·
11 Barnabas the Apostle
·
14 Richard Baxter, Puritan Divine, 1691
·
15 Evelyn Underhill, Spiritual Writer, 1941
16 Richard, Bishop of Chichester,
1253 also known as Richard de Wych, is a saint (canonized 1262)
who was Bishop of Chichester.
In Chichester Cathedral a shrine dedicated
to Richard had become a richly decorated centre of pilgrimage.
In 1538, during the reign of Henry VIII, the shrine was plundered and
destroyed by order of Thomas Cromwell.
·
·
16 Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham, Philosopher, 1752 was an English bishop, theologian, apologist, and philosopher. He was born in Wantage in the Englishcounty of Berkshire (now Oxfordshire). He is known,
among other things, for his critique of Deism
·
17 Samuel and Henrietta Barnett, Social Reformers, 1913 and
1936
OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Samuel 8: 4 - 11 (12 - 15) 16 - 20 (11:14
- 15) (RCL)
1Sam 8:4 (NRSV)
Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ra'mah, 5
and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways;
appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations." 6 But the
thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to govern
us." Samuel prayed to the LORD, 7 and the LORD said to Samuel,
"Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they
have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8
Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to
this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. 9
Now then, listen to their voice; only--you shall solemnly warn them, and show
them the ways of the king who shall reign over them."
10 So Samuel
reported all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a
king. 11 He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over
you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his
horsemen, and to run before his chariots; 12 and he will appoint for himself
commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground
and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of
his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and
bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive
orchards and give them to his courtiers. 15 He will take one-tenth of your
grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers. 16
He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and
donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take one-tenth of your flocks,
and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of
your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the LORD will not answer you
in that day."
19 But the people
refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, "No! but we are
determined to have a king over us, 20 so that we also may be like other
nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our
battles."
1Sam 11:14 (NRSV)
Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gil'gal and there renew the
kingship." 15 So all the people went to Gil'gal, and there they made Saul
king before the LORD in Gil'gal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being
before the LORD, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.
Genesis 3: 9 - 15 (Roman Catholic)
Genesis 3: 8 - 15 (alt. for RCL
Gene 3:8 (NRSV)
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the
evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of
the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the
man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 He said, "I heard the
sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid
myself." 11 He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you
eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" 12 The man said,
"The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and
I ate." 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that
you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I
ate." 14 The LORD God said to the serpent,
"Because you
have done this,
cursed are you
among all animals
and among all wild
creatures;
upon your belly
you shall go,
and dust you shall
eat
all the days of
your life.
15 I will put
enmity between you and the woman,
and between your
offspring and hers;
he will strike
your head,
and you will
strike his heel."
PSALM 138 (RCL)
Psal 138:1 (NRSV)
I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
before the gods I
sing your praise;
2 I bow down
toward your holy temple
and give thanks to
your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have
exalted your name and your word
above everything.
3 On the day I
called, you answered me,
you increased my
strength of soul.
4 All the kings of
the earth shall praise you, O LORD,
for they have
heard the words of your mouth.
5 They shall sing
of the ways of the LORD,
for great is the
glory of the LORD.
6 For though the
LORD is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he
perceives from far away.
7 Though I walk in
the midst of trouble,
you preserve me
against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out
your hand,
and your right
hand delivers me.
8 The LORD will
fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast
love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the
work of your hands.
138 Confitebor
tibi (ECUSA BCP)
1 I
will give thanks to you, O Lord,
with my whole heart; *
before
the gods I will sing your praise.
2 I
will bow down toward your holy temple
and praise your
Name, *
because
of your love and faithfulness;
3 For
you have glorified your Name *
and
your word above all things.
4 When
I called, you answered me; *
you
increased my strength within me.
5 All
the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord,
*
when
they have heard the words of your mouth.
6 They
will sing of the ways of the Lord,
*
that
great is the glory of the Lord.
7 Though
the Lord be high, he cares for the
lowly; *
he
perceives the haughty from afar.
8 Though
I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; *
you
stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
your
right hand shall save me.
9 The
Lord will make good his purpose
for me; *
O Lord, your love endures for ever;
do
not abandon the works of your hands.
Psalm 130 (Roman Catholic; alt. for RCL)
Psal 130:1 (NRSV)
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
2 Lord, hear my
voice!
Let your ears be
attentive
to the voice of my
supplications!
3 If you, O LORD,
should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could
stand?
4 But there is
forgiveness with you,
so that you may be
revered.
5 I wait for the
LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I
hope;
6 my soul waits
for the Lord
more than those
who watch for the morning,
more than those
who watch for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope
in the LORD!
For with the LORD
there is steadfast love,
and with him is
great power to redeem.
8 It is he who
will redeem Israel
from all its
iniquities.
130 De profundis (ECUSA
BCP)
1 Out
of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let
your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If
you, Lord, were to note what is
done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?
3 For
there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore
you shall be feared.
4 I
wait for the Lord; my soul waits
for him; *
in
his word is my hope.
5 My
soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen
for the morning, *
more
than watchmen for the morning.
6 O
Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for
with the Lord there is mercy;
7 With
him there is plenteous redemption, *
and
he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Corinthians 4: 13 - 5: 1
2Cor 4:13 (NRSV)
But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with
scripture--"I believed, and so I spoke"--we also believe, and so we
speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us
also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. 15 Yes,
everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more
people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not
lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is
being renewed day by day. 17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing
us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18 because we look not at
what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary,
but what cannot be seen is eternal. 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we
live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens.
h/t Montreal
Anglican
This is happening, so Paul does not “lose heart” ( 4:16),
despite those who oppose his efforts. Even though his “outer nature”, his
appearance (probably due to his health) is deteriorating, his “inner nature”
(his faith and certain hope) increases; he becomes more like Christ every day.
He thinks of his sufferings and humiliation as merely “this slight momentary
affliction” ( 4:17).
It is preparing him for enormous fullness (“eternal weight”) of glory of being
with Christ. Why? Because his vision is fixed on the unseen, “eternal” ( 4:18),
not on the “seen”, “temporary”, transitory.
In 5:1 he
explains 4:18 using
two metaphors: “earthly tent” and “building from God”. The “earthly tent”,
our fleshly bodies, are destroyed by death, but the “building from God” is a
dwelling place that is permanent, secure, guaranteed, protected and eternal.
His “we know” is an assertion of definite hope.
Comments: “the usual translation of his day”: i.e. the Septuagint, where it is 115:1. [ NJBC]
4:14:
“will raise us”: The thought of death leads Paul to the reward of resurrection,
which robs death of its power. [ NJBC]
Constant opposition and persecution of Paul and the other apostles recalls the
cross of Jesus, where death is overcome by the resurrection-life, which will
vindicate and renew the life of God’s faithful messengers. [ CAB] Paul writes of the
significance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:12-24.
[ JBC]
4:15: The thanksgiving of the community grows in proportion to the
increasing number of those who accept Paul’s grace-filled message (see 3:5-6)
and so become capable of giving glory to God (see 1 Corinthians 2:7).
[ NJBC]
4:16-5:1: Paul affirms his confidence by contrasting what is of permanent
value with what is only transitory. [ NJBC]
4:16:
“we do not lose heart”: or we are not faint-hearted . [ NJBC] In 3:18,
Pauls writes: “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord
as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from
one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit”. [ NOAB]
4:16:
“our inner nature is being renewed day by day”: The inner person is renewed
daily in that the person who strives continuously to please God grows in the
life of Christ, becoming more and more like him. [ JBC]
4:17:
The vast disproportion between humiliation and reward is articulated in terms
of weight and time. [ NJBC]
4:18:
“what can be seen ... what cannot be seen”: 5:12 tells
us that Paul’s opponents tend to focus on external appearance.
Philippians 1:9-10 state
what really matters. [ NJBC]
5:1-10:
Very divergent interpretations of this paragraph have been proposed because of
disagreement concerning the topic discussed. The majority would tend to see the
problem as that of bodily existence between burial and resurrection and so
would interpret the images anthropologically and individualistically. The
context, however, would suggest that Paul is concerned with showing that
present sufferings are not a valid criterion for apostleship because the true
home of all believers is elsewhere. The images, in consequence, should be
interpreted existentially. [ NJBC]
5:1:
“earthly tent”: NJBC offers tentlike
house. The image highlights the impermanence and fragility of the human
body, the “clay jars” of 4:7.
Secular authors also use the figure of the tent to show the mortal
condition of bodies. To Paul, we shall not (as Greek philosophers claimed)
exist as disembodied spirits, wafting around forever somewhat aimlessly;
rather, he insists that at the second coming of Christ we will be given bodies
of a different nature than the ones we have now – they will be immortal and
unable to suffer (see 1 Corinthians 15).
I tend to think that his emphasis on bodily resurrection is rooted in his
culture. We will certainly have a new modality of existence.
5:1:
“we have”: The present tense emphasizes the certainty of the hope. [ NJBC]
5:1:
“building from God”: This is the “spiritual body” of 1 Corinthians 15:42-50.
[ NOAB] This image may have
been influenced by the eschatological temple (see Apocalypse of Baruch 4:3
and 2 Esdras 10:10-47).
It symbolizes a new existence (see Philippians 3:12-21)
rather than the resurrection body. [ NJBC]
5:1:
“not made with hands”: When Jesus appeared before the Jerusalem Sanhedrin:
“Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, ‘We heard him say,
'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will
build another, not made with hands’’” (Mark 14:57-58).
5:2:
to be clothed”: The clothing metaphor of 1 Corinthians 15:53-54 fits
badly with the building image. The common denominator is a new modality of
existence (as in Galatians 3:27 and
in Romans 13:14),
which however, refers to the new way of living this life: in Christ. [ NJBC]
5:3:
“if indeed”: NJBC points
out that the Greek introduces a necessary assumption. It thus expresses
assurance, not doubt. He renders it as presupposing.
5:3:
“not be found naked”: The image does not suggest the stripping-off of the body
in death, as in the Greek philosophical tradition, but in conjunction with the
clothing metaphor refutes the view that there is no life after death. [ NJBC] Paul hopes that the Lord
will come and that he will receive his new body before he has to put off the
old one. [ NOAB]
5:4:
“still in this tent”: i.e. still living in this world. [ NJBC]
5:4:
“burden”: i.e. of afflictions. He mentions them in 1:6; 4:8, 17.
[ NOAB] Paul’s suffering
intensifies his longing for another mode of existence. [ NJBC]
5:4:
“ not to be unclothed but to be further clothed”: Paul hopes that Christ will
come again before he is killed. He writes in 1 Corinthians 15:50-51 “...
We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trumpet ...”. See also 1 Thessalonians 4:15.
[ NJBC]
5:5:
Paul’s hope is based on what God has already done through the Spirit. He says
in 1:21-22:
“it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, by
putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first
installment”. [NJBC]
GOSPEL: Mark 3: 20 - 35 (all)
Mark 3:20 (NRSV)
and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21 When his
family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying,
"He has gone out of his mind." 22 And the scribes who came down from
Jerusalem said, "He has Beel'zebul, and by the ruler of the demons he
casts out demons." 23 And he called them to him, and spoke to them in
parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided
against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against
itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up
against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27 But
no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first
tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.
28 "Truly I
tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they
utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have
forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"-- 30 for they had said, "He
has an unclean spirit."
31 Then his mother
and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him.
32 A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and
your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." 33 And he replied,
"Who are my mother and my brothers?" 34 And looking at those who sat
around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does
the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
Word has reached “Jerusalem” (v. 22);
scribes say that he is possessed by a demon, “Beelzebul”, a foreign god, and by
Satan, the devil, the “ruler of evil spirits”. Jesus answers them in “parables”
(v. 23,
analogies). It is logically impossible for Satan to cast out Satan. Since
Jesus’ exorcisms are defeats for Satan, they could hardly be performed through
Satan. If Satan’s realm (“kingdom”, v. 24)
is divided – some demonizing people and others removing evil spirits – it would
cease to be, as would a “house” (v. 25,
a building or those who live in it). V. 26 puts
this plainly. Then v. 27:
to rob the house of a strong, powerful, man would require a stronger, more
powerful man. In 1:7,
John the Baptizer has called Jesus “more powerful”, so Jesus speaks of himself:
he is beginning to eliminate Satan.
“Truly” (v. 28)
shows that Jesus speaks with authority. In his baptism, the Holy Spirit came to
Jesus , so it is in his words and actions. One blasphemes if
one claims that Jesus’ authority is from Satan rather than from the Spirit. All
sins, however heinous, will be forgiven, except believing that the spirit in
Jesus is “an unclean spirit” (v. 30),
from Satan: this sin will stand forever (“eternal”, v. 29).
Mark employs a sandwich construction: vv. 19-21 are
one slice of bread, vv. 22-30 the
meat, and vv. 31-35 the
other slice. We return to Jesus’ house. He is inside; his blood family and the
crowd are outside the open door. Jesus considers all who do the will of
God (v. 35),
including recognizing that he heals through the Holy Spirit, to be his family.
V. 19b,
although not part of the reading, is important for the interpretation given
in Comments.
Verse 19b: “home”: While CAB says that this in
Capernaum, HenMk says
that it was in Nazareth. The Greek word may mean into a house here.
[ BlkMk] I attempt to tracing
Jesus’ movements:
- In 3:7,
“ Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea ...”
- In 3:13,
“He went up the mountain ...”
- In 4:1,
“Again he began to teach beside the sea ...”
Nazareth is some 25 km
(16 miles), close to a day’s walk, from the sea. There is a mountain near
Capernaum, but Nazareth is in a plain. So geography would favour Capernaum.,
but would require that Jesus’ “mother and brothers” have either moved there, or
are visiting there. In ancient times, people did travel, but would be unlike ly
to relocate permanently. So perhaps CAB and BlkMk are correct.
Verse 20: “the crowd”: V. 8 says
the the crowd came from “Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the
region around Tyre and Sidon”. Idumea was west of the Dead Sea, south of Judea,
east of Gaza. People from Idumea would have travelled some 240 km (150 miles)
to hear Jesus and be healed!
Verse 21: “his family”: BlkMk says that the Greek word
can mean either his family, near or remote (as in the Septuaginttranslation of
Proverbs 29:31),
or his followers, so he translates it as his associates .
They try to avoid embarrassing the family. [ NJBC]
Verse 21: “restrain”: HenMk translates the Greek
as seize. He says that the verb is a violent one. It also appears
in 6:17(“Herod
himself had sent men who arrested John”) and 12:12 (The
Jewish leaders want to arrest Jesus after he tells the Parable of the
Vineyard).
Verse 21: “He has gone out of his mind”: To BlkMk, the Greek word does not mean
pathological excitement (in the medical sense) but religious frenzy
induced by a god, its meaning in 2 Corinthians 5:13:
“For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it
is for you”.
Verse 22: In Luke 7:33,
Pharisees attribute John the Baptizer’s way of life to being possessed by a
demon. In John 10:20,
after Jesus likens himself to a good shepherd, many of the Jewish authorities
say “‘"He has a demon and is out of his mind’”. [ NOAB]
Verse 22: “scribes”: They were professional interpreters
of the Law. [ CAB]
Verse 22: “down”: The Sea of Galilee is at a much lower
elevation than Jerusalem. [ BlkMk]
Verse 22: “Beelzebul”: The name, meaning lord of
dung , may come from a Hebrew word, Baal-zebub, meaning lord
of the dwelling or house. This would be appropriate for
Jesus’ words in v. 27.
It also occurs in Matthew 12:25.
The Syriac and Vulgate versions
have Beelzebub (meaning lord of the flies), the
false god of Ekron (a Philistine town) in 2 Kings 1:2.
[HenMk] [ HBD]
Verse 23: “parables”: Unlike the material usually
considered parables, here the word is related to the Hebrew mashal,
translated in the Septuagint as parabole.
They are short, pithy sayings, riddles, proverbs, etc. [ HenMk]
Verses 24-27: Inner division is destructive. [ NOAB]
Verse 25: “house”: The Greek word oikia can
refer to either a building or the people inhabiting it (household). [ NJBC]
Verse 27: Jesus’ victory over the devil has already
begun with his time in the wilderness: see 1:12-13.
[ HenMk]
Verse 28: “Truly”: This is a translation of Amen.
That this word is at the beginning of words (rather than at the end, as in
Jewish liturgy) highlights them. This usage is unique to the gospels. [ HenMk]
Verse 28: “people will be forgiven for their
sins”: NJBC says that this
includes murder, unchastity and apostasy.
Verse 29: When the Spirit of God in Jesus is denied, how
can God forgive? [ HenMk]
Verses 31-35: “brothers”: Matthew 13:55 tells
us that Jesus’ brothers were named “James and Joseph and Simon and Judas”. [ NOAB]
Verse 35: “does the will of God”: Jesus establishes a
new criterion for membership in his family. For Christians, this includes the
will of God to establish the Kingdom of God: see 1:15.
[ HenMk]
Can Jesus’ family
include his blood family? I think that the answer lies in whether his mother
and brothers are still “standing outside” (v 31) when he says “‘Here are my
mother and brothers” (v. 34),
or are they by then seated around him.
No comments:
Post a Comment