Proper 26
Devotional
Streams of Living Water
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle B
Ruth 1:1-18
Where you go, I will go ... your people shall be my people and your God my God.
-- Ruth 1:16b
The land of Moab was a totally separate culture from the land of Judah. Historically they were enemies, but in a time of famine, Moab had become a land of refuge for Naomi's family. They had raised their family there, and their two sons had found wives. But tragedy struck, and Naomi was left without husband or sons. Bereft of husband and sons, she decided to return to Judah. Her daughters-in-law began to go with her, but she told them to return to their own people. It was appropriate advice. Women without men were defenseless, and the normal prejudices of a foreign culture would make them even more vulnerable.
One daughter-in-law, Orpah, decided to join her own people, and scripture does not fault her choice. But Ruth chose to venture into a new land and risk building relationships with a group of people who often considered her people the enemy. It was from Ruth that God would form the body of Christ. She was not even aware of what was happening, but she would become the great-grandmother of David and would provide the line by which the Christ would come.
The body of Christ would exist in a world of prejudice, but it would proclaim a faith in which there was neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female, but, rather, Christlike persons. The body of Christ would call its members to take the risk, like Ruth, of reaching across the divisions of this world and proclaiming a truth that challenged our prejudices. Like Ruth, in doing so, we become the mother of new life.
Psalm 146
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
-- Psalm 146:1-2
The book of Psalms builds to a crescendo with its last six psalms of praise. The last five all begin with the command to praise the Lord. The psalms begin with a mixture of laments and praises but with an emphasis on the lament. It is a reflection of the continuum of life that stretches from our experiences of pain to pleasure. Our experiences of suffering cause us to cry out with the question of whether there is any justice in the universe. Almost all of the individual psalms of lament conclude in words of praise. They seem to testify to the experience of the believer that when we are honest with our petitions of anguish, there is someone who listens and responds. As you read in the psalms, the early grouping of psalms has a significant number of laments, but later on the balance of lament and praise shifts toward the expression of praise.
In this psalm, it is declared that true happiness finally culminates in the experience of praise. God is praised as the creator "who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them" (v. 6a). In contrast to mortals who will ultimately die, God is praised as one who "keeps faith forever" (v. 6b). It is this God who "executes justice for the oppressed; (and) who gives food to the hungry" (v. 7). This is a God who has heard the cry and responded to the lament of the prisoner, the blind, those bowed down, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.
As we lift our voice in praise, we recall the sensitivity of God to the most vulnerable of our society. We are released to praise God not only with voice and song but also in service to the very ones whom God seeks to minister to in our society.
Hebrews 9:11-14
Then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place.
-- Hebrews 9:11b-12a
The author of Hebrews continued to explore the significance of Christ as our high priest. Recalling the tent or tabernacle that was constructed according to God's instructions to accompany the Hebrews in their wilderness journey, the author suggested that Christ has created a "greater and perfect tent." The tabernacle was the place that signaled God's presence with the people (Exodus 40). The Ark of the Covenant, which contained the stone tablets upon which God had written the Ten Commandments, was placed in a separate section of the tent known as the holy of holies. This place was the most sacred part of the entire tabernacle and was to be approached only once a year by the high priest.
Christ, as our more perfect high priest had, by his resurrection, created a more perfect tabernacle. The entire created world had been purified by the blood of Christ and made into one great tabernacle of our God. Unlike previous high priests, Christ was always available to us and made the presence of God real to us. The tabernacle was a window into eternity through which people could approach the eternal God. In preparation for that approach, so that they might not be harmed by the holiness of God, the priest offered sacrifices of animals as an offering for the forgiveness of sins. Through Christ, that window had been expanded, and God had been made more approachable. Christ was both the high priest and the sacrifice that purified us and released us "to worship the living God!" (v. 14). The invitation was open to all who come in repentance. The promise was that in coming we might be in touch with the eternal God who provided meaning to our lives.
Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?"
-- Mark 12:28
Jesus' response to this question is so familiar that we sometimes forget the significance of his response for the church. The question emerged in the midst of a religious dispute. People were arguing about the various points of religion. The history of the church is that it finds in such arguments reasons to split churches or even form different denominations. This scribe wanted to cut through all the arguments and identify what was really important. Jesus' response is a stark reminder to the church that many of our disputes are simply excuses for our self-centeredness.
Jesus identified two passages from the scriptures that for him summarized the essence of the faith. As had some other rabbis before him, he chose to combine what was referred to as the shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 with the command to love your neighbor in Leviticus 19:18b. It is significant that of the nineteen references to scribes by Mark, this is the only one that is shown in a positive light. The scribe was not testing or trying to entrap Jesus but sincerely seeking his understanding.
The fact that Mark portrayed the scribe as agreeing with Jesus suggests a bridge between the church and Judaism as offered by Jesus. Jesus, as Lord of the church, was declaring that all of religion is measured by its effect on our relationship with God and our relationship with our neighbor. Matthew, in telling this story, quoted Jesus as saying that all of the law and the prophets were summed up in these two commandments (Matthew 22:40). For a church involved in religious disputes, as were the Pharisees and the Sadducees in previous verses, this becomes the canon within the canon by which we measure the validity of our arguments. It is not only the disputes but also the manner in which we pursue the disputes that must be measured by how they reflect our love of God and neighbor.
Where you go, I will go ... your people shall be my people and your God my God.
-- Ruth 1:16b
The land of Moab was a totally separate culture from the land of Judah. Historically they were enemies, but in a time of famine, Moab had become a land of refuge for Naomi's family. They had raised their family there, and their two sons had found wives. But tragedy struck, and Naomi was left without husband or sons. Bereft of husband and sons, she decided to return to Judah. Her daughters-in-law began to go with her, but she told them to return to their own people. It was appropriate advice. Women without men were defenseless, and the normal prejudices of a foreign culture would make them even more vulnerable.
One daughter-in-law, Orpah, decided to join her own people, and scripture does not fault her choice. But Ruth chose to venture into a new land and risk building relationships with a group of people who often considered her people the enemy. It was from Ruth that God would form the body of Christ. She was not even aware of what was happening, but she would become the great-grandmother of David and would provide the line by which the Christ would come.
The body of Christ would exist in a world of prejudice, but it would proclaim a faith in which there was neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female, but, rather, Christlike persons. The body of Christ would call its members to take the risk, like Ruth, of reaching across the divisions of this world and proclaiming a truth that challenged our prejudices. Like Ruth, in doing so, we become the mother of new life.
Psalm 146
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
-- Psalm 146:1-2
The book of Psalms builds to a crescendo with its last six psalms of praise. The last five all begin with the command to praise the Lord. The psalms begin with a mixture of laments and praises but with an emphasis on the lament. It is a reflection of the continuum of life that stretches from our experiences of pain to pleasure. Our experiences of suffering cause us to cry out with the question of whether there is any justice in the universe. Almost all of the individual psalms of lament conclude in words of praise. They seem to testify to the experience of the believer that when we are honest with our petitions of anguish, there is someone who listens and responds. As you read in the psalms, the early grouping of psalms has a significant number of laments, but later on the balance of lament and praise shifts toward the expression of praise.
In this psalm, it is declared that true happiness finally culminates in the experience of praise. God is praised as the creator "who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them" (v. 6a). In contrast to mortals who will ultimately die, God is praised as one who "keeps faith forever" (v. 6b). It is this God who "executes justice for the oppressed; (and) who gives food to the hungry" (v. 7). This is a God who has heard the cry and responded to the lament of the prisoner, the blind, those bowed down, the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.
As we lift our voice in praise, we recall the sensitivity of God to the most vulnerable of our society. We are released to praise God not only with voice and song but also in service to the very ones whom God seeks to minister to in our society.
Hebrews 9:11-14
Then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place.
-- Hebrews 9:11b-12a
The author of Hebrews continued to explore the significance of Christ as our high priest. Recalling the tent or tabernacle that was constructed according to God's instructions to accompany the Hebrews in their wilderness journey, the author suggested that Christ has created a "greater and perfect tent." The tabernacle was the place that signaled God's presence with the people (Exodus 40). The Ark of the Covenant, which contained the stone tablets upon which God had written the Ten Commandments, was placed in a separate section of the tent known as the holy of holies. This place was the most sacred part of the entire tabernacle and was to be approached only once a year by the high priest.
Christ, as our more perfect high priest had, by his resurrection, created a more perfect tabernacle. The entire created world had been purified by the blood of Christ and made into one great tabernacle of our God. Unlike previous high priests, Christ was always available to us and made the presence of God real to us. The tabernacle was a window into eternity through which people could approach the eternal God. In preparation for that approach, so that they might not be harmed by the holiness of God, the priest offered sacrifices of animals as an offering for the forgiveness of sins. Through Christ, that window had been expanded, and God had been made more approachable. Christ was both the high priest and the sacrifice that purified us and released us "to worship the living God!" (v. 14). The invitation was open to all who come in repentance. The promise was that in coming we might be in touch with the eternal God who provided meaning to our lives.
Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?"
-- Mark 12:28
Jesus' response to this question is so familiar that we sometimes forget the significance of his response for the church. The question emerged in the midst of a religious dispute. People were arguing about the various points of religion. The history of the church is that it finds in such arguments reasons to split churches or even form different denominations. This scribe wanted to cut through all the arguments and identify what was really important. Jesus' response is a stark reminder to the church that many of our disputes are simply excuses for our self-centeredness.
Jesus identified two passages from the scriptures that for him summarized the essence of the faith. As had some other rabbis before him, he chose to combine what was referred to as the shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 with the command to love your neighbor in Leviticus 19:18b. It is significant that of the nineteen references to scribes by Mark, this is the only one that is shown in a positive light. The scribe was not testing or trying to entrap Jesus but sincerely seeking his understanding.
The fact that Mark portrayed the scribe as agreeing with Jesus suggests a bridge between the church and Judaism as offered by Jesus. Jesus, as Lord of the church, was declaring that all of religion is measured by its effect on our relationship with God and our relationship with our neighbor. Matthew, in telling this story, quoted Jesus as saying that all of the law and the prophets were summed up in these two commandments (Matthew 22:40). For a church involved in religious disputes, as were the Pharisees and the Sadducees in previous verses, this becomes the canon within the canon by which we measure the validity of our arguments. It is not only the disputes but also the manner in which we pursue the disputes that must be measured by how they reflect our love of God and neighbor.
