Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19, Cycle B

John 6:35, 41-51

Within the similarities and differences between this account in John 6:35, 41-51 and the Mark 6:1-6a account describing activities of Jesus in his hometown, we can see the distinction between “the Jesus of history” and “the Christ of faith.” In the Mark 6 account there is still a recollection of Jesus, the Jesus of history, as a son of Joseph, as a 1st century Jewish religious and political figure whose father Joseph and mother Mary had been known to other Jews in the village of Nazareth. In John 6:35, 41-51, however, and throughout the Fourth Gospel, Jesus is the Christ of faith, the Son of God who is said to have pre-existed before the foundation of the world was laid, who was the Logos, the “Word” by which the world was called into being. As the Christ of faith in John 6, Jesus is presented as having an exclusivistic claim to God as Father, as one who comes from God and has seen God. It is affirmed that no one can come to Jesus as the Christ unless God the Father draws that person to Jesus as the Christ, and that Jesus as the Christ of faith will raise such a person from the dead on the last day. The person who “eats” of this “bread from heaven” will not die. Jesus the Christ as this “bread from heaven” is far superior to the manna that the fathers of the 1st century Jews had eaten in the wilderness, for although they ate they still died. According to John 6, the bread that the Johannine Jesus as the Christ of faith will give for the life of the world is the flesh of the Christ of faith, the Lamb of God who in Johannine terms “takes away the sin of the world.”

When this John 6:35, 41-51 text is read and when it forms the primary basis for the worship service, we have an obligation to the people of the congregations in which we serve to say something about the theological development that occurred between perceiving Jesus as the Jesus of history, one among several sons of Joseph and his wife Mary, and Jesus as the Christ of faith, the only-begotten Son of God. If we do not indicate this development and show that we are aware of this distinction, we shall be propagating the longstanding and non-productive anti-Jewish polemic that is associated with this text. If we do not share some of our understanding of this theological development and of this distinction in perceptions of Jesus, we shall simply be promulgating supersessionistic anti-Jewish polemic without helping the thinking people within the congregations in which we serve to come to a better understanding of the process in the development of their Christian religion as the impact that the Jesus of history had made on some of his followers was shaped by the inspiration of God into belief in Jesus as the Christ of faith, one with God, through whom salvation and eternal life is offered to all of us.

Ephesians 4:25–5:2

Here in Ephesians 4:25-5:2 we have the parenesis, the guidelines of how we should respond to the proclamation that Jesus as the Christ provides eternal life for us. As among those who as the “Body of Christ” are “in Christ,” we should put aside all bitterness, anger, and slander and replace them with kindness and forgiveness. Then we will not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. We are exhorted to be imitators of God and to conduct ourselves in a life that is characterized by love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. We see that by the time that this section of the epistle “to the Ephesians” was written much reflection had occurred within the thoughts of some of the followers of Jesus about the significance of Jesus’ life, of his death, and of his resurrection as the Christ of faith. In some ways this Ephesians 4:25–5:2 text is similar to that of the Fourth Gospel and of the “Epistle to the Hebrews,” all of which may stem from approximately the same period in the development of the early Church.

1 Kings 19:4-8

The food that the Lord provided for Elijah in this Elijah story was so nutritious that it sustained Elijah during his journey of forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God at Horeb. It is said that Elijah would have preferred to die under the broom tree, but the Lord would not permit that to occur. Instead, the Lord permitted Elijah only to sleep, and then through the intermediary of an angel in this story twice touched him and told him to eat the freshly baked cake and the jar of water provided for him so that he would be strengthened. This story about Elijah obviously has a message for us also in our discouragement and in our need.

Psalm 34:1-8

This Individual Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving is appropriately used in conjunction with the Elijah story in 1 Kings 19:4-8. It is a poetic, hymnic rendition of the Elijah story situation. The psalmist cried unto the Lord, and the Lord heard the psalmist. The angel of the Lord is said to camp around those who fear the Lord in order to deliver them. “O taste and see that the Lord is good” can be understood metaphorically, or almost literally with reference to the freshly baked cakes of the Elijah story in 1 Kings 19:4-8 or of the bread and wine of the Christian Eucharist.

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33

The situation depicted here is most understandable to those who have participated in war and battle conditions in which the combatants are conditioned to do everything possible to destroy the enemy and to preserve one’s own life and the lives of one’s buddies. David as king confounds his general and the men who are engaged in the horrible conditions of battle in behalf of David and of the nation in his desire to spare the life of his own son Absalom who has rebelled against David. We are torn as we read and hear this story between identification with David as a father trying to save his son from death and with Joab and the soldiers under Joab’s command who are being killed or injured because of the horrible civil war that was caused by David and by David’s son. Perhaps this text should be used in high school and adult Bible study sessions rather than in a worship setting, so that we will be able to share and discuss our feelings. The story provides a good opportunity for those who have been involved in the horrors of military combat to talk within a supportive congregational setting about their experiences and their feelings.

Psalm 130

Out of the depths of despair the psalmist cries for help from the Lord. The psalmist waits for the Lord to come, for the Lord to rescue the psalmist and to rescue the people of Israel. Although the situation depicted in this prayer is not specifically a situation of war and of the horrible conditions endured during battle conditions, the psalm certainly can be associated with war, as it is when the reading of this psalm is linked to the 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 reading.

John 6:51-58

This text selection continues to advance the claims of the Johannine Jesus to be the true bread from heaven that is incorporated into the earlier portions of John 6. In some congregations and denominations the words in John 6:53, “Jesus said to them, ‘If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves,’ ” have been interpreted legalistically, resulting in the denial of Christian funeral services to persons who have not participated in the Eucharistic action as frequently as had been stipulated by the leadership of the congregation or by the synod of which the congregation is a component. Such legalism has been applied without the recognition that this kind of legalism with regard to John 6:53, if consistently applied, would require also the denial of a Christian funeral for children who die before they attain the age at which the congregation and synod would permit them to participate in the Eucharist.

Obviously, the words of the Johannine Jesus in this text should not be applied legalistically, nor should they be interpreted only literally. If they are interpreted literally, we would be proclaiming to the world that we as Christians are indeed cannibals. It should be recalled that it was for this reason that the charge of cannibalism was leveled against followers of Jesus by some outsiders early within the history of the Church.

This text provides for us a non-Pauline opportunity to emphasize the concept of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and to show how the Real Presence terminology has been helpful in ecumenical discussions. We can also draw upon elaborations of the Real Presence of Christ concept within books, papers, and articles published within recent years that describe the Eucharistic action as a reactualization of the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. There is no longer the necessity for Lutheran Christians and for Christians who are in any other Christian group to think and to claim that they alone have the “correct” understanding and interpretation of the words of John 6:51-58 and of related texts. It should be sufficient to state that many Christians have found and are finding the Real Presence terminology to be helpful, meaningful, and desirable within the Church and fully in accord with texts such as John 6:56, “The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I abide in that person.”

Ephesians 5:15-20

This brief text provides considerable insight into the conduct and lifestyle expected of Christians during the last decade of the 1st century. There is no specific mention of the impending parousia of Jesus, but the days are described as evil, because persecution and the threat of persecution by the Romans continues. The followers of Jesus then and now are encouraged to share in the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, to make melody to the Lord with their entire being, and to give thanks to God for everything, always in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can hardly improve on this, but we can emphasize the beauty of this type of conduct and lifestyle.

Proverbs 9:1-6

It is interesting to see in this text that the Wisdom of God personified invites even those who are simple to come to her feast, to eat of her bread, and to drink from the wine that she has prepared for them. By the juxtaposition of the texts selected for our use next Sunday, we are urged to perceive that the Wisdom personification of God in the Israelite literature and the Johannine Jesus personification of God in the Fourth Gospel of the Christian literature in similar ways invite people to come to them and to partake of their treasures.

It is difficult to think about the use of these texts in anything other than in a Eucharistic service in which there will be at least some expression of fellowship, of oneness within the Church as the Body of Christ in the world.

Psalm 34:9-14

Long before the development of the Fourth Gospel, an Israelite psalmist sang this song that became so popular that it became one of the top 150 for the Jews who hundreds of years later canonized the Psalter. The psalmist proclaimed that those who seek the Lord and respect the Lord lack nothing that is important in their lives. The psalmist sang that the Lord looks favorably upon people who are just and fair in their relationships with each other and who not only seek peace but also pursue it.

We see how similar the expressions of faith in Psalm 34:9-14 are to the words of Ephesians 5:15-20. According to these texts, adequate faith and right living are both important for happiness, now and forever.

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

The combination of adequate faith and right living expressed in Ephesians 5:15-20 and in Psalm 34:9-14 are evident in 1 Kings 2:10-12 and 3:3-14. Appearing in a dream to Solomon soon after Solomon had been acclaimed as king, the Lord asks Solomon what Solomon wants to receive from the Lord. Solomon asks for an understanding mind to govern the people wisely. The Lord provides such a mind for Solomon in great abundance and, in addition, gives to Solomon riches and honor and a long life.

Can we proclaim this without also being aware and sharing with our congregations that in later chapters of 1 Kings Solomon is depicted as falling short of the wisdom and understanding given to him by God? Can it be possible then or now for political leaders to have great power and when they have that not fall short of the wisdom and understanding given to them by God? We are intrigued to think that it might be possible, especially since there have been a few people who have had such power and have not significantly fallen short of the wisdom and understanding given to them by God. What examples of this can we identify?

Psalm 111

May the beautiful words of this hymn of praise to the Lord be our words and the words of our religious and political leaders, not only of ours but also of the religious and political leaders of all other people throughout the world, now and forever!

John 6:56-69

In this segment of the John 6 “bread from heaven” discourse, there is no fully developed covenant and naturalization ceremony comparable to what we see in Joshua 24. This is not surprising, since Christianity did not become a civil religion, a state religion, the religion accepted and imposed upon all who live in the territory controlled by a state or nation until the 4th century — nearly two and one half centuries after the composition of this text. There is, however, a call for a decision in the words of the Johannine Jesus, “Do you also wish to go away?” The Greek construction of the negative and the indicative mood indicates that a negative answer to Jesus’ question is expected. The phrase in John 6:67 could be translated into English as “Perhaps you also wish to go away?” with an emphatic “No!” being expected, or “You do not wish to go away also, do you?”

Although it is difficult to decide which translation into English is the most satisfactory, any exposition of this text should include an explanation that the Greek construction indicates that a negative answer is expected. The particular translation that we make or use will have a heavy impact on how Jesus is perceived in this text. (Ideally, we should all learn Greek and not translate this sentence at all!) In Greek, English, or any other language, the inflection of the voice as John 6:67 is read is crucial. In this particular setting in the Fourth Gospel, with the always-confident Johannine Jesus as the speaker, possibly the best translation that we could make would be to render John 6:67 as an affirmation, “Perhaps you also wish to go away,” rather than as a question. (The Johannine Jesus is presented as knowing everything and has no need to ask anyone for information.)

At any rate, Peter’s response is decisive. “No! There is no one else, Lord, to whom we can go! You have the words of eternal life! And we have decided to believe and to accept that you are the Holy One of God!”

Ephesians 6:10-20

The author of Ephesians 6:10-20 is also very decisive, urging those who read or hear this text to be empowered with the strength of the Lord. They are instructed to put on the full armor of God that includes truth as a belt around their waist, righteousness as a breastplate to protect their heart and lungs, the gospel of peace as sandals for their feet, faith in God as their shield, salvation as their helmet, and the Spirit, which is the Word of God, as their sword. Thus armed, they are to be engaged in every situation in earnest prayer and supplication in the Spirit of God.

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18

The use of Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 with John 6:56-69 is an indication that those who selected our Series B texts for next Sunday desired that our emphasis this coming weekend should be on a call for a decision. Within this Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 text there is a call for a decision to serve the Lord God as the Israelites perceived the Lord God. In John 6:56-69 it is a call to believe in and to remain with the Lord Jesus. Each of these two texts is in capsule form representative of decisions to be made for people to join into what was in each instance a relatively new religion.

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 is evidence that the Israelite religion and the Israelite nation were comprised of people who at an earlier time had worshiped other lords and gods (or had worshiped God by other names). After the heads of families and tribal groups had been asked to listen to a public recital of the ways in which the Lord God of the Israelites had rescued the forefathers of the first Israelites from bondage in Egypt, led them in the wilderness, and established their children in the land of Canaan, these heads of families and of tribal groups were required to renounce their allegiance to other gods and to other nations and to accept the Lord God of Israel as their Lord and their God in this land. This text in Joshua 24 is an indication that a clear and unambiguous decision of allegiance to the Lord God of Israel and a renunciation of loyalty to other gods and nations was demanded each time this covenant ceremony was utilized. It is likely that this covenant ceremony was repeated in some form whenever new groups from related tribes entered the land and were incorporated into the Israelite nation and its religion. We see here, therefore, a glimpse of the development of the national, civil religion of Israel in its land and of the questions asked during the periodic ceremonies of naturalization of new groups of people as they settled within the borders of the land and of the covenant renewal for those who were already participants in the land. The ceremonies that we have developed and use when we receive new persons into our nation and into our congregations are similar to these.

Psalm 34:15-22

This concluding portion of the Psalm 34 Individual Hymn of Praise forms a most fitting concluding statement of faith. It is a beautiful expression of what we believe that the Lord does for those who have right relationships with God and with other people. Since Psalm 34:15-22 is in many respects a creedal statement, it can best be used as a creedal statement in our worship services, which for many of us usually comes after the sermon or homily.

It would be appropriate and effective to schedule the beginning of a church membership class, or the conclusion of such a class and a ceremony of reception into membership of a group of persons on the day when this series of texts is used, and/or when there is a service of baptism of adults.

1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43

In 1 Kings 8 we have a depiction of the bringing of the ark of the covenant into the temple that King Solomon had designed and authorized and of the dedication of the temple with appropriate ceremonies and speeches. What do we have in our nation and in our congregations that is somewhat comparable to this? Would it be feasible to have a dramatic reenactment of this text in some way within our worship services when this text is used? Perhaps a youth or adult Bible study group within the congregation could prepare and share a dramatic reenactment of this text for the congregation.

Psalm 84

This psalm was obviously selected for use with the 1 Kings 8 text because in this psalm the temple is praised and great appreciation for the experiences of the worshiper within the temple is expressed. Even the sparrows and the barn swallows that build their nests, hatch, and feed their young have a home in the place where the Lord dwells and is worshiped. What experiences that we have had in our church buildings can others and we share when this text is read?

This is one of the relatively few occasions within use of The Revised Common Lectionary in which there is, strictly speaking, no “gospel” in the Gospel selection chosen and not much “gospel” in the other texts either. Mark 7:15 is a wisdom saying that may be from the Jesus of history, “There is nothing outside of a person entering into the mouth of the person that causes the person to be considered profane. It is some of the things that come out of the mouth of a person that cause the person to be profane.” The extended introduction in Mark 7:13 to this saying of Jesus has all of the characteristics of polemic developed among followers of Jesus. The materials in Mark 7:16-23 provide elaborations and explanations of the Mark 7:15 wisdom saying.

In this selection from Mark 7 and in most of the other texts chosen for our use next Sunday the emphasis is on appropriate human ethical behavior, and the “gospel” of the grace of God is perceived and expressed only indirectly. The suggestions that follow here are intended to assist in bringing out the “gospel” that is perceived only indirectly within these texts.

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

The most significant initial step in bringing out the “gospel” that is perceived and expressed only indirectly within these texts would be to adjust the Mark 7 reading to Mark 7:14-23, using instead of the anti-Jewish polemic in Mark 7:1-8 that continues in Mark 7:9-13 the more earthy explanations of the Mark 7:15 wisdom saying that we have in Mark 7:17-23. The anti-Jewish polemic of Mark 7:1-13, one of the most extensive expressions of anti-Jewish polemic in the Gospel According to Mark, distracts from the “gospel” as anti-Jewish polemic always does. The quotation from the Septuagint version of Isaiah 29:13 in Mark 7:6-7 has little actual connection with the content of the question that is said to have been raised by the religious leaders in Mark 7:1-6, and as a response to that question can best be described as overkill. For a detailed discussion of evidence for the development of this controversy dialogue among followers of Jesus, see Arland J. Hultgren, Jesus and His Adversaries (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1979, pages 115-119). If we are serious about application of statements such as that by the Division of Theological Studies, Lutheran Council in the U.S.A., that “Christians should make it clear that there is no biblical or theological basis for anti-Semitism. Supposed theological or biblical bases for anti-Semitism are to be examined and repudiated,” in “Some Observations and Guidelines for Conversations between Lutherans and Jews,” forwarded to LCUSA member churches in 1971 and printed in Speaking of God Today: Jews and Lutherans in Conversation, edited by Paul D. Opsahl and Marc H. Tannenbaum (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1974), page 165, we will not use Mark 7:6-8 and preferably not any of Mark 7:1-8 on this occasion.

If we use Mark 7:14-23 in our sermon or homily next Sunday, it would be helpful to mention that the wisdom saying in Mark 7:15 and the elaboration of that statement in Mark 7:18-23 are observations in the realm of theology, ethics, and anthropology rather than in the realm of biology and of health, since we are all aware that certain foods, liquids, and drugs if taken by mouth into the stomach will certainly “defile” a person. Perhaps the most that we can do in our explication of Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 is to remove impediments so that the implied “gospel” in the saying of Jesus in Mark 7:15 will at least not be hidden because of the unnecessary distractions of anti-Jewish polemic in Mark 7:1-8, nor by concerns raised by our awareness of important factors in biology and health that impede our acceptance of the statements in Mark 7:15-19 that nothing that we eat or drink into our bodies can harm us, can “profane” us.

James 1:17-27

The “gospel” in this portion of the Epistle of James document is expressed in the statements in James 1:17-21 that every good action and every perfect gift has been provided by God from above, by God who spoke the creative and redeeming word that saves our lives. Our response to the “gospel,” therefore, is to receive that word of God not merely as hearers but as doers of it by providing care for those who are in need, especially for orphans and for widows, and by keeping ourselves unspotted by the evils of the world, restraining our tongues from speaking evil.

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9

For the people of God in ancient Israel, it was life giving to live in accordance with the statutes and ordinances that the Lord commands. There was and is life in the Torah, that is, the Torah provides the guidelines that are necessary for a person to live in responsive interaction with God. While the primary emphasis is on the commandments and ordinances that are in the Torah, the stories about the responsive interaction with God and often of the lack of responsive interaction with God of the people as portrayed in the Torah are also vitally important. We can and should point this out as “gospel” next Sunday. We should also note that, at their most profound level, the letters written by the Apostle Paul that are included in our Newer Testament do not disagree with this expression of the “gospel” that is in Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9.

Psalm 15

It is asserted in Psalm 15 that the person who does what is just and right, who speaks truth and does not slander others, is graciously accepted into the presence of God. This is “gospel” in Psalm 15, in which the grace of God is proclaimed within a life that is lived well. For us as Christians, the life of the Jesus of history is the best example of such a life, and we should seek to learn as much as we possibly can about the Jesus of history. There have been and are, of course, many other examples of the grace of God in lives that are lived well, including examples within our times.

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

The “gospel” is proclaimed here in a song of a bride hearing the voice of her beloved as he is bounding over the hills like a graceful young antelope in the springtime, coming to her and calling her to come with him. The winter is past. The flowers spring up from the earth. The time for singing has come.

Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9

The “gospel” in Song of Solomon 2:8-13 of the joyful song of the bride is carried over in Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9 in the words of a court poet, preparing and singing a lyric poem to be used in a royal wedding. God is said to have anointed and blessed this new king with glory and honor as the king stands with his bride, the queen, at his right hand.

As if to compensate for the paucity of direct proclamation of the gospel in the texts that were used last Sunday, those who selected the readings for this lectionary have provided clear expressions of the gospel in the texts selected for next Sunday. As we read these texts, it is as if we are in Eden in an orchard filled with many varieties of fresh fruit that is ours for the picking! From among these rich resources we can pick as much as we can use and give away this week and next Sunday.

Isaiah 35:4-7a

It is after long periods of bad news or of no news at all that good news is most appreciated. Certainly the Israelite exiles whose parents and grandparents had been deported from Jerusalem to Babylon and had lived there against their will among people who had dominated them and despised them for so many decades welcomed this message that the Lord God — now perceived as not merely the God of the nation Israel but the Creator and Ruler of the universe — would soon be coming with resolute strength and determination to rescue them. The overall theme of the extensive Isaiah traditions is clearly expressed in this text. Here as elsewhere in the Isaiah document this theme is “Do not give up! God will fight for you! It is not by your strength but by God’s power and strength that you will prevail.” Therefore, we read in this text, “Be strong! Do not be afraid!” Human infirmities of all kinds will be removed when the Lord comes. The eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, and those who cannot talk will sing for joy! When the Lord God comes, it will be natural to assume that the all of the limitations of nature within Israel will be removed. Dry, barren, useless desert land will become well-watered, useful, productive soil for the growing of fruit trees and crops and the grazing of cattle. The land and the people will be even better and more productive than they had been before at the height of their productivity during the reigns of David and of Solomon. This enthusiastic message of joyful expectations was certainly needed by the exiles in Babylon. We are happy to hear it also today, whatever our conditions may be.

From our historical perspective, we realize that neither the Israelite people nor the land was refreshed to the extent proclaimed here when the small groups of exiles trickled back to Jerusalem after Babylon had fallen to the Medes and to the Persians. In part, there has been fulfillment theologically for those of us who are Christians in the Gospel According to Mark 7:24-37 text appointed for this occasion and for Jews in the extensive irrigation projects that have turned substantial desolate areas of the land of Israel into productive farms. For both Christians and Jews, however, the complete fulfillment of the enthusiastic prediction of Isaiah 35:4-7a is still to come. As Christians and as Jews together we stand in need of this good news and of its still future total fulfillment. We stand together in faith in God who alone can make these things occur. Until that day, we praise the Lord God for what has been done, as in the words of the beautiful Psalm 146.

Psalm 146

It is to the Immortal, Just, and Gracious God rather than to mortal, unjust, and transient human beings that we should turn with our thanks and praise as Jews, Christians, Muslims, and all others. Though less specifically tied to the return of the Israelite exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem, the hopes expressed in this psalm are quite similar to those of Isaiah 35:4-7a.

Mark 7:24-37

Here, as in so many other texts in “the Gospel of Jesus Christ” (Mark) and in related texts within the other Gospels in our New Testament, followers of Jesus during the second half of the 1st century of the common era were claiming that within the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the Risen Christ the expectations of the writers of Isaiah 35:4-7a, Psalm 146, and many other texts from the Older Testament had been fulfilled. The geography of the Mark 7:24-37 account (Tyre, Sidon, and the Decapolis) suggests that the fulfillment was perceived to have occurred not only within Israel geographically and theologically, but among non-Jews and beyond the land of Israel as well.

From the vantage point of our Christian faith, we have no reason to question the fulfillment of these expectations within the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus perceived as the Risen Christ. We can note, however, that within the context of the early followers of Jesus the fulfillment of the expectations of the Isaiah 35:4-7a tradition, Psalm 146, and other similar texts from the Older Testament within the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was necessary in order to support the claims of followers of Jesus during the latter decades of the 1st century and later that Jesus as the Risen Christ is indeed the Son of God, the Representative of God, the Lord God Incarnate. Anything less than accounts such as Mark 7:24-37 of Jesus’ healing power would have been inadequate. And so we proclaim this Mark 7:24-37 account today and next Sunday, with added appreciation to God for the healing powers that God makes available for us during our lifetimes through medical healing, surgical healing, psychiatric healing, and the healing power of faith.

James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17

This text reminds us of the importance of our faith being actively demonstrated and used in actions of love for other people. This is as important and essential today as it has ever been. These actions of love for other people should always be done in grateful response to God who provides every gift. Faith by itself, if it is not put into practice, is useless, according to the writer of James 2:17. Would the Apostle Paul have agreed? What do you think? Is not a creative tension between the importance of faith in God and an appropriate response to God in what we do better than either faith alone without good works or good works alone without faith? This creative tension is what we see when we look at the entire biblical account rather than at merely a portion of it.

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

The wisdom expressed here is that a good name is far more valuable than are great riches, that those who are affluent should share their food with the poor, and that those who are rich and powerful should not rob and crush those who are weak and in need. God is the Creator of both the rich and the poor, and when both die they will meet together for whatever their Creator will do to them and for them.

Psalm 125

As presented by the psalmist, those who trust in the Lord are established as firmly as is the bedrock on which Jerusalem is built. The Lord God, rather than their enemies, is camped around the city of Jerusalem to protect God’s people as long as they trust in the Lord God. The Lord God is asked to do good things for those who do whatever is good, for those who avoid evil and are upright and righteous. For all who trust in the Lord, this is indeed good news. For those who do not, they have every reason to be afraid.