Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4, Cycle A

With selections from Psalm 15 as the leadoff text and the Beatitudes of Matthew 5 as the anchor text, it is obvious that the overriding theme of the readings selected for this coming weekend is basically “Happiness is…” Biblically speaking, happiness is experienced in the Presence of God. Happiness is the condition of those who do what is right in the sight of God. Happiness is the state of being for the People of God in the kingdom of God, wherever God, rather than some earthly oppressive ruler, is king.

Within the general framework of these texts, happiness is various things for diverse people at different times. Let us look briefly at what happiness was for the People of God in the four situations depicted in these texts. Then perhaps we can look at what happiness is for us and what it may be for the People of God who will be worshiping God together with us this coming weekend.

Psalm 15
This psalm has similarities with Psalm 1, the opening psalm in the Psalter, though the emphasis here is less on the commandments of God and more on simply living righteously. The person who is honest, considerate, and helpful will have a clear conscience and a happy life within the congregation of those who worship the Lord.

Micah 6:1-8
In this Micah reading, the happiness theme is certainly in the final portion, verses 6-8. The rather severe self-criticism apparent in 6:1-5 was undoubtedly a matter of earnest concern at the time this message was first proclaimed, but in terms of Christian usage, 6:6-8 is the portion that has the closest contact with the other readings for this day.

Happiness for the People of God in the Presence of God is simply to “do justice” in all relationships, to “show mercy,” and to “live and walk humbly” with your God. The interpretation that our proper position with respect to God is a position of humility, or at least of modesty, is the point of contact between this text and the Beatitudes of Matthew 5.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Happiness in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 is found in relationship with Christ Jesus, through whom we have “wisdom,” “righteousness,” “holiness,” and “redemption.” We boast in our relationship with Jesus as the Christ, not in our own wisdom, not in our own righteousness, not in our own holiness, nor in our own redemption.

Matthew 5:1-12
Most of us as Christians are more familiar with the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:1-12 than we are with similar beatitudes in the psalms and in texts such as Deuteronomy 28:1-14. Careful comparison of Matthew 5:1-12 and Luke 6:17, 20-23 with similar beatitudes in our Older Testament indicates Matthew 5:1-12 is probably a collection gathered from among many “Happiness Sayings” expressed by Jesus in a variety of settings and remembered by his closest followers. In addition, followers of Jesus may have added to early collections of beatitudes of Jesus additional beatitudes of their own, in view of their experiences within their changing situations later during the first century. The final two beatitudes in Matthew 5:11-12 appear to have their life situation in the experiences of the Matthean church.

True happiness does not consist in having more material things than we can possibly use or consume, but in being dependent on God and on having a good relationship with God. The poor, mourning, kind, considerate, oppressed Jews in Galilee and Judea among whom Jesus lived and worked and followers of Jesus who were poor, mourning, kind, considerate, and oppressed later within the first century probably understood and appreciated these beatitudes more clearly and more fully than most of us who are not oppressed and poor understand and appreciate them. They were poor because the Romans and the Roman occupational forces oppressed them personally, economically, and socially. They mourned because the Romans crucified Jesus and other leaders among them. They were meek because there were no other options for them in the political situation in which they lived. In spite of all of this oppression, they were blessed and were happy because the Jesus of history had given them hope by pointing them toward God, and later they were given hope through their relationship with Jesus the Risen Christ. Along with them, we also are most happy and most blessed when we trust in God and depend most fully on God.

THEME OF THE DAY
God goes with us in all we do. In accord with the Epiphany season’s preoccupation with the practice of the Christian life, our lessons remind us that in all the good we do (even in our Social Ethical engagement) God goes along with us (Justification and Sanctification by Grace).

Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
This is an acrostic Wisdom Psalm (each line beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet) contrasting the fate of the righteous and the wicked. Its aim is to offer instruction about the characteristics and benefits of righteous living, only tangentially (in the last verse which the assigned lesson makes optional) with punishment of the wicked. Although the author of the Psalm may or may not have had this insight in mind in the instruction this song offers, by the end of Babylonian captivity Hebraic leaders had come to understand that wisdom is rooted in God alone (Proverbs 1:7). This theme is suggested in the Psalm’s first verse. Beginning with Hallelujah (meaning “Praise the Lord”), those who fear [yare, which also connotes reverence] Yahweh and delight in his commandments are said to be happy (v. 1). The benefits of such a life are described, for they have no fear of evil (vv. 2-8). The virtues noted in verse 4, being gracious and merciful, echo those attributed to God in an ancient Hebraic confession (Exodus 34:6). Those who fear the Lord give to the poor and their righteousness endures forever (v. 9). The wicked, by contrast, see this and are angry but their desire comes to nothing (v. 10).

Application: Sermons based on the wisdom regarding Christian living based on this text (Sanctification) do well to make clear that such wisdom is rooted in God and there is not happiness, generosity, steady hearts, and boldness in face of evil, if not gifts of God (Justification by Grace). References to giving to the poor open the way for sermons on Social Ethics, but if such a sermon is developed the text demands we make clear that even such quests for justice are only possible because of God.

Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
This psalm was written by Trito-Isaiah (the most recent independent literary strand of the book, likely composed late in the sixth century BC at a time after the Babylonian exiles had returned to Judah and were dealing with disappointment about the pace of recovery and restoration under Persian domination of the region). The text sings of the Lord not desiring fasting, but kindness and justice. Judah needs restoration from its plight, which is portrayed as a function of its sin and oppression of the poor.

Worshipers are first urged to shout out like trumpets and not hold back, announcing their rebellion and sin (v. 1). Trumpets were used to announce fast days (Joel 2:15). Confessing sin is a true fasting and humbling of oneself. Daily the people are said to seek Elohim, as if they practiced righteousness. They seek righteous judgment, complaining that their fasting and humbling themselves seem not to be noticed (vv. 2-3a). (A judgment of righteousness [tsedeq] connotes not judgmentalism on God’s part but deliverance [Psalm 71:2].) But they are not heard as they oppress their workers and quarrel. God rejects this (vv. 3b-5).

The Lord is said to want, instead of fasting, the loosening of the bonds of injustice, letting the oppressed go free, sharing bread with the hungry, finding housing for the homeless, and clothing the naked (vv. 6-7). When this happens the people’s light will be seen and the glory of Yahweh will protect them. Then Yahweh pledges to answer their call (vv. 8-9a). The Lord then proceeds to promise that if the speaking of evil ends, the hungry are fed, the needs of the afflicted met, then he will satisfy their needs and make them strong as a people (vv. 9b-11). And then the ancient ruins of Israel destroyed by Babylon will rise, and God will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in (v. 12). The text seems to assert that living faithfully in the obedience described will result in the restoration of the ancient ruins of Judah and Israel destroyed by the Babylonians.

Application: The text provides occasion to focus on the theme of how that righteous God of ours delivers us, despite our dire circumstances (preachers might explore how, like the ancient Hebrews returning from Babylon, some of our basic American institutions are broken) and all our false expressions of piety. God will give the people strength to become people who take up the ministries described in the lesson (Justification and Sanctification by Grace). Another approach is to focus on the Social Ethics agenda of the lesson (caring for the hungry, homeless, and poor) as the highest form of worship in God’s sight (though not overlooking the theme that God is engaged with us in these activities).

1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
Dealing with a troubled church in Corinth which Paul had established (Acts 18:1-11), in this text he offers a discourse on the crucified Christ and ensuing spiritual wisdom. Paul notes that when he came to the Corinthians he did not come proclaiming the mystery of God in lofty terms or wisdom (v. 1), as the Corinthians seemed to desire. He decided, he claims, to know nothing except Christ crucified (v. 2). The apostle says he came to the Corinthians in weakness and in fear and trembling (v. 3). His speech was not plausible words of wisdom, but came with a demonstration of the Spirit and power, so that faith nurtured would not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God (vv. 4-5). In other words he claims not to have convinced anyone by the rhetoric or eloquence of his speeches, but what has been accomplished has been the work of the Spirit (of God).

Paul concedes that among the mature he will speak wisdom, though not a wisdom of the age. He speaks of God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which he decreed before the ages for our glory (vv. 6-7). The reference to glory may refer to the eschatological reality Paul and the first generation of disciples believed to be imminent. He then notes that the rulers of this age have not understood this, for if they had they would not have crucified the Lord (v. 8). He offers a quotation similar to Isaiah 64:4 that no one has seen or conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (v. 9).

Paul next states that all he has written has been revealed through the Spirit who searches the depths of God (vv. 10, 12-13). As only the human spirit knows what is truly human, only the Spirit of God knows God (v. 11). The unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, as it is all foolishness for them. But those who are spiritual discern all things (vv. 14-15). Elsewhere Paul links the Spirit and its gifts to baptism (12:13). The apostle finally quotes Isaiah 40:13 to point out that no one knows the mind of the Lord, but then proclaims that Christians have Christ (v. 16).

Application: Like the Second Lesson of the previous two weeks, we are given another opportunity to promote concentration on the crucified Christ and to help parishioners see how this gets the focus off worldly wisdom and ourselves. One focus might be to highlight with Paul that in a world which teaches us that God is found in great things and in worldly wisdom, God works in hidden and surprising ways (in order that we might find him in surprising places, like in suffering and on the Cross). The role of the Holy Spirit in revealing God, in making sense of what seems foolish about the gospel, in guiding us to make sense of life is another possible approach (Pneumatology and Sanctification). Paul’s comments in verse 9 about how we cannot know the great things God has in mind for us, that his love and goodness exceed our wisdom, is another option (Providence and Justification by Grace).

Matthew 5:13-20
The Jewish orientation of Matthew’s gospel reflects again in this report of the continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, dealing with the witness of the disciples and the relation of Jesus’ message to the Jewish Law. Jesus calls the disciples the salt of the earth, but reminds them that if the salt loses its taste it is good for nothing (v. 13). Salt was equated with compliance to the law in Hebraic thought (Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5). Likewise he calls them the light of the world, and a city built on a hill that cannot be hid (v. 14). As no one with a lit lamp puts it under a bushel basket, so Jesus urges the disciples to let their lights shine so others may see their good works (vv. 15-16). Light [or] in the Old Testament is an image to describe God (Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 60:1-3). This entails that according to Matthew’s account Jesus is contending that it is the Father, not the disciples, who is to shine. These images make clear that The Beatitudes, taught earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, do no not mandate withdrawal from the world.

Jesus next claims that he has not come to abolish the law and prophets, for he comes to fulfill them (v. 17). Not one letter will be abolished from the law, he adds (v. 18). Consequently, whoever breaks a commandment will be least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom (v. 19). The people’s righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees in order to enter the kingdom (v. 20). Only in Matthew’s version does this discussion of Jesus’ relation to the law and a concern with righteousness emerge, not surprising given the author’s overall Jewish orientation. Consequently, we should take our bearings from Jewish conceptions in understanding the key concepts. References to the law [nomos] of course should be construed in terms of the Hebraic concept of torah, which is not intended as a judgmental, condemnatory decree but regards the law as instruction or guide for life (Leo Trepp, Judaism: Development and Life, p. 2). And the references to righteousness [dikaiosune] should also be understood in terms of the Hebraic concept of tsedeq. To be sure Hebraic righteousness was related to right conduct according to God’s will. However, Old Testament scholars have noted that righteousness is not so much measured in Hebraic thinking by conformity to some absolute claims but rather in terms of relationship to God. As noted above in the analysis of the First Lesson, righteousness to the Hebrew mind might also be conferred on the believer by God, something given, not earned (Genesis 15:6; Psalm 71:2; cf. Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, pp. 373, 376ff).

Application: Preachers could use the text to explicate what it means to be salt of the earth, encouraging the faithful to live this way — a life adhering to God’s will (Sanctification). At the same time or independently of the image of being salt of the earth, the lesson affords opportunity to explain (in anticipation of next week’s theme) the role of the law (God’s commandments) in the Christian life. But in either case, it is crucial to make clear that for Matthew and his Jesus the law is not so much a set of demands that condemn us as they are guides for life which God’s grace (his presence) makes possible to be manifest in our lives. By this grace, not by what we do, we are made righteous (a righteousness superior to the very best humans can accomplish on their own) and saved.

THEME OF THE DAY
This theme is law of God and grace. This Sunday affords excellent opportunities to reflect on the role of the Ten Commandments (God’s Law) in the life of a Christian (Sanctification), though with awareness that without God’s grace the law is nothing but a curse (Sin), and that grace gives what the law commands (Justification by Grace).

Psalm 119:1-8
Another acrostic Psalm (each line beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet) with this one offering a meditation on God’s Law [torah]. Though this Psalm includes a prayer to God’s help in time of trouble, these verses are a prayer for help in observing the law. The song proclaims that those who keep God’s decrees are happy [ashere] (vv. 1-3). In Hebraic thinking, happiness is related to being envied by others as blessed. And so it seems that the psalmist believes that those who keep the law are regarded by others as blessed. Then the psalmist sings of how Yahweh has commended that his precepts be kept diligently (v. 4). The psalmist prays that he would be steadfast in observance of the commandments and not be put to shame, pledging to observe the divine statutes and praising God with an upright heart (vv. 5ff).

As we have previously noted, references to the law should be construed in terms of the Hebraic concept of torah, which is not intended as a judgmental, condemnatory decree, but regards the law as instruction or guide for life (Leo Trepp, Judaism: Development and Life, p. 2).

Application: A sermon on this lesson provides occasion to clarify the proper function of the law and commands of God (Sanctification) (see preceding paragraph). But insofar as those obeying the law are said to be blessed, this insight opens the way to sermons on how obedience to the law is a gift of God’s grace (Justification by Grace).

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Like all of the first four books of the Bible, Deuteronomy is the product of four distinct oral traditions. It is primarily the work of a strand scholars have called D (the Deuteronomistic source). This strand was related to, if not rooted in, the sweeping religious reforms under Judah’s King Josiah in the late seventh century BC. This literary strand also influenced the histories of the books of Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Samuel, as well as 1 and 2 Kings. The book’s theme is evidenced by the meaning of its title (“Second Law”). Portrayed in the form of Moses’ farewell address, it is the reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel. The legal tradition of the book of Exodus is reinterpreted in contemporary terms of Josiah’s 621 BC religious reforms.

This text is the conclusion of Moses’ third address, exhorting Israel to renew the covenant with warnings against disobedience. These verses are a discourse on the two ways between which Israel must decide (v. 15). Obedience to the commandments of God will lead to life, it is taught, and the people will then be blessed in the land they are to enter (v. 16). By contrast, to turn away and serve other gods will lead to destruction and loss of the land that people will cross the Jordan River to enter (vv. 17-18). Moses calls on heaven and earth to witness that he has set these options before the people. He urges that they choose life [chaiyim], loving and obeying Yahweh, so that they might live in the land of their ancestors (vv. 19-20). Life from an ancient Hebraic perspective is not the mere extension of days, but loving, obeying, and cleaving to Yahweh. The choice between the two ways that Moses offers in this lesson reminds us of the challenge offered Hebrew worshipers in ceremonies of covenant renewal (26:16–27:26).

Application: This text could also be an occasion to address the same issues noted in the application of the assigned Psalm (see above). The Hebraic understanding of life as loving and obeying God is another possible sermon direction (Sanctification). Also an appreciation of how because of sin we will not choose the way of life might be proclaimed, helping us recognize that we are so turned in on ourselves (so selfish) that we need the law and commandments to remind us how far we fall short, an insight that makes us more aware of our need for Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Dealing with a troubled church in Corinth which he had established (Acts 18:1-11), in this text Paul addresses division in the Corinthian church. He claims that he could not speak to the Corinthians as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh and infants in Christ receiving milk and not solid food. They are still not ready, for jealousy and quarreling show that they are still of the flesh [sarx] (vv. 1-3). The use of this term is not a critique of the physical/bodily character of human nature. For Paul, people of the flesh are those attached to worldly wisdom and values. The Corinthians seem to be identifying themselves with either Apollos (an Alexandrian Jewish Christian, who may well have then been a proponent of allegorical reading of the Hebrew Bible, like Philo the mentor of Jewish rabbis in Alexandria [Acts 18:24-28]), who seems to have ministered in the town (Acts 19:1), or Paul. The apostle claims that this is regrettable since he is just a servant through whom the people came to believe (vv. 5-6).

Elaborating further, Paul claims he just planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. Thus only God deserves credit (vv. 6-7). The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. (These wages are to be paid at the last judgment [vv. 12-15].) Paul claims that all are God’s servants working together. The Corinthians are said to be God’s field, his building (vv. 8-9).

Application: The text reminds us that squabbling and competing for power gets us centered on ourselves and so impedes spirituality. (This insight has been endorsed by recent neurobiological research on how the brain functions in spirituality and what impedes spiritual activity [Andrew Newberg and Mark Waldman, How God Changes Your Brain, pp. 131-146, 214-240].) This is an excellent opportunity to reflect with congregation members on how a greater sense of unity in the congregation might be nurtured with more concern for spirituality and the church’s ministry. Sanctification and Ecclesiology are central themes.

Matthew 5:21-37
The lesson further continues the account of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, particularly his teaching on the true understanding of the law. This of course accords with the Matthean concern to relate Jesus’ ministry to the Jewish Torah for Jewish Christians in Antioch no longer in full communion with Judaism.

Jesus begins by making the point that anger with a brother or sister or insulting them makes one as liable to judgment as murder (vv. 21-22). (“Judgment” [krisis] here may refer to a local Jewish court established in every town, but it is also the term used to refer to an ultimate judgment by God. The “Council” [suned] mentioned in v. 22 is the Jewish Sanhedrin, comprised of seventy elders.) As a result, Jesus teaches that when offering a gift at the altar, if one remembers that a brother or sister has something against the worshiper, he or she should leave the altar and first seek reconciliation (vv. 23-24). Jesus’ willingness here to interrupt a cultic sacrifice was unthinkable in his context; thus with this teaching he effectively challenges cultic ideology. Likewise, Jesus urges coming to terms quickly with an accuser while on the way to court lest the judge throw the believer into prison (v. 25). Initiating the sentence in the next verse (26) with an “Amen” signifies in first-century Palestinian usage an eschatological intention behind the warning that this sin might result in imprisonment (Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, p. 120).

The Lord adds that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has committed adultery (vv. 27-28). (Adultery was an offense carrying the death penalty in ancient Jewish culture [Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22].) If the right eye or the right hand causes sin, it is well to tear the eye out or cut the arm off, for losing each is better than to lose the whole body in hell (vv. 29-30). Jesus rejects divorce, except on grounds of unchastity. (This stipulation to allow divorce is absent in the parallel Markan [10:11-12] and Lukan [16:18] accounts.) To marry a divorced woman is to commit adultery (vv. 31-32). This stricture was a restriction against male sexual license executed through easy divorce. New Testament scholar Eduard Schweizer points out the inherent sexism of Jewish divorce rubrics in Jesus’ day (as per Deuteronomy 24:1-4 only men could initiate divorce) and the high divorce rate in the Roman empire (The Good News According to Matthew, pp. 123-126). Jesus does not just want the faithful to avoid swearing falsely, but never to swear (vv. 33-36). Better just to let a yes be a Yes and a no be a No (v. 37). He is trying to free the flock from having to fulfill God’s commands by legal means, rather than through spontaneous service.

Application: Several possible sermon directions emerge from this text. It invites sermons on marriage (the joy of lifelong marriage could be explored) along with the tragedy of divorce (Sanctification). Jesus’ harsh judgment on it can be mollified both with an acknowledgment of his openness in this gospel to it in cases of sexual infidelity, and also his strong stand in its context as a statement of women’s equality could be emphasized (Social Ethics). Sexuality and its temptations (the sin of adultery and sex outside of marriage) are also a legitimate theme. The text also clearly condemns sin, making it clear that all of us are guilty of murder and adultery. Having made these points, the grace insights of the assigned Psalm (see its Application comments, above) and the Second Lesson (3:6-7) can be used to make clear that God forgives us (Justification by Grace).

THEME OF THE DAY
All we do and are belongs to God! Another Sunday to remind us that in everything we do and have, God is the one who gives all we have to us or impels us to do good with them. Justification by Grace, Sanctification, Sin, and Social Ethics receive attention.

Psalm 119:33-40
This is a continuation of the previous week’s acrostic Psalm (each line beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet) offering a meditation on the law of God [torah]. These verses are a prayer to gain understanding of the law.

We have previously noted that Old Testament and Jewish references to the law [torah] are not intended to connote that God’s commands are judgmental, condemnatory decrees, but regard the law as instruction or guide for life (Leo Trepp, Judaism: Development and Life, p. 2). In this context this Psalm’s expressions of love for the law and commandments of God make sense. The psalmist petitions that Yahweh would teach the way of his statutes and pledges to observe them (vv. 33-34). Petitions are made that the psalmist might be led in the path of the commandments for he delights in them (vv. 35-37). He pleads that Yahweh’s promise be confirmed for those who fear [yare] him (v. 38). (The Hebrew word here more properly is understood as “reverence.”) The psalmist also asks that he be turned from the disgrace he dreads, for the Lord’s ordinances are good, and he longs for Yahweh’s precepts. He would have the Lord’s righteousness give him life (vv. 39-40). We note again that in the Hebrew Bible a judgment of righteousness [tsedeq] does not connote judgment on God’s part but deliverance [Psalm 71:2]. This is made clear in this song as the psalmist claims that God’s righteousness gives life (v. 40), a theme most reminiscent of Romans 3:21-25.

Application: Like the Psalm from the previous week, this lesson could lead to a sermon clarifying the proper function of the law and commands of God about (Sanctification) (see preceding paragraph) why the faithful love the law. But this line of thought needs to be balanced with the insight that those obeying the law are only able to do so by grace (by the righteousness of God, and so by grace).

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18
Like Deuteronomy, Exodus, Genesis, and Numbers, Leviticus is the product of four distinct oral traditions, all originating between the tenth and sixth centuries BC. It is mostly a book of worship. Its English title, derived from the Greek and Latin version of the Hebrew Bible, refers to Levitical priests. It is primarily shaped by the priestly oral tradition (P) that surfaces at the end of the book of Exodus (25-31; 35-40). This lesson emerges from the holiness [qadosh] code (laws aimed at governing Israel’s life as a holy people).

Moses is reported as exhorting Israel to be holy, for Yahweh Elohim set them aside for that purpose and he himself is holy (vv. 1-2). When harvesting, the people are not to strip the field bare but leave some for the poor (vv. 9-10). Strictures against theft, false dealings, lying, swearing by Yahweh’s name, or profaning that name are advanced (vv. 11-12). Likewise strictures against fraud, theft, withholding earned wages, and reviling the deaf or blind are set forth (vv. 13-14). Other strictures against unjust judgments, particularly to the poor and the great, slander, hatred of kin, or taking vengeance are noted. Moses also commands love of neighbor (vv. 15-18).

Application: The same themes noted above in the application for the assigned Psalm are appropriate to this lesson. But other themes growing out of this text include stimulating a sense of sin among worshipers, as they come to realize that we are consistently violating God’s law — dealing falsely with others, taking vengeance, and fleecing the poor. The last theme entails that sermons addressing the injustices in contemporary American society would be an appropriate theme (Social Ethics). In the same spirit, this is also a text that reminds us about what needs to be done in our relationships with others before truly being prepared for worship, another reminder of how we have fallen short (Sin). Such an awareness of sin and our failure in addressing American poverty prepares us to hear the gospel of God’s unconditional grace and forgiveness, making possible love of the neighbor called for in verse 18, which can be developed by drawing on themes noted in the Second Lesson below.

1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23
Continuing to deal with a troubled church in Corinth which Paul had established (Acts 18:1-11), he offers reminders that the church and its teachers are under God. He begins by noting that by grace God, like a skilled master builder, laid a foundation and someone else is building on it (v. 10). No one can lay any foundation other than the one laid, and Christ is that foundation [themelios], he insists (v. 11). Subsequently he instructs readers that they are God’s temple [naos, or dwelling place] and that the Spirit lives in them. If anyone destroys God’s temple, they will be destroyed (vv. 16-17; cf. 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ezekiel 37:26-28). Those who think they are wise in this age are fools, the apostle adds. The world’s wisdom is foolishness in his view. He then quotes Job 5:13 and Psalm 94:11 to undergird these points (vv. 18-20). None should boast about human leaders, he adds. They belong to the Corinthians, and the Corinthians belong to Christ who belongs to God (vv. 21-23).

Application: The lesson provides another opportunity to reiterate points made in the Second Lessons of the previous two Sundays about the world’s foolishness, helping us recognize that life only makes sense when it is centered on the crucified Christ. He is, the lesson claims, the foundation for Christians (Theological Method, Christology, and Justification by Grace). Another angle is to focus on the image of our being God’s temple or dwelling place. This entails that we have an intimate relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit and that such intense contact cannot but result in doing spontaneous good works (Justification and Sanctification by Grace).

Matthew 5:38-48
Another segment of the Sermon on the Mount is reported, providing further illustrations of Jesus’ understanding of the law, a theme so crucial for Matthew’s gospel and its concern to make clear that Jesus is the messianic fulfillment of the Torah. The Lord begins the lesson by noting that although it is taught an eye for an eye (Exodus 21:23-24; Leviticus 24:19-20), we are not to resist an evildoer but to turn the other cheek (vv. 38-39). Likewise he teaches that if anyone wants to sue us and take a coat, we are to give it up and to go a second mile when forced to go one (vv. 40-41). Roman occupation forces in Palestine in Jesus’ day had the legal right to make such demands on the Jewish population.

Jesus also urges that his followers give to everyone who begs or seeks to borrow from us (v. 42). To the teaching of love your neighbor and hate your enemy (Leviticus 19:18), he instructs us to love our enemies and pray for those who engage in persecution (vv. 43-44; cf. Proverbs 25:21-22). For the Father, it is claimed, makes his sun rise on evil and good, sending rain on the righteous and unrighteous (v. 45). If we love those who love us, there is no reward, Jesus asserts. Those as unsavory as tax collectors do that (v. 46). (Tax collectors were hated in the Roman empire for their collaboration with the Roman colonial government and for their frequent engagement in extortion when collecting taxes — taking a profit at the expense of the taxpayer for themselves by charging more than the one taxed actually owed the empire.) Even Gentiles greet their brothers and sisters, Jesus contends (v. 47). (Although Jewish-oriented, such a critique of the Gentiles is not characteristic of Matthew’s gospel.) He then concludes by exhorting his hearers to strive for perfection [telios, meaning complete or whole], as the heavenly Father is perfect (v. 48; cf. 19:21; James 2:22). This is one of the first times that Jesus addresses God as Father [pater] in this gospel, setting the stage for designating God this way in his teaching the Lord’s Prayer which follows (6:9).

Application: This lesson creates a more intense awareness of how far we fall short of Jesus’ expectations in his sermon, for we rarely turn the other cheek, love our enemies, and strive for perfection. As with the other lessons, this insight prepares us to hear the gospel of God’s unconditional grace and forgiveness, making possible love of the neighbor (see application of the Second Lesson, above). A God who we can address as Father like in this lesson is surely a God who will forgive. Preachers of Methodist/Holiness/Pietist backgrounds might use this text to teach striving for perfection or entire sanctification (though only if it is clear that such love is a work of God’s love and grace).

THEME OF THE DAY
God in all his glory is too good to miss! Dwelling on the majesty of God revealed in the Transfiguration reminds us of our sin and provides the assurance that evil has no chance to prevail over Christ (Providence, Justification by Grace, and Eschatology).

Psalm 2
A royal Psalm composed for a coronation of a king, about Yahweh giving universal dominion to his king. The Psalm could be interpreted as a messianic prophecy. The psalmist begins by asking why plans are being hatched by nations and their kings plotting against Yahweh and his anointed (Maschiach, a title for the Messiah and also for a Hebrew king) (vv. 1-2). The Lord in heaven is said to laugh at these plans. It is asserted that he will speak in wrath to these plotters, noting that he has set his king on the highest point in Jerusalem (Zion) (vv. 4-6). The psalmist then announces a decree of the Lord that the anointed one is his Son, begotten by God (v. 7). This may be a royal protocol to be proclaimed at the time of the king’s coronation. God further proclaims that the anointed one will have all the nations to the ends of the earth as his possession, for the king will conquer them (vv. 8-9). As a result all the kings should be wise and be warned. The Lord will be served with fear and trembling, or he will be angry and they will perish. His wrath is quickly kindled, but happy are all who take refuge in the Lord (vv. 10-11).

Application: A sermon on this text (understood as a prophecy of Jesus Christ, for in a way he was enthroned at the Transfiguration no less than the Hebraic king for whom the song was written) has an opportunity to proclaim the eternality of God’s plans, so that the events of Jesus’ life (including the Transfiguration) are not accidents of history. For in referring to the Transfiguration long before his incarnation, the Psalm testifies that the events of Jesus’ life were intended by God from the beginning; his power and glory are then clearly revealed in this Psalm (Providence). Another possible direction is to proclaim the futility of our sin and selfish schemes, for ultimately God will prevail over them. This also can provide an occasion to offer comfort to the flock in the midst of despair.

OR

Psalm 99
This is a Hymn of Praise for God’s holy and righteous rule, sometimes called an Enthronement Psalm, which was used on festivals like the Festival of Booths (Leviticus 23:33ff). The Psalm begins with the proclamation that Yahweh is king, and the people may tremble (v. 1a). He is said to sit upon the cherubim [kerubim, spiritual beings, known in other religions of the ancient Near East who serve God] (v. 1b). The Lord is then said to be great in Zion (the oldest and highest part of Jerusalem), exalted over the people (v. 2). All are to praise his awesome name, his holiness (vv. 3, 9). He is said to be a mighty king, a lover of justice, who executes justice and righteousness (v. 4). Directives are given to extol Yahweh and worship him, for he is holy (v. 5). He is praised for answering the petitions of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, who kept his decrees (vv. 6-8a; cf. Exodus 32:11-14; Deuteronomy 9:26-29; Numbers 6:22-26; 1 Samuel 7:9). He is proclaimed as a forgiving God, always faithful to his people, but also an avenger of wrongdoing (v. 8).

Application: The alternate Psalm also provides an occasion to proclaim God’s providence — his control of the events of world history and thankfully to praise and celebrate this. It is also an opportunity to remember that this omnipotent God never gives up on his people and is always ready to listen to our prayers and forgive our indiscretions (Sin, Justification by Grace, and Prayer/Sanctification).

Exodus 24:12-18
Like all of the first five books of the Old Testament, Exodus is the product of several distinct literary strands, all originating between the tenth and sixth centuries BC. The book is so named for the Greek term referring to the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Its Hebrew name (meaning “these are the names”) refers to the first words of the text’s prologue.

In this text we have a second tradition of Moses receiving the tablets of stone on which the Decalogue was written. (This version is probably the work of a tenth/ninth-century BC strand called J, because it refers to the Lord as Yahweh.) The first version appears in verses 3-8. In this account Yahweh summons Moses to receive the tablets on the mountain (v. 12). But note that in verse 9 Moses and the elders are reported to have already climbed Mount Sinai. This may indicate that we deal here with a literary or oral tradition distinct from verses 3-8. Moses sets out with Joshua and went onto the mountain of God, instructing the elders to wait until he and Joshua returned. If disputes emerged the people were to go to High Priest Aaron and Hur, a notable leader of the tribe of Judah who functioned to resolve legal challenges (vv. 13-14). At the top of the mountain, covered with a cloud, the glory of Yahweh settled there. For six days the cloud covered it, until on the seventh day he called Moses out of the cloud (vv. 15-16). The glory of Yahweh is reported to be like a devouring fire, an image for God used elsewhere in Exodus (v. 17; 13:21; cf. Isaiah 30:30; Ezekiel 1:4). Moses entered the cloud, went up on the mountain, and remained there forty days and nights (v. 18). Of course the number forty is a stereotypical number used in the biblical era to indicate a full period (16:35; 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9-11, 18, 25; Matthew 4:2). This encounter with God introduces priestly material in chapters 25-31 regarding things like how the tabernacle is to be built, priestly vestments, and the like, which may have replaced the early tradition about Moses making the Ark of the Covenant (see Deuteronomy 10:1-5).

Application: The text makes clear that we need God and Christ (his illumination) in order to make sense of the Ten Commandments. One direction might be to note that until we see the commandments illuminated by the devouring fire who is God and also revealed in all his glory in the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2, 6), we may think we are capable of keeping these commandments. We can no longer hold such self-righteousness about ourselves in light of the glory of God. Such an awareness of sin prepares us to hear the gospel of God’s unconditional grace and forgiveness. Another possibility is to focus on the Hebraic understanding of the law [torah]. Recall that it is not intended to connote judgmental, condemnatory decrees. Rather for the Jewish heritage the law is instruction or guide for life (Leo Trepp, Judaism: Development and Life, p. 2). But here we can remember Matthew’s Jesus claims that he came not to abolish the law but fulfill it (5:17). And so a sermon might develop the theme that in Christ, but only in him, the law may be kept or fulfilled (Sanctification and Christology).

2 Peter 1:16-20
This is a book presented as Peter’s testament, an account of the teaching as he wished it to be remembered (1:1, 14-15). Probably written in the last two decades of the first century, if not early in the second century, it is not likely the work of the apostle himself. Perhaps it was written from Rome claiming Peter’s authority. There is a close relationship between the letter and Jude. In fact, 2:1-18 and 3:1-3 may have adapted material from Jude. The reference to a previous letter (3:1) may have been to Jude and not 1 Peter, which addresses a different social setting.

In the lesson, the author, in the persona of Peter, claims not to have followed cleverly devised myths/fables [muthois] in making known the power of Christ’s coming, but claims to have been an eyewitness of his majesty (v. 16). He seems to be responding to charges that the apostles’ prediction of Christ’s second coming was a result of their invention. The author reports on events that seem to be the Transfiguration — seeing his majestic glory and hearing the proclamation of his sonship in a voice from heaven (vv. 17-18). In a sense this event is presented to critics of the Christ’s second coming as a foretaste of what Christ will be like when he comes again. The author closes with a reference to the prophetic message and advises that no prophecy is a matter of one’s own interpretation (vv. 19-20).

Application: There are many myths and fables about life and the future circulating in modern American society like there were in the Roman empire. The lesson makes clear that in the apostles’ testimony and in Jesus’ Transfiguration in particular we have assurance of what lies ahead — that a glorified Christ and omnipotent God ultimately overcomes the chaos and meaninglessness of our myths about life (Providence, Christology, and Sanctification, and Eschatology).

Matthew 17:1-9
The lesson is the most Jewish-oriented version of all the gospels on the story of the Transfiguration. The gospel reports that six days after his lesson on discipleship (16:24-28) or after Peter confessed him to be Christ (16:13-23), Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John to a high mountain (v. 1). (These three seem to be Jesus’ inner circle of disciples [26:37].) He is transfigured and his face became like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white (v. 2). Then it is reported that Moses and Elijah appeared, entering into conversation (v. 3). (These prominent Old Testament figures could represent the law, indicating that there is a conversation/compatibility between Jesus’ gospel and the law, a theme most compatible with Matthew.) Peter observes it is good to be present and offers to make dwellings/tents [skaynas] for Jesus and guests (v. 4). (Some scholars speculate that Peter’s suggestion either represents his attempt to prolong this vision, or it could be the author’s attempt to relate this event to the Hebraic Festival of Booths, a thanksgiving celebrated at harvest time [Leviticus 23:33-34].) While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice announcing that Jesus was his beloved Son was heard (v. 5). Hearing this, the disciples fell on the ground, overcome with fear (v. 6). Next Jesus touches them, assuring them not to fear. The disciples then only see Jesus (vv. 7-8). Coming down the mountain it is reported that Jesus orders his companions to tell no one until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead (v. 9).

Application: The Transfiguration’s testimony to Christ’s glorification (Christology) can be related to the upcoming preparation for the celebration of the resurrection on Easter. This can become an opportunity to reflect on how God ultimately overcomes death, evil, and chaos (Justification by Grace, Providence, and Eschatology). The engagement of Moses and Elijah in the Transfiguration might also permit reflections on the compatibility between Jesus’ gospel and the law (if understood as torah, described and with the stipulations noted in the application for the First Lesson).