George Love, Pastor of Hebron Presbyterian Church, continues sharing his thoughts on the Daily Lectionary Series of Bible readings. You will find his most recent comments at the top, with earlier ones below. See earlier ones in previous months by following this link.
We have also added daily links to Presbyterian Church (USA) website where you will find the Scripture readings for that day. We hope you will find this a helpful way to join us in seeking God's message for our daily lives.
July 20
First Reading: Joshua 7:1-13
Psalm: Psalm 135
Second Reading: Romans 13:8-14
Gospel: Matthew 26:36-46
"'Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Now the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hand of sinners." - Matthew 26:45
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus is clearly troubled and has selected them to be with him as he pours himself out in prayer. So he prays and comes back and they are asleep. He wakes them up, goes off and prays again and comes back and once again they are asleep. This time he just lets them sleep, goes off and prays one more time and then comes back and gets them. "Now the hour is at hand," says Jesus, and it is.
This passage happens directly after Peter has boldly said that even if everyone else falls away, he'll be right there beside Jesus. So it turns out almost immediately that he is indeed right beside Jesus in a critical moment, and also asleep in that moment. If you notice, it happens three times. Before we ever get to the betrayal at Caiphas' house, we've got a strong indication that the needed level of commitment may be lacking.
It is a great thing to feel confident in our faith. It is joyful to feel able to boldly state our commitment to Jesus' call on our life. But it can be a challenge to stay awake when what we want to do is sleep. It can be a challenge to say yes we know him, when knowing him is going to make life problematic. This is not unique to Peter. Peter is holding up a mirror to us. These stories help us to know the level of commitment faith may well ask of us. And to see Jesus, time and again, not giving up. On Peter. Not on James and John. Not on us.
July 19
First Reading: Joshua 6:15-27
Psalm: Psalm 150
Second Reading: Acts 22:30-23:11
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12
"And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay." - Mark 2:4
This story features some high quality friends. The paralyzed man has friends who are intent on helping him get in front of Jesus. They clearly believe that what they have seen Jesus do for others, Jesus can do for their friend. They don't just believe it would be great if it happened to fall into place, they are committed to seeing the project through. When it becomes obvious to them that the crowd is too great for a direct approach, they don't give up. Instead, they become innovative. That roof should come right off, shouldn't it?
So on to the roof they go, carrying the mat with their friend on it. They remove the roof, which is a choice, and lower him down to where Jesus is standing. I don't know that it would occur to me to take off the roof of my own house, never mind a house that belongs to someone else. What was going through the mind of the homeowner as this scene was unfolding? "There have never been this many people in my house. There are so many people in my house. Wait, there are people making a hole in the roof of my house!"
We would likely all love to have friends like these, and would hope to be friends like these. Notice the active ingredients that pull this action out of the friends. First, they have a friend in need. Second, they have a belief that Jesus can make an impactful difference in that person's life. Every circumstance is not going to demand the removal of a roof, but there are likely multiple times in our lives where we have friends in need, and we have a basic belief that Jesus can make an impactful difference in their life. In those moments may we be the sort of friends that help those we care about find their way into the presence of Jesus.
July 18
First Reading: Joshua 6:1-14
Psalm: Psalm 149
Second Reading: Romans 13:1-7
Gospel: Matthew 26:26-35
"Peter said, "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you." - Matthew 26:35
Listening to Peter make this promise to Jesus, should set our minds to wondering about the status of the promises we've made to God. How faithful have I been in keeping my promises? How faithful have I been in even remembering that I have made promises? How conveniently have I forgotten promises or taken the edge off of them to make them more manageable or less demanding?
Peter believes what he is saying when he is saying it. "I will not deny you." He could not envision a circumstance when he would deny Jesus. Until the time came when he was in exactly such a circumstance and he did deny him. Three times, one right after the other. I don't believe Peter was not trustworthy. I believe following Jesus can be more demanding than we imagine.
There is good news - there is always good news. The good news here is that Peter will experience God's grace and will have more opportunities on the other side of his denial. God's mercy, love, and forgiveness also are waiting for us when we sin, when we fail, when we fall short. Part of receiving forgiveness is recognizing our need of it. When Peter met his moment of denial, he recognized it almost as it happened. Let us be attentive to the times when we fall short of faithfulness in our promises to God and trust that God will forgive us and entrust us with more work to do.
July 17
First Reading: Joshua 4:19-5:1
Psalm: Psalm 148
Second Reading: Romans 12:9-21
Gospel: Matthew 26:17-25
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12:21
There are times when Paul's writing simply takes flight and this passage from Romans 12 is one of those times. It soars. It beseeches the Roman church to aspire to live their best lives as God's beloved children. If the church was a football team, this would be the locker room speech before they took the field.
This aspirational quality of faith is important to keep before us. Faith is not a cage we have to live in. It is not a collection of rules that exists with the hope of disqualifying us. It is not designed to be sure that we are not enjoying life and along the way making sure that no one else is enjoying life. It is not looking to offer ways we can elevate ourselves above others.
It is joyful. It is kind and good. It asks us to aim at being the best, most loving versions of ourselves. If we have to make it a competition, which it seems is sometimes a human trait, Paul says, "outdo one another in showing honor." (v.10). Paul's final words here are vital and relevant for our times. "Do not be overcome by evil." In other words, don't give up. Don't walk away. "Overcome evil with good." This is the simple, incredibly challenging answer to much of what troubles us. Stay steadfastly focused on the good. Rinse. Repeat. And know that God walks with us.
July 16
First Reading: Joshua 3:14-4:7
Psalm: Psalm 16
Second Reading: Romans 12:1-8
Gospel: Matthew 26:1-16
"I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.'" - Psalm 16:2
"Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows…." - Psalm 16:4
Idolatry was a big concern in the Old Testament. Idol worship and warnings about the dangers of idol worship appear regularly in the text. It's not something we've left behind on the scrap pile of history. It is likely that as long as there are humans to make choices there will be idols that are worshiped.
The Psalmist begins Psalm 16 by affirming the choice to follow God. "I have no good apart from you." That's the language of praise, but it's also the language of truth. Anything good, beautiful, and true begins with God. In verse 4 the Psalmist continues, "Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows." This is not a judgment call. There is not a situation where choosing an idol over the one true God is going to lead to better results. Here, also, is the truth.
Life is simply more what it is meant to be when we are aiming to align our lives with the truth of who God is and who God is calling us to be. When we allow ourselves to be shaped and guided by that which is not God, when we place our hopes and dreams in the arms of things, possessions, stuff, those who would be false gods, it does not lead to positive outcomes. It truly does multiply our sorrows. Our God, who created us, loves us; and in loving and following our God is our hope of discovering the good and living the abundant life God promises.
July 15
First Reading: Joshua 3:1-13
Psalm: Psalm 33
Second Reading:
Romans 11:25-36
Gospel : Matthew 25:31-46
"'Truly I tell you just as did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'" - Matthew 25:45
Be kind to people. Treat people well. All the people. Feed hungry people. Give water to thirsty people. Welcome strangers. Give clothes to people who lack clothes. Take care of the sick. Visit people in prison. Jesus is not vague. Doing these things is pleasing to Jesus, because when we do them it's as though we are doing them for Jesus.
By default then it becomes true that when we behave in ways that are the opposite of these good and kind actions, when we fail to do them for others, we are failing to do them for Jesus. Jesus is exhorting us to be humans that care about each other. We sometimes dwell on the consequences in this story. Some receive eternal punishment, others eternal life. That is, naturally, serious; but I don't think having us meditating on our eternal fate is Jesus' point. I really believe his biggest concern is motivating us to care for each other. To give us a memorable story teaching us to be compassionate and loving. Be a sheep.
The goal is not to have us concerned about how many gold stars we've acquired through choosing to offer people food and drink and clothing and human kindness. The goal is to help us be the kind of people who experience the true joy of living life in a Christ-like manner as though each encounter is an encounter with Christ himself.
July 14
First Reading: Joshua 2:15-24
Psalm: Psalm 102
Second Reading:
Romans 11:13-24
Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30
"If you do boast, remember; you do not support the root, but the root supports you." - Romans 11:18
There is an unfortunate history of Christian ugliness towards Judaism, which bluntly finds expression in people who are Christian against people who are Jewish. Much of that comes from what I would argue is poor reading of some of the stories of scripture. Much of the anti-Jewish rhetoric that emerges from misreading stories of the Bible begins by ignoring that Jesus, the disciples, and many of the people in the New Testament stories who we think of as followers of Jesus are indeed Jewish.
In the same way the debate that takes place in the early church is clearly about how to include gentiles along with Jews into the people of the Way; but it would be incorrect to believe that all Jews were opposed to Christian faith and to Jesus. Beyond that it would be out of step with Christian faith to do harm to any group of people simply because of their existence as a group of people.
Paul here in Romans says an important thing to the gentile Christians. Yes, they have been grafted in as branches into this tree of faith. But the tree doesn't exist without the journey of faith of the Hebrew people throughout the Old Testament. These new branches have nowhere to exist independent of the foundation the roots provide. Thus Paul writes, "you do not support the root, but the root supports you." I believe ideally we all support each other within the body of Christ and we look with love upon fellow travelers in the world, seeing each other not as this group or that group, but as people created by and loved by God.
July 13
First Reading: Joshua 2:1-14
Psalm: Psalm 5
Second Reading: Romans 11:1-12
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13
"When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps." - Matthew 25:3-4
I am very often awash in foolishness.
So many things I should remember, that I forget. The church is fifteen to twenty minutes from my house - I can't begin to estimate how many times I've made the drive only to discover that I do not have my church keys. It can be an obviously sunny day and I can look right at sunglasses in the bowl next to the chair and not make the decision I should pick them up until I'm driving down the road with the sun in my eyes and the decision out of my hands. If the assignment was to come up with examples of foolishness in my daily life…I could ace that test.
I'm sympathetic with the foolish five, who don't take a flask of oil with them. I mean, heck, props for even remembering your lamps - there was a lot going on. Here's the thing - I'm going to do foolish things. I believe what Jesus is encouraging here is an attitude that leads to fewer foolish things, and particularly, fewer foolish things in the most important areas of our lives. How often do we say our family is a priority and then make decisions about the use of our time that does not prioritize our family. That seems foolish. And it's a thing we can think about, pray about, and do better.
Jesus' parable ultimately is about not being foolish in our most important relationship, the one we have with God and in our preparation for God's coming kingdom. In the same way that bridesmaids have one job - showing up for the wedding- followers of Jesus have one job, showing up for the work of God's kingdom. In that work is the joy of living in accord with God's will. If we do this our wisdom and our readiness will likely be on the uptick.
July 12
First Reading: Joshua 1:1-18
Psalm: Psalm 139
Second Reading: Acts 21:3-15
Gospel: Mark 1:21-27
"Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?" - Psalm 139:7
In the Acts passage, Paul is intent on going to Jerusalem. More than one person around him is convinced he should not go. A prophet, Agabus, binds himself up in Paul's belt and states that "This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the gentiles." (21:11) Paul is having none of it. He states that he is ready to be bound and even to die if that is what awaits him, so strongly does he believe that he needs to visit Jerusalem.
Psalm 139 is a lengthy meditation on our inability to in any way surprise God. God knows all there is to know about us. God is with us all the time, constantly, every day, forever. There is not a time when we are on break from God. Nothing is done out of God's sight.
Paul understands this and leans into it. He believes the Spirit is leading him to Jerusalem, and he trusts that where the Spirit leads is the place God intends for him. You may remember the Old Testament prophet Jonah, who was sent to prophesy in Nineveh. Jonah did not want to do this and decided to get on a boat and go in a different direction. A storm, a ride in a fish, and being spat up on a beach later, Jonah did what God has called him to do. Paul is skipping all of the in-between things and doing the thing he believes God is asking of him. He knows that there is no place to hide and in fact his faith had moved him to live in a way that had no interest in hiding from God.
Psalm 139 is a great passage for us to consider as we navigate our days. Are there times when we imagine that we are offstage with God, behaviors that we convince ourselves are somehow done in secret beyond the view of our Creator? This is not the case and that, in fact, as Paul knew, is a good thing. It means that we are never alone, that wherever we go we know that God goes with us, loving us, encouraging us, inspiring us, and leading us to live each day with faith and purpose.
July 11
First Reading:
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Psalm: Psalm 125
Second Reading:
Romans 10:14-21
Gospel: Matthew 24:32-51
"Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." - Matthew 24:44
Jesus' theme here is watchfulness. Preparation. Living in such a way that we expect Jesus around every corner. No coasting. No days off. No eating for a week, but planning to exercise next week. In that last scenario, we'll likely fulfill the eating. The exercising may just get put off indefinitely. That's what Jesus is counseling against. Don't plan to live the way you want Jesus to find you a month from now. Live like you want Jesus to find you today and everyday.
This is all built around the idea of Jesus' eventual triumphant return. What do we know about Jesus' triumphant return? That it will happen. That's the extent of our knowledge. Jesus goes out of his way to say that we don't know, the angels don't know, only God knows. Which hasn't stopped people across history from acting as though they did know. Every time a prediction comes and goes, the truth of Jesus' teaching comes through again and again.
The point is how we will live in the in-between time. Our charge is not to use our time decoding when Jesus will come again. Our charge is to live lives worthy of our creator, lives we want Jesus to find us living were he to return this very day.
July 10
First Reading:
Deuteronomy 31:7-13, 24-32:4
Psalm: Psalm 25
Second Reading: Romans 10:1-13
Gospel: Matthew 24:15-31
"Be strong and bold, for you are the one who will go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their ancestors to give them, and you will put them in possession of it. It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." - Deuteronomy 31:7-8
Moses gives Joshua, the new leader, a pep talk before the assembled people of Israel. Do not fear, do not be dismayed. Basically, you can do this and the reason you can do it is that God will be with you every step of the way, because God is actually ahead of you every step of the way. It's a word of confidence in Joshua's ability to place complete trust in God as he assumes the leadership position and all the responsibility that comes with it.
Just a short time later, Moses is reminding the people that they have fallen short in the past and will fall short again in the future. The things they have done in terms of questioning his leadership and complaining at every turn will, he is certain, continue. These messages may seem at odds, but they are not. God is great at doing what God says God will do. Moses has seen that time and again. He believes it and he believes that is what Joshua will also see and come to believe. The people are not great at doing many of the things that they promise they will do. They are great at complaining and at taking potshots at their leaders. Moses has seen this and experienced it, and is certain that Joshua will run into the same issues.
This is wisdom. This is the truth of life that Moses has lived in all of his time leading the liberation from Egypt and sojourn in the wilderness. The core truth that he holds fast to is that God is faithful. I recently paid a quick visit to the community where I served my first congregation as an Associate Pastor. We drove through the town and drove through the parking lots of two churches, one where my wife served, and one where I served. It was reassuring to see that both places were recognizable and clearly still there and doing the ministry they are called to do. It was also obvious though that much had changed. Entire streets have been redirected, new businesses have flooded in; the growth that was happening there has continued exponentially over the thirty years since we have been there. Our lives haven't been anywhere near the epic of what Moses lived out, but I see the truth of what Moses describes. Life is complicated and challenging and there will always be hardships to be met and problems to be solved. But life is also beautiful and it is so obviously the canvas on which God is painting and in all of it God is faithful and just.
July 9
First Reading:
Deuteronomy 3:18-28
Psalm: Psalm 130
Second Reading: Romans 9:19-33
Gospel: Matthew 24:1-14
"But who indeed are humans to argue with God." - Romans 9:20
Once again Paul is arguing for inclusion of Gentiles in the new Jesus movement. This passage is basically a push back against gatekeepers. Further on Paul cites Hosea, saying that people who had been told they are not God's people will, it turns out, be "called children of the living God." (v.26) I lean on this line of thought a lot.
There are plenty of Christians who are vocal in gatekeeping the faith. They seem confident in describing entire groups of people as outside of God's will and therefore outside of God's kingdom. With Paul I believe that we should not presume to speak confidently on God's behalf about who is in and who is out in God's view. What I hear Paul describing, and, probably more important, what I see in the life and ministry of Jesus is the broad and expansive love of God. Jesus is routinely being taken to task for hanging around with the wrong people. Jesus, in my reading, is never consumed with trying to push people away.
God is love. Jesus is the living embodiment of God's love. Paul is preaching the inclusive love of God. There is not a commandment that I am supposed to seek out and enforce God's boundaries. There is one about loving God, and loving my neighbor as myself.
July 8
First Reading:
Deuteronomy 1:1-18
Psalm: Psalm 96
Second Reading: Romans 9:1-18
Gospel: Matthew 23:27-39
"The Lord your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars of heaven." - Deuteronomy 1:10
There is something in this Deuteronomy passage about how hard it can be to see God at work around us when we are standing in the middle of what God is doing. We've come past multiple stories of the people complaining for lack of water, or lack of food, or unhappiness with their leaders. Which is to say, it is apparently NOT hard to see the things that make us unhappy when we are standing in the middle of them. And also it is not hard to be vocal in our unhappiness.
What again is hard, is sometimes noticing that God is doing the things God has promised as time moves forward. Moses tells the people, "The Lord your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars of heaven." This is the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham that God would give Abraham and Sarah a family that would become a great nation. To Abraham it was a promise far off in a future he would not live to see. Now that future has arrived, but it arrived in God's time and, as it has unfurled, it is hard for the people to imagine a time when there were not so many of them. The great number of them almost seems like part of the problem as they looked for food and water. They are, even in the wilderness, well on the way to becoming the great nation that God had spoken of with Abraham.
Are there moments when we are so much in the present with its challenges and difficulties that we fail to see the fulfillment of God's promises all around us? Perhaps the message here is to keep in mind that God is indeed always at work and that it is a useful practice for us to intentionally pause at times and think about where we have been, where we are, and where God is leading us.
July 7
First Reading:
Numbers 35:1-3, 9-15, 30-34
Psalm: Psalm 12
Second Reading: Romans 8:31-39
Gospel: Matthew 23:13-26
"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor heights, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39
God's love for us is a constant and recurring theme of scripture. The most famous verse of the Bible, John 3:16, begins "For God so loved the world." Romans 8 is my favorite chapter in all of scripture. One of the reasons is the strength of its finale. Like a great symphony, it doesn't just fade away at the last, but rather reaches a stunning crescendo. That epic final moment in Romans 8 is about love.
Paul gives an epic list of potentially frightening things, none of which, he promises, will come between us and God's love for us in Christ. He begins the list with what is likely the greatest fear that humans face - death - and then works through one thing after another which hold the possibility of looming in our minds as dividers from God's love for us. His assurance is that the love of Christ is always there for us, there is nothing that can change that.
A way then of understanding Christ's love is by considering its limitless power. Nothing can stop it. Picture Niagara Falls, the water rushing over the Falls. According to the Niagara Falls State Park website, "Water plunges at 32 feet per second over the Falls, hitting the base with 280 tons of force at the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 2,509 tons of force at the Horseshoe Falls." That water is not going to stop one foot short of hitting the base. It's going to get there. Nothing is going to stop it. Unstoppable. That, says Paul, is a quality of the love of God that we can count on.
July 6
First Reading:
Numbers 32:1-7, 16-27
Psalm: Psalm 62
Second Reading: Romans 8:26-30
Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12
"…but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach." - Matthew 23:3
I was at a concert recently with about twenty thousand people in attendance. It was an outdoor setting, the lower portion of the venue, about a third of it, was seats with a roof over it. The rest was lawn, where the remaining thirteen thousand of us sat or stood and enjoyed. This was a secular performer - there is certainly a spiritual element to his work, but no one came expecting any sort of religious program. Towards the end, the performer, Tyler Childers, took a moment to speak to the crowd. Paraphrasing, he said that we had all come out to the concert as individuals, couples, or groups, but that the people around us, the ones to the front and back or either side were quite possibly people we'd never met before and maybe would never meet again. He suggested that after several hours together we should know someone around us. We should value the opportunity to create community. So before performing the last five songs of the evening he invited us to greet the people around us. And we did.
So, this is happening, and my pastor mind is thinking, we are passing the peace. Tyler Childers is having us pass the peace. And it truly felt like a twenty thousand person version of the ritual that happens in many churches during morning worship. The thing I would underline is I believe he was doing what Jesus suggests in this morning's passage is the greater good. He didn't just tell us we should value community. He gave us a task to actually move a step closer to interacting and learning about how we go about building community, one hello at a time.
There is a version of Christian faith that involves a lot of "shoulds" and "oughts" - we should behave a particular way, we ought to be good or kind of faithful. Jesus' word to the Pharisees and to us is that "shoulds" and "oughts" make for good ideas, but are worth little if not put into practice. Does our practice, our actual living of everyday life, look like an attempt to live out the love of God in the world?
July 5
First Reading: Numbers 27:12-23
Psalm: Psalm 108
Second Reading: Acts 19:11-20
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
"Moses spoke to the Lord, saying 'Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd.'" - Numbers 27:15-17
In the Numbers passage God tells Moses that because of his "rebellion" at Meribah he will not enter the promised land. As long as I've been aware of this story and this outcome it has seemed rough to me. Moses put in a lot of time with a people who are often challenging, difficult, and regularly unhappy with his leadership. It always seemed to me that he not only should have gone into the promised land, but that they should have had a parade for him as he led the way.
What is lovely about this passage is that, as Moses learns both the news of not entering the promised land and of the soon to be end of his life, his response is not the one I would have anticipated. He does not try to bargain with God. Doesn't point out his many years of service, or that it seems only fair that he should get to cross the Jordan with the people. It's more than what he doesn't do however.
It's also what he does. It's that his first impulse is to request that God be sure to appoint a new shepherd for the people. He knows they are a handful and that without good leadership things can go sideways in a hurry. He loves them and longs for them not to be "as sheep without a shepherd." The maturity of his faith, seeking first what is best for others, even when confronted with difficult news for himself is inspiring.
July 4
First Reading: Numbers 24:12-25
Psalm: Psalm 100
Second Reading: Romans 8:18-25
Gospel: Matthew 22:23-40
"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing." - Psalm 100:1
"For in hope we were saved." - Romans 8:24
In the weeks leading up to the fourth of July, fireworks tents turn up in parking lots everywhere. Fireworks are inextricably linked to our mental imagery surrounding the day of America's independence. Freedom is something to be celebrated. It is something to be valued and appreciated. On this one day out of the year, we are collectively reminded of the beginning of the American experiment - we celebrate. If the folks from 1776 were here, I think they'd be more than happy to celebrate along with us and launch a few fireworks of their own, knowing that the project they began continues.
Our journey of faith is sustained by moments of celebration. Life can be beautiful and challenging, sometimes all at once. Faith can test us. The moments of joyful celebration are the touchstones we lean on to carry us through difficulties and trials. Scripture is a great mixture of tone and purpose. There is a wide variety of themes. But it is not without its fireworks.
"Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth." (Boom, with lots of sparkles.)
"For in hope we are saved." (Bang, colors streaming across the sky.)
There is hope of salvation at the core of our faith. There is cause for a joyful noise even on the darkest of days. The fireworks of scripture remind us of the joy of walking day by day with Jesus.
July 3
First Reading: Numbers 24:1-13
Psalm: Psalm 6
Second Reading: Romans 8:12-17
Gospel: Matthew 22:15-22
"Why are you putting me to the test you hypocrites?" - Matthew 22:18
Of all the lousy jobs, one of the absolute worst must have been being the person tasked with coming up with the question that was going to stump Jesus. It seems like the various religious leadership groups of the synagogues and the Temple make a regular practice of formulating a question that they are sure will be the one to expose Jesus. In today's text it's the Pharisees with their question about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus' response is a complete throwing of the ball back into their court.
The intent of the question is to force Jesus to make a choice, either of which they believe will land him in trouble. If he says pay Caesar, they are sure that won't play well with the people who see him as a revolutionary. If he says to not pay Caesar, well, Caesar wont' be excited by that answer. Instead, Jesus goes off the board (as they used to say on the tv game show Joker's Wild) and has them look at the money which has Caesar's picture on it, telling them to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.
So the picture might suggest it belongs to Caesar. But the underlying reality is that if we are talking about what belongs to God, we are talking about everything, even stuff with Caesar's picture on it. So, back to you Pharisees, what say you now?
July 2
First Reading: Numbers 23:11-26
Psalm: Psalm 143
Second Reading: Romans 8:1-11
Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14
"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you." - Romans 8:11
The story of Balaam and Balak continues over in the Numbers passage. It's the same trajectory, Balak wanting Balaam to say what Balak wants to hear and Balaam saying he has to say the words God gives him. The kings would very often have their own "in house" prophets, who would give whatever word the king wanted; however, the kings would still evidently seek out the blessing of the prophets recognized by the populace as authentic.
Paul is teaching about the new life Christ makes possible, freeing us from sin and death and allowing the Spirit of God to dwell in us and animate our lives. Through the presence of the Spirit we truly come alive as God intends.
I see a parallel in the theme of these two passages. Balak, the king, is an example of trying to make the old way without Christ work. He has an idea of what he should do and how life should go, and he wants to bend everything to his vision. And in a lot of ways, it works. He has the wealth, the power, and the resources to make a lot of things happen, and to build up his illusion of control and of being in charge. Balaam, the prophet, is the one who speaks truth and breaks the illusion. The power of determining the future and how things will be lies with God. To fail to recognize this leads to lives based on the false idea that we are ultimately the ones who shape tomorrow. Life in the Spirit sees the way that the future is God's and opens us up to the great good news that God invites us to participate in it.
July 1
First Reading:
Numbers 22:41-23:12
Psalm: Psalm 125
Second Reading: Romans 7:13-25
Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46
"The Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, 'Return to Balak and this is what you must say.' So he returned to Balak, who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab." - Numbers 22:5-6
There is a core idea in this passage that transcends its ancient setting. In the story, the prophet Balaam, who to be clear is not a prophet from within the people of Israel, is summoned by the King of Moab to deliver a word from God. The King of Moab does not want a word from God. The King of Moab wants the blessing of a regionally recognized prophet. Balaam appears to have some level of commitment to speaking a true prophetic word as he indicates he can't just say whatever a king might want to hear. Instead he says he must speak what God puts in his mouth. Which is consistent with the Hebrew word for prophet - nabi - which means mouthpiece of God.
So we have the picture of Balak, the king, with his several burnt offerings and his court officials. The implication is that he's done the stuff, he's made the sacrifices, paid the piper so to speak and is waiting for the prophet to come and tell him it is fine to go do whatever he would like to do. The problem, he finds, is that the prophet is not for sale, because God is not for sale.
This is the transcendent piece of the story. We can lift it up and put it down at any point in time including our own. We may not be king of a nation, but there are times when people fall victim to the thought that if we say the right words, give the right amount of money, attend enough worship services…we'll get the outcomes we desire. A theme that runs throughout the witness of scripture is that faith is not about getting God on board with the way we think things should be. Rather it is the story of learning God's will and aiming to get ourselves on board with what God is doing in the world.