THE BIBLE – LISTENING TO MATTHEW
COMMENT FOR PENTECOST 17 – 07.09.08
Exodus 12: 1-14
This reading is of immense importance to the Hebrew people. Their God, whose name is Yahweh (Ex 3:13-15) institutes their calendar; then comes the Passover s their first meal as one people, then executes a fearful judgement on anyone who is different. For it is seen as a trial of strength between Yahweh, the God of Israel, and the Gods of Egypt. Remember also that this is the heritage from which we have the man from Nazareth who took on himself the fate of being human and different.
Psalm 149
We can join in this little Psalm calling for exuberant joy as a hymn is sung during the worship of the covenant community. The faithful ones of Judah are convinced that Yahweh, their God, will always be with them and for them. However, there is no evidence that this Psalm is before or after the exile. The problem for us in today’s world are the verses 66 to 9a. We cannot join in such judgement decreed against nations who gave the faithful ones of Judah such a hard time. We live in a different world.
Romans 13: 8-14
Paul has been telling the Christians in Rome that they should be exemplary in paying taxes due to local authority. Now he reminds them of a duty love one another as a duty we have through love and grace of god. This life of love for others replaces the law of the Ten Commandments. He then deals with what must have been a large part of apostolic preaching. It was time to wake up and be ready for the second coming of Christ. He notes how time had passed since they first believed. This is the end time when Christ was expected to return and close off that experiment with the human race.
Matthew 18: 15-20
Matthew tries to show how the New Testament follows naturally from the Old. So in verse 15 he would be thinking of how Deut. 19: 15-19 which deals with supporting testimony of witnesses would help the young church when his gospel was published about 45 years later. The next three verses are difficult. Verse 18 repeats Matt16: 19. Then verse 19 can only be true if you press for a deeper meaning of the three. There would have to be such and awareness of the spiritual purity and power of the presence of Christ that the choices were truly God directed.
THE BIBLE – LISTENING TO MATTHEW
COMMENT FOR PENTECOST 19 – 21.9.08
Exodus 16: 2-15
To the north lies the Promised Land, but the people turn south east towards Sinai. In the semi-desert they remember the food of the Nile delta, and they complain to Moses. He explains (verse 7) that it is the Lord who is directing the whole operation. This passage explains the Hebrew view that their history is Sacred History, and not just a record of events. So the people have a lot to learn as they are away by themselves with their God. What they saw when they previously found water, now they find there is food for them morning and evening. But just enough for each day. Also they now learn about the Sabbath, the holy day of the Lord.
Psalm 105: 1-6, 37-45
The Psalms have an important part in the sacred history of the covenant people. They give meaning to the events of the past. They sing “of the wonderful works of their God” (verse 5). Here the emphasis is on the food provided. Eating together and acknowledging that the food is a gift from their God had a special importance. The covenant people were learning about their role as a member of the human race.
Philippians 1: 21-30
Paul wrote this letter when under military arrest in Rome awaiting trial and an unknown result. Running through his mind is what living or dying really means to him. His life changed so dramatically when he discovered Christ and, he believes, so will his dying. So he is a bit impatient with those who cannot grasp the magnificence of the Gospel faith amid the ordinariness of everyday life. Note the strong terms he uses – “strive side by side”, “suffering”, “struggle”; that is what it means for him to be alive with the spiritual power of God.
Matthew 20: 1-15
What a story! The working day was from 6am to 6pm, and there seemed to be a lot of work to be done in the vineyard. But the story is also about how Christians might live out their commitment to the Gospel. In the kingdom of heaven the free grace of God does not obey the reasonable rules of how people live their social/working lives. The trick is to make the lives of Christians reflect the rule of the generous free gift of the love of God. Here there is no “me first” rule. Even the disciple should not think in terms of being first or Jews before Gentiles. Status and precedence give way before the joy of serving one another.
THE BIBLE – LISTENING TO MATTHEW
COMMENT FOR PENTECOST 20 – 28.9.08
Exodus 17: 1-7
We look back over some three thousand, two hundred years. The Hebrew people need water as previously they needed food in their wilderness experience. Such basic needs have become clear through unregulated financial greed and overuse of the world’s resources. It is as if the earth is fighting back. The human race is learning that it is easier to blunder into a wilderness than it is to find a way out. There is one source of compassion and justice giving the model of how we treat one another. This is the voice of a God of love who never gives up. We hear echoes of that voice in the United Nations’ drive to “Make Poverty History”.
Psalm 78: 1-4, 12-16
This is another psalm which reflects on the history of the covenant people. So in the worship liturgy the people are called upon to reflect on their history. Questions are raised about their faithfulness and disobedience to their covenant, as well as all the living force of their holy traditions. Verses 12-16 deal with the people’s experience when leaving Egypt and surviving in the wilderness. Their safety was entirely due to the saving power of their God.
Philippians 2: 1-13
Philippi was a city established as a Roman colony on the main road from Asia to Europe. The Roman administration used it as a defensive area and actively encouraged families of soldiers and officials to make it their home. Paul makes his appeal to these Christians some of whom he knew personally. Then he breaks into a beautiful hymn as he extols the life of Christ – a life which transcended human experience with its divine sense of spiritual light and truth. For people who lived a long way from the Palestine of the Man from Nazareth, Christ becomes the model for unity and love in Christian behaviour.
Matthew 21: 23-32
This is the day after that dramatic entry into Jerusalem and the cleansing of the temple. The chief priests demand his authority for doing this. Jesus refers to John the Baptist and infers that such authority can only come from God. But he didn’t press the argument for that would come in the final conflict. His authority was really the voice that sounded at the Baptism and the Transfiguration. For us the authority of Jesus lies in that conviction arising in the hearts and minds of Christians, where his spirit “bears witness with our spirit” as Paul would say.
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