Author: Harold

Thursday September 19          Pentecost 17

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Psalm 74
About 600 years before Jesus, the Babylonians invaded Israel and the Jerusalem temple was completely destroyed. This was a time of deep despair, and many thought Judaism would disappear forever. The psalm asks God to remember what great things God did in controlling the forces of nature when God made the world, and how God rescued the people from Egypt, and to do great things again to rescue the people. They trust this is possible because God is in charge of the whole earth. We face similar issues in terms of the entire planet in our time.

Job 28.1-28                            What’s Job about?
The lectionary has placed this earlier chapter at the end of the readings as a summary of the whole book. Job is comparing the determination with which ancient miners probed underground for valuable jewels, with the fact that humans have no idea where to find wisdom. In the end God is the source of wisdom and by being loyal to God we come to understand why things are the way they are. Just as Job himself finally comes to know that all things, even the injustice he has experienced himself, are all in God’s hands.

Tomorrow we return to a more traditional interpretation of how God works, and begin reading the book of Esther.

John 12.27-36a                            What’s John about?
Jesus commits himself to die, and the crowd hears God’s affirmation, although some think it was just a natural phenomenon.
The same decision between these two options faces people of our time—will everything work out automatically, or do sacrifices need to be made in our relationships and national life for the good to triumph?
The reference about seeing in the light and Jesus hiding, mean that a person just has to see the truth of this—the writer thought that no arguments or demonstrations are sufficient—you either see that love works like that, and you offer your life to someone in love for them, and then you see that God is exactly like that, or you don’t see it. It can’t be proven.

This week’s collect:

Almighty God,
you call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Wednesday September 18          Pentecost 17

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Psalm 119 Part 4
Psalm 119 is a meditation on responding to God’s call to justice. Each of the 176 verses is a variation on the theme of what it means to follow God’s call to justice, using terms such as “command”,”law”, “word”, “statute”, and the like. The psalm is arranged in 22 groups of eight verses—one group for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Within a group, each of the eight verses starts with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and the groups are in Hebrew alphabetical order. So the first group of eight verses all start with A, the second group all start with B and so on. The first seven verses mirror the seven days of creation, with the eighth sometimes pointing to the next group. This very careful construction mirrors God’s creating the universe by overcoming chaos with order.

In the human world, justice, dignity and fulfilment – the outcomes of justice—are the human expressions of order. Thus the human world and the rest of creation are united in the same foundation. Today’s three sections begin with the letters Y, K and L (in Hebrew alphabetical order). As you read them, imagine the effect of each line in today’s first section beginning with “Y” and so on.

Job 42.1-17                           What’s Job about?
The book probably originally concluded with Job giving the final statement of his ignorance of God’s working, using the poetic form the rest of the book is written in. That would represent a radical commitment to the God of justice by someone who refuses to give up, even when God seems to do nothing about the injustice he suffered. It is a profound statement of trust when we cannot understand what is going on.

The rest of the ending isn’t written in poetic style, and uses different kinds of words and was likely added by a later editor who felt that Job had to be vindicated and everything put right. This is exactly what Job’s friends had argued for and Job had refused! That editor, sadly, missed the whole point of the book and has God reward Job with more riches than he ever had before. This editor had a traditional idea of God and religious faith—that when we trust in God everything goes well. The original author had dealt with a more difficult problem.

John 12.20-26                            What’s John about?
As Jesus deliberately confronts Roman violence, he is approached by some Greeks for whom the concept of deliberate participation in death would make little sense, especially when this approach is understood as God’s character. Jesus’ illustration of a seed being buried and rising as a fruitful plant may be an argument that was used by early Christians in John’s time who were encountering sophisticated Greek people who couldn’t take seriously the claim that God had undergone torture and death for us.

This week’s collect:

Almighty God,
you call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Tuesday September 17          Pentecost 17

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Psalm 68
A song of joy that God drives away evil and cares for the needy just as God rescued God’s people long ago from Egypt and drove out all the other kings so they could settle in the land God had promised. Can we cultivate the expectation that God will triumph over all the selfish international powers of our day?

The violent images part way through are a way of expressing how completely God’s goodness and justice will remove all evil and exploitative powers.

Job 40.1, 41.1-11                           What’s Job about?
God describes crocodiles and how puny Job is in comparison. God is making the same point as yesterday in stating God’s case: Job’s distress is as nothing compared to God’s immense power.

John 12.9-19                            What’s John about?
The decision to kill Jesus for raising Lazarus from the dead is expanded to include Lazarus.
The next day, Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a low donkey, in deliberate contrast with the Roman empire’s trust in violence. This street demonstration, as it has been called, may have been deliberately timed to mock the simultaneous entry into Jerusalem of an entire Roman legion led by a centurion mounted on a great military steed, an annual event designed to suppress resistance during the Passover. The Passover was, of course, the major Jewish celebration of victory over oppression. It is no coincidence that Jesus is executed five days later for laughing at and defying the Roman rule.

This week’s collect:

Almighty God,
you call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Monday September 16          Pentecost 17

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Psalm 64
The wicked are very clever, but God will defeat them, and everyone will be in awe at God’s power to restore goodness.

Psalm 65
God, you blot out our sins even though they are stronger than we, and just as generously you clothe creation with plenty, and with great goodness. God’s generosity extends to the furthermost ocean and to the gentle rain—water is a recurring image in this psalm. It ends with some other lovely images of hills, meadows, and valleys wearing clothes of joy and plenty.

Job 40.1-24                            What’s Job about?
God challenges Job to complain and then describes the hippopotamus as the most powerful creature God created. Job’s disasters are as nothing in comparison to God’s power to create and uphold us all and to create an immense creature like the hippopotamus.

Job is being asked to trust in God’s immense power which is experienced in God’s creation. In comparison to that power, Job’s sufferings are minuscule. This is a profound insight about the nature of trust and faith.

John 11.55-12.8                            What’s John about?
Jesus comes to Jerusalem for the Passover, aware of the danger. He is ceremonially prepared for burial by Mary, his host, and Jesus responds to Judas’ false complaint about the money spent by Mary by challenging him to be genuinely caring for the poor.
“The poor you always have with you,” has been misinterpreted, too conveniently, to mean “You can take care of the poor some other time, right now focus on me” but Jesus meant “Do you really care about the poor? They are right around you, so care for them now! Learn from me how to do that while I’m still here.”

Having dealt with the various objections about Jesus’ claim to be the  way we see God, John now turns to the story of Jesus raising Lazarus as further example of Jesus’ power and a sign of God’s victorious kingdom breaking in. Jesus deliberately delays going to see Lazarus so that it is clear that Lazarus has actually died. The disciples anticipate that the inevitable confrontation with the authorities, as Jesus returns to Jerusalem, will end with their death. Two kinds of death are to be overcome—the death of Lazarus, and the disciples’ fear.

Almighty God,
you call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Sunday September 15          Pentecost 17

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Psalm 8
God is amazing in what God has created. It is astonishing that God cares for humans who are so small in comparison, because God has even given humans care for God’s amazing earth.

Psalm 84
I love to be with God. In verse 2 it may be that a bird built a nest near the actual altar in the temple, and the poet, seeing that, is thinking that if a tiny bird can be accepted by God and have a home in the temple, so God completely accepts me when I am at home in God’s presence. God cares for us more than we can imagine!

Some of the imagery is of people climbing the hill up to the temple in Jerusalem. Appropriate for a Sunday as we come to the presence of God at worship.

Job 38.1, 18-41                            What’s Job about?
God continues to ask Job questions making clear that God created everything. Although the lections skip chapter 39 (for brevity) it is well worth reading. There is an amazing degree of detailed knowledge about the natural world.

The author is using the most advanced knowledge of his time to put Job’s complaints into perspective. What the author seems to be saying is that despite the disasters which happen to all of us, beneath the world is an astonishing creativity to which we can give our total trust. The author is saying that while dreadful things do happen to people and that we should never deny that, the greater truth is that God’s magnificent presence at every moment enfolds us and all the circumstances of our lives.

Matthew 5.21-26                            What’s Matthew about?
As often in Matthew, Jesus takes the ancient laws seriously but insists they be done with a deeper level of integrity and generosity so that we don’t think superficial observance is doing God’s will for full life. Prohibiting murder isn’t just about murder but is about refusing to engage in emotional or verbal violence. Making a religious gift must never be done unless one has already given the gift of forgiveness to someone else. Matthew understands this depth of care is what Jesus is calling for and what will distinguish his followers from the rest of  society.

This week’s collect:

Almighty God,
you call your Church to witness
that in Christ we are reconciled to you.
Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may turn to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Saturday September 14          Pentecost 16

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Psalm 138
I praise God because God helped me, even though I am one of the lowly.

Psalm 139
God, you know everything about me, even when I was still in my mother’s womb, and I am amazed at your knowledge. Help me to remove all evil from the world.

Job 38.1-17                            What’s Job about?
God responds to Job with a long description of how God made the world and Job didn’t. Job has been asking the challenging questions, now God asks Job challenging questions.

John 11.45-54                            What’s John about?
Because Jesus is operating outside the religious organization the leaders believe he is a cheater and does these miracles, such as raising Lazarus from the dead, by trickery. Nevertheless the High Priest is inspired by God, without his knowing it, to accurately state who Jesus is. Because their power is threatened they cannot see that God’s kingdom is coming among them, and they resolve to kill him. Jesus returns to the wilderness, where he was baptized, and from where he will shortly enter Jerusalem at Passover and be executed.

This week’s collect:

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people,
that richly bearing the fruit of good works,
we may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Friday September 13          Pentecost 16

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Psalm 51
I have committed evil acts and I long that God will wash me clean. If I am forgiven, I will tell everyone of God’s goodness. I would have given expensive sacrifices, but what you want, O God, is that I change my priorities. Then God will be pleased with us and our religious practices.

This psalm is often used on Fridays, the anniversary of the death of Christ through which forgiveness is possible. Our world would receive new life if we were as committed to changing direction in matters which are bringing death to the planet.

Job 29.1, 31.24-40                            What’s Job about?
Job concludes his statement that he has acted justly all his life. He challenges God to meet him in court and bring an indictment so that Job could refute it and prove that he is innocent and that God has not treated him justly. Job rests his case before the court in heaven.

The lectionary skips over several more arguments by the friends, and we arrive tomorrow at the climax of the book in which God will now take the stand and respond.

John 11.30-44                            What’s John about?
Jesus arrives at Lazarus’ tomb, and states that he is the resurrection. Now it is Mary who doubts that Jesus is the resurrection in the present—”If you had been here earlier, he would not have died.” Religious leaders also doubt him—since he had cured a man born blind, either he is unwilling or unable to keep someone from dying.
These continue to be sources of doubt about Jesus’ ability to give us resurrection even in our day. We also doubt whether God can or will act to prevent the death of our planet and our hopes. But in a moment we see Jesus’ power even over death as Lazarus is raised to life and walks out of the tomb. We begin to hope that he can do the same for our world.

This week’s collect:

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people,
that richly bearing the fruit of good works,
we may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Thursday September 12          Pentecost 16

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Psalm 59
People all around hunt me down, like dogs attacking, but I insist that God is on the side of the innocent.

We can apply the dramatic imagery not only to people, but to the policies and global forces that are destructive to societies and to the planet, and yet we insist that God’s goodness and justice is always present.

Psalm 60
God seems to have abandoned us, and we are being defeated even though God claimed for us the territory of all our tribes. We pray that God will turn things around and do great deeds through us.

This psalm can easily be applied to the threat of destruction of the planet in our day, but we will continue to insist that God’s goodness and care is supreme over all the forces of evil.

Job 29.1, 31.1-23                            What’s Job about?
In a surprisingly modern-sounding statement of justice, Job insists he has lived his life in deep respect and care for the vulnerable—women and the needy. He has never exploited anyone. So God has no right to bring this disaster upon him.

John 11.17-29                            What’s John about?
Jesus has deliberately delayed his trip to the dying Lazarus so that Lazarus’ rising cannot be attributed to his just getting better. Jesus speaks of himself as the resurrection in the same words he used with the foreign woman of Samaria. Here Jesus is saying the same thing to observant Jews. Martha understands that the resurrection will happen in the distant future, but Jesus corrects her—his resurrection happens right now. John (the writer) understands that Jesus is our new life and that transformation is available to us regardless of external circumstances.

This week’s collect:

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people,
that richly bearing the fruit of good works,
we may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Wednesday September 11          Pentecost 16

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Psalm 49
Why should I worry about the rich who oppress me? Even the wealthiest person could never pay for their life so that they could live forever. Everyone dies and the rich oppressors are led like sheep to the grave. Why should I be afraid of the wicked when I know they will all die!

Psalm 53
Everyone has abandoned God, and God’s justice. We long for God to restore justice to the world.

Job 29.1, 30.1-2, 16-31                            What’s Job about?
As Job concludes his accusations against God, he describes how he suffers under endless ostracism, and that nobody will help him. Job insists that God does not respond to his cry for help but just looks at him and leads him to the grave. Job helped others when they were in distress, but God does nothing to rescue Job—God, being so cruel, has less integrity than Job.

The author writes the whole book to press the question, “What sort of God is God, when good people suffer and die pointlessly?” The author refuses all the obvious explanations, which are presented by Job’s friends, and offers no explanation other than affirming Job’s insistence on accusing God of being unjust. However, Job will shortly have a vision of the immense power and reality of God. In our time we are still called to place our trust in such a God even as we face the many forms of death threatening us.

John 11.1-16                            What’s John about?
Having dealt with the various objections about Jesus’ claim to be the  way we see God, John now turns to the story of Jesus raising Lazarus as further example of Jesus’ power and a sign of God’s victorious kingdom breaking in.
Jesus deliberately delays going to see Lazarus so that it is clear that Lazarus has actually died. As Jesus returns to Jerusalem the disciples anticipate that the inevitable confrontation with the authorities will end with their death. Two kinds of death are to be overcome—the death of Lazarus, and the disciples’ fear.

This week’s collect:

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people,
that richly bearing the fruit of good works,
we may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Tuesday September 10          Pentecost 16

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Psalm 47
God reigns over history and over the nations and has protected us. Praise to God!

Psalm 48
A song of praise for how Jerusalem has been blessed by God— the forces which would destroy us are overcome.

We might understand this psalm as rejoicing in the beauty of creation, and of our own self as a glorious city, made possible by God’s commitment to justice.

Job 29.1-20                            What’s Job about?
Job begins summing up his argument with God by contrasting the way his life used to be with the way it is now. He starts by describing how he used to be the most respected person in the land and it was he who rescued those in distress and stood up for those who were being exploited. He was the model of success combined with generous care for any in need.

John 10.31-42                            What’s John about?
Jesus has just said, “The Father and I are one.” Jesus insists that we when see him (healing or being executed) we are seeing God. But this is blasphemy for the leaders because it is inconceivable to them that God could go through such degradation and so Jesus is accused of blasphemy. Jesus quotes to them a verse from Psalm 82 “you are gods” which referred to the evil forces of the world being subject to God’s power of justice. Jesus quotes this verse to demonstrate that he can be the Son of God, a method of using scripture that doesn’t carry weight in our day, but is his way of proving that he can be God and that in seeing what happens to him we are seeing God. For this blasphemy the authorities attempt to arrest him, but Jesus escapes and returns to the location of John’s baptism, where he himself was baptized into commitment to God’s kingdom. Some people are convinced by Jesus’ “signs.” Another sign, the raising of dead Lazarus, is about to be given as demonstration that God’s kingdom of new life is arriving through Jesus.

This week’s collect:

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people,
that richly bearing the fruit of good works,
we may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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