23 Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr of Smyrna, 156 was a 2nd-century Christian bishop of Smyrna.[1] According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body.[2] Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. His name means "much fruit" in Greek.
24 Saint Matthias the Apostle chosen by the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter's betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death.[1] His calling as an apostle is unique, in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus, who had already ascended into heaven, and it was also made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church.
25 John Roberts, Priest, 1949
26 Emily Malbone Morgan, Prophetic Witness, 1937
27 George Herbert, priest, 1633 was a Welsh-born poet, orator, and priest of the Church of England. His poetry is associated with the writings of the metaphysical poets, and he is recognised as "one of the foremost British devotional lyricists.
28 Anna Julia Haywood Cooper, 1964, and Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, 1904, Educators
OLD TESTAMENT Exodus 24: 12 - 18 (RCL)
Exod 24:12 (NRSV) The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction." 13 So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 To the elders he had said, "Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them."
15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
OLD TESTAMENT: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 (alt. for Can. BAS)
Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18 (Roman Catholic)
19:1 (NRSV) The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
9 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10Y ou shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.
11 You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. 12 And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.
13 You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. 14 You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
15 You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
PSALM 2 (RCL)
Psal 2:1 (NRSV) Why do the nations conspire,
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and his anointed, saying,
3 "Let us burst their bonds asunder,
and cast their cords from us."
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the LORD has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 "I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill."
7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD
He said to me, "You are my son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear,
with trembling 12 kiss his feet,
or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Happy are all who take refuge in him.
2 Quare fremuerunt gentes? (ECUSA BCP)
1 Why are the nations in an uproar? *
Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?
2 Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,
and the princes plot together, *
against the Lord and against his Anointed?
3 “Let us break their yoke,” they say; *
“let us cast off their bonds from us.”
4 He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; *
the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then he speaks to them in his wrath, *
and his rage fills them with terror.
6 “I myself have set my king *
upon my holy hill of Zion.”
7 Let me announce the decree of the Lord: *
he said to me, “You are my Son;
this day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for
your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9 You shall crush them with an iron rod *
and shatter them like a piece of pottery."
10 And now, you kings, be wise; *
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Submit to the Lord with fear, *
and with trembling bow before him;
12 Lest he be angry and you perish; *
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
13 Happy are they all *
who take refuge in him!
Psalm 99 (alt. for RCL)
Psal 99:1 (NRSV) The LORD is king; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
2 The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name.
Holy is he!
4 Mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Extol the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool.
Holy is he!
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
they kept his decrees,
and the statutes that he gave them.
8 O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9 Extol the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy.
99 Dominus regnavit (ECUSA BCP)
1 The Lord is King;
let the people tremble; *
he is enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth shake.
2 The Lord is great in Zion; *
he is high above all peoples.
3 Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; *
he is the Holy One.
4 "O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity; *
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob."
5 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and fall down before his footstool; *
he is the Holy One.
6 Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his Name, *
they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; *
they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.
8 "O Lord our God, you answered them indeed; *
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds."
9 Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God
and worship him upon his holy hill; *
for the Lord our God is the Holy One.
119 (alt. for Can. BAS)
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, *
and I shall keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law; *
I shall keep it with all my heart.
35 Make me go in the path of your commandments, *
for that is my desire.
36 Incline my heart to your decrees *
and not to unjust gain.
37 Turn my eyes from watching what is worthless; *
give me life in your ways.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, *
which you make to those who fear you.
39 Turn away the reproach which I dread, *
because your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I long for your commandments; *
in your righteousness preserve my life.
NEW TESTAMENT 2 Peter 1: 16 - 21 (RCL)
2Pet 1:16 (NRSV) For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." 18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
The author has written that God, ultimate “goodness” (v. 3), “who called us”, has given us everything we need for eternal life. What Jesus promised to us is our means of escaping the “corruption” (v. 4) of this world and of attaining union with God. So, he says, our faith and knowledge of Christ should result in ethical living, “mutual affection” (v. 7) and love. If we have these qualities and if they grow in us, they will save us from being ineffectual and “unfruitful” (v. 8) in doing Christ’s work. If we don’t have them, we are “nearsighted and blind” (v. 9) and have forgotten the release from sin we obtained in baptism. So be steadfast in the faith; being thus will gain us entry into Christ’s kingdom (v. 11). This letter is written as Peter’s last testament as he approaches death, instructions he leaves to remind his readers of how to remember to be faithful. (vv. 12-15).
Now he speaks of the Transfiguration. While others (false teachers) have used “cleverly devised myths” (v. 16, deceitful lies to deceive members of the community: see 2:1-3), the author was an “eyewitness” to the event, one which showed the power of God and was a preview of Christ’s second “coming”. At that time, Jesus “received honour and glory from God the Father” (v. 17) when the heavenly voice identified him as “‘my Son, my Beloved ...’”. (The “Majestic Glory” is the Father.) Old Testament prophets (“prophetic message”, v. 19) foretold the coming of the Messiah at the end of time; the Transfiguration more fully confirms this. Dear readers, hold to (“be attentive to”) this hope in these times of corruption and false teachers – until the Second Coming (“until the day dawns”) and Christ, “the morning star”, assumes sovereignty.
Vv. 20-21 make two points:
scripture should be interpreted in the community, not on “one’s own”, and
true prophets,
in every age, are empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak for God; they do not prophesy of their own volition.
Verses 5-7: Faith should lead to Christian virtues: see also Romans 5:2-5 and 1 Corinthians 13:13. Note the progression: “faith” to “goodness” ( REB: virtue) to “knowledge” to “self-control” to “endurance” ( REB: fortitude) to “godliness” ( REB: piety) to “mutual affection” ( REB: brotherly affection) to “love”. [ NOAB]
For: See also:
“knowledge” 2 Corinthians 6:6; 8:7
“self-control” 1 Corinthians 7:9; 9:25; Galatians 5:23
“endurance” 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 3:10; Titus 2:2; Revelation 2:19
“godliness” 1 Timothy 6:11
“mutual affection” Romans 12:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 1:22; 3:8
“love” 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Corinthians 6:6; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:14; 1 Timothy 4:12; 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22; 3:10; Titus 2:2; Revelation 2:19 [ CAB]
Verse 5: “faith”: To NJBC, true doctrine is meant.
Verses 8-11: The author contrasts those who act in accord with true faith and those who do not. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “the cleansing of past sins”: See also Acts 22:16 (Ananias counsels Paul to “get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away”); 1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5. [ CAB]
Verse 10: “be all the more eager to confirm your call and election”: See also 1 Corinthians 1:26-27. 1 Peter 2:9 says: “... you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”. [ CAB]
Verse 11: “the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”: Colossians 1:13 says: “He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son”. This is given expression in the Creed of Nicea-Constantinople (known as the Nicene Creed, 381 AD) in the words We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ ... his kingdom will have no end . Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God: see Mark 10:15 (“whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it”) and John 3:3 (“no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above”). [ NOAB] [ JBC]
Comments: This letter is written as Peter's last testament: Both Jews and Greeks knew of a testament genre: for example, Socrates’ statement in Plato’s Apology , Moses (Deuteronomy 32-34), Joshua (Joshua 24), Jesus (John 13-17 and Luke 22:14-36), Paul (Acts 20:17-35). [ NJBC]
Verse 13: “body”: Literally, tent: a temporary dwelling. [ JBC]
Verse 14: “as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me”: Perhaps a reference to John 21:18-19. [ CAB]
Verses 16-18: Apostolic tradition is not a collection of myths, but is based on the experience of eyewitnesses. The Transfiguration confirms the tradition that Christ will return in glory: see Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36. [ NOAB]
Verse 16: See also 1 Timothy 1:4 (“myths and endless genealogies”); 4:7 (“profane myths and old wives' tales”); 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14. [ CAB]
Verse 16: “cleverly devised myths”: 2:1-3 says: “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned. And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep”.
Verse 17: “Majestic Glory”: Majesty and glory are both common epithets for God: see also Hebrews 1:3 (Christ is “the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being”); 8:1; Testament of Levi 3:4. God’s voice also has these attributes: see Psalm 29:4 and Sirach 17:13.
Verse 17: “‘This is my Son ...’”: This quotation is from Mark 9:7 (Jesus’ transfiguration); Matthew 17:5; Luke 9:35. [ CAB]
Verse 18: “the holy mountain”: See also Mark 9:2-8; Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36, all of which speak of Jesus leading Peter, James and John up a mountain. [ CAB]
Verse 19: The Patristic writers see Jesus’ prediction that some would not taste death until they saw the coming of God’s kingdom as fulfilled in the vision of Jesus’ power and glory at the Transfiguration; however some almost contemporary writings, such as the Apocalypse of Peter, see the Transfiguration itself as a prophecy of Jesus’ second coming, not a fulfilment of an earlier prophecy. It is in the sense of prophecy of the Second Coming that the author of 2 Peter speaks of “the prophetic message”. [ NJBC]
Verse 19: “more”: Hellenistic Greek often uses a word meaning “more” to mean very . Vv. 17-18 represent the very best prophecy of Jesus’ Second Coming. [ NJBC]
Verse 19: “ a lamp shining in a dark place”: See also Mark 4:21 and John 5:35 (said by Jesus, of John the Baptiser). [ CAB]
Verse 19: “until the day dawns”: In Luke 1:78, Zechariah, John the Baptizer’s father, says: “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace”.
Verse 19: “the morning star”: In Balaam’s oracle (for Balak, Numbers 24:17), we read: “a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel”. See also Revelation 2:28. Revelation 22:16 says: “‘It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star’”. [ NJBC]
Verses 20-21: In the Old Testament, prophecies when rightly understood were uncomfortable, even threatening: see Jeremiah 6:14 and Ezekiel 13:10. The false teachers whom the author censures are like Israel’s false prophets (see 2:1), who have neither received God’s challenging word nor understood it; for example, they twist Paul’s words on the topic under discussion (see 3:15-16). [ NJBC] See also 1 Corinthians 14:29.
Verse 21: “from God”: Unlike the false teachers, the author claims inspiration from God both in his receipt of the prophecy concerning the Second Coming and his exposition of it. [ NJBC]
GOSPEL Matthew 17: 1 - 9 (RCL)
Matt 17:1 (NRSV) Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Eli'jah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Eli'jah." 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." 10 And the disciples asked him, "Why, then, do the scribes say that Eli'jah must come first?"
Jesus has told his disciples that “the Son of Man is to come ... in the glory of his Father ... There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see ... [him] coming in his kingdom” ( 16:27-28). Now he and the inner circle of disciples ascend a mountain. Jesus is “transfigured” (v. 2, given an unearthly appearance). An aura of unnatural brightness is linked with mystical appearances in Exodus and Acts; “dazzling white” is a symbol of transcendence. In Jewish tradition, both “Moses and Elijah” (v. 3) were taken into heaven without dying; here Moses represents the Law and Elijah the prophets. Both are associated with Mount Sinai. Peter recognizes Jesus as “Lord” (v. 4), both earthly and heavenly sovereign. In his suggestion of making “dwellings” he thinks of Sinai, for dwellings (booths) were erected on the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorating the events there, and a time when the city was brightly lit. On Sinai too a “bright cloud” (v. 5) symbolized God’s presence. The words spoken by the voice recall Jesus’ baptism and add “‘listen to him’”: Jesus is not only God’s Son and his Chosen, but also the prophet God promised to Moses.
Early Christians knew the book of Daniel well. Vv. 6-7 would tell them that this “vision” (v. 9) is linked to the end times: see Daniel 8:17 (where “mortal” is son of man in the Hebrew). Moses and Elijah vanish into insignificance, leaving Jesus alone. The Church Fathers saw the Transfiguration as fulfilling Jesus’ prediction that some would not die until they had seen the coming of God’s kingdom; others saw the event as a prophecy of the Second Coming.
© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam
The parallels are Mark 9:2-8 and Luke 9:28-36. [ NOAB]
This passage reaffirms the messiahship of Jesus and of the messianic glory in which he will be revealed. [ NJBC]
Verse 1: “Peter and James and his brother John”: The same inner circle is mentioned in 26:37 and Mark 5:37. [ NJBC]
Verse 1: “a high mountain”: This may be symbolic; if a particular mountain is meant, it is probably Mount Hermon, near Caesarea Philippi. It rises to about 2,750 metres (9,000 feet). Other possibilities are Mount Carmel and Mount Tabor.
Comments: An aura of unnatural brightness is linked with mystical appearances in Exodus and Acts: See, for example, Exodus 34:29 (Moses’ face shines after he has been talking with God on Mount Sinai), 35; Acts 9:3 (Paul’s conversion). [ NJBC]
Verse 3: “Moses and Elijah”: The Law and the prophets often stand for the whole of the Old Testament. The presence of these two men symbolises the fullness of God’s revelation to Israel. Deuteronomy 34:6 tells us that “no one knows his [Moses’] burial place to this day”. Jewish tradition therefore said that Moses was taken directly into heaven without dying. 2 Kings 2:17 tells us of Elijah: “fifty men who searched for three days but did not find him”. Jewish tradition stretched this verse and the story in the preceding verses to saying that Elijah was taken into heaven without dying. [ HBD]
Verse 4: “dwellings”: For the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths), see Leviticus 23:42 and Nehemiah 8:14-18. [ NJBC]
Verse 5: “cloud”: In a cloud, God comes to declare the Law to Moses; he speaks from a cloud as he does here. See Exodus 19:9; 24:15-16.
Verse 5: “‘This is my Son ...’”: For the words the voice from heaven speaks at Jesus’ baptism, see 3:17. Here the words spoken are based on three verses:
Psalm 2:7: “I will tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have begotten you’”
Isaiah 42:1: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.”
Deuteronomy 18:15, where Moses says: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet”. [ NJBC]
Verses 6-7: Daniel is the only apocalyptic book in the Old Testament. Daniel 8:17 says: “So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I became frightened and fell prostrate. But he said to me, ‘Understand, O mortal, that the vision is for the time of the end.’”. Daniel 10:9-10 says: “Then I heard the sound of his words; and when I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a trance, face to the ground. But then a hand touched me and roused me to my hands and knees.”
Verse 9: For applications of this event to the destiny of Christians, see Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18. See also 2 Peter 1:16-18; 2 Timothy 1:8, 10. [ NJBC]
Verses 10-13: Based on Malachi 4:5, coupled with Malachi 3:1, “the scribes”, the scholars of the Pharisaic sect, taught that Elijah must return to prepare for Yahweh’s final judgement. But Peter has now identified Jesus as the messiah (Christ); Jesus is about to suffer, die, rise (see 21:21) and carry out the final judgment (see 16:27). So, if the end times are so near, is it not too late for Elijah’s preparatory ministry? [ BlkMt]
Verse 10: “Elijah”: See Malachi 4:5-6 (3:23-24 in some bibles) for the expectation that God would send Elijah before Judgement Day, “the terrible day of the Lord”. [ NJBC]
Verse 10: “come first”: Daniel 12:2 tells of the general resurrection of the deceased: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt”. More probably, the question is about the raising of the Son of Man from the dead.
Verse 11: Jesus quotes the expectation of the scribes, and states his position in v. 12. He affirms their expectation and says (in v. 12) that they (or people in general) have failed to recognize that “Elijah has already come”: “John the Baptist” (v. 13) is Elijah. [ BlkMt]
Verse 12: See 1 Kings 19:2, 10; Psalm 22:6; Isaiah 53:3. [ NJBC]
Verse 13: John the Baptist has already been identified with Elijah: Jesus says in 11:14 “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come”. [ NJBC]
© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Saturday, February 15, 2020
16 Charles Todd Quintard, Bishop of Tennessee, 1898
17 Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda, and Martyr, 1977
18 Martin Luther, 1546 Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. He came to reject several teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church; in particular, he disputed the view on indulgences. Luther proposed an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in his Ninety-five Theses of 1517. His refusal to renounce all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Holy Roman Emperor.
20 Frederick Douglass, Prophetic Witness, 1895
21 John Henry Newman, priest and theologian, 1890
22 Eric Liddell, Missionary to China, 1945
23 Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr of Smyrna, 156 was a 2nd-century Christian bishop of Smyrna.[1] According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body.[2] Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. His name means "much fruit" in Greek.
OLD TESTAMENT: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (RCL)
Deut 30:15 (NRSV) See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Sirach 15:15-20 (alt. for RCL, Roman Catholic)
Sir 15:15 (NRSV) If you choose, you can keep the commandments,
and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
16 He has placed before you fire and water;
stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.
17 Before each person are life and death,
and whichever one chooses will be given.
18 For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power and sees everything;
19 his eyes are on those who fear him,
and he knows every human action.
20 He has not commanded anyone to be wicked,
and he has not given anyone permission to sin.
PSALM 119:1-8 (RCL)
Psalm 119:1 (NRSV) Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.
2 Happy are those who keep his decrees,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways.
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 O that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous ordinances.
8 I will observe your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
119 (ECUSA BCP)
Aleph Beati immaculati
1 Happy are they whose way is blameless, *
who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Happy are they who observe his decrees *
and seek him with all their hearts!
3 Who never do any wrong, *
but always walk in his ways.
4 You laid down your commandments, *
that we should fully keep them.
5 Oh, that my ways were made so direct *
that I might keep your statutes!
6 Then I should not be put to shame, *
when I regard all your commandments.
7 I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, *
when I have learned your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep your statutes; *
do not utterly forsake me.
Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 (Roman Catholic)
Psalm 119:1 (NRSV) Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.
2 Happy are those who keep his decrees,
who seek him with their whole heart,
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 O that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
17 Deal bountifully with your servant,
so that I may live and observe your word.
18 Open my eyes, so that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
and I will observe it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (RCL)
1 Cor 3:1 (NRSV) And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? 4 For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul’, and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’, are you not merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. 9 For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.
In Chapter 1, Paul says that he has learnt that there are divisions in the church at Corinth, that some adhere to particular leaders of the community rather than to Christ. The faith only makes sense to those who understand it spiritually, so he addresses them not as “spiritual people” (v. 1) but as neophytes (“infants”). He has been criticized for oversimplifying the good news, but their “jealousy and quarrelling” (v. 3) demonstrate that they are still only earthly minded, are still behaving according to human standards (“inclinations”).
It is natural to be attached to the person who welcomed you into the church, but you need to recognize that they are all “servants” (v. 5) of Christ. Each has a distinct function in bringing you to faith. Paul founded the church at Corinth (“planted”, v. 6); Apollos nurtured faith (“watered”) in the community; but it is God who causes spirituality and faith to grow. He and Apollos have the same objective (v. 8). Perhaps the rewards (“wages”) are in seeing the church grow; perhaps they are in heaven. Paul and Apollos are co-workers. In the following verses, Paul expands on the church as “God’s building” (v. 9)
The Christians at Corinth lack the real community to which God’s servants like Apollos and Paul each contribute, as their party slogans show. In 1:12-13, Pauls says “What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apollos,’ or ‘I belong to Cephas,’ or ‘I belong to Christ.’ Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”; in 3:4 he writes “For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ and another, ‘I belong to Apollos,’ are you not merely human?” [ NOAB]
Verse 1: “And so”: Blk1Cor offers As far as my own experience of you goes, a paraphrase. He admits that it may be an over-translation.
Verse 1: “people of the flesh”: Those still dominated by the standards of a fallen world, [ NJBC]
Verse 3: By accepting envy and strife as normal they betray their acceptance of the common judgement of what is possible for humanity. [ NJBC]
Verse 4: “are you not merely human?”: Through the use of party slogans, they show themselves to be ordinary and not the enlightened spiritual leaders they claim to be. [ NJBC]
Verse 5: “What”: One would expect who, but Paul uses the neuter deliberately here and in v. 7 to underline that the ministries of Paul and Apollos are as God’s instruments. [ NJBC] The natural answer is Nothing! but as the rest of the verse and section show, they are far from insignificant in God’s Plan. [ Blk1Cor]
Verse 7: God does not need human instruments, but in his wisdom has decided to use them. [ NJBC]
Verse 8: “have a common purpose”: In view of their effect, Paul and Apollos form a single complex instrument. How silly, then, to set them against each other! [ NJBC]
Verse 8: “each will receive wages”: Even though all credit must go to God, this acknowledges the reality of the ministers’ contribution. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “God's servants, working together”: For divine-human co-operation, the mode of divine activity inaugurated in Christ, see also 1 Thessalonians 3:2. There the “co-workers” are Paul and Timothy. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “field ... building”: In stony Palestine, rocks from clearing fields were used to build walls. [ NJBC]
GOSPEL: Matthew 5:21-37 (RCL)
Matthew 5:17-37 or 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37 (Roman Catholic)
Matt 5:17 (NRSV) ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.” 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 ‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 ‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Jesus has made clear that his mission is not to do away with (“abolish”) the Old Testament; rather he fleshes out its meaning fully (“fulfill”, v. 17). He speaks particularly about Mosaic law; it will remain in force until he comes again at the end of the era (v. 18). In v. 19, he seems to soften his tone: whether or not one keeps and teaches every one of the 613 laws, one will be admitted to the Kingdom. The scribes and Pharisees kept all the laws scrupulously. Now he explains how their adherence to the Law is insufficient.
Each of Jesus’ expansions of the Law begins with “[You have heard that] it was said” (vv. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). He then quotes a law. “Ancient times” refers to the days of Moses. The Ten Commandments forbid the act of murder (v. 21). Jesus extends this law to include propensities to kill: nursing anger, calling someone good for nothing (as the Greek says) or a “fool” (v. 22). Vv. 23-24 say that reconciliation take priority even over worship, to a Jew the most sacred act. Vv. 25-26 may be a parable: the Kingdom of God is at hand; seek reconciliation “quickly” lest God, the judge, finds against you. Jesus offers forgiveness.
Vv. 27-28, give another example. Avoiding adultery is not enough; even for a man to “look at a woman with a lustful eye” (Revised English Bible) is unacceptable. God expects purity of thought and desire as well as of action. Vv. 29-30 look extreme; they are meant figuratively, not literally. Jesus advises that one discard, promptly and decisively, anything in one’s life that tempts one to turn away from God.
Divorcing a wife was easy for a man in Palestine: in some circles, he could simply write her a “certificate of divorce” (v. 31) without cause. Jesus’ point here is that marriage is indissoluble, lifelong. He probably thinks of Genesis 2:24: in marriage, God makes man and wife “one flesh”. He makes one exception: “on the ground of unchastity” (v. 32). The Greek word means unlawful sexual behaviour, including adultery. He forbids remarriage because the first marriage still exists. This extension of the Law was not onerous for first-century Christians, for they expected the world to end soon, and they could live separately from their spouses. One swore an oath (vv. 33-37) to guarantee that what one said on a particular occasion was the truth. We still do it in court appearances today. Isaiah 66:1 refers to “earth” (v. 35) as God’s “footstool”; “Jerusalem” is God’s city (“... of the great King”). They are part of his realm. To “swear by your head” (v. 36) is to swear by oneself. Jesus says one should always tell only the truth. When one does, there is no need for swearing[-in]. A truthful person is consistent in what he says. Inconsistency is a sign that one has turned against God (v. 37). Perhaps Jesus actually said something like James 5:12: “let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no”.
© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam
17 Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda, and Martyr, 1977
18 Martin Luther, 1546 Luther was ordained to the priesthood in 1507. He came to reject several teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church; in particular, he disputed the view on indulgences. Luther proposed an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in his Ninety-five Theses of 1517. His refusal to renounce all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Holy Roman Emperor.
20 Frederick Douglass, Prophetic Witness, 1895
21 John Henry Newman, priest and theologian, 1890
22 Eric Liddell, Missionary to China, 1945
23 Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr of Smyrna, 156 was a 2nd-century Christian bishop of Smyrna.[1] According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body.[2] Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. His name means "much fruit" in Greek.
OLD TESTAMENT: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (RCL)
Deut 30:15 (NRSV) See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Sirach 15:15-20 (alt. for RCL, Roman Catholic)
Sir 15:15 (NRSV) If you choose, you can keep the commandments,
and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
16 He has placed before you fire and water;
stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.
17 Before each person are life and death,
and whichever one chooses will be given.
18 For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
he is mighty in power and sees everything;
19 his eyes are on those who fear him,
and he knows every human action.
20 He has not commanded anyone to be wicked,
and he has not given anyone permission to sin.
PSALM 119:1-8 (RCL)
Psalm 119:1 (NRSV) Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.
2 Happy are those who keep his decrees,
who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways.
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 O that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous ordinances.
8 I will observe your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.
119 (ECUSA BCP)
Aleph Beati immaculati
1 Happy are they whose way is blameless, *
who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Happy are they who observe his decrees *
and seek him with all their hearts!
3 Who never do any wrong, *
but always walk in his ways.
4 You laid down your commandments, *
that we should fully keep them.
5 Oh, that my ways were made so direct *
that I might keep your statutes!
6 Then I should not be put to shame, *
when I regard all your commandments.
7 I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, *
when I have learned your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep your statutes; *
do not utterly forsake me.
Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34 (Roman Catholic)
Psalm 119:1 (NRSV) Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.
2 Happy are those who keep his decrees,
who seek him with their whole heart,
4 You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
5 O that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
17 Deal bountifully with your servant,
so that I may live and observe your word.
18 Open my eyes, so that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
and I will observe it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (RCL)
1 Cor 3:1 (NRSV) And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? 4 For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul’, and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’, are you not merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. 9 For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.
In Chapter 1, Paul says that he has learnt that there are divisions in the church at Corinth, that some adhere to particular leaders of the community rather than to Christ. The faith only makes sense to those who understand it spiritually, so he addresses them not as “spiritual people” (v. 1) but as neophytes (“infants”). He has been criticized for oversimplifying the good news, but their “jealousy and quarrelling” (v. 3) demonstrate that they are still only earthly minded, are still behaving according to human standards (“inclinations”).
It is natural to be attached to the person who welcomed you into the church, but you need to recognize that they are all “servants” (v. 5) of Christ. Each has a distinct function in bringing you to faith. Paul founded the church at Corinth (“planted”, v. 6); Apollos nurtured faith (“watered”) in the community; but it is God who causes spirituality and faith to grow. He and Apollos have the same objective (v. 8). Perhaps the rewards (“wages”) are in seeing the church grow; perhaps they are in heaven. Paul and Apollos are co-workers. In the following verses, Paul expands on the church as “God’s building” (v. 9)
The Christians at Corinth lack the real community to which God’s servants like Apollos and Paul each contribute, as their party slogans show. In 1:12-13, Pauls says “What I mean is that each of you says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ or ‘I belong to Apollos,’ or ‘I belong to Cephas,’ or ‘I belong to Christ.’ Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”; in 3:4 he writes “For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ and another, ‘I belong to Apollos,’ are you not merely human?” [ NOAB]
Verse 1: “And so”: Blk1Cor offers As far as my own experience of you goes, a paraphrase. He admits that it may be an over-translation.
Verse 1: “people of the flesh”: Those still dominated by the standards of a fallen world, [ NJBC]
Verse 3: By accepting envy and strife as normal they betray their acceptance of the common judgement of what is possible for humanity. [ NJBC]
Verse 4: “are you not merely human?”: Through the use of party slogans, they show themselves to be ordinary and not the enlightened spiritual leaders they claim to be. [ NJBC]
Verse 5: “What”: One would expect who, but Paul uses the neuter deliberately here and in v. 7 to underline that the ministries of Paul and Apollos are as God’s instruments. [ NJBC] The natural answer is Nothing! but as the rest of the verse and section show, they are far from insignificant in God’s Plan. [ Blk1Cor]
Verse 7: God does not need human instruments, but in his wisdom has decided to use them. [ NJBC]
Verse 8: “have a common purpose”: In view of their effect, Paul and Apollos form a single complex instrument. How silly, then, to set them against each other! [ NJBC]
Verse 8: “each will receive wages”: Even though all credit must go to God, this acknowledges the reality of the ministers’ contribution. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “God's servants, working together”: For divine-human co-operation, the mode of divine activity inaugurated in Christ, see also 1 Thessalonians 3:2. There the “co-workers” are Paul and Timothy. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: “field ... building”: In stony Palestine, rocks from clearing fields were used to build walls. [ NJBC]
GOSPEL: Matthew 5:21-37 (RCL)
Matthew 5:17-37 or 5:20-22a, 27-28, 33-34a, 37 (Roman Catholic)
Matt 5:17 (NRSV) ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
21 You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.” 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
27 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 ‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 ‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
Jesus has made clear that his mission is not to do away with (“abolish”) the Old Testament; rather he fleshes out its meaning fully (“fulfill”, v. 17). He speaks particularly about Mosaic law; it will remain in force until he comes again at the end of the era (v. 18). In v. 19, he seems to soften his tone: whether or not one keeps and teaches every one of the 613 laws, one will be admitted to the Kingdom. The scribes and Pharisees kept all the laws scrupulously. Now he explains how their adherence to the Law is insufficient.
Each of Jesus’ expansions of the Law begins with “[You have heard that] it was said” (vv. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). He then quotes a law. “Ancient times” refers to the days of Moses. The Ten Commandments forbid the act of murder (v. 21). Jesus extends this law to include propensities to kill: nursing anger, calling someone good for nothing (as the Greek says) or a “fool” (v. 22). Vv. 23-24 say that reconciliation take priority even over worship, to a Jew the most sacred act. Vv. 25-26 may be a parable: the Kingdom of God is at hand; seek reconciliation “quickly” lest God, the judge, finds against you. Jesus offers forgiveness.
Vv. 27-28, give another example. Avoiding adultery is not enough; even for a man to “look at a woman with a lustful eye” (Revised English Bible) is unacceptable. God expects purity of thought and desire as well as of action. Vv. 29-30 look extreme; they are meant figuratively, not literally. Jesus advises that one discard, promptly and decisively, anything in one’s life that tempts one to turn away from God.
Divorcing a wife was easy for a man in Palestine: in some circles, he could simply write her a “certificate of divorce” (v. 31) without cause. Jesus’ point here is that marriage is indissoluble, lifelong. He probably thinks of Genesis 2:24: in marriage, God makes man and wife “one flesh”. He makes one exception: “on the ground of unchastity” (v. 32). The Greek word means unlawful sexual behaviour, including adultery. He forbids remarriage because the first marriage still exists. This extension of the Law was not onerous for first-century Christians, for they expected the world to end soon, and they could live separately from their spouses. One swore an oath (vv. 33-37) to guarantee that what one said on a particular occasion was the truth. We still do it in court appearances today. Isaiah 66:1 refers to “earth” (v. 35) as God’s “footstool”; “Jerusalem” is God’s city (“... of the great King”). They are part of his realm. To “swear by your head” (v. 36) is to swear by oneself. Jesus says one should always tell only the truth. When one does, there is no need for swearing[-in]. A truthful person is consistent in what he says. Inconsistency is a sign that one has turned against God (v. 37). Perhaps Jesus actually said something like James 5:12: “let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no”.
© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam
Saturday, February 8, 2020
10 Scholastica of Nursia, Monastic, 543 is a saint of the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. She is honored in the Episcopal Church's calendar of saints. She was born in Italy. According to a ninth century tradition, she was the twin sister of Benedict of Nursia.[2] Her feast day is 10 February, Saint Scholastica's Day
11 Frances Jane (Fanny) Van Alstyne Crosby, Hymnwriter, 1915
12 Charles Freer Andrews, Priest and “Friend of the Poor” in India, 1940
13 Absalom Jones, Priest, 1818
14 Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop, Missionaries to the Slavs, 869, 885 Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the "Apostles to the Slavs".[6]
They are credited with devising the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic
15 Thomas Bray, Priest and Missionary, 1730
OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 58 1 - 9a (9b - 12) (RCL)
Isaiah 58 7 - 10 (Roman Catholic)
Isai 581 (NRSV) Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God.
3 "Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?"
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.
Psalm 112: 1 - 9 (10)
1 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 for ever.
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 for ever.
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 for ever;
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.
NEW TESTAMENT 1 Corinthians 2 1 - 12 (13 - 16) (RCL)
1 Corinthians 2 1 - 5 (Roman Catholic)
1Cor 21 (NRSV) When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
6 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7 But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,
"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him"--
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.
14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else's scrutiny.
16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.
Paul has decried divisions in the church at Corinth: people have attached themselves to particular leaders because of their eloquence (and other personal traits). Now he says that when he first “came to you”, he purposely avoided eloquence (“lofty words”) and gave the Spirit full reign in bringing people to Christ. To avoid a Pauline personality cult, he came neither promoting his own qualities (v. 3) nor using erudite (“plausible”, v. 4) rational arguments. What has happened at Corinth bespeaks immaturity in the faith.
While with “mature” (v. 6) Christians, he does speak “wisdom” (i.e. a total God-centred view of the cosmos – not popular wisdom, and not that of political and religious “rulers”), with the immature Christians at Corinth he speaks only basics of the good news: God’s plan of salvation, decreed by God before creation. He does so in order that they may reflect God’s power (“glory”, v. 8). (Had the “rulers” understood this plan, they would have let Jesus live.) But they are so immature (indeed “unspiritual”, v. 14) that even the basics are beyond them, (“secret and hidden”, v. 7). God has revealed to the mature “through the Spirit” (v. 10) “things” about God’s love (v. 9) that are hidden from others. Just as one person can never plumb the essence of another completely, so only the Spirit can know God comprehensively. Through the Spirit, we (the mature) understand God’s gifts to us (v. 12), which can only be described in spiritual terms. But most of you have never received such gifts, so they make no sense to you (“are foolishness”, v. 14); they are only discernable in a spiritual way. The mature do discern such gifts – and you should not doubt it (“scrutiny”, v. 15). You should refrain from instructing them – for they are one with Christ, of his “mind” (v. 16).
Verses 1-5: For the cross as central to Christian life and faith, see also 11:25; 2 Corinthians 4:10; Philippians 3:18; Galatians 3:13; Romans 3:25; 6:3. The power of God is evident through the works of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 11:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; Galatians 3:2, 5) and manifests its perfection through human “weakness” (v. 3). [ CAB]
Verse 3: “in weakness ...”: Unlike itinerant philosophers, who made a good living from the credulity of the simple. [ NJBC]
Verse 5: “the power of God”: i.e. God active in history. [ NJBC]
Verses 6,8: “rulers of this age”: It is possible that Paul is referring to cosmic demonic powers: see Ephesians 1:20-21; 3:10; 6:12. He may be referring to both the current political and religious leaders and to demonic powers. In Acts 4:25-28, the reference is clearly to the current leaders. [ NOAB]
Verse 8: “Lord of glory”: A divine title in 1 Enoch 63:2 and equivalently in Psalm 24:8. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: Human inability to grasp God’s purposes was known in the Old Testament, but while JBC says that the quotation may be a mixture of Isaiah 64:4 and Psalm 31:19, NJBC suggests that this is not an Old Testament quotation at all.
Verse 12: “the spirit of the world”: Possibly the mentality of a corrupt society. [ JBC]
Verse 16: The quotation is from the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 40:13. In Isaiah, “‘the Lord’” is God; here it is Christ. [ NOAB]
GOSPEL Matthew 5 13 - 20 (RCL)
Matthew 5 13 - 16 (Roman Catholic)
Matt 513 (NRSV) "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Phar'isees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
On a mountain in Galilee, Jesus has described the qualities and rewards of the “blessed” (vv. 3-11). Now Jesus uses homely metaphors to teach essential lessons about being disciples. “Salt” does not really lose its taste, but in Judaism it can become ritually unclean and need to be “thrown out”. (It was used to season incense and offerings to God.) Jesus may also be thinking of the salt deposits around the Dead Sea: when heavily rained upon, they still look like salt but no longer are. A follower who loses his faith is useless, and will be discarded.
Jesus calls on disciples to be examples to others – of God’s ability to change lives (vv. 14-16). In so being, they will spread and make known God’s power (“glory”). (A Palestinian house had only one room and a sole opening: the door.) The life of disciples must be visible and attractive: as a “city” is. Now vv. 17-20: the “scribes and the Pharisees” were “righteous” for they kept the Law scrupulously, but Jesus says that such meritorious conduct is inadequate for admission to the Kingdom. As vv. 21-48 show, he preaches a religion that goes beyond the Law: one of the heart, of love and compassion. The gospel fulfills the Law, and exceeds it by adding grace. One of the ways he fulfills the Law is by looking at its intent and not just the words used to express it. (For example, the Law says you shall not murder but Jesus says, in effect, you shall attempt never to impair your relations with another person.) Whoever regards the Law as he does, even if he or she fails sometimes, will gain entry into the Kingdom.
© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam
Verse 13: See also Mark 9:49-50; Luke 14:34-35. [ NOAB]
Verse 13: “salt”: Salt is both a spice and a preservative: like a good teacher. Another possibility for salt losing its taste: salt was heavily taxed. It was adulterated by mixing it with a cheap white powder. In this way it could lose its strong taste. [ NJBC]
Verse 14: “light”: For light imagery applied to Jesus, see 4:16; Luke 1:79 (Zechariah’s prophecy); 2:32 (Simeon, Nunc Dimittis); Philippians 2:15; Ephesians 5:8. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]
Verse 14: “A city built on a hill”: See Isaiah 2:2-5. [ NJBC]
Verse 15: See also Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33. Live for others, not just for yourself: see also 25:26; 2 Corinthians 4:7. [ NJBC] [ NOAB]
Verse 16: See also 1 Peter 2:12. [ NOAB]
Verse 16: “your Father”: See also 5:45, 48; 6:1, 9, 14, 26, 32; 7:11. [ NJBC]
Verse 18: “one letter”: In Greek, iota, the smallest letter. [ NJBC]
© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam
11 Frances Jane (Fanny) Van Alstyne Crosby, Hymnwriter, 1915
12 Charles Freer Andrews, Priest and “Friend of the Poor” in India, 1940
13 Absalom Jones, Priest, 1818
14 Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop, Missionaries to the Slavs, 869, 885 Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the "Apostles to the Slavs".[6]
They are credited with devising the Glagolitic alphabet, the first alphabet used to transcribe Old Church Slavonic
15 Thomas Bray, Priest and Missionary, 1730
OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 58 1 - 9a (9b - 12) (RCL)
Isaiah 58 7 - 10 (Roman Catholic)
Isai 581 (NRSV) Shout out, do not hold back!
Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
Announce to my people their rebellion,
to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me
and delight to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
they ask of me righteous judgments,
they delight to draw near to God.
3 "Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?"
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose,
a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
Will you call this a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you,
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you,
the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you continually,
and satisfy your needs in parched places,
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to live in.
Psalm 112: 1 - 9 (10)
1 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 for ever.
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 for ever.
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 for ever;
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.
NEW TESTAMENT 1 Corinthians 2 1 - 12 (13 - 16) (RCL)
1 Corinthians 2 1 - 5 (Roman Catholic)
1Cor 21 (NRSV) When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
6 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7 But we speak God's wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,
"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him"--
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.
14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else's scrutiny.
16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?"
But we have the mind of Christ.
Paul has decried divisions in the church at Corinth: people have attached themselves to particular leaders because of their eloquence (and other personal traits). Now he says that when he first “came to you”, he purposely avoided eloquence (“lofty words”) and gave the Spirit full reign in bringing people to Christ. To avoid a Pauline personality cult, he came neither promoting his own qualities (v. 3) nor using erudite (“plausible”, v. 4) rational arguments. What has happened at Corinth bespeaks immaturity in the faith.
While with “mature” (v. 6) Christians, he does speak “wisdom” (i.e. a total God-centred view of the cosmos – not popular wisdom, and not that of political and religious “rulers”), with the immature Christians at Corinth he speaks only basics of the good news: God’s plan of salvation, decreed by God before creation. He does so in order that they may reflect God’s power (“glory”, v. 8). (Had the “rulers” understood this plan, they would have let Jesus live.) But they are so immature (indeed “unspiritual”, v. 14) that even the basics are beyond them, (“secret and hidden”, v. 7). God has revealed to the mature “through the Spirit” (v. 10) “things” about God’s love (v. 9) that are hidden from others. Just as one person can never plumb the essence of another completely, so only the Spirit can know God comprehensively. Through the Spirit, we (the mature) understand God’s gifts to us (v. 12), which can only be described in spiritual terms. But most of you have never received such gifts, so they make no sense to you (“are foolishness”, v. 14); they are only discernable in a spiritual way. The mature do discern such gifts – and you should not doubt it (“scrutiny”, v. 15). You should refrain from instructing them – for they are one with Christ, of his “mind” (v. 16).
Verses 1-5: For the cross as central to Christian life and faith, see also 11:25; 2 Corinthians 4:10; Philippians 3:18; Galatians 3:13; Romans 3:25; 6:3. The power of God is evident through the works of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 11:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; Galatians 3:2, 5) and manifests its perfection through human “weakness” (v. 3). [ CAB]
Verse 3: “in weakness ...”: Unlike itinerant philosophers, who made a good living from the credulity of the simple. [ NJBC]
Verse 5: “the power of God”: i.e. God active in history. [ NJBC]
Verses 6,8: “rulers of this age”: It is possible that Paul is referring to cosmic demonic powers: see Ephesians 1:20-21; 3:10; 6:12. He may be referring to both the current political and religious leaders and to demonic powers. In Acts 4:25-28, the reference is clearly to the current leaders. [ NOAB]
Verse 8: “Lord of glory”: A divine title in 1 Enoch 63:2 and equivalently in Psalm 24:8. [ NJBC]
Verse 9: Human inability to grasp God’s purposes was known in the Old Testament, but while JBC says that the quotation may be a mixture of Isaiah 64:4 and Psalm 31:19, NJBC suggests that this is not an Old Testament quotation at all.
Verse 12: “the spirit of the world”: Possibly the mentality of a corrupt society. [ JBC]
Verse 16: The quotation is from the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 40:13. In Isaiah, “‘the Lord’” is God; here it is Christ. [ NOAB]
GOSPEL Matthew 5 13 - 20 (RCL)
Matthew 5 13 - 16 (Roman Catholic)
Matt 513 (NRSV) "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Phar'isees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
On a mountain in Galilee, Jesus has described the qualities and rewards of the “blessed” (vv. 3-11). Now Jesus uses homely metaphors to teach essential lessons about being disciples. “Salt” does not really lose its taste, but in Judaism it can become ritually unclean and need to be “thrown out”. (It was used to season incense and offerings to God.) Jesus may also be thinking of the salt deposits around the Dead Sea: when heavily rained upon, they still look like salt but no longer are. A follower who loses his faith is useless, and will be discarded.
Jesus calls on disciples to be examples to others – of God’s ability to change lives (vv. 14-16). In so being, they will spread and make known God’s power (“glory”). (A Palestinian house had only one room and a sole opening: the door.) The life of disciples must be visible and attractive: as a “city” is. Now vv. 17-20: the “scribes and the Pharisees” were “righteous” for they kept the Law scrupulously, but Jesus says that such meritorious conduct is inadequate for admission to the Kingdom. As vv. 21-48 show, he preaches a religion that goes beyond the Law: one of the heart, of love and compassion. The gospel fulfills the Law, and exceeds it by adding grace. One of the ways he fulfills the Law is by looking at its intent and not just the words used to express it. (For example, the Law says you shall not murder but Jesus says, in effect, you shall attempt never to impair your relations with another person.) Whoever regards the Law as he does, even if he or she fails sometimes, will gain entry into the Kingdom.
© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam
Verse 13: See also Mark 9:49-50; Luke 14:34-35. [ NOAB]
Verse 13: “salt”: Salt is both a spice and a preservative: like a good teacher. Another possibility for salt losing its taste: salt was heavily taxed. It was adulterated by mixing it with a cheap white powder. In this way it could lose its strong taste. [ NJBC]
Verse 14: “light”: For light imagery applied to Jesus, see 4:16; Luke 1:79 (Zechariah’s prophecy); 2:32 (Simeon, Nunc Dimittis); Philippians 2:15; Ephesians 5:8. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]
Verse 14: “A city built on a hill”: See Isaiah 2:2-5. [ NJBC]
Verse 15: See also Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33. Live for others, not just for yourself: see also 25:26; 2 Corinthians 4:7. [ NJBC] [ NOAB]
Verse 16: See also 1 Peter 2:12. [ NOAB]
Verse 16: “your Father”: See also 5:45, 48; 6:1, 9, 14, 26, 32; 7:11. [ NJBC]
Verse 18: “one letter”: In Greek, iota, the smallest letter. [ NJBC]
© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam
Saturday, February 1, 2020
·
3 The Dorchester Chaplains:
Lieutenant George Fox, Lieutenant Alexander D. Goode, Lieutenant Clark V.
Poling, and Lieutenant John P. Washington, 1943
·
4 Anskar, Archbishop of Hamburg, Missionary to Denmark
and Sweden, 865 was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became
known as the "Apostle of the North" because of his travels and the See of Hamburg received the
missionary mandate to bring Christianity to Northern Europe.[4][5]
·
5 Roger Williams,
1683, and Anne Hutchinson,
1643, Prophetic Witnesses
·
6 The Martyrs of Japan, 1597were Christian missionaries and followers who were persecuted and
executed, mostly during the Tokugawa shogunate period in the 17th century. More than 400 martyrs of
Japan have been recognized with beatification by the Catholic Church, and 42 have been canonized as saints.
The
Episcopal / Canadian BAS Psalm is from the ECUSA BCP.
OLD TESTAMENT: Malachi 3: 1 - 4 (all but C of E)
Malachi 3:
1 - 5 (C of E)
Mala 3:1 (NRSV)
{The Coming Messenger} See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before
me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger
of the covenant in whom you delight-indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of
hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he
appears?
For he is like a
refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier
of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold
and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. 4 Then
the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days
of old and as in former years.
5 Then I will draw
near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the
sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against
those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan,
against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the LORD of
hosts.
Psalm 24 (RCL)
Psalm 24: (1 - 6) 7 -
10 (C of E)
Psalm 24: 7 - 10 (Roman Catholic, alt. for ECUSA, Can. BAS)
Psal 24:1 (NRSV)
{Of David. A Psalm.} The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it,
the world, and
those who live in it;
2 for he has
founded it on the seas,
and established it
on the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend
the hill of the LORD?
And who shall
stand in his holy place?
4 Those who have
clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up
their souls to what is false,
and do not swear
deceitfully.
5 They will receive
blessing from the LORD,
and vindication
from the God of their salvation.
6 Such is the
company of those who seek him,
who seek the face
of the God of Jacob. [Selah]
7 Lift up your
heads, O gates!
and be lifted up,
O ancient doors!
that the King of
glory may come in.
8 Who is the King
of glory?
The LORD, strong
and mighty,
the LORD, mighty
in battle.
9 Lift up your
heads, O gates!
and be lifted up,
O ancient doors!
that the King of
glory may come in.
10 Who is this
King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of
glory. [Selah]
Psalm 84 (ECUSA, Can. BAS)
1 How
dear to me is your dwelling, O LORD of hosts! *
My
soul has a desire and longing for the courts of
the LORD;
my
heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
2 The
sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a
nest where she may lay her young; *
by
the side of your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my
King and my God.
3 Happy
are they who dwell in your house! *
they
will always be praising you.
4 Happy
are the people whose strength is in you! *
whose
hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.
5 Those
who go through the desolate valley will find
it a place of
springs, *
for
the early rains have covered it with pools of water.
6 They
will climb from height to height, *
and
the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.
7 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; *
hearken,
O God of Jacob.
8 Behold
our defender, O God; *
and
look upon the face of your Anointed.
9 For
one day in your courts is better than
a thousand in my
own room, *
and
to stand at the threshold of the house of my God
than
to dwell in the tents of the wicked.
10 For
the Lord God is both sun and
shield; *
he
will give grace and glory;
11 No
good thing will the Lord withhold
*
from
those who walk with integrity.
12 O
Lord of hosts, *
happy
are they who put their trust in you!
NEW TESTAMENT: Hebrews 2: 14 - 18 (all)
Hebr 2:14 (NRSV)
Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise
shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has
the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives
were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he did not
come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to
become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of
atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what
he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
Hebrews couches the good
news in Jewish terms: it sees Jesus as the great high priest. V. 10 says
something like It was appropriate that God, the creator, should – in
bringing us to share in his glory – make Jesus (the forerunner of our
salvation), a priest, but (unlike other priests) a priest who suffers. Why?
V. 11 says:
because Jesus and we have the same Father. God reveals himself in the Church.
There is a close affinity between Jesus and his followers.
In v. 14,
“flesh” refers to human nature, considered in its weakness and infidelity. The
writer sees the devil as having the power of death – perhaps a reminder of the
link between sin and death portrayed in the story of the Garden of Eden. Jesus,
through his redemptive act, frees us from the fear of death – death is no
longer separation from God. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, the
nature of death has changed: it has become the way out of the domain of sin.
The “descendants of Abraham” (v. 16)
are those who believe in Christ. Old Testament priests were expected to be
“faithful” (v. 17),
but Christ, the “high priest” is unique in being “merciful”, compassionate.
Before Christ, when
·
one deviated from God’s ways (sinned),
·
God became angry and separated one from him,
·
one offered a sacrifice (thus obtaining purification), and
·
regained a right relationship with God.
Christ’s “sacrifice”,
death, ends this cycle: he continually takes sins on himself, keeping us in
unity with God. Then v. 18:
it is because Christ was “tested” in life and when dying that he is able to
help those who are tempted to abandon his ways.
Verse 14: Paul writes in Romans 6:23:
“the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord”. [ NOAB]
Verse 14: “flesh and blood”: For flesh contrasted with
the spirit of God, see also Psalms 56:4; 78:39;
Isaiah 31:3;
2 Chronicles 32:8.
“Flesh and blood” meaning human beings does not occur in the
Old Testament proper; however it is found in Sirach 14:18 and 17:31.
In the New Testament, see also Matthew 16:17;
Galatians 1:16 (NRSV:
“human being”); Ephesians 6:12.
[ NJBC]
Verse 14: “so that through death ...”: Hellenistic Judaism held
that death was no part of God’s plan for humans and that it was brought into
the world by the devil: see Wisdom of Solomon 1:12-13; 2:23-24.
The connection between sin and death was broken by Christ when he, through his
high-priestly work, removed sin: see Romans 8:3-4.
[ NJBC]
Verse 15: “fear”: The fear here is that death severs one’s relationship
with God (see Isaiah 38:18 and
Psalm 115:17-18)
and also that death, being connected with sin, is more than a physical evil; in
1 Corinthians 15:26,
death is the “last enemy” to be destroyed by Christ. This Jesus realized: by
his death, the way of unending life with God was opened up to all who obey him.
[ JBC]
Verse 16: “help”: The “descendants of Abraham” are believers in
Christ. NJBC points out
that the Greek word translated “help” really means take hold of – in
order to help, so suggests that the author is thinking of the Incarnation.
The verb is in the present tense, so this action is continuing. See also 8:9:
“took them by the hand”.
Verse 17: “merciful and faithful”: That the high priest be merciful is
found in the Bible only in Hebrews; that he be faithful is part of the
high-priestly tradition: see 1 Samuel 2:35.
The author probably bases the use of “merciful” on what he sees Jesus as having
been during his earthly ministry. For faithfulness as a priestly quality in
Hebrews, see also 3:2, 6.
That he be gentle (sympathetic) is found in 5:2-3.
[ NOAB]
Verse 18: “tested”: Tempted is another translation. In
the gospels, Jesus is tempted to abandon his mission; the readers of this book
are tempted to apostasy, infidelity. [ NJBC]
GOSPEL: Luke 2: 22 - 40 (all but Roman Catholic)
Luke 2: 22 - 32 (33 -
40) (Roman Catholic)
Luke 2:22 (NRSV)
{Jesus Is Presented in the Temple} When the time came for their purification
according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him
to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn
male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), 24 and they offered a
sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of
turtledoves or two young pigeons."
25 Now there was a
man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout,
looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on
him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see
death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon
came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do
for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised
God, saying,
29 "Master,
now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your
word;
30 for my eyes
have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all
peoples,
32 a light for
revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to
your people Israel."
33 And the child's
father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon
blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the
falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed
35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed - and a sword will
pierce your own soul too."
36 There was also
a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a
great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37
then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but
worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she
came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were
looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When they had
finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with
wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
Simeon looks forward to the coming of the Messiah to restore
Israel to favour with God (“the consolation of Israel”, v. 25).
The Spirit has told him that he will see the Christ before he dies (v. 26).
Simeon’s words in vv. 29-32 are
known as the Nunc Dimittis, from the first words in Latin. He
begins by saying that God is setting him free, as a slave is granted liberty.
He is now free to die (for the Spirit’s revelation to him is now fulfilled),
and Israel is free of bondage. God has saved Israel, as he promised to “all
peoples”; his salvation is for Gentiles too. In v. 33,
Joseph is Jesus’ legal father. Simeon prophesies in vv. 34-35 through
the Spirit (v. 25).
Jesus is destined for the death and resurrection (“the falling and the rising”,
v. 34)
of many; he will meet opposition, and will cause many to think deeply about
him. Mary too will need to decide for or against Christ (“own soul”, v. 35).
Simeon and Anna together stand before God; to Luke, men and women are equal in
God’s eyes. Anna praises God, and tells many the meaning of Jesus, as Simeon
has prophesied. Like Samuel, “the favour of God was upon him” (v. 40).
© 1996-2020
Chris Haslam
The continuity between the traditions of Israel and what God was to do through Jesus is exemplified:
- By the presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the
sacrifices offered,
- By Simeon’s recognition and affirmation of Jesus as
“Messiah” and bringer of “revelation to the Gentiles” (v. 32)
as well as a cause of controversy within Israel (Isaiah 8:14),
and
- by the prophetess Anna’s acclaim of Jesus as the one
who will redeem “Jerusalem” (v. 38),
the symbol of God’s people (see Isaiah 52:7-10).
[ CAB]
When a child was one
month old, he was redeemed for five shekels (see Numbers 3:47-48; 18:15-16),
but Luke does not mention this. Rather, he introduces Jesus’ presentation – for
which there is no regulation in the Old Testament. [ NJBC] However, being “designated
as holy” (v. 23)
was probably to be done in a liturgy, a public event, a presentation. Luke has
presented both John and Jesus as dedicated to God from the time they were in
the womb. So both are, in a sense, Nazirites. Matthew 2:23,
in saying that Jesus “will be called a Nazorean”, may be saying that he will be
called a Nazirite. While we know of no ritual for initial consecration of a
Nazirite, Numbers 6:9-12 prescribes
an elaborate ritual for reconsecration of a Nazirite should he or she become
ritually unclean. [ HBD] Also
recall that it is Luke that gives us the Magnificat (in 1:46-55),
the song of Mary modelled after Hannah’s song before the dedication of her son
Samuel to temple service (see 1 Samuel 2:1-10).
Perhaps Luke is continuing his parallel with Samuel.
Verses 22-24: For the requirement for, and the delay in,
purification, see Leviticus 12:2-8.
[ NOAB]
Verse 22: “to present him to the Lord”: For Samuel’s
presentation in the temple (at Shiloh), see 1 Samuel 1:22-24.
Luke also probably thinks of Malachi 3:1-2 (“the
Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple”). [NJBC]
Verse 22: “Jerusalem”: The Greek is Hierosolyma,
literally meaning holy Salem or holy space. In his
gospel, Luke sometimes uses Hierosolyma and sometimes Ierosalem.
Perhaps he is showing the etymology of the name of the city. [ NJBC]
Verses 25-28: “Simeon”: Some interpreters, especially
ancient ones, saw Acts 15:14 as
referring to this Simeon. Other than that possible reference, he is unknown.
Both he and Anna (v. 38)
express faith in Jesus as Saviour, Messiah and universal Lord. [ NOAB] Simeon means God
has heard. He is described in much the same way as John the Baptist’s parents: 1:6 tells
us “Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all
the commandments and regulations of the Lord”. [ NJBC]
Verse 25: “the consolation of Israel”: While I have
interpreted these words in an eschatological sense, it
is also possible that Simeon looks forward to the independence of Israel from
Roman occupation. The word translated “consolation” is paraklesis.
This word is used in the Septuagint translation
of Isaiah 40:1,
“Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.”. [ BlkMt] JBC notes that according to the
rabbis, this term denoted the final, unrecorded words that passed between
Elijah and Elisha (see 2 Kings 2:11)
and that would be made known when Elijah reappeared (see 1:17).
[ JBC] Isaiah 66:12-13 may
also be in Luke’s mind. [ NJBC]
Verse 26: “the Lord’s Messiah”: The Lord here is God
(the Father). Christos is the Greek translation of Messiah.
In 9:20,
Peter identifies Jesus as “the Messiah of God”. [ NOAB]
Verse 27: “Simeon came into the temple”: Note that he is
not a priest. He and Anna do embody the heart of Temple cult: service to God. [ NJBC]
Verses 29-32: The vocabulary of these verses, the
theological centrepiece of the passage, seems to be drawn from Deutero-Isaiah: see
Isaiah 52:9-10; 49:6; 46:13; 42:6; 40:5.
They stress the universal nature of Christ’s salvation. See also Isaiah 46:13;
Acts 13:47; 26:23.
[ NJBC]
Verse 29: “you are dismissing your servant”: As in the
freeing of a slave.
Verse 29: “in peace”: i.e. in a state of harmony with
God.
Verse 30: See also 3:6 (“‘...
all flesh shall see the salvation of God’”) and Isaiah 52:10 (“...
all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God”). [ NOAB]
Verse 30: “salvation”: See also 1:47 (the Magnificat,
where Mary says “‘my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour’”). See also 1:71, 77; 2:11.
[ NJBC]
Verses 31-32: God’s salvation in Jesus moves out and
embraces God’s people Israel and then encircles the others, the nations. See
also 24:44-47 (Jesus
appears to his disciples). [ NJBC]
Verse 33: “father”: Joseph is Jesus’ legal father as
Mary’s husband. In Matthew 13:55,
people at the synagogue ask: “‘Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his
mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and
Judas?’”. In Luke 3:23,
we read “...He was the son (as was thought) of Joseph ...”. [ NOAB] His lineage is traced,
through Joseph, back to David and the patriarchs in the following verses.
Verse 35: “sword”: Ezekiel 14:17-18 speaks
of a sword of discrimination between the godly and the ungodly; perhaps this is
view, rather than a sword of punishment. Mary too has to choose for or against
God’s revelation in Jesus, family ties not withstanding. [ NJBC]
Verse 36: “Anna”: Her name means grace, favour.
Her pairing with Simeon, and of Elisabeth and Zechariah, illustrate an
important theme in Luke: men and women stand side-by-side before God, equal in
honour and grace, endowed with the same gifts, with the same responsibilities.
See also Genesis 1:27 and
Galatians 3:28.
Other pairings are Zarephath and Naaman ( 4:25-28),
the healing of the demoniac and Peter’s mother-in-law ( 4:31-39),
and the centurion of Capernaum and the widow of Nain ( 7:1-17).
[ NJBC]
Verse 36: “Asher”: See Joshua 19:24 for
Asher’s portion in the division of the Promised Land into tribal territories. [ NOAB]
Verse 37: “to the age of eighty-four”: There is an
alternative translation: for eighty-four years. This would make
Anna over 100 years old at the time. Perhaps Luke is symbolically linking her
to Judith, also a devout widow, who lived to the age of 105: see Judith 16:23.
Verse 38: “Jerusalem”, i.e. all the elect.
Verse 40: “filled with wisdom”: i.e. God’s practical
all-embracing plan of salvation: see Proverbs 8:22ff and
Sirach 24.
© 1996-2020
Chris Haslam
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