Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 1:1-10,18-27

In Praise of Wisdom (Cp Prov 3.13-20; 8.22-31; Rom 11.33)

1:1 All wisdom is from the Lord,

and with him it remains forever.

2 The sand of the sea, the drops of rain,

and the days of eternity-who can count them?

3 The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth,

the abyss, and wisdom -who can search them out?

4 Wisdom was created before all other things,

and prudent understanding from eternity.

6 The root of wisdom-to whom has it been revealed?

Her subtleties-who knows them?

8 There is but one who is wise, greatly to be feared,

seated upon his throne-the Lord.

9 It is he who created her;

he saw her and took her measure;

he poured her out upon all his works,

10 upon all the living according to his gift;

he lavished her upon those who love him. (Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10, NRSV)

18 The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom,

making peace and perfect health to flourish.

19 She rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension,

and she heightened the glory of those who held her fast.

20 To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom,

and her branches are long life.

22 Unjust anger cannot be justified,

for anger tips the scale to one’s ruin.

23 Those who are patient stay calm until the right moment,

and then cheerfulness comes back to them.

24 They hold back their words until the right moment;

then the lips of many tell of their good sense.

25 In the treasuries of wisdom are wise sayings,

but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.

26 If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments,

and the Lord will lavish her upon you.

27 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and discipline,

fidelity and humility are his delight. (Ecclesiasticus 1:18-27, NRSV)

The following paragraph is repeated here from October 15, 2004, two years ago (Friday of the week of the Sunday closest to October 12, Year Two):

The Book of Ecclesiasticus (The Wisdom of Jesus, the Son of Sira) begins with praise of wisdom. “All wisdom is from the Lord” (1:1). “Wisdom was created before all other things,/and prudent understanding from eternity” (v. 4; cf. Prov. 8:22). The author speaks of Wisdom as a person. “It is he [the Lord] who created her;/he saw her and took her measure/he poured her out upon all his works,/upon all the living according to his gift;/he lavished her upon those who love him” (vv. 9-10). “The [architectural] metaphor [‘he . . . took her measure’] imagines wisdom as a model or plan for creating the world” (Burton Mack, Harper-Collins Study Bible). But the author concurs with Solomon in Proverbs, “To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ecclus. 1:14; cf. Prov. 1:7). “The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom” (Ecclus. 1:18). “To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom” (v. 20). Wisdom is a matter of righteous living, not merely intellectual. “Unjust anger cannot be justified” v. 22). “If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments,/and the Lord will lavish her upon you” (v. 26). Some see in this image/concept of wisdom as presented in Proverbs and later Wisdom Literature, the background for New Testament understanding of Jesus Christ as the Logos (Word) and Wisdom of God (Jn. 1:1-4; 1 Cor. 1:30; Col. 1:15-20).

Hosea 13:9-16 (Presbyterian and Lutheran traditions; while this passage as such is not included in the current Book of Common Prayer Daily Office Lectionary series, see the comments on Hosea 13:4-14 on Sunday, October 8, 2006, twelve days ago.)

Acts 28:1-16

Paul on the Island of Malta

28:1 After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us around it. 3 Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 It so happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him. 9 After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10 They bestowed many honors on us, and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions we needed.

Paul Arrives at Rome

11 Three months later we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian ship with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there for three days; 13 then we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day there a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 14 There we found believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 The believers from there, when they heard of us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.

16 When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. (Acts 28:1-16, NRSV)

The following comments combine, revise and supplement material from October 15, 2004, two years ago (Friday of the week of the Sunday closest to October 12, Year Two), and from August 26, 2005 (Friday in the week of the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year One):

On the Island of Malta after the shipwreck, the natives of Malta welcomed the shipwreck survivors with “unusual kindness” with a fire to warm them (Acts 28:2). Paul, who had gathered firewood, apparently picked up more than firewood, for a viper “fastened itself on his [Paul’s] hand” (v. 3), causing alarm among the natives. “This man must be a murderer,” they thought (v. 4) until they realized that Paul was not harmed (v. 5), and so they concluded “that he was a god” (v. 6). Perhaps Paul’s prayer for the healing of Publius, “the leading man of the island” (v. 7), and his healing (v. 8), only confirmed that opinion. Paul heals not only Publius, but others (vv. 9-10), and “they bestowed many honors on us, and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions we needed” (v. 10). Again we hear the voice of Luke in the pronouns “us” and “we.”

The ship that brought them to Malta had, of course, been broken up by the reef and the waves (Acts 27:41), but, “three months later we [were able to] set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island” (28:11). The group joins an Alexandrian ship and travels to Syracuse (on Sicily), Rhegium (at the tip of Italy), Puteoli (close to Rome), where they “found believers,” and on to Rome. The remainder of the trip was uneventful except for the “believers” whom they met at Puteoli (vv. 13-14). Paul is encouraged when he is met by believers from Rome at the Forum of Appius and three Taverns (v. 15). The living/confinement arrangements in Rome will allow Paul the freedom to minister–when people come to him. “Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him” (v. 16). So we find Paul settled–in a kind of “house arrest,” as it were–and ready to minister in Rome as people came to him (vv. 17, 23, 30).

Luke 9:28-36

The Transfiguration (Mt 17.1-8; Mk 9.2-8; 2 Pet 1.16-18)

28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”–not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” 36 When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. (Luke 9:28-36, NRSV)

The following comments combine, revise and supplement material from October 15, 2004, two years ago (Friday of the week of the Sunday closest to October 12, Year Two), and from May 6, 2005 (Friday in the week of the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year One):

Coming as it does after Peter’s Confession and teaching about disciples taking up their cross daily, Luke’s account of the Transfiguration demonstrates “the meaning of Christ’s glorification through death” (G. W. H. Lampe, Peake’s Commentary, sec. 727b on Lk. 9:28-36). By Luke’s reference to “about eight days” (Lk. 9:28; cf. “six days,” Mk. 9:2; Mt. 17:1), he seeks “to indicate the first day of the week and to underline the relation of the Transfiguration to the Resurrection” (Ibid.). For a comparison of accounts of the transfiguration, see the separate file, the Transfiguration of Jesus. In Luke, this moment of revelation occurs in a context of prayer (vv. 28-29, not mentioned in Mk. 9:2-10 nor Mt. 17:1-9), though all mention the changing (“transfiguration”) of Jesus’ appearance. “And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them” (Mk. 9:2b-3; cf. Mt. 17:2, without the reference to bleaching). “And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white” (Lk. 9:29). Each of the Synoptic Gospels note the presence of Moses and Elijah (Mt. 17:3; Mk. 9:4; Lk. 9:30), but only Luke indicates the content of their conversation with Jesus. “They [Moses and Elijah] appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:31; cf. “who were talking with Jesus,” Mk. 9:4 and “talking with him Mt. 17:3). Later in this chapter, Luke will report that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:51), so it should not surprise us that his account of the transfiguration anticipates the events of Holy Week. Luke also reports that “Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him” (Lk. 9:32). This anticipates their sleepiness in the Garden of Gethsemane (Lk. 22:45; Mk. 14:37; Mt. 26:40), and may indicate that the transfiguration occurred at night (cf. Marion Lloyd Soards, NOAB, 3^rd ed. on Lk. 9:32).

Allusions to the Feast of Tabernacles (v. 33), and to the overshadowing cloud which signified God’s presence in the Exodus from Egypt (v. 34) help form the setting for the voice from heaven, “This is my Son, my Chosen (eklelegmenos, in a few mss. eklektos, both meaning ‘selected’ or ‘chosen’); listen to him!” (v. 35). The majority of the manuscripts of Luke, mostly later manuscripts, have had the reading adjusted to that of Mark and Matthew, “This is my Son, the Beloved (agapētos), listen to him! (Mk. 9:7; cf. Mt. 17:5, which adds “with him I am well pleased,” cf. 2 Pet. 16:17b). Peter’s suggestion to “make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Lk. 9:33; cf. Mk. 9:5), seems to fall on deaf ears. According to Luke, Peter said this, “not knowing what he said” (Lk. 9:33; cf. “He did not know what to say, for they were terrified, Mk. 9:6; Mt. has no comment). But with the disappearance of Moses and Elijah, “Jesus was found alone” (Lk. 9:36; cf. Mk. 9:8–again Mt. is silent), the focus is clearly on Jesus. One greater than Moses and Elijah is here.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

rworden@houston.rr.com