Lectionary notes

SOME NOTES FOR THE SUNDAY BETWEEN 26 JUNE AND 2 JULY
(Proper 13 Year A)
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
26 June 2011

Once again, I have been caught short this week and the notes are not as complete as I might like, but as half a loaf is better than no bread, here goes.

Neither the Sentence nor the Collect seems to have any particular connection to the readings appointed in Year A. The 8:30 congregation will notice that we also use the Collect for the Feast of the Nativioty of St John Baptist, since by the rules of the old Calendar that day is kept with an Octave and Commemorated on the Sunday.

The Readings

On the Second Sunday after Pentecost the lectionary resumes the sequence of readings that was interrupted through Lent and Easter. In fact we resume a sequence of readings already in progress.

Genesis 22.1–14: God Tests Abraham

I. 1-8. Abraham’s willing preparation for the sacrifice.
In the story of Abraham (Genesis 11.27-25.18), rabbinic tradition recognized ten trials and seven blessings (for a list of the trials and blessings, see NJBC 2:18). The call to sacrifice his son Isaac was the last and greatest of the trials, and is followed by a renewal of the promises (see 22.16-18). It is, above all, a story of trust and faith.
1-3: Abraham is told by God to offer Isaac in sacrifice.
1. After these things is a conventional introduction to a new section. Chapter 21 ends with the account of Abraham’s dealings with King Abimelech (21.22-34) and the notice that Abraham ‘sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines’. Tested, that is put under trial to see whether he would obey in faith (12.4; compare Heb 11.17-19). Here I am is a statement of complete availability.
2. Your only son is not literally accurate; Isaac is his only son by Sarah, but he will have other sons. The sense here is beloved, and is meant to emphasize the greatness of the sacrifice, as if to say that God knows right well how much He asks. This is particualry poignant when the passage is read at the Great Vigil of Easter and we rememkber that God does indeed know. The mountain in the land of Moriah is idenitifed in 2 Chronicles 3.1 and later tradition as the Temple mountain in Jerusalem. Scholars are not certain of the accuracy of this identification. More interesting is the fact that the name Moriah is from the Hebrew verb ra’a, ‘to see’, a word on which there is some important play in this passage
3. Abraham obeys immediately and without comment (contrast his response in Genesis 18) we are told nothing of his inner emotions, but left to infer them.
4-8: Abraham and Isaac journey to the place.
4. The third day may be a conventional description of a short journey.
5. Boy translates a word that could mean anything from a small child to a young man and also meant ‘servant’. The story does not give us any chronology from which to guess Isaac’s age.
6. That Isaac bore the wood for the burnt offering is a prefiguring of Christ carrying his cross. Note how “the two of them walked on together” is repeated in verse 8.
7-8. Skinner noted many years ago: “The pathos of this dialogue is inimitable : the artless curiosity of the child, the irrepressible affection of the father, and the stern ambiguity of his reply, can hardly be read without tears.” In Abraham’s answer “God himself will provide the lamb” (8), we meet the verb ra’a, to see, once again. As the NJBC notes, he is not trying to decieve Isaac; this is “evidence of Abraham’s handing everything over to God.
II. 9-14: God sees to the Sacrifice
9-10: The preparation for the sacrifice is described in detail.
11. Suddenly the angel of the Lord intervenes to stop the sacrifice. We know from the very first verse—though Abraham did not—this this was only a test, and that God did not change his mind. The repetition, Abraham, Abraham, expresses urgency ; as 46.2, Ex 3.4, and 1 Sam 3.16. Note that Abraham once again replies with complete obedience: Here I am.
12. Now I know: the essence of the sacrifice was the willingness and readiness to give all.
13. Abraham sees (that verb again) a ram and takes it to offer in place of Isaac. Horrifying as it may be to us, infant sacrifice was common in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia, and in Phoenecian colonies such as Carthage. By its condemnation of the practice the OT shows that it was even done in Israe; (2 Kings 16.3’; Micah 6.7). In the Law, the first-born belonged to the Lord, but was to be ‘redeemed’ rather than sacrificed (Exodus 13; 34). Here we have the first such redemption of a child. See also Luke 2.23-24.
14. The passage concludes with the naming of the place, Jehovahjireh, which means, The Lord will provide, a further play on ra’a. The meaning of the saying "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided" is not certain: other possibilities are “'In the mount where the LORD is seen” and “In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen”

Psalm 13
Usquequo, Domine

This Psalm is identified as a prayer for deliverance from personal enemies.
1-2: The Psalmist’s complaint: he is sick, and aparently in danger of death.
3-4: He prays for help lest because of his trouble his enemies take heart, rejoice, and triumph over him.
5. His trust in the Lord.
6. A promise of praise to the Lord.

The Epistle: Romans 6.12-23

The overarching aim of Chapter 6 of Romans appears to be a defense against the charge that Paul’s message of free salvation in Christ was really a message of lawlessness. The opening verse states the objection: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?This objection is restated in verse 15 (see also 3.8). In 15-23 Paul gives the answer: Free forgiveness? What does that mean? Freedom to sin? Far from it. That would be a return to the old slavery. Christians have been rescued from the slavery of Sin, and have become the slaves of God. As their slave-service of Sin led to death, so their service of God leads to holiness, and, in the end, to eternal life. For the wages of Sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.
Because our baptism into Christ is a baptism into his death (verse 3) and a raising to new life, we are now to live ‘as those who have been brought from death to life’, no longer slaves to sin, but servants of God. To ‘present ourselves to God’ means to put ourselves at his disposal: like Abraham in the first reading, we are to say “Here I am” when God calls.
Verse 14 is a word of encouragement. The thought is, that, if Christians were still under the Law of Moses, they would still be under the power of Sin, for the Law, instead of bringing with it helps for its fulfilment, was nothing but a cold, and challenging, and threatening set of commands and prohibitions. But in the new economy grace is given so abundantly that God's will is gladly fulfilled. The contrast is sometimes put thus : the Law" said "Thou shalt," and only multiplied sin : Grace says, "Thou canst," and gives strength for the victory over Sin. Thus it is that the freedom of grace is not lawlessness, but the power of righteousness.

The Holy Gospel: Matthew 10.40-42

On the Sundays after Pentecost, the Gospel passages follow in sequence. Matthew 10.24-39 is appointed for the Gospel on the Sunday between 19 and 25 June (Proper 12), but was not read last week because it was Trinity Sunday. It is helpful to set this short passage in context. Chapter 10 of Matthew contains the second great discourse of this Gospel, the Lord’s commissioning and instruction of the Twelve Apostles for their Mission. Like the Sermon on the Mount, it was compiled by the Gospel-writer; several of the sayings appear in different contexts in the Gospels according to Mark an Luke.
40. This saying shows both the honour and the responsibility of the Christian’s mission. Compare Luke 10.16, John 13.20. for Jesus’ self-identification with his disciples see also Acts 9.4
42. Compare Mark 9.41, Matthew25.35-40. Little ones refers to the disciples of Jesus: see 18.6. Mark 10.24; Matthew 11.25. A cup of cold water: in a dry season this would be the most valuable of gifts.

Calendar

26 b The Second Sunday after Pentecost
27 c
28 d Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, c. 202 Mem
29 e Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles HD
30 f

July

1 g The Anniversary of Confederation, 1867: Statutory Holiday2 A
3 b The Third Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Notes

We apologize for the missing notes recently, and can only plead that they weren't very good. So here we are again.

SOME NOTES FOR THE DAY OF PENTECOST, YEAR A
12 JUNE 2011

The name “Pentecost” is from the Greek word meaning ‘fiftieth’ and was applied in translation of the Hebrew to the feat of Weeks which fell on the fiftieth day after Passover.

The Collect is apparently new, and if so is one of the happier compositions in the BAS, managing to capture most of the themes of Pentecost in one sentence.

The Readings
Numbers 11.24–30

In the wilderness after their deliverance from Egypt and the giving of the law at Sinai, some of the people of Israel have been complaining to Moses about their misfortunes (11.1), and even though the Lord’s anger is kindled, they go on complaining and asking fro the food they enjoyed in Egypt (11.4-6): manna was God-given, nutritious and versatile, but it gets monotonous. The discontent grows until Moses himself complains about the people God has given him to look after “as a nurse carries a sucking child”, v. 12). He cannot carry on alone, better to die than continue in this misery (v. 14-15).
God tells him to gather seventy of the elders and bring them out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp (see Exodus 33.7), where God will put on them some of the spirit that is on Moses so that they can share his burden. (vv. 16-17). Further God tells Moses to promise meat to the people, so much that they will be sick of it (18-23). It is at this point that our reading begins.
25 the cloud symbolizes the presence of the Lord. they prophesied: what is to be understood here is not the formal, poetic prophesy we read in a book such as Isaiah, but an ecstatic sort of prophecy such as was known all over the ancient world, including trances, speaking in tongues and the like; such behaviour was considered inspired by the gods. But they did not do so again: the Hebrew can apparently also mean nor did they cease afterwards. The Latin Vulgate takes it in this sense (nec ultra cessaverunt) “Quite a difference!” [RCL].
26 Two men, Eldad and Medad, who had been numbered among the seventy but stayed in the camp received the spirit of prophecy anyway.
27. As soon as a young man sees them prophesying, he has to go an tell on them.
28. Joshua seeks to have them stopped, because they have not received authority, but [29] Moses asks Joshua whether he thinks the activities of other prophets will diminish his charisma, implying that their prophecy is genuine. The prayer, Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, is wonderfully fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2)

Psalm 104.25–35, 37

Psalm 104 is a hymn to God as creator. In this final section he psalmist expresses wonder and thanksgiving for the variety of creatures and God’s care for them. The refrain, Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth, makes clear the reason that this selection has been chosen for Pentecost.

Acts 2.1–21

This reading narrates the events which we celebrate today.
1. Pentecost: The Feast of Weeks [Hebrew, Shavuot, see Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:10], celebrating the wheat harvest, was fifty days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover; hence the name Pentecost. From the second century AD the giving of the law to Moses was also celebrated as part of this feast. Leviticus 23:15-21 commands how this festival was to be celebrated. There would have been many pilgrims on the city, for the Feat of Weeks fell at a season of the year when travel by sea was safest, and was more largely attended than any of the other Feasts. There would have been many pilgrims on the city at this time than any of the other Feasts, for it was a season of the year when travel by sea was safest. They were all together: All may mean the Apostles, who are mentioned as appearing before the people in 2:14, but might also refer to the whole group of 150 disciples mentioned in 1:15. In one place: The traditional interpretation is that the Descent of the Holy Spirit took place in the Upper Room, or Cenacle, the place mentioned in 1.13. However, verse 2 refers to a ‘house’ and verse 5 suggests that there is space enough for a large crowd around it. It has been suggested that the room was one in the precincts of the Temple, where it was natural for such a crowd as is mentioned to be gathered at this feast. In the Greek version of Jeremiah 35.4 the word ‘house’ is in fact used for chambers in the Temple precincts.
2-3. Space does not allow us to discuss the amazing events in any detail. Perhaps we should note that the language used is figurative. There was a sound. It was not wind, but a sound as of a mighty wind. Something appeared. it was not fire , but like as of fire. It is not even clear just what ‘divided tongues’ should mean. But wind—remember this is the same word as ‘spirit’—and fire, were important in the Gospel (see Matt. 3.11, John 3.8) and in the Hebrew Scriptures.
4. Realizing that the promise had been fulfilled, they burst under one uncontrollable impulse into praise of God ! The other tongues here might seem to be ecstatic utterance, like the ‘prophesying’ in the first reading and like the gift of tongues discussed in 1 Corinthians 14:1-33. But the later events suggest something else.
5. At the sound like wind and the noise of praise crowd gathers. Note that these were all Jews: while the Gospel was later to be proclaimed throughout the whole world, it is the fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel that is the focus on this day.
7-11. It is not easy to state with certainty just what this miracle was; one should consult a good commentary on Acts for the variety of interpretations. Furneaux comments on this list of nations that it “presents numerous difficulties. It is made on no discoverable principle as regards either the order of enumeration or the inclusions and omissions. It is quite different in style from Luke’s work, and must be derived from some early authority. The strange inclusion of Judaea may be due to an error in the MSS., since Tertullian quotes the passage as Armenia and Cappadocia ; but the omission of such countries as Syria, Cilicia, and Cyprus, where Jews were numerous, is inexplicable. It is significant that, whereas the passage is adduced as evidence that the disciples at Pentecost spoke in foreign languages, it really lends no support whatever to that theory. It is a list of countries, not of languages ; and the Jews from those countries did not all speak different languages, but would all have understood Greek : would, indeed, have under stood Greek better than the native language of the country in which they lived.”
Nothing in the account of Peter’s speech (2.14-36 suggests that that was understood miraculously.
All that said, one essential meaning of the Pentecost event has become clear as the Gospel has been proclaimed throughout the world: the message of the Church overcomes the differences of language and all people can hear in their own tongues the great things of God in Jesus Christ. In this, according to many ancient interpreters, the curse of Babel has been undone (see Genesis 11.1-9).
I have been trying without much success to find a good map on-line to illustrate verses 9-11; so far the best is to be seen at http://bible-library.com/maps?bookid=44&chapter=2.
12-13. The miracle cannot be explained and this uncertainty prepares the Jews for Peter’s speech. So does the mocking suggestion that what was strange in this matter could be explained by too copious a use of wine at the opening of the festival.
14-21. This is the opening section of Peter’s address (14-36).
15. Nine o’clock, literally, ‘the third hour’.
16. The Prophet Joel: St Peter cites Joel 2:28-32. The text differs from the text of Joel. Acts has “In the last days” in place of afterwards (Joel 2.28). In Acts the prophecy more clearly refers to the end-time. It adds “they shall prophesy” in verse. 18. In verse 30 Acts has added “above”, “below” and “signs”.
Furneaux: “This is the earliest Christian apology, and its grand characteristic is power. Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit hath come upon you, had been Christ s promise, and there is no delay in the fulfilment. Who can read the speech and not feel that, if the gift of Tongues was proof that the Spirit had come, the greater proof was in Peter’s words ? His life hitherto had shown no little inconsistency, not to say cowardice. Only seven weeks before he had disowned his Lord. But he had spent nine days in prayer and had received the Spirit, and we recall the Master’s words, It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you (Matt. 10.20).”

The Holy Gospel according to St John (20.19–31)

This passage was read on the Second Sunday of Easter (May 1st 2011); it narrates the appearance of Jesus to his disciples on the evening of the first Easter, apparently the same event that is told in Luke 24:36ff. It is read today because it tells that Jesus breathed on the disciples and said Receive the Holy Spirit (v. 22), giving them his mission and the authority to forgive sins. Like the Pentecost event, this is a fulfilment of promise: “The Lord now fulfils the promise of the Baptist concerning him (1.33); He baptises His disciples, not in water which washes away stains, but in holy spirit—the energy of a holy life in obedience to God” [Temple].
From very early times commentators have struggled with the relation of this event to the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2. C. B. Moss wrote: “The special work of the Holy Ghost in the order of grace began at Pentecost (Acts 2:1). We find a foreshadowing of it in St. John 20:22.” It is interesting to note that here the words are literally not “receive the Holy Spirit” but “receive holy spirit” (though we should not make too much of capital letters: they did not exist at the time the Gospels were written); Temple commented: “What is bestowed is not the Divine Person Himself but the power and energy of which He is the source.”
One thing we ought to take from this Gospel reading today is the close link between the gift of the Spirit—or of the Spirit’s energy—and the sending of the disciples into the world to continue Christ’s work of reconciliation. That is the purpose for which we are called and empowered by the Spirit.
Another reason to read this passage today is that we remember that ecstatic and charismatic gifts such as we hear of in the readings from Numbers and Acts are not the only sign of the Spirit’s work. The turning of hearts to God, which may be a quiet and gentle process, is also the work of renewal by God’s Spirit.
But that is all the time we have for writing notes this week.

Calendar
June 2011

12 B THE DAY OF PENTECOST or WHITSUNDAY

13 c Feria
14 d Feria
15 e Feria
16 f Commemoration of Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham, 175217 g Feria
18 A Memorial of Bernard Mizeki, Catechist in Rhodesia, Martyr, 1896: Eve of Trinity Sunday
19 B THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST: TRINITY SUNDAY