1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
During the Sundays of Easter (2nd –7th) the second reading appointed is consistently from 1Peter, which, seems to naturally suggest the development of a ‘sermon series.’ Add to this the theological reality that the whole of Lent was in *preparation for Baptism, Easter was the day of Baptism/renewal of baptismal vows, and a suggested sermon series theme for the 1Peter readings becomes something like: “Living Our Easter Baptism.”
The text appointed for this Sunday actually begins with vs 3, but it seems odd to me to just jump into an epistle without including its salutation. This, however, quickly opens a can of exegetical worms, such as AUTHORSHIP and ADDRESSEES. Verse 1 of the text declares authorship to be “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.” It’s a simple enough statement, yet full of issues when unpacked. For instance, most casual students of the New Testament realize that “Peter” was not a given/proper name. The fisherman Simon son of Jonah was **titled “Peter” by Jesus (Matthew 16:18). Petros (Greek) and “Cephas” (Aramaic) mean “rock.” If John Wayne were writing the letter, it would be as if he began it: “The Duke, an apostle of Jesus….”
This opens up some interesting topics for discussion. For instance, scholars have noted that Simon-Peter’s death has been traditionally hooked to the persecution of the Emperor Nero in Rome. Since Nero died in 68AD, it stands to reason that Simon-Peter would’ve been executed some time before. This also means that if the letter was entirely written/dictated (more on dictation later) by Peter, its composition date would’ve had to have been prior to 68. Most traditional scholarship tends toward 64-65AD. This *early dating is troubling for some scholars who see in this letter earmarks of a more developed church/situation than what is thought to have been current in 64/65AD.
The original language of the letter, like all NT documents is Greek. However, it is a very complex Greek—not the sort that would be easily attributed to a Galilean fisherman. Near the end, however, the author credits Silas (1Peter 5:12) as a helper/instrument of writing. Silas (aka Silvanus) was a thoroughly Hellenized convert more than capable of constructing the document. Hence, many theories posit Peter as the ‘author,’ but Silas as the scribe/writer.
Of just as great a concern are the ADDRESSEES. “To God's elect, exiles scattered (aka ‘dispersed’) throughout the provinces…” The Elect of the Dispersion is a technical term that had meaning independent of Peter’s use. It had always been applied to **JEWS living outside of the holy land (going back to Babylonian Exile days). Many commentators, thus, see that Peter is borrowing a strictly Jewish term to refer to the ‘Gentile recipients’ of the letter. However, Stern (always interesting even if we disagree with him) bucks that trend, stating: “God’s elected ones, meaning ISRAEL, living as aliens in the Diaspora. Kefa directs his letter primarily to Jewish believers (including Jewish proselytes who later accepted Yeshua), since he was “an emissary to the Circumcised” (Gal 2:7-8).” Even so, Stern also sees passages of the letter as applying strictly to Gentiles who have come to faith in ‘Yeshua’ without a Jewish connection. Stern brings up an interesting possibility, that, sadly does not seem to be entertained at all by mainstream scholarship—which seems to accept as ‘obvious’ that Peter, the Apostle to the Circumcised, is writing an encyclical letter to an all Gentile church.
For my purposes, I will take the mediating position that **both sides add nuance & understanding to the letter, but that the reality of the day was probably something less than the strict black & white colors that most commentators use. Prior to the 2nd century, or at the very least, prior to the destruction of Jerusalem & the temple, I can imagine that nearly any ‘local congregation’ had a potential mixture of Messianic Jews & non-proselyte Gentile converts—whether 50/50 or 99/1. Indeed, since even the word “church” has been weighted with such ‘Gentile only’ overtones, I would prefer the term “Messianic community” as a neutral designation for all local gatherings of Jesus-followers. THUS, in the theology of 1Peter, the MESSIANIC COMMUNITY, however it is ethnically comprised, is THE Elect of the Dispersion. The Messianic Community are the ‘aliens’ living amongst a potentially hostile indigenous people—which may include Roman civil authorities, pagan local/territorial cults, and even [non-Messianic] Jews.
So, what’s going on?
The passage is very dense…with a LOT of things packed into it, but the overwhelming message is that of HOPE. If the series in general is “Living Our Easter Baptism,” then part one would definitely be: “Living Our Easter Baptism, the GLORIOUS HOPE.”
Of course the HOPE that is ours through baptism is not ‘optimism,’ or even ‘the power of positive thinking.’ Biblical HOPE is always the confident assurance that **GOD** is good for his promises. The specific EASTER aspect of this, then, is hooked to the resurrection of Jesus. Because Jesus has been raised, ALL BELIEVERS can live in [biblical] HOPE. In spite of our status as sojourners in a strange land (with hostile inhabitants), we can have confident assurance that God is ‘good for his promises.’ He’s already shown us this in the resurrection of his blessed son.
Cheers,
TM
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thoughts going in, Sunday April 24th
EASTER SUNDAY...
Christ is risen, he's risen indeed! Alleluia!
Matthew 28:1-10
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Well, it's only ten verses from Matthew, but there are SO MANY things that we can take from this text!
vs 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week...I'm routinely asked how it is that the Christian religion (with its Jewish roots) chose SUNDAY as its day of worship, rather than Saturday, the Sabbath. Verses such as Matthew 28:1 are the answer. Very early, even while the "church" was still predominantly a Jewish offshoot, had a special name for Sunday: "The Lord's Day." Textual & historical evidence shows that 1st generation Jewish Christians continued to keep Sabbath as part of their cultural heritage, but they also honored the Lord's Day with special worship. As the church became more & more of a Gentile institution, Sabbath observance went by the wayside, but the first day of the week (Sunday) remained The Lord's Day.
vss 6-8 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples This trio of verses definitely speaks the loudest to me. "He is not here." "HERE" is such a useful and powerful metaphor. HERE can be lots of places. He is not HERE = he is not here in this tomb; he is not *dead* (anymore). Here = he is not, & we can not, consign him to the pages of history. Here = flash-in-the-pan; Here = irrelevant; Here = has-been, pretender, or never-was. **NONE** of those "heres" apply to Jesus. HE IS NOT HERE. HERE, ultimately means wherever the voice of NON-FAITH & UNBELIEF would look for Jesus......and HE WON'T BE THERE....because the angel on Easter Morning proclaimed "he is not HERE, he has RISEN."
And that point, that reality of being 'risen,' flows nicely into the next salient detail: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you." The greek for the verb in this sentence, 'prosagei' literally means he is 'leading on ahead of you.' But the fascinating part is that it is a PRESENT TENSE verb--a highly theologically weighted present tense verb, for we believe, teach and confess, that our risen Savior CONTINUES to 'prosagei' ....he continues to lead on ahead of us. Through his word, through the work of the Holy Spirit, and most certainly through the sacramental life of his Church, the Lord has not abandoned us but continues to lead on ahead.
Then finally, comes the *response* of the women: vs 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy . "Afraid, yet filled with joy." That's the Christian life in a nutshell. It is TRUE, none of us knows what tomorrow brings; None of us can tell or say for sure when the next routine doctor's visit will bring us dreadful news; None of us can tell when the same ol' mundane trip to the office will be our last. Fear is always paralyzing, and there is much in this life to be afraid of. Yet, in the reaction of the women on Easter Morning, we see nothing short of THE PARADIGM of the Christian life: **fear with joy**. The natural & ordinary fears of this life are tempered and overcome with the joy of the resurrection. Because Christ has been raised, and as the Scriptures teach, this guarantees our resurrection.....eternal life for those who believe in him....we have been **released from life's fears and can live to the fullest in the joys of the resurrection!!!
cheers,
TM
Christ is risen, he's risen indeed! Alleluia!
Matthew 28:1-10
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Well, it's only ten verses from Matthew, but there are SO MANY things that we can take from this text!
vs 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week...I'm routinely asked how it is that the Christian religion (with its Jewish roots) chose SUNDAY as its day of worship, rather than Saturday, the Sabbath. Verses such as Matthew 28:1 are the answer. Very early, even while the "church" was still predominantly a Jewish offshoot, had a special name for Sunday: "The Lord's Day." Textual & historical evidence shows that 1st generation Jewish Christians continued to keep Sabbath as part of their cultural heritage, but they also honored the Lord's Day with special worship. As the church became more & more of a Gentile institution, Sabbath observance went by the wayside, but the first day of the week (Sunday) remained The Lord's Day.
vss 6-8 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples This trio of verses definitely speaks the loudest to me. "He is not here." "HERE" is such a useful and powerful metaphor. HERE can be lots of places. He is not HERE = he is not here in this tomb; he is not *dead* (anymore). Here = he is not, & we can not, consign him to the pages of history. Here = flash-in-the-pan; Here = irrelevant; Here = has-been, pretender, or never-was. **NONE** of those "heres" apply to Jesus. HE IS NOT HERE. HERE, ultimately means wherever the voice of NON-FAITH & UNBELIEF would look for Jesus......and HE WON'T BE THERE....because the angel on Easter Morning proclaimed "he is not HERE, he has RISEN."
And that point, that reality of being 'risen,' flows nicely into the next salient detail: "He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you." The greek for the verb in this sentence, 'prosagei' literally means he is 'leading on ahead of you.' But the fascinating part is that it is a PRESENT TENSE verb--a highly theologically weighted present tense verb, for we believe, teach and confess, that our risen Savior CONTINUES to 'prosagei' ....he continues to lead on ahead of us. Through his word, through the work of the Holy Spirit, and most certainly through the sacramental life of his Church, the Lord has not abandoned us but continues to lead on ahead.
Then finally, comes the *response* of the women: vs 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy . "Afraid, yet filled with joy." That's the Christian life in a nutshell. It is TRUE, none of us knows what tomorrow brings; None of us can tell or say for sure when the next routine doctor's visit will bring us dreadful news; None of us can tell when the same ol' mundane trip to the office will be our last. Fear is always paralyzing, and there is much in this life to be afraid of. Yet, in the reaction of the women on Easter Morning, we see nothing short of THE PARADIGM of the Christian life: **fear with joy**. The natural & ordinary fears of this life are tempered and overcome with the joy of the resurrection. Because Christ has been raised, and as the Scriptures teach, this guarantees our resurrection.....eternal life for those who believe in him....we have been **released from life's fears and can live to the fullest in the joys of the resurrection!!!
cheers,
TM
May 2011 newsletter article
This article is my contribution to our May 2011 parish newsletter, THE CHRONICLE.
tm
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For God so loved the COSMOS that he gave his only begotten son...(Jn 3:16a)
You may think that the above quote is an odd rendering of everyone’s favorite memory verse—perhaps coming from the “Carl Sagan version of the Bible” (there’s no such thing), but actually this is one of several verses from John’s gospel that mention the cosmos (in Greek)—a word that is generally translated as world in our English Bibles.
The cosmic problem of sin followed by God’s cosmic solution of giving his son, and the Eucharistic connection with us, was a topic of recent discussion in my adult Sunday morning class. It’s a topic still swirling around in my mind.
We seem to live in a day and age when the very people elected or appointed to serve the public interest are letting us down. We learned, for instance, during the Gulf oil spill that the very government agency that’s supposed to look out for the public interest was, in fact, largely in bed with the oil industry. From the Savings & Loan crisis of the late 80s one would’ve thought that elected and appointed watchdogs would’ve been hyper vigilant to ensure that such a thing would never happen again. Yet, the banking crisis of our current national nightmare seems like, in the immortal words of Yankee catcher Yogi Berra, “deja-vu all over again.” The very ones who are supposed to be looking out for us...the very ones who are supposed to have the public interest in mind...the very ones who have been commissioned to ‘stand in the breach’ have, many times, proven themselves either too selfish or too careless to make a difference. Well, this isn’t intended to be a political rant; and I suppose that to a certain extent it’s always been this way....which brings me back to my current topic....God, the cosmos, and the Eucharist.
Most Christians who’ve had a smattering of Biblical training know that the life of the world to come that we talk about in the Creeds is somehow hooked to the new heaven and new earth teaching found in the book of Revelation. We don’t fully understand it, and scholars like to debate it, but the Christian Faith teaches that somehow...some way...the final reality will be different, changed, new, fixed, and redeemed by God. It’s a wonderful promise.
And yet, as wonderful of a promise as it is, wouldn’t you know it, it’s often been distorted and neutered by the very people who believe it. The eventual new heaven and new earth teaching has been often used, BY CHRISTIANS, as an excuse for in-action, complacency, and in some cases even hostility toward our present environmental issues. The fundamentalist tradition I was raised in had a quaint way of putting it: “Why polish brass on a sinking ship?” This unfortunate global perspective views the whole cosmos as one big disposable ‘paper plate’ that God has given humanity to use up and throw away. It’s an odd perspective to say the least when one is reminded that it is THIS COSMOS that God so loved so much in the first place, that he sent his only son. It’s an odd perspective that views the ultimate renewal of Creation as a job that is entirely future oriented when, in fact, Revelation 21:5 says He who sits on the throne said: ‘behold, I am making (present tense) all things new. It is, furthermore, an odd perspective that sees renewal of Creation as a task undertaken entirely by God alone, when, our “good solid Lutheran theology” teaches us that God works “through means” (aka indirectly, through people, things or stuff).
If it is truly the business of God to renew Creation; if this truly is a present tense activity being undertaken in some mystical way even today; if as St. Paul says in 2Cor 5:17 if anyone is in Christ there is new creation; everything old has passed away; see everything has become new; and if according to John 6:51 Jesus said: the bread which I will give for the life of the COSMOS is my flesh, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN for the Christian?
The flow of this thought process leads unmistakably to the thought that the Eucharistic gathering....those gathered around the table of God sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ are the very ones empowered, energized, and commissioned to be agents of New Creation; agents of COSMIC good, cosmic change, and cosmic renewal. They (we) are the very ones called to be EVIDENCE that God truly is at work in the COSMOS NOW. This line of thought is completely consistent with other sayings of Jesus, for instance, that his followers are to be “light...and salt” to the world. It’s also very consistent with Luther’s view that every believer has a ‘vocation,’ a special call from God to the world for service. This is a message I’m convinced we need to hear more often, as we are so typically tempted to reduce the Christian Life down to “doctrines that are believed,” as opposed to a “life that is lived.”
Am I saying this means you have to buy an electric car and stop using deodorant? Hopefully you know me well enough by now that you know I don’t go in for those “Shell Answer-man” type of responses. The Christian life isn’t a list of ‘do’s & don’ts.’ It’s an ongoing relationship lived with integrity and purpose toward God. But certainly, part of what it means to live with integrity and purpose toward God is to challenge ourselves **NOT** to be like those mentioned earlier; not to be like those who, though appointed to ‘stand in the breach,’ have shown themselves either too selfish or too careless to make a difference. Never forget, the believer has an advantage; for the believer it’s not simply a matter of the will or making “good decisions.” The believer, is a member of the Eucharistic gathering; the bread which is given for the life of the cosmos is *received; *taken in by the believer at Holy Communion. God’s cosmic renewal is a present work in progress... happening one believer at a time. It is most especially true in the case of the believer that you ARE.... and ARE TO BE..... what you eat! So, who benefits? You? Most certainly. But may we never forget that the bread which Christ gives, ...the bread that we eat...is for more than just us at the individual level. It’s for the life of the cosmos!
In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
tm
-----------
For God so loved the COSMOS that he gave his only begotten son...(Jn 3:16a)
You may think that the above quote is an odd rendering of everyone’s favorite memory verse—perhaps coming from the “Carl Sagan version of the Bible” (there’s no such thing), but actually this is one of several verses from John’s gospel that mention the cosmos (in Greek)—a word that is generally translated as world in our English Bibles.
The cosmic problem of sin followed by God’s cosmic solution of giving his son, and the Eucharistic connection with us, was a topic of recent discussion in my adult Sunday morning class. It’s a topic still swirling around in my mind.
We seem to live in a day and age when the very people elected or appointed to serve the public interest are letting us down. We learned, for instance, during the Gulf oil spill that the very government agency that’s supposed to look out for the public interest was, in fact, largely in bed with the oil industry. From the Savings & Loan crisis of the late 80s one would’ve thought that elected and appointed watchdogs would’ve been hyper vigilant to ensure that such a thing would never happen again. Yet, the banking crisis of our current national nightmare seems like, in the immortal words of Yankee catcher Yogi Berra, “deja-vu all over again.” The very ones who are supposed to be looking out for us...the very ones who are supposed to have the public interest in mind...the very ones who have been commissioned to ‘stand in the breach’ have, many times, proven themselves either too selfish or too careless to make a difference. Well, this isn’t intended to be a political rant; and I suppose that to a certain extent it’s always been this way....which brings me back to my current topic....God, the cosmos, and the Eucharist.
Most Christians who’ve had a smattering of Biblical training know that the life of the world to come that we talk about in the Creeds is somehow hooked to the new heaven and new earth teaching found in the book of Revelation. We don’t fully understand it, and scholars like to debate it, but the Christian Faith teaches that somehow...some way...the final reality will be different, changed, new, fixed, and redeemed by God. It’s a wonderful promise.
And yet, as wonderful of a promise as it is, wouldn’t you know it, it’s often been distorted and neutered by the very people who believe it. The eventual new heaven and new earth teaching has been often used, BY CHRISTIANS, as an excuse for in-action, complacency, and in some cases even hostility toward our present environmental issues. The fundamentalist tradition I was raised in had a quaint way of putting it: “Why polish brass on a sinking ship?” This unfortunate global perspective views the whole cosmos as one big disposable ‘paper plate’ that God has given humanity to use up and throw away. It’s an odd perspective to say the least when one is reminded that it is THIS COSMOS that God so loved so much in the first place, that he sent his only son. It’s an odd perspective that views the ultimate renewal of Creation as a job that is entirely future oriented when, in fact, Revelation 21:5 says He who sits on the throne said: ‘behold, I am making (present tense) all things new. It is, furthermore, an odd perspective that sees renewal of Creation as a task undertaken entirely by God alone, when, our “good solid Lutheran theology” teaches us that God works “through means” (aka indirectly, through people, things or stuff).
If it is truly the business of God to renew Creation; if this truly is a present tense activity being undertaken in some mystical way even today; if as St. Paul says in 2Cor 5:17 if anyone is in Christ there is new creation; everything old has passed away; see everything has become new; and if according to John 6:51 Jesus said: the bread which I will give for the life of the COSMOS is my flesh, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN for the Christian?
The flow of this thought process leads unmistakably to the thought that the Eucharistic gathering....those gathered around the table of God sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ are the very ones empowered, energized, and commissioned to be agents of New Creation; agents of COSMIC good, cosmic change, and cosmic renewal. They (we) are the very ones called to be EVIDENCE that God truly is at work in the COSMOS NOW. This line of thought is completely consistent with other sayings of Jesus, for instance, that his followers are to be “light...and salt” to the world. It’s also very consistent with Luther’s view that every believer has a ‘vocation,’ a special call from God to the world for service. This is a message I’m convinced we need to hear more often, as we are so typically tempted to reduce the Christian Life down to “doctrines that are believed,” as opposed to a “life that is lived.”
Am I saying this means you have to buy an electric car and stop using deodorant? Hopefully you know me well enough by now that you know I don’t go in for those “Shell Answer-man” type of responses. The Christian life isn’t a list of ‘do’s & don’ts.’ It’s an ongoing relationship lived with integrity and purpose toward God. But certainly, part of what it means to live with integrity and purpose toward God is to challenge ourselves **NOT** to be like those mentioned earlier; not to be like those who, though appointed to ‘stand in the breach,’ have shown themselves either too selfish or too careless to make a difference. Never forget, the believer has an advantage; for the believer it’s not simply a matter of the will or making “good decisions.” The believer, is a member of the Eucharistic gathering; the bread which is given for the life of the cosmos is *received; *taken in by the believer at Holy Communion. God’s cosmic renewal is a present work in progress... happening one believer at a time. It is most especially true in the case of the believer that you ARE.... and ARE TO BE..... what you eat! So, who benefits? You? Most certainly. But may we never forget that the bread which Christ gives, ...the bread that we eat...is for more than just us at the individual level. It’s for the life of the cosmos!
In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Thoughts going in, Sunday April 17th
Sunday April 17th is Palm/Passion Sunday.
Some want to know WHICH IS IT, Palm Sunday **OR Passion Sunday?
In truth, it's both.
It is, to be sure, the Sunday of the church year that has the *longest readings, including not just one but *two Gospel readings: a "processional Gospel" which recounts the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and then the very long (2 chapters) Passion narrative.
Clearly, this is a Sunday for the pastor to 'be quiet,' and let the Word of God speak to God's people.
I do not typically preach a sermon on Palm/Passion Sunday. I guess I'd call what I do more of a 'reflection' or 'meditation' on the readings--and it is very brief, otherwise the service never ends.
Taken together, the story of the triumphal entry of Jesus--with crowds waving & cheering, screaming "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," and thinking to themselves no doubt, "here is promised Messiah come to restore Israel's fortunes; come to wield God's might against the Roman & Herodian overlords..."--combined with the story of the almost immediate reversal of sentiment leading ultimately to Christ's crucifixion, I cannot help but think of how wrong it is to consider that the **only temptation Jesus ever faced was early in the Gospels, in the wilderness with Satan.
In the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (which has too many Biblical & Christological parallels to enumerate here), the Hobbit Frodo is the "ring bearer," the one who was fated to bear the ring of power back to Mount Doom. Frodo, throughout the story, is an obvious Christ figure. But there are other parallels throughout the story.
Along the way, the fellowship encounters Galadriel....the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth, and the greatest of all elven women. In a moment of utter despair, Frodo silently offers the ring of power to Galadriel ....in order to be rid of it. The following dialog is from the movie version:
Frodo: [telepathically] If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring.
Galadriel: You offer it to me freely? I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this.
[her countenance & entire being starts to grow dark]
Galadriel: In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!
[she stops]
Galadriel: I have passed the test. (she does not accept the ring)
During that triumphal entry in Jerusalem those many years ago, I envision Satan on that donkey with Jesus:
[Satan]: "Some parade, eh? Man, they really love you. Look at 'em....they're putting palm leaves on the road....they're putting their cloaks down too! They are willing to do ANYTHING you ask of them! They're willing to follow you in battle...they're willing to MAKE YOU KING!!! And, YOU ALONE, have the power to be the sort of king they crave....you alone could pull this off. They're RIGHT, YOU ARE THE SON OF DAVID......**BE DAVID** for them! TAKE THE RING OF POWER!!!!
It had to have been an immense temptation.
But he passed.
He took the path laid out by his Father, instead, which ultimately **did lead to glory, but went first to the cross....as the author of Hebrews says: looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God
A blessed Holy Week to you all.
TM
Some want to know WHICH IS IT, Palm Sunday **OR Passion Sunday?
In truth, it's both.
It is, to be sure, the Sunday of the church year that has the *longest readings, including not just one but *two Gospel readings: a "processional Gospel" which recounts the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and then the very long (2 chapters) Passion narrative.
Clearly, this is a Sunday for the pastor to 'be quiet,' and let the Word of God speak to God's people.
I do not typically preach a sermon on Palm/Passion Sunday. I guess I'd call what I do more of a 'reflection' or 'meditation' on the readings--and it is very brief, otherwise the service never ends.
Taken together, the story of the triumphal entry of Jesus--with crowds waving & cheering, screaming "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," and thinking to themselves no doubt, "here is promised Messiah come to restore Israel's fortunes; come to wield God's might against the Roman & Herodian overlords..."--combined with the story of the almost immediate reversal of sentiment leading ultimately to Christ's crucifixion, I cannot help but think of how wrong it is to consider that the **only temptation Jesus ever faced was early in the Gospels, in the wilderness with Satan.
In the Lord of the Rings Trilogy (which has too many Biblical & Christological parallels to enumerate here), the Hobbit Frodo is the "ring bearer," the one who was fated to bear the ring of power back to Mount Doom. Frodo, throughout the story, is an obvious Christ figure. But there are other parallels throughout the story.
Along the way, the fellowship encounters Galadriel....the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth, and the greatest of all elven women. In a moment of utter despair, Frodo silently offers the ring of power to Galadriel ....in order to be rid of it. The following dialog is from the movie version:
Frodo: [telepathically] If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring.
Galadriel: You offer it to me freely? I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this.
[her countenance & entire being starts to grow dark]
Galadriel: In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!
[she stops]
Galadriel: I have passed the test. (she does not accept the ring)
During that triumphal entry in Jerusalem those many years ago, I envision Satan on that donkey with Jesus:
[Satan]: "Some parade, eh? Man, they really love you. Look at 'em....they're putting palm leaves on the road....they're putting their cloaks down too! They are willing to do ANYTHING you ask of them! They're willing to follow you in battle...they're willing to MAKE YOU KING!!! And, YOU ALONE, have the power to be the sort of king they crave....you alone could pull this off. They're RIGHT, YOU ARE THE SON OF DAVID......**BE DAVID** for them! TAKE THE RING OF POWER!!!!
It had to have been an immense temptation.
But he passed.
He took the path laid out by his Father, instead, which ultimately **did lead to glory, but went first to the cross....as the author of Hebrews says: looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God
A blessed Holy Week to you all.
TM
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Thoughts going in, Sunday April 10th
Week 5 of Lent
John 11:1-45
Well, it’s another week of an entire chapter of John for our Gospel reading. As I’ve already mentioned, these extra long readings toward the end of Lent are preparatory for Passion Sunday when the congregation will hear the [very long] passion narrative read. This is a good thing.
As far as ‘what’s going on’ in John 11, of course this is the well-known passage about the death and resuscitation of Lazarus. Not surprisingly, there are a LOT of things going on here. It’s a lot of verses to begin with—and then there is the author’s typical way of densely packing a LOT of information (and theological baggage) into his text. So, these are my rambling thoughts going in...
Vss 1-16: I have always found it interesting that John, the son of Zebedee and supposed author of the gospel that bears his name (though in truth is anonymous, so we can never be sure), has **traditionally been identified as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” Yet, in more than one place in John’s gospel, LAZARUS is identified as the one Jesus loves (vs 3). A lot of ink has been spilled on the possible connection between Lazarus and his sisters Mary & Martha, and Jesus. There is an obvious close relationship between them and the Lord. Given this, it wouldn’t be to great of a stretch to suppose that they may be physically related. On the other hand, the family of Lazarus appears to have means—whereas Jesus does not. (vss 7-15) As Jesus often does in John’s gospel, he decides to go in to the “lion’s den”...back to Judea where his life is sought—proving that he is [literally] lord of his destiny. His life will not be taken FROM him, he will lay it down according to the Father’s will & good timing. Vs 16 stands out as a corrective to the “Doubting Thomas” of tradition. Everyone remembers that Thomas doubted the resurrection, but no one seems to recall that at least in John 11 Thomas was willing to go and be martyred with Jesus in Judea if that’s what it came to.
Vss 17-37: As the author is telling the story, it’s as though he’s bursting at the seams to let the cat out of the bag...that being,...that Jesus is death’s worst enemy...that if/when Jesus and death get in a duel, death has no chance. Vs 21: Martha says: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” indicating that Jesus has the power to STOP death. Vs 23: Jesus says “Your brother will rise again,” indicating that even now, death is incapable of holding onto Lazarus forever. Vs 24: Martha confesses her belief in the resurrection of “the just” at the last day, but then in vs25 Jesus identifies HIMSELF as the personification of the LAST DAY BREAKING IN TO THEIR PRESENT. “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die.” And thus one of the best and most comforting funeral texts was born. Joining oneself to Christ, by faith, is nothing short of joining oneself to THE RESURRECTION...to victory over death. Die if you will, but on the other side of death is LIFE, Jesus is saying. Vs32 when the other sister, Mary, meets Jesus, she repeats Martha’s statement of faith that Jesus has the power to stop death. In ALL of these ways, the author is tipping his hand as to what’s coming next; building dramatic excitement for the moment when Jesus comes face to face with the death of Lazarus. Vs 35, of course every kid who ever had to memorize bible verses prizes Jn 11:35 as the shortest verse in the bible. But it’s much more than that. It demonstrates the humanity of Jesus—and the fact that EVEN PERFECT FAITH GRIEVES. It’s a horrible myth that “good Christians don’t grieve or mourn the loss of their loved ones in the faith.” St. Paul says they grieve—but not as those who have no HOPE (1Thess 4:13). The sort of grief St. Paul describes looks like Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus; weeping over the loss of his loved one, but BOLDLY confessing his faith in the resurrection.
Vss 38-44: In these verses we see the AWESOME and AWE-INSPIRING creative word of God at work. God speaks, and all of nature OBEYS. When Jesus speaks the words “Lazarus, come out!” in vs 43, the reader KNOWS exactly what’s going to happen. We’ve already been told (in chapter 1) that “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD”...and “the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us. This WORD OF GOD, Jesus of Nazareth, speaks the same creative voice that said: “LET THERE BE _______” and there was (Genesis 1). Death has NO CHOICE but to obey this voice. Lazarus comes out. We should note...careful commentators have noted that while Jesus accomplishes the miracle single-handedly, the **process involves all present. Someone *else rolled the stone away from the tomb, and someone *else unbound Lazarus from his grave wrappings. This is a wonderful metaphor when the raising of Lazarus is considered **baptismally. The baptized candidate is raised from death to new life in Christ by God alone, but the process is a communal process; the whole group of faith is involved and has a job to do in bringing the baptized person to new life. One final note on Lazarus; this miracle is not [properly speaking] a resurrection. Upon Jesus’ resurrection, his physical body was *changed in a way that the biblical writers are challenged to describe. His body remains *physical—he can eat, and drink, and sit and talk—yet it has qualities that are beyond the physical—he can pass through a closed door; appear and disappear, etc. He continues to show the marks/stigmata of his death, yet he has overcome death & hence will/can never die again. This *resurrected body* is what ALL BELIEVERS aspire to & confess they’re waiting for when in the Creeds we say “we believe in the resurrection of the dead.” This will happen SOME DAY—as Martha said, on the “last day.” That said, the miracle of Lazarus was *not a resurrection; it was a resuscitation. Lazarus WAS dead; Lazarus had his OLD LIFE restored to him. Life was given back, but not resurrected life. Lazarus would die again some day.
Vss 45-57: These verses, of course, anticipate the Passion Sunday narrative coming up next week. Vs 53 says that from that day on, they plotted to take Jesus’ life. In other words, the religious powers that be considered this miracle—done in Jerusalem’s back yard as it had been, was the LAST STRAW. Interestingly enough, in John 12 the author reports that the religious authorities also seek to kill Lazarus—as obviously doing away with the proof of the miracle in question would work in their favor. As a student of the Jewish Wars, I cannot help but find vss 47-48 interesting. (vs 48) “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” Clearly, they [mistakenly] took Jesus as a political threat—or at the very least, a threat to their closely guarded status quo. Ironically, within 40 years of the crucifixion, the Jews rose up against Rome and precisely what had **been feared, happened: Rome destroyed the Temple and leveled the city.
What does this mean? There are three parallel thoughts running through this entire passage. The first is that the author is using THIS miracle, positioned as it is, as a dramatic excitement-builder leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. In chapter 11 Jesus confronts death and WINS. But what will happen when in chapter 19 DEATH & Jesus go at it head-to-head as they crucify him??? The raising of Lazarus gives us a hint. His raising prepares us for the ‘empty tomb’ scene of chapter 20. In this sense, chapter 11 is a proto-Easter text.
The second parallel thought is that Jesus is the conqueror of DEATH...NOT JUST FOR HIMSELF, but for the believer as well. In this sense, the raising of Lazarus is a SIGN of things to come for all of the faithful. The raising of Lazarus points the believer to his/her own resurrection from the dead on the last day. In that sense, this is a passage of COMFORT for the faithful—and as I’ve said, is a very suitable funeral text.
Finally, the third parallel thought from this text is that of the baptismal metaphor. Lent being a season of baptismal awareness/preparation, it makes sense that the raising of Lazarus would be on the lectionary schedule. St. Paul tells us in Romans that prior to coming to faith “we were DEAD in our trespasses and sins.” And he has these things to say in Romans 6: don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” In other words, in baptism we DIE to the old life of sin & self, and are RAISED to the new life of Christ in us. In that sense, this is a very suitable baptism text.
cheers,
TM
John 11:1-45
Well, it’s another week of an entire chapter of John for our Gospel reading. As I’ve already mentioned, these extra long readings toward the end of Lent are preparatory for Passion Sunday when the congregation will hear the [very long] passion narrative read. This is a good thing.
As far as ‘what’s going on’ in John 11, of course this is the well-known passage about the death and resuscitation of Lazarus. Not surprisingly, there are a LOT of things going on here. It’s a lot of verses to begin with—and then there is the author’s typical way of densely packing a LOT of information (and theological baggage) into his text. So, these are my rambling thoughts going in...
Vss 1-16: I have always found it interesting that John, the son of Zebedee and supposed author of the gospel that bears his name (though in truth is anonymous, so we can never be sure), has **traditionally been identified as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” Yet, in more than one place in John’s gospel, LAZARUS is identified as the one Jesus loves (vs 3). A lot of ink has been spilled on the possible connection between Lazarus and his sisters Mary & Martha, and Jesus. There is an obvious close relationship between them and the Lord. Given this, it wouldn’t be to great of a stretch to suppose that they may be physically related. On the other hand, the family of Lazarus appears to have means—whereas Jesus does not. (vss 7-15) As Jesus often does in John’s gospel, he decides to go in to the “lion’s den”...back to Judea where his life is sought—proving that he is [literally] lord of his destiny. His life will not be taken FROM him, he will lay it down according to the Father’s will & good timing. Vs 16 stands out as a corrective to the “Doubting Thomas” of tradition. Everyone remembers that Thomas doubted the resurrection, but no one seems to recall that at least in John 11 Thomas was willing to go and be martyred with Jesus in Judea if that’s what it came to.
Vss 17-37: As the author is telling the story, it’s as though he’s bursting at the seams to let the cat out of the bag...that being,...that Jesus is death’s worst enemy...that if/when Jesus and death get in a duel, death has no chance. Vs 21: Martha says: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” indicating that Jesus has the power to STOP death. Vs 23: Jesus says “Your brother will rise again,” indicating that even now, death is incapable of holding onto Lazarus forever. Vs 24: Martha confesses her belief in the resurrection of “the just” at the last day, but then in vs25 Jesus identifies HIMSELF as the personification of the LAST DAY BREAKING IN TO THEIR PRESENT. “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die.” And thus one of the best and most comforting funeral texts was born. Joining oneself to Christ, by faith, is nothing short of joining oneself to THE RESURRECTION...to victory over death. Die if you will, but on the other side of death is LIFE, Jesus is saying. Vs32 when the other sister, Mary, meets Jesus, she repeats Martha’s statement of faith that Jesus has the power to stop death. In ALL of these ways, the author is tipping his hand as to what’s coming next; building dramatic excitement for the moment when Jesus comes face to face with the death of Lazarus. Vs 35, of course every kid who ever had to memorize bible verses prizes Jn 11:35 as the shortest verse in the bible. But it’s much more than that. It demonstrates the humanity of Jesus—and the fact that EVEN PERFECT FAITH GRIEVES. It’s a horrible myth that “good Christians don’t grieve or mourn the loss of their loved ones in the faith.” St. Paul says they grieve—but not as those who have no HOPE (1Thess 4:13). The sort of grief St. Paul describes looks like Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus; weeping over the loss of his loved one, but BOLDLY confessing his faith in the resurrection.
Vss 38-44: In these verses we see the AWESOME and AWE-INSPIRING creative word of God at work. God speaks, and all of nature OBEYS. When Jesus speaks the words “Lazarus, come out!” in vs 43, the reader KNOWS exactly what’s going to happen. We’ve already been told (in chapter 1) that “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD”...and “the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us. This WORD OF GOD, Jesus of Nazareth, speaks the same creative voice that said: “LET THERE BE _______” and there was (Genesis 1). Death has NO CHOICE but to obey this voice. Lazarus comes out. We should note...careful commentators have noted that while Jesus accomplishes the miracle single-handedly, the **process involves all present. Someone *else rolled the stone away from the tomb, and someone *else unbound Lazarus from his grave wrappings. This is a wonderful metaphor when the raising of Lazarus is considered **baptismally. The baptized candidate is raised from death to new life in Christ by God alone, but the process is a communal process; the whole group of faith is involved and has a job to do in bringing the baptized person to new life. One final note on Lazarus; this miracle is not [properly speaking] a resurrection. Upon Jesus’ resurrection, his physical body was *changed in a way that the biblical writers are challenged to describe. His body remains *physical—he can eat, and drink, and sit and talk—yet it has qualities that are beyond the physical—he can pass through a closed door; appear and disappear, etc. He continues to show the marks/stigmata of his death, yet he has overcome death & hence will/can never die again. This *resurrected body* is what ALL BELIEVERS aspire to & confess they’re waiting for when in the Creeds we say “we believe in the resurrection of the dead.” This will happen SOME DAY—as Martha said, on the “last day.” That said, the miracle of Lazarus was *not a resurrection; it was a resuscitation. Lazarus WAS dead; Lazarus had his OLD LIFE restored to him. Life was given back, but not resurrected life. Lazarus would die again some day.
Vss 45-57: These verses, of course, anticipate the Passion Sunday narrative coming up next week. Vs 53 says that from that day on, they plotted to take Jesus’ life. In other words, the religious powers that be considered this miracle—done in Jerusalem’s back yard as it had been, was the LAST STRAW. Interestingly enough, in John 12 the author reports that the religious authorities also seek to kill Lazarus—as obviously doing away with the proof of the miracle in question would work in their favor. As a student of the Jewish Wars, I cannot help but find vss 47-48 interesting. (vs 48) “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” Clearly, they [mistakenly] took Jesus as a political threat—or at the very least, a threat to their closely guarded status quo. Ironically, within 40 years of the crucifixion, the Jews rose up against Rome and precisely what had **been feared, happened: Rome destroyed the Temple and leveled the city.
What does this mean? There are three parallel thoughts running through this entire passage. The first is that the author is using THIS miracle, positioned as it is, as a dramatic excitement-builder leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. In chapter 11 Jesus confronts death and WINS. But what will happen when in chapter 19 DEATH & Jesus go at it head-to-head as they crucify him??? The raising of Lazarus gives us a hint. His raising prepares us for the ‘empty tomb’ scene of chapter 20. In this sense, chapter 11 is a proto-Easter text.
The second parallel thought is that Jesus is the conqueror of DEATH...NOT JUST FOR HIMSELF, but for the believer as well. In this sense, the raising of Lazarus is a SIGN of things to come for all of the faithful. The raising of Lazarus points the believer to his/her own resurrection from the dead on the last day. In that sense, this is a passage of COMFORT for the faithful—and as I’ve said, is a very suitable funeral text.
Finally, the third parallel thought from this text is that of the baptismal metaphor. Lent being a season of baptismal awareness/preparation, it makes sense that the raising of Lazarus would be on the lectionary schedule. St. Paul tells us in Romans that prior to coming to faith “we were DEAD in our trespasses and sins.” And he has these things to say in Romans 6: don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” In other words, in baptism we DIE to the old life of sin & self, and are RAISED to the new life of Christ in us. In that sense, this is a very suitable baptism text.
cheers,
TM
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