Lectionary Notes

Some Notes for the First Sunday of Advent
29 November, AD 2009

The Advent Antiphons

While the city is sprouting Christmas lights and decorations, and the shops are filled with the most tiresome of Christmas music, in our churches we find a quieter, more reflective mood. It is Advent, the season of preparing for Christmas and of contemplating the one who came, who comes to us, and who will come in glory to restore all things to God’s love.
Every year I find that there is one Christmas hymn that can give us a right perspective for the Advent preparation: that hymn is What Child is This? This year I would like to suggest as a particular focus for exploring this question that we take up the ancient Advent Antiphons, the “Great Os”. For each of these seven antiphons is a title for the Messiah, the Christ, which is drawn from the prophecies, particularly those of Isaiah. Today's reading from Jeremiah is also refelcted in the thrid antiphon. Altogether, the "Great Os" are a rich source for meditation on those promises of God to wich Christ is his resounding “Yes!”.

1. O Sapientia

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, / attingens a fine usque ad finem, / fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: / veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
O Wisdom, who came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and reaching from beginning to end, mightily and sweetly ordered all things: Come, and teach us the way of prudence!

2. O Adonai

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, / qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, / et ei in Sina legem dedisti: / veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush, and on Mount Sinai gave him the Law: Come, and with an outstretched arm redeem us!

3 . O Radix Jesse

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, / super quem continebunt reges os suum, / quem Gentes deprecabuntur: / veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
O Root of Jesse, standing for an ensign of the people, before whom rulers shall keep silence, to whom all nations shall have recourse: Come, save us, and do not delay.

4. O Clavis David

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel; / qui aperis, et nemo claudit; / claudis, et nemo aperit: / veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, / sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel: who opens and no one closes, who closes and no one opens: Come, and deliver from the chains of prison whoever sits in the darkness and the shadow of death.

5. O Oriens

O Oriens, / splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: / veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
O Dayspring, Brightness of the light eternal and Sun of Righteousness: Come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

6. O Rex gentium

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, / lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: / veni, et salva hominem, / quem de limo formasti.
O King of the Nations, and their Desire, the cornerstone that binds two into one: Come, and save mankind, fashioned out of clay.

7. O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, / exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum: / veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.
O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Desire of all nations and their Saviour: Come, and save us, O Lord our God.
A version of these Antiphons may be found in the Advent Litany on page 119 of the BAS; they are adapted (in reverse order) in the hym O come, o come, Emmanuel.
Some further notes on these Antophons, including the appropriate scriptural references will appear in the next posting.

The Collect

The Collect in the BAS is adapted from the Prayer Book Collect, which seems to have been an original composition in the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549. It is based on the theme of the traditional Epistle for the day, Romans 13.11-14, which in the RCL is read on this Sunday in Year A.

The First Reading: Jeremiah 33.14-16

The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed the word of the Lord in the last years of the kingdom of Judah, from the thirteenth year of Josiah (about 626 BC) to the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 597 BC.
Chapter 23 of Jeremiah speaks of God’s judgement on the evil shepherds, bad kings of his people, and utters the promise of a restoration of the house of David to rule in righteousness and justice. This oracle of the “shoot of David” is repeated in today’s reading, which is thought by many scholas to be the work of a later editor. In the Babylonian captivity it seemed to many that the promise had gone unfulfilled, and the people were tempted to abandon their ancestral faith.
The earlier prophecy promised the restoration of “Judah and Israel”; now we hear, “Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.” In the earlier prophecy the new name, :"The LORD is our righteousness" [YHWH șidqēnû] is a play on tbe name of the last king, Zedekiah[șidqî-yāhû “my justice is the LORD”].
To Christians, the promise of the righteous shoot of David is fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ. The image of the shoot or branch became a clsssic term for the Messiah (see Zech 3.8, 6.12; Isaiah 11.1). This inage is found in the Great “O” Antiphons of Advent which are familiar both from the hymn O come, O come Emmanuel and from the Advent Litany in the BAS : “O Root of Jesse, standing for an ensign of the people, before whom rulers shall keep silence, to whom all nations shall have recourse: Come, save us, and do not delay!” It is verse four of the great Advent hymn O come, o come, Emmanuel.
It should be noted that the verses which make up today’s reading are missing from the Septuagintm the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

The Psalm: 25.1-10

Psalm 25 is one of a number of acrostic psalms, that is a psalm in which every verse or every line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This is a device delightful to the composer of verse as a challenge to ingenuity, and an aid to those who wish to learn it, since it makes it easy to remember, but it usually results in the absence of any clear, logical structure. Nonetheless, Psalm 25 is clearly contains the elements of the typical lament: cry for help. (For more infrmation on this point, see http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/cadv1l.shtml.)
“Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame” : waiting is a central theme of Advent, expressed in the cry, Come, O Lord. Another note in this psalm that is also a note of Advent is the theme of the Lord’s path or ways. These is a key theme of the psalm: see verses 3 and 7-15.

The Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 3.9-13

This letter is generally considered to be the oldest part of the New Testament. For the circumstances of writing, see the notes at http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/cadv1m.shtml.
In this section St Paul offers thanskgiving and prayers for the Churstians of Thessalonica. It was not the custom to include a direct prayer in an ancient letter, so this prayer is couched in the form of a blessing. It contains three petitions: for a return visit, an increase in love by the Thessalonians, and fulfilment of their Christian life, which is to ‘be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.’ This touches on the theme of the Gospel for today. In first Thessalonians the Day of the Lord is treated more .extensively in Chapter 5.

The Holy Gospel according to St Luke: 21.25-36

Traditionally, the Gospel for the First Sunday of Advent looks not to the prophecies of the Messiah or to the birth of Christ, it does not look to his coming in the hearts of his people, but to his second Advent, his triumphant manifestation as Lord and Judge.
On Luke 21.5-38, the RCL notes comment:

“This section opens up two windows:
“Through one, the reader may look back on 19:47-21:4 and see the consequences of the religious leaders’ rejection of
Jesus and his teaching in the Temple.
“Through the other window, the reader looks beyond the events of Luke 22-23 and sees God’s vindication of the rejected Son of Man and Jesus’ strengthening of his disciples, who will be rejected
because of their allegiance to him. [NJBC].”

When Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple and his disciples asked him when this should be, he spoke of the signs of the end that were expected, both natural phenomena such as earthquakes and events such as wars and, in particular, the persecution his followers were to expect; now he turns to speak of cosmic events, signs in the heaven, and of a great terror coming on the whole earth, Then the Son of man will come, as Daniel had said, in great power and glory. This is the sign of redemption, and his faithful are to stand firm in confident expectation.
The great message of the end time is this: Whatever happens, in earth or in the heavens, the words of Jesus will remain. The fate of the world is in the hands of the one who came to give himself in love and reconcile us to God.

Lectionary Notes

Some Notes for the Sunday between 6 and 12 November
Proper 32, Year B
Sunday, 8 November AD 2009

The Collect and Sentence

The BAS Collect is slightly adapted from the Prayer Book Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent, which was an aoriginal composition for the first book of 1549; it reflects the theme of the Epistle, Romans 15. 4-18, part of which is still read on that Sunday in Year A. There is no readily apparent reason why it is used this week.

The Sentence is the same as the Alleluia verse for this Sunday in the Roman Missal, and is clearly intended to be an interpretative comment on the second part of the Gospel Reading

The Readings
The First Reading: Ruth 3.1-5; 4.13-17

The Book of Ruth is a short story set in the period before 1000 BC, in the time of the Judges. This gentle story has little in common with the history of warfare narrated in the Book of Judges. It is a book about love and fidelity, of how Ruth, a Moabite widow in a Jewish family brings her widowed mother-in-law back to enjoying life. Near the end of the book, Ruth bears a son who becomes David's grandfather. Because Ruth is a foreigner, the book’s effect, if not its intention “is to create a symathetic feeling towardss foreigners who put themselves nder the protection of Israel’s God,” and to show that marriage with foreigners is acceptable. This theme has sugested that it was “a post-exilic composition, based on an older tale, intended to counter the hearsg decrees of Ezra and Nehemiah” requiring Israelites to divorce foreing wives and marry only Israelite women (Era 10.1-5; Neh 13.23-27.
Christian readers will note that as great-grandmother of King David, the Moabite Ruth is an ancestor according to human reckoning of the Lord Jesus; see the genealogy in Mt 1.1-16. It is notable that apart from the mother of Jesus, four women are mentioned in this genealogy: Tamar (see Gen 38); Rahab (see Jos 2, 6); Ruth; Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah (1 Samuel 11-12). The reader or hearer will also connect this passage with the concern for widows, especially poor widows in the Gospel passage for today. In the Roman Mass a passage from 1 Kings 17 about Elijah and the poor widow of Zarephath is read today, with Psalm 146.
The first reading for Proper 31, Ruth 1.1-18, which we did not read last week because of the celebration of All Saints, sets the scene; the story of Ruth and Boaz begins at 2.1. We now come to the conclusion of the tale. At harvest time, when the reapers are required to leave some grain for the poor (including widows) to glean; Ruth chooses to glean in Boaz’s field (2:3). As a kinsman of Naomi (2:20) Boaz he has some obligation to look after her and Ruth. More than that, he notices Ruth and favours her; he has learnt of her fidelity to Naomi. Naomi sees Boaz’ kindness as a gift from God, and desiring to provide for Ruther, she teaches her how to show her love for him.
In verse 1 “security” seems to explain rather than translate the original, as does the RSV’s “a home”. It appears that Naomi literally said, I must seek rest for you, that it may be well with you”: this is supported by the ancient Greek and Latin versions as well as the English version of he Judaica Press.
In verse 4 “feet” is said to be a euphemism for the private parts.

Psalm 127

A psalm of wisdom, 127 teaches that a safe home and a large faily are the Lord’s gift. It declares two truths: first, that without God’s help, all human activity is futile (1-2); second, of the security that comes from a stroing family (3-5)\
1 “House” may mean household as well as a dwelling-place, though the reference to labourers suggests that a building is meant. Because the superscription of this Psalm is “of Solomon”, it has also been suggested that the reference is to the temple. A broader interpretation is that the nation is intended, whose security and confidence rest in God who founded Jerusalem and continues to provide new generations.
2. Worry is vain and has no place in the life of the faithful because the Lord does build he house and defend the city. See Mt 6.25-34. The second half of this verse seems to pose a problem for translators: most English versions more or less agree with the liturgical psalter, but the Judaica Press version is “so will the Lord give to one who banishes sleep from himself,” and the RCL notes cite “honour” and “prosperity” as alternative translations.
5-6. I have only just discovered, while looking for something else that a movement among conservative evangelical Christian couples has adopted the name “Quiverful”, on which see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiverfull. One should also remember how Mr Quiverful, the vicar of Puddingdale in Trollopes’s Barsetshire Chronicles, a poor clergyman with a very large family.

For general comments on the Epistle, Hebrews 9.24-28 see http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/bpr32m.shtml and the link to the clippings there.
The same epistle is read in the Roman Mass today.
In verse 24, the word “copy” translates the Greek antitypon. Since the categories of type and antitype are of some importance in Biblical interpretation and theology in general, it is useful to comment on the words involved. The root of these words is the verb typtein, which means “to beat, press, strike”, from which is typos, “a blow, print, mark”, which comes to mean "a figure, type, model or pattern”. It is helpful to think of the English ‘type” as in “typewriter” (untl this device has been forgotten) and “typography”, Hence a “type” is the model and the antitype the copy struck from it.
By the way, the English “typewriting” and the French dactylographie show a difference in the way the act is considered: the latter means “finger-writing”,

The Holy Gospel: Mark 12.38-44

The same Gospel passage is read in the Roman Mass today, but a shorter reading is provided by the omission of verses 38-40The parallels in Matthew and Luke are, for the warning about the scribes, Mt 23.1, 5-7, 14; Lk 1.20-46 and for the widow’s mite, Lk 21.1-4.
Since two weeks ago, the readings from Mark’s Gospel have jumped over Chapter 11, which relates the palm Sunday Entry into Jerusalem and its sequels, and the first part of Chapter 12, We missed 12.28-37, which is read on Proper 31 B, because of All Saints. That passage ends with a dispute between Jesus and the scribes in which Jesus had the upper hand, and at which “the throng heard him gladly”. It was likely because of the mention of the scribes that the Gospel-writers put the pericope 38-40 here, and the mention of widows in verse 40 that attracted the incident of the widow’s mite
Beware the scribes!
The scribes were certainly not all as evil as they are depicted here, nonetheless, these faults are common to religious leaders, The charge that they “devour widow’s houses” (v. 40) is one that resonates in all ages, for the unscrupulous man of God who takes large sums from credulous old women is well-known. Of course old women are not their only credulous victims.
v. 38. Long robes probably refers to the outer garment with tassels prescribed in the Law (Num 15.38-9, Deut 22.130. The scribes apparently wore a longer version of these. They were proper for times of prayer and other duties: here it seems that the scribes liked to wear them at other times to parade their piety. Note Matthew’s version, “they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long”. I have seen reference to a suggested correction of the text that would read stoais, (porticoes), for stolais (robes); this would give the more elegantly balanced phrases, “walk in the porticoes and be greeted in the market-place” but does not seem to be supported by the manuscript evidence.
Greeted: According to Nineham’s commentary on Mark, the custom was that one should pay greetings to a person more learned in the Law, but “that some of the greatest rabbis are known to have waived their right and been eager to make their salutations first.
v. 39. best seats, literally first seats. The custom was growing at this time that in the synagogues the elders sat in front of and facing the congregation. First, then, would probably catch the image better than best. On seeking places of honour at banquets, see Lk 14.7-11 and Mk 10.37.
The widow’s coins

The devouring of widow’s houses brings the next pericope to mind, the well-known story of the widow’s mite. Jesus, while watching the people casting their offerings into the temple treasury, sees a widow cast in two mites declares that she is giving more than all the others, because she only is making a real sacrifice to provide her gift. There is a danger of missing the point, and teaching ourselves to think that this incident simply praises those who give little.
We do not need to concern ourselves too much with the exact meaning of treasury; it translates a word which in some passages means a room, but it here is seems to refer to a number of chests in the women’s court of the temple that were earmarked for specific purposes.
The small copper coin is a lepton, the smallest coin of the day worth 128th of a denarius, which was the standard day’s pay. Mark explains that two are worth a quadrans, transliterating the Latin name of a coin which the NRSV calls a “penny”, although the sense might be better caught by “farthing”. One lepton was the smallest acceptable (or indeed possible) offering.
Since a number of quite similar stories are told in both pagan and Jewish literature, it has been suggested that this pericope originated as a story Jesus told and which was later transformed into an incident in his life, Nineham cites a famous example from the Rabbinic literature, the story of priest who scorned a woman’s offering of a handful of flour; overnight he received in a vision this rebuke: “Despise her not; it is as though she offered her life”.
Another reading of this passage should also be noted, one which takes the two parts of today’s reading as a unit, Byron Smith of Edinburgh sees the widow’s mite as
" ...an illustration of how the scribes who run the temple are devouring the house of a widow, all she had to live on, indeed literally, 'her entire life'. Whether or not this was a 'freewill' offering or a compulsory payment, this temple system has eaten another widow. She has not just given until it hurts, but the temple has taken away her very life. There is no criticism of the widow, but neither is there simple commendation of her as an example of generosity. She is an innocent bystander, a casualty of the temple, pointlessly sacrificed by the very scribes who will soon go on to devour Jesus' life too." [See:http://nothing-new-under-the-sun.blogspot.com/2006/11/widows-mite-mark-1241-44.html}
Of course, we do not need to choose one reading or the other. The example of giving all one’s life to God in Christ is important whether the scribes were fleecing this poor woman or not: for this story really isn’t about money. You’ll have to think about that, or discuss it among yourselves; I’m getting too close to 2,00 words for comfort.

Lectionary Notes

Some Notes on All Saints’ Day, Year B

There seems to be no point in repeating the general notes that were provided for the feast of All Saints last year, and are posted on this blog under the date of 1 November 2008. However, a further note on the Collect that As we noted then, the Collect for this feast in the BAS is an adaptation of the traditional Prayer Book Collect, which appears to have been composed for the first book of 1549. It might be interesting to note how this Collect has changed since the first Prayer Book of 1549.
The first Prayer Book prayed God to grant us grace so to follow this holy Saints in all virtues and godly living. In 1662 this was altered to all virtuous and godly living, which was retained in the Canadian Book of 1962. In the BAS this became lives of faith and commitment. Which, if either, of these is in any way better I leave to your judgement. One would only hope that by following the saints in lives of faith and commitment we will all increase in virtue and godly living.
The change of unspeakable to inexpressible was probably unavoidable, as unspeakable has gained a pejorative sense. I find the older words sound better, but there you are.
All Saints and All Souls : the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed can hardly be separated, but make a two-day commemoration of those who have died in Christ. The readings for Year B make this clear, for the first choice of first reading appointed for All Saints this year, Wisdom 3.1-9 is also the first reading for All Souls. Just what the distinction between the two commemorations might be is hard to say, especially since our Church has no formal doctrines concerning the prayers of the Saints or of Purgatory —though a variety of opinions and practices on these matters are held by its members. Nonetheless, the ground for some distinction does exist in the practice of placing the names of certain of the faithful departed in the calendar to be remembered. For further thought on this question, you would do well to consult the entries for these feasts in Fr Reynold’s For All the Saints. I wold also recommend for reading at this season a recent book by N. T. Wright, the Bishop of Durham, Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (HarperCollins, 2008), which is also an excellent Lent book.

The Readings
First Reading: Wisdom of Solomon 3.1-9 or Isaiah 25.6-9

At St Columba and All Hallows the reading from the Wisdom of Solomon will be read on All Saints’ Day this year. The alternative reading, Isaiah 25.6-9 contains a vision of the Lord’s feast for all nations at the end time. This saving vision speaks of the conquest of death; its promise that the Lord “will wipe away the tears from all faces” is echoed in the reading from the Book of Revelation.
Internal evidence suggests that the Wisdom of Solomon is not the work of that monarch, but of a Hellenistic Jew, possibly of Alexandria, in the first century before Christ. It was written in Greek, though the first chapters show signs of having been translated from Hebrew originals. It was part of the Greek version of the Scriptures, the Septuagint, which were excluded from canon established by the Jewish authorities after the fall of Jerusalem. However, along with other books of the so-called apocrypha, it formed part of the Christian Old Testament and has been read as such in the Roman and Eastern Churches. Although the Anglican Church went with other Protestant and Reformed teaching in denying that these books are canonical, or may be read to establish doctrine, it has always included them in the lectionary.
When the commemoration of the faithful departed was restored to the Canadian Calendar, Wisdom 3.1-9 was appointed as the lesson at the Eucharist.

Psalm 24

is said by the New Oxford Annotated Bible to be “a liturgy on entering the sanctuary, probably used in connection with a procession of the ark. It is imagined as having been sung by two choirs, one inside and one outside the temple. Within the temple gates is sung an acknowledgement of the Lord as creator [1-2]. The choir then asks and answers the question, “Who is worthy to be admitted to the temple?” [3-6]. Verses 7-10 are a dialogue in which the choir without the gates, presumably carrying the ark, demands admittance. In verse 7 the heads of the gates are the lintels.
It is obvious that this Psalm is read on All Saints because of verses 3-6, the description of those who seek the face of the Lord and are worthy to ascend his hill. However, it might not be too far-fetched to recall that verses 7-10 figure in the ancient legend of Christ’s Harrowing of Hell. When the Crucified Lord Christ descends to the place of departed spirits (see the BCP p. 545), these verses are heard. Thus in the Christian mind, these words are associated with the victory of Christ over the everlasting doors of Hell. Let them echo in your mind as you hear the final verses of the Gospel passage being read.

Second Reading: Revelation 21.1-6a

Time does not permit much comment on the reading from the Revelation of John also known as the Apocalypse (which is merely “revelation” in Greek). Please note that there is no ‘s’ in Revelation.
In commenting on this passage, N T Wright suggests that this scene of cosmic renewal “is not well enough known or pondered (perhaps because, in order to earn the right to read it, one should really read the rest of the Revelation of St John first, which proves too daunting for many).”
There are two particular promises in this vision of the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven which are particularly important for the present feast. The first is the great declaration that “The home of God is among mortals.” Can there be any more perfect fulfilment of all the promises of scripture than this?
While I understand the need to avoid exclusive language, I must ask whether “among mortals” is a good translation for μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων: “Mortals” does not mean “human beings, but all that are subject to death. While it is an important truth that God cares for all his creatures, that does not seem to be the point here. Further, I wonder whether “home” best renders ἡ σκηνὴ, literally “tent” or “tabernacle”: “dwelling” seems less definitive. But I digress.
The other promise is the abolition of death and tears and sorrow; which should be read in close connection with the Gospel account of the raising of Lazarus; for what do we see in God’s perfect self-revelation but that he takes part in and shares our grief.

The Holy Gospel, John 11.32-44

The pressure of sermons that need to be prepared has overwhelmed me, and I am unable to make any useful comments now. I do recommend the comments on this passage in William Temple’s Readings in St John’s Gospel.

Lectionary Notes

Some Notes for the Sunday between 23 and 29th October
Sunday, 25 October 2009: The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost,
Proper 30, Year B

The First Reading : Job 42.1-6, 10-17

The conclusion of the Book of Job. The reading has two sections. Verses 1-6 are the end of the poem of Job; verses 10-17 are from the prose epilogue, which is in the same style as the opening chapters of the book. Verses 7-9, the Lord’s judgement on Job’s three friends, are omitted. In the end the Lord restores Job’s fortune twofold.
There are some questions about the text of these verses, for which a good commentary should be consulted. Note especially that in verses 2-4 Job quotes words of the Lord we heard in last week’s reading.
Job acknowledges that understanding the world and the divine plan is beyond him. Where before he had believed by hearing, now he has seen the Lord; [v. 5]as NOAB comments, this is “the contrast between belief through tradition and faith through prophetic vision.” Indeed, the philosophical problem of suffering is not solved in the Book of Job. Its end is not the vindication of Job but his acceptance by the Creator. Perhaps the ongoing relationship with the God is the only real answer there is.
It is interesting that in the restoration of Job there is no mention that his disease is healed, though surely we may assume that it was. Note also the unusal fact that the three daughters of Job are named: Jemimah (dove), Keziah (cassia), and Keren-happuch (horn of antimony —a black eye shadow). The commentary of Rashi says that “They were named according to their beauty: Jemimah: Bright and white as the sun (יום); Keziah: She had a fragrant and perfumed scent like the spice, cassia; Keren-happuch: Because of the horn in which they put stibium and lixivium, as it is stated (Jer. 4:30): ‘that you enlarge your eye with paint (בפוך).’” The daughters also receive an inheritance along with their brothers, which is not only a sign of Job’s immense wealth but also (as it has been suggested) an assurance that they woul make good marriages. NOAB suggests that the names have a flavour of folklore.
A church-goer might be forgiven for failing to recognize the great beauty and wisdom of the Book of Job from the brief snippets we hear in the Sunday lectionary. Perhaps this is good, as it points out the need to know the Bible better. This is also true of the selections from Hebrews we are reading, which leave out important parts of the thought (a further note on that comes below).

Psalm 34.1-8 (19-22)

An alphabetical acrostic, as are Psalms 9, 10 and 25. The traditional superscription, found in texts of the Bible, but not in the Liturgical Psalter, ascribe this Psalm to “David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away”. For this incident, see 1 Samuel 21.10-15, where Abimelech is called Achish the king of Gath.
Like Job, the psalmist has experienced evils and been saved by the Lord; therefore he calls on the people to praise the Lord with him.
Read today, this is an obvious meditation on the lection from Job. Note that the importance of faith by seeing is stressed: “O taste and see that the Lord is good! Happy is the man that trusts in him.”
In liturgical use there is no particular reason not to use the whole psalm, though unless we are going to read or chant it slowly and carefully, there is no particular reason to do so.

The Epistle : Hebrews 7.23-28

In an earlier form of the lectionary (which will be found in most copies of the BAS: the change to the RCL was made in a later printing, check the title page to see which one you have) Hebrews 7.1-10 was read this Sunday; now the RCL gives us 7.23-28. The former practice had the advantage of explaining further the references to Melchizedek, King of Salem, in the reading the week before. Instead we have part of a much longer argument, and indeed a pronoun [“he” in verse 24] whose antecedent [“Jesus” in verse 22] has to be supplied. If anyone who reads the lessons in Church is following this I would remind them to review the directions in the third paragraph of page 266 of the BAS. This is one of the readings to which these directions most clearly apply!
The passage we read is a very important part of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and contains the great declaration that Christ’s offering was made “once for all when he offered up himself”, which is so well stressed in the Eucharistic Prayer of the BCP in saying that on the Cross Christ made “by his one oblation of himself once offered” the only true and complete sacrifice for the whole world.

Space is too short to give a useful list of readings on the question of what is meant by the Eucharistic sacrifice and how it relates to the once-for-all event of Calvary; Eric Mascall's Corpus Christi might be a good start.
The teaching of Hebrews about Christ’s perfect sacrifice does not stop here, but follows the analogy of the sacrifices of the Old Covenant to show that it includes not only his death but his ascension into the heavenly sanctuary: over the next few weeks we continue to read gobbets from this complex argument. Here again it is abundantly clear that the passages read in Church are not sufficient: in order to benefit from them a person needs to be familiar with the whole of the Epistle. If anything shows the necessity of regular Bible-reading, it is the passages chosen to be proclaimed in Church.
Now it would not take anyone very long to read through Hebrews (or Job, for that matter) with enough attention to make it possible to follow and understand the selection heard in Church. If we could be sure that enough of the congregation did this, it would be far easier to preach sermons that were profitable to them!
Canon Bright’s hymn, Once, only once, and once for all would be good to sing this Sunday; it is not in the new Common Praise.

The Holy Gospel according to St Mark, 10.46-52

This passage tells the story of the healing of the blind beggar Bartimaeus outside of Jericho: the parallel passages, Matthew 20:29-34 and Luke 18:35-43, differ in certain details, not the least of which are the number of the blind men and the fact that neither Matthew nor Luke call him by name. Scholars differ on the implications of this fact. See R. Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses (2006), p. 41.
This passage concludes a section of Mark’s Gospel. In coming to Jericho, Jesus and his disciples have come within twenty miles of Jerusalem: the next section is the entry into the holy city, and the prelude to Christ’s Passion. The section that ends with Bartimaeus also began with the healing of a blind beggar (8.22-26); it is concerned throughout with sight and faith. In it we hear the three prophecies of the Passion, each followed by an instance of the disciples’ inability to understand (or see) the meaning of Jesus ministry, even when they can confess that he is the Christ. One meaning of this section is that all are in need of Jesus’ healing before they can see the truth, whether their blindness was physical or spiritual.
In the interests of space, here are just a few comments.
“Bartimaeus … the son of Timaeus”. Bartimaeus itself means “son of Timaeus” in Aramaic. Is the writer displaying an ignorance, or giving a clumsy aid to non-Jewish readers? See Bauckham, p. 79.
“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Son of David was a messianic title in that it designated Jesus as heir of the promise made to David (see 2 Samuel 7:12-16; 1 Chronicles 17:11-14; Psalm 89:28-37). Before this only the disciples and demons have recognized Jesus’ true identity; they were always commanded to be silent. This is the first public declaration of Jesus as Messiah that goes without rebuke. This is perhaps another sign that we are on the brink of the final conflict.
Notice that when Jesus calls Bartimaeus to him he does it though others (it is not clear whether the disciples are meant or the crowd): “Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’” The message is relayed to Bartimaeus as Christ’s call: “Take heart; rise, he is calling you”. Do we always realize that Christ’s normal way of calling folk is through us?
“Throwing off his mantle”. This shows Bartimaeus’ eagerness to answer the call of Jesus, and is reminiscent of the call of the first disciples, who left their nets and boats and all to follow Jesus. The similarity is closer that one might at first think, for it was the custom for beggars to receive alms in their mantles or cloaks which were spread on the ground for that purpose. So here, like the fishermen, Bartimaeus is throwing away a means of livelihood, a symbol of the old life. The final words of the passage, “and followed him on the way,” makes this more clear.
“The way” was used as a technical term for the Christian life by the earliest Christians (see Acts 9.2).
In a note in Bauckham’s Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, he quotes an observation of G. Thiessen, that “Bartimaeus ‘is the only healed person the miracle story tells us became a “follower” in the narrower sense,’” and adds “In form, Mark’s story of Bartimaeus … resembles a story of the call of a disciple as much or perhaps more than the story of a healing miracle” (p 45, n. 25, and see references there). This point should be very helpful for our reading of this passage.

Although there are many more things I should say, I must turn from writing notes and buckle down to preparing a sermon, and so I will tale my leave of you.

Lectionary Notes

A Note on the Sunday between 16 and 22 October
18 October AD 2009
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 29, Year B

Since certain other commitments are weighing heavily this week, it seems better to provide one interesting comment on the Gospel reading than a number of trite comments on the whole Sunday lectionary. Useful comments on the other readings may be found as usual at the Diocese of Montreal’s Revised Common Lectionary site:

http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/bpr29m.shtml.

The point I want to make is not often found in commentaries. indeed, although I know I read or heard it somewhere, I cannot remember where. I can only be sure it is not my own clever idea.

The Holy Gospel: Mark 10.35-45

The incident reported in this reading follows immediately Jesus’ third prediction of his passion. As with the other predictions, the disciples’ concern for rank and leadership in the community and the kingdom shows how little they understood what Jesus was telling them.
This time the stars of the story are James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They and Peter seemed to have formed an inner group of disciples : they alone were present in the Garden of Gethsemane and at the Transfiguration. They come to Jesus with a request for the places of honour “when he comes into his kingdom”. Commentators are not agreed on what this means. The idea of being seated at his right and left had would seem to refer to the messianic banquet. We might be content, though to follow the early writer Theophylact, who simply said “Now the above mentioned disciples thought that He was going up to Jerusalem, to reign there”.
The Lord’s reponse to their request is clear. He says: “You do not understand what you mean when you ask this. I have just told you that the Son of Man, the Messiah, is going to suffer. Are you able to go to the same fate?” His reference to the cup becomes clear in Gethsemane: when he prays, “remove this cup from me”. (For the references see the RCL site, or a Bible with good notes.) It is also clear that when the brothers say (with a speed and brevity that makes it all too clear they still don’t understand), “We are able!” that they will, indeed drink his cup and be baptized with his baptism.
Jesus goes on to say that although they will share his cup and baptism, “but to sit at my right hand or my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared” [v. 40]. These words are rich in meaning. One valuable comment comes from Eduard Schweizer:
"The fact that Jesus has left open the question for whom these places of honour have been prepared (by God) makes it very clear that to Jesus, discipleship does not allow one to claim any special reward. In a very pointed manner, Jesus rejects the idea that suffering is meritorious. The fact that one suffers in some specific way as a part of sharing in the pathway of Jesus does not qualify him to receive a reward, neither does it allow him to make any special demand. It is certain, however, that God will never forget it."
For the Lord does not say who it is these places have been prepared for. St Matthew’s version adds the words “by my Father” [Mt 20.23], but this does not answer the question.
Now when we remember that this incident is the sequel to Jesus’ prediction of his passion, and take seriously the references to the cup and the baptism, we should expect that these words about his right and left hand also have a relation to the Passion. Indeed, the Gospels do show us two persons who are granted the places at Jesus’s right hand and his left: for in Mark 15 27 we read, “And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.” (There is no difference between saying “on his right hand ….” and “on his right …” : same expression is used in both cases in Greek.)
Long ago, Henry Alford, the Dean of Canterbury, commenting on St Matthew’s version of the request of James and John wrote:
“One at least of these brethren {sc John] saw the Lord on His Cross—on His right and left hand the crucified thieves. Bitter indeed must the remembrance of this ambitious prayer have been at that moment! Luther remarks, ‘The flesh ever seeks to be glorified, before it is crucified: exalted before it is abased.’” [The New Testament for English Readers, vol I, part I, 1868].
I am still working on the rest of this Gospel passage, for there is no little danger in the teaching that who would be first must be a servant! How many men and women have found that taking the way of a servant is the way of power and control, in a sense far different from what Jesus had in mind. We may think of the odious and servile Uriah Heap in David Copperfield, of the woman in one of Lewis’ pieces of whom it is said: "She's the sort of woman who lives for others—you can always tell the others by their hunted expression" [The Screwtape Letters], of countless secretaries of committees. But this is all going into the sermon for Sunday, and I must now stop.

Lectionary Notes

Some Notes for Harvest Thanksgiving

Sunday, 11 October, AD 2009

Haec (i.e. gratia) enim est una virtus non solum maxima sed etiam mater virtutum omnium reliquarum: Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. Cicero, Pro Cn. Plancio, 80.

Thankfulness is an attitude of the the spirit, indeed it is a way of life which lies at the heart of our faith: the idea of thankfulness cannot be spearated from that of grace: indeed, in latin langauges the words are the same, for gratia, grace, means both the ‘favour’ or ‘gift’ and the thanks that is rendered for it. Hence we call the blessing said over food a ‘grace’. From the Greek χάρις, which has much the same range of meaning, comes eucharist, the name of the great sacrament of our salvation
One might wonder why such an important virtue as gratitude is not included among the four cardinal virtues, Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude. St Thomas ranks it as a special virtue under the heading of Justice, which is "Rendering to each one his right" [2a2ae, 58, 1]. Since all we have and all we are is grace, an unearned gift of God, we owe him grace, thankfulness.

Here are a few of the many quotations on the theme of gratitude one can find on line.
G. K. Chesterton: You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.
~ When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?
William A. Ward : God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"
John E. Southard : The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.
Thomas Fuller: Gratitude is the least of the virtues, but ingratitude is the worst of vices.
Joseph Addison: There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance.
Meister Eckhart: If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
George Herbert: Thou hast given so much to me, / Give one thing more, - a grateful heart; / Not thankful when it pleaseth me, / As if Thy blessings had spare days, / But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.
Eric Hoffer, Reflections On The Human Condition: The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.
For balance, here are a few about the vice of ingratitude:
TimothyDexter: An ungrateful man is like a hog under a tree eating acorns, but never looking up to see where they come from.
Dennis Prager: All happy people are grateful. Ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that being unhappy leads people to complain, but it's truer to say that complaining leads to people becoming unhappy.
Publilius Syrus: One ungrateful man does an injury to all who stand in need of aid
And of course,
Shakespeare, King Lear: How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is / To have a thankless child!

The Readings:

Although the lectionary provides three sets of readings for Harvest Thanksgiving, the Canadian Church does not appropriate each set to a particular year of the three-year cycle (see pp 396ff in the BAS). So while the commentary in the Revised Common Lectionary Website of the Diocese of Montreal comments on the second set this year, as if they were “Year B”, I have a preference for the first set. Last year my notes on the readings for Harvest Thanksgiving were rather skimpy and I am glad to have a chance to correct this . However, please refer to those notes (9 October, 2008) for some general remarks on the festival.
Overall, the readings teach that every gift is from God. More precisely, the lesson of thanksgiving is that everything is a gift

The First Reading: Deuteronomy 8.7-18
On the brink of their crossing over to the river Jordan into the Promised Land, Moses addresses the people of Israel to remind them of the mighty acts of God by which they were liberated from Egypt and of the laws and commandments on which their status as his chosen people depended. In the eighth chapter he insists on their remembering and obeying these laws, and remembering the harsh conditions of the exodus and sojourn in the wilderness. If they remember these things, when they enter into Canaan, the good and rich land, and have eaten and are full, they will bless the Lord their God for the excellent land which he has given them [8.7-10]
We may note two things here before moving on. The first is that to bless the Lord for something is to give thanks. The other is that the words of this chapter are addressed in the singular: “the Lord thy God is bringing thee into a good land ….Thou shalt eat thy fill and bless the Lord thy God …”. This is something we miss in modern English. Do we not lose thereby a sense of each individual in every generaltion being addressed?
At verse 11 comes what Robert Burton called “the caveat of Moses”: when you first come into the land you will give thanks, for the memory will be fresh, but what when you are settled? Beware lest in the midst of prosperity you be puffed up: acknowledge the riches you have to be his good gifts and benefits, and the more you have to be more thankful. The warning is necessary, for it is human nature to take what we for granted, if not as an inalienable right and entitlement. Do you remember Charlie Anderson’s grace in the movie Shenandoah (1965)?
“Lord, we cleared this land. We plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. We cooked the harvest. It wouldn't be here and we wouldn't be eating it if we hadn't done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel, but we thank you, Lord, just the same for the food we're about to eat, amen.”
Surely the Andersons worked hard. But how much of the result was a gift entirely beyond their control?

Psalm 65

This is a psalm of thanksgiving for a good harvest. The notes in the NOAB give this outline for the Psalm: vv.1-5, it is good to gather at the tempe to sing God’s praises; 6-8, it was he who created the world; 9-13, and it is he who makes the earth fertile.

The Epistle, 2 Corinthians 9.6-15.
Gratitude is best shown in generosity.
A collection was being taken in the Churches of Achaia (Greece) and Macedonia for the relief of the Church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8 and 9 of 2 Corithians are concerned with this offering (see also Galatians 2.1-10, 1 Cor 16.1-4, Rom 15.25-27). Paul urges the Corinthians to be generous in their contribution. He reminds them that God’s gifts are given precisely so that they may be shared (See also Romans 14.7: None of us lives to himself).

The Holy Gospel: Luke 17.11-19
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. That is, he is on his way to the final conflict and the cross. See Luke 9.51. then Jesus cleanses ten lepers, only one returns to give thanks, and that one is a foreigner, a Samaritan.
As we have noted before, in Scripture the term leprosy is used for a variety of diseases which are not necessarily the illness now known as leprosy. According to the Law (Leviticus 13.45-6) those afflicted with these disorders were to live alone and apart from the community, wearing torn clothes with their hair unkept, and covering their upper lip to cry “Unclean! unclean!”. Numbers 5.1-4 lays down that the lepers were to be put out of the camp. So the ten lepers call for Jesus’ mercy from a distance. Note that they do nto specifically ask to be healed.
The term ‘Master’ is possibly misleading – we are likely to think of the word as more or less equivalent to “Lord”, as in “the Master of the house”, or “Master, the experiment is ready”. But the word here is not kyrie or dominus, but epistata, literally “one set over”; this is rendered in the Latin version as praeceptor, or Teacher. It is equivalent to Rabbi. If we must use “master” what we should think of is “school master”. The same word is found at Luke 5.5, 8.24 and 45, and 9.33 and 49, where the meaning is also “teacher”.
The one who returned thanks for healing was a Samaritan. On the Samaritans, see als Luke 9.51-55, 10.33, and Acts 8.4-25. This passage, in which gratitude is found only in the stranger, is like Luke 7.2-10, in which the Centurion shows such faith in Jesus that the Lord declares, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith”.
One might wonder just what we are to gather from this story: the thankfulness of the Samaritan is praised, as is his faith, which has “made him well”. But we are not told that the nine suffered in any way for their lack of gratitude. (Perhaps we should not even say that they were ungrateful; only that they neglected to express their gratitude!) Nor did they lose the gift of healing because they did not give glory to God (who, after all, makes his sun to shine on the evil and on the good).
One point is clear: that when we read this passage on Thanksgiving we are challenged to ask whether we return to give thanks, or just go on our way, perhaps forgetting the stupendous gifts we receive. In this it brings us back to the first reading, where we are warned against forgetfulness of God, which is the cause of disobedience, and as such is surely equivalent to a lack of faith.

Lectionary Notes

Some Notes for the Sunday between 25 September and 1 October

(Proper 26, Year B)
Sunday, 27 November, 2009

As everyone knows, Anglicans around the world are keeping “Back to Church Sunday”. I can’t see much in the readings that is particularly helpful for this event. Nor do the proper prayers seem to resonate with the readings appointed for Year B. So with all that in mind, let’s plunge right into the readings.

The First reading: Esther 7.1-6, 9-10, 9.20-22

The Book of Esther, which is the last of the historical books of the Christian Old Testament, is in the Hebrew Scriptures one of the books of the third division, “the Writings”. which came after the five books of the Law and the books of the Prophets. It is not history, but a legend (some have called it a novella and others, historical fiction). According to introduction in the NOAB, “it seems to have been written as propaganda for the observance in Palestine of a festival, brought home by Jews from the Diaspora, which they called Purim and celebrated on the 14th or 15th of Adar (in February-March)”. The book makes no mention of the Jewish religion nor indeed does it mention the name of God. In the Greek translation (The Septuagint) more religious additions were made to it; these may be found among the books called Apocrypha in a complete English Bible under the title “The Additions to the Book of Esther”.
The book tells the story of how Esther, a beautiful young Jewish girl who became Queen of Persia, saved her people from the wicked plot of Haman, the king’s vizier, to destroy them because he was offended by Mordecai, Esther’s uncle. Our reading today is from the end of the book, and relates how Esther won the day and Haman was foiled. Theere are few points that need special comment here. We might note that in 7.2 Ahasuerus the king promises to grant any request of Esther up to half his kingdom, a usual extravagance in folk tales. Note the similar promise of Herod Antipas in Mark 6.23. Again, the words in 7.4, We have been sold refers to 3.9, where Haman offers a bribe to convince the king to approve his wicked scheme.

Psalm 124

This is a psalm of national thanksgiving and is an fitting response to the reading from Esther It is also one of the songs of Ascents, which we sung by pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem (I believe we commented on this in general some weeks ago) The first five verses of this psalm speak of a time of great danger for the people, and the last three are a thanksgiving for God’s favour. There is little need for specific comment. We might note that the last verse has passed into Christian liturgy to become a versicle and response before solemn blessings.

James 5.13-20

In the course of the lectionary we now reach the end of the general Epistle of James. The notes in NOAB give 5.7-20 th ecaption “Concluding encouragement”. It begins with an encouragement to constant prayer (5.13) and to seeking the prayers of the church in sickness (5.14-15). These two verses are impirtant for the practice of anointing with oil for healing. Olive oil, which was commonly used as a medicine in ancient times, is here “invested with a spoecial significance through connection with the divine name” (note in NOAB). It si tempting to fancy that the Greek words ἐλαίών (olive oil) and ἒλεος (mercy) are related. Pastorally one might want to put a little more stress on the statement that the sick person should “call for the elders”.
Elder was the name of an office in the early Church: in Acts we read of the “apostles and elders” in Jerusalem (Acts 14.23, 15.2, 4, 6, 22-23, 16.4, 20.17; see also 1 Timothy 4.14, 5.17, 19 and Titus 1.5-6). The Greek for elder is presbuteros, in which we recognize the English ‘presbyter’; by the wear of centuries of use, it has also given us the word “priest” (so Milton: “New presbyter is but old priest writ large”, On the New Forcers of Conscience under the Long Parliament, 1646).
The healing of illness is closely linked to the forgiveness of sins, which leads to the remaining exhortations of this passage. The reference to Elijah is to 1 Kings 17.1 and 18.1 and to Luke 4.25. In the RCL notes here is a comment on the possible apocalyptic significance of “three years and six months” (5.17). On verse 20, compare 1 Peter 4.8, Proverbs 10.12, Luke 7.47.

The Holy Gospel according to St Mark, 9.48-50.

This passage follows immediately upon last week’s reading. It is a collection of sayings that are associated by the phrase “in the name”.
Some have suggested that the first three verses, concerning the strange exorcist reflects the experience of the early church rather than the time of Jesus. They point in particular to the expression “he was not following us”. Further, they wonder whether others would have begun using Jesus’ name in such a way already in the time of his ministry . even mre, they suggest that had Jesus given the tolerant response here reported, the church would not have so quickly lapsed into intolerance (see Acts 19.13-20). But see Numbers 11.26-29.
Matthew 12.30 and Luke 11.23 (He who is not with me is against me) apparently contradict verse 41, but it should be pointed out that the context of the verses is quite different. In Matthew and Luke, the comment is made about critics of Jesus who call his exorcisms the work of the devil.
Verse 41 appears in a different context in Matthew 10.42.
With its reference to the “little ones who believe”, verse 42 harkens back to the end of last week’s reading (verse 37), although some suggest it refers to the strange exorcist. The following verses are joined to it because they also speak of counting life against anything we have. The “great millstone” is literally “a donkey stone”; the size of the upper millstone was such that a donkey was needed to turn it. The sheer hyperbole of this verse makes abundantly clear the importance of doing no harm at all, let alone causing any to stumble or sin. In a similar way the next verses decalre that anything we are or have is expendable in comparison with the life Christ offers us.
At some point in the history of the Gospel text, verse 48 “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” has, by a kind of attraction, been added after he mention of hell in verses 45 and 47. “Hell” here translates the word Gehenna, which refers to the Valley of Hinnon outside Jersualem. In the days of the kings, this valley had been the site of the worship of Moloch, a deity to whom children were burnt in sacrifice. King Josiah desecrated the valley, after which it was used for the burning of rubbish. See 2 Kings 23.10, Jeremiah 7.31, 19.5-6. This explains the reference to the unquenched fire. It seems to have been poularly supposed that in this valley was a gateway to the underworld. Since the concept of the underworld as the place of the dead (Hades, Sheol) and as a place where the wicked are punished is comles, we can make no firther comment here. For further information on Gehenna, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna.
The final two verses seem to have been attracted to this place by the word ‘fire’; note the similar verse in a different context at Matthew 5.13. On the words “Have salt in yourselves ….” NOAB suggests “Maintain peacefully your own distinct character and service”. Perhaps it would be useful to think of salt’s various uses (flavouring, preservative, cleanser) and meaning (salty wit).