In each of the readings for today –– Jesus’ purging
the Temple of self-serving commerce, the giving of the Law, and the foolishness
of our faith proclamation –– we are invited more deeply into the Lenten disciplines:
almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. The disciplines are meant to remind us at
visceral levels what it means to live counter to the values of a world that
venerates wealth, power, success, and taking care of oneself.
What does it mean to turn over the tables of those
things we worship in favor of trusting in the Lord? How is it possible to
embrace foolishness when everything in our society urges us to be savvy? How
can we re-define the terms of our lives? These are Lenten questions.
John 2:13-22
All four gospels recount Jesus'
confrontation with the moneychangers in the temple. However, John's account is
distinct from the Synoptics in several important ways. First, John places this
encounter near the beginning of Jesus' ministry, as the start of continual
antagonism between Jesus and the [religious] leaders, rather than at the very
end of his life, after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem as in the Synoptics.
Mark and Luke reflect the
antagonism of the [Temple] leaders, but use this incident as their reason for
wanting Jesus killed. (See Matthew 21:12–13, Mark 11:15–19, and Luke 19:45–48
for the parallel accounts.) Second, the synoptic parallels contain no
references to sheep and cattle or to Jesus' violent act of using a whip to
drive out the moneychangers. Third, the Synoptics have him citing scripture. .
.
Finally, the synoptic parallels
lack the reference to Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for your house will consume me,” or his
discussion of tearing down the temple and rebuilding it in three days, which
his disciples came to understand as a reference to his death and resurrection.
. .
Some of the differences from the
Synoptics may be minor, but the overall effect is to emphasize John's concern
for the demonstration of Jesus' nature, his performance of signs, and his
connection to other scriptural teachings. –– Jonathan D. Lawrence
Exodus 20:1-17
In previous weeks there have been
readings on the covenants with Noah and Abraham. This week's reading from
Exodus contains the Ten Commandments, in one sense the core of the covenant
with Moses given at Mount Sinai.
. . . Most of these regulations are
pronounced succinctly with little explanation or detail. Unlike some of the
biblical legislation that goes into extensive detail and is case-specific,
these laws are presented as absolute principles, leaving the exact
implementation to later interpreters and readers. Except for the commands to
honor parents and keep the Sabbath, which offer specific justifications for the
rule, the rest of the commandments give no background.
It should be noted that the
justification for the Sabbath law in Exodus is that God rested on the Sabbath,
while Deuteronomy 5:15 reminds the Israelites that they were once slaves so now
that they are in power they should give their slaves the kind of rest they
themselves never had. Some readers have tried to divide the commandments into
two groups, outlining obligations to God and to humanity. While this is
convenient shorthand, its symmetry can depend on the numbering of the
commandments, which varies by religious community. –– Jonathan D. Lawrence
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Paul contrasts the message and
power of the cross with the way it is perceived by the rest of the world. . . What
the world thinks is wise is foolish and what is considered foolish becomes wise
and important. Unlike the psalmist who said that God's law makes “wise the
simple,” Paul sees wisdom not in the law, but in God's “foolishness” in
crucifying Christ, as he says, “For God's foolishness is wiser than human
wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.” –– Jonathan D.
Lawrence
Jonathan D.
Lawrence, an American Baptist
Church ordained minister, teaches Religious Studies and Theology at Canisius
College, Buffalo, New York.
Homily Service 39, no. 4 (2006): 33-43.
No comments:
Post a Comment