1 David, Bishop of Menevia, Wales, c. 544  was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids) during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and a relatively large amount of information is known about his life.
2 Chad, Bishop of Lichfield, 672 was a prominent 7th century Anglo-Saxon churchman, who became abbot of several monasteries, Bishop of the Northumbrians and subsequently Bishop of the Mercians and Lindsey People. He was later canonised as a saint. He was the brother of Cedd, also a saint. He features strongly in the work of the Venerable Bede and is credited, together with Cedd, with introducing Christianity to the Mercian kingdom.
3 John and Charles Wesley, Priests, 1791, 1788
4 Paul Cuffee, Witness to the Faith among the Shinnecock, 1812
6 William W. Mayo, 1911, and Charles Menninger, 1953, and their sons, pioneers in medicine
7 Perpetua & Felicity and their Companion Martyrs, Martyrs at Carthage, 203  were Christian martyrs of the 3rd century. Vibia Perpetua was a married noblewoman, said to have been 22 years old at the time of her death, and mother of an infant she was nursing. Felicity, a slave imprisoned with her and pregnant at the time, was martyred with her. They were put to death along with others at Carthage in the Roman province of Africa.
8 Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy, Priest, 1929



OLD TESTAMENT   Genesis 2: 15 - 17, 3: 1 - 7   (RCL)
                               Genesis 2: 7 - 9, 3: 1 - 7   (Roman Catholic)

Gene 24 (NRSV) These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up--for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground-- 7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."

25 And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. 31 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, "You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'" 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.


PSALM 32   (RCL)

Psal 321 (NRSV) Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. [Se'lah]
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,"
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. [Se'lah]
6 Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. [Se'lah]
8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.


32   Beati quorum    (ECUSA BCP)

1  Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
  and whose sin is put away!

2  Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, *
  and in whose spirit there is no guile!

3  While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *
  because of my groaning all day long.

4  For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *
  my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.

5  Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *
  and did not conceal my guilt.

6  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” *
  Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.

7  Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in
time of trouble; *
  when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.

8  You are my hiding-place;
you preserve me from trouble; *
  you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

9  “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you
should go; *
  I will guide you with my eye.

10  Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *
  who must be fitted with bit and bridle,
  or else they will not stay near you.”

11  Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *
  but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.

12  Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; *
  shout for joy, all who are true of heart.


Psalm 51: 1 - 4, 10 - 12, 15   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 511 (NRSV) Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
and blameless when you pass judgment.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty,
a sinner when my mother conceived me.
6 You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice;
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19 then you will delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Note Verse numbering in the Roman Catholic bible is two higher than the above.


NEW TESTAMENT   Romans 5: 12 - 19   (RCL, Roman Catholic)

Roma 512 (NRSV) Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned-- 13 sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14 Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16 And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17 If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
Paul has said that Christians, reconciled to God, will be saved, sharing in the risen life of Christ. Two notions are important here:

the punishment for Adam’s sin was to die both physically and spiritually (“death came through sin”); and
we both sin ourselves and share in his sin (“spread to all”).
Paul contrasts Adam and Christ, both inaugurators of eras. Adam foreshadowed Christ as head of humanity (“type”, v. 14, precursor). Adam disobeyed God’s direct command (“the transgression”, v. 14, “the trespass”, v. 15). The “free gift”, i.e. Christ, is unlike Adam’s sin:

“many died” before Christ’s coming but even more so are “many” (indeed all) saved through Christ;
Adam was condemned to separation from God but Christ brings union with God (vv. 16, 18);
Adam’s sin allowed “death” (v. 17) to rule through the Devil (“that one”) but we let good rule our hearts (“dominion in life”); and
Adam’s action led to the sin of many but Christ’s will lead many to godliness (v. 19), to “eternal life” (v. 21).
(Vv. 13-14b are an aside: before God gave Moses the Law, humans were not held accountable for their sins; even so they died.)

Verse 12: “Therefore”: The Greek is dia touto, literally meaning for this reason. [ NJBC] The first sentence in Comments summarizes vv. 1-11.

Verse 12: “death came through sin”: Wisdom of Solomon 2:24 says “... through the devil’s entry death entered the world ...”. [ NJBC]

Verses 12,14,20: Paul pictures the world as a stage. He personifies three actors: Sin (Hamartia), Death (Thanatos) and Law (Nomos). [ NJBC]

Verses 13-14: Paul divides the pre-Christian era into two sub-eras: from “Adam to Moses” and from Moses to Jesus. He says that before Moses, before there was a law, no one could be charged with breaking a non-existent law; even so people died. [ NJBC]

Verses 13-16: 1 Corinthians 15:45 tells us that Christ is “the last Adam”. See also 1 Corinthians 15:21-23, 45-49; Galatians 3:17; Romans 3:20; 7:7-8. [ NJBC] [ CAB]

Verse 15: “many”: The Greek word also means all in 5:18; 12:5; 1 Corinthians 10:17 (where it is translated as such). [ NJBC]

Verse 16: “the free gift”: Paul writes in 3:23-24: “since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”.

Verse 16: “justification”: REB translates the Greek as acquittal.

Verse 17: “dominion in life”: This notion is developed in 6:12-23. [ CAB]

Verse 18: “leads to justification and life”: One scholar offers for acquittal and life. [ NJBC]

Verse 19: In 1:5, Paul speaks of Jesus as the one “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name”. See also Hebrews 12:2. [ CAB]

Verse 20: “But law came in, ... multiplied”: This is explained in 7:7-13. [ NOAB]. In Galatians 3:19, Paul asks: “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator”. [ CAB]

Verse 21: “death”: Death is a cosmic force (see 8:38 and 1 Corinthians 3:22), the “last enemy” to be vanquished (see 1 Corinthians 15:56).



GOSPEL   Matthew 4: 1 - 11   (all)

Matt 41 (NRSV) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written,
"One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
"He will command his angels concerning you,'
and "On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"
7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
"Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.'"
11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

In Mark, only the essential historical facts are recorded: those in vv. 1, 2 and 11c. The disciples probably knew none of the details of Jesus’ trials, for temptation is essentially a personal inner battle with one’s conscience. “Forty days” (v. 2) reminds us of Moses and Elijah, both of whom also fasted for forty days as they prepared for their roles as God’s agents to Israel – as does Jesus. All three of the temptations the Devil (“the tempter”, v. 3, “Satan”, v. 10) presents to Jesus are ways of sinning against the great commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, ... soul, and ... might”. The “heart” was the seat of will, of moral choice; “soul” means life; “might” means possessions. (All Jesus’ answers are from Deuteronomy 6-8.) To change “stones” (v. 3) into bread would be to use his power for his personal benefit. Jesus says that the “word” (v. 4) of God is the chief nourishment. The “holy city” (v. 5) is Jerusalem; a “pinnacle” probably overlooked the temple courts and the deep Kidron Valley. Jesus answers: testing God’s protection by unnecessarily risking life is a mockery of real martyrdom – and of his sacrifice to come (v. 7). The Devil, evil forces personified, invites Jesus to prefer personal wealth and power over love of God (vv. 8-9). Jesus answers: God is the only god to be worshipped and served (v. 10). The details make the point that Jesus is the perfect lover of God, the ideal Israelite, the founder of a new way of being human.

© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam

The parallels are Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13. The accounts illustrate Jesus' habitual refusal to allow his sense of mission to be influenced by concern for his safety or for merely practical interests. [ NOAB]

Note that Mark tells of this event in only two verses: “... the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him”. He probably tells what the disciples knew of this event: they knew that Jesus had been tempted but they did not know exactly what had gone on in Jesus’ consciousness. The accounts in Matthew and Luke (which both seem to come from the Q source), are a narrative midrash or interpretation of the event in such as way as to make it pastorally useful for believers. This is accomplished by linking Jesus’ experience with the fasts of Moses and Elijah and the rebellion of the Israelites against divine nourishment (manna) during the Exodus. [ NJBC] Hebrews 2:18 is particularly instructive: “Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested”, as is Hebrews 4:15.

Evil forces are personified, as are sin, death and law in Romans 5. Both “the tempter” (v. 3) and “Satan” (v. 10) are names for evil conceived as a personal will actively hostile to God. See also Luke 13:11, 16. [ NOAB]

Another interpretation: Jesus refuses to use his power in self-gratifying ways, to allow his sense of mission to be influenced by concern for his safety or merely practical interests.

Verse 2: “forty days and forty nights”: For Moses’ fast on Mount Sinai being of this duration, see Exodus 34:28; for Elijah’s fast on the same mountain, see 1 Kings 19:8. [ NOAB]

Verse 3: “Son of God”: The tempter is calling Jesus the representative of Israel (rather than messiah). [ NJBC]

Verse 4: The quotation is Deuteronomy 8:3. In Deuteronomy 6-8 the word of God is the chief nourishment. [ NOAB]

Verse 5: “the holy city”: Jerusalem is only called this in the New Testament in Matthew and Revelation. In the Old Testament, Jerusalem is called “holy” in Nehemiah 11:1, 18; Isaiah 53:1; Daniel 9:24. [ BlkMt]

Verse 5: “pinnacle of the temple”: The Greek word translated as pinnacle literally means little wing. It seems to be some lofty projection or pinnacle from which one might well fall to one’s death. God’s power might be expected to be at its greatest around the Temple. [ BlkMt]

Verse 6: The quotations are Psalm 91:11-12, in the Septuagint translation. [ NOAB]

Verse 6: “bear you up”: i.e. keep you from serious injury or death. [ BlkMt]

Verse 7: The quotation is Deuteronomy 6:16. Putting God to the test would show lack of faith. [ BlkMt] Paul picks up on this in 1 Corinthians 10:9. [ NJBC]

Verse 8: There is no mountain from which one can see “all the kingdoms of the world”. [ BlkMt]

Verse 10: The quotation is Deuteronomy 6:13. [ NOAB]

Verse 11: “suddenly angels came and waited on him”: BlkMt says that the ministry of “angels” probably included both spiritual support and provision in some way of needed food for the body.

The temptation of Jesus has universal significance:

Jesus stands for Israel because he is the beginning of the new people of God, the founder of a new humanity;
the basic temptation is not to love God with a unified heart, at the risk of life, at the cost of wealth;
Jesus is here shown to be the perfect lover of God

© 1996-2020 Chris Haslam