Words Once A Week
Some introductory thoughts on some of the lectionary texts for this Sunday - 21st after Pentecost
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4
+ context – The verses are a conversation between Habukkuk and God. Habakkuk laments/pleads with God that civilization is coming apart. Violence, lawlessness, cruelty, crime are all around. “God, if you are righteous, why is this happening, whjy are you letting this happen?” God responds (in vs5-11) that God will send the Babylonians (who are already threatening Israel) to destroy (to punish?). Habakkuk notes (in vs 12-17) that the Babylonians are even worse. Why would God support them? As Habukkuk waits (to see) on the watchtower, God replies that he should write the message/vision clearly, simply, “bumpersticker-style” so that even someone running by (escaping from the Babylonians?) could read it – “The future is secure for those who live by faith.”
+ “a world of evil presided over by a righteous God does not admit a solution based on logic. Rather, insight comes through faith.” -Texts
+ so where does that leave us? Do we believe the future is dependable enough for us to (continue to?) live well, kindly, respectfully, law-abiding? Is that adequate for the folks in Ukraine? In Haiti?
Psalm 119:137-144
+ again this acrostic song of praise/thanks for God’s teachings, law, “what you say”.
+ vs 143 – “I am in deep distress, but I love your teachings” – because they reassure me? Distract me? Challenge me?
+ note “righteousness” used five times.
+ so like Habakukk, the psalmist sees righteousness of God, unrighteousness around him/her, and trusts God for the future. What would it mean for us to do that? Simply wait? Work while we wait? Understand that we don’t see the whole picture (note Swanson on the gospel below)
2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12
+ Paul praises Thessalonians for patient faithfulness in trouble, and prays for God’s power to keep them.
+ note vs5-10 identify this as a question about the Parousia, the coming of the time of God’s peace, and if it has come, will come? And what should be our attitude towards it.
+ “Christianity is not an individualistic existance – we live a life of faith in relation to other believers and in relation to God. We are called as church to be located in this world, but we have true identity and live in the presence and power of God.”
+ but what is “the power of God”?
+ and just a note that in Greek, vs3-12 is all one long run-on sentence.
Luke 19:1-10
+ Zaccheus was a wee little man… well, was he? There has been some scholarly debate about whether “he was short” replies to Zaccheus or to Jesus! Probably don’t need to take that tooo seriously.
+ However, this is a story that is so familiar and so laden with preconceived notions that it takes some effort to see it clearly.
+ Zaccheus was another of the collaborators with the Roman occupiers, like the tax collector for a week or two back, and like Levi in 5.27.
+ Jericho is Jesus’ last stop before entering Jerusalem. Just the story of ten servants between Zaccheus and “Go into the village and find a young donkey…”
+ v8 Zaccheus “makes good” – is this why he is saved, or because he was saved? And here is another little bit that almost leads to to get back to studying Greek – does Zaccheus say “I will give…” or does he say “I am giving…”, and if it is the latter, does that mean he has been doing this all along. It seems unlikely, but then we come to the story thinking we know it already.
+ note the rich young ruler (18.18) either didn’t give away his wealth, or gave it away with sadness. Zacchaus gives “with joy”. How about us?
+ vs5 – does Jesus say “I want to, I must, I am... Come to your house.”?
+ note Zaccheus starts our seeking Jesus, but then we find out that Jesus has been seeking him all along.
+ Swanson – three ritual spheres 1) separation/exclusion, 2) hospitality, 3) caring for the poor (“binding the creation back together”)
+ so has Zaccheus been caring for the poor all along and is in fact a true son of Abraham, even though we didn’t see it? Again, unlikely, but still suggests that we do not know who people really are. Worth thinking about anyway. And a new take on an old story.
That’s what I got for now……..
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