Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 | Pentecost 14 (Cycle C)
Sunday between August 28 and September 3 inclusive
Psalm 112
This acrostic psalm, along with Psalm 1, which is similar to it in content, served as patterns for the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-23. In the Psalm 1 and 112 Beatitudes it is said, “O how happy” is the person who fears the Lord. Such a person will be prosperous, righteous, respected, unafraid, generous, and remembered forever. These Psalm 1 and 112 Beatitudes express the characteristic thought of the Israelites, which continued in the Rabbinic Literature and in most segments of the Jewish religion until the horrors of the Holocaust shattered it for many Jews.
The Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-23 Beatitudes carried the thought of “O how happy” into a different area, the area of humbleness and of enduring persecution. An excellent sermon could be developed in which we would ask the members of the congregation at worship together whether in their experience they have found that the Beatitudes of Psalms 1 and 112 or the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-23 conform more closely to reality as they perceive it. It would be helpful to the members of the worshiping congregations if we would ask them to think more than we usually do, rather than simply telling them what they should think. In order to accomplish this, our homilies/sermons should take on more aspects of dialogue rather than merely of monologue.
The Holocaust has caused many Jewish philosophers and theologians to raise questions about the validity for Jews since 1933 of the thoughts expressed in Psalms 1 and 112 and to be attracted to the guidelines for enduring suffering and persecution in the Matthew 5:3-12 and Luke 6:20-23 Beatitudes. These Jewish leaders, because of the Holocaust and because of constructive Jewish-Christian dialogue since 1945, are increasingly interested in the Jesus of history, their brother in the faith who has been largely avoided in Jewish studies for nineteen centuries because of Christian coercive pressures on Jewish people. For an example of this interest, see the article by the Jewish theologian Pinchas Lapide, “Is Jesus a Bond or a Barrier? A Jewish-Christian Dialogue,” in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies 14 (1977, pp. 466-483).
There are many points of continuity between the thought of Psalms 1 and 112 and the Matthean and Lukan Beatitudes. Each emphasis has been found to be helpful for certain people in particular situations. We should not expect that all of the people in any congregation will find the same emphasis to be helpful for them, to be valid for them, to be “true” for them. We should, therefore, ask the questions, “What do you think?” “What have you found from your experiences?” One way to do this would be to set up a portion of the homily/sermon in the format of a TV talk show in which these theological questions would be discussed.
Sirach 10:12-18
In this wisdom tradition there is a warning against human pride that causes people to turn away from their dependence upon the Lord God. The results are disastrous, the opposite of what is acclaimed in the Beatitudes.
Jeremiah 2:4-13
The people who have so richly been blessed by God are condemned here for their forsaking the fountain of living water provided for them by the Lord and instead digging their own cisterns for themselves, cisterns that are cracked and hold no water during dry times.
Psalm 81:1, 10-16
Here also the people are condemned by the Lord for turning away from the Lord God who loves them. Even after this, the Lord greatly desires to feed the people again with the finest harvests and with honey from the rocks in the land.
Proverbs 25:6-7
Humbleness and modesty in the presence of those who are in high positions of authority (kings and rulers, and by implication the Lord God) are emphasized here. Luke 14:7-11 is an application of this in the context of a marriage feast, continuing the idea of this Proverbs 25:6-7 text that it is wise to humble one’s self rather than to be humbled and humiliated by other people.
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Among the many parenetic admonitions in this text are the requirements of providing hospitality for strangers and care for those who are afflicted. Each of these admonitions is said to be especially important because of our faith in Jesus perceived as the Christ, who is the same person yesterday, today, and forever. It is through Jesus perceived as the Christ that we offer up our sacrifice of praise to God and share our resources with those who are in need.
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Many of us as Christians seem to be so willing to obey the admonition in Luke 14:7-11 to sit in the lowest place at a marriage feast by sitting as far back in church as we can and so reluctant to obey or even to notice the admonition in Luke 14:12-14 to invite people who are poor, physically and mentally challenged, blind, and in other ways different from the majority of people to be guests in our homes and to full participation in our worship services. Nevertheless, it is in Luke 14:12-14 rather than in Luke 14:7-11 that the related themes of many of the texts selected for this occasion are brought together. Let us together experience the joy of sharing and of providing in personal, meaningful ways for those who have the greatest needs and who have the greatest appreciation for the care that we provide.
