NOTE: This Sunday it is possible to prepare a 'Liturgy of the Palms' and 'Liturgy of the Passion'.
I recognise that in our church (in my experience and according to my knowledge) there are broadly two traditions or customs followed.
1. Today is Palm Sunday and the readings should focus on the procession of Jesus into Jerusalem with the Gospel reading being the story of Jesus' entry to Jerusalem from the gospel of the year. Thus this Sunday has a focus on the first day of the last week of Jesus' life, the week called by many Christians "Holy Week."
2. Today is the Sunday in which we celebrate both the Liturgy of the Palms and the Liturgy of the Passion. Thus the gospel story of entry to Jerusalem is told near the beginning of the service, in conjunction with a procession of palms, but the gospel readings in the normal place for readings to occur in the overall service should concern the passion or suffering of our Lord.
I am offering comment on readings for a liturgy which solely focuses on Palm Sunday. Accordingly I am combining readings from the two columns set out in NZL 2017 for Sunday 913 April in order to offer commentary on a standard set of three readings plus psalm.
The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem with acclamation is also the beginning of a week of intense suffering on the part of Jesus.
Theme(s): The coming of the King/Beginning of Holy Week/Jesus' last days before the cross/The suffering of Jesus
Sentence: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! (Matthew 21:9)
Collect:
Jesus, when you rode into Jerusalem
the people waved palms
with shouts of acclamation.
Grant that when the shouting dies
we may still walk beside you even to a cross. Amen.
Readings: with commentary below:
Isaiah 50:4-9a (for a service focusing on Palm Sunday, an alternative could be Zechariah 9:9-12)
Psalm 31:9-16 (a good alternative is Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29)
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 21:1-11
Readings if offering Liturgy of the Palms and Liturgy of the Passion:
Palms: Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Passion: Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 26:14-27:66 (or Matthew 27:11-54). "Wherever possible the whole passion narrative should be read."
Commentary:
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Speaking in the voice of the 'servant' - a strong Isaianic theme through these chapters - the prophet envisages the servant of the Lord perfectly in tune with his master, speaking as the Lord tells him and obedient to the will of the Lord.
Christians reading Isaiah - recall this great prophetic book has functioned in some Christian minds as 'the fifth gospel' - see in this (and other servant passages) hints of the story of Jesus in his journey to the cross.
In our journey through this Palm Sunday and Holy Week, we see Jesus having set his 'face like a flint' (7) towards the cross, and we will find through our readings that he 'gave [his] back to those who struck [him]' and that he did not 'hide [his] face from insult and spitting' (6).
No one will find Jesus guilty during his trials (9) and the Lord will vindicate him on Easter day (8).
Psalm 31:9-16
David's life had its ups and downs. At certain periods he was 'on the run', pursued by relentless forces determined to end his life and thus his influence on the course of events in Israel. These verses in this psalm 'of David' express pain and sorrow with a heartfelt tone which conveys bitter experience.
We read this passage as an expression of what we understand the suffering of Jesus to have been. With some phrases we might first think of Jesus dying on the cross (for instance verses 9-10, 11a-12), with others we might think of Jesus journeying through the following days when people were plotting against him (for instance verse 13), or our attention may be drawn to the specific circumstances of the journey to the cross between Pilate's headquarters and Golgotha (verse 11).
What kept Jesus going? What might keep us going through our own suffering? The answers lie in verses 14-16.
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
This psalm provides background to and inspiration for the procession into Jerusalem (26-29) as well to the whole story of Jesus passion (22 = Matthew 21:42).
Philippians 2:5-11
These verses tune in well with the readings that precede it. In theological terms they set out the historical pathway of Jesus as one come from heaven to earth in order that humanity might be saved before his return to heaven.
Paul, however, is not writing an abstract 'theology of the cross' for the attention of later theologians contemplating a new article for a prestigious journal (though many of those have been written!). Rather, Paul has been urging his Philippian readers, troubled by some varying schools of preachers, to be united in Christ (verse 2). To get to this place of unity something is going to have to give and so Paul entreats his readers to act in the interests of others rather than in their own interests (verses 3-4). The icing on the cake of this argument is that the Philippians should,
'Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus' (5).
What might this mind be, Paul? A good question and one Paul is glad we have asked. Thus his answer proceeds through verses 6-11. Many scholars think that the words Paul writes here were an early Christian credal hymn.
Time/space considerations preclude proper examination of verse 6 - good sized commentaries will have something to say on this verse about which many articles and theses have been written. In part the issues are around details such as the meaning of 'form of God', 'equality with God' and 'something to be exploited'.
In another part the issues concern whether this verse constitutes a fairly early declaration by Paul that Jesus of Nazareth was, in fact, divine as well as human. (If so, this challenges those theologians (and sceptics) who say that the attribution of divinity to Jesus came from the later, Greek-influenced church rather than from the early, Jewish-derived church). To say nothing of questions of whether this verse neatly anticipates later thinking about the Trinity, for instance, thinking about the 'co-equality' of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Here we can observe that, with the context of 2:1-4 in mind, Paul is making the point that Jesus had exalted status which he did not cling to. He jettisoned all privilege and power in order to look to the 'interests' of ourselves.
Similarly, much ink has been expended on the related question of what 'emptied himself' means in verse 7. For instance, did Jesus empty himself of all divinity or of all divine knowledge (e.g. in order to be fully human), but, if so, can we talk of Jesus being divine during his life on earth? One can easily multiply many such questions! This subject, of Jesus emptying himself is called 'kenosis.'
What we can say, confidently, is that Paul is saying that whatever it took for Jesus to be in the place where our interests were placed ahead of Jesus' interests, Jesus did it. Nothing was held back by Jesus in order that we might be fully saved.
With verse 8 we may feel we are on ground which yields less questions: in Jesus' life as told in the gospels we encounter one who is humble, who walks obediently to God, even to the cross and death on it.
Through verses 9-11 we have no specific use of words concerning 'resurrection' or 'ascension' yet what we read implies the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, captured and expressed in the word 'exalted'. Jesus came down from heaven to earth, from high status to no status, from life to death. The journey has been reversed: earth to heaven, no status to resumed status, death to life. Verses 9-11 set out this reversal but the focus is on 'resumed status': 'highly exalted,' 'name that is above every name,' 'so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,' and 'every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.'
In a sense these verses both look back to the event of the resurrection-and-ascension of Jesus (understand as one event of lifting Jesus up), look up to where Jesus is today (from other NT passages, e.g. Acts 2:32, the exaltation of Jesus is to 'the right hand of God') and look ahead to the day of the end of all things when the exalted Jesus will be revealed to all humanity.
Matthew 21:1-11
As with many gospel stories, the preacher is faced with the challenge of refreshing the impact of familiar stories. Christians are generally not in danger of finding that 'familiarity breeds contempt' for stories about our wonderful Lord. But we may be in danger of familiarity breeding comfort or complacency. Can we hear this story this year as though for the first time? (This is a question for the preacher writing here as much as for every preacher).
We have already met the crowds following Jesus (at least 'following' in some loose sense of the word). In the story immediately preceding this one, 'a large crowd followed him' as Jesus left Jericho (20:29). Healing the blind is impressive and would have done everything to 'hype' the crowd. It does not take much imagination on our part to work out that the crowd gossiped what is happening and heightened anticipation as Jesus walked from Jericho towards Jerusalem.
Jesus himself makes something of a public event about his arrival in Jerusalem for he organised his disciples to secure animals to transport him (21:1-3) and this organisation seems to presuppose earlier communication between Jesus and the supplier of the animals (2-3).
Thus we must confront the fact that Jesus did nothing to avoid Jerusalem (he intended to go to the city), refrained from quietly and unobtrusively entering Jerusalem (e.g. by nightfall, face covered up) and created a public event via entry on an animal.
From a narrative perspective this makes sense: if Jesus is to die at the hands of others then the 'others' (i.e. various authorities with the power to execute someone) need some provocation.
From a theological perspective it helps us as readers to continue to be presented with the reality of Jesus who is no ordinary citizen in Israel. With the impressive entry to Jerusalem comes the opportunity for the crowd to give voice to their understanding of Jesus (the Son of David = Messiah, 9; and 'the prophet Jesus', 11) and for the writer to give his understanding of Jesus (king of Zion, prophesied beforehand, 5 = Zechariah 9:9 from an alternative Old Testament reading for today i.e. Zechariah 9:9-12 is the OT reading for Morning Prayer)
But these descriptions and titles of Jesus also contribute to the sense of provocation: if one does not listen to a prophet, perhaps the prophet should be done away with so his voice is silenced; if one does not like rival authorities around being acclaimed as king and messiah, there is one way to effectively end the claims.
As always through the gospels, the royal claims of Jesus are as much about a particular kind of royalty as about being a king. So Jesus comes on a humble animal, fulfilling a prophecy about humility (5). He has not come to replace either Herod the Judean king or Pilate as representative of the Roman emperor. But he comes in the name of the greatest power, the Lord God.
What is our response to this reading?
Partly we hear the reading as a chapter in the unfolding story of the whole gospel and in the development of the specific story of this last week of Jesus' life. To this reading our response is the response we make to the larger story of which it is a part. The preacher, for instance, could ask today the same question as on Good Friday and Easter Day: what do you make of this Jesus? Do you entrust your life to him?
But we can also focus on this reading separately (but perhaps with the other readings of the day in our minds) and ask questions about power and politics.
What kind of kingship brings salvation to the world?
To the extent to which we ourselves have power (in the home, at work, in community affairs), how do we exercise that power?
Are we humble, as Jesus was?
In the face of powers which do not have the best interests of humanity at heart, what kind of provocative action can Christians engage in? (A tricky question to answer as today's gospel reading offers a wonderful model of 'non violent' provocation of powerful authorities, but the next passage, 21:12-17 offers a different kind of model in which violent action takes place).
We might also ask, what is salvation according to the gospel such that it takes this different form of royal power rather than a direct overthrow of the existing authorities?
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Sunday 29 March 2020 - Lent 5 (Passion Sunday*)
*Passion Sunday: not sure why this Sunday is called Passion Sunday given that next Sunday, Palm Sunday, there is an enjoinder to read the whole passion narrative!
Theme(s): Death and Resurrection // Resurrection and Life // Lazarus anticipates Jesus' death and resurrection
Sentence: They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them, for the One who loves them will lead them and guide them beside the springs of water. (Isaiah 49:10 adapted).
Collect:
Most merciful God,
by the passion of your Son Jesus Christ
you delivered us from the power of darkness;
grant that through faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may be found acceptable in your sight,
through our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Readings:
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 130
Romans 8:6-11
John 11:1-45
Commentary:
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Few passages in the Old Testament are more famous than this vision of 'The Valley of the Dry Bones' with its haunting yet hopeful vision of the rattling bones (7) being brought together, sinews and flesh joining them together and skin covering them (8) and, most importantly, the breath of God coming into them and so the bones live again (9-10).
From a New Testament perspective the vision is a vision of the resurrection of the dead.
But if we were with Ezekiel when he announced this vision we would have latched on to the explanation in verses 11-14: Israel in exile in Babylon (where Ezekiel exercised his prophetic ministry) was effectively dead as a nation, "our hope is lost" (11), but God says otherwise, "I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves" (12) and "I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live" (14).
The God of Israel is the God of new beginnings, of life beyond the grave, of new life when the old has been thrown away.
Psalm 130
This psalm would be as appropriate to read in an ancient Jewish synagogue in conjunction with the Ezekiel reading as it is today in a Christian church. The psalmist is far from being in the place he or she wants to be. From the depths the cry of the psalm is made. Please hear my prayer, Lord! (1-2) In the meantime, I will wait patiently (5-6), acknowledging that if there were no divine forgiveness then nothing could change (3-4). From the individual psalmist praying, a turn is made to Israel: don't give up! "O Israel, hope in the Lord!" (7). The Lord, that is, with whom "is great power to redeem" (7).
Romans 8:6-11
Where is resurrection in this life? What does the 'life' of Christ, expressed in the gospel reading as "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25), mean for the believer in day to day terms while the physical body is alive?
Romans 8:6-11 answers such questions. In particular, Paul argues that since the same Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead is 'in'/'dwells in' believers (11), that raising from the dead Spirit will 'give life to your mortal bodies' (11).
That is, though 'the body is dead because of sin' (10), the 'Spirit is life because of righteousness' (10). The death of Jesus Christ has secured righteousness for all believers (Paul's argument through Romans 1-7), thus the potential for life in the Spirit (the theme of Romans 8) in opposition to the terminating character of sin can be realised.
Specifically, in the battle for the mind, between 'flesh' and 'Spirit', the Spirit can bring victory (verses 6-8). But by the end of Romans 8 it is clear that the potential for life in the Spirit is also for life undefeated by the death of the body (e.g. 38).
In other words, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead along with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross sets in motion
- the possibility of the sinner being declared righteous,
- of the 'dead man walking' sinner having hope of resurrection in the life to come and
- of the believer in this life experiencing the power of the resurrection in the battle between good and evil, between his or her mind set on God rather than on rebellion against God.
John 11:1-45
2020 special insight - I never knew this, but apparently for year A in the three year cycle, A, B, C, the readings for Lent 2, 3, 4, 5 are focused on individual encounters Jesus has (so last week Nicodemus, this week, the Samaritan woman at the well, next week, the man born blind (which in John 9 is a significant encounter with Jesus), then in Lent 5 (Passion Sunday), Jesus and Lazarus. This comment, by Andy Burnham, offers an ancient explanation for these readings: "In Year A the readings shadow the teaching and enlightenment of those to be baptised or confirmed at the Easter Vigil. This set if readings is privileged in the sense that, in the Catholic Church at least, they may be used also in Years B and C"
In other words, as we journey as a congregation through these readings and these weeks building up towards Easter, we are taking an ancient journey that many catechumenates preparing for baptism at the East Vigil have taken through two millennia.
Back to John 11:1-45: This story functions in two ways within the larger story which John narrates in his gospel.
One way is that within the building crescendo of conflict between Jesus and Jewish authorities (7), this story provides the clinching reason for the authorities to take action against Jesus: see 11:46-53 which includes the reasoning of the high priest, 'it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed' (50). To raise Lazarus from the dead is one miracle too many for the authorities for the miracles are gathering believers in Jesus (45).
Another way is that the story highlights the extraordinary impact of the transformative ministry of Jesus. Thus far he has transformed water into wine, a few loaves into an over supply of food for 5000, blindness into sight, etc. But the final enemy of life, death itself is going to be transformed. Jesus will die yet live again: 'I am the resurrection and the life' (25). This will transform death for all who believe in Jesus (25-26). In the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Jesus paves the way for believers to begin to grasp the ungraspable: Jesus will die but death will not conquer him.
The actual telling of the story is full of its own intrigue. Messengers race to tell Jesus that his friend Lazarus is dying (1-6) but Jesus deliberately lingers where he is (6). A brief interlude conversation ensues re the wisdom of deliberately going up to Judea, and this serves to remind the reader of the state of the conflict between Jesus and the authorities (7-10). Lazarus dies. Only then does Jesus make an effort to do something about the situation, explaining this as an opportunity for God to be glorified (11-16). (Cf. also the previous gospel reading, about the man born blind that the glory of God might be displayed in him.)
So we arrive with the disciples and Jesus near - but not actually at - the tomb of Lazarus where the body has been 'in the tomb four days' (17).
Perhaps this is a good time to note that the complete family of Lazarus are his sisters Mary and Martha whom we meet (without their brother) in Luke 10:38-42. We have not met them before in this gospel but through this and the next chapter the family figure prominently as John's story of the anointing of Jesus before his burial takes place at their home (12:1-8).
Mary and Martha are distraught with grief (17-21, 32-34). They have lost their brother (and their breadwinner?).
Nothing is hurried as Jesus now lingers outside the tomb. He talks with Martha (21-27), Martha fetches Mary (28) and Mary hurries out to Jesus and says to him just what Martha said to him (21=32).
Intriguingly Jesus responded to Martha with a confident, "Your brother will rise again" (23) whereas with Mary, Jesus 'was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved' (33) and begins himself to weep, leading to the shortest and (arguably) most moving verse in the Bible, 'Jesus wept' (35). Here the divine and human Jesus intersect as Jesus experiences genuine grief for the loss of his loved friend (3, 35 - giving rise, incidentally to a possible but not quite plausible identification of the 'Beloved Disciple' as Lazarus).
Meanwhile John the story teller is in no hurry to take us readers to the climax of the story and so we have a very long gospel reading this week!
Jesus arrives near the tomb in verse 17, arrives at the tomb in verse 38 and Lazarus leaves the tomb in verse 44. John is not trying to wind us up, rather he pours into this narrative as much of his theological perspective on the significance of Jesus as he can. More simply, the sign (or miracle) is significant and John majors on the significance (what the sign points towards) more than on the sign itself (which, effectively, is told in verses 41-44).
What then, of John's theology? No claim is made that the following is exhaustive:
1. concern for the glory of God (4, 40): Jesus will do that which brings glory to God; bad things happen to good people but they will bring glory to God (see also last week's gospel reading, 9:3); later Jesus' own death will glorify God (12:23).
2. death is not the final enemy because resurrection defeats death: note the dialogue in verses 7-16 in which concern is raised about Jesus returning to Judea. There he might die. But Jesus in this dialogue treats death (in this case the death of Lazarus) as 'falling asleep'. It is not the end, 'he will be all right' (12). Yet Jesus is not denying the reality of death 'Lazarus is dead' (14).
3. Jesus is the fulfilment of Jewish hope and expectation: when Martha speaks of 'the resurrection in the last day' (24) she spoke as an ordinary Jew of her time. She looked forward to a future day when the resurrection of the dead would occur. Thus she could concur with Jesus promising that "Your brother will rise again" (23) while crying bitter tears of grief. But Jesus turns this response on its head. The resurrection is not a future event: it is here ("I am the resurrection and the life", 25). But that means that Jesus is no mere 'Rabbi' (7) - a teacher who teaches the future of resurrection. As Martha has consistently recognised, Jesus is 'Lord' (3, 21). But what kind of lord? In verse 27 she recognises that "you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." Here (in Johannine terms, see 20:30-31) is the ultimate recognition of the significance of Jesus. The Messiah has come, the resurrection is present, the new age of the kingdom of God is inaugurated.
4. the gospel is an invitation to 'come and see': John's Gospel has many recurring motifs and themes, along with what we could call 'signature' phrases. One of those phrases is the invitation "come and see". The first occurrence is Jesus himself inviting would be disciples to 'come and see' where he was staying (1:39). The second occurrence is Philip persuading a sceptical Nathanael that the prophesied messiah has been found, 'Come and see' (1:46). The Samaritan woman at the well invites her fellow Samaritans to 'Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?' (4:29). Variations on this invitation are the expressed wish of some Greeks in Jerusalem to Philip, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus' (12:21) and the invitation of Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, 'Come and have breakfast' (21:12).
Here, when near the tomb it is Jesus himself who is invited to go to the tomb of Lazarus:
'He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see".' (34)
At face value this occasion is not a 'gospel' invitation: it is a mundane use of a characteristic expression of John's Gospel, inviting Jesus to visit the tomb of his friend. But let's dig deeper. That invitation paves the way for Jesus to perform the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus. It is a gospel miracle. A loved man has died, people are grieving, including Jesus himself (35). Death is the end of life, that is the bad news about life. All die. Except Jesus disagrees. The good news is that resurrection has come. The grave is not the end. "Come and see" is the invitation which leads to the visible sign of the good news, a dead man is raised to life.
Jesus performs this sign/miracle "so that they [the gathered crowd] may believe that you sent me" (42). The invitation to Jesus to "come and see" is, in fact, also an invitation to all readers of the gospel to "come and see" for ourselves the good news in action.
A final note to wrap up
Alert readers of all four gospels may puzzle as to why this story of great significance in John's telling of the story of how Jesus came to die is omitted from the other gospels. Surely, we might reasonably say, if such a mighty miracle occurred and if it was of decisive importance in the Jewish leaders coming to firm resolve to kill Jesus, there would be a sign of it in the other gospels?
Richard Bauckham offers an explanation worth considering (in Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, pp. 194-196):
In the gospels some characters are anonymous because there was a need for certain people involved in the events of Jesus' life, still alive at the time of the composition of the gospels, to be protected from harm. Bauckham calls this 'protective anonymity.' In the case of Lazarus the need was so great in the period of the earliest three gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) that not even the story of his resurrection is mentioned, let alone his name. By the time of John's Gospel being composed, Lazarus, so the explanation goes, was dead (for the second time). His story could be told and his name could be mentioned.
Important for the explanation is the reference in John 12:9-11: there was a plot to kill Lazarus as well as to kill Jesus.
Theme(s): Death and Resurrection // Resurrection and Life // Lazarus anticipates Jesus' death and resurrection
Sentence: They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them, for the One who loves them will lead them and guide them beside the springs of water. (Isaiah 49:10 adapted).
Collect:
Most merciful God,
by the passion of your Son Jesus Christ
you delivered us from the power of darkness;
grant that through faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may be found acceptable in your sight,
through our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Readings:
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 130
Romans 8:6-11
John 11:1-45
Commentary:
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Few passages in the Old Testament are more famous than this vision of 'The Valley of the Dry Bones' with its haunting yet hopeful vision of the rattling bones (7) being brought together, sinews and flesh joining them together and skin covering them (8) and, most importantly, the breath of God coming into them and so the bones live again (9-10).
From a New Testament perspective the vision is a vision of the resurrection of the dead.
But if we were with Ezekiel when he announced this vision we would have latched on to the explanation in verses 11-14: Israel in exile in Babylon (where Ezekiel exercised his prophetic ministry) was effectively dead as a nation, "our hope is lost" (11), but God says otherwise, "I am going to open your graves and bring you up from your graves" (12) and "I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live" (14).
The God of Israel is the God of new beginnings, of life beyond the grave, of new life when the old has been thrown away.
Psalm 130
This psalm would be as appropriate to read in an ancient Jewish synagogue in conjunction with the Ezekiel reading as it is today in a Christian church. The psalmist is far from being in the place he or she wants to be. From the depths the cry of the psalm is made. Please hear my prayer, Lord! (1-2) In the meantime, I will wait patiently (5-6), acknowledging that if there were no divine forgiveness then nothing could change (3-4). From the individual psalmist praying, a turn is made to Israel: don't give up! "O Israel, hope in the Lord!" (7). The Lord, that is, with whom "is great power to redeem" (7).
Romans 8:6-11
Where is resurrection in this life? What does the 'life' of Christ, expressed in the gospel reading as "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25), mean for the believer in day to day terms while the physical body is alive?
Romans 8:6-11 answers such questions. In particular, Paul argues that since the same Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead is 'in'/'dwells in' believers (11), that raising from the dead Spirit will 'give life to your mortal bodies' (11).
That is, though 'the body is dead because of sin' (10), the 'Spirit is life because of righteousness' (10). The death of Jesus Christ has secured righteousness for all believers (Paul's argument through Romans 1-7), thus the potential for life in the Spirit (the theme of Romans 8) in opposition to the terminating character of sin can be realised.
Specifically, in the battle for the mind, between 'flesh' and 'Spirit', the Spirit can bring victory (verses 6-8). But by the end of Romans 8 it is clear that the potential for life in the Spirit is also for life undefeated by the death of the body (e.g. 38).
In other words, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead along with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross sets in motion
- the possibility of the sinner being declared righteous,
- of the 'dead man walking' sinner having hope of resurrection in the life to come and
- of the believer in this life experiencing the power of the resurrection in the battle between good and evil, between his or her mind set on God rather than on rebellion against God.
John 11:1-45
2020 special insight - I never knew this, but apparently for year A in the three year cycle, A, B, C, the readings for Lent 2, 3, 4, 5 are focused on individual encounters Jesus has (so last week Nicodemus, this week, the Samaritan woman at the well, next week, the man born blind (which in John 9 is a significant encounter with Jesus), then in Lent 5 (Passion Sunday), Jesus and Lazarus. This comment, by Andy Burnham, offers an ancient explanation for these readings: "In Year A the readings shadow the teaching and enlightenment of those to be baptised or confirmed at the Easter Vigil. This set if readings is privileged in the sense that, in the Catholic Church at least, they may be used also in Years B and C"
In other words, as we journey as a congregation through these readings and these weeks building up towards Easter, we are taking an ancient journey that many catechumenates preparing for baptism at the East Vigil have taken through two millennia.
Back to John 11:1-45: This story functions in two ways within the larger story which John narrates in his gospel.
One way is that within the building crescendo of conflict between Jesus and Jewish authorities (7), this story provides the clinching reason for the authorities to take action against Jesus: see 11:46-53 which includes the reasoning of the high priest, 'it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed' (50). To raise Lazarus from the dead is one miracle too many for the authorities for the miracles are gathering believers in Jesus (45).
Another way is that the story highlights the extraordinary impact of the transformative ministry of Jesus. Thus far he has transformed water into wine, a few loaves into an over supply of food for 5000, blindness into sight, etc. But the final enemy of life, death itself is going to be transformed. Jesus will die yet live again: 'I am the resurrection and the life' (25). This will transform death for all who believe in Jesus (25-26). In the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Jesus paves the way for believers to begin to grasp the ungraspable: Jesus will die but death will not conquer him.
The actual telling of the story is full of its own intrigue. Messengers race to tell Jesus that his friend Lazarus is dying (1-6) but Jesus deliberately lingers where he is (6). A brief interlude conversation ensues re the wisdom of deliberately going up to Judea, and this serves to remind the reader of the state of the conflict between Jesus and the authorities (7-10). Lazarus dies. Only then does Jesus make an effort to do something about the situation, explaining this as an opportunity for God to be glorified (11-16). (Cf. also the previous gospel reading, about the man born blind that the glory of God might be displayed in him.)
So we arrive with the disciples and Jesus near - but not actually at - the tomb of Lazarus where the body has been 'in the tomb four days' (17).
Perhaps this is a good time to note that the complete family of Lazarus are his sisters Mary and Martha whom we meet (without their brother) in Luke 10:38-42. We have not met them before in this gospel but through this and the next chapter the family figure prominently as John's story of the anointing of Jesus before his burial takes place at their home (12:1-8).
Mary and Martha are distraught with grief (17-21, 32-34). They have lost their brother (and their breadwinner?).
Nothing is hurried as Jesus now lingers outside the tomb. He talks with Martha (21-27), Martha fetches Mary (28) and Mary hurries out to Jesus and says to him just what Martha said to him (21=32).
Intriguingly Jesus responded to Martha with a confident, "Your brother will rise again" (23) whereas with Mary, Jesus 'was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved' (33) and begins himself to weep, leading to the shortest and (arguably) most moving verse in the Bible, 'Jesus wept' (35). Here the divine and human Jesus intersect as Jesus experiences genuine grief for the loss of his loved friend (3, 35 - giving rise, incidentally to a possible but not quite plausible identification of the 'Beloved Disciple' as Lazarus).
Meanwhile John the story teller is in no hurry to take us readers to the climax of the story and so we have a very long gospel reading this week!
Jesus arrives near the tomb in verse 17, arrives at the tomb in verse 38 and Lazarus leaves the tomb in verse 44. John is not trying to wind us up, rather he pours into this narrative as much of his theological perspective on the significance of Jesus as he can. More simply, the sign (or miracle) is significant and John majors on the significance (what the sign points towards) more than on the sign itself (which, effectively, is told in verses 41-44).
What then, of John's theology? No claim is made that the following is exhaustive:
1. concern for the glory of God (4, 40): Jesus will do that which brings glory to God; bad things happen to good people but they will bring glory to God (see also last week's gospel reading, 9:3); later Jesus' own death will glorify God (12:23).
2. death is not the final enemy because resurrection defeats death: note the dialogue in verses 7-16 in which concern is raised about Jesus returning to Judea. There he might die. But Jesus in this dialogue treats death (in this case the death of Lazarus) as 'falling asleep'. It is not the end, 'he will be all right' (12). Yet Jesus is not denying the reality of death 'Lazarus is dead' (14).
3. Jesus is the fulfilment of Jewish hope and expectation: when Martha speaks of 'the resurrection in the last day' (24) she spoke as an ordinary Jew of her time. She looked forward to a future day when the resurrection of the dead would occur. Thus she could concur with Jesus promising that "Your brother will rise again" (23) while crying bitter tears of grief. But Jesus turns this response on its head. The resurrection is not a future event: it is here ("I am the resurrection and the life", 25). But that means that Jesus is no mere 'Rabbi' (7) - a teacher who teaches the future of resurrection. As Martha has consistently recognised, Jesus is 'Lord' (3, 21). But what kind of lord? In verse 27 she recognises that "you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." Here (in Johannine terms, see 20:30-31) is the ultimate recognition of the significance of Jesus. The Messiah has come, the resurrection is present, the new age of the kingdom of God is inaugurated.
4. the gospel is an invitation to 'come and see': John's Gospel has many recurring motifs and themes, along with what we could call 'signature' phrases. One of those phrases is the invitation "come and see". The first occurrence is Jesus himself inviting would be disciples to 'come and see' where he was staying (1:39). The second occurrence is Philip persuading a sceptical Nathanael that the prophesied messiah has been found, 'Come and see' (1:46). The Samaritan woman at the well invites her fellow Samaritans to 'Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?' (4:29). Variations on this invitation are the expressed wish of some Greeks in Jerusalem to Philip, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus' (12:21) and the invitation of Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, 'Come and have breakfast' (21:12).
Here, when near the tomb it is Jesus himself who is invited to go to the tomb of Lazarus:
'He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see".' (34)
At face value this occasion is not a 'gospel' invitation: it is a mundane use of a characteristic expression of John's Gospel, inviting Jesus to visit the tomb of his friend. But let's dig deeper. That invitation paves the way for Jesus to perform the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus. It is a gospel miracle. A loved man has died, people are grieving, including Jesus himself (35). Death is the end of life, that is the bad news about life. All die. Except Jesus disagrees. The good news is that resurrection has come. The grave is not the end. "Come and see" is the invitation which leads to the visible sign of the good news, a dead man is raised to life.
Jesus performs this sign/miracle "so that they [the gathered crowd] may believe that you sent me" (42). The invitation to Jesus to "come and see" is, in fact, also an invitation to all readers of the gospel to "come and see" for ourselves the good news in action.
A final note to wrap up
Alert readers of all four gospels may puzzle as to why this story of great significance in John's telling of the story of how Jesus came to die is omitted from the other gospels. Surely, we might reasonably say, if such a mighty miracle occurred and if it was of decisive importance in the Jewish leaders coming to firm resolve to kill Jesus, there would be a sign of it in the other gospels?
Richard Bauckham offers an explanation worth considering (in Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, pp. 194-196):
In the gospels some characters are anonymous because there was a need for certain people involved in the events of Jesus' life, still alive at the time of the composition of the gospels, to be protected from harm. Bauckham calls this 'protective anonymity.' In the case of Lazarus the need was so great in the period of the earliest three gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) that not even the story of his resurrection is mentioned, let alone his name. By the time of John's Gospel being composed, Lazarus, so the explanation goes, was dead (for the second time). His story could be told and his name could be mentioned.
Important for the explanation is the reference in John 12:9-11: there was a plot to kill Lazarus as well as to kill Jesus.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Sunday 22 March 2020 - Lent 4
Theme(s): Light and darkness // Blindness and sight // Having eyes but not seeing // Jesus the light of the world // Recognising Jesus
Sentence: I am the light of the world (John 9:5)
Collect: Heavenly Father,
You see how your children hunger for food, and fellowship, and faith.
Help us to meet one another's needs of body, mind and spirit,
In the love and light of Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Readings:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 23
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41
Commentary:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
This reading intrigues as we wonder what brings readings together on this day according to the Lectionary.
The story of the choosing and anointing of David to be king of Israel ties in with the choice of Psalm 23 (the Lord as shepherd who guides the shepherd through the perils and pitfalls of life). Is there a connection with the gospel (which is about the healing of a blind man and ties in with the epistle and its theme of light and darkness)?
In this reading, many things are of interest, because here the greatest king of ancient Israel is chosen. God intervenes in the sad history of Israel under Saul to discern a new and better king. But our special interest is whether and how this reading forms a 'seamless robe' of scriptural text for the fourth Sunday of Lent.
From the perspective of the healing of the blind man in John's Gospel which necessarily is also a lesson in healing of spiritual blindness or the inability to see Jesus for Who He Really Is, the choice of this reading makes sense. Samuel, religious leader that he is, seer and prophet by way of office or role in Israel, cannot see with his own eyes whom God has chosen to succeed Saul. However with God's assistance he can see that the fine sons of Jesse brought before him are not God's chosen one. Persistence yields reward. There is one more son, obscure by being the youngest and by being the one furthest away from the scene. David will be king.
Later, Jesus will be Messiah, the new king of Israel who will fulfil God's promise to David that his throne will be everlasting (2 Samuel 7). In the gospel reading the question of Messiahship lies at the heart of the controversy told in John 9:1-41.
The choosing of David expresses a great theme in the biblical narrative: God is the God of surprises, choosing the unexpected ones to be the decisive leaders of his people (Abraham from nowhere; Jacob rather than Esau; Amos to be a prophet when not a prophet, etc).
Psalm 23
If we associate any psalm with David, it is this psalm! But it is a good choice for a Sunday in Lent. Where is the new David, Jesus heading through these days?
'Even though I walk through the darkest valley ...'
The cross is the darkest valley. But it is not final destruction. God will restore Jesus to life. A hint of the resurrection lies in these phrases in Psalm 23:
'he restores my soul (3) ... You prepare a table before me (5) ... I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long (6).'
Ephesians 5:8-14
Some people are not keen on binary alternatives: good/bad, black/white, hero/enemy, cops/robbers. The world, it is objected, is a messy place with more shades of grey than division into black/white alternatives suggest. There is a bit of good and bad in each of us, it is said. Action films of the James Bond type with instantly distinguishable goodies and baddies have their place but more thoughtful films explore the subtle realities of flawed humanity. Thus, it is argued, the great films are more The Shawshank Redemption than Goldfinger.
All this seems a bit lost on Paul in these verses! He launches into a neat division of the world,
Our reflection on this from a world keen on shades of grey could start by asking what the big issue is. For Paul the big issue is whether we are on God's side or not, whether we intend to live worthily of the Lord (see 4:1) or not. There are no grays between living for the Lord and living against the Lord or between living in the light and living in the darkness or between trying to find out what pleases the Lord and trying not to find out what pleases the Lord (10). The edge here is that
This is sober talk about a serious matter: how Christians are to live. The summary here could be: live in the light with no compromise with darkness.
A further couple of observations are these.
First, the temptation to live with compromises with darkness can be fostered by false teachers (6) and Paul says we are not to associate with them (7).
Secondly, when Paul writes in v. 12, 'For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly', have we who live in the 21st century drifted into shamefulness through our culture's obsession with news about sexual immorality (a particular aspect of 'darkness' Paul is concerned about, 3-5).
In relation to our gospel reading, the overall message of the passage about light and darkness connects with the overall theme of the gospel reading in which those with sight cannot see the light of Christ and one who has been blind is enabled to see who Jesus is.
Gospel Reading: 2020 special insight - I never knew this, but apparently for year A in the three year cycle, A, B, C, the readings for Lent 2, 3, 4, 5 are focused on individual encounters Jesus has (so last week Nicodemus, this week, the Samaritan woman at the well, next week, the man born blind (which in John 9 is a significant encounter with Jesus), then in Lent 5 (Passion Sunday), Jesus and Lazarus. This comment, by Andy Burnham, offers an ancient explanation for these readings: "In Year A the readings shadow the teaching and enlightenment of those to be baptised or confirmed at the Easter Vigil. This set if readings is privileged in the sense that, in the Catholic Church at least, they may be used also in Years B and C"
In other words, as we journey as a congregation through these readings and these weeks building up towards Easter, we are taking an ancient journey that many catechumenates preparing for baptism at the East Vigil have taken through two millennia.
John 9:1-41
All four gospel writers are telling a story about how Jesus died. To make sense the story needs to explain how Jesus died. All four broadly tell the same story: conflict with religious authorities escalated to the point where the authorities determined that Jesus must die and found a way for him to be executed by legal authority. In John's Gospel the conflict has been escalating through chapter 8. In chapter 9 it goes up a notch and (interestingly) does so with some themes common to the other three gospels, particularly conflict over Jesus healing on the Sabbath (9:14-17). Soon, in chapter 11, the conflict will hit 'red alert' with the raising of Lazarus from the dead (an event not reported by the other three gospels). So John 9, today's reading, is an important stage in John's account of Jesus' journey to the cross.
The sub-plot in the chapter itself is fairly straightforward: Jesus heals a beggar who was blind from birth (1-12), this is drawn to the attention of 'the Pharisees' (13) who spot a problem with the healing: it has taken place on the sabbath (14-16). Some questions arise around the true nature of the miracle and its implications ('how can a man who is a sinner perform such signs? (16); 'The Jews did not believe that he had been blind' (17)) with the outcome being persecution of the healed man (34). Jesus finds the man and leads him deeper into belief in himself (38) while 'Some of the Pharisees' are told by Jesus that they are trapped in sin as people who claim they can 'see' when in fact they are 'blind' (40-41).
Less straightforward and requiring careful and close reading are all the theological themes being developed in the chapter. For a Sunday with a super-long reading and a need (I presume) to keep the sermon to reasonable length I suggest here that just one theme is focused on. Here are some of the themes to choose from:
- who is Jesus? Trace the blind man's responses to Jesus through the story: 'The man called Jesus' (11); 'He is a prophet' (17); 'If this man were not from God, he could do nothing' (33); 'Lord, I believe [that you are the Son of Man]' (38 [35]).
- the nature of suffering: The story starts with a standard explanation of suffering, 'Someone has sinned' and thus the only question worth asking Jesus is whether it was the blind man or his parents who had sinned (1-2). Jesus replies, enigmatically, 'he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him' (3). This can be read in at least two ways. One, seemingly cruel, is 'some are selected for disability and disease so magnificent healings bring glory to God.' This reading does not particularly explain why many are born without disability and avoid diseases. Two is 'the point of suffering is not to ask why it has occurred but to ask what God can make of it.' The second reading coheres with verse 4, 'We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day.' Human suffering is an opportunity for God's work to be done in the world.
- becoming and being a disciple (complementary to the question about, 'Who is Jesus?'): the blind-now-seeing man's journey into discipleship begins with bare recognition 'The man called Jesus' (11) and deepens to the point of calling Jesus 'Lord' and believing that Jesus is 'the Son of Man' (35-39), noting that in John's Gospel 'Son of Man' (notwithstanding many debates about what this phrase refers to in other gospels) is about Jesus' heavenly status and journey from heaven to earth (see especially John 3:1-16). The 'believing' of this new disciple is no idle matter: he is persecuted for his belief (34). Note the parallel between the gradual 'seeing' of Jesus which comes to the man and the gradual manner of his healing from blindness (1-11). This theme may be especially apt if we consider the comment at the head of the section on the gospel here: this reading reflects an ancient tradition of the church and its catechumenal course towards baptism of new disciples at the Easter Vigil.
- light and darkness (especially verses 4 and 5, and the claim of Jesus repeated from 8:12, 'I am the light of the world').
- true sight and real blindness: the blind man received physical sight and (eventually) spiritual sight; the Pharisees/Jews have physical sight but are blind to who Jesus is, from where/whom he has come and to what God is doing through him (note 40-41).
Finally, note that this chapter is enigmatic in respect of trying to trace the story of John writing this gospel. Verse 22 tells us that 'His parents said this because they were afraid that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.'
Many scholars think this comment could only refer to events from about 80 AD onwards when conflict between Jews and Christian Jews over the messianic status of Jesus drove Christians out of the synagogues.
Some go further and suggest that both the gospel as a whole and the writing of individual episodes such as John 9 reflect conflict between Jews and Christians at the time of John's composition (late first century AD?). John, it is argued, writes into the old story of Jesus the characteristics of present or recent conflict. Further questions then arise, such as whether John is splicing genuinely old stories about Jesus with new stories about present or recent conflict. If so, in this chapter a possible sign is the way in which 'Pharisees' is used (13, 40) in contrast and comparison to 'the Jews (18, 22)
Sentence: I am the light of the world (John 9:5)
Collect: Heavenly Father,
You see how your children hunger for food, and fellowship, and faith.
Help us to meet one another's needs of body, mind and spirit,
In the love and light of Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Readings:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 23
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41
Commentary:
1 Samuel 16:1-13
This reading intrigues as we wonder what brings readings together on this day according to the Lectionary.
The story of the choosing and anointing of David to be king of Israel ties in with the choice of Psalm 23 (the Lord as shepherd who guides the shepherd through the perils and pitfalls of life). Is there a connection with the gospel (which is about the healing of a blind man and ties in with the epistle and its theme of light and darkness)?
In this reading, many things are of interest, because here the greatest king of ancient Israel is chosen. God intervenes in the sad history of Israel under Saul to discern a new and better king. But our special interest is whether and how this reading forms a 'seamless robe' of scriptural text for the fourth Sunday of Lent.
From the perspective of the healing of the blind man in John's Gospel which necessarily is also a lesson in healing of spiritual blindness or the inability to see Jesus for Who He Really Is, the choice of this reading makes sense. Samuel, religious leader that he is, seer and prophet by way of office or role in Israel, cannot see with his own eyes whom God has chosen to succeed Saul. However with God's assistance he can see that the fine sons of Jesse brought before him are not God's chosen one. Persistence yields reward. There is one more son, obscure by being the youngest and by being the one furthest away from the scene. David will be king.
Later, Jesus will be Messiah, the new king of Israel who will fulfil God's promise to David that his throne will be everlasting (2 Samuel 7). In the gospel reading the question of Messiahship lies at the heart of the controversy told in John 9:1-41.
The choosing of David expresses a great theme in the biblical narrative: God is the God of surprises, choosing the unexpected ones to be the decisive leaders of his people (Abraham from nowhere; Jacob rather than Esau; Amos to be a prophet when not a prophet, etc).
Psalm 23
If we associate any psalm with David, it is this psalm! But it is a good choice for a Sunday in Lent. Where is the new David, Jesus heading through these days?
'Even though I walk through the darkest valley ...'
The cross is the darkest valley. But it is not final destruction. God will restore Jesus to life. A hint of the resurrection lies in these phrases in Psalm 23:
'he restores my soul (3) ... You prepare a table before me (5) ... I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long (6).'
Ephesians 5:8-14
Some people are not keen on binary alternatives: good/bad, black/white, hero/enemy, cops/robbers. The world, it is objected, is a messy place with more shades of grey than division into black/white alternatives suggest. There is a bit of good and bad in each of us, it is said. Action films of the James Bond type with instantly distinguishable goodies and baddies have their place but more thoughtful films explore the subtle realities of flawed humanity. Thus, it is argued, the great films are more The Shawshank Redemption than Goldfinger.
All this seems a bit lost on Paul in these verses! He launches into a neat division of the world,
'For once you were darkness but now in the Lord you are light' (8).
Our reflection on this from a world keen on shades of grey could start by asking what the big issue is. For Paul the big issue is whether we are on God's side or not, whether we intend to live worthily of the Lord (see 4:1) or not. There are no grays between living for the Lord and living against the Lord or between living in the light and living in the darkness or between trying to find out what pleases the Lord and trying not to find out what pleases the Lord (10). The edge here is that
'because of these things [sinful deeds, 5:3-5] the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient' (6).
This is sober talk about a serious matter: how Christians are to live. The summary here could be: live in the light with no compromise with darkness.
A further couple of observations are these.
First, the temptation to live with compromises with darkness can be fostered by false teachers (6) and Paul says we are not to associate with them (7).
Secondly, when Paul writes in v. 12, 'For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly', have we who live in the 21st century drifted into shamefulness through our culture's obsession with news about sexual immorality (a particular aspect of 'darkness' Paul is concerned about, 3-5).
In relation to our gospel reading, the overall message of the passage about light and darkness connects with the overall theme of the gospel reading in which those with sight cannot see the light of Christ and one who has been blind is enabled to see who Jesus is.
Gospel Reading: 2020 special insight - I never knew this, but apparently for year A in the three year cycle, A, B, C, the readings for Lent 2, 3, 4, 5 are focused on individual encounters Jesus has (so last week Nicodemus, this week, the Samaritan woman at the well, next week, the man born blind (which in John 9 is a significant encounter with Jesus), then in Lent 5 (Passion Sunday), Jesus and Lazarus. This comment, by Andy Burnham, offers an ancient explanation for these readings: "In Year A the readings shadow the teaching and enlightenment of those to be baptised or confirmed at the Easter Vigil. This set if readings is privileged in the sense that, in the Catholic Church at least, they may be used also in Years B and C"
In other words, as we journey as a congregation through these readings and these weeks building up towards Easter, we are taking an ancient journey that many catechumenates preparing for baptism at the East Vigil have taken through two millennia.
John 9:1-41
All four gospel writers are telling a story about how Jesus died. To make sense the story needs to explain how Jesus died. All four broadly tell the same story: conflict with religious authorities escalated to the point where the authorities determined that Jesus must die and found a way for him to be executed by legal authority. In John's Gospel the conflict has been escalating through chapter 8. In chapter 9 it goes up a notch and (interestingly) does so with some themes common to the other three gospels, particularly conflict over Jesus healing on the Sabbath (9:14-17). Soon, in chapter 11, the conflict will hit 'red alert' with the raising of Lazarus from the dead (an event not reported by the other three gospels). So John 9, today's reading, is an important stage in John's account of Jesus' journey to the cross.
The sub-plot in the chapter itself is fairly straightforward: Jesus heals a beggar who was blind from birth (1-12), this is drawn to the attention of 'the Pharisees' (13) who spot a problem with the healing: it has taken place on the sabbath (14-16). Some questions arise around the true nature of the miracle and its implications ('how can a man who is a sinner perform such signs? (16); 'The Jews did not believe that he had been blind' (17)) with the outcome being persecution of the healed man (34). Jesus finds the man and leads him deeper into belief in himself (38) while 'Some of the Pharisees' are told by Jesus that they are trapped in sin as people who claim they can 'see' when in fact they are 'blind' (40-41).
Less straightforward and requiring careful and close reading are all the theological themes being developed in the chapter. For a Sunday with a super-long reading and a need (I presume) to keep the sermon to reasonable length I suggest here that just one theme is focused on. Here are some of the themes to choose from:
- who is Jesus? Trace the blind man's responses to Jesus through the story: 'The man called Jesus' (11); 'He is a prophet' (17); 'If this man were not from God, he could do nothing' (33); 'Lord, I believe [that you are the Son of Man]' (38 [35]).
- the nature of suffering: The story starts with a standard explanation of suffering, 'Someone has sinned' and thus the only question worth asking Jesus is whether it was the blind man or his parents who had sinned (1-2). Jesus replies, enigmatically, 'he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him' (3). This can be read in at least two ways. One, seemingly cruel, is 'some are selected for disability and disease so magnificent healings bring glory to God.' This reading does not particularly explain why many are born without disability and avoid diseases. Two is 'the point of suffering is not to ask why it has occurred but to ask what God can make of it.' The second reading coheres with verse 4, 'We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day.' Human suffering is an opportunity for God's work to be done in the world.
- becoming and being a disciple (complementary to the question about, 'Who is Jesus?'): the blind-now-seeing man's journey into discipleship begins with bare recognition 'The man called Jesus' (11) and deepens to the point of calling Jesus 'Lord' and believing that Jesus is 'the Son of Man' (35-39), noting that in John's Gospel 'Son of Man' (notwithstanding many debates about what this phrase refers to in other gospels) is about Jesus' heavenly status and journey from heaven to earth (see especially John 3:1-16). The 'believing' of this new disciple is no idle matter: he is persecuted for his belief (34). Note the parallel between the gradual 'seeing' of Jesus which comes to the man and the gradual manner of his healing from blindness (1-11). This theme may be especially apt if we consider the comment at the head of the section on the gospel here: this reading reflects an ancient tradition of the church and its catechumenal course towards baptism of new disciples at the Easter Vigil.
- light and darkness (especially verses 4 and 5, and the claim of Jesus repeated from 8:12, 'I am the light of the world').
- true sight and real blindness: the blind man received physical sight and (eventually) spiritual sight; the Pharisees/Jews have physical sight but are blind to who Jesus is, from where/whom he has come and to what God is doing through him (note 40-41).
Finally, note that this chapter is enigmatic in respect of trying to trace the story of John writing this gospel. Verse 22 tells us that 'His parents said this because they were afraid that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.'
Many scholars think this comment could only refer to events from about 80 AD onwards when conflict between Jews and Christian Jews over the messianic status of Jesus drove Christians out of the synagogues.
Some go further and suggest that both the gospel as a whole and the writing of individual episodes such as John 9 reflect conflict between Jews and Christians at the time of John's composition (late first century AD?). John, it is argued, writes into the old story of Jesus the characteristics of present or recent conflict. Further questions then arise, such as whether John is splicing genuinely old stories about Jesus with new stories about present or recent conflict. If so, in this chapter a possible sign is the way in which 'Pharisees' is used (13, 40) in contrast and comparison to 'the Jews (18, 22)
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Sunday 15 March 2020 - Lent 3
Theme(s): God's gracious love / Living water / Jesus Saviour of the World
Sentence: But God proves his love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)
Collect:
Give us courage to hope, and to risk disappointment.
Teach us to pray expectantly,
and when our prayers seem to fail,
bring us to pray again and again;
for you are our God,
who acts and will act again
through Christ in the power of the Spirit. Amen.
Readings:
Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42
Commentary:
Exodus 17:1-7
Water is a recurring theme in Scripture and rightly so as water is necessary for life. In the gospel reading Jesus offers 'living water' meaning the possibility of eternal life (i.e. life undefeated by any opposing force, including death). Here Israel in its journey from Egypt to the promised land is in desperate straits. The 'wilderness' in the Middle East is no place to be short of water.
Understandably the Israelites complained and Moses forwarded the complaint to the Lord. Moses is reluctant to do this as he sees Israel 'testing' the Lord which is a role reversal. The Lord is the Lord and thus able to impose a test on Israel; Israel ought not to be taking the role of the Lord and imposing a test on the Lord.
The provision of water at Rephidim is an act of kindness on the Lord's part while also offering supply and sustenance for Israel on its journey to the promised land which is the Lord's plan for Israel. In a sense the Lord has no choice but to provide the water but Israel has exercised a poor choice: it could have trusted the Lord to provide for their needs without putting him to the test. This kind of poor choice is exercised both through the wilderness years and later in the history of Israel when living in its promised land.
We are reminded in the psalm for today that this testing had consequences for Israel. (See also Numbers 20:2-13).
Psalm 95
This psalm is a joyful expression of thanks to God for God's goodness but it has a kick in its tail which relates to our Old Testament reading: Israel the beneficiary of God's grace must 'listen to his voice' and (by implication) trust that voice. The alternative, testing God as an expression of lack of faith, has consequences for future blessings, as lack of trust in the wilderness had consequences for the length of the journey to the promised land.
Romans 5:1-11
If we graph the Epistle to the Romans in such a way that peaks on the line represent gathering up points or provisional conclusions along the way to the grand conclusion, then chapter 5 would be one of those peaks. The clue is to look for the word 'Therefore' (and, as an old saying goes, ask 'What are the 'therefores' there for?').
After four chapters expounding the history of faith in Israel in relation to the crisis in Rome over the fate of Judaism and the future of nascent Christianity, an exposition which sets out the nature of justification (that is, what it takes to make us just or righteous in God's sight), Paul writes in 5:1,
In the next ten or so verses Paul plumbs the depths of this conclusion before restating it in 5:11,
Space does not permit anything like a full commentary on these wonderful verses which assure us of the generous grace of God but note these aspects:
- grace (5:2) and expansion of this theme through 5:6-10
- reflection on the role of suffering in the life of the believer (5:3-5)
- hope (5:2,4,5) and talk of 'hope' as an assurance of God being for us (rather than 'hope' as a vague anticipation of the future), signalled for the believer through the experience of 'God's love ... poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us' (5:5)
- God's love for us (5:5,8)
Perhaps the most vital message here in respect of salvation is in 5:9, 'Much more surely then ...'.
There is no need for any believer in Jesus Christ to be anxious about whether we are saved or not.
John 4:5-42
2020 special insight - I never knew this, but apparently for year A in the three year cycle, A, B, C, the readings for Lent 2, 3, 4, 5 are focused on individual encounters Jesus has (so last week Nicodemus, this week, the Samaritan woman at the well, next week, the man born blind (which in John 9 is a significant encounter with Jesus), then in Lent 5 (Passion Sunday), Jesus and Lazarus. This comment, by Andy Burnham, offers an ancient explanation for these readings: "In Year A the readings shadow the teaching and enlightenment of those to be baptised or confirmed at the Easter Vigil. This set if readings is privileged in the sense that, in the Catholic Church at least, they may be used also in Years B and C"
In other words, as we journey as a congregation through these readings and these weeks building up towards Easter, we are taking an ancient journey that many catechumenates preparing for baptism at the East Vigil have taken through two millennia.
Commentary on John 4:5-42
This is a long reading but it does tell a complete story of a unique-to-John's Gospel encounter with a Samaritan woman.
Much can be taken out of this reading. Possible major themes to consider are: mission, women in ministry, women in the particular ministry of apostle (here, Apostle to the Samaritans, 4:28-30, 39-42), living water, life in the Spirit, the nature of Christian worship, christology: Jesus as prophet, Messiah, Saviour of the World and, significantly, one of the 'I am' statements (4:26).
There is some controversy in scholarship concerning this story: does it 'promote' women because it shows Jesus honouring a woman with dignified and intelligent conversation (i.e. counter to cultural 'male to male' norms for those days in Palestine/Samaria) as well as (effectively) commissioning her to be an apostle of the gospel?
Or, does this story reflect poorly on Jesus who places her in a position of shame re the conversation drawing out from her the admission of her much married and now unmarried sexual relationship status (4:16-18)? (On that possibility note that the woman's own response is not to protest but to acknowledge Jesus' status as a 'prophet'. However, is that a respectful recognition or her own mocking riposte to Jesus' frank declaration of her personal history?)
Further, note that John's own telling of the story invites criticism: the woman is not given a name.
Note, incidentally, the marginal state/status of the woman indicated by the fact that she comes in the heat of the day "midday" and not in the cool of the day, early morning or early evening, when, likely, all the other women of the town come. She is also an outsider to Judaism as a whole: a Samaritan woman!
In our journey through Lent, this story is about journeying: Jesus is on the move and needs to stop for a rest and for food and drink. As we look ahead to the cross we look to the event in which Jesus dies to save us - in this story we meet the Saviour and are invited to understand the global scope of salvation, 'we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world' (4:42).
But our own 'food and drink' for our journey is at hand: through Jesus we drink the living water and eat the living bread of God's life (especially explained in John 6). In this perspective the Samaritan woman at the well is each of us: battered and bruised by life we go about our ordinary lives only to unexpectedly meet the extraordinary Jesus Christ who offers us an extraordinary life.
From a catechumenal perspective, the Samaritan woman is a unique individual (not Nicodemus, not the man born blind, not Lazarus) encountering Jesus, enquiring of him what is the truth about him, determining to become a witness to him and his message. Compared with Nicodemus, the man born blind and Lazarus, this woman is an outsider to the Judaism of Jesus and his disciples. All are welcome to come to Jesus.
Sentence: But God proves his love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)
Collect:
Give us courage to hope, and to risk disappointment.
Teach us to pray expectantly,
and when our prayers seem to fail,
bring us to pray again and again;
for you are our God,
who acts and will act again
through Christ in the power of the Spirit. Amen.
Readings:
Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42
Commentary:
Exodus 17:1-7
Water is a recurring theme in Scripture and rightly so as water is necessary for life. In the gospel reading Jesus offers 'living water' meaning the possibility of eternal life (i.e. life undefeated by any opposing force, including death). Here Israel in its journey from Egypt to the promised land is in desperate straits. The 'wilderness' in the Middle East is no place to be short of water.
Understandably the Israelites complained and Moses forwarded the complaint to the Lord. Moses is reluctant to do this as he sees Israel 'testing' the Lord which is a role reversal. The Lord is the Lord and thus able to impose a test on Israel; Israel ought not to be taking the role of the Lord and imposing a test on the Lord.
The provision of water at Rephidim is an act of kindness on the Lord's part while also offering supply and sustenance for Israel on its journey to the promised land which is the Lord's plan for Israel. In a sense the Lord has no choice but to provide the water but Israel has exercised a poor choice: it could have trusted the Lord to provide for their needs without putting him to the test. This kind of poor choice is exercised both through the wilderness years and later in the history of Israel when living in its promised land.
We are reminded in the psalm for today that this testing had consequences for Israel. (See also Numbers 20:2-13).
Psalm 95
This psalm is a joyful expression of thanks to God for God's goodness but it has a kick in its tail which relates to our Old Testament reading: Israel the beneficiary of God's grace must 'listen to his voice' and (by implication) trust that voice. The alternative, testing God as an expression of lack of faith, has consequences for future blessings, as lack of trust in the wilderness had consequences for the length of the journey to the promised land.
Romans 5:1-11
If we graph the Epistle to the Romans in such a way that peaks on the line represent gathering up points or provisional conclusions along the way to the grand conclusion, then chapter 5 would be one of those peaks. The clue is to look for the word 'Therefore' (and, as an old saying goes, ask 'What are the 'therefores' there for?').
After four chapters expounding the history of faith in Israel in relation to the crisis in Rome over the fate of Judaism and the future of nascent Christianity, an exposition which sets out the nature of justification (that is, what it takes to make us just or righteous in God's sight), Paul writes in 5:1,
'Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ...'.
In the next ten or so verses Paul plumbs the depths of this conclusion before restating it in 5:11,
'But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.'(Incidentally, 'reconciliation' and 'justification' are theological synonyms: to be justified by God is to be reconciled with God).
Space does not permit anything like a full commentary on these wonderful verses which assure us of the generous grace of God but note these aspects:
- grace (5:2) and expansion of this theme through 5:6-10
- reflection on the role of suffering in the life of the believer (5:3-5)
- hope (5:2,4,5) and talk of 'hope' as an assurance of God being for us (rather than 'hope' as a vague anticipation of the future), signalled for the believer through the experience of 'God's love ... poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us' (5:5)
- God's love for us (5:5,8)
Perhaps the most vital message here in respect of salvation is in 5:9, 'Much more surely then ...'.
There is no need for any believer in Jesus Christ to be anxious about whether we are saved or not.
John 4:5-42
2020 special insight - I never knew this, but apparently for year A in the three year cycle, A, B, C, the readings for Lent 2, 3, 4, 5 are focused on individual encounters Jesus has (so last week Nicodemus, this week, the Samaritan woman at the well, next week, the man born blind (which in John 9 is a significant encounter with Jesus), then in Lent 5 (Passion Sunday), Jesus and Lazarus. This comment, by Andy Burnham, offers an ancient explanation for these readings: "In Year A the readings shadow the teaching and enlightenment of those to be baptised or confirmed at the Easter Vigil. This set if readings is privileged in the sense that, in the Catholic Church at least, they may be used also in Years B and C"
In other words, as we journey as a congregation through these readings and these weeks building up towards Easter, we are taking an ancient journey that many catechumenates preparing for baptism at the East Vigil have taken through two millennia.
Commentary on John 4:5-42
This is a long reading but it does tell a complete story of a unique-to-John's Gospel encounter with a Samaritan woman.
Much can be taken out of this reading. Possible major themes to consider are: mission, women in ministry, women in the particular ministry of apostle (here, Apostle to the Samaritans, 4:28-30, 39-42), living water, life in the Spirit, the nature of Christian worship, christology: Jesus as prophet, Messiah, Saviour of the World and, significantly, one of the 'I am' statements (4:26).
There is some controversy in scholarship concerning this story: does it 'promote' women because it shows Jesus honouring a woman with dignified and intelligent conversation (i.e. counter to cultural 'male to male' norms for those days in Palestine/Samaria) as well as (effectively) commissioning her to be an apostle of the gospel?
Or, does this story reflect poorly on Jesus who places her in a position of shame re the conversation drawing out from her the admission of her much married and now unmarried sexual relationship status (4:16-18)? (On that possibility note that the woman's own response is not to protest but to acknowledge Jesus' status as a 'prophet'. However, is that a respectful recognition or her own mocking riposte to Jesus' frank declaration of her personal history?)
Further, note that John's own telling of the story invites criticism: the woman is not given a name.
Note, incidentally, the marginal state/status of the woman indicated by the fact that she comes in the heat of the day "midday" and not in the cool of the day, early morning or early evening, when, likely, all the other women of the town come. She is also an outsider to Judaism as a whole: a Samaritan woman!
In our journey through Lent, this story is about journeying: Jesus is on the move and needs to stop for a rest and for food and drink. As we look ahead to the cross we look to the event in which Jesus dies to save us - in this story we meet the Saviour and are invited to understand the global scope of salvation, 'we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world' (4:42).
But our own 'food and drink' for our journey is at hand: through Jesus we drink the living water and eat the living bread of God's life (especially explained in John 6). In this perspective the Samaritan woman at the well is each of us: battered and bruised by life we go about our ordinary lives only to unexpectedly meet the extraordinary Jesus Christ who offers us an extraordinary life.
From a catechumenal perspective, the Samaritan woman is a unique individual (not Nicodemus, not the man born blind, not Lazarus) encountering Jesus, enquiring of him what is the truth about him, determining to become a witness to him and his message. Compared with Nicodemus, the man born blind and Lazarus, this woman is an outsider to the Judaism of Jesus and his disciples. All are welcome to come to Jesus.
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