Isaiah 58:1-12
Reading
1 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.
3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?” Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.
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 Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before 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.
In today’s reading from Third Isaiah, the prophet was told by YHWH to reveal to the people (“the house of Jacob”) who returned to Jerusalem that their way of living was immoral, and that prayer and sacrifices without serious moral reformation did not please YHWH (vv. 1-5).
Instead, the LORD wanted justice, freedom for the oppressed, sharing of food, bringing the homeless into one’s home, and sharing one’s goods and clothing (vv. 6-8). The LORD told them to “remove the yoke” from the downtrodden and stop having contempt for one another (“pointing the finger”).
When these things are done, YHWH would guide the people, make them prosperous and the ruins of Jerusalem would be rebuilt (vv. 9-12).
1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Reading
1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
6 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7 But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.
14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.
16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Commentary
Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was diverse and Hellenistic. Corinthians emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written in the 50’s (CE) and presented his views on many issues that were controversial in this Jesus Follower Community.
Today’s reading is the entirety of Chapter 2. In it, Paul continued his opposition to worldly wisdom and asserted that the Corinthians became believers because of the power of the Spirit and God, not because of lofty words (v.1).
Paul said he could speak God’s wisdom among those spiritually mature because the Spirit enabled them to understand the gifts bestowed by God. He continued to distinguish this wisdom from secular wisdom (“the wisdom of this age”) and the wisdom of the “rulers of this age” [the Romans] (v.6).
Scholars are not sure of the source of the words quoted by Paul in verse 9, but they bear some similarity to Isaiah 64:4, a verse that describes the incomparability of YHWH.
Those who are “unspiritual” (or natural) regard the gifts of God’s Spirit as foolishness, but those who are spiritual have the mind of Christ. For Paul, heavenly wisdom is identical with the Spirit. In verse 16, Paul paraphrases Isaiah 40:13, a verse that said that YHWH is beyond instruction from another source.
In Chapter 3, Paul will describe the Corinthians as spiritual infants because of their quarreling.
2020, February 9 ~ Isaiah 58:1-12 and 1 Corinthians 2:1-16
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 58:1-12
Reading
1 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God.
3 “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?” Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers.
4 Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.
5 Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.
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 Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before 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.
In today’s reading from Third Isaiah, the prophet was told by YHWH to reveal to the people (“the house of Jacob”) who returned to Jerusalem that their way of living was immoral, and that prayer and sacrifices without serious moral reformation did not please YHWH (vv. 1-5).
Instead, the LORD wanted justice, freedom for the oppressed, sharing of food, bringing the homeless into one’s home, and sharing one’s goods and clothing (vv. 6-8). The LORD told them to “remove the yoke” from the downtrodden and stop having contempt for one another (“pointing the finger”).
When these things are done, YHWH would guide the people, make them prosperous and the ruins of Jerusalem would be rebuilt (vv. 9-12).
1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Reading
1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
6 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. 7 But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.
14 Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny.
16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Commentary
Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was diverse and Hellenistic. Corinthians emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written in the 50’s (CE) and presented his views on many issues that were controversial in this Jesus Follower Community.
Today’s reading is the entirety of Chapter 2. In it, Paul continued his opposition to worldly wisdom and asserted that the Corinthians became believers because of the power of the Spirit and God, not because of lofty words (v.1).
Paul said he could speak God’s wisdom among those spiritually mature because the Spirit enabled them to understand the gifts bestowed by God. He continued to distinguish this wisdom from secular wisdom (“the wisdom of this age”) and the wisdom of the “rulers of this age” [the Romans] (v.6).
Scholars are not sure of the source of the words quoted by Paul in verse 9, but they bear some similarity to Isaiah 64:4, a verse that describes the incomparability of YHWH.
Those who are “unspiritual” (or natural) regard the gifts of God’s Spirit as foolishness, but those who are spiritual have the mind of Christ. For Paul, heavenly wisdom is identical with the Spirit. In verse 16, Paul paraphrases Isaiah 40:13, a verse that said that YHWH is beyond instruction from another source.
In Chapter 3, Paul will describe the Corinthians as spiritual infants because of their quarreling.
2020, February 2 ~ Malachi 3:1-4 and Hebrews 2:14-18
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienMalachi 3:1-4
Reading
1 Thus says the LORD, See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the LORD whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight– indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
Commentary
The Book of Malachi is the last book of the 12 “Minor” Prophets – so called because these 12 books are much shorter than the three “Major” Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel). His name literally means “my messenger” and the book appears to be written in the 5th Century BCE, after the Second Temple was built.
Malachi held a high view of the Temple priesthood and its responsibilities and wrote to an audience that was disheartened that the hopes of the “restoration prophets” (Haggai and Zechariah) had not materialized. Malachi asserted that YHWH (“LORD” in all capital letters) had been true to God’s promises, but that the hopes of the other prophets were not fulfilled because Judah (Judea and Jerusalem) had not been faithful.
Today’s reading described an immanent day of reckoning in which YHWH would come into the Temple (v.1) and purify the priests (“the descendants of Levi”) so the Temple offerings would again be pleasing to YHWH (v. 4). A “fuller” (v.2) was a person who cleaned wool or cloth with a strong soap.
Hebrews 2:14-18
Reading
14 Since God’s children share flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore, he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers, urging them to maintain their Faith and Hope in the face of hardship. The letter developed many important images such as Jesus the Christ as the High Priest. The author emphasized the continuing importance of Jewish tradition and quoted (and paraphrased) extensively from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Today’s reading is part of an extended discussion of the humanity of Jesus of Nazareth in Chapter 2 and emphasized that all persons (“children” in v.14) share flesh, blood and death with Jesus of Nazareth.
Death itself was sometimes understood in the Scriptures as one of the results of the Disobedience Event in Genesis 3 (Wis. 2:24 and Rom. 6:23). The author of Hebrews used that understanding to assert that through his death, Jesus of Nazareth destroyed the devil — the power of death (which is our fear of death, v. 15).
The author made the point that it was the humanity of Jesus that allowed him to be the merciful and faithful High Priest who could “make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people” (v.17). Just as Jesus himself suffered, he was an example and could help those to whom the sermon was addressed – a community that was itself being tested (v.18).
2020, January 26 ~Isaiah 9:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 9:1-4
Reading
1 There will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness– on them light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder.
4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.
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 Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before 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 a seven-verse “insert” that doesn’t fit well with the chapters and verses before and after it. These verses described a new king (likely Hezekiah who overcame the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE) who will restore lands of two of the Tribes of Israel (Naphtali and Zebulun) taken by the Assyrians in 733.
In verse 4, the author recalled the victory of Gideon and 300 men with trumpets over the Midianites (Judges 7:15-25) and said the king will remove the yoke of military oppression imposed on Israel.
1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Reading
10 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12 What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.
18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Commentary
Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was diverse and Hellenistic. Corinthians emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written in the 50’s (CE) and presented his views on many issues that were controversial in this Jesus Follower Community.
Today’s reading from the opening chapter of the letter follows last week’s reading. In it, Paul called for unity among the Corinthian Jesus Followers. He emphasized that loyalty to a single teacher or to one’s baptizer is not proper and noted that the Christ is not divisible (v.13).
Paul appeared to believe that the primary divisions were between followers of Apollos and himself (v.12 and 3:22). Apollos was from Alexandria in Egypt and was known for his eloquence and knowledge of scriptures (Acts 18:24-28).
Paul identified “eloquent wisdom” (v.17) as the cause of the divisions and a threat to the power of the cross of the Christ.
2020, January 19 ~ Isaiah 49:1-7 and 1 Corinthians 1:1-9
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 49:1-7
Reading
1 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, peoples from far away! The LORD called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb, he named me.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away.
3 And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the LORD, and my reward with my God.”
5 And now the LORD says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and my God has become my strength–
6 he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.
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 Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before 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 from “Second Isaiah” and repeats many themes from last week’s reading (42:1-9). Today’s reading is sometimes called the second of the four “Servant Songs” that are in Isaiah from Chapters 42 to 53.
The overarching themes of the Servant Songs are that Israel has suffered but will be restored and reunified. Israel will be a “light to the nations [pagans, foreigners, Gentiles]” (v. 6). The reading concluded with statements that YHWH is faithful and chose Israel for a special role.
Although the text identifies the servant in this Servant Song as Israel (v. 3), the word “Israel” is not present in verse 3 of most Hebrew manuscripts and may be an addition. If so, in this Servant Song, the “servant” (who has a mission on behalf of Israel) may be an individual or group within Israel that will work for the restoration of Israel.
The author of the Gospel According to Mark adopted many of the motifs of Psalm 22 and of the Suffering Servant Songs (particularly the 4th Servant Song in Chapters 52 and 53) to describe the sufferings of Jesus of Nazareth in the Crucifixion.
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Reading
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, 5 for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you—7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Commentary
Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was diverse and Hellenistic. Corinthians emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written in the 50’s (CE) and presented his views on many issues that were controversial in this Jesus Follower Community.
Today’s reading from the opening chapter is a salutation customary in ancient Greek letters (vv. 1-3) followed by a thanksgiving for the grace of God given to the Jesus Followers in Corinth through Christ Jesus (vv.4-7). Using a clever rhetorical device, Paul praised them for their speech and knowledge (v.5) and spiritual gifts (v.7) as a prelude to discussing these qualities more critically in the body of the letter. In a call for unity, Paul reminded them that they were called into “the fellowship of the Son” (v.9).
Having praised the Corinthians and reminded them of the gifts they had received from God, then Paul launched into his arguments in the verses that follow today’s reading, and appealed that “there be no divisions among you” (v.10).
2020, January 12 ~ Isaiah 42:1-9 and Acts 10:34-43
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 42:1-9
Reading
1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.
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 Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before 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 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 from “Second Isaiah” and verses 1 through 4 are the first of the so-called “Servant Songs” found in Chapters 42, 48, 50 and 52-53. Although there is some ambiguity about whether the “servant” is (a) the prophet Isaiah or (b) Cyrus II (the Great) who defeated the Babylonians in 539 BCE and ended the Babylonian Exile (and who is called the “LORD’s anointed” in Is. 45:1) or (c) Israel, most scholars conclude – based on the overall sense of the texts – that Israel is the “servant” in in this reading and in the Four Servant Songs.
Because he relied on a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (most likely the LXX), the author of the Gospel According to Matthew (12:18-21) paraphrased verses 1 to 4 as part of the “prediction-fulfillment” approach he used to describe Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah.
The author of the Gospel According to Mark adopted many of the motifs of Psalm 22 and of the Suffering Servant Songs (particularly the 4th Servant Song in Chapters 52 and 53) to describe the sufferings of Jesus of Nazareth in the Crucifixion.
Acts 10:34-43
Reading
34 Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ–he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Commentary
The book called “The Acts of the Apostles” was written around 85 to 90 CE by the anonymous author of the Gospel According to Luke. The first 15 chapters of Acts are a didactic “history” of the early Jesus Follower Movement starting with the Ascension of the Christ and ending at the so-called Council of Jerusalem where it was agreed that Gentiles did not have to be circumcised and keep all the Kosher dietary laws in order to become Jesus Followers.
Chapters 16 to 28 of Acts are an account of Paul’s Missionary Journeys, his arrest and his transfer to Rome – and the stories are not always consistent with Paul’s letters.
Today’s reading is a speech by Peter that is a synopsis of the Gospel According to Luke. The speech was given in the context of the conversion of a Roman Centurion, Cornelius, to being a Jesus Follower. The conversion followed Peter’s dream in which he was told that “what God has made clean [referring to foods], you must not call profane” (Ac. 10.15). The story about Cornelius was intended to show that being a Jesus Follower is not inconsistent with Roman citizenship and was available to persons who are Gentiles.
The conversion of Cornelius and the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch in Chapter 8 are presented as important predicates and precedents for the decision at the so-called Council of Jerusalem attended by “the apostles and elders” (Ac.15.4) at which Paul and Peter argued in favor of baptizing Gentiles. James, the brother of Jesus and head of the Church in Jerusalem, decided (reluctantly) that Gentiles could become Jesus Followers and did not have to be circumcised or keep all the Kosher rules (Ac. 15:19-20).
2020, January 5 ~ Jeremiah 31:7-14 and Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienJeremiah 31:7-14
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.
10. Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.”
11. For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
12. They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again.
13. Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
14. I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty,
says the LORD.
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 in poetry style and is part of a two-chapter “Book of Consolation.” The thoughts in these chapters are similar to Second Isaiah (Isaiah of the Exile) in stating that Jerusalem would be restored.
In this reading, the prophet spoke for YHWH (translated as LORD in all capital letters) and went so far as to say that YHWH would reunify all Israel (“Jacob” in vv. 7 and 11 – Jacob’s name was changed to “Israel” after he wrestled with the angel in Genesis 32).
The prophet urged the people to sing with gladness (vv.7 and 12), and to pray to YHWH to save the “remnant” (the usual term for those taken away in the Babylonian Exile).
Ephraim, called YHWH’s firstborn (v.9), was the largest of the 10 tribes in Northern Israel and was often shorthand for Israel – the Northern 10 Tribes. Ephraim was one of Joseph’s sons (Gen.48).
Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a
Reading
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.
Commentary
Ephesus was a large and prosperous city in what is now western Turkey. In the Acts of the Apostles and 1 Corinthians, Paul is said to have visited there. In Ephesus, there were Jesus Followers who were Jews and Jesus Followers who were Gentiles, and they didn’t always agree on what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.
Because the letter contains a number of terms not used in Paul’s other letters and gives new meanings to some of Paul’s characteristic terms, most scholars believe that this letter was written by one of Paul’s disciples late in the First Century. The letter was intended to unify the Jesus Follower community in Ephesus. The first three chapters are theological teachings and the last three chapters consist of ethical exhortations.
In today’s reading from the first chapter, the author was working his way up to the main theme of unity and emphasized that the Christ mediates all the blessings we receive (v.3) and that the Jesus Followers were adopted as God’s children through the Christ (v.5).
He went on to give thanksgiving for the faith of the community (v.15) and prayed that the “eyes of their hearts” will be enlightened (v.18).
2019, December 29 ~ Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3 and Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 61:10 – 62:3
Reading
10. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
62:1. For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. 2. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. 3. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.
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 Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before 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 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 from “Third Isaiah” and is a series of joyful verses. The first two verses (from “I will greatly rejoice” to “spring up before all the nations” are spoken by Zion/Jerusalem. As is often characteristic of psalm-like verses in the Hebrew Bible (as was also true of ancient Canaanite poetry), the verses are repetitive – the idea in one phrase is repeated in slightly different words in the next. For example, “I will greatly rejoice” is followed by “my whole being will exult.” Similarly, Zion is “clothed with garments of salvation” is repeated as the “robe of righteousness.”
In the verses beginning “For Zion’s sake,” the speaker shifts from Zion to the prophet, but the use of repetitive ideas continues: “I will not keep silent” is followed by “I will not rest.” You [Zion] shall wear “a crown of beauty” and “a royal diadem.”
Being “called by a new name” (v.2) meant Zion/Jerusalem will have a change of fortune and a new identity given by YHWH.
Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7
Reading
23. Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian.
4:4. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5. in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7. So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
Commentary
Galatia was a large Roman province in what is now western Turkey. This letter was likely written by Paul in the early 50’s (CE), and dealt (in part) with controversies between Jewish Jesus Followers and Gentile Jesus Followers regarding the continuing importance of Torah (Law) and whether Gentile Jesus Followers had to be circumcised and follow the Kosher dietary laws. It is a “transitional” letter in that – when compared to Paul’s last letter (Romans) — it shows his views on the relationship between the Torah and the Gentile Jesus Followers continued to evolve.
Today’s reading continues Paul’s “law vs. faith” discussion in Galatians. Paul sees the law as “imprisoning” but faith as liberating. When you act because of the compulsion of the law, you are not truly free, but that when live a life of faithfulness because of (and through) the Love of God, you are freed to live as your truest self. All who live a life in the Christ are no longer able to be defined by other categories – all are one in Christ Jesus.
Today’s reading unfortunately omits verses that would help the reader/hearer better understand Paul’s position on the relationship between the law (Torah) and the faithfulness of (not faith in) Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. In the omitted verses, Paul stated that through the grace of the faithfulness of Jesus the Christ/Anointed One, Jesus Followers are “no longer subject to a disciplinarian [the Law] and are children of God through faith” (vv.25-26).
In the second part of today’s reading (beginning with “But in the fulness of time”), Paul emphasizes that Jesus of Nazareth was a human and a Jew (“born of a woman under the law”) to “redeem those under the law” (Jews). The Greek word translated here as “redeem” means to buy back, as in redeeming something one owns from a pawn shop. All persons, because of the Spirit of the Son, are children of God who can call God “Abba” (Aramaic for father) and are heirs of the Kingdom.
2019, December 25 ~ Isaiah 52:7-10 and Hebrews 1:1-12
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 52:7-10
Reading
7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8. Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see
the return of the LORD to Zion.
9. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10. The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.
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 Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before 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 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 central to the message of Second Isaiah. It describes the return of YHWH to Jerusalem and Mount Zion. The “sentinels” (v.8) are the prophets who sing for joy that the Babylonian Exile will end. “Nations” (v.10) is a translation of the Hebrew word “goyim” which is also translatable as the “Gentiles.” In the triumphant return of YHWH to Zion, the Gentiles will also see that YHWH brings salvation.
Hebrews 1:1-12
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.
5. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you”?
6. Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7. Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire.”
8. But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.
9. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
10. And, “In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11. they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like clothing;
12. like a cloak you will roll them up, and like clothing they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end.”
Commentary
The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers, urging them to maintain their Faith and Hope in the face of hardship. The letter developed many important images such as Jesus the Christ as the High Priest. The author emphasized the continuing importance of Jewish tradition and quoted (and paraphrased) extensively from the Greek LXX translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
In today’s reading, the author identifies the Son with Holy Wisdom that was present at creation (Prov. 8:22) in the words ”through whom he also created the worlds.” (v. 2) The author also anticipates the language of the Gospel According to John – “all things came into being through him [the LOGOS or Word]” (John 1:3).
Because the theology of the Trinity was evolving in the late First Century, the author stops short of identifying the Son with the Father as God, and refers to the Son as “a reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being” (v.3) and as superior to angels (v.4).
The quotations in verses 5 to 12 are purportedly about the Son and are “cherry picked” from the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly the Psalms. Verse 5 is a quotation from Psalm 2:7 and from 2 Sam. 7:14, both of which refer to David as God’s son. Verse 6 is a paraphrase of the LXX version of a portion of Deuteronomy 32:43, which says that the “heavens” will worship YHWH when YHWH restores Judea. Verse 7 is a paraphrase of Psalm 104:4. Verses 8 and 9 loosely paraphrase Psalm 45:6-7, a psalm that commemorates a royal wedding, but does not refer to a son. Verses 10 to 12 are based on Psalm 102:25-27, a psalm that is a prayer to YHWH for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple after the Exile. In the Psalm, the quoted verses contrast the permanence of YHWH with the impermanence of heaven and earth.
2019, December 22 ~ Isaiah 7:10-16 and Romans 1:1-7
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 7:10-16
Reading
Again, the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying,
Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.
Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?
Therefore, the LORD himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.
He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.
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 Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before 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 Judeans who had returned to Jerusalem (which was largely destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE) after the Exile had ended.
Chapter 7 is an account of Isaiah’s involvement in the politics of the Kingdom of Judea in the years preceding the Assyrian conquest in 722 BCE of Northern Israel.
The King of Judea (Ahaz) was considering entering an alliance with Assyria against Northern Israel and Syria (Aram) – the “two kings you [Ahaz] are in dread” (v.16). Isaiah urged Ahaz not to enter the alliance. To strengthen the force of Isaiah’s advice, YHWH (through Isaiah) offered Ahaz a “sign” that Isaiah’s advice was sound. Ahaz refused (“I will not put the LORD to the test”), but Isaiah persisted in giving a sign.
The sign was that a “young woman” (v.14) would bear a son whose name would be Immanuel (God is with us). Notwithstanding Isaiah’s advice, Ahaz became a vassal of Assyria.
The “young woman” is usually identified by scholars as the mother of Hezekiah, the king of Judea who succeeded Ahaz and successfully resisted the Assyrians until 701 BCE.
The Hebrew word “almah” (young woman) was translated into Greek in the Septuagint (LXX) as “parthenos” (generally translated as “virgin.”) The version of the Hebrew Scriptures that the Gospel writers knew and used was the LXX, which is why Matt. 1:23 quoted Isaiah as “a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall name him Emmanuel.”
Romans 1:1-7
Reading
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures,
the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our LORD,
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name,
including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.
Commentary
Paul’s letter to the Romans was his longest, last and most complex letter. It was written in the late 50s or early 60s (CE) to a Jesus Follower community that Paul did not establish. Among other messages in the letter, Paul sought to encourage respectful and supportive relationships between the Gentile Jesus Followers and the Jewish Jesus Followers in Rome.
Nero’s predecessor (Claudius) expelled the Jews from Rome in 49 CE. During Nero’s reign (54-68 CE), he allowed Jews (including Jewish Jesus Followers) to return, and this created tensions within the Jesus Follower Community. (They were not called “Christians” until the 80’s.)
Paul died in 62 or 63 CE. Accordingly, the Temple in Jerusalem (which was destroyed in 70) was in full operation all during Paul’s life. As a Jew who was also a Jesus Follower, continued to have expectations about the fullness of the Coming of the Messiah.
Today’s reading is the opening verses of the Letter. It is noteworthy that Paul refers to himself (v.1) as an “apostle” – one who is sent forth. Paul connected the Jesus Follower Movement to the Hebrew Scriptures (v.2) and stated that Jesus the Christ was descended from David (v.3).
Paul asserted that Jesus was “declared to be Son of God” by resurrection from the dead (v.4). In the Gospels (all of which were written later), this declaration was stated to occur earlier and earlier. In Mark and Matthew, it is at Jesus’ Baptism. In Luke, it is at the Annunciation. In John, the LOGOS, the Christ and Jesus are conflated from “the beginning.”
2019, December 15 ~ Isaiah 35:1-10 and James 5:7-10
/in Uncategorized /by Thomas O'BrienIsaiah 35:1-10
Reading
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus
it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Commentary
The Book of Isaiah is a composite of writings from three distinct periods in Ancient Israel’s history. The writings were compiled from about 700 BCE to about 300 BCE.
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 Jerusalem to repent in the 30 years before 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 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 the entirety of Chapter 35. As an analysis of the chapters surrounding Chapter 35 shows, this chapter is an insert into the Book of Isaiah that demonstrates the “patchwork quilt” quality of the Book.
Chapter 34 is an oracle (actually, a diatribe) against Edom – the neighbor of Judea to the East that despoiled Judea during the Exile. Chapter 34, although it is included in First Isaiah, was based on events that occurred during the Exile, so it was clearly written after the Exile (as was Psalm 137 which has many of the same themes).
Chapters 36 to 39 are another insert into the Book and are an “Historical Appendix” that parallels 2 Kings 18 to 20. These chapters describe events in the last days of King Hezekiah (around 701 to 698 BCE).
Chapter 35, as an insert, connects thematically with Chapters 40 to 42 in presenting an eschatological vision of a restored and ideal Judea after the Exile. Chapter 35 is seen as a link to “Second Isaiah” in that the prophet presented hope to the Judeans that they would be the “ransomed of YHWH” (v.10).
James 5:7-10
Reading
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.
You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors!
As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Commentary
Although the authorship of this epistle is not known, it has traditionally been attributed to James, the brother of Jesus, who is presented in Acts of the Apostles as the leader of the Jesus Follower community in Jerusalem. This James is sometimes called “James the Just” and is distinguished from “James the Great” (an apostle, brother of John, and son of Zebedee) and from “James the Less” (apostle and son of Alphaeus).
The letter is addressed to Jewish Jesus Followers and emphasized the importance of good works. This emphasis was understood by some (including Luther) as being opposed to Paul’s position that one is saved by Faith alone. These positions can be reconciled by recognizing that salvation/wholeness does not come from works alone and that a saving Faith leads to good works.
Today’s reading is from the last chapter of the Epistle. The first six verses of the chapter are a condemnation of rich persons for their focus on accumulating wealth and for treating laborers fraudulently. The chapter then shifted in tone and offered consolation to the hearers.
The last verse refers to suffering and patience, and the verses that follow refer to the “endurance” of Job (v.11).
Like many other writings from the late First Century, this reading expressed the understanding that a Second Coming of the Lord was near (v.8). The idea of a Second Coming arose among the Jesus Followers because they affirmed that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), but many of the expectations (based on scripture) regarding the Messiah that were prevalent in the First Century had not occurred. For example, a “New David” had not united the dispersed Jews, restored the nation, and overthrown the Roman overlords. There was not a general peace and good order (Shalom). The expectation of the Second Coming among Jesus Followers gradually evolved into a belief that the Second Coming would bring about (or be a sign of) the fullness of the Kingdom of God on earth.