BCP Daily Office Lectionary for Nov. 12, 2004
Source: http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/index.htm
Morning Psalm(s): AM Psalm 88 [Presbyterian: 130:1-8]
Evening Psalm(s) PM Psalm 91, 92 [Presbyterian: 32:1-11]
Old Testament: Joel 2:28-3:8
Epistle: James 1:16-27
Gospel Luke 16:1-9
Presbyterian Readings for the current day:
http://www.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/lectiond.cgi
The passage from Joel combines the promise to "pour out my spirit on all flesh" so that "your sons and your daughters shall prophecy" (Joel 2:28), which Peter quotes in his Pentecost Sermon (Acts 2:17-21 = Joel 2:28:32, with minor alterations), with a passage which turns the tables on Israel's enemies. "The nations who were cruel toward Israel will be judged" (Richard A. Henshaw, on Joel 3:1-8, HarperCollins Study Bible). "When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations . . . to the valley of Jehoshaphat" (vv. 1-2). "I will turn your deeds back upon your own heads. I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the LORD has spoken" (vv. 7-8). The "Sabeans" were "an important trading and caravan people whose homeland was . . . part of today's Yemen" (Henshaw).
James gives us a lot to think about. "Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves" (Jas. 1:22). We might search this paragraph for things to do–what does he mean? The reference to a "generous act of giving" in verse 17, followed by the reference to "birth" (v. 18), "he gave us birth," is apparently to God's gift of life to us in the creation of humanity, "or more probably to the re-birth of Christians by the word of the Gospel" (Sophie Laws, Harper-Collins Study Bible). The chapter concludes with a warning to "bridle" our "tongues" (v. 26), and a definition of pure religion as "to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world" (v. 27). But the "doing" is not confined to this chapter. Fulfilling "the perfect law, the law of liberty" (v. 25), means not being partial (chap. 2), taming the tongue (chap. 3) and so forth.
The Parable of the "Dishonest Manager" (ton oikonomon tēs adikias), so called in Luke 16:8, is not presented as an example of ethical behavior, in spite of the master's commendation. Various explanations have been given. One Master's degree student wrote a thesis on this parable. Perhaps it's a call for decisive action in reference to the coming kingdom of God, but one then wonders how verses 10-13 are related (G. W. H. Lampe, Peake's Commentary). Perhaps the commendation (v. 8) is ironic, or perhaps it is genuine because the manager has lowered the debt by forgoing his commission (50%?) (cf. David L. Tiede, HarperCollins Study Bible). Perhaps there is a contrast between earthly and heavenly values (cf. v. 13). Lampe has a point: "it is more likely that the parable is directed against the leaders of Israel as stewards of God's property. They should be making friends of those whom they have oppressed, so as to find security when their present position of worldly privilege collapses with the end of the old order." The manager is called dishonest for a reason, "a manager of unrighteousness." We are not called to act as he did, but we are called to weigh our values carefully as good stewards (managers) of the grace of God given to us.
Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.