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Daily
Scripture |
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Wednesday
(December 29, 2010)* |
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Daily Office
Lectionary, The Book of Common Prayer, the Episcopal
Church in the U.S.A., 1979; cf. The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL),
Abingdon Press, 1992 |
Daily
Lectionary, Book of Common Worship, the Presbyterian Church in the |
Daily
Lectionary, Book of Worship Inter-Lutheran Commission on
Worship, c. 1978 (2002 printing) ‡ |
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http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/index.htm http://www.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/lectiond.cgi YOU MAY NEED TO COPY AND PASTE THESE URLs
IN YOUR BROWSER |
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‡
Daily Lectionary, Evangelical Lutheran Worship,
ELCA, 2006. In the Evangelical Lutheran Worship book of 2006, the
Daily Lectionary (pp. 1121-1153) is revised to correlate with the Sunday
Lectionary (the Revised Common Lectionary) on the three year cycle: Year A,
Year B, Year C (now current). “The readings are chosen so that the days
leading up to Sunday (Thursday through Saturday) prepare for the Sunday
readings. The days flowing out from Sunday (Monday through Wednesday) reflect
upon the Sunday readings” (p. 1121). |
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Unless
otherwise indicated, the scripture texts quoted are from The New Revised
Standard Version ( |
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Wednesday, Dec.
29, Holy Innocents (transferred) AM Psalm 2, 26 Isaiah 49:13-23 Matthew 18:1-14 PM Psalm 19,
126 Isaiah 54:1-13 Mark 10:13-16 From the Sunday Lectionary Psalm 124; Jeremiah
31:15-17; Revelation 21:1-7; Matthew 2:13-18 |
Wednesday, December 29 Morning: Psalm 96; 147:1-11 Isaiah 12:1-6 Revelation
1:1-8 John 7:37-52 Evening Pss.: 132,
97 |
Wednesday, December 29 Morning: Psalm 96; 147:1-11 Isaiah 12:1-6 Revelation
1:1-8 John 7:37-52 Evening Pss.: 132,
97 |
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Year A Daily Psalm 20 Jeremiah
31:15-22 Luke 19:41-44 |
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*Wednesday in the
week of the First Sunday after Christmas, Year One |
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Isaiah 49:13-23 (Episcopal)
13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the LORD has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his suffering ones.
14 But
my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me.
17 Your builders outdo your destroyers,
and those who laid you waste go away from you.
18 Lift up your eyes all around and see;
they all gather, they come to you.
As I live, says the LORD,
you shall put all of them on like an ornament,
and like a bride you shall bind them on.
19 Surely your waste and your desolate places
and your devastated land-
surely now you will be too crowded for your inhabitants,
and those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 The children born in the time of your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing:
“The place is too crowded for me;
make room for me to settle.”
21 Then you will say in your heart,
“Who has borne me these?
I was bereaved and barren,
exiled and put away–
so who has reared these?
I was left all alone–
where then have these come from?”
22 Thus says the Lord GOD:
I will soon lift up my hand to the nations,
and raise my signal to the peoples;
and they shall bring your sons in their bosom,
and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.
23 Kings shall be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,
and lick the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the LORD;
those who wait for me shall not be put to shame. (Isaiah
49:13-23, NRSV)
As yesterday, the following
comments are repeated here from January 29, 2009 (Thursday in the week of the
Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One), when comments were repeated with
editing from December 29, 2008 (Monday in the week of the First Sunday after
Christmas, Holy Infants [transferred from Dec. 28], year One), comments were
based on earlier Holy Infants Day readings of January 27, 2005 (Thursday in the
week of the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One) and of January 25, 2007
(Thursday in the week of the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One).
This reading appears in a context
where the LORD has promised return and restoration for captive
“The imagery shifts from
builders,” says J. J. M. Roberts, for “children, and the exiles returning to
repopulate Jerusalem are portrayed as ornaments of jewelry worn by the
city (cf. Lam. 4:1-2)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on
Isa. 49:18). “Lift up your eyes all around and see; / they all gather, they
come to you. / As I live, says the LORD, / you shall put all of them on like an
ornament, / and like a bride you shall bind them on” (v. 18). The LORD promises
that
The predicted overpopulation of
The
assurance of restoration continues, especially the restoration of the children.
And it will be "soon" “I will soon lift up my hand to the nations,”
says the LORD, “and raise my signal to the peoples; / and they shall bring your
sons in their bosom, / and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders”
(v. 22). “The upraised hand and signal will identify an assembly point for the
repatriation of dispersed Israelites by Gentiles (cf. 11:11-12; 43:6-7; 60:9;
656:20),” says Joseph Blenkinsopp (NOAB, 3rd ed., 2001, on
Isa. 49:22-26).
Isaiah 12:1-6 (Presbyterian and Lutheran)
Thanksgiving and Praise
12:1 You will say in that day:
I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
and you comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:
l
Give thanks to the LORD,
call on his name;
make known his deeds among the nations;
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
6 Shout aloud
and sing for joy, O royal
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 12:1-6, NRSV)
The following comments are repeated here from December 29, 2008 (Monday in the week of the First Sunday after Christmas, Year One, ref. for December 29), when the comments were repeated from December 29, 2006 (Friday of Christmas Week, References for December 29, Year One)
This reading brings a significant unit of the Book of Isaiah to a close. The first twelve chapters have introduced major themes that will recur throughout the book, with rebuke for sin and apostasy (e.g., chapters 1, 5) alternating with descriptions of a blessed future time of peace (e.g., 2:2-4) including a new Davidic ruler who will rule with justice (9:7; 11:1-9). This unit, to be followed by a section of oracles against foreign nations (chaps. 13-23), consists of “two short hymns of praise and thanksgiving,” according to Joseph Blenkinsopp, who describes them as “each introduced with you will say in that day” (NOAB, 3rd ed., 2001, on Isa. 12:1-6).
The first “hymn” begins with thanks to the LORD. “I will
give thanks to you, O LORD, / for though you were angry with me, / your anger
turned away, / and you comforted me” (Isa. 12:1b, c, d, e). As the hymn
continues, the singer says, “Surely God is my salvation (h!&Uwy4, yeš‘û~h);
I will trust , and not be afraid, / for the LORD GOD is my strength and my
might; / he has become my salvation (hfAUwy4, yeš‘û~h)”
(v. 2). “With joy,” adds the hymn, “you will draw water from the wells of
salvation (hfAUwy4,
yeš‘û~h)” (v. 3). Blenkinsopp
points out that these hymns “recapitulate chs. 1-11 by playing on the name
Isaiah [UhyAf,way4,
y eša‘ ey~hû]
(related to ‘salvation’ . . . ) and the title the Holy One of
The remainder of the hymn
calls upon us to “Give thanks to the LORD, / call on his name; / make known his
deeds among the nations; / proclaim that his name is exalted” (v. 4b, c, d, e).
Compare Psalm 105:1 (as suggested by Sommer), “O give thanks to the LORD, call
on his name, / make known his deeds among the people.” This hymn (or song of
thanksgiving) calls upon us all to “Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done
gloriously; / let this be known in all the earth. / Shout aloud and sing for
joy, O royal
Isaiah 54:1-13 (Episcopal)
An
Eternal Covenant of Peace
54:1 Sing, O barren one who did not bear;
burst into song and shout,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate woman will be more
than the children of her that is married, says the LORD.
2 Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left,
and your descendants will possess the nations
and will settle the desolate towns.
4 Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no
more.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
the LORD of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 For the LORD has called you
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man's youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
7 For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In overflowing wrath for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
says the LORD, your Redeemer.
9 This is like the days of Noah to me:
Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
and will not rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
11 O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
I am about to set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
your gates of jewels,
and all your wall of precious stones.
13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
and great shall be the prosperity of your children. (Isaiah
54:1-13, NRSV)
As Yesterday, the following
comments are based on relevant comments from those on Isaiah 54:1-10 (11-17) of
February 4, 2009 (Wednesday in the week of the Fourth Sunday after the
Epiphany, Year One), when comments were repeated from January 31, 2007
(Wednesday in the week of the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year One);
compare the comments of December 29, 2008 (Monday in the week of the First
Sunday after Christmas, Episcopal for Holy Infants in the Evening).
This reading begins in the chapter
(Isa. 54) that follow what many have called Isaiah’s Fourth “Servant Song”
(Isa. 52:13-53:12). The Servant Songs were discussed recently. In today’s
reading, the prophet returns to promises and reassurances about the restoration
and return of
The image shifts from mother and
children to marriage, to the LORD as the husband and
With the change of stanzas, says
Sommer, “God switches from a marital metaphor to a simile based on the story of
Noah (Gen. chs. 8-9)” (op. cit., on vv. 9-10). “This is like the days of Noah
to me: / Just as I swore that the waters of Noah / would never again go over
the earth, / so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you / and will not
rebuke you” (v. 9). “The former metaphor implied,” says Sommer,
that the
covenant between God and
The
following verses describe the blessings awaiting the LORD’s restored spouse.
The one who has been afflicted, storm-tossed and not comforted (v. 11a), will
have her stones set “in antimony,” and her foundations laid “with sapphires” (v.
11b, c). The once forsaken wife will have “pinnacles of rubies,” gates of
jewels,” and a “wall of precious stones” (v. 12). Blenkinsopp compares the “new
Jerusalem,” which “is adorned with precious stones and gems by builders
supernaturally instructed” (Ezek. 28:13-19), and adds that “Christian
apocalyptic literature draws on this imagery to describe the new Jerusalem
(Rev. 21:18-21)” (op. cit., on vv. 11-13a).
The
reading concludes at this point, but we may note the following reassurance
given to
Revelation 1:1-8 (Presbyterian and Lutheran)
Introduction and
Salutation
1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.
4 John to the
seven churches that are in
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen.
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1:1-8, NRSV)
The following comments are repeated here from December 7, 2009 (Monday in the week of the Second Sunday of Advent, Year Two).
The following comments are essentially repeated from earlier comments, those of the Presbyterian and Lutheran readings for December, 29, 2008 (Monday in the week of the First Sunday after Christmas, Year One), when comments were repeated from October 20, 2007 (Monday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year One), and from earlier comments as noted there.
Today’s reading begins with what has been called the “Prologue” to the Book of Revelation. namely, 1:1-3 (Bruce M. Metzger, NOAB, 2nd ed., 1994, Introduction to Revelation). The book is called “the Revelation (=ApokavluyiV, Apokalypsis) of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants’ what must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1a). Jean Pierre Ruiz says the term “revelation” (ajpokavluyiV, apokalypsis) refers to “a literary form in which a vision from God, often under the guidance of an angel or other heavenly messenger, communicates in symbolic language God’s hidden plan for the concluding period of history. Apocalypses also include visions of the heavenly world” (NOAB, 3rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Rev. 1:1). In this case, the author claims that Jesus Christ made the revelation known to him “by sending his angel to his servant John” (v. 1b), thereby identifying himself as “John.” Whether this is John the son of Zebedee and the likely source behind the Gospel of John, the “beloved disciple” (who is referred to in the third person by the final editor of John’s Gospel, Jn. 21:24), is a disputed point. Metzger is content to say, “it is probably that the author, whose name is John (1:1, 4, 9; 22:8), put the book in its present form toward the close of the reign of the Emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96)” (loc. cit.). Ruiz, on the other hand, notes this John’s “self-identification to the seven churches as ‘I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance’ ” (1:9), but also his reference to “the twelve apostles as figures from the past (21:14) [in which he] does not refer to himself as one of them.” So Ruiz concludes, “The traditional identification of the John of the book of Revelation with the apostle of the same name is thus questionable” (op. cit., in the Introduction to Revelation). One may add that Ruiz’s interpretation of the reference to “apostles” in 21:14 is not self evident either.
The prologue concludes with a beatitude, a blessing pronounced on “the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near” (v. 3). Metzger notes that this is “the first of seven beatitudes in Revelation (compare 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14) [and that it] is pronounced upon the reader of this prophetic book in services of worship and upon the listening worshippers who heed its message” (on v. 3; cf. Ruiz, op. cit., on the same). “The words the time is near (repeated in 22:10,” says Ruiz, provide a motive for obedience by announcing the imminence of the end-time” (ibid.). One might call these beginning and ending beatitudes “brackets,” or better, “bookends,” that frame the entire book.
Although the book as a whole is considered apocalyptic,
according to Metzger, “it contains other elements as well, such as the seven
letters in chs. 2 and 3 and the scattered prophetic utterances throughout its
pages” (loc. cit.). So, though the literary genre (literary form or type) of
Revelation is correctly identified as Apocalypse–as indicated by the title
commonly used–it shares the characteristics of “circular letter,” and of
“Christian prophecy” (cf. Paul J. Achtemeier, Joel B. Green, and Marianne Meye
Thompson, Introduction to the New Testament; Its Literature and Theology,
2001, pp. 556-559). And immediately following the prologue, we come to an
“epistolary salutation” (1:4-8, as labeled by Ruiz, op. cit., on vv. 4-8; cf
‘introductory salutation,” Metzger, op. cit., on vv. 4-8). John first
identifies himself, then the addressees: “John to the seven churches that are
in
A dedication is made that ascribes glory and dominion “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1:5b, 6). The ascription of glory and dominion is continued in poetic lines that recall Daniel’s description of dominion being given to “one like a human being” (wn!x$ rbaK;, kebar ’ en~š, lit. ‘like a son of man’)” (Dan. 7:13-14). Compare the texts in the following table:
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Daniel 7:13-14* |
Revelation 1:6b-7* |
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13 As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being (wn!x$ rbaK;, kebar ’ en~š, lit. ‘like a son of man’) coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. 14 To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed |
to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. |
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* NRSV |
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In the Daniel passage the “one like a human being” who is “coming with the clouds of heaven” is coming to “the Ancient One” who is on his throne (Dan. 7:9); in the Revelation passage, “coming with the clouds” refers to the Parousia, when “every eye will see him, / even those who pierced him” (Rev. 1:7).
The salutation closes with
a self-identification of the Lord God. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the
Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (v. 8). In
calling himself “the Alpha and the Omega,” God refers to the first and last
letters of the Greek alphabet; the title is later applied to Christ (cf.
Metzger, op. cit., on 22:13). As noted above God is here described as the one
“who is and who was and who is to come”; finally, he is called “the Almighty” (oJ
pantokravtwr, ho pantokratÇr). The term is
used of God in the Septuagint texts of Hosea 12:6 and Amos 3:13, for example. Jean-Pierre
Ruiz interprets the reference to the Greek alphabet: “‘I am the Alpha and the
Omega,’ says the Lord God” (v. 8), as “the beginning and end of all things” (op.
cit., on v. 8).
Matthew 18:1-14 (Episcopal)
True
Greatness
18:1 At
that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven?" 2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and
said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you
will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever becomes humble like this
child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever welcomes one such
child in my name welcomes me.
Temptations to Sin
6
"If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who
believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened
around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the
world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come,
but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!
8 "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble,
cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame
than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9
And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is
better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be
thrown into the hell of fire.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
10
"Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell
you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. 12
What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone
astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of
the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices
over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not
the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
(Matthew 18:1-14, NRSV)
The
following comments are based on relevant comments from those on Matthew 18:1-9
and 10-20 of June 16 and 17, 2010 (Wednesday and Thursday in the week of the
Sunday closest to June 15, Year Two), when comments were repeated from June 18
and 19, 2008 (Wednesday in the week of the Sunday closest to June 15, Year
Two), and on earlier comments as noted there.
Today’s
reading is a little less than half of the fourth major speech of Jesus presented
by Matthew, dealing with issues of Christian life especially within the
Christian community, that is, the “church” (ekklēsia). The term
“church” (ekklēsia), which occurs frequently in Acts and the
Epistles, occurs only three times in the Gospels, all in Matthew (16:18, twice
in 18:17). The NRSV has “member of the church” for adelphos (“brother,”
Mt. 18:15, 21 AV/KJV) in the context of Matthew 18:17 (cf. TNIV). This speech
of Jesus is concluded by Matthew’s typical closing formula, “When Jesus had
finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea
beyond the
In Mark
and Luke, an argument about “which one of them was the greatest” (Lk. 9:46; cf.
Mk. 9:33, 34) led to Jesus’ saying about welcoming the child (Lk. 9:47-48; Mk.
9:36-37), in Mark’s case, including the statement about servanthood, “Whoever
wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mk.9:35b). In
Matthew, the disciples ask Jesus directly, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven?” (Mt. 18:1), which prompts Jesus to use a child as an object lesson.
“He called a child, whom he put among them” (Mt. 18:2); compare Mark’s longer
version, “Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in
his arms, he said to them” (Mk. 9:36). Luke refers to the disciples’ argument
(Lk. 9:46; cf. Mk. 9:33), “But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a
little child and put it by his side (Lk. 9:47). “Truly I tell you,” says Jesus
according to Matthew, “unless you change and become like children, you will
never enter the kingdom of heaven’ ” (Mt. 18:3); compare “Jesus answered
him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of without being born
from above” (Jn. 3:3); and compare “Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no
one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit’ ”
(Jn. 3:5). According to Dennis C. Duling, in the context of Matthew, “change
[means] repent (see 3:2),” and “become like children [means
being] without concern for social status (see Mk. 10:15)” (HarperCollins
Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Mt. 18:3). In reference to “become like
children,” J. Andrew Overman says, “a child’s social status was little
better than that of a slave (Gal. 4:1)” (NOAB, 3rd ed.,
augmented, 2007, on Mt. 18:3). In John’s Gospel, of course, Jesus refers to the
spiritual transformation called being born again/from above.
In Mark
and Luke the child brought forward represents those whom the disciples should
welcome, that is respect and treat kindly. “Whoever welcomes one such child in
my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who
sent me” (Mk. 9:37; cf Lk. 9:48a. Luke adds the principle that “the least among
all of you is the greatest (Lk. 9:48b). Matthew’s variation presents the child
as one to be welcomed, but also as an example of humility. “Whoever becomes
humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever
welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Mt. 18:4, 5). Duling comments
on, “Whoever becomes humble . . . is the greatest,”
saying, “Reversal of status characterizes the kingdom (see 20:26-27; 23:11-12;
Mk. 10:43-44; Lk. 14:11; 18:14; 22:26; Jas. 4:6, 10; 1 Pet. 5:5)” (op. cit., on
Mt. 18:4).
A common
motif holds the larger passage together, the “child” (paidion, Mt. 18:2,
3 [plural], 4, 5) and the “little ones” (hoi mikroi, vv. 10, 14). Dale
C. Allison, Jr., notices the change in vocabulary:
This block of moral teaching
[Mt. 18:1-14], which presupposes a communal setting, begins by referring to
literal children (v. 2), but by vv. 10-14 ‘little ones’ designates believers
(cf. 10:42). The transition from one thing to the other is probably marked by
the change in vocabulary . . . The former teaches that one
should become like little children, for only by this will one enter the kingdom
(v. 3). One should humble oneself as a child, for in the kingdom the humble
will be great (v. 4; cf. 23:12). (The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001, p.
867, on Mt. 18:1-14).
Some
professional therapists have much to say about one's “inner child.” An internet
search for this phrase will turn up an amazing variety of approaches. One sight
offers a test to use in answering the question, “How Old is Your Inner Child?”
One question: “What's your preferred Pet?” Some answers: “Hamster,” “Puppy,”
and others, including “I live in a community that doesn't allow pets.” Another
question: “Finally, what do you want to be when you grow up?” Some answers:
“Fireman,” “Princess,” “Not interested in growing up,” “I already am grown up,
thank you very much.”
Sorting
these approaches out, or even these answers, would take me “out of my area,” so
to speak. But Jesus did say, “Become like children.” I sometimes wonder how to
relate Jesus' call for self-denial, “If any want to become my followers, let
them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mk. 8:34), with
one of the goals of therapy, insight leading to self-actualization. Can denying
oneself and finding oneself be related? Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless
you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Mt.
18:3-5). If we believe that we are made in God's image, and continue to live
thanks to his gracious provision for our lives, then we may pray with St.
Augustine: “Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us
for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee” (from his
Confessions, Book 1, Chapter 1, on the Internet at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf101.vi.I_1.I.html
[accessed again Dec. 24, 2010; copy and paste the URL]. Pardon the
old-fashioned English! It comes with this older translation.) I would add that,
at least for the Christian believer, true wholeness would include respect for
our most fervent desires (our “inner child”), and for God's desires for us--his
commandments, if you must. God wants what is truly best for us. If we really
understood that, we would want it too.
In
Matthew, Jesus moves on to warnings about temptations. “If any of you put a
stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be
better for you if a great millstone (mulos onikos) were fastened (kremasthē)
around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Mt. 18:6; cf.
Mk. 9:42; Lk. 17:2). Where the NRSV translations in Matthew and Luke have
“stumbling block,” the Greek text has the verb skandalizō, “to
cause to be brought to a downfall, cause to sin”
(Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich [BDAG], A Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2000, s.v. skandalizō );
compare “But whoso shall offend one of these little
ones . . .” (Mt. 18:6 AV/KJV; cf. also
“causes . . . to stumble” TNIV). Luke uses the same verb, skandalizō ),
but in his different phrasing, the NRSV translation represents the verb with an
English verb, “than for you to cause one of these little ones to
stumble” (Lk. 17:2b). J. Andrew Overman apparently finds the “stumbling
block” implied by the expression, and refers to it “as an image for causing
someone to sin (Sir. 9:5; 25:21; 34:7; 1QS 2:12; T. Reuben 4:7)” (op.
cit., on Mt. 18:6). In Matthew the reference to “stumbling blocks” becomes
specific in the next verse. “Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks (skandala)!
Occasions for stumbling (ta skandala) are bound to come, but woe to the
one by whom the stumbling block (to skandalon) comes!” (Mt. 18:7). The
noun skandalon is defined as “an action or circumstance that leads
one to act contrary to a proper course of action or set of beliefs, temptation
to sin, enticement to apostasy, false belief, etc.” (BDAG, s.v. skandalon).
Matthew’s
“fastened” (kremasthē) replaces Mark’s “hung” ( perikeitai).
Both verbs can refer to putting the millstone in place, in Mark, “to be
positioned around some object or area, be around, surround” (BDAG,
s.v. perikeimai), in Matthew, “to cause to hang, trans. hang
(up),” active voice, but here passive, “that a millstone were
hung around that person’s neck” (BDAG, s.v. kremannumi). “The
verb k. by itself can also
mean crucify” [supported by citations from classical Greek], cf. Acts
5:30; 10:39 (ibid.). If Matthew had that association in mind, his change would
add a certain severity to the warning. Luke retains Mark’s verb and other
wording, but simplifies somewhat. “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Occasions for
stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be
better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown (erriptai,
for Mark’s beblētai) into the sea than for you to cause one of
these little ones to stumble” (Lk. 17:1-2). Both words for “throw” imply
forceful motion, but Luke’s verb hriptō, “to propel something
with a forceful motion, throw” is a little stronger (cf. BDAG, s.v. ballō,
and hriptō).
In
Matthew and Mark, Jesus continues with possible causes of stumbling that one
would be better to do without. “If your hand or your foot causes you to
stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life
maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the
eternal fire” (Mt. 18:8, which combines separate verses for the hand and foot in
Mk. 9:43, 44); “And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it
away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and
to be thrown into the hell of fire” (Mt. 17:9; cf. Mk. 9:47-48, which has
“hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched” for
Matthew’s “the hell of fire”). Mark’s concluding saying about salt (Mk.
9:48-50) is rather different from the saying about salt in Matthew and Luke in
a different context (probably from Q; Mt. 5:13; cf. Lk 14:34-35).
Given
these warnings about putting stumbling blocks in the way of children (v. 6),
and further warnings, “cut it off,” that is, your hand or foot, if it “causes
you to stumble” (v. 8), or “if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and
throw it away” (v. 9), what would Jesus say about the child abuse reported in
our world? As noted above, the warning not to “put a stumbling block before one
of these little ones who believe in me” (v. 6), according to Allison, refers to
members of the Christian community. I should think that the warnings of verses
6-10, though they do directly refer to Christian believers, would appropriately
apply also, and perhaps especially, to the treatment of children. Child abuse
has been recognized as a horrific problem in our world, a problem that Jesus
would surely address with such warnings. According to Allison, the “great
millstone” (Mt. 18:6) is called a “donkey millstone” (loc. cit.). It’s a
picture of certain drowning.
The
parable of the Lost Sheep is found in Matthew (Mt. 18:10-14) and in Luke (Lk.
15:1-7). While the parable itself is similar in both Gospels, more succinct in
Matthew, the contexts are different. In Matthew the shepherd leaves “the
ninety-nine on the mountains” to search for the lost sheep (Mt. 18:12), but in
Luke he leaves them “in the wilderness” (Lk. 15:4), which, given the topography
of
In
Matthew the parable begins with an admonition: “Take care that you do not
despise one of these little ones (mikroi),” says Jesus; for, I tell you,
in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven” (Mt.
18:10). The reference to “little ones” recalls the same term in v. 6, where
Duling said, “Little ones who believe in me [is] no longer the literal
children of vv. 1-4, but believers. It is not clear whether they are
missionaries (see 10:42), disciples, recent converts, those of low social or
economic status . . . or those weak in faith” (op. cit., on Mt.
18:6). J. Andrew Overman sees the “little ones” as “socially inferior or
more vulnerable members of the church.” And in reference to “their angels,”
he says, “it was believed that one’s guardian represented one in heaven (Acts.
12:15). In Acts, the believers at the home of Mary, John Mark’s mother, do not
believe Rhoda when she tells them Peter, released from prison, was “standing at
the gate” (Acts 12:14). “They said, ‘You are out of your mind!’ But she
insisted that it was so. They said, ‘It is his angel’ ” (v. 15). In Luke,
Jesus tells the parable of the Lost Sheep on an occasion when “all the tax
collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him” (Lk. 15:1). On that
occasion, “the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This
fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them’ ” (Lk. 15:1-2). David L.
Tiede, revised by Christopher R. Matthews, notes that in Luke, chapter 15,
there are “three parables on the lost and found. Only the first has a parallel
in Matthew” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Lk. 15:1-32).
They describe verses 1 and 2 as “the audience for the parables and a definition
of the ‘lost’ ” (ibid., on vv. 1-2).
The NRSV
text note b on Matthew 18:10 says, “Other ancient authorities add verse
11, For the Son of Man came to save the lost.” Many of the oldest and
best manuscripts omit this verse. Bruce M. Metzger puts it this way:
There can be little doubt that
the words ēlthen gar ho huios tou anthrōpou (zētēsai
kai) sōsai to apolōlos, cf the text note cited above are spurious
here, being omitted by the earliest witnesses representing several textual
types (Alexandrian, pre-Caesarean, Egyptian, Antiochian), and manifestly
borrowed by copyists from Lk. 19:10. The reason for the interpolation was
apparently to provide a connection between ver. 10 and verses 12-14. (A
Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 1971, p. 44, on Mt. 18:11)
The
“definition of the ‘lost’ ” seen by Tiede and Matthew in Luke’s present
context may also have been a factor.
So we
continue with the parable. In Matthew, Jesus says, “What do you (hymin,
‘you’ plural, dative case due to the idiom, Ti hymin dokei, lit. ‘What
does it seem to you?’) think?” (Mt. 18:12a). The question is directed to the
disciples (18:1). In Luke, Jesus says, “So he told them [i.e., the Pharisees
and scribes who were grumbling about his welcoming and eating with sinners, v.
2] this parable” (Lk. 15:3a). In Matthew’s version of the parable, Jesus says,
“If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he
not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that
went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more
than over the ninety-nine that never went astray” (Mt. 18:12b, 13). While
Luke’s version begins with a situation quite similar to that of Matthew’s
version, Luke elaborates the shepherd’s rejoicing with friends and neighbors.
“Which one of you,” says Jesus in Luke, “having a hundred sheep and losing one
of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one
that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his
shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends
and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that
was lost’ ” (Lk. 15:4-6).
And the
lessons drawn in the two versions differ. “So,” says Jesus in Matthew, “it is
not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be
lost” (Mt. 18:14). “A shepherd,” says Overman, “a common image for a
community leader (Num. 27:17; Jer. 3:15), must seek out even the lowliest
person” (op. cit., on Mt. 18:12). In Luke, Jesus says, “Just so, I tell you,
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Lk. 15:7). According to
Marion Lloyd Soards, “The mention of joy anticipates the declarations of joy in
the following two parables, which share the theme of lost and found” (NOAB,
3rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Lk. 15:6-7).
In
Matthew, the Parable of the Lost Sheep emphasizes care for “one of these little
ones” (v. 10). It is the third of six paragraphs that make up the fourth major
speech of Jesus in Matthew. In Luke, the parable is one of a series of parables
and related teachings on discipleship: “Parable on Humility” (Lk. 14:7-14),
“Parable of the great dinner” (vv. 15-24; cf. Mt. 22:1-14), “the costs of
discipleship” (vv. 25-33; cf. Mt. 10:37-38), “sayings about salt” (14:34-35;
cf. Mt. 5:13; Mk. 9:49-50); the “Parable of the Lost Sheep” (15:1-9; cf. Mt.
18:12-14), the “Parable of the Lost Coin” (15:8-10), the “Parable of the Lost
Prodigal Son” (15:11-32), and the “Parable of the Dishonest Manager” (16:1-9;
titles from Soards, op. cit., on
these respective units [mostly traditional titles, in any case]). These
arrangements reflect the editing and topical arrangement of both evangelists,
each in his own way. Parables continue in Luke’s “Travel Narrative,” for
example, the “Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus” (16:9-31) and the “Parable
of the Unjust Judge and the Persistent Widow” (18:1-8, also both titles from
Soards). But the set of three parables on lost people or things in Luke 15
stands out, emphasizing the Father’s (God’s) concern to redeem the lost. “Just
so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Lk. 15:7). The
reference to needing no repentance is ironic for, in Luke, the parable is a
response to the grumbling of the Pharisees and the scribes who were criticizing
Jesus for welcoming sinners and eating with them” (15:2). In Matthew as well,
the parable underscores God’s concern for every individual person. “It is not
the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost”
(v. 14). A Gospel song, “The Ninety and Nine,” is on the Internet at
http://www.scriptureandmusic.com/Music/Text_Files/The_Ninety_And_Nine.html
(accessed again Dec. 24, 2010; you may need to copy and paste the URL). The
words are by Elizabeth C. Clephane, in 1868; the hymn tune (his first) by Ira
Sankey (who worked with Dwight L. Moody), in 1874.
Mark 10:13-16 (Episcopal)
Jesus Blesses Little Children
13 People were bringing little
children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke
sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them,
"Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such
as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not
receive the
From comments on Mark 10:1-16
The following comments are repeated here from relevant comment from those on Mark 10:1-16 on March 24, 2010 ) Wednesday in the week of the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year Two), when comments were based on earlier comments such as those of February 7, 2010 (the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year Two), of August 11, 2009 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 12, Year One), and earlier, as indicated there.
We turn now to the section, Let the Children Come to Me. The
three Synoptic Gospels each report that “People were bringing little children
to [Jesus] in order that he might touch them,” and each adds the stern rebuke
of the disciples (Mk. 10:13; cf. Mt. 19:13; Lk. 18:15). Mark introduces Jesus’
rebuke by saying he was “indignant” (Mk. 10:14a), and follows with Jesus’
saying, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to
such as these that the
When considering the best interests of persons, the children
are surely a high priority. These topics come back to back in Matthew (19:3-12,
13-15) as well as in Mark (10:2-12, 13-16). But for Jesus, the children
represent the childlike faith that is necessary for entering the
C. M. Tuckett notes the repetition of the idea of Mark 9:37 in 10:15 and says that “many have regarded [9:37] as more appropriate.” He adds that:
the idea of a child as an example to imitate is not easy to interpret. Children in the ancient world were of the lowest status in society . . . [but] perhaps . . . this is precisely what Mark (unlike Matthew) has in mind. The Kingdom is for those who are like children in the ancient world, i.e. the poor, the hungry, the dispossessed, those without rights and without any esteem amongst their contemporaries . . . Followers of Jesus . . . must recognize their radical dependence on God for all that they have and all that they are . . . Taken in this way, the saying in v. 15 is not so out of place within vv. 13-16: only if disciples become like children in this sense can they be ‘received’ by Jesus, i.e. become true followers of the crucified one. (The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2004, p. 907 on Mk. 10:13-16)
John 7:37-52 (Presbyterian and Lutheran)
Rivers of Living Water
37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Division among the People
40 When they heard
these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” 41 Others
said, “This is the Messiah.” But some asked, “Surely the Messiah does not come
from
The Unbelief of Those in Authority
45 Then the temple
police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did
you not arrest him?” 46 The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like
this!” 47 Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived too,
have you? 48 Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in
him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law-they are accursed.” 50
Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, 51
“Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out
what they are doing, does it?” 52 They replied, “Surely you are not also from
The following comments are repeated here from August
27, 2010 (Friday in the week of the Sunday closest to August 24, Year Two),
when comments were repeated from February 8, 2010 (Monday in the week of the
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, and earlier comments, as noted there).
A prominent feature of John’s Gospel is his way of showing that Jesus is the true meaning of the main Jewish festivals. At least three Passover Festivals are mentioned by John (2:23; 6:4; and the final Passover season, 12:1; 13:1, leading up to “the day of Preparation [i.e., the first day of Passover], 19:31). The “festival of the Jews” mentioned in 5:1 is not otherwise identified, but was possibly another Passover. But the focus of chapter 5 is on Jesus’ healing of the lame man on the sabbath, a weekly Jewish festival. Although the Jews see him as breaking the sabbath by the healing, Jesus calls it the Father’s work (Jn. 5:17). The Feeding of the Five Thousand (6:1-15) occurs in the Passover season (6:4, March/April), and provides Jesus with the occasion for pointing out “the true bread from heaven (6:32). Aspects of the symbolism of the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths, September/October) appear in chapters 7 and 8, leading into the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah (10:22, November/December), so that from chapter 6 to 12 we are presented with the full cycle of a religious year. Only the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, is missing. Could it be the festival of 5:1? But that is perhaps stretching the point too much. For the Jews, the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) celebrates the giving of the Law to Moses. We know the way Jesus condemns the Jews for failure to understand Moses (e.g. 6:32; 7:19-24).
Early in John, chapter 7, Jesus comes to Jerusalem for the
Festival of Booths (Sukkoth, Jn. 7:2), or Tabernacles (cf. NRSV text
note d), where his controversy with “the Jews,” that is, the religious
authorities, “escalates” (cf. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., NOAB, 3rd
ed., augmented, 2007, on Jn. 7:1-52). Although they tried to arrest him, they
failed because, as John tells us, “his hour had not yet come” (Jn. 7:30). Some
of the people do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah (v. 27), but others do
believe, based on Jesus’ “signs” (shmei:a, s‘meia,
v. 31). When Jesus says he will be going “to him who sent me,” that is to his
Father (v. 33), adding, “You will search for me, but you will not find me, and
where I am you cannot come” (v. 34), the Jews are confused about his meaning
(vv. 35-37). “They miss the point,” says Hendricks, “thinking that he is going
to the Jews of the Dispersion, those living outside
In the present reading, Jesus claims that the symbolic meaning of the festival is about him and the salvation available to people through him. “On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water’ ” (vv. 37-38; cf. Prov. 18:4; Isa. 58:11). John explains: “Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (v. 39; cf. 16:7; 20:22; Acts 2:4).
According to the Mishnah (Sukkah M 4:9, 10; trans. Jacob Neusner, 1988), an important part of the celebration for the Festival of Booths (Sukkoth) was the water libation:
4:9 A. The water libation: How so?
B. A golden flask, holding three logs in volume [about 1 liter], did one fill with water from Siloam.
C. [When] they reached the Water Gate, they blow a sustained, a quavering and a sustained blast on the shofar.
D. [The priest] went up on the ramp [at the south] and turned to his left [southwest].
E. There were two silver bowls there.
F. R. Judah says, “They were of plaster, but they had darkened because of the wine.”
G. They were perforated with holes like a narrow snout,
H. one wide, one narrow,
J. The one on the west was for water, the one on the east was for wine.
K. [If] he emptied the flask of water into the bowl for wine, and the flask of wine into the bowl for water, he has nonetheless carried out the right.
L. R. Judah says, “A log [of water] would one pour out as the water libation all eight days.”
M. And to the one who pours out the water libation they say, “Lift up your hand [so that we can see the water pouring out]!
N. For one time one [priest] poured out the water on his feet.
O. And all the people stoned him with their citrons [a kind of fruit 3 ½ to 9 inches or larger]
4:10 A. As the rite concerning it [was carried out] on an ordinary day, so was the rite [carried out] on the Sabbath.
B. But on the eve of the Sabbath one would fill with water from Siloam a gold jug, which was not sanctified,
C. and he would leave it in a
chamber [in the
D. [If] it was poured out or left uncovered, one would fill the jug from the laver [in the courtyard].
E. For wine and water which have been left uncovered are invalid for the altar.
Although the Mishnah records the teaching of Rabbis, some
from the time of Jesus and before and some later, about the ritual for the
Festival of Tabernacles–recorded at a time after the destruction of the Temple,
so there was no way to carry out these instructions–Jesus probably observed a
ceremony carried out as described in the above quotation. “For seven days,”
says Hendricks, “water was carried in a golden pitcher from the Pool of Siloam
to the
At this point we meet a rather timid Nicodemus–“a leader of
the Jews” (3:1) who came to Jesus earlier. Whether he was a member of the
Council (Sanhedrin) is unclear, but he is called “one of them” (Jn. 7:50) that
is, among the chief priests and Pharisees who challenge the police for their
failure to arrest Jesus. He asks, “Our law does not judge people without first giving
them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” (v. 51). The
question, introduced by the negative particle mhv (m‘)
rather than ouj
(ou), implies a negative response, “No, of course it doesn’t.” According
to David K. Rensberger, revised by Harold W. Attridge, “Whether John presents
Nicodemus as one who truly believe in [Jesus], however is in doubt. Here
Nicodemus begins to defend Jesus but goes no further than an appeal to the law
(i.e., the Pharisees’ law)” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006,
on Jn. 7:48-52). Even so, it is enough to evoke a scornful response from the
chief priests and Pharisees. “Surely you are not also from
For John it is clear that
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, sent from heaven and the fulfillment of
all of the Jewish hopes, including those celebrated in the ritual of the
Festival of Tabernacles. But it is also clear that Jesus meets with mixed
results, largely negative responses at this time. Nevertheless, the promise of
living water (vv. 37-38; cf. 4:10-15), and the anticipation of the pouring out
of the Spirit (cf. 14:26; 16:13; Acts 2:4, 17) show that the seeds of faith
have been planted within those who do respond, and that many others, including
you and I, will “come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and
that through believing [we] may have life in his name” (Jn. 20:31).
Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.