·
1 David Pendleton
Oakerhater, Deacon and Missionary, 1931
·
2 The Martyrs of New Guinea, 1942 was a Papuan Anglican teacher who was one of the "New Guinea
Martyrs." The Martyrs were eight Anglican clergy, teachers, and medical missionaries killed by the Japanese in 1942 (a total of 333 church workers of all
denominations were killed during the invasion).
·
3 Prudence Crandall, Teacher and Prophetic
Witness, 1890
·
4 Paul Jones,
1941
·
5 Gregorio Aglipay, Priest and Founder of
the Philippine
Independent Church, 1940
·
7 Elie Naud, Huguenot Witness to the Faith, 1722
·
8 Nativity of Mary, Søren Kierkegaard,
Teacher and Philosopher, 1855. N. F. S. Grundtvig,
Bishop and Hymnwriter, 1872
OLD TESTAMENT:
Jeremiah 2: 4 - 13 (RCL)
Jere 2:4 (NRSV)
Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house
of Israel. 5 Thus says the LORD:
What wrong did
your ancestors find in me
that they went far
from me,
and went after
worthless things, and became worthless themselves?
6 They did not
say, "Where is the LORD
who brought us up
from the land of Egypt,
who led us in the
wilderness,
in a land of
deserts and pits,
in a land of
drought and deep darkness,
in a land that no
one passes through,
where no one
lives?"
7 I brought you
into a plentiful land
to eat its fruits
and its good things.
But when you
entered you defiled my land,
and made my
heritage an abomination.
8 The priests did
not say, "Where is the LORD?"
Those who handle
the law did not know me;
the rulers
transgressed against me;
the prophets
prophesied by Ba'al,
and went after
things that do not profit.
9 Therefore once
more I accuse you, says the LORD,
and I accuse your
children's children.
10 Cross to the
coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Ke'dar and
examine with care;
see if there has
ever been such a thing.
11 Has a nation
changed its gods,
even though they
are no gods?
But my people have
changed their glory
for something that
does not profit.
12 Be appalled, O
heavens, at this,
be shocked, be
utterly desolate, says the LORD,
13 for my people
have committed two evils:
they have forsaken
me,
the fountain of
living water,
and dug out
cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns
that can hold no
water.
Ecclesiasticus
(Sirach) 10: 12 - 18 (alt. for RCL)
Ecclus. 10:12
(NRSV) The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord;
the heart has
withdrawn from its Maker.
13 For the
beginning of pride is sin,
and the one who
clings to it pours out abominations.
Therefore the Lord
brings upon them unheard-of calamities,
and destroys them
completely.
14 The Lord
overthrows the thrones of rulers,
and enthrones the
lowly in their place.
15 The Lord plucks
up the roots of the nations,
and plants the
humble in their place.
16 The Lord lays
waste the lands of the nations,
and destroys them
to the foundations of the earth.
17 He removes some
of them and destroys them,
and erases the
memory of them from the earth.
18 Pride was not
created for human beings,
or violent anger
for those born of women.
Proverbs 25: 6 - 7
(alt. for RCL)
Prov 25:6 (NRSV)
Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence
or stand in the
place of the great;
7 for it is better
to be told, "Come up here,"
than to be put
lower in the presence of a noble.
Sirach
(Ecclesiasticus) 3: 17 - 18, 20, 28 - 29
(Roman Catholic)
17 My child,
perform your tasks with humility;
then you will be
loved by those whom God accepts.
18 The greater you
are, the more you must humble yourself;
so you will find
favor in the sight of the Lord.
20 For great is
the might of the Lord;
but by the humble
he is glorified.
28 When calamity
befalls the proud, there is no healing,
for an evil plant
has taken root in him.
29 The mind of the
intelligent appreciates proverbs,
and an attentive
ear is the desire of the wise.
PSALM 81: 1, 10 -
16 (RCL)
Psal 81:1 (NRSV)
Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to
the God of Jacob.
10 I am the LORD
your God,
who brought you up
out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth
wide and I will fill it.
11 "But my
people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not
submit to me.
12 So I gave them
over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their
own counsels.
13 O that my
people would listen to me,
that Israel would
walk in my ways!
14 Then I would
quickly subdue their enemies,
and turn my hand
against their foes.
15 Those who hate
the LORD would cringe before him,
and their doom
would last forever.
16 I would feed
you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey
from the rock I would satisfy you."
81 Exultate Deo (ECUSA BCP)
1 Sing with joy to God our strength *
and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
10 I am the Lord your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt
and said, *
“Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
11 And yet my people did not hear my
voice, *
and Israel would not obey me.
12 So I gave them over to the
stubbornness of their hearts, *
to follow their own devices.
13
Oh, that my people would listen to me! *
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14
I should soon subdue their enemies *
and turn my hand against their foes.
15
Those who hate the Lord
would cringe before him, *
and their punishment would last for ever.
16
But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat *
and satisfy him with honey from the rock.
Psalm 112 (alt.
for RCL)
Psal 112:1 (NRSV)
Praise the LORD!
Happy are those
who fear the LORD,
who greatly
delight in his commandments.
2 Their
descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of
the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and
riches are in their houses,
and their
righteousness endures forever.
4 They rise in the
darkness as a light for the upright;
they are gracious,
merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with
those who deal generously and lend,
who conduct their
affairs with justice.
6 For the
righteous will never be moved;
they will be
remembered forever.
7 They are not
afraid of evil tidings;
their hearts are
firm, secure in the LORD.
8 Their hearts are
steady, they will not be afraid;
in the end they
will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have
distributed freely, they have given to the poor;
their
righteousness endures forever;
their horn is
exalted in honor.
10 The wicked see
it and are angry;
they gnash their
teeth and melt away;
the desire of the
wicked comes to nothing.
112 Beatus vir (ECUSA BCP)
1 Hallelujah!
Happy are they who fear the Lord *
and have great delight in his commandments!
2 Their descendants will be mighty in
the land; *
the generation of the upright will be
blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in their
house, *
and their righteousness will last for ever.
4 Light shines in the darkness for
the upright; *
the righteous are merciful and full of
compassion.
5 It is good for them to be generous
in lending *
and to manage their affairs with justice.
6 For they will never be shaken; *
the righteous will be kept in everlasting
remembrance.
7 They will not be afraid of any evil
rumors; *
their heart is right;
they put their trust in the Lord.
8 Their heart is established and will
not shrink, *
until they see their desire upon their
enemies.
9 They have given freely to the poor,
*
and their righteousness stands fast for
ever;
they will hold up their head with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be angry;
they will gnash their teeth and pine away;
*
the desires of the wicked will perish.
Psalm 68: 3 - 6, 9
- 10 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 68:3 But let the
righteous be joyful;
let them exult
before God;
let them be
jubilant with joy.
4 Sing to God,
sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to
him who rides upon the clouds --
his name is the
LORD--
be exultant before
him.
5 Father of
orphans and protector of widows
is God in his holy
habitation.
6 God gives the
desolate a home to live in;
he leads out the
prisoners to prosperity,
9 Rain in
abundance, O God, you showered abroad;
you restored your
heritage when it languished;
10 your flock
found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness,
O God, you provided for the needy.
Note: verse
numbering in the Roman Catholic Bible is one higher.
NEW TESTAMENT:
Hebrews 13: 1 - 8, 15 - 16 (RCL)
Hebr 13:1 (NRSV)
Let mutual love continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember
those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are
being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. 4 Let marriage be
held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will
judge fornicators and adulterers. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of
money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never
leave you or forsake you." 6 So we can say with confidence,
"The Lord is
my helper;
I will not be
afraid.
What can anyone do
to me?"
7 Remember your
leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their
way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and
today and forever.
15 Through him,
then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit
of lips that confess his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what
you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
The
author, in concluding his letter, offers guidance regarding the shared life in
the Christian community. He expects members to “show hospitality to strangers”
(v. 2), i.e. to Christians from other churches. (Inns existed, but
because they were frequented by prostitutes and bandits, travellers generally
stayed with other Christians.) Perhaps you will entertain “angels”, as Abraham
did at Mamre: he looked after three men who were either angels or God himself.
Marital irresponsibility (v. 4) and greed (v. 5) can corrupt community life, so should be avoided. God will
look after your needs. (The quotation is God’s words to Joshua, after Moses
died.) Emulate the way of life of your past “leaders” (v. 7), now deceased. Jesus is always the same (v. 8); the “word of God” (v. 7) they spoke continues. Vv. 9-11 counsel avoidance of errant teachings: dietary
restrictions and (probably) sharing in Jewish sacrificial meals. Be
“strengthened” by God’s gift of love, not Mosaic law. Being Christian may
involve persecution and even martyrdom; remember and share Jesus’ suffering. Focus
on eternal life, not earthly (v. 14). Offer the “sacrifice” (v. 15) of thanksgiving, made in faith. Lead an exemplary life of
faith so your present “leaders” (v. 17) can be proud of you.
Verse 2:
“entertained angels”: For the story of Abraham and the three men at Mamre, see
Genesis 18:1-8.
[ NJBC] See also Genesis 19:1-3 (Lot
entertains two angels who come to Sodom); Judges 6:11-18 (Gideon
entertains an angel at Ophrah); 13:3-22 (Samson’s
parents provide hospitality to an angel); Tobit 5:4-9.
[ NOAB] [ CAB]
Verse 5:
“I will never leave you or forsake you”: The quotation is from Joshua 1:5.
There Yahweh tells Joshua
“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake
you”. [ NOAB]
Verse 7:
Support your leaders. [ CAB]
Verse 8:
John tells us in Revelation 1:17-18:
“When I saw him [Christ], I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his
right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and
the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have
the keys of Death and of Hades’”.
Verse 10: The emphatic position of the first words implies that this is an
answer to the charge that Christians are at a disadvantage with respect to
sacrifice.
Verse 10: “altar”: Probably the sacrifice of Christ, in which believers
participate. There is no convincing reason to think that the Eucharist is in view. This
verse may be speaking of useless meals, i.e. the sacrificial meals of Judaism.
[ NJBC]
Verse 12: A rather inexact comparison between the Day of Atonement ritual
and Jesus’ suffering. Jesus “suffered outside the city gate” of Jerusalem. [ NOAB]
Verse 14: “the city that is to come”: i.e. the new, heavenly Jerusalem.
In 11:10,
the author speaks of “the city that has foundations, whose architect and
builder is God”. See also 12:22.
[ NOAB]
Verse 15: “sacrifice”: i.e. of thanksgiving. Leviticus 7:12 commands:
“If you offer it [the sacrifice of the offering of well-being] for
thanksgiving, you shall offer with the thank offering unleavened cakes mixed
with oil, unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of choice flour well
soaked in oil”. See also Psalm 50:14, 23;
Hosea 14:2.
[ NOAB]
Verse 15: “the fruit of lips”: This is from the Septuagint translation of
Hosea 14:3:
“... turn to the Lord your God: speak to him that you may not receive the reward
of unrighteousness, but that you may receive good things; and we will render in
return the fruit of our lips”. [ BlkHeb]
Verse 19: “that I may be restored to you”: Perhaps from prison. [ CAB]
Verse 20: The is the only explicit reference in Hebrews to the
resurrection; however resurrection is presumed when Jesus’ exaltation is
mentioned, as it is in 1:3:
“he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”. [ JBC]
Verse 20: “great shepherd of the sheep”: In the Septuagint translation of
Isaiah 63:11,
Moses is called “the shepherd of the sheep”. [ NJBC]
Verse 21: “make you complete in everything good”: While the Greek word
translated “complete” can mean this, BlkHeb considers that another
meaning, equip, is more likely, so he offers may equip you
with all that is good.
Verses 22-25: NJBC sees
Hebrews as a homily, up to this point. He says that these verses (and v. 19)
may be the ending added when Hebrews was sent, as a letter, to a group of
Christians.
Verse 22: “I appeal to you ... bear with my word of exhortation, for I
have written to you briefly”: This letter is, in fact, quite brief, but to its
first readers it may have seemed long, because it is condensed and the
arguments are complex. [ BlkHeb]
Verse 22: “my word of exhortation”: This designation is also given to a
synagogue sermon in Acts 13:15 (Paul
and Barnabas visit the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia). [ NJBC]
Verse 22: “briefly”: i.e. considering the extent of the subject. [ NOAB]
Verse 23: “Timothy”: There is no way of knowing whether this is the
“Timothy” of the Pastoral
Epistles.
Verse 24: “Greet all your leaders and all the saints”: The “saints” are
God’s people. Noting that “all” appears twice, BlkHeb thinks that the author is
advising the particular church to which he writes to overcome internal strife
in which some members recognize certain leaders, and other members recognize
certain other leaders.
Verse 24: “Those from Italy”: Perhaps local residents of Rome or
expatriates where the author writes. [ CAB]
GOSPEL: Luke 14:
1, 7 - 14 (all)
Luke 14:1 (NRSV)
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Phar'isees
to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.
7 When he noticed
how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 "When
you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place
of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your
host; 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you,
"Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to
take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the
lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, "Friend,
move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the
table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who
humble themselves will be exalted."
12 He said also to
the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not
invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in
case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you
give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And
you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at
the resurrection of the righteous."
Luke
continues his series of sayings of Jesus about the qualifications for entry
into the kingdom of God. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the
godly at the end of time, and were keen to be among those chosen as faithful,
so they “were watching him closely”. As he has done earlier, Jesus heals a
person on the sabbath (vv. 2-6), this time one with “dropsy” (edema). The “lawyers and
Pharisees” (v. 3), experts on correct observance of the sabbath, are
speechless when Jesus challenges them (v. 6): surely acts of compassion can be done on this day. Jesus’
host is a prominent Pharisee (v. 1); we recognize that the “parable” (v. 7) is about membership in the Kingdom. The Greek word rendered
as “guests” means apparently chosen or see themselves as chosen. The gathering of God’s elect at the end of time was
commonly depicted as a “wedding banquet” (v. 8). There the host is God. The punch line (v. 11) is good manners, but Jesus is drawing a conclusion about
the kingdom: attendance depends on God’s invitation. God will not be fooled by
self-promotion! Jewish and Greco-Roman societies both spurned the “poor” (v. 13) and the disabled. A Qumran document says that these people
will be excluded from the banquet, but Jesus says: share with them! (v. 13) Giving to those unable to “repay” (v. 14) will admit one to the kingdom. For the Pharisee, this is a
real surprise. He should have invited the man with dropsy.
Verses 1-6: For Jesus healing on the Sabbath, see also:
- Matthew 12:10-12:
Jesus cites the example of saving a sheep on the Sabbath as showing that
doing good on this day is in accord with the law.
- Luke 6:6-11:
on the Sabbath Jesus heals “a man [in a synagogue] whose right hand was
withered”. When criticised, he asks “is it lawful to do good or to do harm
on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?”.
- Luke 13:10-17:
on the Sabbath Jesus heals a crippled woman. There he cites the example of
taking an ox or donkey to give it water on the Sabbath. His opponents are
“put to shame”.
- John 5:1-18:
Jesus heals a paralysed man at the Beth-zatha pool on the Sabbath. [ NOAB]
Verse 1: “a leader of the Pharisees”: The Pharisees had no leaders.
The Greek is literally from the Pharisees. [ JBC]
Verse 2: “dropsy”: i.e. edema. The body retains too much fluid,
with attendant problems of swelling and poor blood circulation. In western
societies, edema is often due to excessive consumption of sodium. [ NJBC] Congestive heart failure is
the other major cause.
Verse 3: “‘Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?’”:
Rabbinic evidence from a slightly later time is that healing was permitted if
there is a danger to life. But much casuistry was possible: certain things had
a medicinal value but could be enjoyed by a healthy person as food or be used
for the care of his health. Such foods did not count as medicine, and might
therefore be given to a sick man on the Sabbath. [ BlkLk]
Verse 5: “a child or an ox ... well”: In Aramaic, there is a pun
here. A scholar quoted by BlkLk offers
as the original: Which of you shall have an ox (be`ira ) or
an ass (bar hamra) fallen into a well (bera) ... The
Aramaic word for “ass” literally means son of the yoke; this would
account for the word “child”. [ BlkLk]
The NRSV footnote says that donkey is a possible translation.
Verse 6: Perhaps because there was a difference of opinion among
them on this matter. [ BlkLk]
Verse 7: “the guests”: The Greek word is keklemenoi .
The parable of the Great Dinner, which follows in vv. 16-24,
contrasts those considered elect and those deemed non-elect. [ NJBC]
Verse 8: Proverbs 25:6-7 advises:
“Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of
the great; for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in
the presence of a noble”. In Luke, the same idea is found in 11:43 and 20:46.
[ NOAB]
Verse 10: “then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit
at the table with you”: BlkLk offers then
you will have respect from those reclining with you. Guests reclined at
table. Theologically, it is God alone who can allot places in the heavenly
kingdom. See also Mark 10:40 (Jesus’
reply to James and John as they seek special status) and Matthew 20:23.
Verse 11: The same saying is found in Matthew 23:12,
in a different setting. This teaching is also found in James 4:6, 10;
1 Peter 5:5 and
Philippians 2:5-11.
Jesus gives secular wisdom a theological orientation. [ NJBC] [ BlkLk]
Verses 12-14: Luke tells us in Acts 4:32 that,
for a time, the Christian community held all possessions in common. [ NJBC]
Verse 12: James 2:2-4 asks:
“For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly,
and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of
the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please,’ while to
the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there,’ or, ‘Sit at my feet,’ have you not
made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?”. See
also Matthew 5:43-48.
[ NOAB] Jesus answers questions
that arise about religiously correct people, all of which occur in the context
of eating with Pharisees:
- Should they associate with the religiously unclean?
See 7:36-50 (a
woman, a sinner, anoints Jesus’ feet with an ointment)
- What renders one ritually unclean?: see 11:37-54 (Jesus
does not wash before dinner)
- Who should be invited to meals?: this passage
It is likely that these questions
also arose in the community which first read this gospel. [ NJBC]
Verse 13: “the poor, the crippled ...”: They are mentioned again in
the next parable: see v. 21.
1QSa (*Qumran Rule of the Community, Appendix A) 2:5-22 lists the following
people as forbidden entry into the eschatological banquet:
those who are afflicted in the flesh, crushed in feet or hands, lame, blind,
deaf, or dumb; those who suffer from defective eyesight or senility. Jesus adds
the “poor” to this list – but all will be invited to the banquet! In both the
Old Testament and the Qumran literature, “the poor” is used as a designation
for Israel. [ NJBC]
Verse 14: Jesus appeals not to a spirit of material gain, i.e. the
hope of reward in the judgement, but rather to the faith that the principle of
love will be vindicated. See Colossians 3:23-24.
[ NOAB]
Verse 14: “the resurrection of the righteous”: Belief varied as to
whether the ungodly would be raised as well as the godly:
- Acts 24:15 shows
Paul as believing in the resurrection of both. This belief is found in
Daniel 12:2 and
some parts of 1 Enoch. The Testaments of the Twelve
Patriarchs also envisages all being resurrected at the end of
time, though perhaps not all at the same time.
- Luke presents a view that has more in common with:
Note the chronological sequence in
these verses: v. 1:
enter to take food; v. 7:
choose places; v. 12:
at lunch or dinner; v. 16:
at dinner.
© 1996-2019
Chris Haslam
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