Paragraphs from SSCSJ
A few paragraphs from Sacred Steps: Children’s Sermon Journal for the Lectionary texts, October 21, 2012.
Psalm 91
Perhaps what this psalm is trying to communicate is that, when we trust in God, no matter what befalls us, we know that the LORD is always present in every situation. We need not see illness or other forms of suffering as a punishment from God or as a sign that the LORD has abandoned us. Things happen in life that cannot be explained, and even if we could explain them, the pain would still remain. This does not mean that we cannot get angry with God about tragedies, but the very fact that we can express those feelings to God is a statement of faith and trust. By doing so, we are declaring that God does hear our prayers and cares about what happens to humanity. This is certainly not the kind of protection we might want, but it may be just enough assurance that grants us comfort.
Job 38:1-7 (34-41)
The book of Job has been considered by most scholars to be the wisdom text par excellence of the Jewish and Christian canons. Perhaps best known by Christians and secular society for the phrase, “the patience of Job,” it has been a favorite read, and text for interpretation, by laity, clergy and biblical scholars alike. No other biblical text addresses the question of theodicy (“why bad things happen to good persons”) in quite such a confrontational and artistic way as the book of Job. It is a story that speaks to every generation and to every individual who has known unexplainable suffering.
Identified as part of the Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible (along with Prov & Eccl), Job contains most of the recognized common themes and characteristics of this collection of writings. However, some have described Job as a unique form of wisdom writing, possibly displaying a wisdom conundrum. The story of this righteous sufferer seems to be a direct rebuttal of the traditional idea of “you reap what you sow.” found in other biblical texts (e.g., Prov, Judg, 1-2 Sam, 1-2 Kgs, etc.). This questioning of divine justice is not entirely unique among the texts of the Hebrew Bible. Other examples include Abraham’s questioning God concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:22-32) and some of the lament psalms (e.g., 37 and 73). What is frustrating for some readers of Job, but liberating for others, is the book’s refusal to impose an answer for the issue of human suffering and divine justice. While it clearly debunks a simplistic understanding of the reward/retribution understanding of justice, it never gives the audience a clear answer to the question of theodicy.
Hebrews 5:1-10
A portion of this text has already seeped into the Lectionary this year. Do you remember it? Yes, we encountered Hebrews 5:5-10 near the end of Lent. The language of “high priest” requires Protestant imagination because most do not relate to their minister as a “priest” in the way that Catholics and Episcopalians do. In mainline Protestant language, ministers serve a “priestly” role, even as some, like my denomination [Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)], cling to the language of a “priesthood of all believers,”5 while continuing to honor some form and understanding of “Ordained into Christian Ministry.”6 Visiting the text will require imagination, which is not a bad suggestion for reading the entire bible. Can you imagine being in those places, being those people, and being in those situations that are part of the original audience’s experience? Would you have written the stories differently? Can you imagine another way of understanding Jesus that is as faithful as the orthodoxy of sacrificial atonement most hear at the communion table each week? Maybe imagination is a key hermeneutic to reading the bible.
Mark 10:36-45
Have you ever had a moment or experience similar to that of James and John at work, in a club, or in your local congregation? Which character in this story resonates with you first and the most? It is unfortunate that the Lectionary omits vv. 32-34, which act like a rejoinder between, “the last will be first and the first last,” and “whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave (servant) to all.” The omitted words are the third time that Mark’s Jesus speaks of his death and in much greater detail than he did previously. Perhaps, Jerusalem is visible in the distance, and that is why Jesus picks this moment on the road to offer another explanation for their journey and share what he thinks will happen. Verse 32b speaks of two groups following Jesus, “the amazed and the afraid.” Based on my experience in congregational life and ministry, I would add a third generalized group, “the apathetic,” to the followers of Jesus. We don’t know which group(s) the disciples represent, but after Jesus tells them what he thinks is awaiting them in Jerusalem, this is the moment that John and James speak up, in the presence of the others, about their desire for preferred seating in the hierarchy of glory. I wonder if they were remembering the “ask, knock, seek,” parable?
There are at least three layers in this story: 1) An example of what it means to follow Jesus (vv. 36-40); 2) Another teaching about what it means to be a citizen of the kindom of God (41-44)12; 3) Jesus proclaiming the good news of God, which he summarized in 10:27, with different language (v. 45). The text invites a conversation about those layers, as well as about the Greek words diakonos, (servant), the word from which the term “deacon” was born, and lytron, translated as “ransom.” What does Mark’s Jesus mean or claim about God by choosing this word?