14 February 2010
Psalm 148, 149, 150; Ecclus. 48:1-11; 2 Cor. 3:7-18; Luke 9:18-27
In today’s Eucharistic lessons we look at the Transfiguration of Jesus and there we see Moses and Elijah with Him until the voice from heaven proclaims Jesus to be the Son to whom the disciples should listen and then the other two are gone, Jesus stands alone. The readings from the daily lectionary relate to those Eucharistic lessons.
This first passage in praise of Elijah tells us that there was no prophet like him in Israel and recounts many of the events of his life. The belief was also (and is today in Judaism) that Elijah would return prior to the coming of Messiah and at Passover meals a chair is left empty at the table for Elijah should he choose to come. The prophetic words here that he will turn the hearts of parents to the children is an echo of Malachi 4, the end of the Old Testament canon. Elijah’s end, you will recall, is shrouded in mystery. We aren’t told that Elijah died, only that he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind and the belief is that, as he has not died, he is able to come again in bodily form.
Peter gets the question right. Others, the world, has always had opinions about Jesus and it was the same in His time, believing that He was one of those prophets, either Elijah or John the Baptist, come back to life. It is hard to understand the confusion with John since their ministries overlapped in time, but not so difficult to understand why they thought of Elijah or the prophet like Moses who some seemed to believe Him to be. The Messiah of God is Peter’s answer here and Jesus affirms the truth of his confession yet warns them not to tell anyone. He is Messiah but they are not going to see the fulfillment of their understanding of Messiah restoring the earthly kingdom to Jerusalem just yet, that will be fulfilled in the end of days and that time is not yet. In the interim, disciples must take up crosses and follow Him, there will be no thrones to share in the short term.
The glory of Moses was more like a sunburn and the glory of Jesus shone from within. When Moses met with God in the tent of meeting He caught some of that glory but it didn’t remain but faded. In Christ, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and yet we often veil that outward manifestation for other reasons. We are called to be different from the world, Jesus promised the world would hate us just as it hated Him, but we don’t like to be different and we definitely don’t like to be hated, so often we hide the glory. We are called to live into our calling and grow from one degree of glory to another but that glory isn’t to be hidden under a bushel basket, it is to be shown to the world in need of the savior.
Praise the LORD!Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
13 February 2010
Psalm 87, 90; Gen. 29:1-20; Rom. 14:1-23; John 8:47-59
The story of the love between Jacob and Rachel sounds very much like the story of Abraham’s servant finding a wife for Isaac. The difference is that Jacob gets to choose his own wife and Isaac had no wariness of sending his son to do the work on his own. Abraham knew better but Isaac has no idea of the dangers. Whereas the servant returned immediately with Rebekah, Jacob is enticed to stay for a long season of time in order to get his wife. His desire for Rachel is like that of a new home buyer who makes the mistake of telling the owner how much he loves the house and has to have it. Now is the time to make a deal.
Jesus continues to dispute with the Jews. The things He is saying to them here are incredibly difficult to imagine hearing without arguing with Him. They believe themselves to be children of Abraham and heirs to the promises made to Abraham by virtue of two basic things, circumcision and the worship of the temple. Jesus is telling them what He told the Samaritan woman, this is about worship offered in spirit and truth, it is about knowing the Father, a term the prophets used again and again in rebuking the people who were offering worship but only by keeping the rules, not with the heart. His final answer here to their objections of his being older than Abraham is truly offensive to them, “Before Abraham was, I am.” In those final two words He has used the name of God given to Moses and used it to refer to Himself. No wonder they picked up stones. He didn’t leave them the option so many today avail themselves of, that He was a great teacher.
This passage can be used in a passive-aggressive way by those who abstain from something to force others to their way of life. I have seen those who do not drink alcohol and vegetarians attempt to impose their will on others and yet that is not what this passage says. Paul is encouraging the community to focus on the majors, those things that truly matter to salvation and not to make those peripheral things the mark of the community. Whatever we do let it be from the conviction that there is no sin in the thing. Legalism comes in many forms, worship style, worship music, eating and drinking, dancing, sleeve length, hem length, make up, piercings, tatooings, etc. All these can be bad things certainly but whether they are bad or not is a heart matter not a legal matter. Those kinds of things are what caused the Jews of Jesus’ day to make wrong judgments about Him.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
Psalm 87, 90; Gen. 29:1-20; Rom. 14:1-23; John 8:47-59
The story of the love between Jacob and Rachel sounds very much like the story of Abraham’s servant finding a wife for Isaac. The difference is that Jacob gets to choose his own wife and Isaac had no wariness of sending his son to do the work on his own. Abraham knew better but Isaac has no idea of the dangers. Whereas the servant returned immediately with Rebekah, Jacob is enticed to stay for a long season of time in order to get his wife. His desire for Rachel is like that of a new home buyer who makes the mistake of telling the owner how much he loves the house and has to have it. Now is the time to make a deal.
Jesus continues to dispute with the Jews. The things He is saying to them here are incredibly difficult to imagine hearing without arguing with Him. They believe themselves to be children of Abraham and heirs to the promises made to Abraham by virtue of two basic things, circumcision and the worship of the temple. Jesus is telling them what He told the Samaritan woman, this is about worship offered in spirit and truth, it is about knowing the Father, a term the prophets used again and again in rebuking the people who were offering worship but only by keeping the rules, not with the heart. His final answer here to their objections of his being older than Abraham is truly offensive to them, “Before Abraham was, I am.” In those final two words He has used the name of God given to Moses and used it to refer to Himself. No wonder they picked up stones. He didn’t leave them the option so many today avail themselves of, that He was a great teacher.
This passage can be used in a passive-aggressive way by those who abstain from something to force others to their way of life. I have seen those who do not drink alcohol and vegetarians attempt to impose their will on others and yet that is not what this passage says. Paul is encouraging the community to focus on the majors, those things that truly matter to salvation and not to make those peripheral things the mark of the community. Whatever we do let it be from the conviction that there is no sin in the thing. Legalism comes in many forms, worship style, worship music, eating and drinking, dancing, sleeve length, hem length, make up, piercings, tatooings, etc. All these can be bad things certainly but whether they are bad or not is a heart matter not a legal matter. Those kinds of things are what caused the Jews of Jesus’ day to make wrong judgments about Him.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!
Friday, February 12, 2010
12 February 2010
Psalm 88; Gen. 27:46-28:4,10-22; Rom. 13:1-14; John 8:33-47
Rebekah uses a slight deception to entice her husband to bless Jacob on his way to get a wife. Her motive is largely to ensure his safety but she doesn’t share with Isaac what Esau has said. The blessing Jacob receives from his father certainly holds back nothing from him and clearly makes his the beneficiary of the blessing of God that had been given to his grandfather, a blessing he will receive directly from the Lord on his journey. More than the blessing of fruitfulness and possession of the land, however, the Lord promises to be with him wherever he goes and will remain with him until he returns to this place. The promise of presence was certainly a promise Jacob would need to remember to console himself during the next 20 or so years.
The statement about being Abraham’s children and thus never having been slaves is an odd one to say the least. The entire story of the Exodus is the story of their deliverance from slavery. Jesus’ words here in John 8 are powerful and offensive in calling them children not of Abraham or of God but of satan. What would Abraham be doing that they are not? Believing, the work Abraham did that was credited to him as righteousness. Jesus is calling them to believe in Him as the one sent by the Father. What they have seen and heard should convince them of His identity but they are neither seeing nor hearing the truth and in that they prove not who He is but who they are, children of the father of lies.
Paul tells the Romans that they are to be good citizens of both heaven and earth. They have a responsibility to the state, believing in the sovereignty of God that no ruler has that power unless God wills it. They have a responsibility to heaven as well, to not bring dishonor on the name of God by their actions, and to love one another in fulfillment of the commandments. There are certainly some things in this passage that beg understanding. If the government commands you to do something immoral, how could we comply? Certainly we are not to confound the state and God, one is fallible while the other infallible. Dietrich Bonhoeffer had to struggle with this passage in his decision to join the plot to kill Hitler, which ultimately led to his own death, just days before Hitler himself died. We must all prayerfully determine what is meant by civil obedience in order to determine our witness to our Father who is in heaven and His will for His creation.
O LORD, God of my salvation;
I cry out day and night before you.
Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry!
Psalm 88; Gen. 27:46-28:4,10-22; Rom. 13:1-14; John 8:33-47
Rebekah uses a slight deception to entice her husband to bless Jacob on his way to get a wife. Her motive is largely to ensure his safety but she doesn’t share with Isaac what Esau has said. The blessing Jacob receives from his father certainly holds back nothing from him and clearly makes his the beneficiary of the blessing of God that had been given to his grandfather, a blessing he will receive directly from the Lord on his journey. More than the blessing of fruitfulness and possession of the land, however, the Lord promises to be with him wherever he goes and will remain with him until he returns to this place. The promise of presence was certainly a promise Jacob would need to remember to console himself during the next 20 or so years.
The statement about being Abraham’s children and thus never having been slaves is an odd one to say the least. The entire story of the Exodus is the story of their deliverance from slavery. Jesus’ words here in John 8 are powerful and offensive in calling them children not of Abraham or of God but of satan. What would Abraham be doing that they are not? Believing, the work Abraham did that was credited to him as righteousness. Jesus is calling them to believe in Him as the one sent by the Father. What they have seen and heard should convince them of His identity but they are neither seeing nor hearing the truth and in that they prove not who He is but who they are, children of the father of lies.
Paul tells the Romans that they are to be good citizens of both heaven and earth. They have a responsibility to the state, believing in the sovereignty of God that no ruler has that power unless God wills it. They have a responsibility to heaven as well, to not bring dishonor on the name of God by their actions, and to love one another in fulfillment of the commandments. There are certainly some things in this passage that beg understanding. If the government commands you to do something immoral, how could we comply? Certainly we are not to confound the state and God, one is fallible while the other infallible. Dietrich Bonhoeffer had to struggle with this passage in his decision to join the plot to kill Hitler, which ultimately led to his own death, just days before Hitler himself died. We must all prayerfully determine what is meant by civil obedience in order to determine our witness to our Father who is in heaven and His will for His creation.
O LORD, God of my salvation;
I cry out day and night before you.
Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
11 February 2010
Psalm 146; Gen. 27:30-45; Rom. 12:9-21; John 8:21-32
The scene between Isaac and his favorite, Esau, is full of emotion. Isaac trembles violently when he realizes that he has been deceived, Esau cries out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and lifts up his voice and weeps in begging for his father’s blessing. There are parallels with the Cain and Abel story that are unmistakable and yet the tragedy of fratricide is averted. Rebekah’s fear of losing both her husband and her son in one day is actually realized though not in the manner she fears. It seems she never saw Jacob again, effectively losing him by sending him away in her fear. This, again, comes down to an issue of trusting the Lord to do as He has promised. Do we trust God to be able to do what He has promised or not? Jesus going to the cross is the ultimate act of trust, that the Father will be able to overcome death and the grave and that the plan will succeed in spite of appearances to the contrary.
Jesus speaks things to the crowd that they cannot understand because they are only thinking in categories that make sense to them. The renewing of the mind that Paul spoke of in yesterday’s lesson from Romans is required in order for us to understand and accept spiritual truths. For the second time He speaks of being lifted up as the key to knowledge and it is surely not possible that they could have understood this figure of speech, much less what it would mean when they saw Him indeed lifted up on the cross. To the disciples He tells the key to truth, remaining in His word. He speaks of this as the way to know the truth that will set them/us free. This truth is that this life isn’t all there is, there are truths we can see with our eyes and truths that relate to the unseen yet greater realities of God.
This passage from Romans tells us something of what it means to have been transformed by the renewing of the mind. Almost all of what Paul tells them to do is counter-cultural and at odds with what we think of as human nature. Pride, for instance, was seen as a virtue and humility was seen as ridiculous in this culture, so associating with the lowly, not claiming to be wiser than you are, and even loving one another were not cultural “goods.” His admonitions to be patient in affliction and not returning evil for evil work against our own nature, at least the fallen nature. Above all else, this call is to live as new people, living the life of Christ who most certainly associated with the lowly, loved others, was patient in affliction, persevering in prayer, and did not return evil for evil. All of these things speak of that other country for which we are living, our lives are meant to be lived for something other than what the world lives for in order that it may see that there is a better way of being human, a truer humanity.
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 while I have my being.
Psalm 146; Gen. 27:30-45; Rom. 12:9-21; John 8:21-32
The scene between Isaac and his favorite, Esau, is full of emotion. Isaac trembles violently when he realizes that he has been deceived, Esau cries out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and lifts up his voice and weeps in begging for his father’s blessing. There are parallels with the Cain and Abel story that are unmistakable and yet the tragedy of fratricide is averted. Rebekah’s fear of losing both her husband and her son in one day is actually realized though not in the manner she fears. It seems she never saw Jacob again, effectively losing him by sending him away in her fear. This, again, comes down to an issue of trusting the Lord to do as He has promised. Do we trust God to be able to do what He has promised or not? Jesus going to the cross is the ultimate act of trust, that the Father will be able to overcome death and the grave and that the plan will succeed in spite of appearances to the contrary.
Jesus speaks things to the crowd that they cannot understand because they are only thinking in categories that make sense to them. The renewing of the mind that Paul spoke of in yesterday’s lesson from Romans is required in order for us to understand and accept spiritual truths. For the second time He speaks of being lifted up as the key to knowledge and it is surely not possible that they could have understood this figure of speech, much less what it would mean when they saw Him indeed lifted up on the cross. To the disciples He tells the key to truth, remaining in His word. He speaks of this as the way to know the truth that will set them/us free. This truth is that this life isn’t all there is, there are truths we can see with our eyes and truths that relate to the unseen yet greater realities of God.
This passage from Romans tells us something of what it means to have been transformed by the renewing of the mind. Almost all of what Paul tells them to do is counter-cultural and at odds with what we think of as human nature. Pride, for instance, was seen as a virtue and humility was seen as ridiculous in this culture, so associating with the lowly, not claiming to be wiser than you are, and even loving one another were not cultural “goods.” His admonitions to be patient in affliction and not returning evil for evil work against our own nature, at least the fallen nature. Above all else, this call is to live as new people, living the life of Christ who most certainly associated with the lowly, loved others, was patient in affliction, persevering in prayer, and did not return evil for evil. All of these things speak of that other country for which we are living, our lives are meant to be lived for something other than what the world lives for in order that it may see that there is a better way of being human, a truer humanity.
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 while I have my being.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
10 February 2010
Psalm 119:97-120; Gen. 27:1-29; Rom. 12:1-8; John 8:12-20
All the bad things that happen in Genesis begin with someone obeying the voice or command of someone besides the Lord. Adam obeys the voice of Eve and Abraham obeys the voice of his wife in the situation with Hagar which brings about Ishmael. Here, Rebekah has received the promise from the Lord regarding Jacob and Esau but it seems that promise is being jeopardized so she takes matters into her own hands. Isaac isn’t innocent here either, he is listening to his stomach which desires some game and because Esau can provide what he craves he is promised his father’s blessing. Everyone is playing favorites and no one seems to be listening to or trusting the Lord. In such instances, deception is necessary and the price for this deception is a family torn asunder more or less permanently.
Jesus says that both his testimony and his judgments are valid and that theirs are not. We know that His Father is not the man Joseph and we know that He does not actually come from Nazareth, so their judgment about Him, based on wrong information, is truthfully not valid. He, however, makes no effort to correct their information, again because they have other information on which to judge which should be the primary evidence. The images of light and darkness can here be thought of as truth or wisdom and the lack thereof. If we follow Jesus and seek to know truth through Him, we will indeed walk in the light, if we reject Him and seek truth elsewhere we will continue to walk in darkness. Obeying His voice is important.
The admonition to not be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds is so that we may discern the will of the Lord. It is Paul’s eloquent way of saying get rid of the other voices that want to tell you what to do and how to think in order that you can hear the one voice that matters and do His will. We have to learn to stop allowing the world to dictate how we live and think in order to see real transformation. There is a difference between conformation and transformation. Conforming is the fitting to a pre-determined mold and transforming results in something entirely new. Conforming sees ourselves as in need of change in order to fit that mold, transforming sees us as in need of a complete make-over and that the mold itself is the problem. Transformation as the goal sees the reality of original sin and total depravity (there is nothing about our nature that hasn’t participated in the fall) and begs to be new creation.
Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
Hold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for your statutes continually!
Psalm 119:97-120; Gen. 27:1-29; Rom. 12:1-8; John 8:12-20
All the bad things that happen in Genesis begin with someone obeying the voice or command of someone besides the Lord. Adam obeys the voice of Eve and Abraham obeys the voice of his wife in the situation with Hagar which brings about Ishmael. Here, Rebekah has received the promise from the Lord regarding Jacob and Esau but it seems that promise is being jeopardized so she takes matters into her own hands. Isaac isn’t innocent here either, he is listening to his stomach which desires some game and because Esau can provide what he craves he is promised his father’s blessing. Everyone is playing favorites and no one seems to be listening to or trusting the Lord. In such instances, deception is necessary and the price for this deception is a family torn asunder more or less permanently.
Jesus says that both his testimony and his judgments are valid and that theirs are not. We know that His Father is not the man Joseph and we know that He does not actually come from Nazareth, so their judgment about Him, based on wrong information, is truthfully not valid. He, however, makes no effort to correct their information, again because they have other information on which to judge which should be the primary evidence. The images of light and darkness can here be thought of as truth or wisdom and the lack thereof. If we follow Jesus and seek to know truth through Him, we will indeed walk in the light, if we reject Him and seek truth elsewhere we will continue to walk in darkness. Obeying His voice is important.
The admonition to not be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds is so that we may discern the will of the Lord. It is Paul’s eloquent way of saying get rid of the other voices that want to tell you what to do and how to think in order that you can hear the one voice that matters and do His will. We have to learn to stop allowing the world to dictate how we live and think in order to see real transformation. There is a difference between conformation and transformation. Conforming is the fitting to a pre-determined mold and transforming results in something entirely new. Conforming sees ourselves as in need of change in order to fit that mold, transforming sees us as in need of a complete make-over and that the mold itself is the problem. Transformation as the goal sees the reality of original sin and total depravity (there is nothing about our nature that hasn’t participated in the fall) and begs to be new creation.
Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
Hold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for your statutes continually!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
9 February 2010
Psalm 78:1-39; Gen. 26:1-6,12-33; Heb. 13:17-25; John 7:53-8:11
Isaac begins to experience the blessing of the Lord but, like his father before him, does not completely trust the Lord in at least one matter. A famine comes which requires a relocation but the Lord tells him not to go to Egypt (that will come in two generations), but like his father, the Lord will show him the land where he is to settle and the promise is renewed with Isaac. The Lord protects Isaac and Rebekah from their own foolishness and blesses them abundantly, to the extent that Abimelech notices and says, “You are now the blessed of the Lord.” We don’t know whether he knows the Lord specifically, but he sees that God is with Isaac due to his continued blessings in material wealth and that everywhere he dug seems to turn up water. The people of the land were not without a witness to the Lord. Their sins that eventually have them ejected from the land are not simply sins of ignorance.
Where is the man with whom this woman was caught in adultery? The whole thing smells. There almost certainly was a set-up in order that this group might catch her in the act, someone must have known where to be and when to be there. She is guilty and Jesus doesn’t shy away from that fact. If these men had known what was going to happen, they too are guilty as they failed to do anything to stop it although they have a duty under the law in that regard. Jesus shows great mercy here as there is one without sin in the crowd, Jesus, and instead of throwing the first stone he forgives her.
Here at the end of the epistle, the writer encourages the people to obey their leaders, pray for him and then prays that the Lord may make them complete in everything good so that they may do His will. In the first instance of leaders he does not use the term shepherd but speaks of them in language “they are keeping watch over your souls” that is intended to bring that image to mind. In speaking of Jesus he calls him that great shepherd of the sheep. The work of a leader in the church is at least partially to watch over the souls entrusted to him or her. Sometimes that requires confronting sin in order to restore someone to the Lord. It is always, for me, the most difficult thing I have to do. In these first two lessons we see Abimelech confronting the sin of Isaac who lied about his wife and Jesus confronting the sin of the woman as well as the mob. Sin needs to be confronted and dealt with in the community and yet we tend to be defensive and self-justifying. If we understood the motive of love behind the confrontation and the desire for forgiveness, reconciliation and personal growth it would all be easier.
Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers;
praised and exalted above all for ever.
Blessed are thou for the name of thy Majesty;
praised and exalted above all for ever.
Psalm 78:1-39; Gen. 26:1-6,12-33; Heb. 13:17-25; John 7:53-8:11
Isaac begins to experience the blessing of the Lord but, like his father before him, does not completely trust the Lord in at least one matter. A famine comes which requires a relocation but the Lord tells him not to go to Egypt (that will come in two generations), but like his father, the Lord will show him the land where he is to settle and the promise is renewed with Isaac. The Lord protects Isaac and Rebekah from their own foolishness and blesses them abundantly, to the extent that Abimelech notices and says, “You are now the blessed of the Lord.” We don’t know whether he knows the Lord specifically, but he sees that God is with Isaac due to his continued blessings in material wealth and that everywhere he dug seems to turn up water. The people of the land were not without a witness to the Lord. Their sins that eventually have them ejected from the land are not simply sins of ignorance.
Where is the man with whom this woman was caught in adultery? The whole thing smells. There almost certainly was a set-up in order that this group might catch her in the act, someone must have known where to be and when to be there. She is guilty and Jesus doesn’t shy away from that fact. If these men had known what was going to happen, they too are guilty as they failed to do anything to stop it although they have a duty under the law in that regard. Jesus shows great mercy here as there is one without sin in the crowd, Jesus, and instead of throwing the first stone he forgives her.
Here at the end of the epistle, the writer encourages the people to obey their leaders, pray for him and then prays that the Lord may make them complete in everything good so that they may do His will. In the first instance of leaders he does not use the term shepherd but speaks of them in language “they are keeping watch over your souls” that is intended to bring that image to mind. In speaking of Jesus he calls him that great shepherd of the sheep. The work of a leader in the church is at least partially to watch over the souls entrusted to him or her. Sometimes that requires confronting sin in order to restore someone to the Lord. It is always, for me, the most difficult thing I have to do. In these first two lessons we see Abimelech confronting the sin of Isaac who lied about his wife and Jesus confronting the sin of the woman as well as the mob. Sin needs to be confronted and dealt with in the community and yet we tend to be defensive and self-justifying. If we understood the motive of love behind the confrontation and the desire for forgiveness, reconciliation and personal growth it would all be easier.
Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers;
praised and exalted above all for ever.
Blessed are thou for the name of thy Majesty;
praised and exalted above all for ever.
Monday, February 8, 2010
8 February 2010
Psalm 80; Gen. 25:19-34; Heb. 13:1-16; John 7:37-52
The story of the birth of Jacob and Esau begins well, Isaac prayed that God would do something about Rebekah’s barrenness and Rebekah prayed for understanding of the struggle within her. In both cases their prayers were heard and answered. The birth of the two was simply a continuation of the wrestling match they had begun in the womb and in which they would be engaged for much of their lives. Jacob, in particular, was a wrestler his entire life. While Esau might have been a skillful hunter, Jacob was equally cunning in his own way. He may have been a quiet man who lived in tents but we see here that he knew how to bag the game he coveted. God had promised his mother that he would be ruler over his brother and yet they seem to have not had faith in Him to bring that about, always taking matters into their own hands. The price they paid for that was steep in terms of relationships. The story, by the way, doesn’t speak well of Esau who is said to have despised his birthright given his actions here in selling it on the cheap.
Jesus makes an extraordinary offer. At this festival they are celebrating their trust in God to provide the rains for the crops to come. Part of the festival is the ritual pouring out of the water in the temple in faith that God will soon provide more. Jesus speaks into that ceremony with an offer of living water, the fulfillment of the spiritual desire that stands behind the ceremony, the same offer he made to the woman at the well in John 4. His approach here to their questions and unbelief is different from that time. Their argument is that he comes from the wrong place, a common problem for them in the Gospel. Jesus makes no effort to correct them and makes no further offer to them. It all must turn on faith and they have seen and heard enough to make right judgments yet they judge based on something they didn’t see, no one seems to have cared about his birth, either at the time or now in this scene. Provincialism seems to have been the barrier to belief in spite of the evidence of their ears and eyes.
Remember the people to whom the letter is addressed are wavering between Jesus and Judaism. The writer is calling them to see Jesus as a superior sacrifice but also the fulfillment of the entire sacrificial system. Just as the animals for the sacrifices were not sacrificed inside either the tabernacle or the temple, so was Jesus crucified outside the walls of the city. The community is enjoined to literally think outside the city, the city of God to which we are pointed is not Jerusalem, but a city that will last through eternity, in the same way Jesus, in our Gospel lesson, is pointing beyond the water for which they are praying to the water which is eternal. The sacrifices offered in that city are sacrifices of praise and worship, confessing the name of Jesus.
Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Psalm 80; Gen. 25:19-34; Heb. 13:1-16; John 7:37-52
The story of the birth of Jacob and Esau begins well, Isaac prayed that God would do something about Rebekah’s barrenness and Rebekah prayed for understanding of the struggle within her. In both cases their prayers were heard and answered. The birth of the two was simply a continuation of the wrestling match they had begun in the womb and in which they would be engaged for much of their lives. Jacob, in particular, was a wrestler his entire life. While Esau might have been a skillful hunter, Jacob was equally cunning in his own way. He may have been a quiet man who lived in tents but we see here that he knew how to bag the game he coveted. God had promised his mother that he would be ruler over his brother and yet they seem to have not had faith in Him to bring that about, always taking matters into their own hands. The price they paid for that was steep in terms of relationships. The story, by the way, doesn’t speak well of Esau who is said to have despised his birthright given his actions here in selling it on the cheap.
Jesus makes an extraordinary offer. At this festival they are celebrating their trust in God to provide the rains for the crops to come. Part of the festival is the ritual pouring out of the water in the temple in faith that God will soon provide more. Jesus speaks into that ceremony with an offer of living water, the fulfillment of the spiritual desire that stands behind the ceremony, the same offer he made to the woman at the well in John 4. His approach here to their questions and unbelief is different from that time. Their argument is that he comes from the wrong place, a common problem for them in the Gospel. Jesus makes no effort to correct them and makes no further offer to them. It all must turn on faith and they have seen and heard enough to make right judgments yet they judge based on something they didn’t see, no one seems to have cared about his birth, either at the time or now in this scene. Provincialism seems to have been the barrier to belief in spite of the evidence of their ears and eyes.
Remember the people to whom the letter is addressed are wavering between Jesus and Judaism. The writer is calling them to see Jesus as a superior sacrifice but also the fulfillment of the entire sacrificial system. Just as the animals for the sacrifices were not sacrificed inside either the tabernacle or the temple, so was Jesus crucified outside the walls of the city. The community is enjoined to literally think outside the city, the city of God to which we are pointed is not Jerusalem, but a city that will last through eternity, in the same way Jesus, in our Gospel lesson, is pointing beyond the water for which they are praying to the water which is eternal. The sacrifices offered in that city are sacrifices of praise and worship, confessing the name of Jesus.
Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
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