BCP Daily Office Lectionary for Nov. 17, 2004
Source: http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/index.htm
Morning Psalm(s): 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30 [Presbyterian: 65:1-13]
Evening Psalm(s): 119:121-144 [Presbyterian: 125:1-5]
Old Testament: Malachi 1:1, 6-14
Epistle: James 3:13-4:12
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
Presbyterian Readings for the current day:
http://www.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/lectiond.cgi
Most of Malachi consists of six sections introduced by brief dialogues: The prophet, speaking for God asserts something which the people challenge with a question. “‘I have loved you,’ says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have you loved us?’” (Malachi 1:2). “A son honors his father, and servants their master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? O priests, who despise my name. You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’” (v. 6). God responds to the questions, this time from the priests. “By offering polluted food on my altar . . . By thinking that the LORD’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong?” (vv. 7, 8a). God would rather they “shut the temple” (v. 10); “no worship at all would be preferable to stingy, grudging offerings” (W. Sibley Towner, HarperCollins Study Bible). It appears that they were going through the motions of worship, but their heart was not in it; it was not done in the right spirit.
James discusses two kinds of wisdom: “wisdom” that “is earthly, unspiritual, devilish” because it is “boastful and false to the truth” “if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts” (vv. 15-16), and the “wisdom from above” which is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy” (v. 17). It leads to “a harvest of righteousness . . . sown in peace for those who make peace” (v. 18). “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Mt. 5:9). James B Adamson sees this passage as a continuation of yesterday’s advice to teachers (New International Commentary on the New Testament). In comment on verse 13, he says, “Having given sincere teachers a warning to beware of the ever present dangers of the tongue, dangers notably great in their work, James now tries to awaken insincere teachers to a proper sense of their vocation.” The good wisdom is “a knowledge of practical moral wisdom, resting on a knowledge of God” (Adamson, citing Ropes).
Jesus cleanses ten lepers (Lk. 17:11-19), in response to their cry, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (v. 13). He instructs them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (cf. Lev. 13:2-8; 14:2-3). “And as they went, they were made clean” (v. 14). By its emphasis on the thankfulness of one leper, the Samaritan (vv. 15-16), and Jesus’ question, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” the story reminds us of the Good Samaritan (Lk., ch. 10), the Prodigal Son (ch. 15), and Lazarus (ch. 16), and Jesus’ continued concern for the marginalized people. Luke anticipates the mission to the Samaritans (Acts ch. 8) and to the Gentiles (Acts, chs. 10, 13, 15, etc.). But we are reminded that many foreigners, social outcasts and other marginalized people live among us.
Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.