Lectionary Notes

Some Notes on the Second Sunday in Lent
8 March, AD 2009

The addition of a weekly Lenten Study to my schedule makes it even more difficult to produce an adequate comment on the Sunday lectionary for you. Nonetheless, here are a few things that have come to mind.
The RCL provides a choice of Gospel readings for this Sunday. The second choice, Mark 9:2-9, is the Gospel of the Transfiguration. This follows the Roman lectionary, which reads the transfiguration on Lent II but not on the last after Epiphany. Adding to the possible confusion, the Collect seems to suit the theme of the Transfiguration. However, if the Transfiguration was read two weeks ago, Mark 8:31-38 will be read today.

This Gospel reading is an excerpt from a longer section (Mark 8:27-9:1) and should be read in context before it is heard on Sunday. Only in this way can we understand that the teaching that that the Son of man must suffer and the following exchange with Peter is given in the context of the decisive confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. The parallels to this passage are Matthew 16.13-23 and Luke 9.18-22; see also Matthew 10.38-39, Luke 17.33, and John 12.25. It is worth noting that it is a good idea to use a study Bible, such as the New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha: some of the notes on the verses just cited are quite helpful.
The passage that is read has two closely related sections. In the first, verses 31 to 33, we hear Jesus first prediction of his suffering, death and resurrection and its sequel, in which Peter rebukes Jesus and is himself rebuked. Many things are worth noting in this passage. One is that Jesus is not said to have `told` them that the Son of man must suffer, but to have `taught` them.
The second section, verses 34-38, is addressed to crowd as well as the disciples, that is, not only to those who are committed to following him, but to all who hear him. This teaching, that whoever would follow Jesus is to deny self, take up the cross, and follow, is obviously a central thought for Lent. While the term self-denial as used of fasting and abstinence is a concept far more limited than what our Lord here means by denying yourself, it is a very important means for learning to turn to follow the Lord.
I do not have the time to do more than note the very important point that self-denial in either sense is not the same as self-hatred or even self-loathing. The difficulty is that in seeking to find ourselves in anything less than God, what we find is a false self; it is from that we must turn. I can’t say anything more about this just now, except that it would be a very good question for Bible study group.

The omission of seven verses from the first reading, Genesis 17.1-7, 15-16, rather blurs the point of the passage. This is the second covenant in the series begun with Noah. Unlike that, which was a covenant with all human beings and all living creatures, this is a covenant with Abraham and his offspring forever. Compare with this another account of the covenant with Abraham in Genesis chapter 15. In the missing verses (17.8-14), circumcision is given as the sign of the covenant. One would not want to accuse the fine folk who frame our lectionaries of squeamishness, or a lack of confidence in the intelligence of Church people, so there must be some other reason for this omission; I can’t think of what it could be.
I am reminded of a schoolbook of church history written by an English clergyman, the father of a friend, in which circumcision is defined as “a circular cut made on a part of the body as a tribal mark.” Talk about squeamishness!
The other things to note in this passage are the importance of the change of Abram’s and Sarai’s names to Abraham and Sarah, and the fact that Sarah is not merely the means by which the covenant is fulfilled, but is herself a recipient of God’s blessings.

The Psalm is 22. 22-30. Note that the verse numbers differ in different translations: these are the verses in the liturgical psalter of the BAS. In the BCP the verses are 23-31. This is the final section of Deus, Deus meus, the first words of which our Lord cried out from the cross.

The passage from S. Paul's letter to the Romans (4.13-25) is a comment on God’s promise to Abraham, in the context of Paul’ treatise on Justification by Faith. An outline of chapter 4 might be beneficial for those who want to read this before Sunday.

4.1-8: Abraham was justified by faith, not works
4.9-12: Abraham was justified before he was circumcised. So circumcision, though a sign of the covenant, does not itself justify.
4.13-25: The true descendants of Abraham are those who have faith in Christ.

In Chapter 5 S. Paul moves on to the Consequences of Justification (1-11) and to the extremely important analogy and
contrast between Adam and Christ (12-21; see also 1 Corinthians 15.20-28).

Some Notes on the Readings of Proper 10, Year A

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

The main theme of today’s reading is “living by faith”. In order to keep the notes manageable and brief, I must be selective. So I recommend that you also refer to the comments for today at the RCL comments page (the link is to the left), or to any other good Bible commentary you may have.

The First Reading: Genesis 12.1-9
Chapter 12 of Genesis begins the story of Abram, later named Abraham, ancestor of the people of Israel and of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We should note before all else that the story begins with God’s action. A far as we are told God calls Abram unexpectedly and without preparation. All we know about Abram we learn from the tale of the new life he entered into in response to this call. In fact, little or nothing in the biblical history speaks of human beings seeking God; from the moment of the first sin that estranged us from God, it is the story of God seeking, calling, and saving. While it is true that knowledge of the world may lead the thoughtful person to a knowledge of God (what is called “natural theology”) this is not the purpose of the Bible
In this passage we learn that at God’s command Abram left his home and journeyed to the land of Canaan, where he erected altars at Shechem and Bethel. From Bethel he migrates to the south, to the Negev.
We should note the pathos in the lingering description in verse 1 of the well-known things he is to leave, country, kindred and home, and the contrasting vagueness of the promise. He is to go to “the land that I will show you.” He is to become a great nation, even though he is seventy-five years old and has no son. In all this. Abraham typifies the man of faith (on this see Acts 7:2f; Romans 4:1-25; Galatians 3:1-29; Hebrews 11:8: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going”). In verse 7 the Lord adds to the promise: “And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him: To thy seed will I give this land.”
The final clause of verse 3, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” may also be rendered as “by thee shall all … bless themselves.” It has been suggested that this is the better translation, the idea being that because of the blessing on Abram people will use such words as ‘God make thee like Abraham, &c.’ when they bless one another. In our reading of the passage we do well to keep both interpretations in mind, for it was indeed through Abraham’s seed that blessing has come to all the world. It is often the case that new meanings are opened in a passage of scripture by the work of God recorded in a later passage, or later interpretations revealed through God’s people.

Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise to God as creator and as lord of history. Praising God is a fitting activity for the righteous, the upright. A song of praise, therefore, is always a song of faith. In the the letter to the Romans which follows this St Paul says of Abraham, “No distrust made him weaver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.”

Epistle: Romans 4.13-25
Because we kept Corpus Christi at Saint Matthias’ last Sunday, we missed an earlier reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans [1.16-17; 3.22b-28(29-31)]. In that section Paul began to write on the theme that righteousness comes through faith, and life through righteousness (1.17). After a discussion of the spiritual state of Jews and Gentiles, he concludes that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” justification comes “by his grace as a gift”. Therefore, justification depends not on the works of the law, but on faith.
In Chapter Four Paul considers Abraham as an example of faith. Chris Haslem notes (in the Comments on the RCL), that “At the time, rabbis argued that God’s blessings came to Abraham because he kept Mosaic Law (which, they said, he knew in advance – before Moses received the tablets on Mount Sinai).” This idea Paul rejected, showing from texts in Genesis that it was Abraham’s faith that was “reckoned as righteousness” (4.5, 22-23).

The Holy Gospel Matthew 9.9-13, 18-26
At first sight the Gospel passage appointed for today seems to have two separate and distinct passages. First we have the call of Matthew from the customs office and its sequel, a dinner at Matthew’s house where the Pharisees complain the Jesus welcomes tax collectors and sinners. Then four verses are omitted which tell of the disciples of John Baptist ask about fasting. Then we have the story of the ruler of the synagogue who calls on Jesus to save his little girl, who is dead. This story is interrupted by the incident of the woman who touches the hem of Jesus’ garment to be healed.
Two themes might be identified to link the two parts.
The first is healing. In verse 12 Jesus speaks of his work in calling sinners as healing: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Both the miracles of the second part are concerned with healing. We must remember in this context that the ideas of healing, being well, and saving from evil an sin are all wrapped up in the word salvation
The other is faith, the theme that runs through all of today’s readings. Matthew’s response to Jesus’ call is immediate trust. The commentaries all say that he must have had some acquaintance with Jesus before, and that Jesus calls at the decisive moment. This is likely enough, but the Gospel does not tell us so, and we might think it likely that Jesus called Matthew quite unexpectedly. One is reminded of the famous painting of the call of Matthew by Caravaggio, where Matthew responds to the call pointng to himself with an expression that clearly says “Me?!”
. However that may be, when he hears Christ say, “Follow me,” Matthew simply follows, just as Abram immediately obeyed the call in his day; like Abram, Matthew was given no information about where Jesus was going.
We may not immediately think of the publicans and sinners as examples of faith. They may have flocked to Jesus because no one else would welcome them. But who are the people of faith: those who know they are sinners and outcasts, and come to one who offers aid and healing, or those who are sure of their righteousness?
The ruler of the Synagogue and the woman with the haemorrhage both had faith.
Something else that we must note in this Gospel is the claim to God’s authority that Jesus makes. When he quotes the prophet Hosea (6.6) to show the pharisees God’s true demand, he then adds “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners”, elevating himself and his work to the level of the Lord’s word.
Another interesting point: Jesus rather ironically concedes the pharisees their own self-description by speaking of them as “righteous” and the people who come to him as “sinners”