Lent 1, Cycle C (2016)

THEME OF THE DAY
Confessing a God who delivers us. This is a Sunday for sermons on the benefits of confessing our faith (Sanctification) as well as on God’s Atoning Work.

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
This is a Wisdom Psalm, meditating on God as protector of the faithful. It is proclaimed that those abiding in the shelter and shadow [tsel, defense] of the almighty (Shaddai) will look to him for refuge [machseh] and trust him (vv. 1-2). Because the Lord has been made our refuge, no evil will befall us (vv. 9-10). His angels [malak] will guard us, it is said (vv. 11-12). In a concluding divine oracle probably uttered by a priest, El Shaddai claims that he will deliver [palat, let escape] those who love him, answer those who call, be with them in trouble, and bless them with long life, showing salvation [yeshua, safety] (vv. 14-16).

Application: Sermons on God’s work in saving and protecting us should emerge from this text (Justification by Grace and Providence). His role in delivering us by giving escape (Atonement) could also be explored.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11
This book is the product of writings which emerged during the sweeping religious reform under King Josiah in Judah in the late seventh century BC. This literary strand also influenced the histories of the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel as well as 1 and 2 Kings. The basic theme of this piece of literature is evidenced by the meaning of its title in Greek (“Second Law”). Portrayed in the form of Moses’ Farewell Address, it is the reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel. This lesson is part of the final section of Moses’ Second Address ; the verses are a large segment of a liturgy for presentation of the first fruits sacrifice at the central sanctuary.

The lesson begins with an introduction making clear that what follows is to be undertaken after Yahweh Elohim settles Israel in the Promised Land (v. 1). The occasion for this offering is a harvest pilgrimage festival, the Feast of Weeks, a thanks to God for the land and for the harvest, at which time the offering is to be presented with some of the harvest’s first fruits [peri] (vv. 2-4; cf. 16:9-12). The liturgy is fundamentally a confession and recitation of the early nomadic life of the progeny of Jacob, the time spent in Egypt as slaves, and the liberation leading to the land flowing with milk and honey (vv. 5-9). To confess Abraham as a nomadic Aramean is to identify Hebraic roots in Northern Syria. The participant then indicates that he had brought the first fruit of the ground to Yahweh (v. 10). Instruction follows, mandating that a celebration of the bounty is to be made with Levites and with all who reside in the region (v. 11).

Application: A sermon on this text will proclaim how confession of faith and involvement in the rituals of worship promote gratitude and joy (Sanctification and worship).

Romans 10:8b-13
This letter of introduction was written by Paul between 54 AD and 58 AD to a church which to date he had never visited. The church he addressed at that time may have been comprised of mostly Jewish Christians. This lesson continues a discourse on how righteousness comes by faith. Paul refers to the word of faith (v. 8b). Salvation is said to come as we confess [homologeo] that Jesus is Lord and believe [pisteuo] God raised him from the dead (v. 9). One who believes is justified [dikaiosune, righteous], and one who confesses is saved [sozo] (v. 10). Citing Isaiah 28:16 Paul notes that no one who believes in Christ will be put to shame (v. 11). Paul proceeds to claim that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. They are equal. The Lord is lord of all and generous [plouton, literally “rich”] to all (v. 12). Citing Joel 2:32 (applying reference to Yahweh to Jesus) Paul states that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (v. 13).

Application: Sermons on this lesson will seek to explain and celebrate the nature of confession of faith and how faith is nurtured by it (Justification by Grace and Sanctification).

Luke 4:1-13
We are again reminded that this gospel is the first installment of a two-part history of the church traditionally attributed to Luke, a physician and Gentile associate of Paul (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24). Along with Acts, the author’s intention was to stress the universal mission of the Church (Acts 1:8). Addressed to Theophilus (1:1), it is not clear if this means that the work was written for a recent convert or for a Roman official from whom the Church sought tolerance. But since Theophilus means “lover of God” it is possible that the author addressed all the faithful.

This lesson is an account of the Temptation endured by Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. More details are provided here than in the earlier Markan version (1:12-13). And the order of temptations experienced by Jesus differs from that reported in Matthew (4:1-4). Full of the Holy Spirit [pneuma], Jesus is said to have returned from the Jordan and gone into the wilderness [eremos] (v. 1). He was reportedly tempted for forty days, when he ate nothing (v. 2). The forty days in the wilderness fits the pattern of Moses’ and Elijah’s fasts (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9; 1 Kings 19:8). The devil [diabolos] appears, baiting him that if he were Son of God [huios tou Theou] he could command a stone to be a load of bread (v. 3). Jesus responds citing Deuteronomy 8:3 that we do not live by bread alone (v. 4). The devil next tempts Jesus with all the world’s kingdoms if he will worship the devil (vv. 5-7). Jesus responds citing Deuteronomy 6:13 and its claim that only the Lord God is to be worshiped and swerved (v. 8). The devil offers a third temptation, taking Jesus to the top of the temple in Jerusalem, instructing him to jump (quoting Psalm 91:11-12), for if he were Son of God the angels would protect him (vv. 9-11). Jesus responds to the temptation demonstrating his power by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16 that we not put the Lord God to a test [ekpeiraseis, tempt] (v. 12). When the devil had finished every test it is reported that he departed (v. 13).

Application: Preaching on this text will lead to proclamation of Jesus’ empathy with us when we are tempted and celebration of the nature of confession of faith and how faith is nurtured by it. Christology, Justification by Grace, and Sanctification will be emphasized.

THEME OF THE DAY
Hanging around the Lord changes you. Justification by Grace and Sanctification are the key themes for this Sunday.

Psalm 27
This Psalm is an act of devotion for deliverance, a song of trust, attributed to David. As we have previously noted it is unlikely that David is the author of the Psalms attributed to him (Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p. 512). In fact some scholars conclude that references to David in the Psalms may be a way of using him to represent the inner life of all his subjects, and so of all the faithful (Ibid., p. 521). In that sense this Psalm calls on the faithful to turn to God in confidence for deliverance.

The Psalm begins with a song of trust, expressing confidence that because Yahweh is our salvation [yesha, safety, ease] and stronghold [maoz] we need fear [yare] no one, for adversaries will fall (vv. 1-3). He will hide us in his shelter (v. 5). In this context, the psalmist vows, asking the Lord that he can seek to live in Yahweh’s house [bayith, i.e., the temple in Jerusalem] forever and behold his beauty [noam, pleasantness] (his graciousness) (v. 4). Promise is made to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s tent [ohel] and sing to him (v. 6).

A cry for help (a lament) follows, pleading for graciousness and that we not be forsaken [azab] by the Lord (vv. 7-9). Confidence is expressed that even if forsaken by parents, the Lord will not (v. 10). The Lord is asked to teach us his way and lead on a level path and not to be given over to the will of enemies who are breathing violence (vv. 11-12). The psalmist expresses confidence that he will see the Lord’s goodness in life and exhorts waiting for Yahweh and remaining strong (vv. 13-14).

Application: This Psalm invites sermons on how cared for by God we will live lives of worship, praise, and continue in strength. Providence, Justification by Grace, and Sanctification are the key emphases.

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Like all five books of the Pentateuch, this Book of Origins is probably the product of several distinct literary traditions. This one is just comprised of three strands: 1) J, a ninth /tenth-century BC source, so named for its use of the Jahweh or Yahweh (translated “Lord”); 2) E, an eighth-century BC source named for its use of the divine name Elohim; and 3) P or Priestly source, dated from the sixth century BC. This lesson, the story of the everlasting covenant with Abraham and Sarah seems to be the work of the J source, paralleling and earlier than the version of the call and covenant reported by the P source in 17:1-7.

The account begins with Yahweh appearing to Abram in a vision, identifying himself as Abram’s shield [magen] and indicting that his reward will be great (v. 1). The reward referred to here is the Patriarch’s posterity. Yahweh’s designation in this verse may refer to an ancient custom that allowed a slave to be adopted as an heir in case of childlessness. Abram laments that a slave born in his house, Eliezer, is to be his heir, since he has no offspring (vv. 3-4). It is possible that this Eliezer, designated as a Damascan, was just Abram’s chief steward. Yahweh reiterates an earlier promise made to Abram (12:1-2), claiming that he will have true heirs, who shall be as numerous as the stars [kokab] (15:4b-5). Abram is said to have believed the Lord, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness [tsedaqah] (v. 6). It is good to remind ourselves again 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 law. It has to do with living in right relationship with God (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, pp. 370-371).

Yahweh reminds Abram that he is the one who brought the Patriarch from Ur of the Chaldees to the Promised Land of Palestine, which he and his offspring were promised to possess (v. 7; cf. 11:31; 12:1). Ur is located in the southern part of modern Iraq. But since the Chaldeans did not occupy it in the early second millennium BC (the likely era in which Abraham lived) the city’s biblical moniker (as belonging to the Chaldees) is probably anachronistic, the result of later editing of an oral tradition. (It is interesting that many of the names of the Abrahamic accounts are found in state archives of the royal house of Ebla, which ruled the region of Ur. This includes Abram’s ancestor Eber [11:15-17] whose namesake was a great king of the Ebla dynasty.)

After asking for assurance that the land promised would be his (15:8), Abraham is instructed to offer a sacrifice by cutting animals in two (vv. 9-10). Abraham is reported as falling into a deep sleep (v. 12). It is the condition in which he receives the revelation. Verses omitted in the lesson (vv. 13-16) report Yahweh’s prophecy that Abram’s progeny would live as aliens and slaves, though would return to the Promised Land. In the dark that Abram experienced, a smoking fire pot and flaming torch (symbolizing God’s presence) appeared, and God made his covenant [berith] with the chosen one, giving his descendants the land of Palestine (vv. 17-18).

Application: A sermon on this text will proclaim the good news that God’s promises endure, are not dependent on what we do (Justification by Grace). Some attention may be given to the joy that this message nurtures and its implications for living faithfully (Sanctification).

Philippians 3:17–4:1
This Epistle is a letter written by Paul while a prisoner to Christians in a province of Macedonia. There is some debate about whether the book in its present form might be a combination of three separate letters (as early theologian Polycarp, Philippians, 2.3, spoke of Paul’s letters to this church). Its immediate occasion was to thank the Philippians for their gifts, by way of the return of Epaphroditus to Philippi (2:25-30) who had brought these gifts to Paul. Paul’s main purpose is to urge persistence in face of opposition, using himself as an example. This lesson is an exhortation by Paul, urging the reader to imitate him and others who are faithful (3:17).

Paul begins by noting that many (perhaps he refers to Christians) live as enemies of Christ’s cross (3:18) and their end is destruction, as their bellies are their god [theos] (3:19). Christians are said to have their citizenship [politeuma] in heaven, whence we expect Christ to come (3:20). He will transform/change [metaschematidzo] our bodies that they may be conformed [summorfon] to the body of his glory [doxa] by the power that subjects all things to himself (3:21). Justification as Intimate Union with Christ is suggested here. A closing exhortation to beloved readers to stand firm in the land is offered (4:1).

Application: This is text for proclaiming how despite our Sin the gospel changes us (or will change us Eschatologically). Justification by Grace and Sanctification are the main themes to be emphasized.

Luke 13:31-35
We are again reminded that this gospel is the first installment of a two-part history of the Church traditionally attributed to Luke, a physician and Gentile associate of Paul (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24). Along with Acts, the author’s intention was to stress the universal mission of the Church (Acts 1:8). Addressed to Theophilus (1:1), it is not clear if this means that the work was written for a recent convert or for a Roman official from whom the Church sought tolerance. But since Theophilus means “lover of God” it is possible that the author addressed all the faithful.

This is a lesson reporting on Jesus’ message to Herod and his lament over Jerusalem. Only the lament has a parallel in any of the other gospels (see Matthew 23:37-39). Having offered prophecies about the end of the age (vv. 22-30), some Pharisees urge Jesus to escape for Herod reportedly planned to kill him (v. 31). Jesus refers to Herod as a “fox” [alopex], contending that he will continue his work of healing but would finish on the third day (v. 32). Jesus seems to imply that Herod is cunning; reference to the third day may foreshadow his time in the tomb. He says that on the third day he will leave, because as a prophet he cannot be killed outside of Jerusalem (v. 33). Lamenting over Jerusalem Jesus bewails how it is a city that has killed the prophets. He would gather its children as a hen [ornis] with her brood, but the town’s citizens have been unwilling (v. 34). Jesus refers to a house [oikos] left to Jerusalem, suggesting a judgment on or destruction of the temple (Jeremiah 22:5-6). He adds that the citizens of the city will not see him until the time comes and they will bless him (v. 35). Perhaps this prefigures the Palm Sunday procession.

Application: Sermons on this text do well to proclaim a vision of the Christian life (Sanctification) that helps the faithful find the golden mean between denying the things of the world and still using God’s good creation as they were intended. Another focus might be to concentrate on how this was Christ’s strategy, and so our intimacy with him inspires such a lifestyle (Justification by Grace).

THEME OF THE DAY
Turn around and bear fruit! God will see to it. Most of the texts proclaim the need for repentance (Sanctification) along with a confidence that God will change us (Justification by Grace).

Psalm 63:1-8
The Psalm is a personal lament, a prayer for deliverance from personal enemies. Though attributed to David when he was in the wilderness (cf. 1 Samuel 23:14-15), Elohim is used to name God rather than Yahweh in this Psalm. The psalmist claims to thirst for God. He is sought in the sanctuary, where his power [oz] and glory [kabod, weight or honor] can be beheld (vv. 1-2). God’s steadfast love [chesed, lovingkindness] is said to be better than life [chaiyim]. Consequently the psalmist will praise him, lifting up hands to call his name [shem] (vv. 3-4). With satisfied soul the psalmist joyfully praises God, for he has been a help, with a right hand that upholds him. Reference to being in the shadow of Elohim’s wings [kanaph] may suggest the image of God as an eagle protecting its young, as kanaph may also translate “protection”(vv. 5-8).

Application: The Psalm affords opportunity to reflect on how God delivers us from tough times, that he can be found in worship and as a result of such protection the enemies will be overcome and we will seek God. Justification by Grace, Providence, Atonement, and Sanctification are themes associated with this text.

Isaiah 55:1-9
This lesson is derived from Second Isaiah, the second of three distinct literary traditions that comprise the book and were edited into one after the Hebrew people had returned from exile in Babylon in the second half of the sixth century BC. This lesson, then, does not seem to have been written by the historical prophet to Judah for whom the book is named. Rather, it was likely generated soon after the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587-586 BC.

We read a hymn of joy and triumph celebrating the approaching consummation of Israel’s restoration in the sixth century BC near the end of the Babylonian Captivity. An invitation is first made to a banquet (reminiscent of the banquet hosted by Wisdom in Proverbs 9:3-6). Everyone who is thirsty and poor is invited and challenge is issued to those who spend money that does not feed us. We should only eat what is good, we are advised (vv. 1-2). Reference is made to the everlasting covenant [berith] with David, which the nations shall note because Yahweh has glorified the people. A renewal of this covenant seems promised (vv. 3-5).

A call for repentance is next issued, for when the people return to the Lord he may have mercy [racham] on them (v. 7). Yahweh proceeds to remark that his thoughts [machashebeth] and ways [derek] are not the ways and thoughts of the people (vv. 8-9).

Application: Sermons in this lesson might proclaim our sin, the need for repentance, and the confidence we can have in God because he forgives and keeps working on us for the better. Justification by Grace and Sanctification are proclaimed.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13
The lesson is taken from one of Paul’s authentic letters, written from Ephesus prior to his Epistle to the Romans, to a church he had established (Acts 18:1-11). Relations had become strained with the church. The letter aims to address doctrinal and ethical problems disturbing the Corinthian church. This is a lesson devoted to a warning against overconfidence.

Paul first reminds the Corinthians that the Hebrew ancestors were all under the cloud (the presence of God [Exodus 13:21]) and passed through the sea and were “baptized” [baptizo] by these means (vv. 1-2; cf. Exodus 14:22). They also are said to have eaten and drank the same spiritual food and drink (vv. 3-4; Exodus 16:4, 17:6; Numbers 20:7-11). The rock [petra] from which they drank is said to be Christ. The references here to passing through the sea along with the eating and drinking are to imply that they received something like Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Despite the favored status of the ancient Hebrews, Paul reports God’s displeasure with most of them, striking them down in the wilderness (v. 5; Numbers 14:24-30). This is an example for the Corinthians to deter their desire for evil (v. 6).

Paul then urges the Corinthians to shun idolatry and sexual immorality, not to put Christ to the test and not to complain as many ancient Hebrews in the wilderness did (vv. 7-10). The evil that happened to them is an example written to instruct us before the Lord’s return (v. 11). If we think we are standing, Paul adds, then we must watch out lest we fall (v. 12). No testing overtakes us, he says, that is not common to all. For God is faithful and will not let us be tested [peirazo, tried or tempted] beyond our strength. The testing provides the way out for endurance (v. 13).

Application: This is a lesson for proclaiming our Sin and need for repentance, but the understanding that we are totally depending on God if we are to be turned around (Justification by Grace).

Luke 13:1-9
We are again reminded that this gospel is the first installment of a two-part history of the church traditionally attributed to Luke, a physician and Gentile associate of Paul (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24). Along with Acts, the author’s intention was to stress the universal mission of the Church (Acts 1:8). Addressed to Theophilus (1:1), it is not clear if this means that the work was written for a recent convert or for a Roman official from whom the Church sought tolerance. But since Theophilus means “lover of God” it is possible that the author addressed all the faithful.

This lesson, unique to Luke, reports Jesus’ teaching on repentance and his parable of the fig tree. It begins with his receiving reports that some Galileans had been slain by Pilate while worshiping in the Jerusalem Temple (v. 1). He responds, in contrast to prevailing Jewish attitudes of the day by contending that those slain were no worse sinners (v. 2). His hearers must repent [metanoeo], he proclaims, or they will perish like those Galileans (v. 3). He makes the same point in reference to victims of a collapse of tower in the Siloam section of Jerusalem (vv. 4-5). “Jesus rules out the dogma that particular indiscretions lead to particular disasters” (Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Luke, p. 219). In the parable, which follows, Jesus relates a tale of a man with a fig tree which had borne no fruit (v. 6). The reference here is clearly to Israel. The tree’s owner instructs his gardener to cut it down (v. 7). But the gardener pleas for time to fertilize it with manure [koprian], cutting it down if it fails to yield fruit [karpos] (vv. 8-9).

Application: Sermons on this lesson will proclaim our Sin and the need for repentance but with the understanding that we are totally dependent on God if we are to be turned around (Justification by Grace, Sanctification, and Providence).

THEME OF THE DAY
Rejoice: God saves us by his grace! This Sunday, which was historically a time for celebration in Lent, invites sermons especially on Justification by Grace and Providence.

Psalm 32
We note again that Psalms is a collection of prayers and songs composed throughout Israel’s history. It is organized into five collections of books, perhaps an analogy to the five books of the Torah. The authors of each of the Psalms are largely unknown, as in this case. This loosening of them from their historical origins entails the validity of their use today in very different contexts from their origins (Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p. 523). The actual title of the book is derived from a Greek term meaning “song” [psalmos]. The Hebrew title of the book, Tehillim, means “hymns” or “songs of praise.”

We consider here a personal psalm of praise for healing and forgiveness, attributed to David. We have previously noted it is unlikely that David is the author of the Psalms attributed to him (Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p. 512). In fact some scholars conclude that references to David in the Psalms may be a way of using him to represent the inner life of all his subjects, and so of all the faithful (Ibid., p. 521). In that sense this psalm can be understood as a reminder that all are to praise the Lord for the healings and forgiveness experienced in their lives. It is a Maskil, that is, an artful song.

The psalm begins with an assertion that those whose transgression is forgiven [nasa, lifted away] are happy (vv. 1-2). Since disease was regarded as punishment for sin, healing was regarded as testimony to forgiveness. The psalmist describes his experience, construing his illness as God’s work (vv. 3-4). References to Selah in the psalm after verses are liturgical directions, perhaps calling for instrumental interludes.

The healing seems to have begun after the acknowledgement of the sin (v. 5). The psalmist then commends a similar faith to the congregation. God is said to be a hiding place [sether], preserving us from trouble. We should offer prayer for the Lord when in distress, we sing. The wicked are said to be tormented but steadfast love/mercy [chesed] surrounds those who trust in the Lord (vv. 6-10). We are to be glad [sameach] and righteous [tsaddiq] (v. 11). It is good to remind ourselves again 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 law. It has to do with living in right relationship with God (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, pp. 370-371).

Application: This Psalm invites sermons praising God for his care and forgiving love. Since the doctrine of Justification is a central theme, the sermon might elaborate God’s role as a hiding place from evil (which could lead to reflections on Atonement or Providence) or provide explanations of the Judeo-Christian concept of righteousness.

Joshua 5:9-12
This is one of the so-called post-Pentateuch history books. Joshua tells the story of Israel’s

successful victory in Canaan. It shares the theological perspective of Deuteronomy, and so may be a product of the seventh century BC reforms of King Josiah, though it clearly has roots in the oral local traditions before the settlement of the Hebrews in Israel. It posits with the Deuteronomistic Reform a tension between Yahweh’s mercy or election and a conditional view of salvation being dependent on what Israel does.

This lesson is an account of the first Passover spent by the Hebrews in the Promised Land. Yahweh is reported to have said to Joshua that on that day [the first Passover] he rolled away from the Hebrews the disgrace of Egypt (v. 9). Commemoration of the Passover [pesach] in the Holy Land is described (v. 10). Apparently they had begun to farm the land and when that happened, the manna [man, a sweet gum or resin] from heaven that had fed them stopped (vv. 11-12).

Application: Sermons on this text will proclaim God’s concern for freedom and liberation for the oppressed (Justification by Grace and Social Ethics).

2 Corinthians 5:16-21
This lesson is taken from one of Paul’s authentic Letters, written as relations had further deteriorated between Paul and the Corinthian church in the period since writing 1 Corinthians. Chapters 10-13 of the book are so different in style and tone from its first chapters as to lead many scholars to conclude that they may be the “severe letter” mentioned in 2:4. Like the first letter, this Epistle aims to address doctrinal and ethical problems disturbing the Corinthian church. This particular lesson is a further discourse by Paul on the ministry of reconciliation.

The apostle urges that from now on we regard no one from a human point of view; through we once knew Christ only from such a point of view, no longer will we know him that way (v. 16). Reference here seems to be to knowing Christ as risen and not as the one put to death. Paul adds that anyone in Christ is a new creation; the old has passed away (v. 17). He speaks of the newness coming from God who reconciled us to him and given us the ministry of reconciliation [katallage, a thorough change] (v. 18). In Christ, he adds, God was reconciling the world [kosmos] to himself and not counting trespasses against us and entrusting the ministry of reconciliation to us (v. 19). This makes us ambassadors [presbeuo, literally to be an elder or senior] for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. Thus Paul entreats readers to be reconciled to God on behalf of Christ (v. 20); for our sake, God made Christ to be sin [hamartia] (took on a sinful human nature) so that we might become the righteousness [dikaiosune] of God (v. 21). Justification and righteousness [dikaiosune] are here woven together. They have a similar Greek root, for Justification [dikaioma] resembles the Greek equivalent for the term righteousness. You cannot be declared right without “rightness” or “justice.” Last month we noted that there is much controversy in New Testament scholarship about what Paul means by “righteousness of God,” a tendency to critique the idea it entails that God declares us righteous. This argument is made on grounds that there are no Old Testament precedents for such an idea. But the concept of righteousness as not having to do with distributive justice but with relationships (with God’s relationship with the faithful and so salvation) is an Old Testament concept (Nehemiah 9:8; Isaiah 57:1; Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, p. 371). And New Testament scholarship tends to understand the concept this way — in terms of a restored relationship (Rudolf Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament, Vol. 1, p. 271). Consequently it seems appropriate in this text (and elsewhere in Paul’s writings) to interpret God’s righteousness in terms of his faithfulness to his relationship with his people, that it is his righteousness which restores the relationship (Psalm 71:2; von Rad, p. 373).

Application: Sermons on this lesson might proclaim the fresh start that grace makes in our lives (Justification by Grace and Realized Eschatology, including its implications for Sanctification). Our sinful condition might also be given attention, as well as an exploration of Paul’s concept of righteousness.

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
We are again reminded that this gospel is the first installment of a two-part history of the Church traditionally attributed to Luke, a physician and Gentile associate of Paul (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24). Along with Acts, the author’s intention was to stress the universal mission of the Church (Acts 1:8). Addressed to Theophilus (1:1), it is not clear if this means that the work was written for a recent convert or for a Roman official from whom the Church sought tolerance. But since Theophilus means “lover of God” it is possible that the author addressed all the faithful.

This lesson recounts Jesus’ famed parable of the prodigal son, an account unique to Luke. Jesus is said to have been surrounded by tax collectors and sinners. Tax collectors were under suspicion among Jews, not only for collaborating with the Roman government, but also for dishonesty in the actual collection processes. He is then criticized by the Pharisees for the company he kept (vv. 1-2). He then unfolds the story of the man with two sons, the younger receiving his share of the father’s property who then departs and squanders all the wealth (vv. 11-13). In need, working as a field hand feeding pigs (a shameful impure undertaking for a Jew), he resolves to return to his father to seek forgiveness (vv. 14-20a). His father sees him and welcomes him home (v. 20b). The son apologizes, saying that he is no longer worthy to be the father’s son, but the father initiates a celebration on grounds that his “dead” son is alive (vv. 21-24).

The elder son is reported to have heard all this and learned his brother had returned and that his father had initiated a celebration (vv. 25-27). He is angered and refuses to join the celebration (v. 28). The dutiful son confronts the father, reminding him that he had worked like a slave for him and never disobeyed, yet his father had never held a celebration for him and his friends (v. 29). His father responds that his eldest always had been with him and that all that he has is the son’s. A celebration was in order because the eldest son’s brother who was dead has now come to life again [anazao] (vv. 31-32).

Application: This parable invites sermons on God’s grace, a love that precedes all we can do for him or for others (Justification by Grace). The implications for Sanctification (the spontaneity of good woks) might also be proclaimed.

THEME OF THE DAY
With God, you get a new way up ahead. The themes of these texts get us looking ahead to God’s loving agenda, despite how we have failed. Major themes are Justification by Grace, Sin, and Realized Eschatology.

Psalm 126
This psalm is a prayer of deliverance from national misfortune. It is a Song of Ascents, Psalms so named either as a reference to their ascending style of poetic form, or they may be so named as a reference to the ascent pilgrims made on the way to the Jerusalem Temple, so that this and similar Psalms would be Pilgrim Psalms. This one begins with a reminiscence of the joy inspired by God’s favor toward his people in the past, of how Yahweh had restored (or would restore) the fortunes of Israel (vv. 1-3). Prayer for favor again is offered. Reference is made to the Negeb, an arid region, where finding water is good fortune (vv. 4-6). Those in mourning and the oppressed are said to experience joy [rinnah, singing] (v. 6). A kind of preferential option for the poor is then here posited.

Application: Sermons on this psalm can celebrate God’s love for his people in the past with confidence that his faithfulness will be manifest for us and for the oppressed in the present. Justification by Grace, Providence, and Social Ethics are relevant themes.

OR

Psalm 119:9-16
This is a Wisdom Psalm, a meditation on the Law of God but in the mode of a lament. This psalm is in the style of an acrostic poem (each line beginning with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet). The verses speak of the psalmist’s desire to learn and delight [shaashuim] in the Law [torah] of God. It is a way for youth to keep pure. It is worth all the riches and its word should never be forgotten. It is good to be reminded that Torah for the ancient Hebrews (and Jews today) is not a set of legalistic demands, but instruction in how to live (Leo Trepp, Judaism: Development and Life, pp. 2, 210).

Application: This Alternative Psalm affords opportunity to reflect on the original intention of God’s commandments which could lead to sermons on the way God would have us live through grace (Sanctification). Or we could use these insights to condemn sin and our need for a new way up ahead (Justification by Grace).

Isaiah 43:16-21
This lesson is derived from Second Isaiah, the second of three distinct literary traditions that comprise the book and were edited into one after the Hebrew people had returned from exile in Babylon in the second half of the sixth century BC. This lesson does not seem to have been written by the historical prophet to Judah for whom the book is named. Rather, it was likely generated soon after the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587-586 BC.

Having promised to break down the bars holding the Judeans, Yahweh is reported to say that he makes a way [derek] in the sea and will not remember [zakar] former things (vv. 16, 18). This may be an allusion to the Hebrews’ passage through the Red Sea (Exodus 14-15). Yahweh promises to do a new thing [chadash], making a way out of the wilderness — presumably an exodus from Babylon (v. 19). This is clearly a prophecy of Israel’s return home. Also reminiscent of the Exodus wanderings, the Lord promises to water the wilderness, giving drink to his chosen people that they would declare his praise (vv. 20-21; cf. Exodus 17:1-7).

Application: This lesson invites sermons proclaiming how God wipes away all the Sin and error of the past, forgiving and freeing us for the future (Sin, Justification by Grace, Sanctification, and Realized Eschatology).

Philippians 3:4b-14
We note again that this Epistle is a letter written by Paul while a prisoner to Christians in a province of Macedonia. There is some debate about whether the book in its present form might be a combination of three separate letters (as early theologian Polycarp, Philippians, 2.3, spoke of Paul’s letters to this church). Its immediate occasion was to thank the Philippians for their gifts, by way of the return of Epaphroditus to Philippi (2:25-30) who had brought these gifts to Paul. Paul’s main purpose is to urge persistence in face of opposition, using himself as an example. In this lesson he offers a warning to break with the past.

Paul first claims that if anyone had reason to be confident in the things of the flesh [sarx], he did. He proceeds to enumerate his Jewish pedigree and zeal as a persecutor of the Church (vv. 4b-6). Yet whatever gains he had in these ways, Paul claims to have come to regard them as loss [zemia] because of Christ (vv. 7-8a). For Christ sake, he claims to have suffered the loss of all things and regard them as rubbish [skubala] in order to gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness [dikaiosune] of his own that comes from the Law [nomos], but one that comes through faith in Christ (vv. 8b-9).

Justification and righteousness [dikaiosune] are here woven together. They have a similar Greek root, for Justification [dikaioma] resembles the Greek equivalent for the term righteousness. You cannot be declared right without “rightness” or “justice.” We note again that there is much controversy in New Testament scholarship about what Paul means with such references. There is a tendency to critique the idea that it entails that the faithful are declared us righteous. This argument is made on grounds that there are no Old Testament precedents for such an idea. But the concept of righteousness as not having to do with distributive justice but with relationships (with God’s relationship with the faithful and so salvation) is an Old Testament concept (Nehemiah 9:8; Isaiah 57:1; Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, p. 371). And New Testament scholarship tends to understand the concept this way — in terms of a restored relationship (Rudolf Bultmann, Theology of the New Testament, Vol. 1, p. 271). Consequently it seems appropriate in this text (and elsewhere in Paul’s writings) to interpret the Pauline concept of righteousness in terms of faithfulness to one’s relationship with God, a relationship restored by the work of Christ and received in faith (Psalm 71:2; von Rad, p. 373).

The apostle proceeds to comment on his desire to know Christ and the power of his Resurrection by becoming like him in his death, attaining the resurrection [anastasis] (vv. 10-11). Paul notes that he has not attained such death and resurrection but is pressing on to make it his own since Christ had made him his own (vv. 12-14).

Application: The lesson should stimulate proclamation of the renunciation of our sinful past as rubbish, overcome by our Union with Christ which puts us in right relationship with him and the Father (Sin Justification by Grace, and Sanctification).

John 12:1-8
We have previously noted that this book is the last of the four gospels to be written, probably not composed until the last two decades of the first century. It is very different in style in comparison to the other three (so-called Synoptic) Gospels. In fact it is probably based on these earlier gospels. The book has been identified with John the Son of Zebedee, the disciple whom Jesus loved, and this claim was made as long ago as late in the first century by the famed theologian of the early Church Irenaeus (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, p. 144). It is likely that it was written by a disciple of John. Hints of that possibility are offered by the first post-biblical church historian Eusebius of Caesarea who claimed that the book was written on the basis of the external facts made plain in the gospel and so John is a “spiritual gospel” (presumably one not based on eyewitness accounts of the author) (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1, p. 261). Its main agenda was probably to encourage Jewish Christians in conflict with the synagogue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (20:31). Recently some scholars have suggested an alternative account of the origins of John’s gospel. Appealing to the writings of a late-first/early-second century Bishop Papias, who may have implied that John’s gospel was the result of eyewitness origins, such scholars have argued that the book is in fact an authentic historical testimony to Jesus (Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, especially pp. 423ff; cf. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, pp. 154-155). This lesson is an account of the anointing of Jesus’ feet by Mary. Though Jesus is reportedly anointed in the home of Simon the leper in Matthew 26:6-12 and Mark 14:3-9 (also see Luke 7:37-39), this account seems unique to John’s gospel.

Six days before the Passover (just prior to Palm Sunday [v. 12]), Jesus comes to Bethany and the home of Lazarus whom he had earlier raised from the dead (v. 1; cf. 11:1-44). Jesus receives dinner with Lazarus at table with his sister Martha serving (v. 2). Lazarus’ other sister Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with perfume, wiping them with her hair, filling the whole house with good fragrance (v. 3). Judas Iscariot (identified as the one who would betray Jesus) objects that the expense for the perfume (a year’s wage in that economy) was not used to help the poor [ptochos] (vv. 4-5). Parenthetically, Judas’ apparently good motives are undermined and he is accused by the writer of the gospel as a thief of the common purse of the disciples of which he was the caretaker (v. 6). Jesus defends Mary, claiming she had bought the perfume for use on the forthcoming day of his burial (v. 7). (The Greek text does not credit Mary with buying the oil.) He adds that the poor will always be with his followers, but they will not always have him (v. 8).

Application: Sermons on this story will proclaim God’s Providence, Justification by Grace in the midst of poverty and meaninglessness in life (Sin), and the impact of grace on our lives (Sanctification). Realized Eschatology might also be invoked as a way of understanding the Christian life.