Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance in the Old and New Testaments. They find balance in Jesus in John 3. Those who reject the light condemn themselves to the darkness. God sends nobody to Hell. All who go there send themselves. We read of the impending doom of the northern Kingdom of Israel in Amos 7. In that passage, we also read that God is in judgment mode.
Proverbs 8 speaks of divine wisdom. That is the wisdom, the persistent, collective rejection which led to the pronouncement of divine judgment in Amos 7. The word of God that Amos proclaimed was treasonous, according to authorities in the Kingdom of Israel. That word of God condemned the leaders who labeled that truth as treason. The Assyrians arrived in force, right on schedule, though. The truth was not treason.
The reading from 1 Timothy 5 speaks to divinely-mandated ethics. The passage also contains some culturally-specific elements that may be irrelevant to your context, O reader. May we not become distracted by those culturally-specific details. The timeless principle is mutuality: We are res[pmsob;e to and for each other. In that timeless context, individual and collective responsibility also exist in balance.
I admit without apology that I am pedantic. My pedantry extends to theology. In the Gospel of John, eternal life is knowing God via Jesus (John 17:3). Within the Johannine context, as in John 3:16, therefore, there is no eternity apart from God–Jesus, to be precise. In other words, eternal life and the afterlife are not synonyms in Johannine theology. “Eternal” describes the quality of life, not the length thereof. I am a generally Johannine Christian, so I understand “eternal life” according to the definition in John 17:3. Nevertheless, outside of the Johannine tradition in the New Testament, the meaning of “eternal” is “everlasting.”
I am not shy about saying and writing openly what I really think: I remain unconvinced that my Jewish elder brothers and sisters in faith are doomed to go to Hell. No, I affirm that their covenant remains in effect. According to Covenantal Nomism, consistently and unrepentantly disregarding the ethical obligations of the Law of Moses causes one to drop out of the covenant. Salvation comes via grace, but damnation comes via works.
The more I age and move away from reflexively Reformation-influenced theology, the more comfortable I become embracing the relationship among faith, works, salvation, and damnation in both Testaments. God cares deeply about how people treat each other, the Bible tells us. We mere mortals may deceive ourselves and each other. We cannot, however, pull the proverbial wool over God’s equally proverbial eyes. Our creeds become evident in our deeds.
Nevertheless, may we avoid the trap of thinking that we deserve salvation. That remains a gift. All who receive it may experience a degree of shock when they realize who else has received it. So be it.
God seemed quite mysterious–even dangerous–in Exodus 19. Anyone who touched Mt. Sinai would die, for the mountain was holy, and that made the geographical feature more hazardous than usual. There was also a hazard in the peoples’ pledge to obey God’s commandments, due to the penalties for violating them.
God was also a threat in the mind of Job, who, in 19:23-27, looked forward to his Redeemer/Vindicator, a kinsman who would, in the words of a note on page 1529 of The Jewish Study Bible (2004),
vindicate him, will take revenge on God for what God has done to Job.
That is a desire many people have felt. That interpretation is also far removed from a traditional Christian understanding of the text, not that there is anything wrong with that difference.
We find the friendly and scary faces of God in the New Testament readings. Hebrews 2:1-4 reminds us of penalties for sins. Yet 1 Timothy 3:14-16 brings us the mystery and the graces of God in the context of Jesus. That example is far removed from Exodus 19:7-25, where divine holiness was fatal to people. What could be closer to people–even in contact with them–and holy without being fatal to them than Jesus?
Mountains and the divine go together in the Bible. Moses received the Law on one. Jesus preached from mountains. His Transfiguration occurred on one. He “ascended” (whatever that means in literal, as opposed to theological terms) from a mountain. The symbolism also works in our lives, as in our “mountaintop experiences.”
As we depart the Season after the Epiphany for Lent, may we seek and find, by grace, a closer walk with God, whose holiness gives us life and is not fatal to us. May we internalize the lessons God wants us to internalize. And, when we are angry with God, may we have enough faith to, in the style of Job, argue faithfully. Communication cannot occur in the absence of messages.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 4, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FIFTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH MOHR, AUSTRIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT BARBARA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN OF DAMASCUS, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN CALABRIA, FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE POOR SERVANTS AND THE POOR WOMEN SERVANTS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Everlasting God, you give strength to the weak and power to the faint.
Make us agents of your healing and wholeness,
that your good may be made known to the ends your creation,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 24
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Chronicles 26:1-21 (Monday)
2 Kings 7:3-10 (Tuesday)
Psalm 6 (Both Days)
Acts 3:1-10 (Monday)
1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 (Tuesday)
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O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
–Psalm 6:1-2, The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
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My comments for the post I wrote prior to this one apply here also, I refer you, O reader, to them and pursue a different line of thought arising from assigned readings.
We ought to glorify God. We cannot do this while committing idolatry, acting to harm another human being (physically or spiritually) other than in self-defense or the defense of another person, or being oblivious to God, who has done much over time and continues to act. Likewise, when we act out of respect for others, we honor the image of God in them.
If you love me, keep my commandments,
Jesus said. He ordered people to love one another and honor God. He also provided an example to emulate. That example points out how dangerous loving one’s neighbors can be. Yet if we are truly to be Christians, we will follow him.
Often we humans designate some of our neighbors as people to look down upon, shun, discriminate against, murder, destroy culturally, et cetera. This is wrong, for all people bear the image of God and therefore possess inherent dignity. We might not get along with many of them, but we ought never to question their humanity or equality with us. The Golden Rule stands.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 2, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE THIRD DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINT BRIOC, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT TUDWAL, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP
THE FEAST OF CHANNING MOORE WILLIAMS, EPISCOPAL BISHOP IN CHINA AND JAPAN
THE FEAST OF JOHN BROWN, ABOLITIONIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT OSMUND OF SALISBURY, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
The Law of Moses is a complex code. In one breath it speaks of responsibilities people have to each other in community, such as not to exploit each other. Yet the same law code classes women and servants with inanimate property in the Ten Commandments, has a negative view of female biology, and contains many offenses which end with death by stoning. I join with my fellow Christians since the earliest years of Christianity in applying parts of the Law of Moses literally while not keeping other sections thereof. There are, of course, the letter and the spirit of the law, with much of the letter consisting of culturally-specific principles. So one might identify contemporary applications in lieu of examples from the Bible. Yet I refuse to execute or condone the execution of a child who disrespects his or her parents severely, for example.
Thus I pick and choose amid the provisions of the Law of Moses, as I should. I focus on mutual responsibilities, for all of us are responsible to and for each other. This is a timeless truth, the keeping of which builds up communities, nations, societies, and the human species. We ought never to exploit or seek to exploit one another. To exclude another person wrongly or seek to do so is sinful. To fail to recognize the Image of God in another is to sin.
That can be advice difficult to follow. And the following counsel is really hard for me:
Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and completely lacking in nothing.
–James 2:2-4, Revised Standard Version–Second Catholic Edition
I do not welcome
various trials (RSV-SCE)
as
friends (James 2:2, J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition, 1972).
Rather, I prefer the absence of
various trials (James 2:2, RSV-SCE).
Yet I recognize that
various trials
in my past have resulted in more mature faith. I examine myself spiritually and recognize benefits I have gained from adversity. Yet I do not wish to repeat the experiences. I interpret the good results of
various trials
as evidence of abundant divine grace and rejoice in that.
May we, by divine grace, extend such grace to others as we have opportunity to do so.
Liturgical time matters, for it sacramentalizes days, hours, and minutes, adding up to seasons on the church calendar. Among the frequently overlooked seasons is the Season after Epiphany, the first part of Ordinary Time. The Feast of the Epiphany always falls on January 6 in my tradition. And Ash Wednesday always falls forty days (excluding Sundays) before Easter Sunday. The Season after Epiphany falls between The Feast of the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. In 2013 the season will span January 7-February 12.
This season ought to be a holy time, one in which to be especially mindful of the imperative to take the good news of Jesus of Nazareth to others by a variety of means, including words when necessary. Words are meaningless when our actions belie them, after all. Among the themes of this season is that the Gospel is for all people, not just those we define as insiders. No, the message is also for our “Gentiles,” those whom we define as outsiders. So, with that thought in mind, I encourage you, O reader, to exclude nobody. Do not define yourself as an insider to the detriment of others. If you follow this advice, you will have a proper Epiphany spirit.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 9, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MARTIN CHEMNITZ, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF BARTON STONE, COFOUNDER OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
Job, in the speech which encompasses Chapters 9 and 10, feels powerless before God, whom he understands as being omnipotent. The speaker demands to know why God has done what God has done and is doing what God is doing relative to himself (Job):
I say to God, “Do not condemn me;
Let me know what you are charging me with….”
–Job 10:2, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
This is, in the context of the narrative, understandable and justifiable. The Book of Job does open with God permitting Job’s sufferings. The text offers no easy answers to the question of the causes of the suffering of the innocent.
John 4:46-5:18 offers us happier material. Jesus heals a royal official’s son long-distance then a poor man paralyzed for thirty-eight years up close and in person. Unfortunately for our Lord, he performs the second miracle on the Sabbath and speaks of himself as equal to God, prompting some opponents (labeled invectively as “the Jews”) to plot to kill him. I said that the material was happier, not entirely joyful.
The paralyzed man and the observers probably understood his disability to have resulted from somebody’s sin. The Book of Job, of course, repudiated that point of view.
It occurs to me that Job’s alleged friends and our Lord’s accusers had something in common: Both sets of people were defending their God concept, one which could not stand up to observed reality. J. B. Phillips wrote a classic book, Your God is Too Small (1961), which I most recently too long ago. In this slim volume he pointed out that inadequate God concepts and attachments to them cause dissatisfaction with God and blind us to what God is. Our Lord’s critics in the Gospel of John were blind to what God is and found Jesus unsatisfactory. And, in the Book of Job, as we will discover as we keep reading, all of the mortals who speak have inadequate God concepts. Yet Job’s is the least inadequate.
Until the next segment of our journey….
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 26, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS REMACLUS OF MAASTRICHT, THEODORE OF MAASTRICHT, LAMBERT OF MAASTRICHT, HUBERT OF MAASTRICHT AND LIEGE, AND FLORIBERT OF LIEGE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; LANDRADA OF MUNSTERBILSEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBESS; AND OTGER OF UTRECHT, PLECHELM OF GUELDERLAND, AND WIRO, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES
THE FEAST OF CHRISTINA ROSSETTI, POET
THE FEAST OF SAINT PASCHASIUS RADBERTUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT
THE FEAST OF ROBERT HUNT, FIRST ANGLICAN CHAPLAIN AT JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA
A curse on anyone who trusts in mortals and leans for support on human kind,
while his heart is far from the LORD!
He will be like a juniper in the steppeland;
when good comes he is unaware of it.
He will live among the rocks in the wilderness, in a salt, uninhabited land.
Blessed is anyone who trusts in the LORD, and rests his confidence on him.
He will be like a tree planted by the waterside,
that sends out its roots along a stream.
When the heat comes it has nothing to fear;
its foliage stays green.
Without care in a year of drought,
it does not fail to bear fruit.
The heart is deceitful above any other thing, desperately sick;
who can fathom it?
I, the LORD, search the mind and test the heart,
requiting each one for his conduct and as his deeds deserve.
Like a partridge sitting on a clutch of eggs which it has not laid,
so is he who amasses wealth unjustly.
Before his days are half done it will leave him, and he will be a fool at the last.
Psalm 1 (Revised English Bible):
Happy is the one who does not take the counsel of the wicked for a guide,
or follow the path that sinners tread, or take his seat in the company of scoffers.
His delight is in the law of the LORD; it is his meditation day and night.
He is like a tree planted beside water channels;
it yields its fruit in season and its foliage never fades.
So he too prospers in all he does.
The wicked are not like this; rather they are like chaff driven by the wind.
When judgment comes, therefore, they will not stand firm,
nor will sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
The LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.
1 Corinthians 15:12-20 (The Jerusalem Bible):
Now if Christ raised from the dead is what has been preached, how can some of you be saying that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, Christ himself cannot have been raised, and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it is useless; indeed, we are shown up as witnesses who have committed perjury before God, because we swore in evidence before God that he had raised Christ to life. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins. And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished. If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people.
But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.
Luke 6:17-26 (The Jerusalem Bible):
He [Jesus] then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.
Then fixing his eyes on his disciples he [Jesus] said:
How happy are you who are poor; yours is the kingdom of God.
Happy are you who are hungry now; you shall be satisfied.
Happy are you who weep now; you shall laugh.
Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
But alas for you who are rich; you are having your consolation now.
Alas for you who have your fill now; you shall go hungry.
Alas for you who laugh now; you shall mourn and weep.
Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.
The Collect:
O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
When one is reviled and persecuted for the sake of righteousness, what does one have? God. When one is poor, hungry, and sorrowful, what does one have? God. In particular, in reference to 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, one has the Resurrected Christ, without whom we Christians
are of all people most to be pitied. (19b, New Revised Standard Version)
Self-reliance will not suffice, for the wealthy, full, and laughing ones, plus those held in esteem all receive woes in our Lord’s Sermon on the Plain.
That is a profoundly counter-cultural message. Woe to the respected, wealthy, full, and laughing? Let me count the seconds before a Republican pundit or politician cries “class warfare!” (I am flying my liberal flag.) But reliance on God is the key, and such reliance contradicts conventions about self-made men and women. All that we have comes from God. All tat we can be is due to God. Our stewardship of those resources is a great spiritual matter.
Trusting in God can be difficult; I know. It is still hard for me much of the time. On the other hand, it has become easier. But it is all that I have, really. Everything else is transitory, but God is everlasting. Everything else is a collection of means to various ends, hopefully positive ones. Yet God is the greatest end. In that mystery called God I find my destiny, whatever that will entail. May you, O reader, find your destiny there also, whatever that will entail.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 13, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT HERMENEGILD, VISIGOTHIC PRINCE AND ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT HUGH OF ROUEN, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP, ABBOT, AND MONK
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARTIN I, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF MIKAEL AGRICOLA, FINNISH LUTHERAN BISHOP OF TALLINN
Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
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2 Peter 3:11-18 (Revised English Bible):
Since the whole universe is to dissolve in this way, think what sort of people you ought to be, what devout and dedicated lives you should live! Look forward to the day of God, and work to hasten it on; that day will set the heavens ablaze until they fall apart, and will melt the elements in flames. Relying on his promise we look forward to new heavens and a new earth, in which justice will be established.
In expectation of all this, my friends, do your utmost to be found at peace with him, unblemished and above reproach. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience is an opportunity for salvation, as Paul, our dear friend and brother, said when he wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him. He does the same in all his other letters, whenever he speaks about this, though they contain some obscure passages, which the ignorant and unstable misinterpret to their own ruin, as they do the other scriptures.
So, dear friends, you have been forewarned. Take care not to let these unprincipled people seduce you with their errors; do not lose your own safe foothold. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for all eternity!
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
1 Lord, you have been our refuge
from one generation to another.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born,
from age to age you are God.
3 You turn us back to the dust and say,
“Go back, O child of earth.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past
and like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep us away like a dream;
we fade away suddenly like the grass.
6 In the morning it is green and flourishes;
in the evening it is dried up and withered.
13 Return, O LORD; how long will you tarry?
be gracious to your servants.
14 Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning;
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
15 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us
and the years in which we suffered adversity.
16 Show your servants your works
and your splendor to their children.
17 May the graciousness of the LORD our God be upon us;
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork.
Mark 12:13-17 (Revised English Bible):
A number of the Pharisees and men of Herod’s party were sent to trap him with a question. They came and said,
Teacher, we know you are a sincere man and court no one’s favour, whoever he may be; you teach in all sincerity the way of life that God requires. Are we or are we not permitted to pay taxes to the Roman emperor? Shall we pay or not?
He saw through their duplicity, and said,
Why are you trying to catch me out? Fetch me a silver piece, and let me look at it.
They brought one, and he asked them,
Whose head is this, and whose inscription?
They replied,
Caesar’s.
Then Jesus said,
Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and God what belongs to God.
His reply left them completely taken aback.
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The Collect:
O God, who before the passion of your onlybegotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Week of Last Epiphany: Tuesday, Year 1 (Shrove Tuesday):
I have covered the matter of the tax in the corresponding Year 1 devotion and in the post for Proper 24, Year A. So, for full details, follow the links I have provided. Nevertheless, I need to say that those who questioned Jesus were insincere. They tried his patience.
The reading from 2 Peter occurs in the context of the expectation that Jesus would return very soon. That was nearly two thousand years ago. Yet the advice to work for justice, be at peace with God, be above reproach, and live dedicated and devout lives is as germane now as it was then. This advice is timeless in its wisdom. And so is this:
Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience is an opportunity for salvation….
God is patient, but not always. But God is patient with us now. God has been patient with us. May we not try that patience very often, by grace. May we enjoy our lives, not acting like Christians weaned on dill pickles. Who likes a grumpy, humorless Christian? May we enjoy our lives, live good lives (Doing good deeds is better than performing bad ones.), and live for the glory of God and the benefit of others. May we preach the Gospel of Jesus at all times, using words only when necessary. May our deeds speak louder than our words.
There is never a bad time for this advice, but Shrove Tuesday is an especially good time, for Lent is one day away. Lent, of course, is the time of preparation for Easter. Lent is a penitential season, a time especially suited to for spiritual self-examination. So, for the next months of devotions, I refer you, O reader, to LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS, a link to which you will find at this blog. May you have a holy Lent.
Holy Women, Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints (2010), of The Episcopal Church, contains an adapted two-years weekday lectionary for the Epiphany and Ordinary Time seasons from the Anglican Church of Canada. I invite you to follow it with me.
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Genesis 4:1-15, 25 (Revised English Bible):
The man lay with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said,
With the help of the LORD I have brought into being a male child.
Afterwards she had another child, Abel. He tended the flock, and Cain worked the land. In due season Cain brought some of the fruits of the earth as an offering to the LORD, while Abel brought the choicest of the firstborn of his flock. The regarded Abel and his offering with favour, but not Cain and his offering. Cain was furious and he glowered. The LORD said to Cain,
Why are you angry? Why are you scowling?
If you do well, you hold hold your head up;
if not, sin is a demon crouching at the door;
it will desire you, and you will be mastered by it.
Cain said to his brother Abel,
Let us go out into the country.
Once there, Cain attacked and murdered his brother. The LORD asked Cain,
Where is your brother Abel?
Cain answered,
I do not know. “Am I my brother’s keeper?
The LORD said,
What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. Now you are accursed and will be banished from the very ground which has opened its mouth to receive the blood you have shed. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield you its produce. You shall be a wanderer, a fugitive on the earth.
Cain said the the LORD,
My punishment is heavier than I can bear; now you are driving me off the land, and I must hide myself from your presence. I shall be a wanderer, a fugitive on the earth, and I can be killed at sight by anyone.
The LORD answered him,
No: if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be exacted from him….
Adam lay with his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth,
for,
she said,
God has granted me another son in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.
Psalm 50:7-24 (1979 Book of Common Prayer):
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak:
“O Israel, I will bear witness against you;
for I am God, your God.
8 I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices;
your offerings are always before me.
9 I will take no bull-calf from your stalls,
nor he goats out of your pens;
10 For all the beasts of the forest are mine,
the herds in their thousands upon the hills.
11 I know every bird in the sky,
and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.
13 Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
and make good your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall honor me.
16 But to the wicked God says:
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and take my covenant upon your lips?
17 Since you refuse discipline,
and toss my words behind your back?
18 When you see a thief, you make him your friend,
and you cast in your lot with adulterers.
19 You have loosed your lips for evil,
and harnessed your tongue to a lie.
20 You are always speaking of evil of your brother
and slandering your own mother’s son.
21 These things you have done, and I kept still,
and you thought that I am like you.”
22 “I have made my accusation;
I have put my case in order before your eyes.
23 Consider this well, you who forget God,
lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.
24 Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me;
but to those who keep in my way will I show the salvation of God.”
Mark 8:11-13 (Revised English Bible):
Then the Pharisees came out and began to argue with him. To test him they asked for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said,
Why does generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you: no sign shall be given to this generation.
With that he left them, re-embarked, and made for the other shore.
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The Collect:
O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in our weakness we can do nothing good without you, give us the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Part of the process of writing each of these posts is deciding which image to place at the top. Moody Jesus fits the bill for today, based on the reading from Mark.
The sin of jealousy ties the Genesis and Mark readings together. We have continuing mythology in Genesis. Two brothers, Cain and Abel, are quite different from each other. Each makes a sacrifice to God, and, as Richard Elliott Friedman translates the text,
And YHWH paid attention to Abel and his offering, and did not pay attention to Cain and his offering. And Cain was very upset, and his face was fallen.
Cain’s reply, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is familiar in the English language. Professor Friedman, however, translates this question differently: “Am I my brother’s watchman?” This, he says, is consistent with a deeper meaning in the Hebrew texts. People, he reminds the reader of his notes in Commentary on the Torah (2001), were supposed to watch over the Garden of Eden, God commanded cherubs to watch over the tree of life, and Cain was supposed to watch over his brother. Friedman concludes that the use of this Hebrew verb “becomes a standard expression in the Torah for conveying loyalty to God.”
Jealousy is born of resentment, not love. And we cannot love God, whom we cannot see, if we do not love those whom we can see. This love of God, which entails loyalty thereto, is consistent with arguing with God. I have heard Judaism described as a faith system in which people argue with God; the name “Israel” derives from the story in which Jacob wrestles with an angel (or God). Indeed, much of the Book of Psalms, when not in overly polite translations, reads much like “Look, Yahweh! Where have you been for so long?” And whoever coined the cliche “the patience of Job” seems not to have familiar with that text. The title character is quite argumentative.
Yet this argument can occur “within the family” without leading to broken relationships. God loves us always, but do love God? And, in Genesis, God both punishes Cain and protects him; the murder must have consequences for the murderer, but death will not be among them. Both judgment and grace and present. The situation could have been worse, but how much better might it have been for all involved had Cain controlled his jealousy?
The sacrifices God desires, Psalm 50 tells us, are obedience and thanksgiving. And Psalm 51:18 (1979 Book of Common Prayer) tells us,
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Love (in Greek, agape), St. Paul the Apostle tells us in 1 Corinthians 13, does not insist on its own way. With that in mind, let us consider the Pharisees in Mark 8:11-13. Textual context is vital here; Jesus has just fed about 4000 people with a little bread and a few fishes, with many leftovers filling hamper-sized baskets. And what do these “orthodox” religious men want? They desire a sign. Were they blind? No, they were jealous. The mere existence of Jesus disproved much of what they held dear. His presence threatened their viability. They were jealous. And, if I were Jesus, I would be moody, too. I would leave, also. Who wants to spend much time around negative people?
Assuming that we love God, why do we? Is it just because of signs? I hope not. This is selfish and shallow. I propose that we ought to love God because God is God, and we are not. Being God entails demonstrating certain attributes, among them grace. Grace is scandalous; it reaches “good” religious people as well as prostitutes and half-breed heretics; it protects sinners and summons penitents. Grace is inherently unfair, and therein lies its splendor. And let us not be jealous; no, may we rejoice with our brethren.
ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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