Understanding
Commentary
Have you ever heard a joke and didn't "get it"? Having to have someone explain the punch line of a joke can be embarrassing. Often episodes of the situation comedies currently on television entail misunderstanding. The common pattern is that we viewers know something that characters in the story do not know, so we can laugh at their misunderstandings. Or, one scene in Fiddler on the Roof, pictures the butcher coming to Tevye to ask for the hand of his daughter in marriage. Tevye, however, thinks that he has come to buy Tevye's cow. The ensuing conversation is hilarious, because of the misunderstanding which embarrasses both the characters when they discover what has happened.
Equally embarrassing are other kinds of misunderstandings or failures to understand, some of which are fatal. Last year NASA had a terrible misunderstanding which cost them (and us) the loss of a satellite. So far as they know, one station gave measurements of the satellite's location in metric terms and the base station understood them to be in American terms. The satellite is thought to have burned up in the earth's atmosphere.
Understanding is the act of grasping information and properly appropriating it. In communication, it is a matter of interpreting another person. In broader terms, understanding is the interpretation of experience and encounters with reality. Really our views of the world and ourselves are a matter of understanding what we experience, be that words, actions, or objects. When we misinterpret our experience, for instance, we may believe in a world view that is drastically different from the real world. Some interpret history to mean that the world is moving toward a disastrous conclusion, while others see the world expanding and improving with each year.
In religious systems, understanding is vitally important, and misunderstanding, a confusion. We are not interested in a philosophical or psychological analysis of understanding but in the simple fact that these lessons might be read within the context of human understanding and its misunderstanding.
Proverbs 31:10-31
The concluding poem in Proverbs is devoted to a married woman and in a sense captures and translates the teachings of Lady Wisdom early in the book (1:20-33). We have noted two different literary forms in Proverbs -- the short, pithy saying and the longer poem. Now we encounter still another form of a longer poem, called "acrostic." In the Old Testament this form is found in poems, each line of which begins with a different letter of the alphabet and moves successively through the whole alphabet, beginning with aleph and ending with tav. In addition to our passage from Proverbs, other biblical examples are Psalms 25 and 135. More important is that Proverbs 31 is comprised of two poems, each of which focuses on a woman as a model. Verses 1-9 are a mother's words of advice to her son who is a king, and verses 10-31 are independent of the first poem but may be connected with the other for a reason. The chapter begins and ends by using the same Hebrew word to describe the woman, chayil -- translated "strength" in verse 12 and "noble things" in verse 29.
The description of the "capable wife" is in some ways chauvinistic, since it comes out of a patriarchal society. However, that fact makes it all the more amazing that a wife should be presented as the model of wisdom and understanding. Clearly, wives were viewed as precious partners in life, and their subservience to their husbands is not a primary concern here. Some think that this poem was intended for young men in search of wives. One commentator has suggested the following outline of the poem: Verses 10-12 introduce the woman; 13-27 list her wise deeds; and 28-30 invite readers to praise such a woman. Verses 21 and 30 seem connected as a result of the words "afraid" and "fear" respectively used in each. Words of action and energy are used throughout the whole poem, such as "seeks" (v. 13), "rises" (v. 15), and "girds herself" (v. 17). The woman is both wise and active.
Verses 10-12 introduce this talented woman by suggesting how rare and precious such a person is. The same thing is said of husbands in 20:6b. The heart of a good marriage is undoubtably trust, and the partners need to evoke one another's trust as this woman does. Such a marriage results in "gain," which here is probably understood as prosperity. Verse 12 summarizes what the woman does in the simplest and most general of terms and also functions like a topic heading for the detailed description that follows it.
Verses 13-27 list the woman's numerous wise deeds. Among the impressive deeds in this list is the fact that the woman's life reaches far and wide into various kinds of activity. While she is energetic in the tasks of the household (e.g., vv. 13, 14, 21, 27) and motherhood (v. 28), her work is far from limited to the home. She finds a promising field, purchases it (probably for her husband, since women did not own land so far as we know), and works it (v. 16). The reference to "merchandise" in verse 18 may be metaphorical but may also refer to a working woman, selling the garments she makes (v. 24). Yet she also has time to serve the needy (v. 20) and to teach others "of kindness" (v. 26). Commentators have discerned warrior language in the poem and suggest that her work is compared and equated with that of a military hero. For example, she develops the plot of land like a general conquers a territory (v. 16) and is dressed like a warrior (v. 17). Like a good warrior, "she is not afraid" (v. 21) but "fears the Lord" (v. 30). The use of masculine images such as the warrior implies the blurring of strict gender roles.
This woman's deeds and devotion do not go unappreciated, and verses 28 and 30 both express the proper praise of the woman by her husband and children and invite readers to praise her as well. Verse 30 draws the poem toward its conclusion in the next verse with a little proverb about what is most valuable in a woman. It states the standards by which the hero of the poem is to be evaluated and praised. In this next to the last verse in Proverbs, we are called back to 1:7, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." The contrast between "charm" and "beauty," on the one hand, and fearing the Lord, on the other hand, is an assault on the common values sought in a wife. In a sense, this poem is countercultural within a patriarchal society.
Wisdom is attributed to the valiant woman (v. 26), but it is clear that she understands wisdom as something to be put into action. What interests us is the understanding the woman reflects if only implicitly. Above all, her understanding of life entails actions, energetic devotion to her call, and respect for God. In verse 26 she is said to teach (which is rooted in the noun Torah) "kindness," or "steadfast love" since the Hebrew word is chesed. She understands God's faithfulness to the covenant out of love, and "fear" of God to be the basis for her life. In other words, a relationship with God undergirds her active life.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
That observation about the capable woman in Proverbs provides a good transition to the second reading. This reading picks up where the Second Lesson for Proper 19 ended and includes most of the section 3:13--4:10. Generally, this whole unit urges readers to embrace a wisdom that makes sense out of life. The first part of the reading, 3:13-18, lays out the two options for life (or "two wisdoms") and the second part, 4:1-10, shows the results of the "wisdom of the world," beginning with the way it causes divisions and self-aggrandizement. Another division may be identified in the combination of the author's condemnation of the readers (3:13--4:6) and his plea that they change (4:6-10).
The author begins this section with a rhetorical question which enables him to distinguish between two kinds of wisdom -- an earthly wisdom and "the wisdom from above." However, he sometimes uses the word "wisdom" in a strictly positive sense (e.g., v. 13) and sometimes in a qualified sense (e.g., v. 15). The opposition of two ways of life is a standard Hebraic category (e.g., Joshua 24:15) embraced by the early Christians. Here James sketches the two ways in terms of the sources of the wisdom that support them. Verses 14-16 describe the earthly wisdom with the terms, "envy and selfish ambition" (mentioned in both vv. 14 and 16). The author seems to think that such character is the opposite of the "gentleness" (or "meekness," prautati) commended in verse 13, and he mentions gentleness twice (vv. 13 and 17), just as he refers to "envy and selfish ambition" twice. There is an interlacing of the results of the two kinds of wisdom, which begins in verse 16 with a picture of the consequences of earthly wisdom. Then verses 17-18 depict the life that emerges from a wisdom from above. In 4:1-6 James returns to the disruptive character of an earthly wisdom and concludes with a call to change in 4:7-10
The second major section, 4:1-10, begins with another rhetorical question which this time refers to concrete divisions within the readers' congregation. Those divisions lead the author to denounce the readers' "cravings" and the lengths to which they will go to fulfill them. He speaks of "murder" but seems to mean that in a metaphorical way, for the readers' self-concern causes "disputes and conflicts." The turn to prayer is an abrupt one but is necessary, apparently since the recipients must have experienced unanswered prayers. On one side, the author assures them that prayers are answered (v. 2b) and, on the other, claims that their prayers are unanswered because they ask for the wrong things (v. 3). The reading skips 4:4-6 perhaps because it is simply another condemnation, this time worded in terms of worldliness and because verse 5 is hopelessly difficult to translate.
The author's appeal comes in 4:7-10. It involves submission, resistance to evil, drawing near to God, cleansing, mourning, and humbling oneself. The parallel to submission to God is to "resist the devil" (another dualism in the lesson). As one draws near to God, the devil flees. The friendship with the world (mentioned in 4:4) is the opposite of nearness to God. The lesson is filled with contrasts or polarities. In addition to the contrast of the two wisdoms in 3:13-18, James compares the arrogant and the lowly in 4:6 which leads him to call on the readers to "submit" and "humble" themselves (4:6-7).
This rather brutal censuring of the readers makes one wonder exactly what was going on in the congregation(s) James addresses, for it is most certainly a scathing attack which concentrates almost exclusively on what is wrong with the readers. However, the question with which the reading begins is a pertinent one: "Who among you is wise and understanding?" The two words, "wise" (sophos) and "understanding" (epistamon) are close in meaning, except that the latter implies the importance of knowledge. What James seeks to do with these terms is to confront the readers with their own arrogance. If they were wise and understanding, they would not be in the mess they're in. Part of Christian understanding is a certain humility (see 4:6). To claim absolute wisdom and understanding betrays our bondage to an "earthly, unspiritual, devilish" wisdom. We seek understanding for our lives, and we catch glimpses of what seems to be true. Yet our understanding is never complete, and whatever understanding we have needs to include a self-understanding that stresses "gentleness ... willing to yield" to God's greater wisdom.
Mark 9:30-37
James asks us if we truly understand, and this Gospel Lesson shows the prevalence of misunderstanding. This is the second of Mark's passion predictions, and the pattern of prediction, misunderstanding, and teaching that we found in last Sunday's Gospel lesson (Mark 8:27-38) is repeated here. Mark 9:30-37, however, is set within the shadow of the Transfiguration story that precedes it (9:2-8). The passion is joined with glory so that each interprets the other. The flow of this reading moves from prediction (vv. 30-31) to the statement that the disciples did not understand Jesus (v. 32) and on to a concrete example of their misunderstanding (vv. 33-34). The reading concludes with Jesus teaching the disciples the meaning of greatness (vv. 35-37).
Verse 30 suggests that Jesus did not want others to overhear his teaching about his passion, presumably because it was liable to misunderstanding. Indeed, even the disciples misunderstand it. This passion prediction includes betrayal, death, and resurrection, while the first one in chapter 8 mentions suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. In both cases, Jesus speaks of "the Son of Man." The meaning of this title is extremely complex, most especially when we ask what Jesus meant by it. Clearly, however, it is a circumlocution for "I" and refers to the one who is God's agent in representing humanity. The disciples haven't a clue as to what he is talking about, in spite of the fact that he has spoken of his passion before. Mark is notoriously hard on the disciples and here makes their dullness evident.
By the time they have passed through Galilee and arrived at Capernaum, the disciples are engaged in a petty squabble among themselves over which of them is destined to be the greatest (vv. 33-34). The irony of their quarrel, following as it does Jesus' words about his passion, is inescapable. It is not that they just fail to comprehend what Jesus has said to them. They act in a way that's the direct opposite of what Jesus says.
Jesus' effort to clear their minds of their misapprehension has two parts. First, he offers them a pithy little saying that captures the essence of what he is trying to teach (v. 35). These words comprise one of the most widely documented of Jesus' sayings. It appears here, in Mark 10:43, Matthew 10:26 and 23:11, Luke 9:48 and 22:26, and in a different form in John 12:25. Its message is so simple (and well-known) that it is deceptive. Being "first" means to hold rank above all others, and being "last of all" is synonymous with being "servant of all." With these words, Jesus turns greatness upside down, reverses the normal social order of stations, and undercuts all self-ambition (see James 3:14 and 16). Greatness is not achieved in ruling over others but in serving others. While serving others is thought to be the lowest of positions, Jesus makes it the highest. We will probably never be able entirely to digest all that this short saying means.
Jesus' uses an object lesson as his second effort to penetrate the disciples' misconceptions (vv. 36-37). The Greek word translated "child" is paidos, which can also be translated "servant," so that this saying is connected with the first where the word servant is diakonos. Welcoming a child, then, is welcoming one who has become your servant, and such a welcoming is welcoming Christ. But the object lesson suggests even more. Children were at the very bottom of the social and family structures; only servants held a lower position. Christ is identified with the child both in servanthood and in lowly station. The final element in this little picture is that welcoming the child/servant is welcoming Christ, which in turn is welcoming God. God is identified with the lowest, with the servant, for in Christ God becomes our servant.
Do you suppose that the disciples got the point after these two impressive teaching moments? Has Jesus cut through the fog of their misconceptions to straighten them out? Mark would tell us, no, they still don't understand and never will at least in the scope of the Gospel story. But then none of us really understands what Christ is saying. Oh, we may affirm it, repeat it, and even treasure his teachings. However, there is a mystery in this radical reversal of human and social values that evades us. The mystery, of course, takes us finally to the cross and what God accomplishes through this enigmatic execution of an innocent person.
Understand? Yes, we know how essential understanding is, how it produces an energetic life like that of the capable wife. We know too that misunderstanding can be dangerous for it distorts our view of what's important and muddles our relationship with others, producing division and disputes. And we know we need a certain element of humility in what we claim we understand. Yet there are some things we may never understand -- at least, not fully. There are some things we simply have to trust, without understanding them. That was what Jesus was asking these confused disciples to do: trust that his death was a clue to what life is really all about, namely, humble servanthood. We won't entirely understand how God can be identified with the lowest of servants; we simply have to trust it -- take Jesus' word for it. Maybe then, having trusted it and lived it, we begin -- at least vaguely -- to understand it.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Proverbs 31:10-31
We live in a society in which the role of women has become very ambiguous. The modern "women's movement" has influenced every area of our lives in its call for equal opportunities and status for females. In all but the most conservative denominations, women's call for equality has affected the church's language and worship, its doctrine and ethics and polity. In society at large, it has altered the practices of home and business, social circle and school. The women's movement could be called the major revolution of our time.
The progress that such movement has made for women in gaining equal status with males is certainly to be applauded. From the beginning, the Scriptures portray male and female as mutual helpers, corresponding to one another (Genesis 2:18), and equal in their possession of the image of God (Genesis l:26-28). Women's subordination to men is the result only of sinful disobedience of God (Genesis 3:16), a subordination that is then healed and overcome in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:28).
As the women's movement has developed among the more radical feminists, however, many Christian women have become uncomfortable with some of its aspects -- with its turn away from biblical foundations, with its struggle for power, with it's concentration on women's selves rather than on Christ, and indeed, with its sometimes deep-seated hatred of everything male. This text for the morning from Proverbs 31 may therefore serve both as a support and as a corrective of the female struggle for equality.
If we compare verse 1 to 3:15 and 8:11, we see that we are dealing in our text with a wife who embodies Wisdom in her person. The portrayal forms a sharp contrast to the picture of the beautiful wife "without discretion" (11:22), with the "contentious wife" of 21:9, 19, and with the "loose woman" of 22:14. This woman is wise.
Perhaps most notable about this "good wife" is the fact that her family life is firm and solid. Her husband "trusts" her, she "does him good" (31:11-12), and both her spouse and her children bless and praise her (vv. 28-29). This is not a woman out for herself or interested only in her own well-being. This is a woman who knows how to live wisely in the blessed community of the family.
While this woman is in charge of her household, diligently pursuing the wifely tasks of spinning, weaving, sewing, and providing food, any thought that she is subservient to a patriarchal subordination crumbles before her roles outside of her home. She secures food from a market economy (v. 14), she engages in real estate transactions (v. 16), and she sells some of the produce of her labor (vv. 18, 24). In the society around her, she ministers to the poor and needy (v. 20). She is strong, dignified, unafraid, and kind (vv. 25-26), one with whom we think we would like to be friends and associates.
She is obviously a fairly wealthy woman, supervising maid-servants (v. 15) and clothing her family in fine clothing (v. 21). But it is her character and her actions within home and society that add beneficently to her husband's reputation and well-being in the community (vv. 11, 23). Far from gaining her status and importance from the actions of her husband, as used to be the case in our society, this wise woman's comportment and deeds add to her husband's reputation. Obviously he is the kind of man who can have such a fine wife. Her demeanor and doings vouch for and speak well of his. Would that it were so in all of our homes today!
Summing up the lesson of Wisdom, our text then says that this woman "fears the Lord," which is the basis of all wise living throughout the book of Proverbs (v. 30). Her actions, her demeanor, her person are rooted in her obedience and trust of her Lord. She therefore has fullness of life.
Lutheran Option -- Jeremiah 11:18-20
This is the earliest of the passages known as "the confessions of Jeremiah," which are found scattered through chapters 11 to 20 of his collected oracles. (For the others, see 12:1-6; 15:10-12; 15:15-21; 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20:7-12; 20:14-18). Jeremiah's ministry lasted from 626 to 585 B.C., and our stated text probably dates from very early in that ministry, from some time in the period of 622 to 609 B.C.
This passage reflects the mission to which Jeremiah was called -- to stand "against the whole land" in his message of judgment on his sinful people (1:18), and it portrays the opposition which he immediately encountered. Initially Jeremiah carried on his preaching in his hometown of Anathoth, which was located 3.5 miles NNE of Jerusalem. In that preaching, he attacked the false piety (12:2), the idolatry (e.g. 2:4-13), the unrighteousness (5:1-9), the indifference, and the refusal of his compatriots to repent (2:23-28, 29-32). Not surprisingly, the townspeople of Anathoth, his friends, and even his own family (cf. 12:6) turned against him. In fact, our text reveals that they schemed to kill him in order to silence him (11:19).
At first, Jeremiah was unaware of the plot against his life (v. 19ab), accepting at face value the supposedly friendly words and advice of those around him (12:6). However, the Lord made him aware of the danger (11:18; 12:6) and Jeremiah apparently fled to Jerusalem for safety (cf. 12:6), where most of the rest of his ministry was carried out.
In response to the threat from his townspeople and relatives, Jeremiah uttered the prayer to God that we find in verse 20. He wants vengeance on those who seek his life, but -- and we should note very carefully -- he does not take vengeful action into his own hands. Instead, he turns his case over to the Lord, asking God to punish the evildoers and committing his cause totally to the Lord. He knows that God judges righteously (v. 20); he knows that God sees what is in his heart and mind (12:3). And Jeremiah trusts God. He knows that God will do what is necessary.
Though none of us is a prophet, Jeremiah's action in turning over his case to God is a valuable lesson for us when we find ourselves in some dispute or potentially violent confrontation. We all have our hatreds, don't we? They arise when some person injures our pride, or attacks our person or property or loved ones. They sneak in on us when we hold grudges and disapprove of others' actions and disagree with others' positions. And Jeremiah's course forms a wise way of response.
First, there is no cheap forgiveness here. Far too often in our society, someone commits the most egregious wrong and then expects to be immediately forgiven. But Jeremiah knows, as the whole Bible knows, that there really is evil, and Jeremiah knows that God hates evil. Indeed, so real is evil that it cost the life of God's Son. Our prophet knows that God, who is a righteous Judge, will punish evil, and Jeremiah calls for that punishment.
In turning over his case to God, however, Jeremiah takes punishment and vengeance out of his own hands and places it in the hands of that righteous, but also loving Husband and Father of Israel (cf. 3:19-20). There, in the wisdom of God, the case will be dealt with. What God will do is up to him, but Jeremiah knows that God will act, and in that Jeremiah rests.
Anyone who follows such a course has a marvelous freedom -- the freedom from hatred that so tears at our inner selves, the freedom from resentment and judgment that cut us off from our fellow human beings, and above all, the freedom to go ahead and do the tasks that God has called us to do, free from the burdens and ills of the past. It is quite true that in our Lord, we have perfect freedom.
Equally embarrassing are other kinds of misunderstandings or failures to understand, some of which are fatal. Last year NASA had a terrible misunderstanding which cost them (and us) the loss of a satellite. So far as they know, one station gave measurements of the satellite's location in metric terms and the base station understood them to be in American terms. The satellite is thought to have burned up in the earth's atmosphere.
Understanding is the act of grasping information and properly appropriating it. In communication, it is a matter of interpreting another person. In broader terms, understanding is the interpretation of experience and encounters with reality. Really our views of the world and ourselves are a matter of understanding what we experience, be that words, actions, or objects. When we misinterpret our experience, for instance, we may believe in a world view that is drastically different from the real world. Some interpret history to mean that the world is moving toward a disastrous conclusion, while others see the world expanding and improving with each year.
In religious systems, understanding is vitally important, and misunderstanding, a confusion. We are not interested in a philosophical or psychological analysis of understanding but in the simple fact that these lessons might be read within the context of human understanding and its misunderstanding.
Proverbs 31:10-31
The concluding poem in Proverbs is devoted to a married woman and in a sense captures and translates the teachings of Lady Wisdom early in the book (1:20-33). We have noted two different literary forms in Proverbs -- the short, pithy saying and the longer poem. Now we encounter still another form of a longer poem, called "acrostic." In the Old Testament this form is found in poems, each line of which begins with a different letter of the alphabet and moves successively through the whole alphabet, beginning with aleph and ending with tav. In addition to our passage from Proverbs, other biblical examples are Psalms 25 and 135. More important is that Proverbs 31 is comprised of two poems, each of which focuses on a woman as a model. Verses 1-9 are a mother's words of advice to her son who is a king, and verses 10-31 are independent of the first poem but may be connected with the other for a reason. The chapter begins and ends by using the same Hebrew word to describe the woman, chayil -- translated "strength" in verse 12 and "noble things" in verse 29.
The description of the "capable wife" is in some ways chauvinistic, since it comes out of a patriarchal society. However, that fact makes it all the more amazing that a wife should be presented as the model of wisdom and understanding. Clearly, wives were viewed as precious partners in life, and their subservience to their husbands is not a primary concern here. Some think that this poem was intended for young men in search of wives. One commentator has suggested the following outline of the poem: Verses 10-12 introduce the woman; 13-27 list her wise deeds; and 28-30 invite readers to praise such a woman. Verses 21 and 30 seem connected as a result of the words "afraid" and "fear" respectively used in each. Words of action and energy are used throughout the whole poem, such as "seeks" (v. 13), "rises" (v. 15), and "girds herself" (v. 17). The woman is both wise and active.
Verses 10-12 introduce this talented woman by suggesting how rare and precious such a person is. The same thing is said of husbands in 20:6b. The heart of a good marriage is undoubtably trust, and the partners need to evoke one another's trust as this woman does. Such a marriage results in "gain," which here is probably understood as prosperity. Verse 12 summarizes what the woman does in the simplest and most general of terms and also functions like a topic heading for the detailed description that follows it.
Verses 13-27 list the woman's numerous wise deeds. Among the impressive deeds in this list is the fact that the woman's life reaches far and wide into various kinds of activity. While she is energetic in the tasks of the household (e.g., vv. 13, 14, 21, 27) and motherhood (v. 28), her work is far from limited to the home. She finds a promising field, purchases it (probably for her husband, since women did not own land so far as we know), and works it (v. 16). The reference to "merchandise" in verse 18 may be metaphorical but may also refer to a working woman, selling the garments she makes (v. 24). Yet she also has time to serve the needy (v. 20) and to teach others "of kindness" (v. 26). Commentators have discerned warrior language in the poem and suggest that her work is compared and equated with that of a military hero. For example, she develops the plot of land like a general conquers a territory (v. 16) and is dressed like a warrior (v. 17). Like a good warrior, "she is not afraid" (v. 21) but "fears the Lord" (v. 30). The use of masculine images such as the warrior implies the blurring of strict gender roles.
This woman's deeds and devotion do not go unappreciated, and verses 28 and 30 both express the proper praise of the woman by her husband and children and invite readers to praise her as well. Verse 30 draws the poem toward its conclusion in the next verse with a little proverb about what is most valuable in a woman. It states the standards by which the hero of the poem is to be evaluated and praised. In this next to the last verse in Proverbs, we are called back to 1:7, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." The contrast between "charm" and "beauty," on the one hand, and fearing the Lord, on the other hand, is an assault on the common values sought in a wife. In a sense, this poem is countercultural within a patriarchal society.
Wisdom is attributed to the valiant woman (v. 26), but it is clear that she understands wisdom as something to be put into action. What interests us is the understanding the woman reflects if only implicitly. Above all, her understanding of life entails actions, energetic devotion to her call, and respect for God. In verse 26 she is said to teach (which is rooted in the noun Torah) "kindness," or "steadfast love" since the Hebrew word is chesed. She understands God's faithfulness to the covenant out of love, and "fear" of God to be the basis for her life. In other words, a relationship with God undergirds her active life.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
That observation about the capable woman in Proverbs provides a good transition to the second reading. This reading picks up where the Second Lesson for Proper 19 ended and includes most of the section 3:13--4:10. Generally, this whole unit urges readers to embrace a wisdom that makes sense out of life. The first part of the reading, 3:13-18, lays out the two options for life (or "two wisdoms") and the second part, 4:1-10, shows the results of the "wisdom of the world," beginning with the way it causes divisions and self-aggrandizement. Another division may be identified in the combination of the author's condemnation of the readers (3:13--4:6) and his plea that they change (4:6-10).
The author begins this section with a rhetorical question which enables him to distinguish between two kinds of wisdom -- an earthly wisdom and "the wisdom from above." However, he sometimes uses the word "wisdom" in a strictly positive sense (e.g., v. 13) and sometimes in a qualified sense (e.g., v. 15). The opposition of two ways of life is a standard Hebraic category (e.g., Joshua 24:15) embraced by the early Christians. Here James sketches the two ways in terms of the sources of the wisdom that support them. Verses 14-16 describe the earthly wisdom with the terms, "envy and selfish ambition" (mentioned in both vv. 14 and 16). The author seems to think that such character is the opposite of the "gentleness" (or "meekness," prautati) commended in verse 13, and he mentions gentleness twice (vv. 13 and 17), just as he refers to "envy and selfish ambition" twice. There is an interlacing of the results of the two kinds of wisdom, which begins in verse 16 with a picture of the consequences of earthly wisdom. Then verses 17-18 depict the life that emerges from a wisdom from above. In 4:1-6 James returns to the disruptive character of an earthly wisdom and concludes with a call to change in 4:7-10
The second major section, 4:1-10, begins with another rhetorical question which this time refers to concrete divisions within the readers' congregation. Those divisions lead the author to denounce the readers' "cravings" and the lengths to which they will go to fulfill them. He speaks of "murder" but seems to mean that in a metaphorical way, for the readers' self-concern causes "disputes and conflicts." The turn to prayer is an abrupt one but is necessary, apparently since the recipients must have experienced unanswered prayers. On one side, the author assures them that prayers are answered (v. 2b) and, on the other, claims that their prayers are unanswered because they ask for the wrong things (v. 3). The reading skips 4:4-6 perhaps because it is simply another condemnation, this time worded in terms of worldliness and because verse 5 is hopelessly difficult to translate.
The author's appeal comes in 4:7-10. It involves submission, resistance to evil, drawing near to God, cleansing, mourning, and humbling oneself. The parallel to submission to God is to "resist the devil" (another dualism in the lesson). As one draws near to God, the devil flees. The friendship with the world (mentioned in 4:4) is the opposite of nearness to God. The lesson is filled with contrasts or polarities. In addition to the contrast of the two wisdoms in 3:13-18, James compares the arrogant and the lowly in 4:6 which leads him to call on the readers to "submit" and "humble" themselves (4:6-7).
This rather brutal censuring of the readers makes one wonder exactly what was going on in the congregation(s) James addresses, for it is most certainly a scathing attack which concentrates almost exclusively on what is wrong with the readers. However, the question with which the reading begins is a pertinent one: "Who among you is wise and understanding?" The two words, "wise" (sophos) and "understanding" (epistamon) are close in meaning, except that the latter implies the importance of knowledge. What James seeks to do with these terms is to confront the readers with their own arrogance. If they were wise and understanding, they would not be in the mess they're in. Part of Christian understanding is a certain humility (see 4:6). To claim absolute wisdom and understanding betrays our bondage to an "earthly, unspiritual, devilish" wisdom. We seek understanding for our lives, and we catch glimpses of what seems to be true. Yet our understanding is never complete, and whatever understanding we have needs to include a self-understanding that stresses "gentleness ... willing to yield" to God's greater wisdom.
Mark 9:30-37
James asks us if we truly understand, and this Gospel Lesson shows the prevalence of misunderstanding. This is the second of Mark's passion predictions, and the pattern of prediction, misunderstanding, and teaching that we found in last Sunday's Gospel lesson (Mark 8:27-38) is repeated here. Mark 9:30-37, however, is set within the shadow of the Transfiguration story that precedes it (9:2-8). The passion is joined with glory so that each interprets the other. The flow of this reading moves from prediction (vv. 30-31) to the statement that the disciples did not understand Jesus (v. 32) and on to a concrete example of their misunderstanding (vv. 33-34). The reading concludes with Jesus teaching the disciples the meaning of greatness (vv. 35-37).
Verse 30 suggests that Jesus did not want others to overhear his teaching about his passion, presumably because it was liable to misunderstanding. Indeed, even the disciples misunderstand it. This passion prediction includes betrayal, death, and resurrection, while the first one in chapter 8 mentions suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. In both cases, Jesus speaks of "the Son of Man." The meaning of this title is extremely complex, most especially when we ask what Jesus meant by it. Clearly, however, it is a circumlocution for "I" and refers to the one who is God's agent in representing humanity. The disciples haven't a clue as to what he is talking about, in spite of the fact that he has spoken of his passion before. Mark is notoriously hard on the disciples and here makes their dullness evident.
By the time they have passed through Galilee and arrived at Capernaum, the disciples are engaged in a petty squabble among themselves over which of them is destined to be the greatest (vv. 33-34). The irony of their quarrel, following as it does Jesus' words about his passion, is inescapable. It is not that they just fail to comprehend what Jesus has said to them. They act in a way that's the direct opposite of what Jesus says.
Jesus' effort to clear their minds of their misapprehension has two parts. First, he offers them a pithy little saying that captures the essence of what he is trying to teach (v. 35). These words comprise one of the most widely documented of Jesus' sayings. It appears here, in Mark 10:43, Matthew 10:26 and 23:11, Luke 9:48 and 22:26, and in a different form in John 12:25. Its message is so simple (and well-known) that it is deceptive. Being "first" means to hold rank above all others, and being "last of all" is synonymous with being "servant of all." With these words, Jesus turns greatness upside down, reverses the normal social order of stations, and undercuts all self-ambition (see James 3:14 and 16). Greatness is not achieved in ruling over others but in serving others. While serving others is thought to be the lowest of positions, Jesus makes it the highest. We will probably never be able entirely to digest all that this short saying means.
Jesus' uses an object lesson as his second effort to penetrate the disciples' misconceptions (vv. 36-37). The Greek word translated "child" is paidos, which can also be translated "servant," so that this saying is connected with the first where the word servant is diakonos. Welcoming a child, then, is welcoming one who has become your servant, and such a welcoming is welcoming Christ. But the object lesson suggests even more. Children were at the very bottom of the social and family structures; only servants held a lower position. Christ is identified with the child both in servanthood and in lowly station. The final element in this little picture is that welcoming the child/servant is welcoming Christ, which in turn is welcoming God. God is identified with the lowest, with the servant, for in Christ God becomes our servant.
Do you suppose that the disciples got the point after these two impressive teaching moments? Has Jesus cut through the fog of their misconceptions to straighten them out? Mark would tell us, no, they still don't understand and never will at least in the scope of the Gospel story. But then none of us really understands what Christ is saying. Oh, we may affirm it, repeat it, and even treasure his teachings. However, there is a mystery in this radical reversal of human and social values that evades us. The mystery, of course, takes us finally to the cross and what God accomplishes through this enigmatic execution of an innocent person.
Understand? Yes, we know how essential understanding is, how it produces an energetic life like that of the capable wife. We know too that misunderstanding can be dangerous for it distorts our view of what's important and muddles our relationship with others, producing division and disputes. And we know we need a certain element of humility in what we claim we understand. Yet there are some things we may never understand -- at least, not fully. There are some things we simply have to trust, without understanding them. That was what Jesus was asking these confused disciples to do: trust that his death was a clue to what life is really all about, namely, humble servanthood. We won't entirely understand how God can be identified with the lowest of servants; we simply have to trust it -- take Jesus' word for it. Maybe then, having trusted it and lived it, we begin -- at least vaguely -- to understand it.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Proverbs 31:10-31
We live in a society in which the role of women has become very ambiguous. The modern "women's movement" has influenced every area of our lives in its call for equal opportunities and status for females. In all but the most conservative denominations, women's call for equality has affected the church's language and worship, its doctrine and ethics and polity. In society at large, it has altered the practices of home and business, social circle and school. The women's movement could be called the major revolution of our time.
The progress that such movement has made for women in gaining equal status with males is certainly to be applauded. From the beginning, the Scriptures portray male and female as mutual helpers, corresponding to one another (Genesis 2:18), and equal in their possession of the image of God (Genesis l:26-28). Women's subordination to men is the result only of sinful disobedience of God (Genesis 3:16), a subordination that is then healed and overcome in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:28).
As the women's movement has developed among the more radical feminists, however, many Christian women have become uncomfortable with some of its aspects -- with its turn away from biblical foundations, with its struggle for power, with it's concentration on women's selves rather than on Christ, and indeed, with its sometimes deep-seated hatred of everything male. This text for the morning from Proverbs 31 may therefore serve both as a support and as a corrective of the female struggle for equality.
If we compare verse 1 to 3:15 and 8:11, we see that we are dealing in our text with a wife who embodies Wisdom in her person. The portrayal forms a sharp contrast to the picture of the beautiful wife "without discretion" (11:22), with the "contentious wife" of 21:9, 19, and with the "loose woman" of 22:14. This woman is wise.
Perhaps most notable about this "good wife" is the fact that her family life is firm and solid. Her husband "trusts" her, she "does him good" (31:11-12), and both her spouse and her children bless and praise her (vv. 28-29). This is not a woman out for herself or interested only in her own well-being. This is a woman who knows how to live wisely in the blessed community of the family.
While this woman is in charge of her household, diligently pursuing the wifely tasks of spinning, weaving, sewing, and providing food, any thought that she is subservient to a patriarchal subordination crumbles before her roles outside of her home. She secures food from a market economy (v. 14), she engages in real estate transactions (v. 16), and she sells some of the produce of her labor (vv. 18, 24). In the society around her, she ministers to the poor and needy (v. 20). She is strong, dignified, unafraid, and kind (vv. 25-26), one with whom we think we would like to be friends and associates.
She is obviously a fairly wealthy woman, supervising maid-servants (v. 15) and clothing her family in fine clothing (v. 21). But it is her character and her actions within home and society that add beneficently to her husband's reputation and well-being in the community (vv. 11, 23). Far from gaining her status and importance from the actions of her husband, as used to be the case in our society, this wise woman's comportment and deeds add to her husband's reputation. Obviously he is the kind of man who can have such a fine wife. Her demeanor and doings vouch for and speak well of his. Would that it were so in all of our homes today!
Summing up the lesson of Wisdom, our text then says that this woman "fears the Lord," which is the basis of all wise living throughout the book of Proverbs (v. 30). Her actions, her demeanor, her person are rooted in her obedience and trust of her Lord. She therefore has fullness of life.
Lutheran Option -- Jeremiah 11:18-20
This is the earliest of the passages known as "the confessions of Jeremiah," which are found scattered through chapters 11 to 20 of his collected oracles. (For the others, see 12:1-6; 15:10-12; 15:15-21; 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20:7-12; 20:14-18). Jeremiah's ministry lasted from 626 to 585 B.C., and our stated text probably dates from very early in that ministry, from some time in the period of 622 to 609 B.C.
This passage reflects the mission to which Jeremiah was called -- to stand "against the whole land" in his message of judgment on his sinful people (1:18), and it portrays the opposition which he immediately encountered. Initially Jeremiah carried on his preaching in his hometown of Anathoth, which was located 3.5 miles NNE of Jerusalem. In that preaching, he attacked the false piety (12:2), the idolatry (e.g. 2:4-13), the unrighteousness (5:1-9), the indifference, and the refusal of his compatriots to repent (2:23-28, 29-32). Not surprisingly, the townspeople of Anathoth, his friends, and even his own family (cf. 12:6) turned against him. In fact, our text reveals that they schemed to kill him in order to silence him (11:19).
At first, Jeremiah was unaware of the plot against his life (v. 19ab), accepting at face value the supposedly friendly words and advice of those around him (12:6). However, the Lord made him aware of the danger (11:18; 12:6) and Jeremiah apparently fled to Jerusalem for safety (cf. 12:6), where most of the rest of his ministry was carried out.
In response to the threat from his townspeople and relatives, Jeremiah uttered the prayer to God that we find in verse 20. He wants vengeance on those who seek his life, but -- and we should note very carefully -- he does not take vengeful action into his own hands. Instead, he turns his case over to the Lord, asking God to punish the evildoers and committing his cause totally to the Lord. He knows that God judges righteously (v. 20); he knows that God sees what is in his heart and mind (12:3). And Jeremiah trusts God. He knows that God will do what is necessary.
Though none of us is a prophet, Jeremiah's action in turning over his case to God is a valuable lesson for us when we find ourselves in some dispute or potentially violent confrontation. We all have our hatreds, don't we? They arise when some person injures our pride, or attacks our person or property or loved ones. They sneak in on us when we hold grudges and disapprove of others' actions and disagree with others' positions. And Jeremiah's course forms a wise way of response.
First, there is no cheap forgiveness here. Far too often in our society, someone commits the most egregious wrong and then expects to be immediately forgiven. But Jeremiah knows, as the whole Bible knows, that there really is evil, and Jeremiah knows that God hates evil. Indeed, so real is evil that it cost the life of God's Son. Our prophet knows that God, who is a righteous Judge, will punish evil, and Jeremiah calls for that punishment.
In turning over his case to God, however, Jeremiah takes punishment and vengeance out of his own hands and places it in the hands of that righteous, but also loving Husband and Father of Israel (cf. 3:19-20). There, in the wisdom of God, the case will be dealt with. What God will do is up to him, but Jeremiah knows that God will act, and in that Jeremiah rests.
Anyone who follows such a course has a marvelous freedom -- the freedom from hatred that so tears at our inner selves, the freedom from resentment and judgment that cut us off from our fellow human beings, and above all, the freedom to go ahead and do the tasks that God has called us to do, free from the burdens and ills of the past. It is quite true that in our Lord, we have perfect freedom.
