One may take note that again this week the Old Testament readings from day to day are the same in the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Lutheran traditions.

Isaiah 19:19-25

19 On that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the center of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. 20 It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; when they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior, and will defend and deliver them. 21 The LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians; and the Egyptians will know the LORD on that day, and will worship with sacrifice and burnt offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them. 22 The LORD will strike Egypt, striking and healing; they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their supplications and heal them.

23 On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians.

24 On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 25 whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my heritage.” (Isaiah 19:19-25, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here with editing and supplement from November 25, 2005 (the Sunday closest to November 23, Year One):

Isaiah includes a series of oracles against foreign nations in chapters 13-23, though the focus is on Judah in chapter 22. Chapter 19 is “an oracle concerning Egypt” (Isa. 19:1), which describes her defeat by various conquerors in poetic lines (vv. 1-15), followed by promises in prose that include today’s reading (vv. 19-25). By Joseph Blenkinsopp’s analysis, the poetry (vv. 1-15) is followed by “five addenda, all much later, with the possible exception of the first” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Isa. 19:16-25). These five “addenda” are identified as the five paragraphs (as divided by the NRSV). In the first, it is said that “Egypt will fear the God of Judah whose hand is raised to strike (cf. 11:15)” (Ibid., on vv. 16-17). The second refers to “five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of hosts. One of these will be called the City of the Sun” (v. 18). According to Blenkinsopp, this refers to “the Judean diaspora in Egypt . . . Five cities in which Judeans were settled are mentioned in Jer. 2:16; 43:7; 44:1.” He adds that “the City of the Sun [is] Heliopolis (Jer. 43:13),” and that “the Jewish high priest Onias IV built a temple in 170 BCE at Leontopolis (Tell el-Yahudyeh) in the Egyptian province of Heliopolis” (on v. 18).

Today’s reading begins with Blenkinsopp’s third “addendum,” says that “the LORD will be worshiped in Egypt (Blenkinsopp, on vv. 19-22). “On that day,” says Isaiah, “there will be an altar to the LORD in the center of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border” (v. 19). This “will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts” (v. 20), and, as in the case of the Israelites repeatedly (e.g., in the Book of Judges), “when they [the Egyptians] cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior, and will defend and deliver them” (v. 20b). The LORD will reveal himself to the Egyptians, who “will know the LORD . . . and will worship with sacrifice and burnt offering, and . . . make vows to the LORD and perform them” (v. 21). Gene M. Tucker sees a series of five oracles in this section (cf. the reference to Blenkinsopp’s five “addenda,” above), the third of which (vv. 19-22)

Carries the conversion of Egyptians to faith in Yahweh a step further, envisioning an ‘altar to the LORD’ in the center of the land and signs of allegiance to the Lord at its boundaries. [There were, in fact, altars to the Lord in Egypt, at Elephantine and later at Leontopolis, but their existence did not mean that the Egyptians had turned to the Yahwistic faith.] (Eugene M. Tucker, on Isa. 19:19-22, The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. VI, p. 181)

“The LORD,” says Isaiah, “will strike Egypt; striking and healing; they will return to the LORD, and he will listen to their supplications and heal them” (v. 22). The prophet sees future cooperation between Egypt, Assyria and Israel. “On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians” (v. 23). Israel will be elevated to the status of Egypt and Assyria, thanks to the blessing of the LORD: “On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my heritage” (vv. 24-25).

So the passage closes with “a vision of world peace and order in which Israel is ranked with the two great political powers, Egypt and Assyria, all of which are a ‘blessing in the midst of the earth’ and all of whom are blessed by the Lord. They are thus seen to be in covenant with one another and with the Lord” (Tucker, on vv. 23-25). For Blenkinsopp, this is “a remarkably open and universalistic statement” which he dates “perhaps in the Hellenistic period” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on vv. 24-25). Rather late, I would say. Couldn’t one hope for world peace when those empires were at the height of their powers and attacking and defending themselves from time to time? Unfortunately, there is still war in what was ancient Assyria, and both Israel and Egypt have known dreadful conflict in our times. But the Coptic church arose later in Egypt. And we believe that the Living God will bring peace in the end, in spite of the arbitrary stubbornness and willfulness of perpetrators of violence and of many nationalistic leaders in our time.

Romans 15:5-13

5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

                        “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,

                                    and sing praises to your name”;

10 and again he says,

                        “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”;

                                    11 and again,

                        “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,

                                    and let all the peoples praise him”;

12 and again Isaiah says,

                        “The root of Jesse shall come,

                                    the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;

                                    in him the Gentiles shall hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:5-13, NRSV)

The following is based on comments from November 20, 2005 (the Sunday closest to November 23, Year One) and from the relevant portion of comments on Romans 15:1-13 from August 12, 2007 (the Sunday closest to August 10, Year One), when comments were repeated here with minor editing and supplement from July 27, 2006 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to July 20, Year Two).

Paul has been addressing issues which separate the Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in the church at Rome. At the beginning of the book he presents a thesis—his abiding conviction—that the gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek [i.e. Gentile]” (Rom. 1:16). Chapter 14 calls for toleration of “the weak,” who “eat only vegetables” (14:2), not because the Jewish Christians were vegetarian on general principles, but because, as a minority in a Gentile world, they could not be sure that the meat was kosher. The principle of tolerance and mutual respect which he advocates in Romans 14 is similar to his instructions in 1 Corinthians 8 and 10, but the issue of meat offered to idols there differs from the issue in Romans. There is no need in Romans for such an admonition as is found in 1 Corinthians 10:21, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.” But there is reference to observance of Jewish holy days (Rom. 14:5). “Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to
God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God” (v. 6).

So the instruction “to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus” (Rom. 15:5) comes near the end of Paul’s application of his teaching to the way Christians should live out their faith together in Rome. Paul’s prayer for harmony has in mind not merely peaceful coexistence, but two groups coming together, “so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 6). This clearly refers to harmony of Jews and Gentiles coming together in Christian worship. Paul has instructed these groups not to judge one another, and now exhorts them to “welcome one another” (v. 7). He reminds the readers again that “the promised salvation is also for the Gentiles, as Paul emphasizes with quotations from Ps. 18:49; Deut. 32.43; Ps. 117:1; and Isa. 11:10” (John Knox and John Reumann, NOAB, 2^nd ed. on Rom. 15:8-12). The word “Gentiles” (ethnē) which occurs repeatedly in these quotations (Rom. 15:9 twice, 10, 11, 12 twice) can also mean “nations,” as for example, in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (panta ta ethnē). In a certain sense, Paul’s general exhortation of the Romans ends here with the words, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (v. 13), for what follows reflects on what he has written (v. 15), his personal plans (vv. 22-33) and final greetings (ch. 16).

Luke 19:11-27

The Parable of the Ten Pounds (Mt 25.14-30)

11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. 13 He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ 14 But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.’ 17 He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’ 18 Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ 19 He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’ 20 Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’ 24 He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ 25 (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) 26 ‘I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’” (Luke 19:11-27, NRSV)

On November 30, 2006 (Thursday in the week of the Sunday closest to November 25, Year Two), comments were repeated from June 8, 2005 (Wednesday of the week of the Sunday closest to June 8, Year One). on November 20, 2005 (the Sunday closest to November 23, Year One), and are repeated again here. For recent comments on Matthew’s version of this parable, see the Archive for July 22, 2007 (the Sunday closest to July 20, Year One):

As compared with Matthew’s Parable of the Talents (Mt. 25:14-30), Luke’s Parable of the Ten Pounds might seem to deal in “chump change.” The man who received “five talents” (Mt. 25:15) received the equivalent of a laborer’s wages for seventy-five years (NRSV, text note f on Mt. 25:14), but each of the slaves in Luke’s parable receive one pound (Lk. 19:13, cf. vv. 16, 18, 20–ten pounds, one for each of ten slaves). The pound represented about three month’s wages for a laborer (NRSV, text note a on Lk. 19:13). Perhaps the intended audience was a consideration. Luke’s Gospel often makes a special place for marginalized people. Another difference is the setting of the parables; the Parable of the Talents is one of three parables which conclude Matthew’s version of the eschatological speech (Mt. chaps. 24, 25), but Luke sets this parable on the approach to Jerusalem as a “corrective” “because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately” (Lk. 19:11). Again, the “man going on a journey” in Matthew’s version (Mt. 25:14; cf. Mk. 13:34), is “a nobleman [who] went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return” in Luke’s version (Lk. 19:12), a feature which leads many commentaries see the parable as based in part on a historical event. The parable adds that he came back “having received royal power” (v. 15) over the protests of the citizens. “But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to rule over us’” (v. 14). In the end this king orders the protesters to be slaughtered “in my presence” (v. 27).

William Barclay explains as follows:

[The parable] tells about a king who went away to receive a kingdom and whose subjects did their best to stop him receiving it. When Herod the Great died in 4 B.C. he left his kingdom divided between Herod Antipas, Herod Philip and Archelaus. That division had to be ratified by the Romans, who were the overlords of Palestine, before it became effective. Archelaus, to whom Judaea had been left, went to Rome to persuade Augustus to allow him to enter into his inheritance, whereupon the Jews sent an embassy of fifty men to Rome to inform August that they did not wish to have him as king. In point of fact, Augustus confirmed him in his inheritance, though without the actual title of king. (William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke, Daily Study Bible, rev. ed., 1975, pp. 236-237)

Barclay adds that “Anyone in Judaea, on hearing the parable, would immediately remember the historical circumstances on which it was based” (Ibid.). Scholars differ on whether the Parables of the Talents and the Pounds are two versions of one parable told by Jesus, or different parables from different occasions (cf. I. Howard Marshall, Commentary on Luke, NIGTC, 701). They also differ on the significance. A Jülicher “claimed that the original form of the parable was meant simply to teach a moral lesson about using the gifts which God has given to man” (cited by Marshall, 702). Barclay follows a line similar to that: “The parable of the king and his servants illustrates certain great facts of the Christian life,” he says, and lists (1) “the king’s trust” (2) “the king’s test” (3) “the king’s reward” (Barclay, 237). Barclay adds that “the parable concludes with one of the inexorable laws of life. To him who has, more will be given; from him who has not, what he has will be taken away” (Barclay, 238). Eric Franklin, however, has trouble with such an interpretation:

That the nobleman-become-king stands for Jesus [or for God, presumably] is made more unlikely by the third servant’s wholly unflattering description of him (v. 21) as rapacious and a fraudster, an assessment that the king does not deny (v. 22). If his reply were to be taken as an accommodation to the servant’s assessment of him, that in itself would seem to confirm the judgement. It is more likely, however, that he is described as acknowledging the truth of the servant’s description. The king is not a pleasant character.

The parable therefore is unlikely to be an allegory, but is rather, in the words of Evans (1990),k ‘another of the risqué parables . . . in which the central figure is a reprehensible character’. In pointing to the demands made by the manner of the Kingdom’s appearing in Jesus, Luke has used this device, not only in the parable of the dishonest steward (16:1-9), but also, and with a close parallel, in that of the importunate widow (18:1-8), where one is encouraged to pray for its coming, and the friend at midnight (11:5-8) where one is told to ask to live out of its power. (Eric Franklin, The Oxford Bible Commentary, pp. 951-952, on Lk. 19:11-27 )

Franklin says that the third servant is “not to be admired as someone who refuses to play by the lord’s corrupt rules,” a view that he attributes to Herzog (1994).

His lord required of him a commitment and a willingness to venture all which he was not able to meet. Fear and self-protection held him back. For him there might be some excuse. There is none, says the parable, for those who have willingly committed themselves to discipleship in the service of him who is not to be feared but loved and whose treasures do not consist of unrighteous mammon but of the life of the Kingdom itself. Disciples must risk all for the Kingdom and not let its gifts come to nothing either by acquiescing in the present or by despairing of its future ([Lk.] 17:22-18:8). (Franklin, p. 952)

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net