PROPER 8
Worship
Scripture Notes
For use with Common, Lutheran and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
We are called in these texts to lives of commitment to God and to service as People of God, serving in the world as members of a community of faith. There are no unrealistic promises that life within the community of faith will be easy. Instead, there is the expectation that there will be struggle and strife. The security for the People of God will be in their covenant relationship with God.
Common:
Psalm 17:1-7, 15
Even though the psalmist makes it abundantly clear in this psalm of lament that the psalmist is totally committed to the Lord and has avoided the paths of evil, the psalmist is not free from struggles and from strife. Without asking for anything more than that the Lord will hear the prayer of the psalmist, the psalmist promises a continued and renewed commitment to the Lord. That provides a beautiful model for us, a model to proclaim to others.
In this context of total commitment to the Lord, the words of the psalmist are not words of self-righteousness. They are instead words of past, present, and future commitment, of covenant renewal without asking much from the Lord. Therein lies their greatest value for us as a model for our lives and to be used in our proclamation.
Lutheran: Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
Roman Catholic: Psalm 89:2-3, 16-19
W.O.E. Oesterley, The Psalms, London: S.P.C.K., 1959, pp. 396-403, suggests that what we know as Psalm 89 may be a composite of psalm material from three separate times and places. What we know as verses 1-2, 5-18 praising Yahweh as the heavenly King may be from the Northern Kingdom prior to the fall of Samaria. Verses 3-4, 19-37 commemorating Yahweh's covenant with the house of David, a covenant that is to last forever, is probably from the Southern Kingdom prior to the fall of Jerusalem. Finally, verses 38-51, which commiserate over the surrender of Jerusalem, probably had their origin after the fall of Jerusalem in 597 B.C.E. To this was added as verse 52 a final benediction to mark the end of Book III of the Psalter.
The selections appointed for our use next Sunday emphasize the hesed ("love, mercy, grace, loving kindness") of the Lord and the everlasting covenant with David and with the Davidic line. The intended interpretation for Christian usage is that the Lord, "the Holy One of Israel," has renewed the Davidic covenant in a new way through Jesus and the Christian Church.
Common:
Genesis 32:22-32
In this fascinating hero of faith saga, with its interest in etiologies (explanations of the origins of customs and religious practices), in etymologies (explanations of the meaning of words), and in fairy tale motifs (such as the need of the divine figure to depart before daybreak and the magical touch of the finger), we have a tightly-packed story of Israel's early history of struggle over life itself, a struggle in which Israel contended with God and did not give up. Our interest is not so much in the origin of the name Israel, or in how Peniel became a holy place and received its name, or in why Israelites do not eat the sinew of the hip of an animal. Instead, it is in commitment to God and in service in God's name as the People of God, whether Israelite or Christian, during adversity as well as during times of prosperity.
Lutheran: Jeremiah 28:5-9
This portion of the section of the Jeremiah traditions that describes the tension between the prophet Hananiah who predicted peace and restoration of the Southern Kingdom within two years after the surrender of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 597 (See the reference above to Psalm 89:38-51.) and the prophet Jeremiah who could not predict peace and restoration, but had to speak about war, famine, and pestilence, takes us into a realistic appraisal of the situation in Jerusalem around the year 597 B.C.E. It takes us into a realistic appraisal of our own time as well. Like the prophet Jeremiah, we cannot predict peace until God brings peace, and apart from the proleptic anticipation of peace in the Gospel according to Luke's story about Jesus, we have no certain indication that God will bring peace and its blessings in any permanent way to this life as we know it here. At the same time, of course, we are to work for peace and to live in peace, insofar as that may be possible within our present limitations. It is likely that this Jeremiah 28:5-9 text was chosen for this occasion in the Lutheran lectionary because of the similar reference to struggle and to lack of peace in Jeremiah 28:5-9 and in the Gospel selection for this occasion, Matthew 10:34-42.
Roman Catholic: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16
The Shunammite woman in this story was committed to serving God and to helping Elisha, whom she perceived to be a "holy man of God." Even though she did not ask for a son for herself, and even though she did not immediately believe when Elisha told her that by that time the following year she would be fondling a baby son, a son was given to her. Therefore, it was not her faith, but her commitment and her life of service that was noteworthy. The lives of many members of the congregations in which we serve are noteworthy also not because of the faith of the members but because of their commitment and their lives of service. When this 2 Kings text is read is an excellent time to recognize people who are like this. We may even note that when people's lives are characterized by commitment to God and by service, there is also a strong undercurrent of faith in God in their lives. When we recognize their commitment and their service, their faith in God will usually, perhaps always, also become apparent.
Common:
Romans 6:3-11
Lutheran: Romans 6:1b-11
Roman Catholic: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11
Paul wanted the followers of Jesus to whom he wrote this document to consider themselves dead to sin through their association with Jesus and with Jesus' death on the cross by baptism and alive to God because of their relationship with their Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Obviously, Paul was in this way urging them to avoid sin and to permit their entire lives to be fully committed to God in Christ and influenced in a most positive way by their new relationship with God and with each other in Jesus the Christ. This text, therefore, stands as a vital reminder to us of the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection for us and of the meaning of our own baptism and of the baptism of others.
Common, Lutheran: Matthew 10:34-42
Roman Catholic: Matthew 10:37-42
Comparison of the texts in the Four Gospels that are similar to this one indicates that the Matthean writers probably put this account together from "Q" materials with slight use of Markan and possibly other sources. The account reflects in words of Jesus form the situation of followers of Jesus during the latter half of the first century. By that time adherence to the new Christian communities of faith set many sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. Just as in our time new religions and religions that are new to our areas attract followers primarily among young people, so it was as Christianity was developing. Many Jewish families and homes were split and torn by dissension when during the decades after Jesus' crucifixion some of their young people "followed Jesus." The leaders and inspired writers in these new Christian communities of faith recognized this and saw in their situation a fulfillment of the prophetic word in Micah 7:6. It is apparent from these texts that these writers generally had little sympathy or concern for the Jewish parents who undoubtedly bitterly resisted their efforts and whenever they had an opportunity subjected their "wayward" youth to their first century versions of deprogramming.
For these inspired early Christian writers, the community called together around the name of Jesus constituted a new "family" that claimed an allegiance greater than that of the claims of the family of their Jewish parents. Young followers of Jesus were urged to "take up their cross and follow Jesus" in spite of parental opposition. If they did not do this, they were said to be not worthy of Jesus. They were told that if they were to lose their lives for Jesus' sake, they would certainly find them. They were encouraged to meet the needs of other "little" followers of Jesus. They were promised rewards for doing this. All of this was expressed in words of Jesus form and given not only the authority of the earthly pre-crucifixion Jesus but also that of the post-resurrection Christ. The calls to commitment to God that had without doubt been forcefully made by the Jesus of history were adjusted to become calls to commitment to Jesus.
It is important that we recognize the historical situation of the latter half of the first century when the accounts of the Four Gospels were written and that we share this with the congregations. Beyond that, we are still equally called to commitment and to service in the words of Matthew 10:39-42, which in terms of our proclamation and of our parenesis become the most important portion of the Matthew 10 text.
Common:
Psalm 17:1-7, 15
Even though the psalmist makes it abundantly clear in this psalm of lament that the psalmist is totally committed to the Lord and has avoided the paths of evil, the psalmist is not free from struggles and from strife. Without asking for anything more than that the Lord will hear the prayer of the psalmist, the psalmist promises a continued and renewed commitment to the Lord. That provides a beautiful model for us, a model to proclaim to others.
In this context of total commitment to the Lord, the words of the psalmist are not words of self-righteousness. They are instead words of past, present, and future commitment, of covenant renewal without asking much from the Lord. Therein lies their greatest value for us as a model for our lives and to be used in our proclamation.
Lutheran: Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
Roman Catholic: Psalm 89:2-3, 16-19
W.O.E. Oesterley, The Psalms, London: S.P.C.K., 1959, pp. 396-403, suggests that what we know as Psalm 89 may be a composite of psalm material from three separate times and places. What we know as verses 1-2, 5-18 praising Yahweh as the heavenly King may be from the Northern Kingdom prior to the fall of Samaria. Verses 3-4, 19-37 commemorating Yahweh's covenant with the house of David, a covenant that is to last forever, is probably from the Southern Kingdom prior to the fall of Jerusalem. Finally, verses 38-51, which commiserate over the surrender of Jerusalem, probably had their origin after the fall of Jerusalem in 597 B.C.E. To this was added as verse 52 a final benediction to mark the end of Book III of the Psalter.
The selections appointed for our use next Sunday emphasize the hesed ("love, mercy, grace, loving kindness") of the Lord and the everlasting covenant with David and with the Davidic line. The intended interpretation for Christian usage is that the Lord, "the Holy One of Israel," has renewed the Davidic covenant in a new way through Jesus and the Christian Church.
Common:
Genesis 32:22-32
In this fascinating hero of faith saga, with its interest in etiologies (explanations of the origins of customs and religious practices), in etymologies (explanations of the meaning of words), and in fairy tale motifs (such as the need of the divine figure to depart before daybreak and the magical touch of the finger), we have a tightly-packed story of Israel's early history of struggle over life itself, a struggle in which Israel contended with God and did not give up. Our interest is not so much in the origin of the name Israel, or in how Peniel became a holy place and received its name, or in why Israelites do not eat the sinew of the hip of an animal. Instead, it is in commitment to God and in service in God's name as the People of God, whether Israelite or Christian, during adversity as well as during times of prosperity.
Lutheran: Jeremiah 28:5-9
This portion of the section of the Jeremiah traditions that describes the tension between the prophet Hananiah who predicted peace and restoration of the Southern Kingdom within two years after the surrender of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 597 (See the reference above to Psalm 89:38-51.) and the prophet Jeremiah who could not predict peace and restoration, but had to speak about war, famine, and pestilence, takes us into a realistic appraisal of the situation in Jerusalem around the year 597 B.C.E. It takes us into a realistic appraisal of our own time as well. Like the prophet Jeremiah, we cannot predict peace until God brings peace, and apart from the proleptic anticipation of peace in the Gospel according to Luke's story about Jesus, we have no certain indication that God will bring peace and its blessings in any permanent way to this life as we know it here. At the same time, of course, we are to work for peace and to live in peace, insofar as that may be possible within our present limitations. It is likely that this Jeremiah 28:5-9 text was chosen for this occasion in the Lutheran lectionary because of the similar reference to struggle and to lack of peace in Jeremiah 28:5-9 and in the Gospel selection for this occasion, Matthew 10:34-42.
Roman Catholic: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16
The Shunammite woman in this story was committed to serving God and to helping Elisha, whom she perceived to be a "holy man of God." Even though she did not ask for a son for herself, and even though she did not immediately believe when Elisha told her that by that time the following year she would be fondling a baby son, a son was given to her. Therefore, it was not her faith, but her commitment and her life of service that was noteworthy. The lives of many members of the congregations in which we serve are noteworthy also not because of the faith of the members but because of their commitment and their lives of service. When this 2 Kings text is read is an excellent time to recognize people who are like this. We may even note that when people's lives are characterized by commitment to God and by service, there is also a strong undercurrent of faith in God in their lives. When we recognize their commitment and their service, their faith in God will usually, perhaps always, also become apparent.
Common:
Romans 6:3-11
Lutheran: Romans 6:1b-11
Roman Catholic: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11
Paul wanted the followers of Jesus to whom he wrote this document to consider themselves dead to sin through their association with Jesus and with Jesus' death on the cross by baptism and alive to God because of their relationship with their Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Obviously, Paul was in this way urging them to avoid sin and to permit their entire lives to be fully committed to God in Christ and influenced in a most positive way by their new relationship with God and with each other in Jesus the Christ. This text, therefore, stands as a vital reminder to us of the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection for us and of the meaning of our own baptism and of the baptism of others.
Common, Lutheran: Matthew 10:34-42
Roman Catholic: Matthew 10:37-42
Comparison of the texts in the Four Gospels that are similar to this one indicates that the Matthean writers probably put this account together from "Q" materials with slight use of Markan and possibly other sources. The account reflects in words of Jesus form the situation of followers of Jesus during the latter half of the first century. By that time adherence to the new Christian communities of faith set many sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, and daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law. Just as in our time new religions and religions that are new to our areas attract followers primarily among young people, so it was as Christianity was developing. Many Jewish families and homes were split and torn by dissension when during the decades after Jesus' crucifixion some of their young people "followed Jesus." The leaders and inspired writers in these new Christian communities of faith recognized this and saw in their situation a fulfillment of the prophetic word in Micah 7:6. It is apparent from these texts that these writers generally had little sympathy or concern for the Jewish parents who undoubtedly bitterly resisted their efforts and whenever they had an opportunity subjected their "wayward" youth to their first century versions of deprogramming.
For these inspired early Christian writers, the community called together around the name of Jesus constituted a new "family" that claimed an allegiance greater than that of the claims of the family of their Jewish parents. Young followers of Jesus were urged to "take up their cross and follow Jesus" in spite of parental opposition. If they did not do this, they were said to be not worthy of Jesus. They were told that if they were to lose their lives for Jesus' sake, they would certainly find them. They were encouraged to meet the needs of other "little" followers of Jesus. They were promised rewards for doing this. All of this was expressed in words of Jesus form and given not only the authority of the earthly pre-crucifixion Jesus but also that of the post-resurrection Christ. The calls to commitment to God that had without doubt been forcefully made by the Jesus of history were adjusted to become calls to commitment to Jesus.
It is important that we recognize the historical situation of the latter half of the first century when the accounts of the Four Gospels were written and that we share this with the congregations. Beyond that, we are still equally called to commitment and to service in the words of Matthew 10:39-42, which in terms of our proclamation and of our parenesis become the most important portion of the Matthew 10 text.
