Pound of flesh demanded
Commentary
Object:
It is the time of year for the last push of demands before the summer season beckons upon the horizon. The children's school system is squeezing in as many meetings as possible for parents. Teachers are trying to push assignment and test dates before the even warmer days arrive in May and June. Many church organizations have their denominational gathering about this time of year. They have business they hope to have wrapped up so staff and volunteers can take the summer off out of the area or on mission trips.
Some people are still paying off their credit cards from the holidays. Other families are experiencing a sudden surge of bill collectors, advertisers, and volunteer organizations requiring their time, money, or commitments. This is the time of year that many groups demand a major pound of flesh in whatever form that takes. Easter Sunday was last week. Now what? Not many people get days off from work or school aside from "Good Friday." It is as if the daily grind and rat race resumes the Monday morning after Easter eggs, new clothing, and for some the biannual trip to "church" (until Christmas). The "constant" in this universe liturgically is the remembered "Doubting Thomas" text in John 20:19-31. However, these texts address those people and families who are living in the reality when a pound of flesh is demanded from their daily lives and personal resources.
Acts 2:14a; 22-32
It is the same thing, different day at any given workplace, school, and family or community environment. So what has actually changed if it is "Easter" or the season of a "new life"? As a matter of fact, the Messiah who rode into Jerusalem about a week ago has been arrested and executed. There was no "Arab Spring" of a change in political powers as occurred in the Middle East some time ago. Peter, the disciple who denied Jesus three times, has a newfound courage and preaches to the Judeans in Acts 2:14. The Roman empire who exacts heavy taxes and burdens upon people, or a "pound of flesh," has indeed been defeated. How does one declare Easter to the average peasant, ship's galley slave like in the movie Ben Hur, or household who still has to work much of the day for food?
The good news is that Jesus' dead body was never found by the Roman officials. The body remains gone! Peter and 120 people had witnessed the risen Jesus and his Ascension (Acts 1:15), which would be a credible measurement if any Roman tax census takers had happened to be there that day. So chalk one up for the people of the new Lord Jesus, and minus one for the Lord of the Roman empire. Add to this that it was God's plan all along, according to Peter.
For David says concerning him, "I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken" (Acts 2:25; taken from Psalm 110:1). Also "foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, 'He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption,' " applied as being a fulfillment of Psalm 16:10. David also has a prophetic role (as well as monarch and priestly offices) in the eyes of the people of faith (vv. 25, 30). The God of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is not asleep on the job. In this Easter season, this God is active right now in the resurrection of Jesus as the Christ who has defeated sin, death, and that which represents death to anybody of any time era. This might include the loss of a job, family, house, value of higher education (with loans still due!), as well as health concerns. To a world that still exacts a pound of flesh from hard-working, sincere, faithful people, Jesus or God's Messiah has beat the system at the grave. This Jesus is raised up (v. 32).
God was at work through this Jesus of Nazareth (v. 22) and remains at work through him. God had planned this since the earlier Hebrew Bible times and is now carrying out these plans. Whoever has a faith in this God also shares this God's new life after every death. No longer does one have to worry if their faith in Jesus will disappoint them before or at the grave. A "spiritual community" that supersedes any institutional structures has risen that practices unconditional love and new life after every death. While the lords of this world demand another pound of flesh for whatever returns they may or may not deliver, this Lord of Easter provides new life.
This text is also a support for the creedal phrase of "he descended into hell (or the dead)." Scholars still contest if this is a strong enough text to support such a creedal claim, but it is a viable interpretation for many scholars of the church. There was also a popular belief that souls went to the land of the dead (Sheol) for a short period; then to their eternal destiny. Luke believes that period must have been short because Jesus told the repentant thief "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). This Jesus is Messiah because his body was not decomposed like that of the deceased King David of Israel.
Though the Easter candy, eggs, and dinner have been mostly digested by the family and guests, the body of Jesus is still gone. More than 120 people who saw the risen Jesus are sticking to their story. The very energy-sucking group who are demanding a pound of flesh on this spring day might well be gone when autumn or winter arrives this same year. But Christians still have new life. This is the good news of Easter. [Sources: Ernst Haenchen, The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary (Westminster Press, 1971); Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, Volume 3 (University of Chicago Press, 1963)]
1 Peter 1:3-9
So, how does one keep rejoicing while they are still enduring hard times, trials, and threats upon their lives, income, or way of living in the foreseeable future? It is still Easter, the season of new life. The communities of 1 Peter's epistle were exiles in dispersion (1 Peter 1:1-2). Authorship for the epistle is contested between the apostle himself and a pseudonymous writer of a following generation. One moderating position might be that Silvanus, one of the early Christian followers of that time, had written these words on Peter's behalf (Kelly, pp. 32-33). This question does not minimize the content of the text.
The threefold results of being baptized into the household of faith include: 1) A living hope made possible through Jesus being raised from the grave, 2) an inheritance in heaven that cannot be destroyed, and 3) salvation that is being revealed through the risen Christ. God is guarding the Christians through his power in the new age, but this does not insulate Christians from being tested and suffering.
First Peter's response to the basic "theodicy" question of righteous suffering by believers is that such trials serve to purify people in the genuineness of their faith. The metaphor of refining gold through the fiery tests is used to show how faith in Jesus Christ is refined in a similar manner. So if a person is going through many trials in any given community, 1 Peter's response would it that this refines one's faith and shows the genuineness of what they actually believe. Such faith is even more pure than gold. This should be reason for rejoicing.
Salvation of the soul occurs now; this is another reason for rejoicing in times of trial. While there is a future sense of this glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (v. 7), there is reason to be confident that this Christ and the eternal inheritance will not let Christians down. Some authors believe that this is a catechism formula from an unknown source, which both Paul and Peter have drawn. Also verse 8's reference to "although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now" might suggest that this text is written to a later generation of Christians. This is not a necessary conclusion, but it is a viable option that could suggest that the readers are of a later generation who continue to experience local and possibly governmental suffering.
For people who feel as if others are always trying to take "a pound of flesh" by demanding more time, money, commitments, and other resources, 1 Peter says this is another way of testing the genuine nature of one's faith. Therefore they should rejoice that their sufferings point to an inheritance that is kept for them. This might be one response to the theodicy question of "righteous people suffering." Any church, community group, or people who seem to always encounter one set of problems after another may be comforted that such experiences are ways to refine their faith in the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. Hence, though it is Easter season, the shadow of the cross remains present in the form of continual times of testing and suffering. This is the basic response of 1 Peter to the any would-be "Job" situations in our midst. [Source: J.N.D. Kelly, Thornapple Commentaries: A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and Jude (Baker Book House, 1969)]
John 20:19-31
One of the "constants" in the lectionary universe remains the "Doubting Thomas" text on the Sunday after Easter. The text has at least three basic themes to it, so if desired one is not forced to dwell on the Thomas theme. The text opens with the disciples being locked behind closed doors in the evening for fear of the "Jews" (or I prefer the trend to call them the "Judeans"). Then Jesus appears in their presence to wish them "peace." In any time of stress, worry, or fear for one's well-being, the message of "peace" from a risen God in the flesh (1:1-14) is welcome. This theme recurs in verses 21 and 26. This is an opportunity to preach about God's wholesome peace that makes one complete and fills their inner emptiness or "estrangement" from realizing their place in the cosmos as well as with humankind. John 10:10 declares that Jesus comes to provide abundant life both in quantity and quality. This is one train of good news in this text. There are still other strands one may pursue.
John's "Pentecost" is here, where Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit into the disciples (v. 22). This is immediately followed by the church's call to forgive or retain the sins of people. One of the implications of this command is the question of which sins were around in the New Testament times and which ones had not even occurred to the writers. Are congregations facing issues that are not so black-and-white and do require some reflection, discernment, and rethinking of what is considered "sinful" and what is not "sinful"? Another way to split hairs here is to suggest that all of humanity is fallen; which areas of this fallen nature are subject to forgiveness (with repentance)? Since the age of the enlightenment, science, and so on, how does the church discern what Martin Luther called its "Office of the Keys"? Examples of such areas might include: marriage and divorce, sexuality issues, economic realities that lead to bankruptcy, genetic concerns for repopulation of the planet, and "what if" there is life on other planets in the universe. The Holy Spirit of Jesus the Christ will not leave us "orphaned or parentless" (14:18). In fact, this Holy Spirit continues to remind and teach the community of faith Jesus' ways (14:25-26). It can also be seen as the beginning of a "mission" for the church from John's perspective. Depending on how theologically savvy people wish to be on this Sunday, there is still another theme.
When he finally realizes who Jesus is, Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (v. 28). Coupled with such texts as John 1:14, there is a solid case for both the Holy Trinity, as well as the deity of Christ -- in forms of a high Christology (i.e.: Jesus is God for John). Verse 31 states that the purpose of this writing is "so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." The Messiah is being defined in John as God in the flesh that brings peace or completion to those whose lives lack meaning. This Messiah dwells with humans in a Holy Spirit. And this Messiah is none other than God in the flesh. This strand of thought could elicit a sermon on "who exactly is this Jesus for us today?" Do people really want a "God" that fulfills John's vision for a deity or is there is a stronger temptation to sidestep the Johannine writings and simply create one's own personal deity in life?
The detail of Thomas, the twin, is unique in the gospels. Many articles have been written to suggest that his "doubt" is actually the other side of "deeper faith" once he realizes who Jesus really is as God in the flesh. This text also famously reminds Christians of succeeding generations that even though they have not seen Jesus in the flesh personally, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" (v. 29). Apocryphal works suggest that Thomas was the patron saint in the nation of India and was skinned alive for his confession in Jesus as the Christ. This might put the "Doubting Thomas" label to rest permanently if preached in a passionate manner. This text also invites people of faith to seek out and become friends with doubters of any notion of faith, religion, or a deity on the job, at school, in the community, or with one's relatives at a social gathering. [Source: George R. Beasley-Murray, World Biblical Commentary: John (Word Books, 1987)]
Application
For people who are living under some form of stress or worry, all three texts commend themselves as "good news" for the weary, even though the calendar says it is still the Easter season. Acts 2 reminds us that the same God of King David whom the prophet Samuel anointed (1 Samuel 16) remains active and provides new life to those whose lives are tangled up in balls of endless demands and worries that mercilessly exact a pound of flesh from their sore bodies. First Peter 1 is a reminder to those who have asked to "grow spiritually" that this is accomplished through trials and sufferings. John 20 assures believers of all times that the Holy Spirit continues to breathe in new life every day, as God continues to want all people to have peace and fulfillment through the risen Jesus.
An Alternative Application
Acts 2 asks the question if God can do a new thing that is not from Moses. How is newness defined today? Do people simply want the past revisited, or are they prepared for a truly new reality? In the Roman empire of 1 Peter's epistles it was a "winner takes all" economy where Rome was the enforcer and beneficiary of the lands conquered. Suppose true blessing was found in suffering? Are Christians prepared for the possibility of seeing their church basements without children, bills overdue, inability to pay a pastor, and then eventual closing of their building as God blessing them through trials and sufferings? While John's gospel ends on a positive account, the latter Johannine epistles paint a picture of more problems. Yet the Holy Spirit is available to remind and teach the church about new life every day of the year!
Some people are still paying off their credit cards from the holidays. Other families are experiencing a sudden surge of bill collectors, advertisers, and volunteer organizations requiring their time, money, or commitments. This is the time of year that many groups demand a major pound of flesh in whatever form that takes. Easter Sunday was last week. Now what? Not many people get days off from work or school aside from "Good Friday." It is as if the daily grind and rat race resumes the Monday morning after Easter eggs, new clothing, and for some the biannual trip to "church" (until Christmas). The "constant" in this universe liturgically is the remembered "Doubting Thomas" text in John 20:19-31. However, these texts address those people and families who are living in the reality when a pound of flesh is demanded from their daily lives and personal resources.
Acts 2:14a; 22-32
It is the same thing, different day at any given workplace, school, and family or community environment. So what has actually changed if it is "Easter" or the season of a "new life"? As a matter of fact, the Messiah who rode into Jerusalem about a week ago has been arrested and executed. There was no "Arab Spring" of a change in political powers as occurred in the Middle East some time ago. Peter, the disciple who denied Jesus three times, has a newfound courage and preaches to the Judeans in Acts 2:14. The Roman empire who exacts heavy taxes and burdens upon people, or a "pound of flesh," has indeed been defeated. How does one declare Easter to the average peasant, ship's galley slave like in the movie Ben Hur, or household who still has to work much of the day for food?
The good news is that Jesus' dead body was never found by the Roman officials. The body remains gone! Peter and 120 people had witnessed the risen Jesus and his Ascension (Acts 1:15), which would be a credible measurement if any Roman tax census takers had happened to be there that day. So chalk one up for the people of the new Lord Jesus, and minus one for the Lord of the Roman empire. Add to this that it was God's plan all along, according to Peter.
For David says concerning him, "I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken" (Acts 2:25; taken from Psalm 110:1). Also "foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, 'He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption,' " applied as being a fulfillment of Psalm 16:10. David also has a prophetic role (as well as monarch and priestly offices) in the eyes of the people of faith (vv. 25, 30). The God of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is not asleep on the job. In this Easter season, this God is active right now in the resurrection of Jesus as the Christ who has defeated sin, death, and that which represents death to anybody of any time era. This might include the loss of a job, family, house, value of higher education (with loans still due!), as well as health concerns. To a world that still exacts a pound of flesh from hard-working, sincere, faithful people, Jesus or God's Messiah has beat the system at the grave. This Jesus is raised up (v. 32).
God was at work through this Jesus of Nazareth (v. 22) and remains at work through him. God had planned this since the earlier Hebrew Bible times and is now carrying out these plans. Whoever has a faith in this God also shares this God's new life after every death. No longer does one have to worry if their faith in Jesus will disappoint them before or at the grave. A "spiritual community" that supersedes any institutional structures has risen that practices unconditional love and new life after every death. While the lords of this world demand another pound of flesh for whatever returns they may or may not deliver, this Lord of Easter provides new life.
This text is also a support for the creedal phrase of "he descended into hell (or the dead)." Scholars still contest if this is a strong enough text to support such a creedal claim, but it is a viable interpretation for many scholars of the church. There was also a popular belief that souls went to the land of the dead (Sheol) for a short period; then to their eternal destiny. Luke believes that period must have been short because Jesus told the repentant thief "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). This Jesus is Messiah because his body was not decomposed like that of the deceased King David of Israel.
Though the Easter candy, eggs, and dinner have been mostly digested by the family and guests, the body of Jesus is still gone. More than 120 people who saw the risen Jesus are sticking to their story. The very energy-sucking group who are demanding a pound of flesh on this spring day might well be gone when autumn or winter arrives this same year. But Christians still have new life. This is the good news of Easter. [Sources: Ernst Haenchen, The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary (Westminster Press, 1971); Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, Volume 3 (University of Chicago Press, 1963)]
1 Peter 1:3-9
So, how does one keep rejoicing while they are still enduring hard times, trials, and threats upon their lives, income, or way of living in the foreseeable future? It is still Easter, the season of new life. The communities of 1 Peter's epistle were exiles in dispersion (1 Peter 1:1-2). Authorship for the epistle is contested between the apostle himself and a pseudonymous writer of a following generation. One moderating position might be that Silvanus, one of the early Christian followers of that time, had written these words on Peter's behalf (Kelly, pp. 32-33). This question does not minimize the content of the text.
The threefold results of being baptized into the household of faith include: 1) A living hope made possible through Jesus being raised from the grave, 2) an inheritance in heaven that cannot be destroyed, and 3) salvation that is being revealed through the risen Christ. God is guarding the Christians through his power in the new age, but this does not insulate Christians from being tested and suffering.
First Peter's response to the basic "theodicy" question of righteous suffering by believers is that such trials serve to purify people in the genuineness of their faith. The metaphor of refining gold through the fiery tests is used to show how faith in Jesus Christ is refined in a similar manner. So if a person is going through many trials in any given community, 1 Peter's response would it that this refines one's faith and shows the genuineness of what they actually believe. Such faith is even more pure than gold. This should be reason for rejoicing.
Salvation of the soul occurs now; this is another reason for rejoicing in times of trial. While there is a future sense of this glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (v. 7), there is reason to be confident that this Christ and the eternal inheritance will not let Christians down. Some authors believe that this is a catechism formula from an unknown source, which both Paul and Peter have drawn. Also verse 8's reference to "although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now" might suggest that this text is written to a later generation of Christians. This is not a necessary conclusion, but it is a viable option that could suggest that the readers are of a later generation who continue to experience local and possibly governmental suffering.
For people who feel as if others are always trying to take "a pound of flesh" by demanding more time, money, commitments, and other resources, 1 Peter says this is another way of testing the genuine nature of one's faith. Therefore they should rejoice that their sufferings point to an inheritance that is kept for them. This might be one response to the theodicy question of "righteous people suffering." Any church, community group, or people who seem to always encounter one set of problems after another may be comforted that such experiences are ways to refine their faith in the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. Hence, though it is Easter season, the shadow of the cross remains present in the form of continual times of testing and suffering. This is the basic response of 1 Peter to the any would-be "Job" situations in our midst. [Source: J.N.D. Kelly, Thornapple Commentaries: A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and Jude (Baker Book House, 1969)]
John 20:19-31
One of the "constants" in the lectionary universe remains the "Doubting Thomas" text on the Sunday after Easter. The text has at least three basic themes to it, so if desired one is not forced to dwell on the Thomas theme. The text opens with the disciples being locked behind closed doors in the evening for fear of the "Jews" (or I prefer the trend to call them the "Judeans"). Then Jesus appears in their presence to wish them "peace." In any time of stress, worry, or fear for one's well-being, the message of "peace" from a risen God in the flesh (1:1-14) is welcome. This theme recurs in verses 21 and 26. This is an opportunity to preach about God's wholesome peace that makes one complete and fills their inner emptiness or "estrangement" from realizing their place in the cosmos as well as with humankind. John 10:10 declares that Jesus comes to provide abundant life both in quantity and quality. This is one train of good news in this text. There are still other strands one may pursue.
John's "Pentecost" is here, where Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit into the disciples (v. 22). This is immediately followed by the church's call to forgive or retain the sins of people. One of the implications of this command is the question of which sins were around in the New Testament times and which ones had not even occurred to the writers. Are congregations facing issues that are not so black-and-white and do require some reflection, discernment, and rethinking of what is considered "sinful" and what is not "sinful"? Another way to split hairs here is to suggest that all of humanity is fallen; which areas of this fallen nature are subject to forgiveness (with repentance)? Since the age of the enlightenment, science, and so on, how does the church discern what Martin Luther called its "Office of the Keys"? Examples of such areas might include: marriage and divorce, sexuality issues, economic realities that lead to bankruptcy, genetic concerns for repopulation of the planet, and "what if" there is life on other planets in the universe. The Holy Spirit of Jesus the Christ will not leave us "orphaned or parentless" (14:18). In fact, this Holy Spirit continues to remind and teach the community of faith Jesus' ways (14:25-26). It can also be seen as the beginning of a "mission" for the church from John's perspective. Depending on how theologically savvy people wish to be on this Sunday, there is still another theme.
When he finally realizes who Jesus is, Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (v. 28). Coupled with such texts as John 1:14, there is a solid case for both the Holy Trinity, as well as the deity of Christ -- in forms of a high Christology (i.e.: Jesus is God for John). Verse 31 states that the purpose of this writing is "so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." The Messiah is being defined in John as God in the flesh that brings peace or completion to those whose lives lack meaning. This Messiah dwells with humans in a Holy Spirit. And this Messiah is none other than God in the flesh. This strand of thought could elicit a sermon on "who exactly is this Jesus for us today?" Do people really want a "God" that fulfills John's vision for a deity or is there is a stronger temptation to sidestep the Johannine writings and simply create one's own personal deity in life?
The detail of Thomas, the twin, is unique in the gospels. Many articles have been written to suggest that his "doubt" is actually the other side of "deeper faith" once he realizes who Jesus really is as God in the flesh. This text also famously reminds Christians of succeeding generations that even though they have not seen Jesus in the flesh personally, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" (v. 29). Apocryphal works suggest that Thomas was the patron saint in the nation of India and was skinned alive for his confession in Jesus as the Christ. This might put the "Doubting Thomas" label to rest permanently if preached in a passionate manner. This text also invites people of faith to seek out and become friends with doubters of any notion of faith, religion, or a deity on the job, at school, in the community, or with one's relatives at a social gathering. [Source: George R. Beasley-Murray, World Biblical Commentary: John (Word Books, 1987)]
Application
For people who are living under some form of stress or worry, all three texts commend themselves as "good news" for the weary, even though the calendar says it is still the Easter season. Acts 2 reminds us that the same God of King David whom the prophet Samuel anointed (1 Samuel 16) remains active and provides new life to those whose lives are tangled up in balls of endless demands and worries that mercilessly exact a pound of flesh from their sore bodies. First Peter 1 is a reminder to those who have asked to "grow spiritually" that this is accomplished through trials and sufferings. John 20 assures believers of all times that the Holy Spirit continues to breathe in new life every day, as God continues to want all people to have peace and fulfillment through the risen Jesus.
An Alternative Application
Acts 2 asks the question if God can do a new thing that is not from Moses. How is newness defined today? Do people simply want the past revisited, or are they prepared for a truly new reality? In the Roman empire of 1 Peter's epistles it was a "winner takes all" economy where Rome was the enforcer and beneficiary of the lands conquered. Suppose true blessing was found in suffering? Are Christians prepared for the possibility of seeing their church basements without children, bills overdue, inability to pay a pastor, and then eventual closing of their building as God blessing them through trials and sufferings? While John's gospel ends on a positive account, the latter Johannine epistles paint a picture of more problems. Yet the Holy Spirit is available to remind and teach the church about new life every day of the year!
