The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time
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Overview and Connections
Today’s gospel will tell us to deliberate carefully and explore all the options before making a decision. But the Old Testament reading will also remind us that there are some things we can never know. In the face of this, we might be tempted to despair unless we remember the absolute necessity of the Holy Spirit who guides us.
Wisdom 9:13-18b
The author presents his version of Solomon’s prayer (1 Kings 3:6–9; 2 Chronicles 1:8–10). Solomon began his prayer for wisdom by highlighting his own humanity in the face of God’s divinity. He asked for wisdom so that he would be a good and just ruler. In today’s passage, he acknowledges the need for wisdom, without which he would not know God’s will. Remember that the figure of Wisdom in the Old Testament is often associated with the Holy Spirit in the New.
Modern humans have access to the knowledge of the world at our fingertips. We might be forgiven for thinking that we know a lot. And perhaps we do. But no matter how much we know, it can’t hold a candle to what God knows. Another way our knowing gets in the way is that we think we know who God is, that we understand God. Once we understand our limitations, then we can begin to rely on God to reveal God’s self to us.
V14 speaks of our fragile reasoning. Anxiety and fear color our judgment most of the time. When these get in the way of human relationships, the consequences are often disastrous. How much more so when they get in the way of how we relate to God.
A tent is the metaphor in v15. A tent to the Jewish mind held images of the desert life that was their heritage. It would not have been a negative metaphor, but rather one that emphasized the transitory nature of life. Some may read this verse as a condemnation of the physical, which reflects the Greek duality of physical = bad and spiritual = good. Keep in mind that wisdom literature often contrasts two things in order to make a point, but it does not mean one is necessarily bad. We will see this same approach in the Gospel reading.
V16 makes a lesser-to-greater argument. Even though we think we know a lot, there is plenty that we don’t know. We can scientifically explain why water or sky is blue, but why did God choose that color? If something that simple perplexes us, how are we to ever expect to understand the mind and plans of God?
“Spirit” is mentioned in v17. Keep in mind that this is a Jewish writing, so the idea of “spirit” would be different than what Christians understand as the 3rd person of the Trinity. Still, it’s not hard to see how Christian theology made the connection, since the Holy Spirit is the one who makes known to us things of God.
What do you know about God? Ask God to reveal something about herself that you do not know.
Philemon 9-10, 12-17
This is one of those few writings (along with 2 John, 3 John, and Jude) that is so short, it has no chapter numbers, only verses. The letter presents Paul at his most human as well as his ironical best.
A slave was often sent on errands for the master and entrusted with money. The thought is that Philemon was sent on such an errand and decided to escape. In the process, he met Paul and his life was changed by the gospel. Roman law required Paul to return Onesimus to his master.
One question that comes with this letter: why did someone preserve it?! Perhaps Onesimus himself was a big part of that, but the letter would probably have appealed to any slave or former slave. The people on the margins were most likely responsible for keeping this treasure in the canon of scripture.
This letter makes clear that Paul has authority and could invoke it, but he chooses, instead, to persuade. There is a way to lead through love. It is much more challenging and difficult than leading through coercion and punishment, but it is a way modeled here by Paul, who surely learned it from his Lord. Imagine what our world would be if teachers and parents and government officials led with love. In what ways do you already lead with love? Where is there room for improvement?
Who is an Onesimus in your life? Who needs your voice and your advocacy?
Luke 14:25-33
Jesus is no marketing expert by our standards today! On the other hand, what he does is something far more valuable: he doesn’t seduce us in with false promises. He tells us up front that following him will be costly, and that we should understand what we’re getting into. This reading contains some deliberately shocking language. Discipleship is not something we do willy-nilly as we feel like it. Following Jesus demands forethought and total commitment.
3 devastating and seemingly inhumane requirements for being a disciple:
- Hate one’s family (v25)
- Carry the cross (v26)
- Renounce all possessions (v33)
God’s call makes relative all other claims on life. Entanglement with people and plans can, in effect, be a refusal of the gospel. The two parables focus on powerful people with resources. This message is directed at the rich and powerful of the community in particular. Elites had more to lose by responding to the gospel. Discipleship sometimes involves chipping away at what is most dear to us in order to unearth our true allegiance.
A man decides he can’t pay the cost, so he asks for terms to avoid paying it. “In the same way” – you must renounce all your possessions to be Christ’s disciple. How is that the same?! Once again, we encounter some hard demands – not hard to understand but hard to implement. God asks us to fully realize that we can never pay the cost and to be willing to depend on God for everything.
In a Semitic hyperbole in v26, love and hate are contrasted. Hate is not literal, but meant to be understood in contrast to love. Maybe a better way to state it is “prefer more and prefer less, relatively and comparatively.” We are asked to renounce one choice in favor of another, to love one thing less than another. It speaks of attitudes, a choice of priorities, and modes of action rather than emotions. It’s not about how one feels towards family, but one’s effective attitude when it comes to choosing the kingdom.
V27 is the image of Jesus staggering under the weight of his own cross. Here, Jesus says the cross is ours, implying personal acceptance. This is most likely a saying that developed after the crucifixion, and the image would have been shocking to ancient audiences.
The Message renders v33 as, “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.” This verse need not be understood as a command to sell everything. Some are indeed called to that path, but others are called to support them (see Luke 8:1-3 where Jesus’ followers provide for him out of their means.)
Have you counted the cost? If you did actually know and count the cost of following Christ, would you continue?
How do we navigate competing loyalties today?
Where do we need to honestly assess our spiritual commitments?
What is Jesus asking you to “count the cost” on today?
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© 2025 Kelly Sollinger