TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 3, 2024
During this Pentecost Season, there are two “Tracks” of Scriptures that are offered, and congregations may choose which Track they will follow. The first two readings presented are the readings from Tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The last two readings are the same in both Tracks.
Ruth 1:1-18
Reading
1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me.” 14 Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
17 Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried. May the LORD do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!”
18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
Commentary
The Book of Ruth is one of the shortest books of the Bible (four chapters) and is a beautiful story of a Moabite woman (Ruth) and her devotion to her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi. In the last chapter of the story, Ruth (with Naomi’s assistance) married a Judean relative of Naomi’s and became the great-grandmother of King David. The New Oxford Annotated Bible says: “The verbal sophistication suggests that the author was a literate member of the upper classes, a court scribe, perhaps.”
It is important to note that the Moabites were always regarded as dire enemies of Judah, and likely despoiled Jerusalem after the conquest of Judea by the Babylonians in 587 BCE.
The story is set (v.1) in the time of the Judges (1200 to 1025 BCE), a period of great turmoil and moral backsliding in Israel.
In the Christian Scriptures, the book is placed after Judges as if it were an historical book, but in the Hebrew Bible it is placed among the Writings.
There is no consensus on when the book was written. Some suggest that its emphasis on the genealogy of David dates it to the period between the death of Solomon (930 BCE) and the conquest of Northern Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BCE.
The weight of scholarly analysis, however, dates the book to the Persian Period — after the end of the Exile (539 BCE) and before the conquest by Alexander the Great in 333 BCE. A story of a Moabite woman’s being an ancestor of King David has been seen as a reaction against the exclusivist decrees of Ezra and Nehemiah (c.450 BCE) which required Judean men to send away their non-Jewish wives (and their children by these women). The NOAB observes that the values the book proclaims are loyalty, love of family and generosity towards strangers.
In today’s reading, Naomi (whose name means “Pleasantness”), her husband, and their two sons (whose names mean “Sickly” and “Frail”), left Bethlehem and went to Moab because of a famine in Judea. (Ironically, “Beth-lehem” means “House of Bread/Food.”)
In Moab, Naomi’s husband died, and the two sons married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Ten years later, the two sons (not surprisingly) died, and the three women were left destitute.
Naomi decided to return to Judea (where the famine had ended) and urged Ruth and Orpah to stay with their own people in Moab and remarry. Orpah decided to remain in Moab, but Ruth, swearing by YHWH (v.17) “clung” to Naomi and swore “your people shall be my people and your God my God” (v.16).
The Jewish Study Bible notes: “The fidelity and love between Naomi and Roth is the most positive portrayal of women’s relationships in biblical literature.” It goes on to say that “Ruth, Naomi and Boaz are models of hesed, that is, of loyalty and commitment that go beyond the bounds of law or duty.”
In Judaism, Ruth is seen as the ideal convert to Judaism and her words (vv. 16-17) are read today when a person converts to Judaism.
Ruth is one of the four women mentioned in the genealogy in the Gospel According to Matthew 1:1-6. The others are Tamar, Rahab and Bathsheba. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary points out that the sons born to Tamar and Ruth were in fulfillment of their levirate obligations, respectively, to Er (Gen.38:29) and Mahlon (4:17) to bear a son by their deceased husband’s kin.
Next week’s reading supplies the conclusion to the story.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Reading
1 Moses said: Now this is the commandment — the statutes and the ordinances — that the LORD your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, 2 so that you and your children and your children’s children, may fear the LORD your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Commentary
Deuteronomy is the fifth (and last) book of the Torah and (as a literary device) was presented as Moses’ final speech to the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land.
“Deuteronomy” comes from Greek words that mean “Second Law” and the book was structured as if it were a “restatement” of the laws found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Parts of Deuteronomy were revised as late as 450 BCE, but the bulk of the book is generally dated to the reign of King Josiah of Judea (640-609 BCE). Many of the reforms under Josiah, particularly the centralization of sacrificial worship in Jerusalem, are stipulated in Deuteronomy.
It is also the first book of the didactic “Deuteronomic History” which consists of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. This “History” taught that when the people and kings of Israel and Judea worshiped YHWH properly, they prospered, but when they worshiped false gods, other nations (Assyria in 722 BCE and Babylon in 587 BCE) conquered them. For the Deuteronomists, these conquests occurred because of false worship, not because the Assyrians and Babylonians were wealthier countries with larger armies. In this way, the Deuteronomists “preserved” the beliefs that YHWH was the all-powerful protector of Israel and Judea, YHWH was faithful to the promises made by YHWH, and that YHWH controlled everything that occurred.
Today’s reading is central to the restatement of the Law and directed the teaching of the Law to one’s children, observing of the Law, and reciting the Law when one is at home or away (v.7). It follows the Deuteronomic Decalogue (5:6-21) which is slightly different from the Decalogue in Exodus 20:2-17. The NOAB describes this passage as a “sermon on the first commandment (5:6-10).” The JSB sees it as part of a “sermonic preamble to the laws of chs 12-26.”
There are practices the people should use to keep the Law in mind: the use of phylacteries holding an abstract of the Law tied on one’s arm and forehead (v.8) and the placing a small box (a “mezuzah”) holding a portion of the Law on the upper right doorpost as one enters a home (v.9).
The command (“Hear O Israel”) is called the “Shema” in Hebrew and is the central call to prayer in Judaism. The JSB observes: “Modern readers regard the Shema as an assertion of a monotheism, a view that is anachronistic. In the context of ancient Israelite religion, it served as a public proclamation of exclusive loyalty to YHVH as the sole LORD of Israel. Subsequently, as the Shema became incorporated into the synagogue liturgy, its recitation was also given legal significance. The prayer was regarded as a legally binding oath to carry out the requirements of the Torah.”
This formulation of the First Commandment in verse 5 was cited by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark (12:29-30) as the “First Great Commandment” which recognized (as did the Decalogues) that there may be other gods, but that one’s allegiance must be only to YHWH. Consistent with the over-all theme in Deuteronomy, only by keeping the LORD’s commands would the Israelites prosper in the land promised to them (v. 3).
Hebrews 9:11-14
Reading
11 When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.
Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament observes that Hebrews has a Platonic philosophical orientation resembling that of Philo of Alexandria and that it contains the New Testament’s most sophisticated Greek.
The NOAB and The JANT agree that the author sought to ground his arguments in scripture (using the Septuagint) to argue that Jesus is superior to the Jewish traditions. The JANT states: “Hebrews offers a distinct and elevated Christology. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to all other beings, including angels — he is uncreated, immortal, and permanent. He is also superior to all biblical heroes, including Moses and Abraham, as well as institutions like the Levitical priesthood. As both perfect sacrifice and heavenly priest who intercedes for humans, Jesus supersedes the Jewish sacrificial system, rendering it obsolete.”
The JANT continues: “Because Hebrews argues for Jesus’ superiority over all else and the obsolescence of the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, it expresses what scholars call supersessionist theology. Supersessionism is the idea that Christ’s entry into human history replaces all that has come before, including God’s unique covenant bond with Israel. The same idea is sometimes referred to as rejection/replacement theology.”
The author interpreted the life, death, and heavenly role of Jesus through the category of the “high priest’ who perfected the ancient sacrificial system of Judaism (which ended when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE).
The Letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) was able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflected the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is). The JANT points out that in the First Century, the high priest was chosen by Roman authorities and served at their pleasure.
In verses 1 to 10 in Chapter 9, the author described the wilderness tabernacle of Ex. 25-26 and the sacrifices made there.
In today’s reading, the author focused on the “once and for all” aspects of Jesus’ death and Resurrection and emphasized that Jesus was both priest and sacrifice in the Crucifixion. The JANT emphasizes that “Hebrews is interpreting Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection in terms of their salvific efficiency” rather than events assumed to have happened during Jesus’ lifetime. It also notes that Hebrews does not distinguish between ritual and moral purity and that the “eternal Spirit” (v.14) is literally “the spirit of the age” and is not to be understood as the Holy Spirit but rather as divine power.
The references to the Holy Place (v.12), the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of the heifer (v. 13) are a mixture of various sacrificial rituals in the Torah, some for cleansing ritual impurity (for example having touched a corpse), and others relating to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies.
Mark 12:28-34
Reading
28 One of the scribes came near and heard the Sadducees disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ — this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
Commentary
The Gospel According to Mark was the first Gospel that was written and is usually dated to the time around the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest gospel and forms the core for the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke (both of which were written around 85 CE). Over 50% of the material in those two Gospels is based on Mark. Because these three Gospels follow similar chronologies of Jesus’ life and death, they are called “Synoptic Gospels” for the Greek words meaning “Same Look/View.”
Today’s reading follows a dispute between Jesus and the Sadducees about future resurrection. The Sadducees were the priestly group (whose name is derived from Zadok, the High Priest under David and Solomon) who were scriptural literalists. The Sadducees rejected the idea of future resurrection because it was not in the Torah itself. The Pharisees, on the other hand, accepted the idea of future resurrection based on the authority of the “Oral Torah” or interpretations of the Law. These interpretations were eventually written down after the First Century and are incorporated in the Talmud. The Sadducees were trying to get Jesus to commit to one position or the other, but he sidestepped their questions.
Scribes were learned teachers and authoritative leaders who were drawn from the priests and Levites as well as the common people. Mark portrayed them as high officials, advisors to the chief priests, and teachers of the Law.
In Matthew and Luke (written 15-20 years after Mark), the Pharisees were presented as the primary opponents to Jesus. This was because the Pharisees, after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, were the only other group in Judaism (besides the Jesus Followers) to survive. For the next 30 years, the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees contested for the leadership of Judaism — including who would be able to use the synagogues, who would decide which scriptures were authoritative, and how to interpret them.
In Mark, the Sadducees and the scribes were the primary opponents of Jesus, and verse 34a is the only positive description of scribes in this Gospel. Jesus’ response to the scribe quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (one of the readings today) and Lev.19:18. The NAOB points out that the scribe admits (vv.32-33) that love of God and love of neighbor are more important than the elaborate sacrifices at the Temple from which he draws his living. The NJBC observes that the scribe’s comparison “merely echoes Hosea 6:6 and 1 Sam.15:22 and need not be construed as a condemnation of the sacrificial system.”
The JANT notes that a similar question was posed to Hillel, the 1st Century Jewish scholar, who summed up the law with the dictum “Do not do to anyone else what is hateful to you.”
In Matthew’s account of this story, a Pharisee who was also a lawyer asked the question and verses 32 to 34 were not included. In Luke’s account, a lawyer asked the question, and tried to “justify himself” by asking “Who is my neighbor?” This led to the Parable of the Good Samaritan – which is unique to Luke.
2024, December 1~ Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
DECEMBER 1, 2024
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Reading
14 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness.”
Commentary
After the righteous and reforming King Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo (from which we get the Greek word Armageddon) in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported many Judean leaders to Babylon in 597 and a larger number in 586 (the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e., speaking for YHWH) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.
Most Bible scholars agree that the Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between the time of Jeremiah (627 to 586 BCE) and the First Century. In the Dead Sea Scrolls, there were different versions of the Book of Jeremiah. The Greek Septuagint Translation (the LXX – dating from 300 to 200 BCE) has some chapters that are not in the Hebrew versions.
Sections in the book that are in “poetry style” are generally attributed to the prophet, and parts in “prose style” were added later by writers whose theological outlook was closely aligned with the Deuteronomists. (In fact, Chapter 52 in Jeremiah is virtually word-for-word with 2 Kings 24:18 to 25:30 written by the Deuteronomists after the Exile.)
Jeremiah is mostly a prophet of doom and gloom, but today’s reading is in prose style and is optimistic. These verses are a repetition of Jer. 23:5-6 and are not in some other versions of the Book of Jeremiah that were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. These verses are not in the Septuagint. The New Oxford Annotated Bible describes these verses as part of an “Appendix to the Book of Consolation” (31:38-33:26) that was added in late part the postexilic period (450-400 BCE). It is part of an eschatological unit (“the days are coming”) and gives a new name for Jerusalem (“the LORD is our righteousness” v.16). The NOAB points out that this is also the king’s name in Jer. 23:6.
The verses anticipate a Messianic Age when YHWH will fulfill the promise that the Davidic line would rule forever (2 Sam. 7) and a righteous Branch from the House of David would rise up to bring justice and righteousness (a right relationship with God) to Israel and Judea.
The promise to David was qualified, however, by Solomon’s prayer (1 Kings 8:22-26) that the Davidic line would rule forever if it were righteous. As the Deuteronomic Books pointed out, the people of Ancient Israel were not always righteous (did not worship YHWH faithfully), and this was seen as the reason for the conquests by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Syrians, and Romans.
The Jewish Study Bible points out that in the verses that follow today’s reading, the writer reverted to the unconditional promise to David (v.17) and stated the Levitical priesthood will also be part of God’s everlasting covenant with Israel (v.18).
The Jewish Publication Society Translation of the last word of verse 16 (and 23:6) is that the LORD is our “Vindicator.”
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
Reading
9 How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Commentary
Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians was Paul’s first writing that exists and was written around 50 CE. Accordingly, it is the oldest writing in the Christian Scriptures. The Jewish Annotated New Testament suggests that 1 Thessalonians may even have been written as early has 41 CE.
Thessalonica is a seaport city and was the capital of Macedonia, strategically located on both sea and land routes. Today, Thessaloniki (as it is now called) is a charming city of one million persons, and the cultural center of Greece. The saying there is that “Thessaloniki is to Athens as San Francisco is to Los Angeles.”
According to Acts 16 and 17, Paul went to Philippi and then to Thessalonica. He spoke gratefully in Philippians 4:16 of gifts sent to him by Philippians when he was in Thessalonica.
The JANT notes that there are discrepancies between Paul’s Epistles and Acts that raise question about the historicity of Acts. For example, “whereas Acts describes synagogue evangelism as a regular part of Paul’s missionary strategy, none of Paul’s letters mentions this practice.”
The letter encouraged the community to be steadfast in the face of persecution. In today’s reading, Paul reassured the people that even those who died before the Parousia (Second Coming) will participate fully in it (4:14). Paul also expected the end times (not the end of the world, but the end of the world as we know it) to come during Paul’s own lifetime (v.13 “the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints”).
The idea of a Second Coming developed early in the Jesus Follower Movement because, in his earthly life, Jesus of Nazareth did not fulfill all the traditional “job descriptions” of the Messiah – the nation was not unified; the Romans were not expelled; Shalom (peace and order) did not reign. The expectation developed in the Jesus Follower Community that at the Second Coming, the Kingdom of God/Heaven will be accomplished and the coming of the Messiah will be fulfilled.
The theme of this short letter (five chapters) is one of encouragement to remain steadfast. In the passages just before today’s reading, Paul expressed gratitude for the good report he received from Timothy (v.6) and his pain at not being able to visit this community (v.4).
In today’s reading, he urged the Jesus Followers in Thessalonica to increase in love for one another (v.12) and to remain holy and blameless “at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (v.13) . For Paul, the “heart” (v.13) is not a synonym for feelings, but the center of knowledge and understanding. He also expected that the Parousia (the Second Coming) would occur soon.
Luke 21:25-36
Reading
25 Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Commentary
The Gospel According to Luke is generally regarded as having been written around 85-90 CE. Its author also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. Both are written in elegant and deliberatively crafted Greek, and presented Jesus of Nazareth as the universal savior of humanity. Both emphasized the Holy Spirit as the “driving force” for events.
The Gospel followed the same general chronology of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as the Gospel of Mark, and more than 50% of Luke’s Gospel was based on Mark. The other portions of Luke include (a) sayings shared with the Gospel According to Matthew but not found in Mark and (b) stories that are unique to Luke such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation in the Temple, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan.
In her Introduction to the Gospel of Luke in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, Amy-Jill Levine observed that when the Gospel was written, the Jesus Follower movement had become increasingly Gentile and the focus on Jerusalem that Paul maintained had been replaced by the Gentile mission. She points out that the target audience was the “third generation of Jesus Followers – following the generation after the eyewitnesses and servants (1.2).” This audience was “coming to terms with both the delay of Jesus’s return and the fact that most Jews, although possessing more or less the same scriptures as the Gentile church, neither saw those scriptures as predicting Jesus’s messianic role nor accepted his follower’s claims of his messianic status.”
She continues that the Gospel “displays particular interest in people outside the elite, variously identified as women, children, the sick, the poor, tax collectors, and sinners, and Gentiles.” When Jesus spoke with and about these people, he was “embedded within Judaism rather than removed from it.” “Most people in antiquity were poor, and the Jewish system, starting with the Tanakh, mandated communal responsibility for their support. To regard Jesus, appropriately, as caring for women, children, the sick, and the poor embeds him within Judaism rather than separating him from it.”
She adds: “Readers need to attend to the tension between Luke’s depiction of Jesus and his early followers as observant Jews and the presentation of those Jews who did not become Christian as having been, in Luke’s view, unfaithful to their own tradition.”
As noted in The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, today’s reading is part of a chapter in which the destruction of the Temple precedes the destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the entire world. The reading drew upon images and metaphors for the coming of the Son of Man as described in the Septuagint (LXX) translations of the Hebrew Bible. The signs in the sun, moon, and stars (v.25) are derived from Joel 2:30-31, Zephaniah 1:15 and Isaiah 13:10. The fear and foreboding and the heavens being shaken (v.26) are parallel to Isaiah 34:4. The Son of Man “coming on a cloud” is based on Daniel 7:13. The NJBC says this introduced a Christological component to the chapter by saying the victorious Son of Man is in control of events.
The lesson of the fig tree is found in the other Synoptic Gospels and the reference to “this generation” (v.32) demonstrated the belief in the early Jesus Follower Community that the Day of the Lord would occur shortly. Similarly, the admonition to alertness (vv. 34-36) is found in the other Synoptic Gospels.
2024, November 24 ~ 2 Samuel 23:1-7; Daniel 7:9-10,13-14; Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 24, 2024
FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING
During this Pentecost Season, there are two “Tracks” of Scriptures that are offered, and congregations may choose which Track they will follow. The first two readings presented are the readings from Tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The third and fourth readings are the same in both Tracks.
2 Samuel 23:1-7
Reading
1 These are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, son of Jesse, the oracle of the man whom God exalted, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:
2 The spirit of the LORD speaks through me, his word is upon my tongue.
3 The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me: One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God,
4 is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.
5 Is not my house like this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
6 But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they cannot be picked up with the hand;
7 to touch them one uses an iron bar or the shaft of a spear. And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.
Commentary
The Book of Samuel is part of the “Deuteronomic History” that includes the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. These books are a “didactic history” that covered the period from just before the entry into the Promised Land (c.1220 BCE, if the account is historical) to the beginning of Babylonian Captivity (586 BCE). The books were written in the period from 640 BCE to 550 BCE and continued to be revised even after that.
The authors of the Deuteronomic Books artfully wove their stories from numerous sources. They then used the stories in these books to demonstrate that that God controls history and to assert that it was the failures of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judea to worship YHWH and obey God’s commands that led to the conquest of Northern Israel in 722 BCE by the Assyrians and the conquest of Judea by the Babylonians in 597 BCE. (The conquests were not seen as the result of the Assyrians’ and Babylonians’ greater wealth and more powerful armies.)
The Book of Samuel (to the extent it may be historical) covered from the end of the time of the Judges (c.1030 BCE) to the last years of the Reign of David (c. 965 BCE). Most scholars agree that it was compiled from multiple sources. For this reason, there are at least nine stories in the Book that are repeated but in a different (and sometimes contradictory) form. The Jewish Study Bible says: “These sometimes contradictory stories were probably included in the book of Samuel because they were not seen as different versions of the same story but as accounts of different events, or because of the light they shed on the protagonists.” It continues: “Consistency was not considered essential.”
Today’s readings are presented as David’s “last words” – a poetic literary tradition similar to the “last words” of Jacob (Gen. 49) and Moses (Deut. 32). The reading is inserted between a long psalm of praise (2 Sam. 22) that is essentially the same as Psalm 18, and a recounting of the warriors whom David had (2 Sam. 23:8-39), including (somewhat ironically) Uriah the Hittite (v.39), the husband of Bathsheba, whom David had murdered.
The “last words” alluded to the anointing of David as king (v.1), and portrayed him as a just ruler (v.3) and like the sun (v.4) – which The New Oxford Annotated Bible says was a common image for the king, particularly in Egypt. The words refer to the “everlasting covenant” (v. 5) that the House of David would rule forever (2 Sam. 7:16). Notwithstanding his flaws, David was consistently presented as the favorite of YHWH who was the “Strong One of Israel” (v.1).
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Reading
9 As I watched, thrones were set in place, and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
13 As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.
14 To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.
Commentary
The Book of Daniel has two distinct parts. Chapters 1 to 6 are stories of Daniel in the Court of the Babylonian Kings and the Persian Kings just before, during and just after the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE). Because the kings in the stories were presented as ignorant (but not malevolent), scholars date these six chapters to the 4th Century BCE when Judea was under the generally benevolent rule of the Persians (539-333 BCE) and the Greeks (333 to 281 BCE). Chapters 2 to 7 of the Book were written in Aramaic rather than in Hebrew.
Chapters 7 to 12 were written later – during the oppression of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BCE) whose desecration of the Temple led to the Maccabean Revolt in 167 BCE.
These later chapters presented an apocalyptic vision – a situation so dire that an external intervention (such as by God) was needed to put things right. Like other apocalyptic writings, the Book of Daniel used dramatic images to describe the conflict between good and evil.
Today’s reading is part of Daniel’s dream in which his vision of God (“the Ancient One”) bears strong similarities to the visions of God in Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1. Daniel then saw (as part of the divine intervention) “one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven” (v.13) who was presented before the Ancient One and given everlasting dominion over others.
The NOAB notes that a depiction of God as an old man became common in later Jewish and Christian traditions, but was unusual in the Hebrew Bible. It continues that the books (v.10) in which human deeds are recorded became a common image for the divine court.
“A human being” (v.13) or “THE human being” (the fullness of being a human) in Aramaic is “bar adam” – which is translated literally as “son of a human” or the son of “adam” – the first earthling. It is also translated as “Son of Man,” a title attributed to Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospels. The messianic use of this title is also found in postbiblical Jewish literature such as 1 Enoch and 2 Esdras.
In Israel in the period following the Maccabean Revolt, the “one like a human being” would have been understood as the angel Michael, the protector of Israel who opposed the four beasts who were also a part of Daniel’s “vision” (Dan.7:17). These four “beasts” were typically interpreted as the Babylonians, Medes, Persians, and Greeks. The JSB suggests that the 10 horns on the fourth beast (v.7) represented the Seleucid successors of Alexander the Great.
The Book of Daniel said that his visions occurred during the Babylonian Captivity. If that were the case, the vision of the “four beasts” would be an extraordinarily accurate foretelling of the history of Israel during and after the Captivity. In reality, however, these chapters were written around 165 BCE – well after each of the ”four beasts” had dominated Israel.
Revelation 1:4b-8
Reading
4b Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Commentary
The Book of Revelation is also known as the “Apocalypse” (from a Greek word meaning an “unveiling” or “disclosure” of a new age or of heaven, or both). Apocalyptic writing generally described a dire situation ruled by evil powers that can be overcome only by the “in-breaking” of a force (such as God) to bring about a new age.
Like apocalyptic writings in the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Revelation used dualistic (either/or) language and extreme images and metaphors to describe the conflict between good and evil. Apocalyptic literature is often presented as “a literary disclosure of heavenly secrets” – a revelation from God conveyed by an angel or other heavenly body. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary notes that a revelation from another heavenly being differntiates it from an “oracle” in which the communication is received directly from God. Apocalyptic writings used symbolic language to convey God’s hidden plan and presented a vision of an eschatological victory leading to a “New Jerusalem.”
The author of Revelation identified himself as “John” (v.1) but most scholars conclude that the author was not John the Apostle because of (among other things) the reference to the 12 apostles in 21:14. Because of the internal references in the Book, most scholars date Revelation to the late First Century and describe the author as “John of Patmos.”
The NOAB points out: “The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE gave John ample cause to identify Rome as Babylon, recalling the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.” It continues: “With its symbolic numbers and colors, animals, and angelic and demonic beings, and replete with echoes and images drawn from the literature of the ancient Near East, the Hebrew Bible, Greece, and Rome, the Book of Revelation is so notoriously complex the church father Jerome (345-420 CE) was led to remark that it contains as many mysteries as it contains words.”
The author of Revelation had a profound knowledge of the Hebrew Bible. Although the author rarely quoted the Hebrew Bible, more than half the verses in Revelation alluded to passages in the Hebrew Bible. His reference in today’s reading to Jesus as “coming with the clouds” tied back to today’s reading in Dan. 7:13. The reference to “those who pierced him” was derived from a Messianic oracle in Zech. 12:10. The statement that Jesus’ side was pierced appears only in the Fourth Gospel, and John 19:37 explicitly referred to this verse in Zechariah.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament understands the reference to Jesus as “the firstborn of the dead” (v.5) as implying that Jesus’ resurrection was the first of an imminent general resurrection. It notes that “Christ transforms his followers into a kingdom and priests – symbols of eschatological perfection paralleled at Qumran, in Jubilees and echoed throughout Revelation [citing verses].”
John 18:33-37
Reading
33 Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Commentary
The Fourth Gospel is different in many ways from the Synoptic Gospels. The “signs” (miracles) and many stories in the Fourth Gospel are unique to it, such as the Wedding at Cana, Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, and the Raising of Lazarus.
The chronology of events is also different in the Fourth Gospel. For example, the Temple Event (“cleansing of the Temple”) occurred early in Jesus’ Ministry in the Fourth Gospel, rather than late as in the Synoptic Gospels. In the Synoptic Gospels, the Last Supper was a Passover Seder, but in the Fourth Gospel, it occurred the day before the first day of Passover so that Jesus (who is described as “the Lamb of God”) died on the cross at the time lambs were being sacrificed at the Temple for the Passover Seders to be held that night.
Today’s reading contains an exchange between Jesus and Pilate which followed – according to the account – the questioning of Jesus by Annas, the father-in-law of the High Priest Caiaphas (vv. 19-24) and by Caiaphas. The NOAB notes that the author of the Gospel saw a Jew’s entering the home of a Gentile such as Pilate as “defiling” them so they could not eat the Passover. The NJBC doubts that the author of the Fourth Gospel is correct in this evaluation.
The exchange between Pilate and Jesus in the Fourth Gospel is much longer than the ones described in the Synoptic Gospels where Pilate asked Jesus if he was the King of the Jews, and Jesus remained silent or responded, “You say so.” (Mark 15:2-5). In the account in the Fourth Gospel, Jesus’ responses were more extensive.
The JANT understands the words “my kingdom is not from this world” (v.36) as an argument in the Gospel against seeing Jesus as a political threat. The JANT also notes that “handed over to the Jews” (v.36b) was not in fact what was happening – even if one understands “the Jews” as the Temple Authorities. The JANT says that this verse was intended to keep readers/hearers focused on “the Jews” as the true culprits.
2024, November 17 ~ 1 Samuel 1:4-20; Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 17, 2024
During this Pentecost Season, there are two “Tracks” of Scriptures that are offered, and congregations may choose which Track they will follow. The first two readings presented are the readings from Tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The third and fourth readings are the same in both Tracks.
1 Samuel 1:4-20
Reading
4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. 6 Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
9 After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the LORD. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. 11 She made this vow: “O LORD of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was sad no longer.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshipped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. 20 In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I have asked him of the LORD.”
Commentary
The Book of Samuel is part of the “Deuteronomic History” that includes the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. These books are a “didactic history” that covered the period from just before the entry into the Promised Land (c.1220 BCE, if the account is historical) to the beginning of Babylonian Captivity (586 BCE). The books were written in the period from 640 BCE to 550 BCE and continued to be revised even after that.
The authors of the Deuteronomic Books artfully wove their stories from numerous sources. They then used the stories in these books to demonstrate that that God controls history and to assert that it was the failures of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judea to worship YHWH and obey God’s commands that led to the conquest of Northern Israel in 722 BCE by the Assyrians and the conquest of Judea by the Babylonians in 597 BCE. (The conquests were not seen as the result of the Assyrians’ and Babylonians’ greater wealth and more powerful armies.)
The Book of Samuel (to the extent it may be historical) covers from the end of the time of the Judges (c.1030 BCE) to the last years of the Reign of David (c. 965 BCE). Most scholars agree that it was compiled from multiple sources by multiple authors. For this reason, there are at least nine stories in the Book that are repeated but in a different (and sometimes contradictory) form. The Jewish Study Bible says: “These sometimes contradictory stories were probably included in the book of Samuel because they were not seen as different versions of the same story but as accounts of different events, or because of the light they shed on the protagonists.” It continues: “Consistency was not considered essential.”
At the end of the Book of Judges, Israel was in political and moral disarray. Today’s reading introduced Samuel, one of the most important persons in the Hebrew Bible. Samuel was a transitional figure – the last of the judges and the first of the prophets. The circumstances of his birth were extraordinary – his mother, Hannah, was barren until the priest Eli told her that God heard her petition. As The JSB notes: “Fertility is understood throughout the Bible as a divine gift. Barrenness was considered a disgrace causing great distress to the woman concerned.”
The New Oxford Annotated Bible notes: “The story of a barren woman who bears a child as a favor from God appears several other times in the Bible: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, the mother of Samson, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.”
Hannah promised YHWH that if she could have a son, he would be a nazirite – a person consecrated to God who did not drink alcohol, did not cut his hair, and refrained from actions that would make him ritually unclean such as touching a dead body. The other named nazirite in the Hebrew Bible was Samson (who did not fulfill his vows). In the Christian Scriptures, John the Baptist is presented in Luke 1:15 as a nazirite.
Daniel 12:1-3
Reading
1 The Lord spoke to Daniel in a vision and said, “At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
Commentary
The Book of Daniel is part of the Prophets in the Christian Bible and is placed after the three Major Prophets and before the 12 Minor Prophets. In the Hebrew Bible, Daniel is not included with the Prophets and instead is part of the Writings. It is placed after Esther and before Ezra and Nehemiah (all of which are included among the Historical Books in the Christian Bible).
The Jewish Study Bible suggests that this different treatment of Daniel arose because the First (and early Second) Century, Rabbis were aware that early Christianity saw a prefiguration of the Christ and resurrection in the Book of Daniel. Accordingly, it was not placed with the Prophets.
The Book of Daniel has two distinct parts. Chapters 1 to 6 are six “court legends” — stories of Daniel in the Court of the Babylonian Kings and the Persian Kings before, during and just after the Exile (587-539 BCE). Because these kings are presented as ignorant (but not malevolent), scholars date these six chapters to the time when Judea was under the generally benevolent rule of the Persians (539 to 333 BCE) and the Greeks (333 to 281 BCE).
Chapters 2 to 7 of the Book were written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew. (Aramaic was the common language of the Middle East from the time of the Babylonian Exile until the Hellenistic period.) The folktales in these chapters emphasized personal piety and divine intervention and provided encouragement to Jews living under foreign rule.
Chapters 7 to 12 were written later – during the oppression of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BCE) whose desecration of the Temple led to the Maccabean Revolt in 167 BCE. These chapters contain four apocalyptic visions told in the first person. They depict hostility to foreign governments and presented visions of situations so dire that an external intervention (such as by God) was needed to put things right. Like other apocalyptic writings, the Book of Daniel used strong images to describe the conflict between good and evil. In the first six chapters, Daniel was an interpreter of dreams, but in the second part he was seen as a visionary himself.
These later chapters presented an apocalyptic vision – a situation so dire that an external intervention (such as by God) was needed to put things right. Like other apocalyptic writings, the Book of Daniel used images to describe the conflict between good and evil.
In today’s reading, at the time of the final victory over evil forces, Michael was presented as the great prince who will battle on behalf of Judea and God. This reading referred to a “book” in which human deeds were recorded and was the first explicit reference in Scripture to the ideas of resurrection, final judgment, and afterlife.
The Jewish Study Bible notes: “The doctrine of resurrection and judgment probably came about during the persecutions of Antiochus IV as a means to effect justice at a time when pious people, the knowledgeable, were being martyred. Unlike Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones (Ezek. ch 37), the resurrection here is not a metaphor for the rebirth of Israel but individual resurrection for judgment. Whether bodily resurrection or some form of spiritual resurrection is intended is not stated.”
Hebrews 10:11-25
Reading
11 Every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” 13 and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.” 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,” 17 he also adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.
Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament observes that Hebrews has a Platonic philosophical orientation resembling that of Philo of Alexandria and that it contains the New Testament’s most sophisticated Greek.
The NOAB and The JANT agree that the author sought to ground his arguments in scripture (using the Septuagint) to argue that Jesus is superior to the Jewish traditions. The JANT states: “Hebrews offers a distinct and elevated Christology. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to all other beings, including angels — he is uncreated, immortal, and permanent. He is also superior to all biblical heroes, including Moses and Abraham, as well as institutions like the Levitical priesthood. As both perfect sacrifice and heavenly priest who intercedes for humans, Jesus supersedes the Jewish sacrificial system, rendering it obsolete.”
The JANT continues: “Because Hebrews argues for Jesus’ superiority over all else and the obsolescence of the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, it expresses what scholars call supersessionist theology. Supersessionism is the idea that Christ’s entry into human history replaces all that has come before, including God’s unique covenant bond with Israel. The same idea is sometimes referred to as rejection/replacement theology.”
The author interpreted the life, death, and heavenly role of Jesus through the category of the “high priest’ who perfected the ancient sacrificial system of Judaism (which ended when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE).
The Letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) was able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflected the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is). The JANT points out that in the First Century, the high priest was chosen by Roman authorities and served at their pleasure.
Today’s reading concluded the theme of Jesus of Nazareth as the great high priest and the once-and-for-all sacrifice. The Holy Spirit is said to paraphrase (vv.15-18) Jer. 31:33-34 in which a new covenant is written in the hearts of the people (v.16) and assures the full forgiveness of sins.
The humanity of Jesus is the means for approaching God, and the author encouraged hearers of the letter to maintain their hope (undergirded by their faith) as they await the Second Coming (the “Day”)(v.25).
Mark 13:1-8
Reading
1 As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2 Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”
Commentary
The Gospel According to Mark was the first Gospel that was written and is usually dated to the time around the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest gospel and forms the core for the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke (both of which were written around 85 CE). Over 50% of the material in those two Gospels is based on Mark. Because these three Gospels follow similar chronologies of Jesus’ life and death, they are called “Synoptic Gospels” for the Greek words meaning “Same Look/View.”
Today’s reading contains a prediction of the destruction of the Temple (v.2) and a prophetic warning about the need to be discerning about those who predict an imminent end (vv.5-6). Although this passage is often called the “Markan Apocalypse,” it was a caution couched in apocalyptic language against apocalyptic interpretation of the historical crises of resistance, repression, and reconquest under Roman imperial rule.
The author of the Gospel was aware of the major Jewish revolt against Rome that began in 66 CE. This revolt was initially quashed but then appeared to be successful when the Roman army was recalled to Rome in 68 CE because of unrest in Rome after the death of Nero. After the unrest in Rome was subdued, the Roman army returned to Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple in 70 CE. In the next three years, the Roman army defeated other Jewish insurgent groups, culminating with the conquest of the fortress at Masada in 73 CE.
2024, November 10 ~ Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17; 1 Kings 17:8-16; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 10, 2024
During this Pentecost Season, there are two “Tracks” of Scriptures that are offered, and congregations may choose which Track they will follow. The first two readings presented are the readings from Tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The last two readings are the same in both Tracks.
Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17
Reading
1 Naomi her mother-in-law said to Ruth, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint yourself put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” 5 She said to her, “All that you tell me I will do.”
4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Commentary
The Book of Ruth is one of the shortest books of the Bible (four chapters) and is a beautiful story of a Moabite woman (Ruth) and her devotion to her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi. In the last chapter of the story, Ruth (with Naomi’s assistance) married a Judean relative of Naomi’s and became the great-grandmother of King David. The New Oxford Annotated Bible says: “The verbal sophistication suggests that the author was a literate member of the upper classes, a court scribe, perhaps.”
It is important to note that the Moabites were always regarded as dire enemies of Judah, and likely despoiled Jerusalem after the conquest of Judea by the Babylonians in 587 BCE.
The story is set (v.1) in the time of the Judges (1200 to 1025 BCE), a period of great turmoil and moral backsliding in Israel.
In the Christian Scriptures, the book is placed after Judges as if it were an historical book, but in the Hebrew Bible, it is placed among the Writings.
There is no consensus on when the book was written. Some suggest that its emphasis on the genealogy of David dates it to the period between the death of Solomon (930 BCE) and the conquest of Northern Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BCE.
The weight of scholarly analysis, however, dates the book to the Persian Period — after the end of the Exile (539 BCE) and before the conquest by Alexander the Great in 333 BCE. A story of a Moabite woman’s being an ancestor of King David has been seen as a reaction against the exclusivist decrees of Ezra and Nehemiah (c.450 BCE) which required Judean men to send away their non-Jewish wives (and their children by these women). The NOAB observes that the values the book proclaims are loyalty, love of family and generosity towards strangers.
In last week’s reading, Naomi (whose name means “Pleasantness”), her husband, and their two sons (whose names mean “Sickly” and “Frail”), left Bethlehem and went to Moab because of a famine in Judea. (Ironically, “Beth-lehem” means “House of Bread/Food.”)
In Moab, Naomi’s husband died, and the two sons married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Ten years later, the two sons (not surprisingly) died, and the three women were left destitute.
Naomi decided to return to Judea (where the famine had ended) and urged Ruth and Orpah to stay with their own people in Moab and remarry. Orpah decided to remain in Moab, but Ruth “clung” to Naomi and swore “your people shall be my people and your God my God” (v.16).
After going to Judea with Naomi, Ruth gleaned the already harvested fields belonging to Boaz (whose name means “strength”), a kinsman of Naomi’s late husband, to obtain grain for herself and Naomi. The NAOB notes that Ruth was taking advantage of an Israelite law which required farmers to leave part of their harvest for gleaning by the poor, the alien, and the widow. Ruth was triply entitled to glean as a poor, foreign, widow.
In today’s reading, Naomi instructed Ruth to go to the threshing floor where Boaz would be sleeping and to “uncover his feet” (v.4). This could be understood literally, but most commentators point out that “feet” is a euphemism in Hebrew for private parts. In the same scene, Ruth asked Boaz to “spread his robe” (v.9) over her – a formal act of a proposal of marriage.
Boaz redeemed land that had been owned by Naomi’s husband Elimelech and married Ruth. She bore a son, Obed (v.17). Commentators agree that it is not likely that Naomi became Obed’s wet nurse (v.16), but that the child symbolized the complete reversal of Naomi’s fortunes. The Jewish Study Bible speculates that “the association of the child with Naomi rather than Ruth is meant to remove the taint of foreign birth from the child.”
Ruth is one of four women included in the genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth in Matthew’s Gospel. The others are Tamar (who seduced her father-in-law, Judah, and bore him two sons), Rahab (a prostitute in Jericho who was the mother of Boaz), and Bathsheba (the mother of Solomon who was married to Uriah when David impregnated her). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary points out that the sons born to Tamar and Ruth were in fulfillment of their levirate obligations, respectively, to Er (Gen.38:29) and Mahlon (4:17) to bear a son by their deceased husband’s kin.
1 Kings 17:8-16
Reading
8 The word of the LORD came to Elijah, saying, 9 “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth.” 15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.
Commentary
The Book of Kings is part of the “Deuteronomic History” that includes the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. These books are a “didactic history” that covered the period from just before the entry into the Promised Land (c.1220 BCE, if the account is historical) to the beginning of Babylonian Captivity (586 BCE). The books were written in the period from 640 BCE to 500 BCE and continued to be revised even after that – long after the events they described.
The authors of the Deuteronomic Books artfully wove their stories from numerous sources. They then used the stories in these books to demonstrate that that God controls history and to assert that it was the failures of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judea to worship YHWH and obey God’s commands that led to the conquest of Northern Israel in 722 BCE by the Assyrians and the conquest of Judea by the Babylonians in 597 BCE. (The conquests were not seen as the result of the Assyrians’ and Babylonians’ greater wealth and more powerful armies.)
The Book of Kings (to the extent it may be historical) covers from the end of the Reign of David (c. 965 BCE) to the Babylonian Captivity (586 BCE).
Elijah and his successor, Elisha, were two of the great prophets (speakers for YHWH) in Jewish History. They opposed the (mostly) Baal-worshiping kings in Northern Israel for 90 years (from approximately 873 to 784 BCE), and their stories comprise about 40% of the Book of Kings.
Elijah and Elisha are both credited with numerous healings, restoring people to life, and other extraordinary events involving food, such as the one recounted in today’s reading.
Just prior to today’s reading, Elijah confronted the Baal-worshiping King Ahab (873 to 852 BCE) and told Ahab that there would be no rain in Israel until YHWH decided to make it rain (v.1). This pronouncement was fully consistent with one of the major themes of the Book of Kings – that YHWH is in control of everything, rather than the kings or their false gods.
In today’s reading, YHWH directed Elijah to walk about 80 miles from east of the River Jordan to Zarephath (v.9), which is on the Mediterranean coast near Sidon (in modern Lebanon). This area was a center of Baal worship, and the story of the continued supply of meal and oil for the widow shows that YHWH’s powers extend even beyond the lands of Judea and Israel.
Hebrews 9:24-28
Reading
24 Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.
Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament observes that Hebrews has a Platonic philosophical orientation resembling that of Philo of Alexandria and that it contains the New Testament’s most sophisticated Greek.
The NOAB and The JANT agree that the author sought to ground his arguments in scripture (using the Septuagint) to argue that Jesus is superior to the Jewish traditions. The JANT states: “Hebrews offers a distinct and elevated Christology. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to all other beings, including angels — he is uncreated, immortal, and permanent. He is also superior to all biblical heroes, including Moses and Abraham, as well as institutions like the Levitical priesthood. As both perfect sacrifice and heavenly priest who intercedes for humans, Jesus supersedes the Jewish sacrificial system, rendering it obsolete.”
The JANT continues: “Because Hebrews argues for Jesus’ superiority over all else and the obsolescence of the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, it expresses what scholars call supersessionist theology. Supersessionism is the idea that Christ’s entry into human history replaces all that has come before, including God’s unique covenant bond with Israel. The same idea is sometimes referred to as rejection/replacement theology.”
The author interpreted the life, death, and heavenly role of Jesus through the category of the “high priest’ who perfected the ancient sacrificial system of Judaism (which ended when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE).
The Letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) was able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflected the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is). The JANT points out that in the First Century, the high priest was chosen by Roman authorities and served at their pleasure.
Today’s reading continued discussing the theme of Jesus of Nazareth as the high priest and uses this image as another way to convey to the Jesus Follower Community “who and what” Jesus was (and is). The author focused on the “once and for all” (v.26) aspects of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection and emphasized that Jesus was both priest and sacrifice in the Crucifixion.
The reading concluded (v.28) with an allusion to what Christians call “the Second Coming” – a theological recognition that not all of Ancient Israel’s (and the Jesus Follower Community’s) expected outcomes of the Messianic Age were accomplished in Jesus’ lifetime or even after the Destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 CE. The JANT says: “Jewish tradition combines the coming of the Messiah with the messianic age; it requires no ‘second coming.’”
Mark 12:38-44
Reading
38 As Jesus taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
41 He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Commentary
The Gospel According to Mark was the first Gospel that was written and is usually dated to the time around the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest gospel and forms the core for the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke (both of which were written around 85 CE). Over 50% of the material in those two Gospels is based on Mark. Because these three Gospels follow similar chronologies of Jesus’ life and death, they are called “Synoptic Gospels” for the Greek words meaning “Same Look/View.”
Today’s reading comes after a short passage in Mark in which Jesus confounded the scribes by asking them how it can be that the Messiah is David’s son if David (in Psalm 110) referred to the Messiah as LORD. Mark said that this was to the “delight” of the large crowd (Mk. 12:35-37).
Following that exchange, Jesus criticized the scribes for their pretensions (vv.38-39) and the economic hardships they imposed on the poor (v.39). In both Matthew and Luke, the Pharisees were included for condemnation for their pretensions and for imposing economic hardship (Mt. 23; Lk 11:43 and 20:46). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary observes that the scribes were “the ancient Jewish version of lawyers” and that “in antiquity, lawyers could serve as trustees of a widow’s estate. A common way of receiving their fee was to get a share of the estate. Lawyers with a reputation for piety had a good chance of improving their prospects of participating in this process.”
The Pharisees were included in this criticism in Matthew and Luke because the Pharisees, after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, were the only other group in Judaism (besides the Jesus Followers) to survive. For the next 30 years, the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees contended for the leadership of Judaism — including who would be able to use the synagogues, who would decide which scriptures were authoritative, and how to interpret them.
The contribution by the widow to the Temple is interpreted by the commentator in The New Oxford Annotated Bible as further condemnation of the scribes for “inducing the poor to give their meagre resources to the Temple.” The Jewish Annotated New Testament disagrees and notes that “the text does not suggest that. The Temple is a place where both rich and poor can contribute.”
2024, November 3 (All Saints’ Observed) ~ Wisdom 3:1-9; Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 21:1-6a; John 11:32-44
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 3, 2024
ALL SAINTS’ DAY OBSERVED
The first reading is from either the Wisdom of Solomon or Isaiah.
Wisdom 3:1-9
Reading
1 The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.
2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster,
3 and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.
4 For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.
5 Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;
6 like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.
7 In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble.
8 They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them forever.
9 Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect.
Commentary
The Book of Wisdom, also known as “The Wisdom of Solomon,” is not part of the “Canon” (accepted books) of the Hebrew Bible. It is, however, included as part of the Hebrew Scriptures in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Church Bibles as “deutero-canonical” – part of a “second” Canon. In Protestant Bibles, Wisdom is not included in the Hebrew Scriptures but is part of a section called the Apocrypha (“hidden books”).
This difference in treatment arose because from 300 to 200 BCE, the existing Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek (the common language of the time). Compilations of these translations are called the “Septuagint.” The Book of Wisdom was included in most versions of the Septuagint, but it (among other writings) was not included in the Canon of the Hebrew Bible (the “TaNaK”) when the TaNaK was codified in the period from 90 CE to 110 CE by the Pharisees/Rabbis after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.
When he was translating the Bible into Latin, Jerome included Wisdom and other books that were part of the Septuagint in the Vulgate (the Latin translation of the Hebrew and the Christian Scriptures completed around 405 CE). Jerome wrote prefaces to some books that they were not in the Jewish Canon of the Hebrew Bible. Later compilers overlooked Jerome’s prefaces, and the Council of Trent in 1546 decreed that the Roman Catholic Canon of the Old Testament includes the books that were in the Septuagint as included by Jerome.
Luther and other Protestants followed the Jewish Canon of the Hebrew Bible and put other books from the Septuagint (such as Wisdom) in a separate section called the Apocrypha.
The Wisdom of Solomon purports to be written by Solomon (who reigned in Israel from 965 to 928 BCE). It was actually written in Greek by an anonymous Hellenistic Jew in the late First Century BCE or the early First Century CE. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary suggests that the place of composition was Alexandria, the great intellectual and scientific center of the Mediterranean world, and one of the largest centers the Jewish diaspora, and the author was familiar with Hellenistic philosophy, rhetoric and culture.
The author’s intent was to show to his fellow Jews the superiority of Judaism in terminology that was relevant to persons familiar with both the Hebrew Scriptures (likely the LXX) and Greek philosophy. For this reason, there is an emphasis on Platonic ideas such as immortality, the guiding force of Sophia (Wisdom), and the division of a human into a body and a soul.
In today’s reading, the author stated that the righteous (those in right relation with God and man) who have died are at peace (v.3) because their souls are in the hand of God (v.1) and their hope was in immortality (v.4).
Isaiah 25:6-9
Reading
6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
7 And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever. Then the LORD God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were made from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE, and then assembled into a single book.
Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and are the words of a prophet (one who speaks for YHWH – translated as “LORD” in all capital letters in the NRSV) who called for Israel and Judea to repent in the years before Israel was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE and Jerusalem came under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55. In these chapters, a prophet brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 in which a prophet gave encouragement to the Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile had ended.
Today’s reading is part of four chapters (24-27) that are called the “Isaiah Apocalypse” because of the eschatological (end of times as we know them) themes in them. Although they are included in First Isaiah (Ch. 1-39), most scholars date these four chapters to the Persian Period (539-333 BCE) or the early Hellenistic Period (333-300 BCE). Chapter 24 describes great destruction, but the next three chapters speak of an eschatological renewal and restoration.
Today’s verses depicted God’s victory over evil, sorrow and death. The Jewish Study Bible says they are “the rejoicing of the faithful remnant and the end of sorrow in the future.” The image presented is an eschatological banquet reminiscent of the banquet on Mount Sinai alluded to in Exodus 24:11. This image was linked in Ancient Israel with an expected Messiah through whom YHWH would swallow up death forever. The JSB understands the “covering” (v.7) as “when the new cosmic order emerges, the illusions that befuddle the nations will disappear, and the survivors from all nations will enjoy access to true teachings, which emanate from the God of Zion.”
Because YHWH will “swallow up death forever” (v.8), this reversed the image of death swallowing up everything. Accordingly, these verses are often read at funerals, for Easter and on All Saints’ Day.
Revelation 21:1-6a
Reading
1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;
4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”
5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6a Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”
Commentary
The Book of Revelation is also known as the “Apocalypse” (from a Greek word meaning an “unveiling” or “disclosure” of a new age or of heaven, or both). Apocalyptic writing generally described a dire situation ruled by evil powers that can be overcome only by the “in-breaking” of a force (such as God) to bring about a new age.
Like apocalyptic writings in the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Revelation used dualistic (either/or) language and extreme images and metaphors to describe the conflict between good and evil. Apocalyptic literature was often presented as a revelation from God conveyed by an angel or other heavenly body. Apocalyptic writings used symbolic language to convey God’s hidden plan and presented a vision of an eschatological victory leading to a “New Jerusalem.”
The author of Revelation identified himself as “John” but most scholars conclude that the author was not John the Apostle because of (among other things) the reference to the 12 apostles in 21:14. Because of the internal references in the Book, most scholars date Revelation to the late First Century. The author of Revelation had a profound knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and more than half the verses in Revelation alluded to passages in the Hebrew Bible.
Today’s reading is from the next to last chapter of the book. Good has prevailed, the world has entered a new phase, and the time of the New Jerusalem has begun. The author declared that turbulence and unrest (using the metaphor of the sea) have been overcome. Echoing today’s reading from Isaiah, the author declared that death is no more. As Christians, we understand the Resurrection as overcoming death for all.
John 11:32-44
Reading
32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Commentary
The Fourth Gospel is different in many ways from the Synoptic Gospels. The “signs” (miracles) and many of the stories in the Fourth Gospel are unique to it, such as the Wedding at Cana, Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well, and today’s reading, the Raising of Lazarus.
The chronology of events is also different in the Fourth Gospel. For example, the Temple Event (“Cleansing of the Temple”) occurred early in Jesus’ Ministry in the Fourth Gospel, rather than in Holy Week as in the Synoptic Gospels. In the Synoptic Gospels, the Last Supper was a Passover Seder, but in the Fourth Gospel, it occurred the day before the first day of Passover so that Jesus (who is described in this Gospel as “the Lamb of God”) died at the time lambs were being sacrificed at the Temple for the Passover Seder to be held that night.
Most scholars agree that the Gospel was written around 95 CE, at a time when the “parting of the ways” between the Jesus Follower Movement and Rabbinic Judaism was accelerating.
In the Synoptic Gospels, the Temple Event was the “last straw” that caused the chief priests and scribes to look for a way to kill Jesus (Mark 11:18). In the Fourth Gospel, however, the Raising of Lazarus caused the Temple Authorities (referred to as “the Jews” in this Gospel) to be concerned that “everyone will believe in him and the Romans will come and destroy our holy place and our nation” (11:48). The high priest Caiaphas said: “It is better for you [the Temple Authorities] to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed” (11:50).
Regarding the story itself, The New Oxford Annotated Bible notes that “Lazarus” is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Eleazar (the son of Aaron and which means “God has helped.”)
The NJBC observes that Jesus’ delay in going to see Martha, Mary and Lazarus (11:1-16) was intended to demonstrate that Lazarus was truly dead. It notes that in the Synoptic Gospels, persons raised by Jesus has just died and might be seen to have been in a coma.
The JANT observes that according to some rabbinic sources and Zoroastrianism, the spirit hovers near the body for three days. The statement that Lazarus had been dead for four days and that there was a stench (v.39) emphasized that Lazarus was truly dead and the marvel of his return to life.
It goes on to say: “In the first century, Jews were buried in linen shrouds; corpses were laid in a sealed tomb so that the flesh would decompose. After 11 months, the tomb would be unsealed, and the bones would be placed in an ossuary (bone box) and stored on a shelf in the tomb.”
2024, November 3 ~ Ruth 1:1-8; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Hebrews 9:11-14; Mark 12:28-34
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 3, 2024
During this Pentecost Season, there are two “Tracks” of Scriptures that are offered, and congregations may choose which Track they will follow. The first two readings presented are the readings from Tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The last two readings are the same in both Tracks.
Ruth 1:1-18
Reading
1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me.” 14 Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
17 Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried. May the LORD do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!”
18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
Commentary
The Book of Ruth is one of the shortest books of the Bible (four chapters) and is a beautiful story of a Moabite woman (Ruth) and her devotion to her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi. In the last chapter of the story, Ruth (with Naomi’s assistance) married a Judean relative of Naomi’s and became the great-grandmother of King David. The New Oxford Annotated Bible says: “The verbal sophistication suggests that the author was a literate member of the upper classes, a court scribe, perhaps.”
It is important to note that the Moabites were always regarded as dire enemies of Judah, and likely despoiled Jerusalem after the conquest of Judea by the Babylonians in 587 BCE.
The story is set (v.1) in the time of the Judges (1200 to 1025 BCE), a period of great turmoil and moral backsliding in Israel.
In the Christian Scriptures, the book is placed after Judges as if it were an historical book, but in the Hebrew Bible it is placed among the Writings.
There is no consensus on when the book was written. Some suggest that its emphasis on the genealogy of David dates it to the period between the death of Solomon (930 BCE) and the conquest of Northern Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BCE.
The weight of scholarly analysis, however, dates the book to the Persian Period — after the end of the Exile (539 BCE) and before the conquest by Alexander the Great in 333 BCE. A story of a Moabite woman’s being an ancestor of King David has been seen as a reaction against the exclusivist decrees of Ezra and Nehemiah (c.450 BCE) which required Judean men to send away their non-Jewish wives (and their children by these women). The NOAB observes that the values the book proclaims are loyalty, love of family and generosity towards strangers.
In today’s reading, Naomi (whose name means “Pleasantness”), her husband, and their two sons (whose names mean “Sickly” and “Frail”), left Bethlehem and went to Moab because of a famine in Judea. (Ironically, “Beth-lehem” means “House of Bread/Food.”)
In Moab, Naomi’s husband died, and the two sons married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Ten years later, the two sons (not surprisingly) died, and the three women were left destitute.
Naomi decided to return to Judea (where the famine had ended) and urged Ruth and Orpah to stay with their own people in Moab and remarry. Orpah decided to remain in Moab, but Ruth, swearing by YHWH (v.17) “clung” to Naomi and swore “your people shall be my people and your God my God” (v.16).
The Jewish Study Bible notes: “The fidelity and love between Naomi and Roth is the most positive portrayal of women’s relationships in biblical literature.” It goes on to say that “Ruth, Naomi and Boaz are models of hesed, that is, of loyalty and commitment that go beyond the bounds of law or duty.”
In Judaism, Ruth is seen as the ideal convert to Judaism and her words (vv. 16-17) are read today when a person converts to Judaism.
Ruth is one of the four women mentioned in the genealogy in the Gospel According to Matthew 1:1-6. The others are Tamar, Rahab and Bathsheba. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary points out that the sons born to Tamar and Ruth were in fulfillment of their levirate obligations, respectively, to Er (Gen.38:29) and Mahlon (4:17) to bear a son by their deceased husband’s kin.
Next week’s reading supplies the conclusion to the story.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Reading
1 Moses said: Now this is the commandment — the statutes and the ordinances — that the LORD your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, 2 so that you and your children and your children’s children, may fear the LORD your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Commentary
Deuteronomy is the fifth (and last) book of the Torah and (as a literary device) was presented as Moses’ final speech to the Israelites just before they entered the Promised Land.
“Deuteronomy” comes from Greek words that mean “Second Law” and the book was structured as if it were a “restatement” of the laws found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Parts of Deuteronomy were revised as late as 450 BCE, but the bulk of the book is generally dated to the reign of King Josiah of Judea (640-609 BCE). Many of the reforms under Josiah, particularly the centralization of sacrificial worship in Jerusalem, are stipulated in Deuteronomy.
It is also the first book of the didactic “Deuteronomic History” which consists of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. This “History” taught that when the people and kings of Israel and Judea worshiped YHWH properly, they prospered, but when they worshiped false gods, other nations (Assyria in 722 BCE and Babylon in 587 BCE) conquered them. For the Deuteronomists, these conquests occurred because of false worship, not because the Assyrians and Babylonians were wealthier countries with larger armies. In this way, the Deuteronomists “preserved” the beliefs that YHWH was the all-powerful protector of Israel and Judea, YHWH was faithful to the promises made by YHWH, and that YHWH controlled everything that occurred.
Today’s reading is central to the restatement of the Law and directed the teaching of the Law to one’s children, observing of the Law, and reciting the Law when one is at home or away (v.7). It follows the Deuteronomic Decalogue (5:6-21) which is slightly different from the Decalogue in Exodus 20:2-17. The NOAB describes this passage as a “sermon on the first commandment (5:6-10).” The JSB sees it as part of a “sermonic preamble to the laws of chs 12-26.”
There are practices the people should use to keep the Law in mind: the use of phylacteries holding an abstract of the Law tied on one’s arm and forehead (v.8) and the placing a small box (a “mezuzah”) holding a portion of the Law on the upper right doorpost as one enters a home (v.9).
The command (“Hear O Israel”) is called the “Shema” in Hebrew and is the central call to prayer in Judaism. The JSB observes: “Modern readers regard the Shema as an assertion of a monotheism, a view that is anachronistic. In the context of ancient Israelite religion, it served as a public proclamation of exclusive loyalty to YHVH as the sole LORD of Israel. Subsequently, as the Shema became incorporated into the synagogue liturgy, its recitation was also given legal significance. The prayer was regarded as a legally binding oath to carry out the requirements of the Torah.”
This formulation of the First Commandment in verse 5 was cited by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark (12:29-30) as the “First Great Commandment” which recognized (as did the Decalogues) that there may be other gods, but that one’s allegiance must be only to YHWH. Consistent with the over-all theme in Deuteronomy, only by keeping the LORD’s commands would the Israelites prosper in the land promised to them (v. 3).
Hebrews 9:11-14
Reading
11 When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.
Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament observes that Hebrews has a Platonic philosophical orientation resembling that of Philo of Alexandria and that it contains the New Testament’s most sophisticated Greek.
The NOAB and The JANT agree that the author sought to ground his arguments in scripture (using the Septuagint) to argue that Jesus is superior to the Jewish traditions. The JANT states: “Hebrews offers a distinct and elevated Christology. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to all other beings, including angels — he is uncreated, immortal, and permanent. He is also superior to all biblical heroes, including Moses and Abraham, as well as institutions like the Levitical priesthood. As both perfect sacrifice and heavenly priest who intercedes for humans, Jesus supersedes the Jewish sacrificial system, rendering it obsolete.”
The JANT continues: “Because Hebrews argues for Jesus’ superiority over all else and the obsolescence of the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, it expresses what scholars call supersessionist theology. Supersessionism is the idea that Christ’s entry into human history replaces all that has come before, including God’s unique covenant bond with Israel. The same idea is sometimes referred to as rejection/replacement theology.”
The author interpreted the life, death, and heavenly role of Jesus through the category of the “high priest’ who perfected the ancient sacrificial system of Judaism (which ended when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE).
The Letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) was able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflected the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is). The JANT points out that in the First Century, the high priest was chosen by Roman authorities and served at their pleasure.
In verses 1 to 10 in Chapter 9, the author described the wilderness tabernacle of Ex. 25-26 and the sacrifices made there.
In today’s reading, the author focused on the “once and for all” aspects of Jesus’ death and Resurrection and emphasized that Jesus was both priest and sacrifice in the Crucifixion. The JANT emphasizes that “Hebrews is interpreting Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection in terms of their salvific efficiency” rather than events assumed to have happened during Jesus’ lifetime. It also notes that Hebrews does not distinguish between ritual and moral purity and that the “eternal Spirit” (v.14) is literally “the spirit of the age” and is not to be understood as the Holy Spirit but rather as divine power.
The references to the Holy Place (v.12), the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of the heifer (v. 13) are a mixture of various sacrificial rituals in the Torah, some for cleansing ritual impurity (for example having touched a corpse), and others relating to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), when the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies.
Mark 12:28-34
Reading
28 One of the scribes came near and heard the Sadducees disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33 and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ — this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
Commentary
The Gospel According to Mark was the first Gospel that was written and is usually dated to the time around the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest gospel and forms the core for the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke (both of which were written around 85 CE). Over 50% of the material in those two Gospels is based on Mark. Because these three Gospels follow similar chronologies of Jesus’ life and death, they are called “Synoptic Gospels” for the Greek words meaning “Same Look/View.”
Today’s reading follows a dispute between Jesus and the Sadducees about future resurrection. The Sadducees were the priestly group (whose name is derived from Zadok, the High Priest under David and Solomon) who were scriptural literalists. The Sadducees rejected the idea of future resurrection because it was not in the Torah itself. The Pharisees, on the other hand, accepted the idea of future resurrection based on the authority of the “Oral Torah” or interpretations of the Law. These interpretations were eventually written down after the First Century and are incorporated in the Talmud. The Sadducees were trying to get Jesus to commit to one position or the other, but he sidestepped their questions.
Scribes were learned teachers and authoritative leaders who were drawn from the priests and Levites as well as the common people. Mark portrayed them as high officials, advisors to the chief priests, and teachers of the Law.
In Matthew and Luke (written 15-20 years after Mark), the Pharisees were presented as the primary opponents to Jesus. This was because the Pharisees, after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, were the only other group in Judaism (besides the Jesus Followers) to survive. For the next 30 years, the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees contested for the leadership of Judaism — including who would be able to use the synagogues, who would decide which scriptures were authoritative, and how to interpret them.
In Mark, the Sadducees and the scribes were the primary opponents of Jesus, and verse 34a is the only positive description of scribes in this Gospel. Jesus’ response to the scribe quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (one of the readings today) and Lev.19:18. The NAOB points out that the scribe admits (vv.32-33) that love of God and love of neighbor are more important than the elaborate sacrifices at the Temple from which he draws his living. The NJBC observes that the scribe’s comparison “merely echoes Hosea 6:6 and 1 Sam.15:22 and need not be construed as a condemnation of the sacrificial system.”
The JANT notes that a similar question was posed to Hillel, the 1st Century Jewish scholar, who summed up the law with the dictum “Do not do to anyone else what is hateful to you.”
In Matthew’s account of this story, a Pharisee who was also a lawyer asked the question and verses 32 to 34 were not included. In Luke’s account, a lawyer asked the question, and tried to “justify himself” by asking “Who is my neighbor?” This led to the Parable of the Good Samaritan – which is unique to Luke.
2024, October 27 ~ Job 42:1-6,10-17; Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
OCTOBER 27, 2024
During this Pentecost Season, there are two “Tracks” of Scriptures that are offered, and congregations may choose which Track they will follow. The first two readings presented are the readings from Tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The last two readings are the same in both Tracks.
Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Reading
1 Job answered the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a gold ring. 12 The LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this Job lived for one hundred and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children, four generations. 17 And Job died, old and full of days.
Commentary
The Book of Job is a unique poetic story in the Hebrew Scriptures. Job was presented as a righteous person (in right relation with God and others) and as a non-Jew living in the land of Uz (somewhere in what is now Saudi Arabia).
Its authors are anonymous (generally referred to as “Poet-Job”) and the story contains multiple linguistic and stylistic forms. Accordingly, scholars conclude that the story is an ancient one that was supplemented by multiple authors between the 7th and the 4th Centuries BCE. The book contains numerous allusions to mythological traditions known throughout the Middle East but does not make specific references to Israelite legal or historical traditions. The characters do refer to themes found in the Psalms and Proverbs.
In the opening two chapters, Job was introduced and his good fortune was enumerated. The Satan (the “adversary” or the “accuser”) – not the post-First Century name of the devil) made (in effect) a wager with God that Job was righteous only because Job had health, children, and riches. The Satan (ha-satan in Hebrew) bet God that Job would curse God if he lost his family, health, and wealth. The Satan took everything from Job, but Job did not curse God.
Ha-Satan then upped the ante and asked the LORD to be allowed to inflict harm to Job’s body. YHWH told ha-Satan that he could not take Job’s life, and the Satan caused Job to have sores all over his body. Although Job’s wife encouraged Job to curse God and die, he persisted in his faithfulness.
Three of Job’s friends came to “comfort” him and sat with him for seven days in silence (2:11-13). Job then spoke an extended lament and wished he had never been born and prayed for his own death (Chapter 3).
Chapters 4 through 22 are a dialogue between Job and his friends in which his friends relied on the typical Deuteronomic thought that Job’s deprivations must be the result of a sin by him or his forebears. Job denied this reasoning and denied that he had engaged in wrongdoing.
Contrary to the claim in the KJV translation of Jas. 5:11, Job was anything but “patient.” He “endured,” was steadfast and in some respects, defiant.
In the reading two weeks ago, Job asked for someone to judge whether a God who caused a person to suffer is really a just God and worthy to be called “God.” He asked to confront God face-to-face.
In last week’s reading, YHWH appeared to Job out of a whirlwind, and The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that theophanies (appearances by the Divine in Scripture) are typically accompanied by a storm. The LORD overwhelmed Job by using rhetorical questions that point out all that Job did not know, including the creation of the world and the intricacies of the animal world.
That reading was only 14 verses of a diatribe that continued for four chapters, and includes two lengthy speeches by YHWH. The Jewish Study Bible points out that God’s speech contended that Job also had no right to demand explanations. In the text, God did not give Job a straight answer to his demand for a hearing.
The JSB goes on to say that neither God nor the Book of Job provides an answer to the question why bad things happen to good people. Instead, The JSB editorializes: “The conclusion may be that we cannot know the ways of God, and that to insist that God act in a certain way is to limit God’s great power and knowledge. The effect of God’s speech is to put Job in his place, to awe him with God’s might.”
In today’s reading, Job “answered” YHWH. He quoted YHWH in verse 3 and acknowledged that he had spoken of matters he “did not understand.” Recognizing that he had heard and “seen” God (v.5), he said “I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (v.6).
The NOAB suggests that instead of “I despise myself,” a better translation is “I relent” or “I recant” and that “repent in dust and ashes” can be better understood as “recant and regret mournfully” (i.e., upon dust and ashes). The JSB says that another way to understand the reference to “dust and ashes” is that Job recognized that he is a mortal, mere dust and ashes. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary suggests that when Job “repents” it is of his “more outrageous statements in the debate [with God].”
In the omitted verses in the first part of the Epilogue, God was “incensed” (v.7) at Job’s friends for the positions taken by them that suffering results from some prior immoral act of the sufferer or his forebears. YHWH said that Job had been right (v.7) about his innocence and that his suffering came from God.
In the rest of the Epilogue (vv.10-17), Job’s riches were more than restored, he fathered a new family and died contented. It does not mention if his illness was cured, but his long life (140 years) implies that he was made healthy again. The JSB observes that the last verse is “formulaic” and is much like “and they lived happily ever after.”
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Reading
7 Thus says the Lord: Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.”
8 See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.
9 With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Commentary
After the righteous and reforming King Josiah was killed in battle at Megiddo (from which we get the Greek word Armageddon) in 609 BCE, the fortunes of Judea took a sharp downward turn. Babylon threatened Judea’s existence, and Judea had a series of hapless kings from 609 until Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Babylonians deported many Judean leaders to Babylon in 597 and a larger number in 586 (the Babylonian Exile). Jeremiah’s prophesy (i.e., speaking for YHWH) began around 609 and continued until 586 BCE when he died in Egypt.
Most Bible scholars agree that the Book of Jeremiah underwent substantial revisions between the time of Jeremiah (627 to 586 BCE) and the First Century. In the Dead Sea Scrolls, there were different versions of the Book of Jeremiah. The Ancient Greek Septuagint Translation (the LXX – dating from 300 to 200 BCE) has some chapters that are not in the Hebrew versions.
Sections in the book that are in “poetry style” are generally attributed to the prophet, and parts in “prose style” were added later by writers whose theological outlook was closely aligned with the Deuteronomists. (In fact, Chapter 52 in Jeremiah is virtually word-for-word with 2 Kings 24:18 to 25:30 written by the Deuteronomists after the Exile.)
Jeremiah is largely a prophet of doom and gloom, but today’s reading is part of a two-chapter “Book of Consolation” (Chapters 30 and 31). It purports to be written during the Exile (586-539 BCE). The thoughts in these chapters are similar to Second Isaiah (Isaiah of the Exile) in stating that Jerusalem would be restored.
Today’s reading is in “poetry style.” It described a return from Babylon by the Judeans and the reunification of Samaria (“Ephraim” – the son of Joseph and the most powerful Northern Tribe) and Judea (“the remnant”) (v.7). The JSB notes that “the land of the north” recalls both the exile of northern Israel to Mesopotamia in 722 when Assyria conquered Samaria as well as Jeremiah’s warnings of an enemy from the north (Babylon) in chapters 2 to 6. The NJBC opines that the “remnant” refers to “the small number of those [from the north – Assyria] who have escaped the calamity of 721 and have been purified through exile to constitute a new Israel faithful to her God.”
The prophet uses “Jacob” and “Israel” interchangeably because Jacob’s name was changed to “Israel” when he wrestled with an angel/God in Genesis 32.
Hebrews 7:23-28
Reading
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24 but Jesus holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.
Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament observes that Hebrews has a Platonic philosophical orientation resembling that of Philo of Alexandria and that it contains the New Testament’s most sophisticated Greek.
The NOAB and The JANT agree that the author sought to ground his arguments in scripture (using the Septuagint) to argue that Jesus is superior to the Jewish traditions. The JANT states: “Hebrews offers a distinct and elevated Christology. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to all other beings, including angels — he is uncreated, immortal, and permanent. He is also superior to all biblical heroes, including Moses and Abraham, as well as institutions like the Levitical priesthood. As both perfect sacrifice and heavenly priest who intercedes for humans, Jesus supersedes the Jewish sacrificial system, rendering it obsolete.”
The JANT continues: “Because Hebrews argues for Jesus’ superiority over all else and the obsolescence of the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, it expresses what scholars call supersessionist theology. Supersessionism is the idea that Christ’s entry into human history replaces all that has come before, including God’s unique covenant bond with Israel. The same idea is sometimes referred to as rejection/replacement theology.”
The author interpreted the life, death, and heavenly role of Jesus through the category of the “high priest’ who perfected the ancient sacrificial system of Judaism (which ended when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE).
The Letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) was able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflected the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is). The JANT points out that in the First Century, the high priest was chosen by Roman authorities and served at their pleasure.
Today’s reading continued the theme of Jesus of Nazareth as the high priest of the Order of Melchizedek. The first part of Chapter 7 described Melchizedek and recounted that Abraham treated Melchizedek as a superior (v.7). The NOAB points out that “the Dead Sea Scrolls give evidence of Jewish speculation on Melchizedek as an angelic, heavenly figure who rescues the righteous.” The JANT notes that in the book of 2 Enoch, “Melchizedek is miraculously born from his dead mother, is a priest from birth, is Noah’s nephew, and is kept safe from the flood in order to be the priest to Noah’s descendants.”
The author of Hebrews discussed the differences between the high priests of the tribe of Levi (“priests of Aaron”) (v.11) who were imperfect and who died, and the priesthood of Jesus. Because of the Resurrection, Jesus holds his priesthood permanently and without weakness. His offering of himself was once and for all (v.27). He was appointed “by word of [God’s] oath” (v.28) (citing Ps. 110.4), rather than by the law (which appointed the Levites as priests) and is the Son who is perfect forever.
The author of Hebrews accepted the commonly held views that the Torah was written at Sinai before the Psalms were written by David. Therefore, the appointment of Jesus a high priest in Psalm 110:4 was “superior” to the appointment of the Levites as priests.
Mark 10:46-52
Reading
46 Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
Commentary
The Gospel According to Mark was the first Gospel that was written and is usually dated to the time around the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest gospel and forms the core for the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke (both of which were written around 85 CE). Over 50% of the material in those two Gospels is based on Mark. Because these three Gospels follow similar chronologies of Jesus’ life and death, they are called “Synoptic Gospels” for the Greek words meaning “Same Look/View.”
In traveling towards Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho, a city south of the Galilee and Samaria, and only about 13 miles northeast of Jerusalem.
Today’s reading presents Bartimaeus whose name means “son of Timaeus.” Unlike the disciples who seem to be blind, Bartimaeus has “faith” (v.52) and he follows “the way” after his sight is restored.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes: “Son of David have mercy on me was likely a standardized form of words in a petitionary prayer. Some Jewish healers healed in the name of Solomon, the original son of David.” The JANT observes that both Matthew and Luke gave Joseph a genealogy that included David, but that Mark lacks a genealogy.
Referring to a person as a “Son of David” would also have created an expectation that the person would restore the fortunes of Israel. In describing himself as a servant, Jesus rejected that expectation for himself.
2024, October 21 ~ Job 38:1-7,34-41; Isaiah 53:4-12; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
OCTOBER 20, 2024
During this Pentecost Season, there are two “Tracks” of Scriptures that are offered, and congregations may choose which Track they will follow. The first two readings presented are the readings from Tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The last two readings are the same in both Tracks.
Job 38:1-7, 34-41
Reading
1 The LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind:
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone
7 when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?
34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you?
35 Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind?
37 Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens,
38 when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together?
39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 when they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert?
41 Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?”
Commentary
The Book of Job is a unique poetic story in the Hebrew Scriptures. Job was presented as a righteous person (in right relation with God and others) and as a non-Jew living in the land of Uz (somewhere in what is now Saudi Arabia).
Its authors are anonymous (generally referred to as “Poet-Job”) and the story contains multiple linguistic and stylistic forms. Accordingly, scholars conclude that the story is an ancient one that was supplemented by multiple authors between the 7th and the 4th Centuries BCE. The book contains numerous allusions to mythological traditions known throughout the Middle East but does not make specific references to Israelite legal or historical traditions. The characters do refer to themes found in the Psalms and Proverbs.
In the opening two chapters, Job was introduced and his good fortune was enumerated. The Satan (the “adversary” or the “accuser”) – not the post-First Century name of the devil) made (in effect) a wager with God that Job was righteous only because Job had health, children, and riches. The Satan (ha-satan in Hebrew) bet God that Job would curse God if he lost his family, health, and wealth. The Satan took everything from Job, but Job did not curse God.
Ha-Satan then upped the ante and asked the LORD to be allowed to inflict harm to Job’s body. YHWH told ha-Satan that he could not take Job’s life, and the Satan caused Job to have sores all over his body. Although Job’s wife encouraged Job to curse God and die, he persisted in his faithfulness.
Three of Job’s friends came to “comfort” him and sat with him for seven days in silence (2:11-13). Job then spoke an extended lament and wished he had never been born and prayed for his own death (Chapter 3).
Chapters 4 through 22 are a dialogue between Job and his friends in which his friends relied on the typical Deuteronomic thought that Job’s deprivations must be the result of a sin by him or his forebears. Job denied this reasoning and denied that he had engaged in wrongdoing.
Contrary to the claim in the KJV translation of Jas. 5:11, Job was anything but “patient.” He “endured,” was steadfast and in some respects, defiant.
In last week’s reading, Job asked for someone to judge whether a God who caused a person to suffer is really a just God and worthy to be called “God.” He asked to confront God face-to-face.
In today’s reading, YHWH appeared to Job out of a whirlwind, and The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that theophanies (appearances by the Divine in Scripture) are typically accompanied by a storm. The LORD overwhelmed Job by using rhetorical questions that point out all that Job did not know, including the creation of the world and the intricacies of the animal world.
Today’s reading is 14 verses of a diatribe that continued for four chapters, and includes two lengthy speeches by YHWH. The Jewish Study Bible points out that God’s speech contended that Job also had no right to demand explanations. In the text, God did not give Job a straight answer to his demand for a hearing.
The JSB goes on to say that neither God nor the book of Job provides an answer to the question why bad things happen to good people. Instead, The JSB editorializes: “The conclusion may be that we cannot know the ways of God, and that to insist that God act in a certain way is to limit God’s great power and knowledge. The effect of God’s speech is to put Job in his place, to awe him with God’s might.”
In the last Chapter in the Book (next week’s reading), God criticized the positions taken by Job’s friends that suffering results from some prior immoral act of the sufferer. In a later-added Epilogue, Job’s riches were restored and he fathered a new family.
Isaiah 53:4-12
Reading
4 Surely, he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people.
9 They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the LORD shall prosper.
11 Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out himself to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Israel’s history. Chapters 1-39 are called “First Isaiah” and called for Jerusalem to repent in the 20 years before Jerusalem was under siege by the Assyrians in 701 BCE. “Second Isaiah” is Chapters 40 to 55 and brought hope to the Judeans during the Exile in Babylon (587 to 539 BCE) by telling them they had suffered enough and would return to Jerusalem. “Third Isaiah” is Chapters 56 to 66 and, for the most part, gave encouragement to Judeans who returned to Jerusalem (which had been largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile.
Today’s reading is part of Second Isaiah and is one of the “Suffering Servant” songs, the longest of which is Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12. The identity of the “Suffering Servant” is sometimes understood as the prophet Isaiah himself, but is more commonly is seen as Judea itself, whose suffering in the Exile (as the servant of YHWH) would lead to vindication by YHWH in the restoration to Jerusalem after 539 BCE.
The NOAB notes that “the servant’s sufferings and the violence inflicted on him were caused by the sins of others [v.5] and make atonement for sin.” “Unlike Jeremiah and Job, the servant suffered in silence.”
The JSB observes that in verses 11b-12, the LORD described the vindication of his servant and notes: “Either he [the servant] is saved from a fate like death, or he is actually described as being resurrected. In the latter case, his resurrection is probably a metaphor for the renewal of the nation at the end of the exile.”
The author of the Gospel According to Mark used many of the Suffering Servant themes to describe the sufferings of Jesus of Nazareth and for the representation that “the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)
Hebrews 5:1-10
Reading
1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward since he himself is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; 6 as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.
Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament observes that Hebrews has a Platonic philosophical orientation resembling that of Philo of Alexandria and that it contains the New Testament’s most sophisticated Greek.
The NOAB and The JANT agree that the author sought to ground his arguments in scripture (using the Septuagint) to argue that Jesus is superior to the Jewish traditions. The JANT states: “Hebrews offers a distinct and elevated Christology. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to all other beings, including angels — he is uncreated, immortal, and permanent. He is also superior to all biblical heroes, including Moses and Abraham, as well as institutions like the Levitical priesthood. As both perfect sacrifice and heavenly priest who intercedes for humans, Jesus supersedes the Jewish sacrificial system, rendering it obsolete.”
The JANT continues: “Because Hebrews argues for Jesus’ superiority over all else and the obsolescence of the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, it expresses what scholars call supersessionist theology. Supersessionism is the idea that Christ’s entry into human history replaces all that has come before, including God’s unique covenant bond with Israel. The same idea is sometimes referred to as rejection/replacement theology.”
The author interpreted the life, death, and heavenly role of Jesus through the category of the “high priest’ who perfected the ancient sacrificial system of Judaism (which ended when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE).
The Letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) was able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are (v.2). The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflected the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is). The JANT points out that in the First Century, the high priest was chosen by Roman authorities and served at their pleasure.
The quote in verse 5 (“You are my son”) is taken from Psalm 2:7, a psalm that is interpreted as relating to David and is seen as a coronation ode. The quote in verse 6 (“You are a priest forever”) is taken from Psalm 110:4 and is also regarded as applying to David. As seen in 2 Samuel 6 and 8, David sometimes assumed the role of a priest, and in 1 Kings 3:4, Solomon offered sacrifice at Gibeon.
The High Priest Melchizedek (v.6) appears only in Genesis 14 where he was identified as the King of Salem (an early name for Jerusalem). As a High Priest, Melchizedek offered bread and wine as a sacrifice and blessed Abram (before his name was changed to Abraham). The JANT points out that there was no special priestly branch known as “the Order of Melchizedek” and that the “Order” includes only Melchizedek and Jesus. The NOAB points out that the theme of Jesus the Christ as a High Priest of the Order of Melchizedek is expanded in Chapter 7 of the Letter.
The JANT observes that the idea of learning obedience through suffering (v.8) is found in 2 and 4 Maccabees, and that being made perfect through suffering (v.9) and as a way to atone for others was a prominent theme in 4 Maccabees, “an early Jewish text that became popular in Christian circles.”
Mark 10:35-45
Reading
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Commentary
The Gospel According to Mark was the first Gospel that was written and is usually dated to the time around the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest gospel and forms the core for the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke (both of which were written around 85 CE). Over 50% of the material in those two Gospels is based on Mark. Because these three Gospels follow similar chronologies of Jesus’ life and death, they are called “Synoptic Gospels” for the Greek words meaning “Same Look/View.”
Today’s reading follows Jesus’ telling “the twelve” (v.32) for the third time that the Son of Man would be handed over to the chief priests and scribes and would be killed and after three days would rise again (v.34).
The NOAB observes that James and John’s request (v.37) showed that they either rejected or misunderstood Jesus’ mission and what Jesus had told them. The “cup” is the suffering that will be part of being a Jesus Follower, and in verses 42 to 44, Jesus expressed a view that, in contrast to the imperial practices of the Gentiles, Jesus Followers are called to be “servants” or “slaves.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary notes that words used in the text are diakonos (literally, one who waits on tables) and doulos, an even humbler word than diakonos.
The NJBC notes: “In Matt 20:20, their [James’ and John’s] mother makes the request – probably part of Matthew’s attempt to tone down Mark’s negative portrait of the disciples.”
That the Son of Man would be a “ransom for many” (v.45) is derived from the Suffering Servant Songs of Isaiah 52-53. There are numerous theories about what these words mean. In the First Century (until 70 CE when the Temple was destroyed), animal sacrifice was being performed at the Temple. These sacrifices were offered for many different purposes – to offer thanksgiving to God, to atone for sins, and for establishing community among those offering the sacrifice.
In Christianity, there are different understandings of the meaning of the Crucifixion – that it was an example for Christians to be ready to offer themselves as a sacrifice for others and suffer by following Jesus’ example of being a servant to others by loving God and our neighbor; or that he died “for” our sins in the sense that Jesus died “because” of the sins which we share with the Roman Authorities and the Jewish Leaders who rejected his life and message.
In the 11th Century CE, Anselm of Canterbury developed the theory of “Substitutionary Atonement “ in which Jesus (as a perfect sacrifice) was seen as a “stand in” or substitute for all persons and that Jesus died to “square the account” with a God who was angry with humans because of Adam’s sin. This understanding of God as an angry God who demanded the killing of his Son is considered by many as inconsistent with an understanding of a God of Love who is merciful and forgiving.
2024, October 13 ~ Job 23:1-9,16-17; Amos 5:6-7,10-15; Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
OCTOBER 13, 2024
During this Pentecost Season, there are two “Tracks” of Scriptures that are offered, and congregations may choose which Track they will follow. The first two readings presented are the readings from Tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The last two readings are the same in both Tracks.
Job 23:1-9, 16-17
Reading
1 Job said:
2 “Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning.
3 Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling!
4 I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would learn what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me.
6 Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me.
7 There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge.
8 “If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him;
9 on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him.
16 God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me;
17 If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!”
Commentary
The Book of Job is a unique poetic story in the Hebrew Scriptures. The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out: “Job is part of the Wisdom Literature – along with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. As such, it does not focus on the nation Israel or on its great formative historical memories. Instead, Wisdom Literature is a reflection on universal human concerns – especially the understanding of individual experiences and the maintenance of ordered relationships.”
The NOAB goes on to say: “Job denies the inevitability of rewards for living an upright life and decisively refutes the idea that human suffering is always deserved.”
The authors of Job are collectively referred to as “Poet-Job.” They are anonymous and the story contains multiple linguistic and stylistic forms. Accordingly, scholars conclude that the story is an ancient one that was supplemented by multiple authors between the 7th and the 4th Centuries BCE. The book contains numerous allusions to mythological traditions known throughout the Middle East but does not make specific references to Israelite legal or historical traditions. The characters sometimes refer to themes found in the Psalms and Proverbs.
In the opening two chapters, Job was introduced and his good fortune was enumerated. The Satan (the “adversary” or the “accuser”) – not the post-First Century name of the devil) made (in effect) a wager with God that Job was righteous only because Job had health, children, and riches. The Satan (ha-satan in Hebrew) bet God that Job would curse God if he lost his family, health, and wealth. Satan took everything from Job, but Job did not curse God.
Three of Job’s friends came to “comfort” him and sat with him for seven days in silence (2:11-13). Job then spoke an extended lament and wished he had never been born and prayed for his own death (Chapter 3).
Chapters 4 through 22 are a dialogue between Job and his friends in which his friends relied on the typical Deuteronomic thought that Job’s deprivations must be the result of a sin by him or his forebears. Job denied this reasoning and denied that he had engaged in wrongdoing.
Contrary to the claim in the traditional (King James Version) translation of Jas. 5:11, Job was anything but “patient.” He “endured,” was steadfast and – in some respects, defiant.
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary understands todays reading as “entirely devoted to Job’s personal reflections and his search for God…. Job dwells on God’s inaccessibility and remoteness which makes it impossible for Job to ‘get through’ to him.” Job claimed that God was hiding (v.3) and had failed to intervene to prevent injustice. He said that if an “upright person” (v.7) could reason with God, he (Job) would be acquitted.
As the story will progress, Job will ask for someone to judge whether a God who caused a person to suffer is really a just God and worthy to be called “God.” He will ask to confront God face-to-face.
Towards the end of the story, God appeared to Job out of a whirlwind, and overwhelmed him by pointing out all that Job did not know. God also criticized the positions taken by Job’s friends that suffering results from some prior immoral act of the sufferer. In a later-added Epilogue, Job’s riches were restored and he fathered a new family.
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
Reading
6 Seek the LORD and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.
7 Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground!
10 They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.
11 Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins — you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate.
13 Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said.
15 Hate evil and love good and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
Commentary
After Solomon died in 930 BCE, the Kingdom of Israel split into two parts, the North (called Israel with ten tribes) and the South (called Judea with two tribes). Each of the Kingdoms had its own king.
The reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (788-747 BCE) was very prosperous but was a time of great inequality between rich and poor in which large landowners gained control of the lands of small farmers. (A three-liter bottle of wine is called a “Jeroboam.”)
Amos was a cattle or sheep herder and also cared for fig trees in Judea (v. 7:14), but he was called by YHWH to go north to prophesy (speak for the LORD) against Israel from about 760 to 750 BCE. Amos was the first of the “classical prophets” whose works have come down to us in the form of a book. He is one of the 12 “minor” prophets whose works are shorter than the three “major” prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel). He was the first (chronologically) of the prophets whose words left an indelible stamp on later thought in Israel about God.
Unlike many other prophets who condemned improper worship (cultic concerns), Amos was critical of social activities that involved ethical matters. He used vivid language and called for justice and righteousness, terms that deal with social equality and concern for the disadvantaged.
The writings included announcements that the “Day of the LORD” was imminent and urged that the special covenant with the LORD entailed special ethical responsibilities. Some of his presentations are indictments, some are exhortations, and others are visions.
Today’s reading is described by The New Oxford Annotated Bible as a lament for Israel. In it, Amos warned Israel — the “house of Joseph” (v.6) — and the city of Bethel (where there was a major shrine) of coming destruction if they did not change their ways. Amos warned that the powerful had turned justice into “wormwood” (v.7) – the leaves of which are very bitter. The Jewish Study Bible sees this section as a “dirge” that shows metaphorically that the nation is “dead” and observes that “the infractions [of Israel] are ethical rather than cultic.”
The “house of Joseph” is another name for the northern 10 tribes. Joseph’s two sons (Ephraim and Manasseh) were each counted among the 12 tribes for the original division of the lands. The tribe of Levi (the priests) did not receive land, and Ephraim became the most powerful of the 10 Northern Tribes.
In ancient Israel, legal proceedings were held at the city’s gates, and Amos condemned the corruption of the legal system by the rich and the unjust treatment of the poor at the gate. Amos urged the leaders to “establish justice at the gate” (v.15) so that YHWH would be gracious to Israel, the “remnant of Joseph.”
In saying that the rich would not live in their homes or drink from their vineyards (v.11), the prophet was anticipating the conquest of the North (Israel) by the Assyrians in 722. The NOAB describes verse 11 as a “futility curse in which the connection between the actions and their expected effects are broken.”
Hebrews 4:12-16
Reading
12 The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.
Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament observes that Hebrews has a Platonic philosophical orientation resembling that of Philo of Alexandria and that it contains the New Testament’s most sophisticated Greek.
The NOAB and The JANT agree that the author sought both to ground his arguments in scripture (using the Septuagint) to argue that Jesus is superior to Jewish traditions. The JANT states: “Hebrews offers a distinct and elevated Christology. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to all other beings, including angels — he is uncreated, immortal, and permanent. He is also superior to all biblical heroes, including Moses and Abraham, as well as institutions like the Levitical priesthood. As both perfect sacrifice and heavenly priest who intercedes for humans, Jesus supersedes the Jewish sacrificial system, rendering it obsolete.”
The JANT continues: “Because Hebrews argues for Jesus’ superiority over all else and the obsolescence of the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, it expresses what scholars call supersessionist theology. Supersessionism is the idea that Christ’s entry into human history replaces all that has come before, including God’s unique covenant bond with Israel. The same idea is sometimes referred to as rejection/replacement theology.”
In today’s reading, the author interpreted the life, death, and heavenly role of Jesus through the category of the “high priest’ who perfected the ancient sacrificial system of Judaism (which ended when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE).
The letter emphasized that Jesus (as high priest) was able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he (as a human) had been tested as we are. The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflected the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is).
The JANT offered an extended analysis of today’s reading. Verses 12 and 13 are “a severe, awe-inspiring characterization of the word of God (i.e., Scripture)…. It functions as a warning about the power of scripture to render judgment.”
Regarding the notion that God’s word can divide soul from spirit, The JANT says: “God’s word can separate what his seemingly indivisible. Soul from spirit, Gk ‘psych” and ‘pneuma.’ ‘Soul’ and ‘Spirit’ when used of persons are often synonymous in modern English, but in ancient Greek they refer to two distinct elements or substances that, together with the ‘body’ (‘soma’), make up a human being. ‘Psyche’ is typically understood as to be more intertwined with the body (or flesh) than is ‘pneuma.’ The Hebrew equivalent of ‘pneuma’ is ‘ruah.’ The words have different connotations but overlap in that both can mean ‘breath’ (as well as ‘wind’ and ‘spirit’ as a force outside of individual bodies). The closest equivalent to ‘psyche’ in Hebrew is ‘nephesh’ but the semantic difference between ‘psyche’ and ‘nephesh’ is greater than it is between ‘ruah’ and ‘pneuma.’ ‘Nephesh’ is not a distinctive element within a person; it is a person. As such, it is not separable from a person’s ‘body.’”
As to verse 13, The JANT says: “The word account in Greek is ‘logos’ and is rendered as ‘word’ in verse 12. The double use of ‘logos’ is an implicit argument that scripture demands that one give a personal account before God. Here it is used in the context of judgment before God.”
Regarding passed through the heavens (v.14), The JANT notes: “Special individuals like Enoch (Gen 5.24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2.1-12) experienced heavenly journeys. Ezekiel and Daniel have visions of heavenly journeys (Ezek 1; Dan 7). Heavenly journeys appear frequently in extra-biblical texts of the centuries surrounding the common era.”
Mark 10:17-31
Reading
17 As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God, all things are possible.”
28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age — houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions — and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Commentary
The Gospel According to Mark was the first Gospel that was written and is usually dated to the time around the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest gospel and forms the core for the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke (both of which were written around 85 CE). Over 50% of the material in those two Gospels is based on Mark. Because these three Gospels follow similar chronologies of Jesus’ life and death, they are called “Synoptic Gospels” for the Greek words meaning “Same Look/View.”
Today’s reading presents a number of interpretive and textual issues.
The term “eternal life” (v.17) is treated as the equivalent of “entering the kingdom of God” (v.24).
Jesus’ rejoinder “Why do you call me good?” (v.18) may be part of Mark’s emphasis on the “Messianic Secret” – the notion that Jesus was not fully identifiable as the Messiah until after the Resurrection. By stating that only God is good, Jesus seems to be saying that he is not God. But for the Jesus Follower community to which the Gospel was directed, the hearers would understand the irony in the statement because of their belief that Jesus was divine.
In reciting the commandments, the author had Jesus choose from the second half of the Ten Commandments as found in Exodus 20 and added a new one: “You shall not defraud” (v.19).
In the Greek text of verse 21, the words “the money” are omitted, so the admonition is slightly modified to say, “sell what you own and give to the poor” (v.21).
Some ancient authorities modify verse 24 to say, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!” If this addition is authentic, it juxtaposes “having wealth” (v.23) with “trusting in it.” (v. 24).
The verse about a camel passing through the eye of a needle (v.25) is regarded by some scholars as “peasant humor.” The Jewish Annotated New Testament points out: “Contrary to a commonly cited medieval legend, the is no narrow “Eye of the Needle” gate in Jerusalem. A Talmudic parallel uses a needle’s eye and an elephant to make the same point.”
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary points out that some ancient manuscripts substitute the word kamilon (meaning “rope”) for kamēlon (meaning “camel”) so that the phrase would be that it is difficult for a rope to pass through the eye of a needle.
It is not surprising that the disciples were perplexed (v.24) at the statement that it would be “hard” for those with wealth to enter the kingdom of God (v.23). In the First Century (as now), persons of substantial means (unless they are ill-gotten) are regarded as having been “blessed.”
Jesus’ reply to Peter’s concern (v.28) is confusing. It seems to say that “in this age” those who have sacrificed “for the sake of Jesus and the sake of the gospel” will receive back 100-fold all (except for fathers!) that they sacrificed. This obvious exaggeration appears cancelled out, however, by the persecutions the persons who have sacrificed will receive. The NJBC opines that the phrase “with persecutions” (v.30) appears to be a “Marcan editorial twist, suggesting that discipleship necessarily involves persecutions and suffering.”
In the age to come, those who sacrificed for Jesus’ sake and the sake of the good news (the gospel) will receive eternal life. The commentator in The New Oxford Annotated Bible described the last part of verse 30 as “a throw-away line mocking the rich man’s concern (v.17).”
2024, October 6 ~ Job1:1,2:1-10; Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienTODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
OCTOBER 6, 2024
During this Pentecost Season, there are two “Tracks” of Scriptures that are offered, and congregations may choose which Track they will follow. The first two readings presented are the readings from Tracks 1 and 2, respectively. The last two readings are the same in both Tracks.
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
Reading
1 There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
2:1 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the LORD, “Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. 5 But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Commentary
The Book of Job is a unique poetic story in the Hebrew Scriptures. The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out: “Job is part of the Wisdom Literature – along with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. As such, it does not focus on the nation Israel or on its great formative historical memories. Instead, Wisdom Literature is a reflection on universal human concerns – especially the understanding of individual experiences and the maintenance of ordered relationships.”
The NOAB goes on to say: “Job denies the inevitability of rewards for living an upright life and decisively refutes the idea that human suffering is always deserved.”
The authors of Job are collectively referred to as “Poet-Job.” They are anonymous and the story contains multiple linguistic and stylistic forms. Accordingly, scholars conclude that the story is an ancient one that was supplemented by multiple authors between the 7th and the 4th Centuries BCE. The book contains numerous allusions to mythological traditions known throughout the Middle East but does not make specific references to Israelite legal or historical traditions. The characters sometimes refer to themes found in the Psalms and Proverbs.
In today’s reading, Job was presented as a righteous person (in right relation with God and others) and as a non-Jew living in the land of Uz — usually regarded as somewhere south and east of Israel. The Jewish Study Bible says that it is a “poetic name for Edom (Lam.4.21)”.
The Satan (the “adversary” or the “accuser”) – not the post-First Century name of the devil) made (in effect) a wager with God that Job was righteous only because Job had health, family, and riches. The Satan (ha-Satan in Hebrew) bet God that Job would curse God if he lost his family, health, and wealth.
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary says that God was put in a “no-win” situation: “If God were to refuse the test which the Satan proposes, would it be a sign of fear that human beings serve him only for themselves (and then the Satan is right)? On the other hand, the acceptance of the Satan’s wager makes God almost ‘demonic,’ but we are meant to understand that the Lord trusts those who serve him, and this is Job’s opportunity.”
Satan took everything from Job, but Job did not curse God, even though his wife urged him to do so. The NJBC observes that she had suffered all the losses with him and that Job was maintaining his relationship with God “for nothing.”
As the story progressed, his friends came to “comfort” him and relied on the typical Deuteronomic thought that Job’s deprivations must be the result of a sin by him or his forebears.
Job denied this reasoning and (contrary to the claim in the traditional translation of Jas. 5:11) Job was anything but “patient.” He “endured,” was steadfast and in some respects, defiant. He asked for someone to judge whether a God who caused a person to suffer is really a just God and worthy to be called “God.” He asked to confront God face-to-face.
At the end, God appeared to Job out of a whirlwind, and overwhelmed him by pointing out all that Job did not know. God also criticized the positions taken by Job’s friends that suffering only results from some prior bad act of the sufferer. In a later-added Epilogue, Job’s riches were restored and he fathered a new family.
Genesis 2:18-24
Reading
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19 So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.”
24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Commentary
Genesis is the first book of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The Torah also called the Pentateuch (five books) in Greek. Genesis covers the period from Creation to the deaths of Jacob and his 11th son, Joseph, in about 1,650 BCE, if the accounts are historical.
The Book of Genesis (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which are dated by scholars to about 950 BCE and some of which were developed as late as 450 BCE. Since the late 19th Century, Biblical scholars have recognized four major “strands” or sources in the Torah, and these sources are identified (among other ways) by their different theological emphases, names for God, names for the holy mountain, and portrayals of God’s characteristics.
In Genesis, there are two Creation Stories. In the First Story (Gen. 1:1 to 2.4a), God created humankind (men and women) in God’s image on the sixth day and told them to be fruitful and multiply (1:27-28). God rested on the seventh day.
Today’s reading is part of the Second Account of Creation that begins in Gen. 2:4b. This Second Account is attributed to the “Jahwistic” Source and is generally dated to about 950 BCE. This Source presented God’s name as YHWH (translated with all capital letters as LORD or LORD God) and gave God many anthropomorphic qualities such as speaking with humans.
In this Second Creation Story, YHWH formed an earthling/human (in Hebrew, adam) from the fertile earth/humus (in Hebrew, adamah)(v.7). In today’s reading, the human “named” all other creatures (v.20). Naming something implied control over it. At the end of the reading, YHWH gave the human a “partner” (in Hebrew, ezer).
Ezer is not a word often used in the Bible, and it is usually used to refer to God as the “partner” of Israel. Accordingly, the partner/ezer (the female) of the adam should not be understood as being subordinate to the male. In today’s reading (somewhat amusingly), God created animals as the first attempt to find a helper/partner for the human, but then created a woman from the adam’s rib/substance to be the ezer of the man.
Verse 24 is quoted in today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark as a basis for prohibiting divorce.
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Reading
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
2:5 Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 6 But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?
7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, 8 subjecting all things under their feet.”
Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, 9 but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. 11 For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.
Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.
The Jewish Annotated New Testament observes that Hebrews has a Platonic philosophical orientation resembling that of Philo of Alexandria and that it contains the New Testament’s most sophisticated Greek.
The NOAB and The JANT agree that the author sought both to ground his arguments in scripture (using the Septuagint) to argue that Jesus is superior to the Jewish traditions. The JANT states: “Hebrews offers a distinct and elevated Christology. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to all other beings, including angels — he is uncreated, immortal, and permanent. He is also superior to all biblical heroes, including Moses and Abraham, as well as institutions like the Levitical priesthood. As both perfect sacrifice and heavenly priest who intercedes for humans, Jesus supersedes the Jewish sacrificial system, rendering it obsolete.”
The JANT continues: “Because Hebrews argues for Jesus’ superiority over all else and the obsolescence of the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, it expresses what scholars call supersessionist theology. Supersessionism is the idea that Christ’s entry into human history replaces all that has come before, including God’s unique covenant bond with Israel. The same idea is sometimes referred to as rejection/replacement theology.”
In today’s reading, The JANT notes: “The author affirmed that the author and the audience understood themselves as rooted in the same lineage as any ancient or modern Jew would claim.”
The Son is the “exact imprint of God’s very being” (v.3) and participated in creation (just as Wisdom participated in creation as stated in Proverbs 8). The author described the Son as superior to the angels (vv.6-8), and re-interpreted Psalm 8:4-6 as referring to Jesus. The author stated that Jesus was made lower than the angels (as a human being) only “for a little while” (2:9).
The JANT notes that the references to “name” (1:4 and 2:12) were intended to evoke God’s name (in Hebrew, ha-Shem) which is treated with great reverence.
Mark 10:2-16
Reading
2 Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10 Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
Commentary
The Gospel According to Mark was the first Gospel that was written and is usually dated to the time around the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Mark’s Gospel is the shortest gospel and forms the core for the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke (both of which were written around 85 CE). Over 50% of the material in those two Gospels is based on Mark. Because these three Gospels follow similar chronologies of Jesus’ life and death, they are called “Synoptic Gospels” for the Greek words meaning “Same Look/View.”
The issue of divorce was a difficult one in the First Century. Mark noted that under Jewish Law (Deut.24:1-4 and Jer.3:8), only a husband could divorce his wife (v. 4), but Jesus emphasized the equality of marriage as described in Genesis 2:24 and noted that the permission for divorce in the Torah was given only because of “hardness of heart” (v.5). The JANT describes Mark’s position as “a legal move not unlike Paul’s argument of which scriptural passages take priority (Gal 3.17).”
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary suggests: “The question from the Pharisees may have been designed to draw Jesus into conflict with the much- divorced Herod Family.”
At this time, under Roman Law, both husbands and wives could divorce their spouses and the text recognizes this (vv. 11-12). In Matthew’s version of this discussion on divorce, Jesus gave an exception that a man could divorce his wife for unchastity (Matt. 19:9) but did not give the same exception for women.
The NOAB points out that the portion of the reading about little children is not about idealizing children but is an illustration of how one might receive the Kingdom of God. Children in the First Century had the lowest status in society and the Kingdom “belongs” to them (and to us) not by merit but by God’s love.