THE BIBLE-DISCOVERY YEAR 07-WITH LUKE’S GOSPEL
COMMENT FOR PENTECOST 17 – 23.09.07
Jeremiah 8: 18- 9: 1
As the sixth century BCE began the people of Judah were adopting the local religious practices which had survived from the Canaanites. At the same time they were moving into the larger centres afraid of the growing power of Babylon. However, they still expected the God of their past to come to their rescue. But this sensitive prophet sees that having lost the heart and soul of their covenantal commitment they will get no help from the God of the covenant.
Psalm 79: 1-9
Here we read of the great distress which followed the desecration of the Temple and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 BCE. This passionate lament, along with that of Psalm 137, must have been used in anniversaries of that event. (Old Testament Library, the Psalms p 544) With the distress of the covenant community; the human misery, the questions come: Where is their God? Why don’t the enemy suffer? How will God make good the original promises?
Timothy 2: 1-7
The writer of this letter in the name of Paul advises Timothy on how to keep order in the church at Ephesus. The basis of this approach is the conviction that Christians go into all the world proclaiming the love of god for all the world. Therefore, conditions of peace and order are necessary for the message of the Gospel to spread and draw people together. That then should be the constant prayer for the Church and the world.
Luke 16: 1-13
In this reading we wonder if the words of Jesus and Luke’s report have been somewhat lost in translation. However, Jesus is talking to his disciples and seems to be telling them that they are not to use the clever marketing tricks and deals of money-hungry people. These were popular at the time and were admired for their cleverness. Rather in all their dealings they were to be the model of openness and honesty, operating in the clear light of God’s Spirit which brings all things to their conclusion.
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