The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time
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The past four weeks have given us an extended reflection on Jesus as the source of life. Next Sunday we’ll move back into Mark’s gospel. This is the time of year when many folks will begin to move from a vacation mindset back into the rhythm of ordinary life. It feels like we get back into the routine of things. The lectionary today provides us with a place to stop and take a pause. It reminds us that we are confronted with a choice every time we hear the gospel.
So pause. Look around. Take stock of things. We’re asked to look at all the evidence and make a decision. Who will you choose? What way of life will you commit to? And remember – not deciding is a decision in and of itself.
Joshua 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b
Today’s passage describes an almost liturgical ceremony of covenant renewal. V2-13 are not in the lectionary, but they’re a re-telling of Israelite history in summary form. There are many such summaries in the Old Testament, but this one has a particular emphasis on the land.
This passage reminds us that, when making a choice, it’s good to look back on the past and see where we’ve come from. Because sometimes it’s all too easy to glorify the past – remember the Exodus reading where they bemoaned the fleshpots of Egypt?!
V1 begins by saying everyone was “before God”. This was a way of saying they are standing in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant. All the people are gathered here and this is sort of Joshua’s farewell speech.
Vv 9-10 reference a story about Balak and Balaam. Be sure to read the full story from Numbers 22-24; you don’t want to miss a story about a talking ass!
V13 is important. It indicates the divine source of the land – they’ve inherited something they did not work for. God gave it to them. If you read this verse in the context of exile in Babylon, it’s a way of saying that what God giveth, God taketh away!
In v14, Joshua reminds them of the demands God is making: “serve him completely”, “sincerely,” “with undivided loyalty.” No wavering. It’s all or nothing. They’re to turn away from false gods and follow only YHWH.
And then in v15, Joshua lays it out: “Choose today whom you will serve.” This is the call to choice. Is it displeasing to you to serve the LORD? Then go back to the gods your ancestors served back in Egypt. If you can’t make this commitment, then turn back. But, Joshua says “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” To which the people enthusiastically respond, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods.” V17 summarizes again what God has done and why they are choosing to follow him.
If you continue in this chapter, you’ll see that Joshua challenges them. It’s not enough for them just to say they’ll serve God. In v19 Joshua tells them: “You may not be able to serve the Lord for he is a holy God; he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins.
He might even destroy you if you turn against him.” In v21 the people affirm “We will still serve the Lord.” Vv23 and 24 are a short repeat of that.
Joshua lays out a choice and the people affirm what they intend to do. We know from Israel’s history that, time and again, they forsake this choice. They continually turn to other gods. I think if we put it in the whole context, one thing this reading tells us is that one choice is not enough. We have to continually choose the path we’re going to walk.
In what ways have you continually chosen your path? How will you affirm that path today?
Ephesians 5:21-32 or 5:2a, 25-32
Today’s reading is one that makes us cringe. Many priests will face the conundrum of whether to read the whole passage (which will then require addressing it) or go with the shorter version and skip it altogether.
This seems to be a “household code” which was very common in the ancient world. Generally, these codes specified how a head of household should rule his domain, and they defined relationships within the household.
Many commentaries try to downplay this passage or make it sound like Paul is trying to go all counter-cultural. The truth is that this passage does not advocate mutuality. It reinforces a patriarchal worldview where men have all the power and women, along with slaves and children, are property without rights. Yes, it encourages men to love their wives which is laudable and perhaps unusual. But that would not have demanded of the men any real change in behavior and it certainly wouldn’t have elevated the wife. In reality, this passage has been and continues to be used to oppress women.
This is a hard saying….
John 6:60-69
Today is the last of five weeks in chapter 6, the “bread of life discourse.” At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus feeds the 5,000 and then he will go on to talk about that event in light of who he is. Last week Jesus said not only does he replace the manna and the Law, but he reveals God to all people.
It started with the feeding of the 5K (17th Sunday). Then Jesus proclaims himself to be the bread of life, the true manna that replaces the Torah (18th Sunday). And then the week after that he expands that to show himself to be the one who reveals God (19th Sunday). Last Sunday was the institution narrative, showing Jesus as the one upon whom we feed for life (20th Sunday). And now here we are…. Joshua gave us a challenge to make a choice and Jesus’ audience is faced with a choice as well. They’ve heard all these claims he’s made and now they have to decide how to respond.
Anytime God reveals God’s self, it calls forth a decision on our part. Many times we choose not to respond. Which is to say that we choose to reject that revelation. Thank God for grace which keeps bringing us the revelation over and over and over again, giving us many chances to say yes.
The reading begins in v60 with a reference to “many of his disciples.” The synoptic gospels make a big deal out of listing the names of the inner group of Twelve. So when they talk about disciples – most of the time it means the Twelve (although none of the lists is identical). The gospel of John never elaborates the list and v67 is the only place where he refers to the Twelve. Whenever you read “the disciples” in John’s gospel, you should picture a much larger group. These are all those who follow Jesus in some way. These are the people who, to some degree, believe and have faith in Jesus. It’s this much larger group that’s confronted with all Jesus has said and this is their reaction: this saying is hard; who can accept it?
It is a “hard saying,” not so much in the sense of intellectually difficult to understand (although some of it is!) but more like insulting, challenging, or offensive. It’s not clear exactly what “saying” this refers to. Most likely it refers to all that Jesus has said in the discourse – all the claims he’s made.
V61 says they were murmuring – more than once we’ve seen this crowd murmur, just like the Israelites murmured against Moses in the desert. Jesus has promised to make God known in a way that transcends the Torah. He’s claimed they must feed on him. He asks if that shocks them, the Greek word skandalizó. Does this scandalize you? Does this make you stumble? Does this offend you?
In v62 he then asks “What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?” In Jewish tradition, the holiest of men had ascended into heaven:
- Moses was buried by God and tradition holds that he was bodily assumed like Mary.
- Elijah went up in a fiery chariot.
- Enoch: “he walked with God: and he was no more; for God took him”
If Jesus were proved holy enough to be taken bodily by God into heaven, would even that satisfy them? Think of all they’ve seen. Would that help? They may think it might, but Jesus knows they’ve already seen so much and still stumble over it.
No matter how much some people see, it’s not enough to convince them because they’re trying to understand and assess it on a purely physical or material or scientific plane. In v63 Jesus uses the very material word for flesh – sarx. Jesus says the flesh, the physical, material plane won’t help you here. You have to understand through the spirit, on a different plane of existence. Today we might use the terminology of head vs. heart.
Last week we talked about the word sarx and Jesus’ use of it to say we have to feed on him in a very real way. Here he’s using the same word but saying it’s not going to help us. I think we have to make the distinction between the sarx of Jesus and the sarx of humanity. The sarx of humanity is useless when applied to achieving eternal life whereas the sarx of Jesus is the source of eternal life.
Jesus continues in v64 “There are some of you who do not believe.” Which means there are some who do. There are some who are about to leave because they don’t believe. And then there’s the one who will ultimately betray him. But some will stay and continue to follow.
V65 is a reference back to V44 – no one can come to the Father except those drawn by the Father. God draws everyone but only some say yes. V66 says that “as a result of this,” as a result of everything Jesus has said, many returned to their former way of life and ceased to follow him. The literal Greek reads “Many of the disciples departed to the back and no longer walked with him.” Many of them drew back… They’ve lost not their faith but their illusions. They wanted Jesus to be a certain sort of man, and they found out he would not fit their mold. They couldn’t make sense of him and they couldn’t reconcile him to what they wanted to believe. So they make a choice to draw back, to return to their former way of life. Just like Joshua said – if it displeases you to serve YHWH, go back to the false gods of your ancestors.
V67 is the only reference in this gospel to The Twelve. He asks if the ones in the inner circle will leave too. Simon Peter is the spokesperson for the group and he gives us the famous words, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” This echoes v63, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
In V69 Peter then makes a profession of faith. For the first time in this gospel, someone is professing faith in Jesus not because of what he does but because of who he is. The gospel started with Jesus’ origins: in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God. Now Peter is making the choice to embrace and proclaim Jesus’ true identity.
Vv 70-71 are not in the lectionary but include a reference to Judas. Peter thinks he’s speaking for the whole group, but Jesus knows better. This is an individual choice. And there is always the reality of betrayal. Even Peter himself will fall prey to that.
Use imaginative prayer with this passage. Imagine listening to Jesus these past weeks and trying to take in the reality of what he is saying. How does it make you feel? You see others begin to draw back as they realize what it all means. Where do you stand? What do you do? Imagine Jesus asks you personally, “Do you also want to leave?” How will you respond?
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© 2024 Kelly Sollinger