Holy Textures

Welcome to Holy Textures

Holy Textures is my attempt to provide a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary.

I'll not comment on every text - or even most of them. And none of the comments will be a sermon.

Please click on the heading of any post to see and/or add Comments.

By entering your email and clicking "Subscribe," you can receive all new posts by email. You will only receive new posts, nothing else - no spam, nada, zip. Try it, or try the "Subscribe in a reader" if you prefer to use an RSS reader.

Most weeks, I'll post a first draft by Wednesday noon as I prepare for our weekly Bible study group. And then I'll post a revised draft on Friday, reflecting on that discussion and after reading the sermon from my friend George Hermanson, www.georgehermanson.com.

Acknowledgements. I'll rarely cite sources in these musings, but want to acknowledge the following. Almost all of the historical background information is from the "Social Science Commentary" series, Bruce Malina, Richard Rohrbaugh, and John Pilch. This is absolutely crucial material. No one should offer to preach or teach from the Bible without awareness of this background. My thinking is strongly influenced by feminist, process, Girardian and Emergent Church insights - and most of that influence has come through conversations with friends.

Matthew 9:35 - 10:23

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

The lesson given for this Sunday has a shorter version, 9:35 - 10:8, and a longer one, 9:35 - 10:23. My choice of a shorter version is 10:5-23 since this gives more of the direct teaching of Jesus to his followers. (And that's what I'll comment on here.)

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Following the Sermon on the Mount, Chapters 5 through 7, there follows a series of healing stories and calling / discipleship stories:

• Cleansing a man with leprosy. (8:1-4)
• Healing a Roman army officer's servant (8:5-13)
• Healing Peter's mother and others at Peter's house (8:14-17)
• The costs of following Jesus (8:18-22)
• Stilling a storm (8:23-27)
• Casting out two violent demons (8:28-34)
• Healing a paralyzed man (9:1-8)
• Calling the tax collector, Matthew (9:9-13)
• New wine cannot be put in old wine skins (9:14-17)
• Healing a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, and
  bringing back to life the daughter of a synagogue leader (9:18-26)
• Healing a man who is blind (9:27-31)
• Casting out a silencing demon (9:32-34)
• The crowds are drawn to Jesus - the harvest is plentiful, but
  the laborers are few (9:35-38)

Matthew 5:38-41, Publicly Expose and Mock Injustice

Click here for an easy to email or print Adobe PDF version of this note.

Matthew 5:38-41 has a tragic history of poor translations and even worse interpretations.

You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.

This passage is NOT recommending becoming a doormat; nor does it tolerate domestic violence.

First of all, the translation, "Do not resist an evildoer" fails to convey the full meaning of the underlying Greek. It would be better translated as, "Do not violently resist an evildoer." Thus the teaching is primarily about non-violence. It is not about acquiescing to evil.

Jesus then goes on to offer three quick examples of how to non-violently resist an evildoer - in fact, of how to publicly shame and mock an evildoer.

Sermon On The Mount

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of the teachings of Jesus which Matthew records in Chapters 5 through 7. The sermon ends with a teaching from Jesus about a difference between those who are wise and those who are foolish:

Matthew 7:21-29

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Verses 21-23, continue the teaching against false prophets that began in Matthew 7:12-20.

But here Jesus ups the ante. For the usual warnings about false appearances (crying "Lord, Lord") and false promises ("prophesying in your name") and judging by the results ("casting out demons in your name") are subjected to what is truly at the heart of Jesus message:

doing the will of my Father in heaven.

Matthew 7:12-20

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Verse 12: "The Golden Rule," was common folk lore and probably did not originate with Jesus, though he might have quoted it as here:

Do to others as you would have them do to you

This is not bad advise though its flaw is that makes each of our personal whims / desires / egos the arbiter of what is good. It is not difficult to find examples of someone who actually does not want what you want.

Matthew 6:24-34

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

In terms of the Lectionary, we are now picking up where we left Matthew back in the Season of Epiphany in January and February!

It might be helpful to pause on the word, "Therefore," which begins verse 6:25 and review the "whereas's" that begin in Chapter 5:

• The Beatitudes
• Being salt of the earth and light of the world
• Obeying and fulfilling the law
• Anger and reconciliation
• Adultery in our hearts
• Divorce
• Let your Yes be Yes or your No be No
• Do not retaliate, instead publically expose the unjust authority
• Love your enemies
• Give alms, but don't make a show of it
• Pray, but don't make a show of it
• Fast, but don't make a show of it
• Store up treasures in heaven not on earth
• Make sure your inner light is healthy
• Don't think you can serve two masters: God and wealth

Matthew 28:16-20

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

This passage which ends the Book of Matthew is commonly referred to as The Great Commission.

The commissioning can be highlighted by the verbs in verses 19 and 20:

• Go
• Make disciples
• Baptize
• Teach
• Obey
• Remember

These verbs represent the key activities that Jesus wants his followers to be doing.

John 7:37-39

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Verse 37. "The feast" refers to the last of the three Jewish pilgrimages festivals / feasts, Sukkoth, or festival of Booths / Tabernacles. This text is being read on our Christian Day of Pentecost - which is the second of the pilgrimage festivals, Shavuot, or feast of Weeks. This detail is important simply to avoid confusing the two different festivals, and the time sequence.

Bruce Malina comments that the Festival of Booths included prayers for winter rains and the renewal of sunlight. These two elements are addressed by Jesus:

• Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink.
  John 7:37
• I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.
  John 8:12

Thus Jesus presents himself as the answer to the prayers being made.

Acts 2:1-21

Read the passage: The Message   or   The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

This text stands as a book end to the story of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). In Babel, the story begins with one language and a common understanding and purpose, but ends with many languages, confusion and scattering. In Acts the story begins with many languages, and ends with many languages, but contains in the middle a common hearing about God's deeds of power (verse 11).

Unfortunately, unlike the story of Babel, this story does not contain within it any cautionary tale against human hubris. It is absolutely crucial in reading this text aright to truly pause and ponder the question asked in verse 12, "What does this mean?"