Category: SSCSJ
Paragraphs from SSCSJ
For the August 5 Lectionary Readings.
Psalm 51
In a lament, the person(s) praying would name what was wrong with the world, ask God to do specific things in order to fix the problem, and promise to sing God’s praises to others, once the situation had improved. Sometimes a lament calls God to task for not acting like God, even questioning whether God cares about humanity or creation. Other laments cry out to God because the psalmist is experiencing oppression at the hand of an enemy, and the request is that God bring justice to the situation (often asking that some very violent acts be visited upon the enemy).In a lament like Ps 51, it is the psalmist who has done something wrong and has experienced the “crush” (v 8b) of guilt and the pain of God’s disappointment (v 4b), and the request is for God’s “mercy” and forgiveness (v 1). This psalm follows the usual pattern for an “Individual Lament”2: Address to God (v 1); Complaint/Confession (vv 3-5)3; Confession of Trust (v 6); Petition (vv 7-11); Words of Assurance (v 12); and Vow of Praise (vv 13-15). The only exception is the occurrence of a Petition in vv 1b-2. It is not unusual for laments to rearrange the different parts of the structure, and we might explain this aberration as being due to the effusive emotions of a person who is desperate for God’s forgiveness.
2 Sam 11:1-12:13
The “honeymoon” of King David’s reign does not last forever. His faith and fair-mindedness falter, when he shows poor judgment and uncontrolled lust in his encounter with Bathsheba. While the men of his military are out on the battlefields, the king remains at home along with the women of the city, who were not allowed to go into battle. One day, while Batsheba is innocently bathing on her rooftop, assuming that there would be no men to see her exposed, David eyes her beauty and inquires about her. Even though he is told that Batsheba is married to one of his soldiers, Uriah the Hittite, the king demands that she be brought to him. Once in his chambers and under his control, Batsheba becomes a victim of David’s power and lust. After having his way with her, David sends Batsheba home. The secrecy of his sexual misbehavior is threatened when he learns that Bathsheba is pregnant. With her husband away in battle, there would be no doubt that the baby was not Uriah’s. First, David attempts to trick Uriah into sleeping with Batsheba, thus making it believable that the child would be his. He brings Uriah back from the battlefront and encourages him to spend a night at home with his wife. Uriah’s discipline and respect for his fellow soldiers in the field causes him to refuse this “comfort” of home. The king then tries to get Uriah drunk enough to forget his pledge of abstinence, but this attempt at a cover-up also fails. As a last effort, David sends Uriah back to the battlefield with a note secretly telling the king’s commander, Joab, to place Uriah on the frontlines of the fighting and then withdraw, insuring his death. This time David gets what he wants. With Uriah dead, he is able to marry Batsheba, after the proper mourning period, and his misdeed will never be revealed. But, the LORD is not so easily fooled. Nathan is sent with a divine prophecy for the David, revealing that the punishment for his sinful behavior will be that the child borne by Batsheba will not survive. Even though David repents, the child becomes ill and dies. Quickly, David impregnates Batsheba a second time, and she bears a healthy baby boy, who is named Solomon and will succeed his father on the throne.Ephesians 4:1-16
A modern question to bring to this text would be: “What is the Church’s ‘body image’ today?” Does your congregation have a healthy “body image,” or is it concerned about weight, height, muscle, or balance? Is your congregation trying to “woo” families, young adults, or youth into membership with programs, buildings, and more activities than are offered at the local mall or YMCA? Is your congregation taking its cues about its “image” from congregations that look successful from outward appearances, but seem to maintain that appearance through unhealthy practices? The author of Ephesians borrows the “body metaphor” from the authentic writings of Paul to beg the Christian community in the Roman controlled city to a life, a witness, worthy of being named “Christian” by those within and outside of Christianity.Another question to bring to the text is, “Does mature faith mean unity through uniformity?” Historically, it seems that the best we can muster as Christian communities, or as a secular society, is “separate, but equal,” which we know sets-up a power struggle over who has the power to define “separate and equality.” Could mature faith mean tolerance of persistent differences, or distinctions, among groups of Christians? In our current political context, and in many religious ones, the answer is “no.” Tolerance, collaboration, and compromise indicate weakness in our politics and in positions of leadership.
John 6:24-35
This entire month will be spent in John 6. Some weeks, you may be able to translate the text for the children, and other weeks, like this one, the text will be challenging for new and seasoned believers. Concrete thinkers will have difficulty sifting the metaphor. Have you ever made bread? Over the next several weeks, the Gospel of John is kneading Jesus into the “bread of life.”13 Remember, this gospel is an overt treatise on the topic of “who is Jesus,” and it is expounding on the Christology of the developing Christian community, which is the author’s context and is probably predominately Gentile. Here, familiarity with the text and a comfort with the self-revelation of Jesus, that the gospel writer places on Jesus‘ lips, may keep us from discovering what else this passage has to teach, beyond tradition’s orthodoxy about the divinity of Jesus, his calculated purpose, and the character of God. The Lectionary omits two verses, vv. 22-23, that set the stage for the conversation between Jesus and “the crowds,”14 who awake the next morning, after being well fed the night before, and neither Jesus nor the disciples can be found. What would you do in this situation? If you are food insecure, you might go looking for the person that just fed your family. For those who celebrate communion every Sunday, we go back to our “normal” life and come back next week, knowing that the table, if not Jesus, will be there.
Paragraphs from SSCSJ
Psalm 23
One final exegetical insight that could also enhance the depth of this psalm is how people today tend to envision a “shepherd”, namely as always a male. This predominant image is encouraged by the connection between Ps 23 and David made in the psalm’s superscription. Even though modern biblical scholarship understands that the phrase “le’david” is not a by-line, or even a claim that David wrote this psalm, still the presence of his name immediately evokes the stories about David’s being a shepherd. Thus, the reader/hearer of Ps 23 envisions a man as the author of this psalm as well as a male deity. However, a close read of some other stories in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in Genesis and Exodus, reveal that females (specifically: Rachel in Gen 29 and Zipporah in Exod 2) also tended flocks, making them shepherds as well. The Divine Shepherd in Ps 23 could just as easily be female as well. Preaching on Ps 23 provides a great opportunity to refurbish an old image of God.
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
This dream continued and strengthened during the Roman period as well. Some within the Jewish community were praying for God’s anointed one to come and overthrow the Romans and reclaim the throne. It was this idea that lies behind some of the gospels (i.e., Matthew and Luke), as the writers go to great lengths to show how Jesus was of the “house of David”. Of course, Jesus had no political aspirations and died under Roman rule. Like the DH, the gospels and epistles were written to explain another disappointment and to find meaning within the life and teachings of the prophet from Nazareth. Thus, the Davidic Covenant still remained unfulfilled; however, rather than taking the political propaganda created by the DH writers as literal, we can see that this covenant, along with all the others God makes with humans throughout the bible, is more about relationship and Divine presence than about Divine favoritism or guarantees of rewards for faithfulness. Inherent in all of creation, and especially within humans (the only part of creation to be made in God’s image), is a Divine promise to be with us in good and bad times, when we are faithful and when we are not, even until the last breath we take and beyond. God keeps covenants, and that is one of the core themes of the 1st Testament (and of the whole canon).
Ephesians 2:11-22
It can be imagined that hearing this text read aloud in a home in Ephesus might sound like an argument stating that the ways of Jesus are different from that of the Roman Empire.4 The peace created and offered through Christ Jesus is different from what the Roman Empire offers through conquest and assimilation into the Roman worldview.5 Similar struggles for identity, loyalties, and unity exist in secular and religious life today.
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
One way to translate this text for children would be to think about a child’s day and the importance of a structured “nap.” Too long a nap makes children restless for their usual bedtime and too short does not help them continue with their day. Where the disciples excited, but tired and cranky? Could they talk about anything other than themselves and their success? Somewhere along the way of growing up, we’ve lost the importance of “napping” for our physical and mental well being. Many persons use the internet or other distractions as “mindless” napping, but continue the stimulation of being awake. Hobbies are another way of thinking about “come away and rest” time. We can drive children or ourselves into such confined routines or sports that we may not develop fully other gifts or skills needed to navigate life.