [ CAB]
Verse 27: “searches the heart”: This is an expression of an activity of God rooted in the Old Testament.
In 1 Samuel 16:7, Yahweh tells Samuel: “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature ... for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart”. See also 1 Kings 8:39 (Solomon’s prayer of dedication of the Temple); Psalms 17:3; 139:1. [ CAB]
Verse 28: “We know that all things work together ...”: There are three possible translations:
- In everything God works for good with those who love him.
- God makes all things conspire for the good of those who love him
- All things work together for good for those who love God (thus the NRSV).
Verses 29-30: Paul tells us what God’s plan, his “purpose” (v. 28) is. [ NOAB]
Verses 29-30: “predestined”: Paul thinks of predestination in a corporate sense, not on the individual level. In the 400s AD, Augustine picked up on this theme. Much later Calvin read Augustine as writing of predestination of individuals. But a logical approach has limitations in understanding God.
Verse 29: “conformed to the image of his Son”: See also v. 17; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:4-6; Philippians 3:20-21. [ NJBC]
Verse 31: In Psalm 118:6, a psalmist says: “With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?”. [ NOAB]
Verse 32: See also 4:25; 5:8; John 3:16; Genesis 22:12, 16 (Isaac); Isaiah 53:12; 1 Corinthians 3:21-23; 4:7. [ NOAB] [ CAB] [ NJBC]
Verse 33: Isaiah 50:7-8 says: “The Lord God helps me; ... he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me.”. [ CAB]
Verse 34: “at the right hand of God”: Psalm 110 begins: “The Lord says to my lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool’”. See also Ephesians 1:20. [ CAB]
Verse 34: “intercedes for us”: Hebrews 7:25 says that Christ, the great high priest, “is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them”. See also Hebrews 9:24. Paul never writes of Christ as priest. 1 John 2:1 says: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”. [ CAB]
Verse 35: “the love of Christ”: Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:14: “... the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died”. See also Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 3:19. [ CAB]
Verse 35: “Will hardship ...”: In the context in which Paul wrote, being a Christian was sometimes difficult and dangerous. Paul experienced all of these hazards:
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“hardship”
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“distress”
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“persecution”
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“famine” (hunger)
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“nakedness”
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“peril” (danger)
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“sword”
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Verse 37: “him”: This refers either to Christ (as in v. 35) or to God (as in 5:5, 8). 5:8 says: “... God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us”. [ NJBC]
Verse 38: “neither death, nor life”: This is expanded in 14:8: “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's”. [ NOAB]
Verse 38: “nor angels, nor rulers, ... nor powers”: i.e. supernatural beings of any kind, whether good or malevolent. Angelology was of great interest when Paul wrote. Ephesians 6:12 lists malevolent heavenly beings who can harm faith. [ NOAB]
Verse 39: “nor height, nor depth”: Paul may be thinking of Psalm 139:8: “If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there”. In astrology (primitive astronomy), stars were thought to rise from the abyss to a highest point. [ NOAB]
GOSPEL: Matthew 13: 31 -
33, 44 - 52 (RCL)
Matthew 13: 44 - 46 (47 -
52) (Roman Catholic)
Matt 13:31 (NRSV) He put before them another parable:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed
in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it
is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come
and make nests in its branches."
33 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of
heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of
flour until all of it was leavened."
44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in
a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all
that he has and buys that field.
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and
sold all that he had and bought it.
47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that
was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full,
they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the
bad. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and
separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of
fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 "Have you understood all this?" They
answered, "Yes." 52 And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe
who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a
household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."
He now examines in detail how certain can we be that God will complete the execution of his plan of salvation. What, he asks, “are we to say about these things” (v. 31), especially “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” ( 8:1). He puts his questions in the language of the law court. God is so “for us” (v. 31) that he gave us his very Son, so he will surely follow through with the rest of his plan. God has passed a favourable sentence on us (“justifies”, v. 33) so who is there to accuse us of anything? We have Christ, in his place of power and authority (“at the right hand of God”, v. 34) pleading for us. (He is also the judge: see 2:16.) No hardship can separate the true Christian from Christ’s love for us (v. 35). Psalm 44:22 foretold the sufferings of Christians (v. 36); in them we are winning a resounding victory (“more than conquerors”, v. 37). Whether dead or alive at the Last Day, nothing – whether spiritual powers (“angels ... rulers ... powers”, v. 38) or astrological powers (commonly believed to control human destiny, “height, nor depth”, v. 39) or anything else – can separate us from God’s love – and defeat God’s purpose for us.
The shift from speaking to the crowds to addressing only the disciples seems to happen in v. 36.
Verse 32: Jesus’ hearers would have known Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6 and Psalm 104:16-17. There birds nest in mighty cedars of Lebanon. In Daniel 4:10-12, Nebuchadnezzar sees a tree reaching to heaven, visible to the end of the earth: truly a tree of amazing size.
Verse 32: “the greatest of shrubs”: The mustard shrub grows to about 4 metres (13 feet) in Palestine.
Verse 33: “three measures of flour”: Genesis 18:6 tells us that “three measures” were used for a large baking of bread for a household. 1 Samuel 1:24 mentions an “ephah” in the same context. An ephah was three measures, and is equivalent to 20 litres or quarts. So perhaps Jesus is not exaggerating here.
Verse 34: This verse tells us of Jesus’ use of parables in his teaching. People were dependent on what they remembered; they could not look things up in a book (or on the Internet). They would ponder what they heard.
Verse 35: The quotation is Psalm 78:2. The first clause is per the Septuagint translation; the second is an adaptation to the current context. Matthew says that Jesus has access to the divine mind. [ NJBC]
Verses 36-43: Jesus interprets the Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat (see vv. 24-30). [ NJBC]
Verse 42: “the furnace of fire”: This is an apocalyptic vision of Hell. [ NJBC]
Jesus is shown as being realistic about the membership of the Christian community: some members will be good, and others will be bad. This may differ somewhat from Paul’s view of a church of saints, although recall 1 Corinthians 1, especially verses 11-13 (“... I belong to ...”). One can read the Parable of the Weeds among the Wheat, and its interpretation(s), as saying that sifting the evil from the good is only to be done by God’s agents at the end of time, that we should not reject bad apples now. But the health of the community is important for its continuance. Elsewhere in the gospels, Jesus says clearly that his followers should be totally devoted to his cause: see Luke 14:25-33; Matthew 8:18-22; 22:11-13 (the man who comes to the wedding banquet but is not dressed for it – and his fate).
Verses 44-45: The “merchant” habitually searches while the man in v. 44 happens upon the treasure. Jesus is probably saying that the Kingdom is open to both kinds of people.
Verse 44: That a treasure was buried in a field would not be surprising to Jesus’ audience. There were no alternatives for safeguarding something of value. The “someone” is a man. The treasure had been hidden by someone else.
Verses 47-50: See also vv. 3-9 (the Parable of the Sower), vv. 24-30 (the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds) and 22:11-13.
Verse 47: “kind”: The Greek word, genos, usually means race or tribe. So Jesus is clearly talking about people, those of every nation.
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