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2023, November 26 ~ Ezekiel 34:11-24; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25: 31-46

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 26, 2023
FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

Ezekiel 34:11-24

Reading

11 Thus says the LORD God: I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the LORD God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.

20 Therefore, thus says the LORD God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, 22 I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.

Commentary

Ezekiel (whose name means “God strengthens”) is one of the three “Major” Prophets – so called because of the length of the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a priest of the House of Zadok. (Zadok was the High Priest appointed by Solomon and the predecessor of the First Century priests called Sadducees). Ezekiel was among the first group of persons deported by the Babylonians when they captured Jerusalem in 597 BCE.

The Book of Ezekiel is in three parts: (1) Chapters 1 to 24 are prophesies of doom against Jerusalem before the destruction of the Temple in 586 BCE; (2) Chapters 25 to 32 are prophesies against foreign nations; and (3) Chapters 33 to 48 are prophesies of hope for the Judeans written during the Babylonian Exile (586-539 BCE).

The Jewish Study Bible says that Ezekiel “presents some of the most theologically challenging and dynamic material among the prophets of the Bible and some of the most difficult and bizarre passages….He wrestles with the problems posed by the tragedies of Jerusalem’s destruction and the Babylonian exile: Why did God allow the Temple and Jerusalem to be destroyed? Why did God allow the people of Israel to be carried away into exile? What future is there for Israel?” The JSB continues: “The book of Ezekiel, like other biblical writings, attempts to justify the tragedy of the Babylonian exile by arguing that it was a divine punishment for the people’s sin and by pointing to God’s mercy in the future restoration.”

Two of Ezekiel’s most enduring theological developments were the notions that (1) through repentance, sin could be forgiven and Israel could live into a restored covenantal relationship with YHWH, and (2) the Jews had to accept personal responsibility for their own situation rather than blaming it on the sins of their predecessors.

Today’s reading is from the prophesies of hope. Ezekiel spoke for YHWH who was presented as a gathering shepherd (an image also found in Isaiah 40 and Jeremiah 31) who will bring all the dispersed Israelites into their own land (v.13). These assertions follow a condemnation of the “shepherds of Israel” (the kings) who took care of themselves but did not feed the sheep (vv. 2-10). The kings are the “fat and strong sheep” whom YHWH will destroy (v.16) because they neglected the people. YHWH will judge between the good sheep and those who mistreated the weak (vv. 20-22).

The prophet asserts that God’s rule will be manifested in the establishment of David as ruler (vv. 23-24). Although numerous passages imagine a descendant of David as the ideal ruler, this passage seems to envisage a return of David himself. The JSB points out that verse 24 seems to expect a shared rule between YHWH and David, and David will be a “prince” rather than a king, an apparent diminution of royal power.

The creation of a new Davidic order was an important part of the Messianic expectations in Israel after the time of Babylonian Exile. This expectation was grounded on the promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13 that “I [YHWH] will establish his royal throne forever.”

Ephesians 1:15-23

Reading

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, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

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 did not always agree on what it meant to be a Jesus Follower.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament points out that the letter contains 80 terms that are not in those letters of Paul whose authorship is not in dispute. For this reason, and because the letter gave different 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 JANT observes, for example: “For Paul, salvation is a future event, while in Ephesians it is a present experience (2.8).”

The letter may have been written to a number of communities, but it was clearly intended to unify the Jesus Follower community in Ephesus. To this end, it presented the author’s vision of the church. The first three chapters of the letter are theological teachings and focus on the church as a new community in which Jews and Gentiles share equally in God’s blessings. The last three chapters of the letter contain ethical exhortations.

Today’s reading is an introductory thanksgiving prayer for wisdom and for knowledge of the power of Jesus the Christ. The author understood the heart as the seat of understanding so that when the “eyes of the heart were enlightened” (v.18), it would lead to the hope to which the Christ had called the Ephesians.

The author affirmed that this power for belief was given to the Christ through the Resurrection and the seating of the Christ “at God’s right hand” (v.20), a phrase used for Davidic rulers in Psalm 110:1. The Resurrection and exaltation gave the Christ power over hostile spiritual powers (“rule, power and dominion”) for all time (v.21-22). The author spoke of the church as the body of the Christ, and the Christ at its head (vv.22-23).

Matthew 25:31- 46

Reading

31 Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading continues the theme of Chapter 25 – descriptions of the Kingdom of Heaven. The “Son of Man” (v.31) (ben adam in Hebrew and bar adam in Aramaic – literally, son of the human being) is an apocalyptic figure derived largely from Daniel 7:13-14 (“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. 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.”)

The separation of the sheep from the goats is a motif from Ezekiel 34, a portion of which is read today. The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that the right hand (v.33) is the hand with which a blessing would be given. The JANT states that the right hand is the side of righteousness and justice.

The NOAB notes that the reference to “eternal fire” may be derived from 1 Enoch 10.13 which reads: “In those days they [the evildoers] shall be led off to the abyss of fire: and to the torment and the prison in which they shall be confined for ever.”

There are four Books of Enoch and they are described in The Other Bible as intertestamental [i.e. between 200 BCE and 40 CE] apocalyptic writings. They are not included in the Hebrew Bible or the Christian Scriptures but “represent the development of that side of Judaism, to which historically Christendom in large measure owes its existence. Notions such as the conversion of the Gentiles and the coming of the Messiah, the ‘Son of man’ are obvious examples of the continuation in the New Testament of intertestamental Jewish notions.”

The “person” Enoch was a prediluvian patriarch mentioned in Genesis 5:18-24. According to Genesis, Enoch lived 365 years and is one of the two persons in the Hebrew Bible taken up bodily into the presence of God without dying. (The prophet Elijah is the other.) The Other Bible suggests that because Enoch was enraptured or translated bodily into Heaven, he became the center of the apocalyptic tradition and four books of pseudepigrapha bear his name.

The NOAB also observes that the notion of punishment/eternal life after death (v.46) is derived from Dan. 12:2, the first clear biblical reference to resurrection, final judgment and afterlife (“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”)

The NJBC observes that this passage involves “binary thinking” that “stems from the Deuteronomistic theology of a covenant conditioned by human obligation (as opposed to the covenant of unconditional divine commitment represented in the New Testament by Paul’s theology.”

In her book The Difficult Words of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine discussed the topic of eternal punishment and made these observations: the Hebrew Bible does not have a notion of hell as a place of eternal punishment for the wicked; by the First Century, because of the books of Daniel, Maccabees and Enoch, the idea of resurrection at the end times was a popular belief among Jews; in the First Century, the idea that the righteous would be rewarded and the wicked punished was a firmly entrenched view; that the Gospels portray “hell” as a place of obliteration, not torment; that the “outer darkness” is not hell, but is the “back of the line” where the last will be first and the first will be last; that heaven and hell as “real places” gained more traction after Christianity became the State Religion, and this was eventually softened by the development of the concept of Purgatory; and that a belief in a literal hell for “evildoers” is prevalent among persons and in societies where God’s “justice” is seen as retribution (rather than setting all things right) and where God is seen as judgmental rather than merciful and loving.

2023, November 19 ~ Judges 4:1-7; Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 19, 2023

During Pentecost Season 2023, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Judges 4:1-7

Reading

1 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud died. 2 So the LORD sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. 3 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years.

4 At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. 7 I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.’”

Commentary

The Book of Judges is part of the “Deuteronomic History” consisting of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. The over-all message of these books is that the fortunes of Ancient Israel depended on faithfulness of the people and their kings in worshiping YHWH. The Deuteronomists were generally opposed to Israel’s having a temporal king, and there are numerous statements in favor of a theocracy, in which the king of Israel is YHWH (8.23).

This Book “recounted” the “history” of Israel from the death of Joshua to the time of Samuel. If it is historical, the time would have been from about 1,200 to 1,050 BCE.

The Book of Judges described a downward spiral in the moral, religious, and political fortunes of Israel. The recurring pattern was one of worshiping false gods; the LORD’s enabling Israel’s enemies to overcome them; the Israelites crying out to the LORD for help; the LORD raising a deliverer – a “judge” (a person who set things right) who subdued the oppressors; and after the time of the judge, the people backslid into false worship, and the cycle repeated itself.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible observes: “The book is not primarily interested in the real history of this period. Rather, the book’s selective presentation is clearly designed to instruct the reader, to communicate a coherent, didactic message concerning the consequences of disobedience to God.”

The book has six major judge cycles, and the judgeship of Samson (who failed to observe most of the laws of the Torah) was seen as the moral nadir of the period of the Judges.

Today’s reading begins after the death of the Moabite king Eglon at the hands of the left-handed judge, Ehud, in a graphic and scatological manner (3:21-22) and picks up the story of the third major judge of Israel, Deborah.

Deborah was the only female judge of Israel (and one of the few prophetesses beside Miriam and Huldah) and she commanded the Israelite general Barak to assemble an army to defeat King Jabin of Canaan and his general, Sisera (v.6-7), notwithstanding the enormity of Jabin’s forces (900 iron chariots) (v.3). Speaking for YHWH, Deborah assured Barak that YHWH would give him the victory (v.7). The Jewish Study Bible points out that Hazor (v.2) is located in the upper Galilee and was known as a very important city, and Mount Tabor (v.6) is also in that area. The Wadi Kishon (v.7) was one of the most important brooks in the Jezreel Valley – an important agricultural area to this day.

In the verses that follow today’s reading, Barak declined to oppose Sisera unless Deborah would go to the battle with him (v.8). She agreed to accompany him but told him that a woman would have the honor of killing Sisera (v.9).

Barak assembled an army and Sisera was defeated (v.16) because YHWH “threw Sisera and all his chariots and army into a panic” (v.15). Sisera escaped on foot but was seduced by a non-Israelite woman, Jael, who killed him while he was sleeping. She drove a tent peg into his temple. (v.21). There are many famous paintings of this scene.

Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18

Reading

7 Be silent before the LORD God! For the day of the LORD is at hand; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who rest complacently on their dregs, those who say in their hearts, “The LORD will not do good, nor will he do harm.”
13 Their wealth shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.
14 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter, the warrior cries aloud there.
15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.
17 I will bring such distress upon people that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned against the LORD, their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD’s wrath; in the fire of his passion the whole earth shall be consumed; for a full, a terrible end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

Commentary

Zephaniah is another of the 12 “Minor” Prophets. He was a prophet to Judea during the reign of the good King Josiah (640-609 BCE). Because Zephaniah prophesied against many of the practices prohibited by the Book of Deuteronomy, his prophesy is generally dated to 630-620 BCE, the time just before Josiah’s reforms began in 621 BCE. (The Book of Deuteronomy was “discovered” in 622 BCE according to 2 Kings 22).

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary observes that Zephaniah may have been a descendant of King Hezekiah (who thwarted the Assyrian blockade of Jerusalem in 701 BCE). It also notes that during the reign of King Josiah there was a serious effort to undo the apostasy of Josiah ‘s predecessor, Manasseh.

The Book of Zephaniah is only three chapters, and most of the Book concerned the Day of the LORD/YHWH in which YHWH was expected to pour out anger on the people (1:2-6). Zephaniah saw the fate of nations in YHWH’s hands.

In today’s reading, the prophet (speaking for YHWH) noted that the LORD had prepared a “sacrifice” (v.7) which The NAOB understands to mean a “slaughter of evildoers.” The JSB regards this verse as “intentionally ambiguous” and The NJBC notes that the guests were “consecrated” (v.7) in the sense of being prepared as victims.

The remaining verses in today’s reading described punishments for those who “rest complacently on their dregs” (i.e. who become dull from drinking the wine they have stored” (v. 12), those who rely on their wealth (v.18) and those who do not recognize the power of YHWH (v.12).

The LORD’s wrath (v.18) will be visited not only upon the people of Judea, but on “all the inhabitants of the earth” (v.18).

In the last part of Chapter 3 in Zephaniah, however, the message in the Book shifted to oracles of salvation so that the “proudly exultant ones” (3:11) will be removed and only the humble and lowly will be left (3:12). The “remnant” (3:13) — a code word for the Judeans in exile in Babylon – will return to Jerusalem.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Reading

1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So then let us not fall asleep as others do but let us keep awake and be sober; 7 for those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Commentary

Thessalonica is a seaport city and was the capital of Macedonia. It was an important city in Paul’s day for economic, commercial and political reasons. Even 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.”

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians was Paul’s first letter and was written around 50 CE. Accordingly, it is the oldest writing in the Christian Scriptures. 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 letter encouraged the community to be steadfast in the face of persecution. Today’s reading is from the last chapter in the letter in which Paul reflected on the implications of the eschaton (the “end times” in the sense of the end of the world as we now know it) for those who are alive. He expressed his expectation that the day of the Lord (v.2) was immanent and would be sudden and unexpected (v.3). The Jewish Annotated New Testament understands that the phrase “peace and security” that “they” will say (v.3) is “the (false) promise of the Roman Empire” referencing Josephus and Tacitus.

The NAOB points out that the phrase “children of light” (v.5) is also found in the Qumran Literature of the Essenes to distinguish the righteous from the non-righteous. The JANT observes that light is associated with Torah in Proverbs 6:23 and that God is pictured as light in Psalm 104.

Paul reinterpreted the Day of the Lord, however, from an eschatological day of punishment (as it is often described by the prophets, including Zephaniah) and instead presented the Day of the Lord as a return of the Christ (4:17-18) — the Parousia. He urged the Thessalonians to be ready and reassured them that they were destined for salvation (v.9). Paul noted that salvation is destined for all – whether alive or dead (“awake or asleep”).

Matthew 25:14-30

Reading

14 Jesus said, “It is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading continues the series of descriptions of the Kingdom of Heaven in Chapter 25. In recent weeks, the Kingdom of Heaven (referred to as the Kingdom of God in Mark and Luke) was presented a something that comes unexpectedly – as a thief in the night (24:43) or as a master who returns unexpectedly (24:50), or as a bridegroom who arrives at midnight (25:6). Here, the master gave five Talents (about $4.5 million) to one slave/servant, two Talents ($1.8 Million) to another and one Talent ($900 K) to the third slave. These are large sums and would have been overwhelming amounts in the First Century, but the story assumes that the servants had the skills to manage these large amounts.

The treatment by the master of the first two servants is clear — they are given greater responsibilities and “enter into the joy” of the master (v.23). The third servant, however, seemed to accuse the master of some form of dishonesty in saying that he “reaped where he did not sow” and “gathered where he did not scatter.” The response of the master to “invest the money with bankers” to earn interest would, however, been seen as usury in the First Century. The statement that “those who have” will be given more but “from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away” (v.29) is difficult, as is the statement about being cast into outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth (v.30).

The JANT understands the hiding of one’s Talent as referring to those who fail to act righteously, “outer darkness” as eschatological punishment, and “gnashing of teeth” as a sign of anger or frustration.

The NJBC sees the story as recommending a proper use of one’s talents before the Son of Man returns, and speculates that the story may be a criticism of “a static (Sadducean?) attitude toward religious tradition.”

In her book The Difficult Words of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine analyzed the phrase “outer darkness” and provided these insights: the Hebrew Bible does not have a notion of hell as a place of eternal punishment for the wicked; by the First Century, because of the books of Daniel, Maccabees and Enoch, the idea of resurrection at the end times was a popular belief among Jews; in the First Century, the idea that the righteous would be rewarded and the wicked punished was a firmly entrenched view; that the Gospels portray “hell” as a place of obliteration, not torment; that the “outer darkness” is not hell, but is the “back of the line” where the last will be first and the first will be last; that heaven and hell as “real places” gained more traction after Christianity became the State Religion, and this was eventually was softened by the development of the concept of Purgatory; and that a belief in a literal hell for “evildoers” is prevalent among persons and in societies where God’s “justice” is seen as retribution and where God is seen as judgmental rather than merciful.

2023,November 12 ~ Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25; Wisdom 6:12-16; Amos 5:18-24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 12, 2023

During Pentecost Season 2023, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading. This week, Track 2 offers a choice of readings between the Wisdom of Solomon or Amos.

The readings from the Epistle and the Gospel are the same in both tracks.

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Reading

1 Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors —Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor — lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many.

14 “Now therefore revere the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt and serve the LORD. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18 and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore, we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.”

19 But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.” 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the LORD!” 22 Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” 24 The people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.

Commentary

The authors of the Book of Joshua also wrote the books of Deuteronomy, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. These five books are usually called the “Deuteronomic History,” a didactic history of Ancient Israel from the time in the Wilderness (c.1250 BCE) to the Babylonian Captivity in 587 BCE. The Book of Joshua portrays in a simplified form the fulfillment of God’s covenantal promises to the patriarchs and serves as an introduction to the subsequent stories in the Deuteronomic History.

Portions of these five books were first written during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 BCE) and were given their final form around 500 BCE – long after the events they described. The authors used the stories to demonstrate that it was the failures of the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judea to worship YHWH properly 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.)

Today’s reading is from the last chapter of the Book of Joshua. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary sees it as a relatively late addition to the book of Joshua and as an appropriate finale to the book.

In the earlier chapters, the Israelites (led by Joshua) entered and swiftly (and in an idealized manner) conquered the Promised Land. For example, The Jewish Study Bible points out that archeological evidence shows that the walls of Jericho ceased to exist long before any conquest in the 1200s BCE. It sees the story more symbolic than historical. The conquest involved – according to the story – the extermination of everyone and everything in Jericho except the prostitute Rahab and her family because they had hidden Joshua’s spies before the attack (6:17-19). After allocating the lands among the tribes, the Israelites entered the “Covenant at Shechem” described in today’s reading.

Shechem was a major political and religious city in Northern Israel and part of the tribe of Ephraim (one of Joseph’s sons). Joseph’s bones were buried there. Locating the making of the Covenant at Shechem showed its importance.

The Covenant is structured as a typical Middle Eastern suzerainty treaty in which the Lord (in this case, YHWH) recounted all that was done for the Israelites (vv.2-13) and the “vassal” (the Israelites) agreed to obey and serve YHWH.

Here, the Israelites swore, acting as their own witnesses against themselves (v.22), to revere and serve YHWH and to put away foreign gods (vv. 16-23). After the Covenant was made, Joshua died (v.29). After Joshua’s death, there was a downward moral and religious spiral in Israel that was recounted in the Book of Judges.

Today’s reading established the legal predicate for the Deuteronomists’ conclusion that Israel’s failure to live up to this Covenant was the cause of the conquest of Northern Israel in 722 BCE and the Babylonian Captivity in 587 BCE. The NJBC points out that verse 20 is a “succinct summary of the Deuteronomic theology.”

Wisdom 6:12-16

Reading

12 Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her.
13 She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
14 One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate.
15 To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care,
16 because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought.

Commentary

The full title of this Book is “The Wisdom of Solomon.” This book is not in the Hebrew Bible but is in the Apocrypha (hidden books) in Protestant Bibles and is in the Wisdom Books in Roman Catholic Bibles.

Like other Wisdom Literature, it is (incorrectly) attributed to Solomon who reigned a United Israel from 968 to 928 BCE.

Although the author quotes portions of Solomon’s prayer for wisdom (1 Kings 3:6-9) in the first person (8:21-9:18), scholars agree that the Book of Wisdom was written in Greek by a Jew in the late First Century BCE to Jews living outside Israel (most likely in Alexandria). It encouraged them to maintain their Judaism while integrating it with Hellenistic culture.

The NJBC notes that the author used the Septuagint (LXX) version of the Hebrew Bible in composing the book. The author also used a number of Greek literary and philosophical ideas (such as immortality and a Greek listing of virtues). He portrayed Wisdom as an emanation of divine power that pervades the entire world and finds its most perfect expression in the revelations to Israel. According to The NJBC, the author’s view of immortality was not derived from the nature of the soul but from one’s relationship with God.

The NJBC concludes that the author attempted to create “a synthesis between anthropocentric Greek humanism and a theocentric Hebrew humanism by broadening the purely ethical connotations of wisdom to include the profane learning of Hellenism.”

Today’s reading celebrated Wisdom (“Sophia” in Greek) and described her (as does Chapter 8 in Proverbs) as a woman whom one should seek (v.12).

Amos 5:18-24

Reading

18 Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the LORD: Alas for you who desire the day of the LORD! Why do you want the day of the LORD? It is darkness, not light;
19 as if someone fled from a lion and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall and was bitten by a snake.
20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.

Commentary

After Solomon died in 930 BCE, the Kingdom of Israel split into two parts, the North (called Israel with 10 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 a time of great inequality between rich and poor in which large landowners gained control of the lands of small farmers.

Amos was a cattle herder and cared for fig trees in Judea, but he was called by YHWH to go north to prophesy (speak for the LORD) against Israel from about 760 to 750 BCE. Amos 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.

Today’s reading amounted to a reversal of the prior understanding of the “Day of the LORD/YHWH.” The NJBC points out that the Day of the LORD had been understood as a day of rejoicing because YHWH’s enemies were assumed to be the same as Israel’s. But because of Israel’s failure to observe the covenant, the prophet (speaking for YHWH) said the Day of the LORD/YHWH will be a time of darkness (v.20). Amos/YHWH said that instead of empty rituals (vv.20-23), YHWH desired justice and righteousness (v. 24).

This was a major reinterpretation of the Day of the LORD and emphasized that Israel would also be accountable on that day. The Jewish Study Bible points out: “The text does not state that sacrifices – or any other cultic rituals – are wrong per se, but rather that those brought by people who behave in a manner offensive to God are unacceptable to God.”

The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that the “festivals” and “assemblies” in v.21 referred to the three major pilgrimage feasts in Judaism: Passover, Pentecost and Sukkot.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Reading

13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Commentary

Thessalonica is a seaport city and was the capital of Macedonia. It was an important city in Paul’s day for economic, commercial and political reasons. Even 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.”

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians was Paul’s first letter and was written around 50 CE. Accordingly, it is the oldest writing in the Christian Scriptures. 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 letter encouraged the community to be steadfast in the face of persecution. In today’s reading, Paul (apparently responding to a question from some of the Thessalonians) reassured them that even those who die before the Parousia (Second Coming) will participate fully in it (v.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.17).

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 that at the Second Coming, the Kingdom of God/Heaven will be accomplished and the coming of the Messiah will be fulfilled.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament points out that verse 14 is a clear statement by Paul that those who had faith in Jesus will be resurrected. The JANT goes on to note that verses 16 and 17 are the primary source of the idea of the “Rapture” – a view developed in the late 19th Century that the righteous will be taken to heaven and escape the eschatological tribulation – the “wrath that is coming” (1:10).

Matthew 25:1-13

Reading

1 Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading is described by The NAOB as “an apocalyptic parable that exhorts the community not to lose hope or patience and to remain prepared.” The NAOB notes that typically lamps were carried in the procession with the bridegroom who would be coming from the house of the bride’s parents to his own house, and everyone would take part in the procession. The NAOB observes that the omission of the phrase “and the bride” in verse 1 may indicate an effort to allegorize the bridegroom as the Messiah. The translator’s notes point out, however, that these words are included in other ancient authorities.

The JANT and The NJBC see the oil for the lamps as an allegory for good works, suggesting that the foolish bridesmaids did not have sufficient good works. The NJBC continues: “The refusal by the wise does not constitute lack of charity or helpfulness. Their good works are not completely transferable.” Given the fact that Matthew’s Gospel was aimed at the Jewish Jesus Follower community, the emphasis on works is understandable.

2023, November 5 ~ Revelation 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
NOVEMBER 5, 2023
ALL SAINTS’ DAY OBSERVED

Revelation 7:9-17

Reading

9 After this I, John, looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

11 And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

15 “For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.

16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;

17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

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 revelation from God conveyed by an angel or other heavenly body. Apocalyptic writings used symbolic language to convey God’s hidden plan and presents 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.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that the today’s verses are an “interlude between the 6th and 7th seals.” (The “seals” are sealed scrolls that are — according to Revelation — delivered to Jesus depicted as a Lamb who received the seven sealed scrolls that come from the hand of God. The scrolls give a series of visions.) This interlude contained “two visions which provide the promise of divine protection for the faithful during the time of tribulation (vv.1-8) and the assurance of ultimate salvation (vv.9-17). The verses preceding today’s reading spoke of 144,000 persons from the 12 Tribes of Israel being “sealed” (vv.4-8).

The Jewish Annotated New Testament points out: “In 14.1-5, the 144,000 are credited with a special degree of purity that involved celibacy, whether out of priestly tradition or reflecting rules for holy war (Ex 19.15; Lev 22.1-9; 1 Sam 21.4).”

In today’s reading, those who worship the Lamb were “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (v.9). They have symbols of righteousness (white robes) and victory (palm branches – 1 Macc. 13:51) (v. 9) because blood (sacrifice) leads to victory (white).

Verse 12 gave seven qualities of God in the form of praise. The idyllic state that is described in verse 16a (hunger and thirst no more) was derived from Isaiah 49:10, and “the sun will not strike them” (v.16b) was based on Psalm 121:6. Paradoxically, the Lamb is also the shepherd (verse 17). God as “shepherd” is best known from Psalm 23 and the Fourth Gospel.

The JANT also observes that the idea of purification by means of martyrdom may have been inspired by Dan. 11:35 (“Some of the wise shall fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed, until the time of the end, for there is still an interval until the time appointed.”) and that the idea of great tribulation was common among early Jesus Followers.

1 John 3:1-3

Reading

1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Commentary

First John is the traditional title of one of the three documents collectively called “the Johannine letters.” None of the three letters named the author or claimed to have been written by the author of the Fourth Gospel.

The author of the First Letter of John was likely a disciple of the author of the Fourth Gospel, and part of a group of teachers (“We declare to you” – 1:1). The letter was written after 100 CE to a group of Jesus Followers who were receiving conflicting messages about the messiahship of Jesus. Some false teachers denied the humanity of Jesus; others denied the equivalence of the Son and the Father. The letter was written in opposition to these false teachers.

Because the letter does not contain citations from the Hebrew Bible, The JANT concludes that this letter was written to a Gentile audience that was unfamiliar with Jewish Scripture.

Eusebius (c.260-340 CE) attributed the letter the author of the Fourth Gospel. Eusebius was a bishop who wrote the first “history” of Christianity during and after the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine (272-337 CE). Scholars today recognize that although many of the phrases in 1 John remind readers of the Fourth Gospel, both the language and the theology indicate that it was written by a person who was part of a group of followers of the author of the Fourth Gospel.

Today’s reading emphasized that God shares God’s love with us, and we can therefore be called “children of God.” As such, we are called to become like Jesus the Christ. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary understands today’s reading as follows: “Affirming the present reality of God’s love in making Christians ‘children of God’ has three consequences. Christians do not belong to the world which failed to receive Jesus. Christians will lead lives of holiness like the Christ. Christians are confident of an even greater salvation in the future.” It understands verse 2 to say that “a common theme in Hellenistic religion was that ‘like would know like’ — the human being who knows God is divinized…and this experience is mediated through Jesus.”

Matthew 5:1-12

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading is known as “The Beatitudes” from the Latin word “beatus” (meaning “blessed”) which is a translation from the Greek “makarios” (which means “fortunate”). The Beatitudes are the first part of the Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5 to 7), which has similarities to the shorter “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke 6:17-38. Luke has four Beatitudes and Matthew has eight. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary says that both the Sermons are “Q” materials.

The ascent up the mountain to teach (v.1) is reminiscent of Moses’ going up the Holy Mountain (Sinai or Horeb, depending on the source) to receive the Teaching (the Torah). The Sermon on the Mount is part of Matthew’s presentation of Jesus of Nazareth as a “New Moses” whose life was threatened by the temporal king (Pharaoh/Herod), who traveled to Egypt, came back from Egypt to Israel (the Exodus/return to Israel in Matt. 2:21), went into the water (Moses in the bulrushes and the Sea of Reeds/Jesus’ Baptism), spent time in the Wilderness (40 years/40 days), and taught from the mountain.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes that similar blessings appear in Jewish literature and that the word “makarioi” appears 68 times in the Septuagint, usually as a translation of the Hebrew word “ashrei” meaning “happy are …” The JANT points out that “meek shall inherit the earth” (v.5) is similar to Ps. 37:11 (“But the meek shall inherit the land”). The JANT interprets the “meek” as those who do not take advantage of their position, and notes that in Jewish literature, the “heart” (v.8) represented the center of thought and conviction.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible offers similar interpretations and sees “meek” not as submissive or inconsequential, but rather aware of one’s proper position and not overweening. “Pure in heart” (v.8) is understood as sincere and free from mixed motives.

Verses 11 and 12 reflect the fact that the Jesus Follower Community in the late First Century faced hostility from both Jews and pagans. Prophets who were persecuted (v.12) include Elijah, Amos, and Jeremiah.

2023, October 29 ~ Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Leviticus 19:1-2,15-18; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
OCTOBER 29, 2023

During Pentecost Season 2023, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Reading

1 Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. 4 The LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” 5 Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, at the LORD’s command. 6 He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. 7 Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired, and his vigor had not abated. 8 The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

9 Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had commanded Moses.

10 Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. 11 He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, 12 and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

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 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 notions of YHWH’s being the all-powerful protector of Israel and Judea, that YHWH was faithful to the promises made by YHWH, and that YHWH controlled everything that occurred.

Today’s reading is the last chapter of the Torah and a segue to the Book of Joshua. The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that this chapter was originally a continuation of chapters 31 and the last part of chapter 32. (Chapter 33 is Moses’ blessing of the Israelites and follows the general pattern of Jacob’s blessing of his sons in Genesis 49.) The Jewish Study Bible opines that Chapter 34 is actually a continuation from Numbers 27 where God commanded Moses to “ascend these heights” and to “lay your hand” upon Joshua, so that “the editors interrupted the narrative in order to work Deuteronomy into the Torah.”

This reading recounted Moses’ death “at the LORD’s command” (v.5) rather than his dying of old age or an infirmity. This is seen in Jewish commentaries as a great blessing on Moses. Moreover, instead of Moses’ progeny burying him, the LORD buried him (v.6).

Moses’ authority was passed to Joshua, the main character in the next book of the Bible, by Moses’ laying hands on him (v.9), so that he would have the “spirit of wisdom” which Deuteronomy stressed as the essential qualification of office.

Moses’ burial site is unknown (v. 6) lest it become a place of veneration. The NOAB points out that Mount Nebo and Pisgah (v.1) are different places, but the authors of the book treated them as the same place to respect two different traditions about the place of Moses’ death and burial. The NOAB advises that according to Deuteronomy 21:13, thirty days is the full mourning period stipulated for a parent, and was applied to Moses (v.8) and Aaron (Num. 20:29).

Although Moses had two sons by Zipporah according to Ex.4:20, The JSB observes that Moses left behind no progeny and “the Torah alone is the enduring Mosaic bequest.”

The statement that Moses knew YHWH “face to face” (v.10) became part of Israel’s Messianic expectation when combined with Deut. 18:18 (“I [YHWH] will raise up for them a prophet like you [Moses] from among their own people.”) The Gospel According to Matthew (unlike the other Gospels) especially portrayed Jesus of Nazareth as the New Moses.

Ironically (and reflecting different religious and theological traditions within the Torah), last week’s reading specifically said Moses could not see YHWH’s face and live (Ex. 33:20-23).

Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18

Reading

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

15 You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.

17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Commentary

Leviticus is the third book of the Torah and is mostly concerned with laws and the worship of YHWH. The book gets its name from the priests who were of the Tribe of Levi. It is part of the Priestly writings and dated to the time of the Exile (587-539 BCE) and after the Exile.

Today’s reading is part of the “Holiness Code” written after the Exile that comprises Chapters 17 to 26. The opening verses call the people of Israel (and us) to be “holy” – which is understood as being “separate” (that is, not OF this world and its values, even though we are IN this world). The call to be “holy” is also found in Exodus 19:6 and Numbers 15:40. The JSB says that the phrase “I am the LORD your God” (v.1) is approximately equivalent to “because I, the LORD, say so.”

The JSB suggests that the underlying theology of Leviticus is that “through all the performance of all the commanded deeds and the avoidance of all prohibited actions, all Israelites are able to absorb the effusion of the divine Presence in their midst (see 6.11) and be holy.”

The omitted verses (3-14) contain a series of laws that are similar to the Ten Commandments.

The second part of the reading (vv. 15-18) continues the tone of the Ten Commandments but assumes a settled society. Verse 15 is directed at judges or elders to make fair decisions. Verse 16 prohibits spreading false rumors or profiting when a neighbor is falsely accused. The JSB suggests that verse 17 is better rendered as “Do not hate your kinsfolk in your heart, rather correct your kinsman lest you incur guilt because of him.”

Verse 18 (“love your neighbor as yourself”) became the Second Great Commandment in the Gospels when combined with Deut. 6:5 (“Love the LORD [YHWH] your God”) (Mark 12:31).

The JSB observes: “In the priestly worldview, ethical behavior is a religious act only when performed as an act of obedience to God.”

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

Reading

1 You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6 nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Commentary

Thessalonica is a seaport city and was the capital of Macedonia. It was an important city in Paul’s day for economic, commercial and political reasons. Even 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.” Macedonia and Achaia (Greece) (v.7) were Roman provinces.

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians was Paul’s first letter and was written around 50 CE. Accordingly, it is the oldest writing in the Christian Scriptures. 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.

In today’s reading, Paul spoke of having been “shamefully mistreated at Philippi” (v.2). This may refer to his imprisonment described in Acts 16:16-40 for exorcising a slave-girl who was engaged in divination and was verbally harassing Paul. He also spoke of “opposition” and used imagery of an athletic contest (agōni). According to The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, this usage was common among Stoic and Cynic philosophers who compared philosophical exposition to a gladiator’s struggle.

In noting that “our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery,” Paul was (according to The NOAB) distancing himself from charlatans who opposed him.

Paul was never bashful about making the claim that he was an “apostle” (v.7) – one who is sent out with the Gospel message, and the “demands” he was making (v.7) are understood by The Jewish Annotated New Testament as requests for financial support. In the same verse, he also described himself as a “nurse.” In Greek, the word he used (trophos) is better understood as a “wet nurse” or nursing mother – one who feeds children from her breast, an image that conveyed Paul’s great care for the Thessalonians.

Matthew 22:34-46

Reading

34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: 42 “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

45 If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” 46 No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading has two parts – the Great Commandments and the Son of David Question. The exchange between Jesus and others was set in the days after the “Cleansing of the Temple” but before the Last Supper. The account in Mark is with the scribes, not the Pharisees, and Luke’s account of the Two Great Commandments is given as part of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The NOAB understands the “lawyer” to be a scholar of the Torah, a scribe. The JANT points out that the word lawyer (nomikos) appears only once in Matthew but is in Luke six times. The NJBC says: “The Pharisees as the popular party were interested in popular education and summaries were indispensable to that end.”

Jesus’ answer has quotations from Deuteronomy 6:5 (the “Schema” – the basic affirmation of Jewish belief, and according to Jewish practice recited twice daily) and Leviticus 19:18. The NJBC points out: “The rabbis stressed this part of the commandment [Deut. 6:5] – ‘heart’ meant will; ‘soul’ meant life and ‘strength’ meant wealth. Matthew did not translated ‘strength,’ but gave another translation of ‘heart’ as mind.”

The NOAB notes that the Talmud says that Rabbi Hillel responded to this question as follows: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary; go and learn it.”

Hillel, sometimes called Hillel the Elder or Hillel the Great, died around 10 CE. He was a Jewish religious leader, sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and was the founder of the House of Hillel school of interpretation. He was active during the end of the first century BCE and the beginning of the first century CE.

In the second part of the exchange, the underlying premise was that David was the author of the Psalms. The Psalm quoted was 110:1. Stating that the Messiah was the “Son of David” had multiple meanings in the First Century, including the notion of a king and military leader who would unify the 12 tribes and rid Israel of its oppressors.

2023, October 22 ~ Exodus 33:12-23; Isaiah 45:1-7; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
OCTOBER 22, 2023

During Pentecost Season 2023, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Exodus 33:12-23

Reading

12 Moses said to the LORD, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14 He [YHWH] said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he [Moses] said to him [YHWH], “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I, and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.”

17 The LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he [YHWH] said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” 21 And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23 then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

Commentary

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible and covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness.

The Book of Exodus (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which were written down 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, called “J” (Yahwistic), “E” (Elohistic), “D” (Deuteronomic) and “P” (Priestly). 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.

Today’s reading follows the story of the Golden Calf. After Moses broke the tablets of the 10 Words, he berated Aaron, who in turn lamely blamed the people for the making of the Golden Calf – which he claimed formed itself. (32:21-24). Moses then directed the Levites to kill 3,000 Israelites for making the idol and using it as a means to have YHWH’s presence (32:27-28). For killing the 3,000, Moses declared that the Levites were “ordained” persons (v.29). YHWH then sent a plague upon the people (v.35) and told Moses to lead the people to the Promised Land (33:1). YHWH also told Moses that YHWH’s angel would go before them, but not YHWH lest YHWH “consume” these “stiff necked people” (33:2-3). The account says that YHWH spoke to Moses “face to face as one speaks to a friend” (v.11a).

In today’s reading, Moses again sought reassurance that YHWH would accompany the Israelites (v.12) to the Promised Land. Although YHWH had declined to do so because of the misguided attempt (through the Golden Calf) to secure YHWH’s presence, YHWH relented because of the special relationship to Moses – he knew Moses “by name” (vv.12 and 17). The Jewish Study Bible opines that the phrase “let me know your ways” (v.13) means “the principles by which you [YHWH] deal with human sin.” In the same verse, Moses pushed back that the Israelites were YHWH’s people. The JSB notes that “The proof of divine favor is being led by God Himself, not an intermediary.” YHWH then agreed to accompany them (v.17)

YHWH also reconfirmed his name in terms that were just as elliptical as the name given in the Burning Bush story – “I will be what I will be.” (3:14). Here, the name was revealed as “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (v.19). All these names emphasize that God is a mystery that can never be fully understood or contained.

Although YHWH was assumed by the authors to have a human form – with a hand, back and face in v. 23 – God’s face can never be seen. The JSB points out that this contradicts verse 11 and shows that the two statements came from different sources.

Isaiah 45:1-7

Reading

1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their robes, to open doors before him — and the gates shall not be closed:
2 I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me.
5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides me there is no god. I arm you, though you do not know me,
6 so that they may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is no one besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness. I make weal and create woe; I the LORD do all these things.

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 ended.

The Persian King, Cyrus II (558-530 BCE), defeated the Babylonians in 539 BCE and decreed the return of the Judeans to Jerusalem in the next year (Ezra 1:1-4).

In today’s reading, Isaiah spoke for YHWH to Cyrus and described him as “YHWH’s anointed” (v.1) to free the Judeans from the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE) and to spread YHWH’s fame (vv.4, 6). Cyrus was described as a “Messiah” commissioned by YHWH to conquer Babylon, and therefore to play a significant role in the restoration of Jerusalem. The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that this is “the only biblical passage in which ‘messiah’, i.e., anointed ruler, refers to a non-Israelite.” Others who were anointed in the Hebrew Bible were kings, priests, and some prophets.

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary points out that the phrase “whose right hand I have grasped” (v.1) refers to the practice of the Babylonian kings grasping the hand of their patron god, Bel-Marduk, at their coronation.

The verses state that YHWH controls everything (vv.5-7) and dictates the course of history. The JSB observes: “God did not give Cyrus these great victories for Cyrus’s sake. Rather, the purpose of Cyrus’s rise to power is twofold: to liberate Israel, and thus to spread the fame of the one true God of Israel throughout the world.”

The NOAB states that on a cylinder inscribed in 538 BCE, Cyrus attributed his victory to Marduk, the god of Babylon.

The Persians ruled over Israel and Judea until 333 BCE when Alexander the Great defeated them. The Persian Period (539-333) was generally one of peace and prosperity in Judea and saw a substantial number of texts composed that are part of the Hebrew Bible.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Reading

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead — Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

Commentary

Thessalonica is a seaport city and was the capital of Macedonia. It was an important city in Paul’s day for economic, commercial and political reasons. Even 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.” Macedonia and Achaia (Greece) (v.7) were Roman provinces.

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians was Paul’s first letter and was written around 50 CE. Accordingly, it is the oldest writing in the Christian Scriptures, and The NJBC considers it noteworthy that in this early writing, Paul referred to God as “Father” and to Jesus of Nazareth both as “Lord” and as “Christ.”

The NOAB says: “After being mistreated at Philippi (2.2; Acts 16.19-40), Paul went to Thessalonica where he established this congregation. After a painful separation (2.17) and the failure of repeated efforts to return (2.18), Paul dispatched Timothy to Thessalonica from Athens (3.1) while he later moved on to Corinth (Acts 18.1-17). From there, perhaps around 50 CE, he wrote this letter.” The letter is addressed to Gentile Jesus Followers (“how you turned to God from idols”)(v.9).

The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes that Acts 17.1-10 also recounts Paul’s activity in Thessalonica, but there are discrepancies between the epistle and Acts that raise questions about Acts’ historicity. For example, Acts speaks of Paul’s synagogue evangelism and outreach to the Jewish community, but “none of Paul’s letters mentions this practice.”

The NOAB notes that in speaking of a “church” (v.1), Paul used the term for a citizen assembly. Paul’s reference to faith, love, and hope (v.3) is a familiar combination that he used in many other letters. By using the phrases “beloved by God” and “chosen,” Paul used phrases from Deuteronomy that described the special call of Israel.

In today’s reading, Paul spoke of “persecutions” the Philippians received (v.6), but it is not clear what those persecutions were. Looking at 2.16-18, The NOAB observes that “the polemics [in these verses] are directed to Jewish persecutors of the Judean churches, not all Jews” and that the polemics “resonate with other ‘intra-Jewish’ debates of Paul’s day.” Looking at 3:3 and the verses that follow it, The NOAB speaks of “persecution” as “a term Paul uses for the apocalyptic horrors preceding Christ’s end-time appearance, the ‘parousia.’”

Although Paul referred to Jesus of Nazareth as “the Christ” (v.3), he recognized that not all of the events expected from the coming of the Messiah had been accomplished. Paul therefore expected a parousia – a Second Coming – when Jesus would come and rule (v.10). Much of the letter to the Thessalonians encourages them to remain steadfast until these end times occur.

The JANT notes: “The resurrection of Jesus [v.10] is the model for the eventual resurrection of all believers. Resurrection of the dead, a Pharisaic notion [citing Josephus], is found in Second Temple and rabbinic descriptions of the messianic age [citing a Talmudic source] which claims that resurrection is a teaching derived from the Torah.”

Matthew 22:15-22

Reading

15 The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” 21 Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading is found in all the Synoptic Gospels, and is a continuation of Jesus’ controversial exchanges at the Temple in his last week before his Crucifixion. In Mark, the chief priests, scribes and elders sent some Pharisees and some Herodians to question Jesus. In Matthew, the Pharisees sent their disciples along with some Herodians in a plot to entrap Jesus. In Luke, the scribes and chief priests sent “spies” to trap him.

The Pharisees were known as “separatists” because, as The JANT notes, they “separated” from ritually impure food and from those who were not scrupulous about Levitical purity and tithes. Josephus estimated that there were only about 6,000 of them (out of about 500,000 persons in Israel) in the first half of the First Century. The JANT continues that the Pharisees had three major characteristics: (1) they represented artisans and small farmers; (2) their beliefs were not influenced by Greek thought; and (3) they accepted the “traditions of the fathers” which became what the rabbis later called the Oral Torah. Much of the antipathy towards the Pharisees in the Gospels is likely the result of the struggle between the Jesus Follower Movement and the Pharisees for control of Judaism in the period after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.

The Herodians were a political group that supported Rome’s client rulers (the Herods, including Herod Antipas in the Galilee). They would therefore have treated non-payment of the annual poll tax as treasonous. On the other hand, based on strict observance of the law of Moses (advocated by the Pharisees) payment of the tax was not lawful because the only sovereign is God.

The JANT notes: “The background for this passage may be events of 6-7 CE when a prophetic leader named Judas the Galilean (mentioned in Acts 5.37) organized a movement to worship God alone and to refuse to pay the tax to Caesar [citing Josephus].” According to Josephus, Judas saw this taxation as “no better than an introduction to slavery, and exhorted the nation to assert their liberty.” This Galilean Revolt was the reason the Romans adopted direct rule of Israel.

The denarius was a day’s wage, and The NOAB says the silver denarius came from the imperial mint and had images and inscriptions honoring the emperor as divine.

Jesus’ ambiguous answer did not literally advocate nonpayment of the tax and could be understood as saying that all things belong to God, and therefore nothing belongs to the emperor.

Citing Josephus, The NOAB says that the poll tax was one of the reasons for the Jewish Revolt in 66 CE that led to the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.

2023, October 15 ~ Exodus 32:1-14; Isaiah 25:1-9; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
OCTOBER 15, 2023

During Pentecost Season 2023, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Exodus 32:1-14

Reading

1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the LORD.” 6 They rose early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to revel.

7 The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”

11 But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

Commentary

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible and covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness.

The Book of Exodus (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which were written down 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, called “J” (Yahwistic), “E” (Elohistic), “D” (Deuteronomic) and “P” (Priestly). 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.

Today’s reading is separated by 11 Chapters from last week’s reading in which YHWH gave the Decalogue and the people asked Moses to serve as their covenant mediator by speaking directly with YHWH (Ex. 20:19).

Chapters 21 to 23 contain ordinances that deal with particular cases. This is called the “Covenant Collection.” In the next chapter, Moses and the people ratified the Covenant (24:8), and Moses went up to the top of Mount Sinai (24:18) for forty days and forty nights – a euphemism for a long time. In Chapters 25 to 31, YHWH was said to give instructions to Moses on building and furnishing a Tabernacle, ordaining priests, and priests’ vestments. YHWH emphasized that observance of the sabbath was the sign of the perpetual covenant between HYWH and the Israelites (31:16). Finally, YHWH gave Moses two tablets on which YHWH had written the covenant (31:18).

All these chapters contain the instructions about the way in which YHWH would dwell among the Israelites and be acknowledged as their God. Because the account of the Golden Calf follows soon after these instructions, the authors of Exodus wanted to emphasize that making an idol was a perverted, humanly- devised means of securing God’s presence and was a violation of YHWH’s instructions.

The Golden Calf story has some curious elements. The gold for the idol presumably came from the gold jewelry that was mysteriously given to the Israelites by Egyptians when they were leaving Egypt (12:35-36). Aaron, who was Moses’ brother and the first High Priest, led the idolatry (v.5).

The calf/young bull was a symbol of strength and fertility, key elements in Baal worship that was present in Israel until the Exile (587 BCE), and was also present in other Middle Eastern religions. Ironically, the “festival” (vv. 5-6) was not for the worship of some other “gods,” but was a festival to YHWH (v.6). Making the idol itself, however, was a violation of the commandment that no idols of God could be made (20:4).

Angrily, YHWH told Moses that the Israelites were “your” people (v.7) and that YHWH was going to “consume” them (v.10) and make of Moses a great nation. In urging YHWH to change his mind, Moses appealed both to YHWH’s reputation with other nations and his earlier unconditional promises to the patriarchs (v.12-14). Implicit in this is the notion that somehow God cares about reputation. The Jewish Study Bible points out that “Moses’ invocation of the patriarchs became the precedent for the postbiblical idea of ‘the merit of the ancestors’ in Jewish prayers.”

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary observes that Moses plea is “perhaps the most impressive and poignant description of a servant of God in the Hebrew Scriptures, as he gives up fame and ease for himself to stay with his people, interceding effectively in their behalf.”

The idea that an anthropomorphic YHWH could have a change of mind (v.14) is also found in the story of the decision by God to destroy mankind by the Great Flood (Gen. 6:6), and when Abraham negotiated with YHWH to try to dissuade God from destroying Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:23-32).

In the verses that follow today’s reading, Moses’ anger with the Israelites was so great that he threw the Covenant tablets and broke them (symbolizing that the covenant had also been broken). He took the calf, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, mixed it with water, and made the Israelites drink it (vv. 15-20).

The JSB discusses the fact that there is an account of golden calves having been erected by Jeroboam I (the first king of Northern Israel after Solomon’s death in 930 BCE) in Bethel and Dan (recounted in 1 Kings 12:25-33). Some scholars believe that the Exodus Golden Calf narrative was a negative recasting of an earlier northern legend about Jeroboam’s calves. By portraying the Golden Calf in Exodus as idolatry, the narrative showed the legitimacy of the Jerusalem Temple and the illegitimacy of the northern sanctuaries at Bethel and Dan.

Isaiah 25:1-9

Reading

1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful, and sure.
2 For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat. When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
5 the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place, you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds; the song of the ruthless was stilled.
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 the Assyrians conquered Israel 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 times) 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).

Today’s reading is in the form of a psalm and contains two distinct themes. Verses 1-5 began with praise for YHWH and then recounted the destruction of an unidentified city (v.2). Some scholars suggest that the city may be Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 612 BCE.

The last four verses depicted God’s victory over evil and sorrow. The JSB says they are “the rejoicing of the faithful remnant and the end of sorrow in the future.” The image used was an eschatological banquet reminiscent of the banquet on Mount Sinai alluded to in Exodus 24:11. Because YHWH will “swallow up death forever” (v.8), it reversed the customary image of death swallowing up everything. These verses are often read at funerals.

Philippians 4:1-9

Reading

1 My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Commentary

Philippi was a major city in Macedonia on the Roman road to Byzantium (Istanbul). Most of its inhabitants were Roman citizens, including veterans of Roman armies. Paul had deep affection for the Jesus Followers in Philippi and thanked them for gifts sent to him in prison (4:18). Paul wrote this letter from prison, but it is not clear if he was in Rome, Caesarea, or Ephesus. If the letter was written from Rome, it would have been written around 62 CE. Other scholars note that Paul was also imprisoned earlier in Ephesus and made trips to Philippi from Ephesus. Some scholars see the letter as a conflation of a number of letters Paul wrote to this community.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that the immediate occasion of Paul’s writing was the return to Philippi of Epaphroditus (2:25-30), described in verse 25 as “my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need,” who had been sent by the Philippian community with gifts for Paul.

As the early (c. 55-60 CE) Jesus Follower community tried to determine what it meant to be Jesus Followers in terms of beliefs and practices, it is not surprising that disagreements arose. At the time of Paul’s writing to the Philippians, none of the Gospels had been written (“Mark” was written around 70 CE) and it took many years for “orthodox” positions and practices to develop.

Euodia and Syntyche were women leaders in the Jesus Follower community in Philippi and were likely heads of house-churches. The Jewish Annotated New Testament surmises that they were “co-evangelists with Paul in the founding of this church.” Paul saw their disagreement as harmful to the community. He urged them “to be of the same mind in the Lord” (v.2) and asked an unidentified “loyal companion” to assist them in resolving their differences (v.3).

The JANT observes: “Since Paul’s letter will be read aloud to the congregation, naming both women could aim at quashing the disagreements of these dissidents.” The NOAB understands the “book of life” (v.3) to be “a book kept by God containing names of those to be saved” – notion found in Psalm 69:28 and Daniel 12:1.

Matthew 22:1-14

Reading

1 Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading continues Matthew’s account of the time Jesus was in Jerusalem after the “Cleansing of the Temple” (Matt. 21:12-13) and was contending verbally with the Temple Authorities and the Pharisees during his last week.

Today’s “parable” is regarded by most scholars as an allegory. Scholars see the wedding banquet (v.2) as the Kingdom of Heaven or salvation and reminiscent of the eschatological feast in Isaiah 25:6-9. The first two groups of “slaves” (vv.3 and 4) sent to call persons to the banquet are the prophets sent to Ancient Israel. The NOAB sees the third group of slaves (v.10) as “the Christian mission.” The burning of the city (v. 7) is the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE by the Romans (which occurred about 15 years before this Gospel was written). The NJBC emphasizes that “ready” is used in verses 4 and 8, thereby signifying “extreme eschatological urgency.”

Because Matthew’s Gospel was written for a Jewish Jesus Follower community, The JANT understands the gathering of the “good and bad” (v.10) as both Jews and Gentiles. The JANT interprets the “wedding robe” (v.12) as representing righteous deeds, citing Rom. 13:12 (“put on the armor of light”) and Gal. 3:27 (“clothed yourself with Christ”). The NOAB understands verse 13 as portraying an image of hell. The JANT observes that “few are chosen” (v.14) has its antecedent in 2 Esdras 8:1-3.

2023, October 8 ~ Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Isaiah 5:1-7; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
OCTOBER 8, 2023

During Pentecost Season 2023, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Reading

1 Then God spoke all these words:
2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
8 Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. 9 For six days you shall labor and do all your work.
12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
13 You shall not murder.
14 You shall not commit adultery.
15 You shall not steal.
16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.”

Commentary

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible, and covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness.

The Book of Exodus (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which were written 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, called “J” (Yahwistic), “E” (Elohistic), “D” (Deuteronomic) and “P” (Priestly). 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 last week’s story, after the Israelites complained, Moses struck a rock at Horeb (another name for the mountain called “Sinai” in other Torah sources) to provide water for the Israelites during the time in the Wilderness. This story also appears in Numbers 20:2-13.

In the intervening chapters, the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites, described by The New Oxford Annotated Bible as “a widespread semi-nomadic group [which] claimed control of the wilderness in the region of Kadesh, where Meribah is.” The Jewish Study Bible observes that the Amalekites in later Jewish tradition came to symbolize anti-Semites in general. The story introduced Joshua, a young warrior, who defeated the Amalekites and was victorious so long as Moses raised his arms to hold the rod which he had used to defeat Pharaoh (17:11-12). The Israelites continued to battle with the Amalekites over the next centuries until they were exterminated during the reign of Hezekiah (727-688 BCE) (1 Chr 4:41-43).

Moses was visited by his father-in-law, Jethro (also called Hobab by a different source), who brought Moses’ wife and sons back to him (in one tradition, they were sent back to Midian when Moses went to Egypt). Jethro urged Moses to appoint judges to relieve his administrative burdens (18:15-27). The JSB observes that this incident was likely chronologically misplaced in the Torah because later passages in Exodus assume a pre-Jethro judicial system. The JSB goes on to say: “Talmudic sages recognized that the Torah sometimes narrates events out of their chronological sequence for literary or rhetorical purposes (‘there is no earlier or later in the Torah’).” It notes that the incident may have been placed here to juxtapose the Midianites’ friendliness with the enmity of the Amalekites and therefore served as a “guide” for future dealings with these two nations.

In Chapter 19, the Israelites came to Mount Sinai where they remained for a year as recounted from Exodus 19 to Numbers 10:10. The events at Mount Sinai began on the third new moon after leaving Egypt (19:1) “on that very day” – a clear indicator of the Priestly source.

At Sinai, the Israelites entered a number of covenants with YHWH. The first was a conditional covenant with YHWH (“If you obey my [YHWH’s] voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples.”)(19:5). The JSB notes that the word for “treasured possession” is segulah, “signifying a king’s private property, as distinct from that used for public purposes.” There was a ceremonial purification in which there was a theophany (appearance of God in thunder, lightning, and earthquake).

Today’s reading is part of Chapters 19 to 24, which The JSB describes as “the defining and seminal moment in Israel’s relationship to God.” It points out that the sequence of events in these chapters is “extraordinarily difficult to follow” because they “were transmitted in multiple versions that differed about the nature of the event and what God communicated to the people.”

In the theophany in today’s reading, YHWH gave the Decalogue – literally, the “ten words” (v.1) – often called the Ten Commandments. The words are presented as coming directly from God.

The structure of the Decalogue was as an exclusive covenant similar to a Lord-Vassal relationship in the Ancient Middle East: YHWH recounted what had been done for the Israelites (v.2) and then directed reciprocal obligations of the Israelites (vv. 3-17). There are no punishments stated for not obeying the words, but the omitted verses (5 and 6) state that the guilt of the parents who reject YHWH will be visited upon their children to the third and fourth generations.

The Commandments are divided into two groups: duties to God (vv. 2,4,7,8) and to other humans (vv.12-17). Because Ancient Israel was a patriarchal society, the Ten Words were addressed to males. Wives “belonged to” men, just as houses, oxen and other items did (v.17).

The words in verse 3 (part of the First Commandment) (“you shall have no other gods before me”) does not deny the existence of other gods but asserts that Israel shall acknowledge no other gods than the God who liberated them. This is generally called “henotheism.”

The NOAB observes that “imageless worship of God [‘not make any idol,’ vv. 4-5] distinguishes Israel’s religion from those of its neighbors whose deities are typically depicted in animal or human form.” It notes that a “jealous god [v.5] will tolerate no rivals for Israel’s devotion (34.14)”

This version of the Decalogue is called the “Priestly Decalogue” because of its emphasis on the Sabbath, particularly in the omitted verses 10 and 11. Other versions of the Decalogue appear in Exodus 34:11-26 (the “Ritual Decalogue”) and in Deuteronomy 5:6-21, and both are different in some respects from the Priestly Decalogue.

In the Deuteronomic version of the 10 Commandments, for example, wives do not “belong” to men (Dt. 5:21), and the rationale for observing the Sabbath is the liberation from Egypt rather than YHWH’s resting on the seventh day of creation (vv.9-11).

Isaiah 5:1-7

Reading

1 Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?
5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!

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 the Assyrians conquered Israel 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 verses from First Isaiah (c. 730 BCE) used a vineyard as a metaphor for Israel (the northern 10 tribes) and Judea. It began as a love song to the beloved (YHWH) but turned into an indictment by YHWH of Israel and Judea. In speaking for YHWH, the prophet spoke in the third person (vv. 1-2) and expressed how his beloved (YHWH) loved the vineyard and cared for it.

In verses 3 to 6, YHWH was the speaker and expressed disappointed that the carefully cultivated vineyard yielded only “wild grapes” (v.4) unsuitable for wine. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary observes that the Hebrew word be’usim means “not strictly wild grapes but rotten ones (from a root that means ‘to stink’).”

In verses 5 and 6, YHWH said the vineyard would become “a waste.” (The Assyrians conquered Israel in 722 BCE, and the Babylonians conquered Judea in 597 and destroyed the Temple in 586 BCE.) The NOAB observes that “the verdict reflects a type of treaty and covenant curse [citing verses]. The curse on the vineyard will be reversed in 27.2-6.” It also notes that “briars and thorns are a frequently occurring motif in Isaiah connoting infertility of the land, ecological degradation, with a moral dimension [citing verses].”

In Verse 7, the voice is again that of the prophet. This verse contains two word plays in Hebrew: YHWH expected justice (mishpat) but saw bloodshed (mishpah) and expected righteousness (tsedaqah) but heard a cry (tse’aqah).

Philippians 3:4b-14

Reading

4b If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Commentary

Philippi was a major city in Macedonia on the Roman road to Byzantium (Istanbul). Most of its inhabitants were Roman citizens, including veterans of Roman armies. Paul had deep affection for the Jesus Followers in Philippi and thanked them for gifts sent to him in prison (4:18). Paul wrote this letter from prison, but it is not clear if he was in Rome, Caesarea, or Ephesus. If the letter was written from Rome, it would have been written around 62 CE. Other scholars note that Paul was also imprisoned earlier in Ephesus and made trips to Philippi from Ephesus. Some scholars see the letter as a conflation of a number of letters Paul wrote to this community.

The NOAB points out that the immediate occasion of Paul’s writing was the return to Philippi of Epaphroditus (2:25-30), described in verse 25 as “my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need,” who had been sent by the Philippian community with gifts for Paul.

As the early (c. 55-60 CE) Jesus Follower community tried to determine what it meant to be Jesus Followers in terms of beliefs and practices, it is not surprising that disagreements arose. At the time of Paul’s writing to the Philippians, none of the Gospels had been written (“Mark” was written around 70 CE) and it took many years for “orthodox” positions and practices to develop.

Today’s reading follows verses (2-4a) in which Paul opposed “Judaisers” (whom he called “dogs” in v.2) – Jesus Followers who claimed that Gentiles needed to be circumcised to be Jesus Followers. This was a major issue in the early Jesus Follower Movement and was a primary topic of a “Council” in Jerusalem described in Acts 15. Paul stated that he was circumcised — “we who are the circumcision” (v.3a).

Regarding the use of the term “dogs,” The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes: “The ancient world was generally unfamiliar with warm interactions of masters with domesticated varieties of dogs (see Isa 56.10-11), a term usually meant as insulting… Vicious or otherwise detestable, most dogs were uninhibitedly unclean in their shameful public scavenging (2 Kings 9.10, 36), so that terming anyone ‘dog’ was derogatory [citing numerous Biblical examples].”

In other epistles, Paul used “flesh” (v.4b) to mean human weakness and the tendency to adopt the values of the world rather than compassionate love. Here, however, he used “flesh” to mean an emphasis on physical rituals. Paul spoke of his own Jewish credentials (v.5-6) but rejected them as “rubbish” (his actual word in Greek is translatable as “dog poop”) because he said he was now in “righteousness” (a right relationship) with God through his faith in the resurrection of Jesus the Christ (v.9-10). The NJBC understands “knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (v.8) as “going beyond intellectual knowledge to include in the OT sense experience and deep personal involvement; it also transforms the subject into the likeness of the one known (cf. 2 Cor 3:18).”

The NOAB notes that Paul’s self-description as a “Pharisee” meant he was a “member of the group most concerned with interpretation of the law” and The JANT adds “and more expert in the Law than his opponents.”

Paul’s designation of himself as a “persecutor” (v.6) is found in Acts 9, 1 Corinthians 15, and Galatians 1. The NOAB understands “righteousness under the law, blameless” (v.6) to mean that “Paul did not see himself as guilty or incomplete before [that is, prior to] his encounter with Christ.” The JANT understands Paul’s description of himself as a “Hebrew born of Hebrews” as a reference to his parentage. The NJBC sees the term “Hebrew” to mean a Greek-speaking Jew who also spoke Hebrew or Aramaic.

These verses reflect Paul’s view that “righteousness” did not come through his own efforts by obeying the law (v.9) but from God through faith. “Faith” for Paul was not a matter of intellectual assent to a series of propositions (as it has become for most post-Enlightenment persons). The Greek word pistis that Paul used (usually translated as “faith”) has an active component and is better understood as “faithfulness” – the active living into a life of love. The JANT understands the words “if somehow” in verse 11 as an expression of humility, not doubt.

Matthew 21:33-46

Reading

33 Jesus said, “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading is part of the continuing controversies between Jesus and the Temple Authorities during Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem. It follows the reading from last week in which Jesus spoke of the son who obeyed and the one who did not (21:28-32).

This “parable” is also in Mark 12 and Luke 20, and is more like an allegory. A vineyard was a traditional metaphor for Israel. The NOAB points out: “the the vineyard is Jerusalem, the tenants the religious authorities (see v. 45), the slaves the prophets, and the son Jesus himself.” Verse 33 is almost a direct quote from Isaiah 5:2, a reference which would have been known to Jesus’ hearers.

The NOAB also notes that the customary economic arrangement would have been for the tenants to contract with the owner to give him an agreed-upon portion of the crop and that they would be able to keep what is left.

The JANT observes that the killing of the son “outside the vineyard” (v.39) reflects the fact that, according to the Gospel accounts, Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem’s walls.

Verse 42 is a close paraphrase of Psalm 118:22-23, a psalm of thanksgiving that reflected a positive reversal of Judea’s fortunes. The JANT points out that the identification of Jesus with the cornerstone became a “proof text” in the early Jesus Follower Movement (See Acts 4:11).

The NJBC observes that the “wicked tenants” are not killed (v.41) — “he will put those wretches to a miserable death” — but the Kingdom of God is taken away from them (v.43). This is one of the few times Matthew used “Kingdom of God” rather than “Kingdom of Heaven.”

The JANT states that Matthew’s references to Jesus as a “prophet” (vv.11 and 46) would have been supported by Josephus and others who took the position that prophecy continued through the late Second Temple period, that is until 70 CE. According to The JANT, later rabbinic sources claimed that prophesying ended after the Exile (587-539 BCE).

2023, October 1 ~ Exodus 17:1-7; Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
OCTOBER 1, 2023

During Pentecost Season 2023, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Exodus 17:1-7

Reading

1 From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” 4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” 5 The LORD said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Commentary

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible, and covers the period from the slavery in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness.

The Book of Exodus (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which were written 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, called “J” (Yahwistic), “E” (Elohistic), “D” (Deuteronomic) and “P” (Priestly). 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.

Last week’s reading recounted that YHWH provided manna and quails to the Israelites after their complaints about not having food. The remaining part of this story came from the Priestly writers and emphasized that the Israelites were directed to collect only so much manna as they needed for the day and if they collected too much it became foul. On the sixth day of the week, however, they were to collect enough manna for two days so that they would not have to work on the Sabbath (16:30). The Jewish Study Bible points out that providing “double the bread” in this story is the source of the Jewish custom of placing two loaves of bread on the table at Sabbath and festival meals.

Today’s reading recounts Moses’ striking a rock at Horeb (another name for the mountain called “Sinai” in other Torah sources) to provide water for the Israelites during the time in the Wilderness. This story also appears in Numbers 20:2-13, but in that version, Moses struck the rock twice (which was understood as his not having enough confidence in YHWH). For this lack of faith, he and Aaron were not permitted to enter the Promised Land with the Israelites.

The JSB points out that “In the Sinai, there are limestone rocks from which small amounts of water drip, and a blow to their soft surface can expose a porous inner layer containing water.”

The “test” by the Israelites (v.2) was their demand for proof that YHWH was among them and controlling events (v.7). The names given to the places (v.7) reflect the Hebrew words for “quarrel” and “test.”

Although Meribah is one of the springs at Kadesh (-Barnea) in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula (the Negev), archeologists cannot determine the location of the Wilderness of Sin or Rephidim, and no archeological evidence of substantial numbers of persons inhabiting the Sinai Peninsula at any time before 1000 BCE has ever been found. As a result, many scholars doubt that these accounts are historical.

Notwithstanding the Bible’s use of hyperbole to emphasize a point, Numbers 1:46 contains a “census” of the Israelites in the Wilderness and says the men older than 20 years numbered more than 603,000. Adding women and children would bring the total number of persons to over 1.2 million. If each person received a half pound of food and a pint of water each day, 300 tons of food and 150,000 gallons of water would have been needed every day for 40 years.

The accounts are a reminder, however, that even if the Bible is not always historically or scientifically true, the stories are “profoundly true.” By expressing in story the various authors’ perceptions of the Sacred, these accounts help us understand our relationships with God and others.

Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32

Reading

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? 3 As I live, says the LORD God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.

25 Yet you say, “The way of the LORD is unfair.” Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? 26 When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. 27 Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. 28 Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the LORD is unfair.” O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?

30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the LORD God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the LORD God. Turn, then, and live.

Commentary

Ezekiel (whose name means “God strengthens”) is one of the three “Major” Prophets – so called because of the length of the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a priest who was among the first group of persons deported by the Babylonians when they captured Jerusalem in 597 BCE.

The Book of Ezekiel is in three parts: (1) Chapters 1 to 24 are prophesies of doom against Jerusalem before the destruction of the Temple in 586 BCE; (2) Chapters 25 to 32 are prophesies against foreign nations; and (3) Chapters 33 to 48 are prophesies of hope for the Judeans written during the Babylonian Exile (586-539 BCE).

Like other prophets, Ezekiel “prophesied” by speaking for God. Prophesy in the Hebrew Bible was not about telling the future. A prophet was one who spoke for YHWH.

In today’s reading, YHWH was presented as rejecting the idea that a prior generation’s wrongs are borne by later generations (v.3). This is at variance with other portions of the Hebrew Bible in which the sins of the parents are visited upon the children to the third and fourth generation (Ex. 20:5 and 34:7, Deut. 5:9) or to the next generation (1 Kings 21:29). The NOAB observes: “In the exiles’ current situation, however, it is not appropriate for them to blame their ancestors for their misfortunes as they were doing (Jer 31.29-30). Ezekiel’s audience is far from an innocent generation. Nevertheless, individuals within the community can take responsibility, turn from sin and choose life amidst the coming corporate (communal) punishment.”

For Ezekiel, the fall of Jerusalem and fall of the House of David in 586 BCE was seen as resulting from the actions of the kings who reigned after the death of Josiah in 609 BCE during the years prior to the Exile and the failure of the people to worship YHWH properly.

In the omitted verses (5-24), Ezekiel gave a number of examples of personal responsibility and recounted three stages of individual responsibility – fathers, sons and grandsons.

This emphasis in the Book of Ezekiel on personal moral responsibility (rather than seeing acts of prior generations as the cause of the Exile) was a new development in the theology of Ancient Israel. As a corollary to this, Ezekiel said that because the community in Exile was responsible for its own plight, repentance by that community was the way to a restored life (vv.27-32).

The JSB notes that verse 32 “repent therefore and live” plays a significant part in the high holy day liturgy, a period of retrospection and personal repentance.

Philippians 2:1-13

Reading

1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,
8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death — even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Commentary

Philippi was a major city in Macedonia on the Roman road to Byzantium (Istanbul). Most of its inhabitants were Roman citizens, including veterans of Roman armies. Paul had deep affection for the Jesus Followers in Philippi and thanked them for gifts sent to him in prison (4:18). Paul wrote this letter from prison, but it is not clear if he was in Rome, Caesarea, or Ephesus. If the letter was written from Rome, it would have been written around 62 CE. Other scholars note that Paul was also imprisoned earlier in Ephesus and made trips to Philippi from Ephesus. Some scholars see the letter as a conflation of a number of letters Paul wrote to this community.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that the immediate occasion of Paul’s writing was the return to Philippi of Epaphroditus (2:25-30), described in verse 25 as “my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister to my need,” who had been sent by the Philippian community with gifts for Paul.

As the early (c. 55-60 CE) Jesus Follower community tried to determine what it meant to be Jesus Followers in terms of beliefs and practices, it is not surprising that disagreements arose. At the time of Paul’s writing to the Philippians, none of the Gospels had been written (“Mark” was written around 70 CE) and it took many years for “orthodox” positions and practices to develop.

The first part of today’s reading (vv. 1-4) contains a common theme in Paul’s letters — a call for unity. He asked the Philippians to “be of the same mind, having the same love, and being in full accord.”

The last part of today’s reading is the best-known part of this Epistle and is derived from a hymn that was already in use in Jesus Follower communities, perhaps in a Baptism liturgy. It emphasized the divinity of the Christ (“in the form [essence] of God” v.6), the self-emptying love of Jesus (“kenosis” v.7), Jesus’ servant ministry (“form [essence] of a slave” v.7), and that (like all human beings – “in human form [essence]”) Jesus was subject to death, even a degrading death on a cross (v.8).

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary points out that the Greek word morphē (translated as “form”) (v.6) is that which “denotes the mode of being or appearance from which the essential character or status of something can be known.”

The statement that Jesus took the form of a slave/servant and emptied himself (poured himself out) for others were themes taken from Isaiah 53, the Suffering Servant Song. For this, the servant has been highly exalted (resurrected) (v.9).

The phrases “every knee should bend” (v.10) and “every tongue confess” (v.11) were echoes of Isaiah 45:23 in which the prophet (speaking for YHWH) asserted YHWH had power to free the Judeans from Babylon and “to me [YHWH] every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

This Hymn affirms the Jesus as The Christ was both divine and human. Instead of exploiting his being “in the form of God” (v.6), — that is sharing the essence and nature of God — Jesus of Nazareth as a human being had the form of (the essence or nature of) a human/slave/servant (v.7) and emptied himself (poured himself out) for others. Paul continued that Jesus as the Christ has been highly exalted (resurrected) by God (v.9).

The Letter to the Philippians contains some of Paul’s strongest assertions that Jesus the Christ is “Lord” and therefore equivalent to YHWH. The NRSV translates the Greek word Kyrios in the Christian Scriptures (which were written in Greek) as “Lord” with a capital “L.” When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek in the Septuagint in the period from 300 to 200 BCE, the name for God, YHWH, was also translated as “Kyrios.” The NRSV translates the letters “YHWH” from the Hebrew Scriptures (which were written in Hebrew) as “LORD” with all capital letters.

Paul asserted that at the name of Jesus (rather than at Caesar’s name) every knee should bend. The Hymn’s statements are not only religious, but they are also political (v.11). The Roman Caesars claimed to be “in the form of God” and (as rulers) to be the “Lord.”

The Jewish Annotated New Testament contains an extended discussion of the “Christ-Hymn” (vv.6-11). It notes that it is “the earliest extant material underpinning later Christology and is the New Testament’s most explicit exposition of the nature of Christ’s incarnation.” The Hymn portrays the pre-existing Christ as emptying himself by incarnation and taking the form of a slave/servant and living a life in which he poured himself out for others. Because of these humbling actions, God exalted the Christ by giving him a “name” in the Biblical sense of that which truly expresses character, power and status. The JANT continues that if one in the form of God could humbly abdicate the dignity of his original station in obedience to the divine will and not exploit his connectedness to God, surely the Philippians could follow his conduct in humility and obedience.

Matthew 21:23-32

Reading

23 When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading was set during the last week Jesus spent in Jerusalem that ended with his crucifixion . It comes the day after Jesus drove the money changers out of the Temple. The NOAB understands the question “who gave you this authority?” (v.23) as implying that the Temple Authorities saw Jesus as no more than a rabble rouser, given the fact that he was not a Jewish priest of the Tribe of Levi. It is noteworthy that Jesus responded to their inquiry “in rabbinic fashion” by asking a question in return.

The JANT understands the Parable of the Two Sons as follows: the first son represents those who repent, but the second son (a liar and hypocrite) represents those who preach but do not practice.

The NOAB says the parable “addresses the subject of why those who are lax in observing the Mosaic Law receive the Kingdom of God” and condemns Jesus’ opponents for unbelief” in John the Baptist’s message of repentance and righteousness.

The NJBC equates “changing one’s mind” (vv. 29 and 32) as repenting.

2023, September 24 ~ Exodus 16:2-15; Jonah 3:10-4:11; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16

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TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
SEPTEMBER 24, 2023

During Pentecost Season 2023, the Revised Common Lectionary offers two “tracks” of readings from the Hebrew Bible. Congregations may choose either track.

The first track of readings follows major stories and themes, read mostly continuously from week to week. The second track of readings thematically pairs the reading from the Hebrew Bible with the Gospel reading.

The readings from the Epistles are the same in both tracks.

Exodus 16:2-15

Reading

2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the LORD.”

9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.’“ 10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11 The LORD spoke to Moses and said, 12 “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’“

13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

Commentary

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Bible and covers the period from the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt under Pharaoh (around 1250 BCE, if the account is historical), the Exodus itself, and the early months in the Wilderness.

The Book of Exodus (like the Torah as a whole) is an amalgam of religious traditions, some of which were written 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, called “J” (Yahwistic), “E” (Elohistic), “D” (Deuteronomic) and “P” (Priestly). 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.

Today’s reading was set one month after the Crossing of the Sea of Reeds. As in numerous other places in the stories set in the time in the Wilderness, the Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron about their food, water, and other matters, in a manner that (for the reader) is mildly humorous. Although the Israelites say to them “you brought us out” (v.4b), The Jewish Study Bible observes that it is God, not Moses and Aaron, who took them out of Egypt, and their complaints are really against God.

This reading combines two traditional stories that use (and greatly expand) two foods found in the Sinai at various times – manna and quail. An expanded story about food – particularly quail — is in Chapter 11 of the Book of Numbers.

The manna story is Priestly (dated to about 550-450 BCE) as shown by the prohibition on collecting manna on the Sabbath (v. 5). Manna (which is an Arabic word that means “what is it?”) is the carbohydrate-rich excretion of two scale insects that feed on twigs of tamarisk trees. It can be purchased, even today, in the Arab Quarter of Jerusalem. The JSB notes that manna is still found in parts of the Sinai in June and July. Bedouins use it as a sweetener. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary points out that manna contains glucose and fructose but no protein and cannot be harvested in quantity.

Regarding the quail, The JSB notes: “Quail migrating, often in great numbers, between Africa and Europe in the spring and fall often drop exhausted in the Sinai and are caught by hunters…. The quail were not a supernatural phenomenon, but their timely appearance at God’s promise was an act of divine providence.”

One of the overarching themes of the Book of Exodus is acknowledging that YHWH is Israel’s God, and Moses and Aaron emphasized this to the Israelites (vv. 6-7). As The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out: “In the Priestly view expressed here, the divine glory is an envelope of light (associated with the pillar of cloud and fire [citing verses] which veils God’s being. Though human beings cannot see the deity, they can perceive the glory that signifies God’s presence.”

Jonah 3:10-4:11

Reading

3:10 When God saw what the people of Nineveh did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

4:1 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 3 And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.

6 The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” 10 Then the LORD said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

Commentary

The Book of Jonah is one of the shortest in the Bible and is included in the Bible with the 12 Minor Prophets. Even though Jonah is never described in the Book as a “prophet,” he is a “reluctant prophet” who speaks for YHWH (translated as “LORD” in the NRSV) by urging the Assyrians to repent (3:4). Ironically, although Jonah initially rejected YHWH’s call, he was — according to the story – the most successful prophet ever. Unlike the other books in the Prophetic Corpus, the Book of Jonah is a narrative; it contains no divine announcements (oracles), and Jonah is the only prophet who openly rebels against God.

The Book of Jonah was written during the “Persian Period” (539 BCE to 333 BCE). The story, however, was necessarily set hundreds of years earlier in the period of Assyrian power – a time of Assyrian conquests and threats against Israel and Judea (850 to 650 BCE).

Sending Jonah to convert Nineveh (the Assyrian capital, and modern-day Mosul) at the height of Assyria’s power would be seen by everyone as a “Mission Impossible” task. When told by God to go to Nineveh, Jonah effectively refused and he got on a ship for Tarshish (the end of the earth for a Mediterranean person, namely, Spain) – about as far from Assyria as he could possibly go.

Notwithstanding his attempts to avoid his mission to Nineveh, the story recounted that Jonah was thrown overboard by the sailors because his disobedience of God’s directive caused a great storm. He was thrown overboard by the sailors to quiet the storm, and was then swallowed by a fish, spit out by the fish on the shore and went to Nineveh. Nineveh is described as so large it took three days to walk across it (3:3). Such a city would be over 100 miles wide and long (walk at 3 MPH x 12 hours per day x 3 days = 108 miles.) Modern excavations show the city was large – about 3 miles wide and that it had a wall about eight miles around it.

Once in Nineveh, Joshua warned the Assyrians of impending destruction if they did not repent. To Jonah’s amazement and chagrin, the Assyrians and their king repented. God’s mind was changed by this repentance, and God decided not to punish them. Jonah wanted a God who would engage in retributive justice and punish the Assyrians, rather than a God whose “judgment” is one of divine grace.

Today’s reading recounts Jonah’s anger with God for being merciful to the Assyrians. Echoing YHWH’s “self-description” in Exodus 34:6 that God is merciful and abounding in steadfast love, Jonah told YHWH that he fled to Tarshish precisely because he knew God would be willing to relent from punishing the Assyrians (4:2). Jonah wanted Nineveh to be punished and was so angry about God’s relenting that he preferred to die (4:3, 4:8) rather than see the “enemy” repent and receive God’s mercy.

The Jonah story is not history. Nineveh never repented in the 8th Century BCE. The Assyrian Empire destroyed the Northern 10 tribes (Israel) in 722 BCE. Assyria put Judea under siege for many years around 700 BCE. By the time of the writing of this story, Nineveh had long since been destroyed by the Babylonians in 612 BCE.

The NOAB points out that the intentionally humorous notion of animals in the sackcloth (3:8) makes a serious point: mercy is not restricted to God’s human creations.

The JSB observes: “The particular plant described here (v.6) belongs to the realm of the fantastic that is provided only by God, just as was the ‘great fish’ in whose belly a man can be accommodated. This plant suddenly grows to provide shade over Jonah’s head and just as suddenly it withers.”

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary notes that the author of the book of Jonah likely intended a parallel with Elijah ‘s request for death in 1 Kings 19:4. “The contrast between the two situations is not lacking in irony: Elijah asks for death because his preaching has failed to effect conversion, while Jonah makes the same request because his preaching has been an overwhelming success.”

Among its other messages, the Book of Jonah emphasized the inclusivity of God’s love and mercy for all, not just the people of Israel and Judea. Similarly, the Book of Ruth (in which a Moabite woman – the Moabites were a hated enemy of Judea — became the great grandmother of King David) and portions of the Book of Isaiah conveyed the message that God’s mercy and love are inclusive and not limited only to Jews.

Other books of the Bible, however, such as Ezra and Nehemiah (written around 450 BCE), required the Jewish people be exclusive. Some of the Jews who remained in Jerusalem during the Exile had intermarried. After the Exile, Ezra required them to send away their foreign wives and the children they had by them (Ezra 10:3).

The tension (and disagreement within Judaism) between inclusivity and exclusivity continued into the First Century of the Common Era. In opposition to the exclusivist Sadducees, Jesus of Nazareth was clearly presented in the Gospels as an inclusivist.

Both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke recount Jesus’ referring to the “sign of Jonah” but they do so in very different ways and with different meanings. In Matt. 12:39-41, Jesus says, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here.”

Luke 11:29b-30, on the other hand, has Jesus say: “This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation.”

Philippians 1:21-30

Reading

21 To me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. 23 I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. 25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, 26 so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

27 Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, 28 and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. 29 For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well — 30 since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Commentary

Philippi was a major city in Macedonia on the Roman road to Byzantium (Istanbul). Most of its inhabitants were Roman citizens, including veterans of Roman armies. Paul had deep affection for the Jesus Followers in Philippi and thanked them for gifts sent to him in prison (4:18). Paul wrote this letter from prison, but it is not clear if he was in Rome, Caesarea, or Ephesus. If the letter was written from Rome, it would have been written around 62 CE. Other scholars note that Paul was also imprisoned earlier in Ephesus and made trips to Philippi from Ephesus. Some scholars see the letter as a conflation of a number of letters Paul wrote to this community.

The NOAB points out that the immediate occasion of Paul’s writing was the return to Philippi of Epaphroditus (2:25-30) who had been sent by the Philippian community with gifts for Paul.

As the early (c. 55-60 CE) Jesus Follower community tried to determine what it meant to be a Jesus Follower in terms of beliefs and practices, it is not surprising that disagreements arose. At the time of Paul’s writing to the Philippians, none of the Gospels had been written (“Mark” was written around 70 CE) and it took many years for “orthodox” positions and practices to develop.

Today’s reading reflects Paul’s personal tension between living in the flesh and seeing dying as “gain” for living in Christ (v. 21). As The NJBC points out, the ultimate goal for Paul is Resurrection, but Paul envisions “being with Christ” (v.23) in some state prior to the general resurrection.

In his epistles, Paul used the phrase “living in the flesh” in two different ways – to denote a life that is governed by the values of the world and, in other contexts, to simply be alive as a human being. Here, he used it in the latter sense and noted that the Philippian community would benefit from his staying alive (v.24).

The Jewish Annotated New Testament understands the phrase “boasting in Christ Jesus” (v.26) as meaning that the Philippians will “speak exultantly of another, as of the Lord’s attributes and deeds.”

Paul’s exhortation to “live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (v.27) was a subversive statement for Roman citizens in that it presented Jesus the Christ as Lord rather than Caesar as Lord. Paul recognized that having Jesus as Lord might lead to suffering but that it would bring salvation (wholeness) for the Philippians (vv. 28-29).

Matthew 20:1-16

Reading

1 Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’ genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Because it was written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are stories and sayings found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading is unique to Matthew, and presents an understanding of God much like the presentation of God in the story of Jonah and Luke’s Parable of the Prodigal Son. As The NOAB points out, it “is a deliberate challenge to conventional views of just reward.”

In many Biblical stories, Israel is presented as God’s vineyard.

The NOAB notes that a denarius (the usual daily wage) (v.9) was sufficient to provide one day’s food for a family. Under Jewish Law (Lev. 19:13 and Deut. 24:15), laborers were to be paid before sundown on the same day they had worked.