Proper 8 / Pentecost 4 / Ordinary Time 13, Cycle A

THEME OF THE DAY
The joyful life of freedom. This is another Sunday when the Pentecost season’s focus on the Christian life (Sanctification) highlights how living as a Christian is not arduous but freeing (Justification by Grace). But linked with this theme of freedom is an appreciation of the prophetic law and its condemning, judgmental word (Sin).

Psalm 13
This is a prayer for deliverance from personal enemies in the form of a lament. It has been traditionally attributed to David, but it is unlikely to have been written by the king. In fact, as we have noted, many scholars have concluded that references to David in the Psalms may have been a way of using him to represent the inner life of all his subjects and so of all the faithful (Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p. 521). In that sense this song is about trust in God in the face of hard times that all the faithful experience.

The lesson begins with the psalmist’s complaints about his fate and laments about how long he must endure (vv. 1-2). Prayers for help are offered. The psalmist claims that if his death ensues his enemy will feel vindicated (vv. 3-4). An expression of trust in the Lord’s loving kindness [chesed] and a vow to praise him for his bountiful dealings [gamal] with us follows (vv. 5-6).

Application: The song affords opportunities for us to reflect on our enemies (both persons and social structures that oppress) and to lament them (Sin). But the final word is our trust in God’s loving kindness (Providence and Justification by Grace). This awareness of God’s care for us leads to spontaneous acts and lives of praise (Sanctification).

OR

Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
The Psalm is identified as a Maskil, an artful song composed with artful skill, composed by Ethan the Ezrahite. He was either a wise man of Solomon’s court (1 Kings 4:31) or a temple musician (1 Chronicles 15:17, 19). This is a hymn extolling God’s power and faithfulness; it has its origins as part of a king’s prayer for deliverance from his enemies. The psalmist promises to sing of Yahweh’s steadfast love [chesed, also translated "mercies"] (v. 1). His faithfulness [emunah] is as firm as the heavens (v. 2). His covenant with David is recollected (vv. 3-4). (Selah appearing at the end of v. 4 is a liturgical direction which may indicate that there should be an instrumental interlude at this point in the singing of the Psalm.) Those who experience the festal shout in worship (a seemingly ecstatic experience or joyful praise celebrating the Lord’s rule, as described in 2 Samuel 6:15) and walk in the light of Yahweh’s countenance are happy (v. 15). He is the glory of their strength. By Yahweh’s favor the people’s horn ([qeren], an image for the king) is exalted (v. 17). Our shield [magen, or ruler] and king are said to belong to the Lord (v. 18).

Application: This Psalm also affords opportunities for us to reflect on our enemies (both persons and social structures that oppress) and to lament them (Sin). But much like the previous Psalm, the focus is on God’s love and his commitment to his promises, including the Davidic covenant. As such this is an occasion to preach on how Christ is the embodiment of God’s faithfulness. All that we have that protects us from our enemies (including just and good governmental structures) belongs to and is from God (Providence, Justification by Grace, and Social Ethics). This awareness of God’s care for us will lead us to joyful praise (Sanctification and Worship).

Genesis 22:1-14
Because of the use of both Yahweh and Elohim in this story of the testing of Abraham it is difficult to determine which of the four oral traditions that comprise the book of Genesis is the source, though some prominent scholars believe it to be the work of the E strand (the eighth century BC strand, so named for referring to God as Elohim) (Claus Westermann, Handbook to the Old Testament, p. 33). In its final edited form the account seems to function as a way to put an end to child sacrifice, a practice that did occur at times in Israel’s history (Judges 11:29-40; 2 Kings 16:2-4). Or perhaps it was merely to show that God had surrendered a claim on the life of the firstborn (Exodus 13:2, 11-16; 34:19-20). Elohim is said to have tested Abraham and he responds (v. 1). The patriarch is told to take Isaac and bring him from Philistia to Morah (a mountain range whose location is unknown, but is identified by 2 Chronicles 3:1 within the site of Jerusalem) to sacrifice him as a burnt offering (v. 2). Abraham gets up in the morning with Isaac and begins to cut wood for the offering (v. 3). On the third day, along with young servants, they arrive at the location (v. 4).

Abraham tells his young servants to remain behind while he and Isaac go to worship (v. 5). Abraham takes wood (v. 6). Isaac asks where the lamb for the offering is and Abraham responds that God will provide (vv. 7-8). Arriving at the site God had designated, Abraham builds an altar and binds his son, laying him on the wood (v. 9). He takes a knife to kill Isaac (v. 10). An angel of Yahweh intervenes, claiming that now he knows Abraham fears God, withholding nothing from him (vv. 11-12). Abraham sees a ram caught in a thicket and prepares it as an offering (v. 13). He calls the place “The Lord will provide” (v. 14).

Application: The text suggests that Christian life is not governed by God’s law, that we are free from it (Sanctification). On some rare occasions God may call us to violate the Ten Commandments, as he did in this case. (This is an opportunity to expose parishioners to the concept of a Situational Ethic.) Another possibility might be to proclaim how the Lord provides when it seems least likely that he will (Providence).

OR

Jeremiah 28:5-9
As we have noted in explaining the previous Sunday’s complementary version of the First Lesson, this is a book of prophecies of the last seventh/early sixth centuries BC prophet of Judah, dictated to his aide Baruch, during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah through the era of the Babylonian captivity. The lesson reports on Jeremiah’s confrontation with the prophet Hananiah, who had predicted the return of the Babylonian exiles within two years (vv. 1-4).

The confrontation reportedly takes place in the presence of the priests and all those standing before the Jerusalem Temple (v. 5). To Hananiah’s optimistic word Jeremiah proclaims Amen, expressing hope that Yahweh would bring home the Babylonian exiles (v. 6). But Jeremiah notes that the previous prophets had predicted war, famine, and pestilence (v. 8). One like Hananiah who predicted peace can only be believed when that comes true, and only then can it be known that he is of the Lord (v. 9; cf. Deuteronomy 18:20-21). Jeremiah’s message of punishment for sin by far dominates the Old Testament prophetic traditions over those which promise good fortune. It might also be possible to read the lesson from a New Testament point of view, understanding Jeremiah to prophesy Jesus, insofar as no prophet but Jesus can actually deliver on the promise of peace. Or picking up on last week’s Gospel Lesson (Matthew 10:34-36), the text could be construed as a reminder that Jesus is a true prophet precisely because he does not come to bring peace.

Application: One possibility is to proclaim how because of sin we all deserve punishment, that feel-good preaching without judgment is not the word of God. Read as prophetic of Christ, it might be possible to develop one or both of the points made in the final sentences of the preceding paragraphs (stressing that none but Christ can bring peace or that even Christ comes to create turmoil and judgment, for his personhood divides human beings in the sense of our either being for him or against him).

Romans 6:12-23
This is a continuation of a discussion of the nature of the Christian life in this self-introduction by Paul to the church in Rome. The lesson reports on Paul’s discussion of the two slaveries under which we stand. He begins by urging the faithful not to let sin [hamartia] exercise dominion in the mortal bodies or to make them obey sin’s passions/lusts [epithumia]. Instead they should present themselves to God as those brought from death to life, for they are instruments of righteousness [dikaiousune] (vv. 12-13). Sin will have no dominion over them, he claims, for they are not under the law [nomos] but under grace [charis] (v. 14). Paul denies that this implies that we should sin (v. 15). For to present oneself as an obedient slave [doulos] entails becoming slaves to the one obeyed, be it sin (leading to death) or obedience (leading to righteousness) (v. 16). (Clearly 4:5 and God reckoning those with faith to be righteous is in the background of these remarks. Recall that even in the Old Testament the concept of righteousness is not about distributive justice but has to do with relationships [Nehemiah 9:8; Isaiah 57:1; Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, p. 371]. This is the way New Testament scholarship tends to understand the concept [Rudolf Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament, Vol. 1, p. 371].) Thanks to God, those who had been slaves of sin have become obedient to the teaching entrusted to them, making them slaves of righteousness (bound to good relationship with God) (vv. 17-19). When slaves of sin, the Romans had been free regarding righteousness, but got no advantage from that (vv. 20-21). Now freed from sin and enslaved to God, they have been sanctified [hagiazmon, set apart], whose end is eternal life (v. 22). (Holiness and eternal life ensue as a result of the righteousness bestowed on us, the right relationship created by God through faith.) The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ (v. 23).

Application: The text affords an opportunity to address criticisms of Christian freedom as leading to permissiveness. In fact we are slaves to sin, as we live under the law (living lives as if we had to prove our worth by the things we do). It is like we cannot stop seeking to prove we are somebody. This is a lust or passion that mercilessly drives us in all we do, a life in which we feel trapped and headed for destruction (Original Sin). But now released from needing to perform good works, we become trapped in a new way. Grace places us in a new relationship with God, setting us apart from the ways of sin. Grace and love give us no choice. Overwhelmed by God’s love, we are placed in a right relationship with God that has its way with us, drives us to holiness and life, and makes sin not so alluring. The bondage to a right relationship with God sets us free from sin’s passions (Justification by Grace and Sanctification).

Matthew 10:40-42
We return to using the gospel of the present liturgical year, the most Jewish of all the gospels. It was not likely written by the apostle who bears its name. The original audience was probably Jewish Christians no longer in full communion with Judaism (see 24:20). In this lesson Jesus is continuing to commission and instruct the twelve. He tells them that whoever welcomes them welcomes him and the Father. Whoever welcomes (shows hospitality to) a prophet [prophetes] in the prophet’s name receives a prophet’s reward [misthos, wage]. (This may refer to v. 32, the promise that Christ will acknowledge/confess the faithful before the Father.) Given the book’s Jewish roots and preoccupations, it is not surprising that a concern about the prophets typifies Matthew (2:15; 3:3; 5:17). Jesus proceeds to note that whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person receives the reward of the righteous [dikaios] (vv. 40-41). Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to the “little ones” [mikron] (Jesus’ disciples are said to be his children) will not lose their rewards (v. 42). Obedience to the law continues to be the way of righteousness for Matthew’s Jesus, for given the Jewish orientation of the book it is reasonable to interpret the references to righteousness as law (Torah)-abiding. Matthew’s editing of these statements is unique compared to their use by the other Gospel writers. But when we keep in mind that these exhortations emerged in the context of last week’s Gospel Lesson during which Jesus affirmed the value of the disciples (v. 31), it seems just as likely that the references to righteousness pertain to “right relationship” with God (see the discussion of dikaiosune in the Second Lesson above).

Application: At least two possibilities for sermons emerge. Matthew’s Jesus is concerned with prophecy, and so the themes noted in the complementary version of the First Lesson could be applied to this text, with the stipulation that it is the prophet’s task to confess Christ, to proclaim the judgmental word on our sin. This is related to the demands made in this lesson, that our actions toward others are deserving of rewards or punishments (commandments to which we cannot measure up). Another option, more in line with the Theme of the Day, would be to understand the behaviors Jesus outlines as joyful responses stemming from the right new relationships (the righteousness) God has bestowed on us (his proclamation of our value) (Justification by Grace and Sanctification).

THEME OF THE DAY
Sinful but free and forgiven! The texts for this Sunday highlight how much God’s grace provides (Justification by Grace), though it is totally undeserved (Sin).

Psalm 45:10-17
This Psalm is part of an ode for a royal wedding. The author (of the Korahites) is identified as a professional writer, presumably a court poet or singer (see 2 Chronicles 20:19). It is said to be a Maskil, which is an artful song, presumably written by a professional. Reference to the song being according to lilies [shoshanim] is uncertain, but it may refer to a particular melody.

Following praise of the king (vv. 1-9), the queen, who seems to be Phoenician (given the reference to Tyre), is instructed to forget her heritage and to be loyal to her husband (vv. 10-12). The wedding procession is then described (vv. 13b-15). The king is promised progeny and fame (vv. 16-17).

Application: Sermons on this text could be developed focusing on the joy marriage can provide in celebrations and through progeny (Sanctification). Or the text might be read Christologically (v. 6 invites this in claiming that the king’s throne is forever), as referring to the faithful’s union with Christ. Also noteworthy is that the bride of this king (a figure for Christian faithful) was a Gentile. The message seems to be that in faith, as we give away all we have (our roots) in order to be loyal to Christ and him alone (in faith), blessings follow (Justification by Grace and renouncing Sin).

OR

Psalm 145:8-14
A hymn (attributed to David, and so intended as a song to represent the inner life of all his subjects and so of all the faithful [Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p. 521]) on the characteristics of the God of Israel. Since it is not a lament, this Psalm is also probably not a part of the original collection of Psalms of David (140-143) in book 5 of the Psalms. The hymn is acrostic, with each new verse beginning with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet. God’s steadfast love and mercy [chesed, literally "loving kindness"] is extolled, along with his goodness [tub] and his mercies [rachamim] over all his works (vv. 8-9). All works will give Yahweh thanks and the faithful will bless him (v. 10). The faithful shall speak of his glory, making known his mighty deeds (vv. 11-12). God’s kingdom is proclaimed as everlasting. He is said to raise up [zaqaph] all who have fallen down (vv. 13-14).

Application: The Psalm invites sermons singing praises of God’s love and care for all in all his works (God, Providence, Justification by Grace), which in turn invites our praise (Sanctification and Worship). In verse 7 these traits are linked to God’s righteousness [tsadeq, or in this case the adjectival form tsaddiq]. This opens the way to make clear that even in the Old Testament the concept of righteousness is not about distributive justice but has to do with relationships (Nehemiah 9:8; Isaiah 57:1; Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, p. 371). This is the way New Testament scholarship tends to understand the concept (Rudolf Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament, Vol. 1, p. 371). And so God is righteous in his compassionate work of restoring right relationships with us.

Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
We continue reading from the Bible’s Book of Origins (the reason why we name it Genesis). We have previously noted that it is the product of four distinct oral strands. This lesson, the story of finding a wife for Isaac, is likely written by J (a ninth/tenth century BC source so named for its use of the name Jahweh or Yahweh). The story beings with Abraham’s servant eating at the home of Bethuel, the father of Rebekah, a distant relative of Abraham, whom the servant had met at a well (vv. 10-33). The servant explains that he is the servant of Abraham whom the Lord has blessed with significant wealth (vv. 34-35). He speaks of Sarah bearing Abraham a son who will inherit all Abraham has. The servant has been commissioned to find a wife for the son, one who is not Canaanite but from Abraham’s land of origin (vv. 36-38).

The servant next recounts his coming to the spring and asking the God of Abraham to send a young woman to the site whom he may ask for water, and to let the woman be the one appointed to be the bride of Abraham’s son (vv. 42-44). He reports his meeting Rebekah at the well, receiving the water from her as he had prayed, and learning that she was the daughter of Bethuel. The servant then placed a ring on her nose and bracelets on her arms (vv. 45-47). He then worshiped Yahweh, Abraham’s God, who had led him to a daughter of Abraham’s kin, and asked if he would deal loyally [chesed, a kindness beyond measure] with his master (vv. 48-49).

The lesson omits negotiations between the servant and Bethuel about Rebekah accompanying him on a return to Abraham (vv. 50-57). Rebekah’s wishes in the matter are sought, and she agrees to go with Abraham’s servant (vv. 58-59). They give her a blessing that her offspring may prosper (v. 60). Isaac had settled in the Negeb desert, 100 miles south of modern Jerusalem. (He had come from Beer-lahai-roi, the site where Ishmael’s birth to Hagar had been announced [16:4].) He saw the camels of the caravan including Rebekah coming. Rebekah sees him and wonders who he is. When the servant reports, she veils herself (vv. 62-65). (The reason for this action on her part is much disputed among Old Testament scholars, but there seems to have been an association of wearing a veil and the intention to marry, like today’s wedding gowns still often include veils.) The servant reports to Isaac, and he takes Rebekah to Sarah’s tent to become his wife (vv. 66-67).

Application: Several possibilities for sermons emerge. Opportunities are afforded for sermons on the virtues of marriage and its importance for the broader society (how it is God’s will). The importance of Rebekah’s consent is a reminder of the respect shown women in the Judeo-Christian heritage by comparison to other religious options in the ancient world. The servant’s confession of faith regarding God’s loyal dealings (his kindness beyond measure) (v. 49) could become the basis for sermons on this loyalty and divine kindness (Justification by Grace and Providence).

OR

Zechariah 9:9-12
We turn in this Sunday’s Complementary Version of the First Lesson to a book written in two parts, the first half written by a sixth-century BC prophet and the second half (from which this lesson is taken) a work of the third or fourth century BC era of Greek domination of Israel. After a discussion of the shattering of Israel’s enemies foreshadowing the Messianic Era (vv. 1-8), a psalm on the Prince of Peace and the ingathering of the dispersed Israelites is offered.

Daughters of Jerusalem and Zion are urged to rejoice and shout, for the king comes triumphant and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey (v. 9) (which may imply his peaceful intentions). He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, the war horse from Jerusalem, commanding peace among the nations (v. 10). The Lord promises the people of Judah that because of the blood [dam] of his covenant [berith, the term used for the covenant with Abraham and David] with them he will set the prisoners free from the waterless pit [bor, which here may refer to dungeons, as in Genesis 37:28] (v. 11). A double restoration of what they had is promised (v. 12).

Application: Reading this lesson prophetically is invited by the obvious reference to the messianic themes in the first verses of the chapter and also the obvious foreshadowing of Jesus entering Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. As a result sermons on Jesus as Prince of Peace and what the peace he brings is seem most appropriate (Christology, Atonement, Social Ethics). [The Hebrew term for peace is shalom, and it conveys not just a state in which there is no combat, but a state of well-being and thriving, of social justice (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, p. 130).] The reference in the text to the king who will set the prisoners free is in line with this image for society and how Christ uplifts the oppressed and sets free.

Romans 7:15-25a
In Paul’s introduction to Christians in Rome (written between 54 and 58 AD) in this text, we encounter a description of the inner conflict of the Christian, offering a word of despair and good news of the release that Christians experience. This follows Paul’s primary discussion of sin. The apostle claims not to understand his own actions, for he does not do what he wants but what he hates (v. 15). Agreeing that the law is good, he notes that sin [hamartia] lives in him (vv. 15-16). Nothing good dwells in him (his flesh [sarx]; this is not a reference to our physical nature as created by God but the reality that we are totally ruled by sin). He says he can will what is right, but he cannot do it (v. 18). No longer are his deeds his own, he adds, but sin that dwells in him (vv. 17, 20). He does not do the good [agathos] he wants, but the evil he does not want he does (v. 19).

Paul says that he finds that when he wants to do good, evil lies close by (v. 21). In his innermost [eso] self he delights in God’s law (v. 22), but war within himself transpires, making him captive to the law of sin living in him (v. 23). (This concept of life as a struggle with evil is evidenced in the literature of the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Manual of Discipline, iii, 13 – iv, 26.) He laments his wretchedness, pleading rescue from his body [soma] of death (v. 24). He offers thanks to God through Christ (v. 25a).

Application: The text affords excellent opportunities to explicate the doctrine of Original Sin, to help people appreciate how they are trapped in sin. Related possibilities include the proclamation of the freedom from the commandments as vehicles of salvation and good news of forgiveness (Justification by Grace) or that we ever remain in a struggle with sin (Sanctification and the Christian as simultaneously saint and sinner).

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Addressing an original audience that was probably Jewish Christians no longer in full communion with Judaism (see 24:20), the Matthean author finds it important to assert Jesus’ authority and his status as wisdom. The lesson begins with Jesus speaking to the crowds, comparing his generation to children sitting in marketplaces who call to each other about wailing but not mourning, playing music but not dancing (vv. 16-17). They are faithless and corrupt. He notes that John the Baptist was criticized for his austerity, but the Son of Man [huios tou anthropos] for eating is called a glutton and friend of sinners. (While for Mark “Son of Man” implies Jesus’ lowliness, it is a title for Matthew identical with “Son of God” [Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, pp. 336, 340].) Wisdom [Sophia] is vindicated by her deeds, he adds (vv. 18-19).

Jesus proceeds to thank the Father for hiding the Day of Judgment, to which he had previously referred, from the wise, but not from infants [napios] (v. 25; vv. 22-24). (Matthew’s gospel uses this term to refer to followers of Jesus.) Jesus speaks of what is pleasing [eukokia] to the Father. All things have been handed over to Jesus by the Father. No one knows the Son, he adds, except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him (vv. 25-27). Jesus then urges those weary with heavy burdens to come to him for rest (v. 28). If they take his yoke [zugos, probably the yoke of the law, a rabbinic metaphor], they will find rest. For he is gentle and humble of heart, with an easy yoke and light burdens (vv. 29-30).

In these remarks (most of them unique to this gospel), the Matthean author is identifying Jesus with wisdom (from a Jewish perspective the personification of ancient practical insights for coping with life and from a more theoretical construal from a Greek perspective as the personification of reason). The verses in question have close parallels to the Apochryphal book of Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 51.

Application: The text affords opportunity to reflect on our social aberrations (how like in Jesus’ day we express emotions but do not really feel anything, plan lots of entertainments but do not really have much fun). But then we need to proclaim how Jesus makes our burdens light and has withdrawn the Day of Judgment (Justification by Grace). Or we might focus on Christology and Sanctification, how he embodies wisdom (in the sense of divinity or in the sense of embodying the practical knowledge about how to live [Sanctification]).

THEME OF THE DAY
God gets it done! The texts again highlight how much God’s grace provides (Justification by Grace and Providence) and that the good in life is God’s (sometimes surprising) work and not a function of what we do (Sin).

Psalm 119:105-112
This is a prayer for help in the lengthy meditation on the law of God. This is part of an acrostic Psalm, in which as we have noted each stanza of eight lines begins with the same Hebrew letter. The 22 stanzas use all the letters of the alphabet in turn (accounting for the significant length of the hymn). Almost every line contains the word “law” or a synonym. The Psalm as a whole has the character of a lament, suggesting it may have been composed as a prayer of deliverance. In any case, it is probably one of the last of the Psalms in the book to have been written.

God’s word [dabar] is said to be a lamp and light [or] to our feet. An oath has been sworn to observe it (vv. 105-106). The psalmist claims to be greatly afflicted and pleads with the Lord for life according the word, urging him to accept his offerings of praise and teach his ordinances (vv. 107-108). No matter the circumstances the psalmist pledges not to forget God’s Law [torah] and will not stray from it (vv. 109-110). God’s decrees are the joy of the psalmist’s heart; he pledges to perform the law to the end, for it is the joy of his heart (vv. 111-112). Although as Christians we may interpret these references to torah and its equivalent Hebrew words in terms of a demand which in sin we cannot fulfill, it is important to keep in mind that from a Jewish perspective (and so perhaps in the Psalm’s original meaning) the term means “instruction” or guide for life (Leo Trepp, Judaism: Development and Life, p. 2).

Application: This lesson and its plea for deliverance by God’s word allows for opportunities to reflect on the realities from which we might need deliverance (Sin) and how clinging to God’s instruction (guides for life) can see us through and even give joy. In this sense we might construe the text in terms of a testimony to what God accomplishes in our lives, as grace to deliver us from trials (Justification by Grace). Or the Psalm could be construed in terms of Sanctification as a declaration of how the life of faithful looks made possible by grace.

OR

Psalm 65:(1-8) 9-13
This is a thanksgiving for a good harvest. Praise is said to be due to God [presumably in the temple] for he has answered prayer, atoned for (or forgiven) our transgressions, and chosen to bring us near. Those chosen are said to be happy/blessed [ashere] (vv. 1-4). The Lord is praised for his awesome deeds of deliverance (vv. 5-8). His subduing of the seas [yam] (v. 7) may be a reference to God overcoming chaos (74:12-14; 77:16; Genesis 1:2). God is further praised for making the earth fertile (vv. 9-13).

Application: This Psalm invites sermons on God’s providential rule, how he keeps the earth fertile (Creation and Ecology) or how he overcomes the chaos in life and gives it meaning.

Genesis 25:19-34
Most Old Testament scholars agree that, like the other books of the Pentateuch, Genesis is likely the product of four distinct oral strands. This text, the rivalry between Jacob/Israel and Esau/Edom, was also probably a product of a ninth/tenth century BC source so named for its use of the name Jahweh or Yahweh. The lesson commences by providing the lineage of Abraham with Isaac and Isaac’s marriage to Rebekah (vv. 19-20). Her father and sister are identified as “Arameans,” that is, descendants of Aram, a son of Shem, who was a son of Noah (10:22). It is reported that that Rebekah was barren [agar], but Isaac is said to have prayed to Yahweh for children and the prayer was answered (v. 21). With twins, Rebekah struggles to the point of wishing her own death. Seeking Yahweh in a sanctuary, he reports to her in poetic form that two nations were in her womb, and they would be divided with the elder serving the younger (vv. 22-23). The firstborn had a hairy mantle and was named Esau. He is described as “red” [admoni] (vv. 24-25). This is a play on words in Hebrew, for it resembles the Hebrew “Edom” which is Esau’s other name. Then came his brother gripping Esau’s heel [aqeb]. He was named Jacob. This is a play on words in Hebrew, as the term for heel suggests the term for supplant [aqab]. Thus by grabbing Esau’s heel, Jacob was supplanting him. Isaac is reported as being sixty at the time (v. 26).

Esau is reported to have grown to be a skillful hunter and Jacob a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau more for his game hunting, but Rebekah loved Jacob (vv. 27-28). The brothers represent the two ways of life of early homo sapiens — hunter-gatherers (Esau) and agrarians (Jacob). Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau became famished. Esau asked for some of the stew, but Jacob insisted on payment of Esau’s birthright. Esau agreed, despising his birthright [bekorah] (vv. 29-34). Birthright in the ancient world refers to the rights of the eldest son to leadership of the extended family and to receive a double share of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:15-17).

Application: This is an opportunity to focus on how God has advanced the human condition by ensuring that the hunter-gathering way of life would be transcended by more sedentary cultural mores (Providence). The fact that this conquest is reported as a violation of birthright secession shows that God’s manner of ruling, his will, transpires by surprise, in hidden ways. We cannot always anticipate the will of God by logic. God’s care for all his people is evident in that even the one who lost his birthright (Esau) became the father of a great nation (the Edomites). God does not abandon his creatures!

OR

Isaiah 55:10-13
The Complementary Version of this Sunday’s First Lesson is found in a book that is really two or three different books edited into one. The first 39 chapters are more or less the work of the historical Isaiah who proclaimed his message to Jerusalem and the Southern Kingdom from 742 BC to 701 BC. Chapters 40 to 66 are written in a later period, probably just before the fall of Babylon in 539 BC. But the last ten chapters of the book were likely composed by a follower of the prophet after the restoration of exited Judah in the homeland, expressing some disappointment about what had transpired since the exiles’ return. This lesson, part of a hymn of joy and triumph, was written by Deutero-Isaiah. The lesson begins with an appreciation that as rain causes germination and provides sustenance, as God gives seed [zera] to the sower, so shall the Lord God’s word [dabar] not return empty, but will accomplish what is proposed (vv. 10-11). This will lead the faithful to go out in joy as in a new exodus. All of nature will rejoice [masos] (vv. 12-13).

Application: A least two possible directions for sermons emerge from this text. God’s care for creation (Providence) is one possibility. But more in line with the text’s intentions is to celebrate that as bad as things may have been (Sin), we have the promise of the effectiveness of God’s word to open us to a new, liberating (as the Exodus was liberating) future (Justification by Grace and Social Ethics).

Romans 8:1-11
Proceeding with his letter of introduction, Paul engages a discussion of God’s saving act and life in the flesh and spirit. The apostle begins by claiming that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (v. 1). The law of the Spirit of life in Christ has set the faithful free from the law of sin and death (v. 2). God is said to have done what the law [nomos] weakened by sin and death could not do. He sent his Son in the likeness [homoioma] of the flesh of sin [hamartias] to deal with sin by condemning it (v. 3). This is made possible the fulfillment of the just requirement of the law in us, not according to the flesh [sarx] but the Spirit (v. 4). Paul adds that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the flesh and those who live according the Spirit set their minds on the Spirit (v. 5). The first is death, while the second style of life is life and peace (v. 6). The mind set on the flesh is said to be hostile to God, not able to submit to God’s law (vv. 7-8). (This definition of flesh in terms of hostility to God makes clear what we noted last week in the analysis of the Second Lesson that for Paul “flesh” is not a reference to our physical nature as created by God but the reality that we are totally ruled by sin). Paul then tells readers that they are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in them. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him (v. 9). But if Christ is in us, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness [dikaiosune] (v. 10). (It is good to be reminded at this point that the concept of “righteousness” even in Paul’s Jewish context is not to imply that the believer lives in faultless conformity to some moral norm. It has to do with living in right relationship with God [Rudolf Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament, Vol. 1, p. 271; Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, pp. 370-371].) If the Spirit of him who raised Christ lives in us, he will give life to our mortal bodies through the Spirit (v. 11). Paul uses Spirit, Spirit of God, and Spirit of Christ interchangeably, suggesting the biblical origins of the Trinity doctrine.

Application: The text invites sermons focusing on the Holy Spirit, on how God uses the Spirit to displace the power of sin in us. (The nature of sin as hostility to God might be explored.) This leads to stress on Justification by Grace, but especially construed as Union with Christ, being united with Christ by the Holy Spirit so that we cannot but live in right relationship with God (Sanctification).

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
We have previously noted that this gospel is an anonymous work based on oral traditions about Jesus (though traditionally attributed to Matthew, one of Jesus’ disciples [9:9]). But it may well have not been written until the last third of the first century in Antioch, for Bishop Ignatius seems to quote it as early as 110 AD. That it is written in Greek seems to rule out the disciple as its author. Yet there are some Hebraic and Aramaic influences, suggesting some dependence on the original apostles of Jesus, if not on Matthew himself. This lesson is an account of Jesus’ teaching of the parable of the sower and the Matthean explanation of it (which, like all the other gospel writers’ similar explanatory versions did not likely originate with the words of Jesus). In comparison to the Markan parallel (4:1-9), Matthew’s version focuses more on Jesus’ own fate (the failure of his ministry to bear fruit) than on the kingdom of God, but in both cases they agree that the focus is not on different kinds of soil we might be (Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, p. 297; Joachim Jeremias, The Parables of Jesus, pp. 149-151).

The same day Jesus had taught that his family includes whoever did the Father’s will (12:49), he went outside and sat by the Sea of Galilee. Crowds gathered around him (vv. 1-2). He proceeds with the parable, recounting seeds [speiromai] falling on the path, on rocky ground with no depth, among thorns, and others on good soil with a great harvest (vv. 3-8). Jesus directs that anyone with ears should listen (v. 9). After responding to questions of why he speaks in parables (vv. 10-17), Jesus is reported to have interpreted the parable of the sower (v. 18). Seeds sown on the path and snatched away by evil are those who heard the word and did not understand. Those failing on rocky ground are those who joyfully receive but with no roots fail to endure when persecuted (vv. 19-21). Seeds falling among thorns are those who hear the word and are torn away by cares of the world and the lure of wealth (v. 22). Those sown on good soil are those who hear the word, understand, and bear fruit (v. 23).

Application: Stress that the original parable did not include the explanation Matthew provides. This insight entails that the focus of the lesson is not on what we do, but on what God does. Soil is passive! It is what God does that brings about fruit (Justification by Grace). And likewise if the cause of Jesus (Ministry) is not established immediately on our timetable, we are reminded that the growth takes place in hidden ways, on God’s timetable, just as seeds bearing fruit happen according to God’s schedule and not ours (Eschatology).

THEME OF THE DAY
The surprises of faith. We are reminded again in these texts that God works in hidden and surprising ways, ultimately overcoming the forces of evil. Justification by Grace and Providence are again the central themes. But the texts also invite consideration of the Atonement (Classic View of Christ overcoming the forces of evil, despite appearances) and Sanctification (the struggles involved in Christian living).

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
This Psalm is a prayer for deliverance from personal enemies (a lament), attributed to David. Again we are reminded that Psalms attributed to David are not likely written by the king. In fact, this particular Psalm is probably of a later date, appended to the original collection, which comprises book 5 of Psalms. Thus as we have previously noted, many scholars have concluded that references to David in the Psalms like this one may have been a way of using him to represent the inner life of all his subjects and so of all the faithful (Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p. 521). In that sense this song is about trust in God in the face of hard times that all the faithful experience. The inscription “to the leader” at the Psalm’s outset probably is addressed to the leader of musicians in the Jerusalem Temple.

The song begins with an affirmation that everything we have ever done is known by God (vv. 1-6). God is said to be active in our lives (v. 5). Thus nothing can be kept secret from God for he is everywhere, even in heaven and in Sheol (the abode of death) (vv. 7-12). Even the darkness [chashekah] is not dark to God, so we cannot hide in the dark (vv. 11-12). After discussions of God’s role in our birth and his intimate knowledge of us all along with an exclamation of wonder about God, followed by a prayer for vindication (vv. 13-22), the psalmist invites God to search his heart and test his thoughts to see if there is any wicked in him and to lead him in the way everlasting (or way of the ancients) (vv. 23-24).

Application: The main theme of the text invites sermons offering comfort that there is no sphere of life or the created order in which God is not present, that he knows us intimately and so our enemies and evil cannot ultimately prevail (Providence). The psalmist’s confidence expressed in the closing verses that God will judge him positively could be construed Christocentrically as the voice of the faithful who knows that in Christ the verdict is innocent (Justification by Grace) and that we can only stay away from wickedness when led by God (the role of grace in leading the Christian life).

OR

Psalm 86:11-17
A prayer for deliverance from personal enemies attributed to David, a lament. See comments on the previous Psalm regarding what to make of references to David in the Psalms. In that sense this song is a reminder about trust in God that all the faithful experience.

The Lord is petitioned to teach us that we might know the way of truth, receiving an undivided heart to revere his name (v. 11). A thanksgiving is spoken in confidential anticipation of deliverance [natsal] (vv. 12-13). Reference is made to God’s deliverance of us from Sheol (the abode of death). A prayer is offered for preservation from enemies, who are also portrayed as enemies of God. Yahweh is said to be slow to anger and full of mercy [chesed, which may also be translated as "loving kindness"] (vv. 14-15). The Lord is petitioned to be gracious [channun] and give strength/hardness [oz]. Reference to “child of a serving girl” is a synonym for the psalmist describing himself as Yahweh’s servant (v. 16). A sign of God’s favor is requested, putting to shame those who hate the psalmist, for Yahweh has comforted [nacham] him (v. 17).

Application: The Psalm provides a fine opportunity to extol the love of God (even in the Old Testament), a love that delivers us from death and from the enemies who surround us (Justification by Grace, Classic View of Atonement [see Theme of the Day], and Eschatology).

Genesis 28:10-19a
We have previously noted that most Old Testament scholars concur that, like the other books of the Pentateuch, Genesis is likely the product of four distinct oral strands. This account of Jacob’s dream of the ladder is likely the work of the eighth century BC source designated E, for its use of the Hebrew term Elohim to designate God.

Jacob is reported to have left Beer-Sheba to travel to Haran (a very long journey from a location far south of where Jerusalem is located to a region hundreds of miles to the northeast) (v. 10). He came to a certain place, staying there for a night and sleeping on a stone (v. 11). He dreams of a ladder [sullam] reaching to heaven on which angels ascend and descend (v. 12). Yahweh stood beside Jacob and identified himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac, and the land on which he rested would be given to Jacob’s offspring, a people through whom all the families of the earth would be blessed (vv. 13-14). The Lord promises to preserve Jacob wherever he goes and will bring him back to the land (v. 15). Jacob awakes and claims Yahweh is in the place. He is afraid, claiming the place is awesome, none other than the house of God [bayith elohim] (vv. 16-17). He arises in the morning, pours oil on the stone he had used, sets it up for a pillar, and calls it Bethel (which resembles the Hebrew for “house of God”) (vv. 18-19a). Such anointing with oil made the place holy, and the use of a pillar was regarded as a sacred stone, which was typical of other ancient sanctuaries in the region (as per Joshua 24:26 and 1 Kings 7:2, 6).

Application: A sermon on this text affords a good opportunity to undercut the myth that Jacob climbs a ladder to get to God. More properly, Yahweh comes to us, as he did Jacob! And his presence at Bethel (the place of encountering Jacob) makes it sacred territory. Everyday spaces, the places of God’s interaction with us, are surprisingly holy (Providence, Creation, and Justification by Grace, stressing God’s initiative are the main themes).

OR

Isaiah 44:6-8
The Complementary Version of the First Lesson continues to focus on this heavily edited book, the product of two or three distinct literary strands. This text (again not the work of the sixth-century BC historical prophet Isaiah) is likely the work of an author (perhaps familiar with or to the prophet) probably just before the fall of Babylon in 539 BC. Following a discussion of the redemption and restoration of Israel, consideration is given in a psalm to God’s uniqueness. Yahweh the king and his redeemer [gaal ] the Lord of hosts declares that he is he first and last, besides whom there is no god (vv. 6-7). None is like him, he declares, for only he has announced of old the things to come (v. 7). The faithful are told not to fear, for they are his witnesses and there is no god but him. He is identified as a rock [tsur] (v. 8).

Application: With this text we have another opportunity for a sermon on how our enemies and evil cannot ultimately prevail (Providence and Justification by Grace). The theme of Yahweh as redeemer and overcoming our fear permits a Christological interpretation of the text, and so its images could give rise to atonement themes or God’s overcoming of bad times politically, like the Hebrews faced in the era of Second Isaiah (Social Ethics).

Romans 8:12-25
Paul’s letter of introduction to the Romans continues with a discussion of the Spirit in relation to the flesh, moving on to the hope of fulfillment. He notes first that we are debtors, but not to the flesh, for to live according to the flesh leads to death. (As we have previously noted, the Greek word sarx employed by Paul refers not to the physical body but to sinful flesh, to the sin which has corrupted our bodies and lives in their entirety.) But if by the Spirit [pneuma] the deeds of the body are put to death we will live (vv. 12-13). Paul then proceeds to note that all led by the Spirit are God’s children (v. 14). It seems that when the Spirit leads us to bear witness with our spirit to cry that God is our Father/Abba (presumably in ecstatic ways [see Galatians 4:6-7]), we are not made slaves but children of God, and so heirs [kleronomos] (vv. 15-16). The apostle adds that as children of God we are heirs with Christ; if we suffer with him we are also glorified with him (v. 17). Paul says he does not consider the sufferings of the present time worth comparing with the glory [doxa] to be revealed to us (v. 18).

The apostle continues by noting that the creation [krisis] waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but the will of the one who subjected it in hope (vv. 19-20). He then proclaims that creation will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom [eleutheros] of the glory of the children of God (v. 21). It is then observed that the faithful and the whole creation groan in labor pains, possessing the Spirit’s first fruits but waiting for fulfillment (vv. 22-23). Reference is made to the hope [elpis] in which we are saved, a hope that is not seen. In hoping for what we do not see, we must hope in patience/endurance [makroth] (vv. 24-25).

Application: The text affords an opportunity to delve into hopelessness about the human situation; how even the created order itself is impacted by sin. But it also offers a word of hope that with endurance we can see our freedom (Justification by Grace and Eschatology). The Holy Spirit’s work in this connection or a sermon on the work of the Spirit might be developed.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Though traditionally attributed to Matthew, one of Jesus’ disciples (9:9), this is a book written by an anonymous author addressing an original audience that was probably Jewish Christians no longer in full communion with Judaism (see 24:20). This lesson, unique to Matthew, recounts Jesus’ teaching of the parable of the weeds in the field and Matthew’s explanation (not part of the original parable). This parable and the parables in next week’s gospel deal with the problem of apostasy in the church. The perspective taken is a clear critique of the tendency of the Pharisees and Qumran community to advocate the creation of a sect of devout believers separate from the unfaithful.

Jesus begins by comparing the kingdom of heaven to one who sowed good seed, but while everyone was asleep the enemy came and sowed weeds (vv. 24-25). Seed and weeds grew together (v. 26). The master’s slaves ask him if he did not sow good seeds in view of the weeds (v. 27). The master responds that an enemy has done this. He declines the slaves’ offer to gather in the good crop because then the wheat would be uprooted (vv. 28-29). He would have them grow together until the harvest [therismos] when the reapers will also collect the weeds, bind them, and burn them (v. 30).

After telling the parable of the mustard seed and Matthew’s explanation of why Jesus taught in parables (vv. 31-35), the disciples ask Jesus to explain the parable used in this lesson (v. 36). This is done “in the house,” and so was done privately. (Thus it is not surprising it appears only in Matthew, and in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, 57.) Jesus equates the sower with the Son of Man [huios to anthropou], the field with the world, good seed with the children of the kingdom [basileia], weeds with the children of evil, the enemy with the devil, the harvest with the eschaton, and reapers with the angels (vv. 37-39). New Testament scholars are inclined to regard the Matthean references to Son of Man as connoting references to the eschatological Son of Man in Daniel 7:13-14 (and also see Daniel 2:36-45 on the Last Judgment in that book). This suggests that Matthew had in mind Jesus as judge or agent of the end times (Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, p. 531). Thus we observe in Matthew a blurring of Jesus’ time on earth and his eschatological exaltation. The world is moving toward a goal and is to be understood henceforth on the basis of its future (Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, p. 309). The burning of the weeds is said to transpire at the end of the age and the Son of Man will send his angels to collect all causes of sin and evildoers to be thrown in the furnace (vv. 40-42). The righteous [dikaios] will shine like the sun. Jesus exhorts those with ears to listen (v. 43; cf. Daniel 12:3). It is good to be reminded once again of the concept of “righteousness.”

Matthew’s Jewish context is not to imply that the believer lives in faultless conformity to some moral norm. It has to do with living in right relationship with God, which seems to be a gift (18:3) (Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, pp. 135-136; Rudolf Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament, Vol. 1, p. 271; Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, pp. 370-371).

Application: The lesson affords opportunity for clear affirmations about the ambiguities of life that the faithful need to live side by side with the unfaithful (Sin and Sanctification). The judgment of who belongs to the kingdom of God is Christ’s. But when we note how even for Matthew righteousness is a gift, then this text provides occasion for sermons on Justification by Grace and Eschatology.

THEME OF THE DAY
Living the gift of faith. The texts for this Sunday direct us to how God’s grace and faith make us different in the way we live (Justification by Grace and Sanctification).

Psalm 105:1-11,45b
Paired with Psalm 106, this song was composed for use at one of the major festivals and consists of a recital of the basic events which created the nation of Israel. It begins with a hymn-like introduction summoning the congregation to worship Yahweh, to rejoice in his wonderful deeds, ever seeking his presence [panim, meaning, literally, his face]. Yahweh is petitioned to allow the hearts of those seeking him to rejoice [sameach]. Concern is expressed to remember the wonderful works he has done (vv. 1-6). The Lord is said to be mindful of his everlasting covenant [berith] (vv. 7-11). He is praised (v. 45b).

Application: This Psalm provides an opportunity for rejoicing and celebration over God’s wonderful deeds and his faithfulness to the covenant with the faithful (Providence and Justification by Grace). When we celebrate what God has done and praise him for it, we are brought into his presence and can more clearly see him in our lives (Sanctification).

OR

Psalm 119:129-136
This Psalm is a meditation on the law of God. A lengthy song (176 verses), this is a function of its character as an acrostic Psalm. Each stanza consists of eight lines all beginning with the same Hebrew letter. And the 22 stanzas start with one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet until all the letters have been used. Almost every line contains the word law [torah] or an equivalent. It is good to be reminded again that although a Christian may interpret these references to torah and its equivalent Hebrew words in terms of a demand which in sin we cannot fulfill, from a Jewish perspective (and so perhaps in the Psalm’s original meaning) the term means “instruction,” guide for life (Leo Trepp, Judaism: Development and Life, p. 2).

The lesson begins with a declaration that Yahweh’s decrees are wonderful and so the soul [nephesh, which is not to refer to an eternal soul, but to breath, or the essence of human life] of the psalmist keeps them (v. 129). His unfolding words give light [or] (v. 130). The psalmist claims to pant in longing for God’s commandments (v. 131). He asks for God’s favor (v. 132). Also he petitions for his steps to be kept steady according the Lord’s word [dabar] (v. 133). Petitions are offered by the psalmist that he be redeemed [padah, or set free] from oppression and still keep the Lord’s precepts [piqqudim], learning his statutes [choq] (vv. 134-135). He refers to shedding streams of tears because the law is not kept (v. 136).

Application: In view of Jewish interpretations of the torah, there is no need to interpret this text on the law legalistically. The Psalm, then, gives occasion for claiming our liberation from the various bondages in American life (Justification by Grace, Sin, and Social Ethics), and along with the lesson’s final verse opens the way to sermons on how this word of liberation leads us to yearn to follow God’s instructions (Sanctification).

Genesis 29:15-28
In this lesson from the Bible’s Book of Origins (the reason why we name it Genesis), the product of four distinct oral strands, we read the story of Jacob winning Rachel. The source of this account is unclear. The account begins with Laban, the father of Rachel, who was also the brother of Jacob’s mother (v. 10), running to meet Jacob, kissing him, and coming to him as kin (vv. 13-14). Then Laban proposes that since they are kin [ach, literally "brother"], Jacob should serve him for nothing (and then asks about wages Jacob wanted) (v. 15). Laban’s two daughters are described (vv. 16-17). (Rachel the younger is portrayed as graceful and beautiful compared to her elder sister Leah.) Jacob loves [aheb] Rachel and offers to serve Laban seven years for her (v. 18). Laban agrees to keep Jacob in his house with him, and the time went fast for Jacob because of his love for Rachel (vv. 19-20).

After seven years Jacob demands his bride, and Laban responds by surreptitiously giving him his eldest daughter Leah (vv. 21-24). Jacob only realizes this in the morning after having sexual relations [bo, meaning literally "go into"] with Leah and then confronts Laban (v. 25). It is not surprising that Jacob could have been so deceived, because it was custom in the ancient Near East that the bride was brought veiled to the bridegroom (24:65). Claiming that one could not give the younger in marriage before the firstborn, Laban insists on Jacob serving another seven years for Rachel, and this transpires (vv. 26-28). It was typical that a marriage price be paid by the bridegroom (Exodus 22:16-17). And the seven years connotes the seven days of an early Jewish marriage festivity (Judges 14:12). Recall that Jacob had similarly defrauded his father (27:18-39).

Application: This is a text with which to explore the realities of sin (even in family relations) and how in our fallen context sometimes we need to be willing to make compromises and be pragmatic in the interests of serving love and God’s will (Sanctification).

OR

1 Kings 3:5-12
For this Sunday’s Complementary Version of the First Lesson we turn to a book that was originally (with 2 Kings) part of a larger historical work, a composition of the seventh century BC during a religious reform led by Judah’s King Josiah (a reform which gave rise to the D strand of the Pentateuch, and of which this book may be a part of that strand). The text is part of Solomon’s dream in which he prays to God for wisdom. The dream transpires in Gibeon (the modern el-Jib, less than ten miles northwest of Jerusalem), where Yahweh appears promising to give what Solomon asks (v. 5). (Many Isrealites considered dreams a normal means of divine revelation.) Solomon notes the great kindness [chesed] Yahweh has shown David because he walked in truth [emeth, or "steadfastness"], righteousness [tsedaqah], and uprightness of heart (v. 6). In an expression of humility, Solomon claims that he is but a child [though he was likely twenty], not knowing how to go out or come in. He refers to Israel as a great people who cannot be counted (vv. 7-8). Solomon asks for an understanding mind [or listening heart] and the ability to discern good and evil (v. 9). It is reported that this pleased Yahweh, and he promises that this plea for wisdom [chakam, insights for coping with life] will be granted, like none before or after shall arise like him (vv. 10-12).

Application: The text affords occasion to reflect on the Hebraic view of wisdom as practical understanding about coping with life, and how here it is related to a concern about justice (Sanctification and Social Ethics). Also noteworthy is that such wisdom flows from God’s kindness (Justification by Grace). It is associated with righteousness and uprightness of heart. Of course this insight entails awareness that the concept of “righteousness,” even in an Old Testament context, is not to imply that the believer lives in faultless conformity to some moral norm. It has to do with living in right relationship with God (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, pp. 370-371]).

Romans 8:26-39
In Paul’s introduction to Christians in Rome (written between 54 and 58 AD), he turns in this lesson to a discussion of how the Spirit sustains us even in our weakness, also offering a testimony to confidence in God. The Spirit is said to help us in weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit [pneuma] intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words (v. 26). And God who searches the heart [kardia] knows what is in the Spirit’s mind [phronema, also translated as "inclination"], because the Spirit intercedes for us saints according to God’s will (v. 27).

All things are said to work together for the good of those who love God and who are called according to his purpose [prosthesis] (v. 28). Those whom God foreknew [proginosko] he also predestinated [proorizo] to be conformed [summorphos] to the image of his Son, and those predestinated he also called and justified dikaioo] as well as glorified (vv. 29-30). Paul then notes that if God is for us none can be against us. Not withholding his own Son, will he not give everything else (vv. 31-32)? None can bring charges against God’s elect [eklektos] or condemn them, he adds, for Christ died, rose, and intercedes at the Father’s right hand [dexios] for us (vv. 33-34). Nothing can separate us from the love [agape] of Christ. Psalm 44:22 is quoted regarding the point that for God’s sake we are slaughtered (vv. 35-36). In all things, Paul adds, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (v. 37). He then reiterates that nothing in all creation can separate the faithful from the love of God in Christ Jesus (vv. 38-39).

Application: The text affords an excellent opportunity to proclaim the good news associated with Predestination (and so with Justification by Grace). It is a word reminding us that nothing separates us from God’s love. Because God is for us, nothing can be against us (Providence).

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
Again we consider the most Jewish-oriented of all the gospels, addressing an original audience that was probably Jewish Christians no longer in full communion with Judaism (see 24:20). The lesson recounts Jesus’ parables of the mustard seed, of the yeast, the hidden treasure, and of the pearl of great value. Like the previous Sunday’s lesson, these parables deal with the problem of apostasy in the church. The perspective taken is a clear critique of the tendency of the Pharisees and Qumran community to advocate the creation of a sect of devout believers separate from the unfaithful.

Jesus’ first parable in the lesson begins with the comparison between the kingdom of heaven [Basileia toen ouranos] and a mustard seed [sperma]. The mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, but when grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree so birds makes nests in the branches (vv. 31-32). Then Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to yeast that a woman mixed with flour until it was leavened (v. 33). The point of this and the first parable is that although in their preaching his followers may appear to fail, there will be a success when God consummates his kingdom (Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, p.307).

After an explanation of the parable of the weeds of the field (vv. 33-43; cf. vv. 24-30), unique to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure [thesaurus] hidden in a field that someone found and hid, then in his joy sells all he has and buys the field (v. 44). Next Jesus speaks of the kingdom of heaven as like a merchant in search of fine pearls who finds a pearl of great value and sells all that he has and buys it (vv. 45-46). This and the preceding parable proclaim the great joy associated with the kingdom of heaven, a joy that mandates action. The real source of power is the objects found, like the kingdom of heaven gives rise to the actions of God (Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, p. 312). Then he compares the kingdom of heaven to a net [sagene] thrown into the sea that catches fish. When full they drew it ashore, sat down, kept the good and threw out the bad (vv. 47-48). Jesus asks if his hearers have understood. They claim they have (v. 51). Finally, he claims that every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household [oikodespote] bringing out of his treasure what is new and what is old (v. 52). This seems to imply that experts in Mosaic law who have become disciples of Jesus are now able to preserve insights of the past while enlarging on them in new ways in light of Jesus.

Application: The text provides occasions for proclaiming comforting words that the mission of God and the church may start small, not immediately yielding fruit, but great things can then happen. This insight into Justification by Grace gives us patience and joy leading to action. We can better tolerate good and bad mixed together, imperfections, in light of these parabolic insights (Sanctification).