11 Benedict of Nursia,
Abbot of Monte Cassino, c. 540 a Christian saint, is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion and Old Catholic Churches.[3] He
is a patron saint of Europe.[4]
Benedict
founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, Lazio,
Italy (about 40 miles (64 km) to the east of Rome), before moving to Monte Cassino in
the mountains of southern Italy. The Order of Saint Benedict is of later
origin and, moreover, not an "order" as commonly understood but
merely a confederation of autonomous congregations.[5]
·
·
12 Nathan Söderblom,
Archbishop of Uppsala and Ecumenist, 1931
·
13 Conrad Weiser, Witness to Peace and
Reconciliation, 1760
·
14 Samson Occom, Witness to the Faith in New
England, 1792
OLD TESTAMENT: 2 Kings
5: 1 - 14 (RCL)
2Kin 5:1 (NRSV)
Na'aman, commander of the army of the king of Ar'am, was a great man and in
high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Ar'am.
The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arame'ans on
one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and
she served Na'aman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my lord
were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his
leprosy." 4 So Na'aman went in and told his lord just what the girl from
the land of Israel had said. 5 And the king of Ar'am said, "Go then, and I
will send along a letter to the king of Israel."
He went, taking
with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of
garments. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When
this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Na'aman, that
you may cure him of his leprosy." 7 When the king of Israel read the
letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life,
that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see
how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me."
8 But when Eli'sha
the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a
message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me,
that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Na'aman came
with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Eli'sha's house. 10
Eli'sha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven
times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." 11 But
Na'aman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he
would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and
would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Aba'na and
Phar'par, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I
not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But
his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had
commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much
more, when all he said to you was, "Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he
went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word
of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he
was clean.
Isaiah 66: 10 - 14 (alt. for RCL, Roman Catholic)
Isai 66:10 (NRSV)
Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love
her;
rejoice with her
in joy,
all you who mourn
over her--
11 that you may
nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling
breast;
that you may drink
deeply with delight
from her glorious
bosom.
12 For thus says
the LORD:
I will extend
prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of
the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall
nurse and be carried on her arm,
and dandled on her
knees.
13 As a mother
comforts her child,
so I will comfort
you;
you shall be
comforted in Jerusalem.
14 You shall see,
and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies shall
flourish like the grass;
and it shall be
known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants,
and his
indignation is against his enemies.
Note: The Roman
Catholic lectionary omits the last line of v. 14.
PSALM 30 (RCL)
Psal 30:1 (NRSV) I
will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my
foes rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I
cried to you for help,
and you have healed
me.
3 O LORD, you
brought up my soul from She'ol,
restored me to
life from among those gone down to the Pit.
4 Sing praises to
the LORD, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to
his holy name.
5 For his anger is
but for a moment;
his favor is for a
lifetime.
Weeping may linger
for the night,
but joy comes with
the morning.
6 As for me, I
said in my prosperity,
"I shall
never be moved."
7 By your favor, O
LORD,
you had
established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O LORD,
I cried,
and to the LORD I
made supplication:
9 "What
profit is there in my death,
if I go down to
the Pit?
Will the dust
praise you?
Will it tell of
your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O LORD,
and be gracious to me!
O LORD, be my
helper!"
11 You have turned
my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off
my sackcloth
and clothed me
with joy,
12 so that my soul
may praise you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I
will give thanks to you forever.
30 Exaltabo te,
Domine (ECUSA BCP)
1 I
will exalt you, O Lord,
because you have
lifted me up *
and
have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O
Lord my God, I cried out to you, *
and
you restored me to health.
3 You
brought me up, O Lord, from the
dead; *
you
restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
4 Sing
to the Lord, you servants of his;
*
give
thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For
his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, *
his
favor for a lifetime.
6 Weeping
may spend the night, *
but
joy comes in the morning.
7 While
I felt secure, I said,
“I shall never be
disturbed. *
You,
Lord, with your favor, made me as
strong as
the mountains.”
8 Then
you hid your face, *
and I
was filled with fear.
9 I
cried to you, O Lord; *
I
pleaded with the Lord, saying,
10 “What
profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? *
will
the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear,
O Lord, and have mercy upon me; *
O Lord, be my helper."
12 You
have turned my wailing into dancing; *
you
have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
13 Therefore
my heart sings to you without ceasing; *
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for
ever.
Psalm 66: 1 - 9 (alt. for RCL)
Psalm 66: 1 - 7, 16,
20 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 66:1 (NRSV)
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory
of his name;
give to him
glorious praise.
3 Say to God,
"How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your
great power, your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth
worships you;
they sing praises
to you,
sing praises to
your name." [Se'lah]
5 Come and see
what God has done:
he is awesome in
his deeds among mortals.
6 He turned the
sea into dry land;
they passed
through the river on foot.
There we rejoiced
in him,
7 who rules by his
might forever,
whose eyes keep
watch on the nations--
let the rebellious
not exalt themselves. [Se'lah]
8 Bless our God, O
peoples,
let the sound of
his praise be heard,
9 who has kept us
among the living,
and has not let
our feet slip.
16 Come and hear,
all you who fear God,
and I will tell
what he has done for me.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not
rejected my prayer
or removed his
steadfast love from me.
Note: Verse numbering
in your Psalter may differ from the above.
66 Jubilate Deo (ECUSA BCP)
1 Be
joyful in God, all you lands; *
sing the glory of his Name;
sing the glory of his praise.
2 Say to
God, "How awesome are your deeds! *
because of your great strength your enemies
cringe before you.
3 All the
earth bows down before you, *
sings to you, sings out your Name."
4 Come
now and see the works of God, *
how wonderful he is in his doing toward all
people.
5 He
turned the sea into dry land,
so that they went
through the water on foot, *
and there we rejoiced in him.
6 In his
might he rules for ever;
his eyes keep watch
over the nations; *
let no rebel rise up against him.
7 Bless
our God, you peoples; *
make the voice of his praise to be heard;
8 Who
holds our souls in life, *
and will not allow our feet to slip.
NEW TESTAMENT:
Galatians 6: (1 - 6), 7 - 16 (RCL)
Galatians
6: 14 - 18 (Roman Catholic)
Gala 6:1 (NRSV) My
friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the
Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you
yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you
will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are
something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that
work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For
all must carry their own loads.
6 Those who are
taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.
7 Do not be
deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to
your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the
Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary
in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.
10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all,
and especially for those of the family of faith.
11 See what large
letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to
make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised--only
that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the
circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised
so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything
except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been
crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those
who will follow this rule--peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel
of God.
17 From now on,
let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my
body.
18 May the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
So far, Paul has dictated his letter to a scribe. Unused to
writing, he now writes in “large letters” (v. 11).
V. 12 speaks
of Judaisers, infiltrators into the Christian community who
influence members into thinking that by keeping parts of Mosaic law they can
avoid the need to live an ethical life. The Judaisers want to look good,
thus avoiding persecution by fellow Jews and Judaisers. They want to be able to
boast of their own success (“about your flesh”, v. 13)
in converting members to their way of thinking, but Paul boasts only in the
death, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ (“the cross”, v. 14)
– by which the old order (the Law) has been eliminated, and he has been freed
from it. He and other Christians have entered into the “new creation” (v. 15),
the new way – of being shaped by Christ – called “this rule” in v. 16.
The Law (“circumcision”, v. 15)
has become irrelevant. Christians are the “Israel of God” (v. 16),
the new children of Abraham.
5:25: BlkGal says
that no doubt is expressed by “if”. He offers a paraphrase: Since we
now experience a wholly different quality of life as a consequence of our
reception of the Spirit ...
5:25: “guided”: BlkGal offers follow and
also be in harmony with. The verb speaks of orderliness vs. the
anarchy of the Judaizers.
6:1: “detected in a transgression”: See also
Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15-18;
James 5:19-20.
[ CAB] [ JBC] BlkGal says that “transgression”
is ambiguous, and probably intentionally so. The “transgression” may be
unwitting (and regretted) or deliberate unacceptable conduct which a person has
tried to hide but has failed to do so. He favours the latter meaning.
Who is to “restore such
a one”? BlkGal offers
six possibilities, of which he favours those who catch the person in the act.
He points out the closest parallels in the New Testament:
- Matthew 18:15:
“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the
fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you
have regained that one” and
- James 5:19:
“... if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by
another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering
will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins”
Both speak in these
terms. A test of your spirituality is how you handle such a situation.
“Gentleness” is one of the fruits of the Spirit: see, for example, 1
Corinthians 4:21.
6:1: BlkGal offers keep
an eye on yourself lest you also be tempted. “You”, he says, is singular,
thus bringing home the individual application. The first verb has the force
of look at carefully or critically. Paul sees the ability to
maintain a critical self-scrutiny as equally a mark of the Spirit. His pastoral
experience tells him that sympathy with a failing person can lead to
vulnerability to the same failing. The guidance of the Spirit helps avoid the
helper failing too.
6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens”: Paul writes in
Romans 15:1-2:
“We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to
please ourselves. Each of us must please our neighbour for the good purpose of
building up the neighbour”. [ CAB]
Paul is probably thinking of a whole range of “burdens” including illness,
physical disability, responsibilities, and scruples. When burdens become too
much for an individual to bear, other members of the community should help them
by sharing the load. [ BlkGal]
6:2: “law”: The word is used figuratively.
Romans 8:2 says:
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the
law of sin and of death.” and 1 Corinthians 9:21 speaks
of Christians being “under Christ’s law”. The Old Testament command is in
Leviticus 19:18:
“...you shall love your neighbour as yourself ...” (where “neighbour” is fellow
Israelite). See also Matthew 22:39;
John 13:34;
1 John 2:7-11; 3:11, 23; 4:10-21;
2 John 5.
[NOAB] [ CAB] It is strange that Paul says
that “the law of Christ” can be, and is, fulfilled through
mutual human-to-human love and makes no reference to the God-human
dimension. BlkGal says
that “law” here is Mosaic law as interpreted by the love command in the light
of the Jesus-tradition and the Christ-event. Paul did not see Christianity as
constituting a complete break with Judaism, but as its mature form. It is only
the Spirit that can make the norm of Christ a dynamic
motivating power.
6:3: One might come to think oneself to be more
than one really is either because one thinks of one’s self as without sin or
because he or she is charitable enough to correct an erring Christian. [ NJBC] It seems that Paul was
familiar with Christians who, delighting in their experience of the Spirit,
assumed airs and responsibilities which they were manifestly unfit to
discharge. [ BlkGal]
6:4: The standard for oneself is not found simply
in comparison with others. [ CAB]
6:4: “then that work, rather than their neighbour's
work, will become a cause for pride”: BlkGal offers and then
he will have reason for boasting with reference to himself alone, and not with
reference to the other person. What is in view here is the target
of the boasting. Critical self-assessment leads to confidence in their
conduct and relationships. The notion of critical self-assessment allowing some
boasting is also found in Romans 15:17 and
elsewhere in Paul’s letters. In 5:14,
Paul writes “For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall
love your neighbour as yourself’”, so self-love is important.
Verse 5: “loads”: BlkGal suggests that Paul is
writing of the load of inescapable and everyday responsibilities, ones which
only the individual can carry himself.
6:6: A practical manifestation to the catechist of
the community. [ NJBC] See also
1 Corinthians 9:11, 13-14;
Philippians 4:15-16 (the
Philippians share financially with Paul) ; 1 Timothy 5:17-18 (“Let
the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially
those who labour in preaching and teaching; for the scripture says, ‘You shall
not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and, ‘The labourer
deserves to be paid’”). [ CAB]
6:6: “taught”: The Greek word, from which our
word catechesis is
derived, denotes only religious instruction in early Christian literature: see
Acts 18:25 (“instructed
in the Way of the Lord”) and 1 Corinthians 14:19.
[ BlkGal]
6:6: “the word”: Probably things which distinguish
new converts as Christians, including the Jesus tradition, the ramifications of
the gospel, and the Christian interpretation of the Jewish scriptures. It seems
from this verse that the first professional Christian ministry
was teaching. [ BlkGal]
6:7-9: “sow ... reap ... harvest-time”: The image of
the farmer who sows, tends his fields with sustained hard work for a period of
time, and then reaps the harvest, with the quality of the harvest being largely
dependent on his care in tending, was a familiar one and is found often in the
Old Testament. Note particularly Proverbs 22:8:
“Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of anger will fail”. In
Christian terms, God initiates (sowing in us the seed of the Spirit),
germination and growth occur over a lengthy time, usually in adverse
conditions, then Christ comes again. [ BlkGal]
6:7: “for you reap whatever you sow”: A modern
equivalent is we are free to choose, but we are not free to choose the
consequences of our choice. [ BlkGal]
6:8: “If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap
corruption from the flesh”: BlkGal implies,
by his translation, that “if” does not express doubt: “For those who sow ...”.
Focussing on the act of circumcision, a cutting of the flesh, was to focus the
challenge of the gospel on that which was by nature given to weakness and decay
and which could end only in corruption and dissolution into dust.
6:8: “but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap
eternal life from the Spirit”: Again, “if” does not express doubt. BlkGal begins his
translation: But those who sow ... He says that the present
tense of sow speaks of continuing (and continual) attending to
the Spirit.
6:8: This verse sums up 5:16-26.
“Eternal life” here means the same as “kingdom of God” in 5:21.
The first expression is usually associated with John and 1 John, although it
does occur in Romans, the Synoptic gospels
and the Pastoral
epistles. See also Romans 2:7; 5:21; 6:22-23.
[ NJBC] The language of
“eternal life” emerged late in Jewish thought in connection with the hope of
resurrection. See Daniel 12:2;
2 Maccabees 7:9; Psalms of Solomon 3:12.
[ BlkGal]
6:9: “not grow weary ... not give up”: The latter
Greek verb evokes the image of a state of relaxation unprepared for sudden
challenge or demand. BlkGal commends
the REB translation: Let
us never tire of doing good, for if we do not slacken our efforts we shall in
due time reap our harvest.
6:10: “whenever we have an opportunity”: BlkGal says that the Greek word
has eschatological overtones
in Paul’s letters.
Verses 11-18: Paul’s autograph postscript. [ NOAB]
6:11: In 1 Corinthians 16:21;
2 Thessalonians 3:17;
Philemon 19,
we read “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand” (or similar words). In
2 Thessalonians 3:17,
he adds “ This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write”.
Using a scribe was usual; Romans 16:22 says:
“I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord”. It is likely
that Tertius was a scribe.
6:11: “large letters”: i.e. compared with those of a
trained scribe. [ NOAB] BlkGal offers three possible
reasons why Paul writes thus, the most likely being that he wishes to emphasize
the importance of what he is about to write, perhaps as taking up more
expensive papyrus than was strictly necessary, or as large enough for the
reader to hold up so that the various congregations could read his words for
themselves.
6:12: In 5:11,
Paul has written: “But my friends, why am I still being persecuted if I am
still preaching circumcision? In that case the offence of the cross has been
removed”. [ CAB]
6:12: “a good showing in the flesh”: In typical
Greek understanding, this would naturally be taken as referring to the
pleasingness of the human body (as when stripped for an athletic contest);
however, Paul is being ironic: he refers to circumcision (which most Greeks
considered to be a form of mutilation). [ BlkGal]
6:12: “that they may not be persecuted for the cross
...”: The Judaizers fear
that if they preach the real message of the cross, they may be persecuted for
it by Jews and other Judaizers. They prefer to make a good showing before
others by preaching circumcision. [ NJBC] BlkGal translates the Greek
as only to avoid being persecuted for the cross . He says that
the persecution was likely by (some) Jews or Christian Jews, such as Paul had
carried out (before his conversion) and he had experienced. If circumcised, the
Galatian Christians would have been Jews, and so not subject to persecution by
other Jews.
6:13: Paul is probably referring to the group within
the Galatian churches who had already succumbed to the propaganda of the Judaizers and are trying to
persuade others to follow suit. [ BlkGal]
6:13: “obey the law”: i.e. in its entirety. It is
not possible to completely obey the Law.
6:14: Unlike the Judaizers’ vanity, Paul’s boast is
not self-reliance but dependence on the grace and favour of God. See also 1
Corinthians 1:22-29; 2:2; 3:21;
2 Corinthians 11:16-12:10;
Galatians 2:19-20.
[ NJBC]
6:14: “the world”: The Greek word is kosmos,
by which Paul means all that stands at enmity to God, i.e. the sphere of
pleasure and ambition related to the flesh. [ NJBC]
6:15: The final declaration of what matters to
Christianity. This echoes 5:6:
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for
anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love”. See
also 5:6;
1 Corinthians 7:18-9;
Romans 14:13-21.
[ NOAB] [ CAB] [ NJBC]
6:15: “a new creation”: See also 1 Corinthians 15:45; 7:19;
Romans 6:3-4.
[ NJBC] The “new creation” is
the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham and the coming of age of
the (Jewish) heirs. [ BlkGal]
Perhaps new created-nessis appropriate; however, BlkGal suggests that Paul means
the world of existence made new, recreated, as a fitting context for God’s
children. In Romans 8:21,
Paul writes “... the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay
and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God”.
6:16: “As for those who will follow this
rule”: BlkGal offers And
as many as will follow this rule. He turns first to those who, he hopes,
will take seriously what he has written and draw back from any thought of
circumcision.
6:16: “this rule”: i.e. the norm by which Paul lives
and the standard by which he judges the Judaizers. [ BlkGal]
6:16: “peace ... Israel of God”: Paul quotes either
Psalm 125:5 or 128:6,
but modifies the last words. Both verses end with “Peace be upon Israel!”. For
Christians as the new offspring of Abraham, see 3:29;
Philippians 3:5;
Romans 9:6.
[NJBC] “Peace” (Hebrew: shalom)
is the traditional Jewish blessing. He reinforces the Jewishness by his use of
“mercy”. He says that he prefers “Israel of God” in terms of the promise to
Abraham, a promise that includes blessings for the Gentiles, an Israel that
does not exclude Jews as a whole and includes Gentile believers. So Paul prays
that God’s covenant mercy be fully sustained and achieve its end for all the
seed. [ BlkGal]
6:17: “let no one make trouble for me”: Paul
indicates that the troubles caused among the Galatian churches has been almost
like an assault on himself (because of his concern for his converts and the
degree to which he had personally invested himself in the Gentile mission). [ BlkGal]
6:17: “marks”: The Greek word is stigmata,
but the English word stigmata (referring to the marks on
Christ’s body) is of much later usage. He had suffered much from illness
(see 4:13 and
2 Corinthians 12:7),
floggings (see 2 Corinthians 11:25),
“wild animals” (see 1 Corinthians 15:32)
and “affliction” (see 2 Corinthians 1:8)
[ CAB] A slave and an animal
were branded to mark them as one’s own. For a slave it was seen as a disgrace.
[ NJBC] BlkGal says that the older view
is that the image is drawn from the practice of branding slaves, the more
popular view now being that marking indicated one’s dedication
to a god and thus came under his protection.
6:18: Philippians 4:23 and
Philemon 25 are
very similar. Paul also ends other letters with a benediction: see also 1
Corinthians 16:23-24;
2 Corinthians 13:13;
1 Thessalonians 5:28.
[ BlkGal]
6:18: “spirit”: This is the human spirit (or being).
[ BlkGal]
6:18: “brothers and sisters”: The addition of these
words to the benediction softens
the severity of the whole letter. [NOAB]
GOSPEL: Luke 10: 1 -
11, 16 - 20 (RCL)
Luke 10: 1 - 9, (10 - 12, 17
- 20) (Roman Catholic)
Luke 10:1 (NRSV)
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in
pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to
them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the
Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way.
See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no
purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you
enter, first say, "Peace to this house!' 6 And if anyone is there who
shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will
return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they
provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to
house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set
before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom
of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not
welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 "Even the dust of your
town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know
this: the kingdom of God has come near.' 12 I tell you, on that day it will be
more tolerable for Sod'om than for that town.
16 "Whoever
listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever
rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
17 The seventy
returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to
us!" 18 He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a
flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20
Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but
rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
When the seventy return, they tell of their
surprise that they have power over evil (v. 17),
a power Jesus has explicitly given to the Twelve. Jesus has seen their victory
over evil forces; he has given them “authority” (v. 19)
over Satan (“the enemy”). (To Jews, “snakes and scorpions” were known sources
of evil.) Exorcism, in itself, is not a sign of the arrival of God’s kingdom
(v. 20).
© 1996-2019
Chris Haslam
Verse 1: “seventy others”: For Jesus sending out the twelve
disciples, see 9:1-5 and
Mark 6:7-11.
In 9:51-52,
Jesus sends “messengers before him”. after turning to go to Jerusalem. [ NOAB]
Verse 1: “seventy”: The traditional Jewish number of nations of the
world (descendants of Noah) is found in Genesis 10:2-31.
In the Masoretic text,
there are seventy; in the Septuagint translation,
there are seventy-two. [ NJBC]
In Numbers 11:4-32,
Moses is directed by Yahweh to
appoint seventy elders who receive the Spirit. In Numbers 11:26,
Eldad and Medad are added. Early manuscripts of the New Testament are about
equally divided as to whether the number is seventy or seventy-two. [ BlkLk]
Verse 1: “in pairs”: Perhaps Jesus sends the missionaries out in
pairs for mutual support. Also, Deuteronomy 19:15requires
that, legally, there be at least two witnesses to an event. In pairs, the
missionaries would be able to give proper witness to Jesus’ message. [ NJBC]
Verse 2: Jesus’ words are the same in Matthew 9:37-38.
He says in John 4:35:
“Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you,
look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting”. [ NOAB]
Some modern scholars have argued
that the Historical Jesus was a Cynic philosopher.
This passage indicates that he could not have been. Cynics usually travelled
alone, and always carried a bag and a staff. These were recognized in the
Hellenistic world as badges of office of the Cynic philosopher. The fact that
Jesus tells his disciples not to carry these items indicates that he could not
have seen them as Cynics, for no Cynic would be seen without them.
One might argue that Jesus is
telling his disciples not to carry the badges of the Cynics in order that they
not be mistaken for Cynics by the public. [Alan T Perry]
Verse 3: This saying is also found in Matthew 10:16 (the
instructions to the twelve being sent out). [ BlkLk]
Verse 4: Do not take excessive time planning your trip. [ NOAB]
Verse 4: “no bag”: A traveller used a “bag” to carry food in
addition to that needed for a day’s travel.
Verse 4: “Carry ... no sandals”: Do not carry a pair of sandals in
addition to those you are wearing.
Verse 4: “greet no one on the road”: Failure to greet fellow
travellers would be socially shocking. [ NJBC]
In 2 Kings 4:29,
Elisha instructs Gehazi in similar terms in sending him to the son of the
Shunammite woman. [ BlkLk]
Verse 5: “‘Peace’”: See also 1 Samuel 25:6:
there David sends messengers with a message of peace to Nabal the Calebite (a
Gentile). [ NOAB]
Verse 6: “who shares in peace”: Literally son of peace .
[ NJBC]
Verse 7: “the labourer deserves to be paid”: In 1 Timothy 5:18,
this phrase is quoted as being “scripture”. The phrase is not found in the Old
Testament; Timothy may be quoting this verse. See also 1 Corinthians 9:4-14;
Deuteronomy 24:15.
[ NOAB] There is an implication
here that one who preaches the good news and cures the sick deserves payment.
Verse 8: “eat what is set before you”: See also 1 Corinthians 10:27 and
Acts 10:25ff (the
story of Cornelius). [ JBC]
Verse 9: “The kingdom of God has come near to you”: The kingdom
came near in the coming of Jesus. It is now brought even nearer in the
missionary activity which extends Jesus’ work. See also 11:20.
[ NOAB] [ JBC]
Verse 11: “the dust of your town ...”: As did Paul and Barnabas
after some Jews stirred up trouble for them in Antioch in Pisidia: see
Acts 13:51.
[ NOAB]
Verse 12: In Genesis 19:24-28,
“Sodom” had no opportunity for repentance, as had the Jewish towns of
“Chorazin”, “Bethsaida” and “Capernaum”. See also Matthew 11:24 and
Jude 7.
[ NOAB]
Verse 13: “Chorazin”: A village in the hill country, 5 km NNW of
Capernaum, today called Kerazeh. We do not know of Jesus’ ministry there. [ JBC]
Verse 13: “Bethsaida”: On the Sea of Galilee. Philip, Andrew and
Peter originally came from there: John 1:44 says:
“ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter”. [ JBC]
Verse 14: At the end of the era, “Tyre and Sidon” (Gentile cities,
and classic examples of paganism) will be judged more leniently than the Jewish
towns which have rejected Jesus. [ NOAB]
Verse 15: Apparently “Capernaum” thought a lot of itself. At
Judgement Day, it will be assigned the lowest status possible (“Hades”). This
verse echoes Isaiah 14:13-15.
[ NOAB] It seems likely that
the words are proverbial, perhaps often quoted from a poem well known in the
Aramean world. [ BlkLk]
Verse 16: In Matthew 10:40,
Jesus instructs his emissaries: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever
welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me”. See also Matthew 18:5;
Mark 9:37;
Luke 9:48;
John 12:48; 13:20;
Galatians 4:14.
[ NOAB]
Verse 16: “rejects”: BlkLk offers despises.
Stephen’s speech makes clear that rejecting Christ’s messenger is rejecting
God: in Acts 7:51,
Stephen says: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you
are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do”. [ BlkLk]
Verses 17-20: These verses are modelled on 9:10 (“On
their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. ...”), to which the
parallel is Mark 6:30.
[ JBC]
Verse 17: For Jesus’ power over demons near Galilee, see 8:26-39 (the
Gerasene demoniac). For Jesus’ granting of power over evil to the Twelve,
see 9:1-2.
[ NJBC]
Verse 18: John 12:31 says:
“Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven
out”. See also Revelation 12:7-12 (war
in heaven, with the defeat of the Devil and Satan, and their throwing down to
the earth) and Revelation 20:1-3 (the
Devil is consigned to Hell). In the Old Testament, Satan is found at times
in Yahweh’s throne room
arguing like a prosecuting attorney against the true welfare of God’s people:
see Job 2:1ff;
Zechariah 3:1ff.
[ NOAB] [ JBC] This verse may be inspired by
Isaiah 14:12,
but the notion of the final defeat of Satan may have been entertained by Jesus
himself. [ BlkLk]
Verse 19: “I have given you authority”: The tense of the verb in the
Greek indicates that this is a permanent gift. See also Mark 6:7 (the
twelve are sent out and given authority “over the unclean spirits”). See also
Luke 22:29-30.
[ JBC]
Verse 19: “the enemy”: See also Matthew 13:39,
where the enemy is identified as the devil. [ NOAB] In Acts (e.g. 28:1-6),
Luke recalls that Jesus rescued his missionaries from the forces of
destruction. [ NJBC]
Verse 20: “your names are written in heaven”: God’s record book, his
“book of life” is mentioned in Daniel 12:1;
Psalm 69:28;
Exodus 32:32;
Philippians 4:3;
Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 21:27.
Hebrews 12:23 refers
to “the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven”. [ NOAB]
© 1996-2019
Chris Haslam
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