Holy Textures

Matthew 16:21-28

Peter rebukes Jesus. Jesus rebukes Peter. Calls Peter - or at least Peter's rebuke - Satan. That is, Tempter, Snake in the Garden, Introducer of Hesitation, Mixer of Motivations, Flaunter of Red Herrings, Side-Tracker of Mission, Setter of One's Mind on Human Things. Well, fear of pain and death will do that to most people, and Peter was no exception.

Year A
Pentecost 11
August 28, 2011
Sunday Between August 28 and September 3 Inclusive
Proper 17, Ordinary Time 22

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 16:21-28, The Message   or   Matthew 16:21-28, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 16:21-28, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "."

When a passage begins with "From that time," it is usually a good idea to check back and see what the time / space reference is.

In this case, "From that time" refers to 16:13-20, where Jesus seeks confirmation from his inner group of disciples of what the gossip is about him - "Who do people say that I am?" And then of their assessment - "Who do you say that I am?"

When Peter says, "You are the Messiah," he confirms the authority of Jesus - as seen by others - to now take his show on the road to Jerusalem.

In a very real sense, up to now Jesus has been working the small town stages to build up his street cred's. And having made a name for himself, he is now ready to tackle the big leagues - Jerusalem and the Roman authorities.

The rest of Chapter 16 and all of Chapters 17 to 20 are the road trip to the big city - and Jesus' teachings and actions are now all focused on preparing his followers for the actions that will happen there as Jesus brings his proclamation of the Kingdom of God into direct, face-to-face, confrontation with the Empire of Rome.

Poor old Peter. In Verse 16, he calls Jesus, the Messiah. Seven short verses later, Jesus is calling Peter, "Satan."

Poor old Jesus. In Verse 16, his core inner followers affirm that they have "got it;" that they understand his authority and his mission. Seven short verses later, Peter reveals that they are still mis-understanding and/or unwilling to follow the logic of what he has been teaching them.

The prediction of his suffering and rejection by the religious authorities is actually not rocket science, nor does it require any special divinity on Jesus' part. Given the exalted status now being attributed to Jesus by the people, and given his challenge to the authority of the elders, chief priests and scribes, everyone alive then would know that this could only end badly.

The prediction of his resurrection is a different matter. That adds a whole new, completely novel twist.

As the one who proclaimed the new honour status of Jesus in Verse 16, Peter is quite unnerved by Jesus' teaching in Verse 21.

In Verse 16, Peter was not only affirming a high honour status for Jesus, but was also affirming his loyalty to Jesus. And as such, Peter was also anticipating participating in sharing the rewards of Jesus' honour as Messiah.

Peter and the other disciples know that their loyalty to Jesus demands that they share this fate - just as they had earlier expected to share a quite different outcome. Peter would be surprised, shocked and made fearful by Jesus' teaching in Verse 21.

Peter rebukes Jesus. Jesus rebukes Peter. Calls Peter - or at least Peter's rebuke - Satan. That is, Tempter, Snake in the Garden, Introducer of Hesitation, Mixer of Motivations, Flaunter of Red Herrings, Side-Tracker of Mission, Setter of One's Mind on Human Things. Well, fear of pain and death will do that to most people, and Peter was no exception.

Verses 24-26 repeat a teaching from Matthew 10:38-39. But in this context, we hear this teaching not as a wise proverb, but as what Jesus is setting out to do:

• Taking up his cross,
• Losing his life - for his life's purpose - and finding it.

We all know how to lose our life so that it is lost. The trick is to figure out how to lose one's life so that it will be found. And the key to that mystery is to lose our life for Jesus' sake. For Jesus' purpose, aim, or end.

Verses 27-28 need to be read in an upbeat tone of voice, and not as a finger-wagging threat.

Jesus is breaking down the social barriers between his peasant followers and the Most High.

At the time of Jesus, a peasant would never have access to a high official. But Jesus is saying that within their lifetimes, they will be repaid for their trust in and loyalty to him. This is good news indeed.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com

Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, see link below, page 88.

* Link to Amazon.com Bibliography for Bruce Malina, et. al., Social Science Commentary on ... The Synoptic Gospels; The Gospel of John; The Book of Acts; The Letters of Paul; The Book of Revelation; and others.

Matthew 16:21-28 (NRSV)

   ²¹ From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ²² And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." ²³ But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

   ²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? ²⁷ "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." 

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Matthew 16:21-28 (The Message)

   ²¹ Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. ²² Peter took him in hand, protesting, "Impossible, Master! That can never be!"

   ²³ But Jesus didn't swerve. "Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works."

   ²⁴ Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. ²⁵ Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. ²⁶ What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

   ²⁷ "Don't be in such a hurry to go into business for yourself. Before you know it the Son of Man will arrive with all the splendor of his Father, accompanied by an army of angels. You'll get everything you have coming to you, a personal gift. ²⁸ This isn't pie in the sky by and by. Some of you standing here are going to see it take place, see the Son of Man in kingdom glory." 

Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

Matthew 16:13-20

It is very problematic that the Lectionary separates Verses 13-20 from Verses 21-23, the first of three occasions of Jesus showing his disciples that he must go up to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and on the third day be raised. If we want the transformational bonding with Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, we also can't avoid bonding with Jesus the Crucified One.

Year A
Pentecost 10
August 21, 2011
Sunday Between August 21 and August 27 Inclusive
Proper 16, Ordinary Time 21

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 16:13-20, The Message   or   Matthew 16:13-20, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 16:13-20, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "."

Interestingly, this pivotal passage occurs outside of the "home turf" of Jesus and his followers, in the district of Caesarea Philippi north of Galilee.

Jesus has been traveling about doing signs, teaching and healing. This has resulted in crowds being drawn to him. It is now time to do some assessing.

Notice Jesus begins with the more general and moves to the specific: first with the crowds, then with his followers. What's the gossip about me? What are the crowds saying? What honour / status / reputation are they attributing to me? The disciples name several prophets and holy men of Israel - they are saying you are - or are like - a prophet or holy man.

But what about you my closest associates?

This is a challenging question. It is direct and it puts Jesus and his followers on the spot - a potentially embarrassing spot if their answer is: "We don't think that much of you actually." Everything hangs on what their answer is.

Simon speaks for the group: "You are the Christ / the Anointed One / the Messiah (Aside: these three terms are all translations of the same Greek word.), the Son of God."

This affirmation by Simon is not just a formal statement of intellectual belief. It is a statement of an intimate relationship between Jesus and God, and between Jesus and his followers.

This statement reveals what up till then had been an unstated, organic process: the developing awareness of Jesus' followers and their bonding with him in his mission / ministry / identity.

This is not the sort of thing that ordinary human thinking could figure out.

The confirmation of this revelation from "my Father in Heaven," then also brings with it the blessings, privileges, and authority that come with being in such a relationship. Jesus had these as God's Son; now Peter and the others have these as true disciples of the Messiah.

Unfortunately, the Lectionary leaves out the scriptural context for this transformational revelation:

• "You of little faith" that came before in Verse 8; and
• "Get behind me, Satan! (Addressed to Peter) You are a stumbling block to me." that comes after in Verse 23.

The Lectionary gives us the beatific visions of the disciples divine affirmation (Chapter 16, verses 13-20) and the Transfiguration (Chapter 17, verses 1-13), but omits these tales of the disciples human failures. I personally find these stories comforting because if THEY could be disciples, maybe I could be too.

(Aside: And, ironically, the fact that such humbling / dishonourable stories are told by the disciples about themselves lends credibility to the Biblical eye witnesses.)

And even more problematic, the Lectionary separates Verses 13-20 from Verses 21-23, the first of three occasions of Jesus showing his disciples that he must go up to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and on the third day be raised.

If we want the transformational bonding with Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, we also can't avoid bonding with Jesus the Crucified One.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com

Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, see link below, pages 86-87.

* Link to Amazon.com Bibliography for Bruce Malina, et. al., Social Science Commentary on ... The Synoptic Gospels; The Gospel of John; The Book of Acts; The Letters of Paul; The Book of Revelation; and others.

Matthew 16:13-20 (NRSV)

   ¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" ¹⁴ And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." ¹⁵ He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." ²⁰ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Matthew 16:13-20 (The Message)

   ¹³ When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?"

   ¹⁴ They replied, "Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."

   ¹⁵ He pressed them, "And how about you? Who do you say I am?"

   ¹⁶ Simon Peter said, "You're the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

   ¹⁷ Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn't get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. ¹⁸ And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

   ¹⁹ "And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."

   ²⁰ He swore the disciples to secrecy. He made them promise they would tell no one that he was the Messiah.  

Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28

But this incident is a beautiful illustration of the teaching Jesus has just made. Outwardly, this woman has nothing about her that is "clean." But she has two things in her heart that make her right with God: her unwavering, nagging, persistent care for her daughter; and, her unwavering, nagging, persistent trust that Jesus can cure her daughter. And these two things cause Jesus to undergo a change of heart himself.

Year A
Pentecost 9
August 14, 2011
Sunday Between August 14 and August 20 Inclusive
Proper 15, Ordinary Time 20

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28, The Message   or   Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "."

The story of the Canaanite woman in Verses 21-28 really needs the discussion about what makes a person "clean" / "undefiled" in Verses 10-20 in order to help us focus on the significance of what comes out of the mouth of Jesus and this non-Jewish (and therefore "unclean") woman.

The discussion in Verses 10 to 20 should not be read as an unconditional attack on, or dismissal of Jewish customs and traditions. Rather it is an attempt - once again - by Jesus to teach his uncomprehending, dull-witted, disciples to get to the heart of the matter:

To see through external, social conventions to the inner reality of what God desires for us as individuals and as communities.

Sounds easy. But there's a catch. "Social conventions" are time-tested codes of behaviour for living rightly.

That is, they are answers to the questions: "What must I DO to show my reverence for God; my honour for my family; and my social standing in my community?" Behaving in these ways will make us "clean" and "pure" and "undefiled."

Social conventions develop over centuries, and by definition, are NEVER explicitly discussed or agreed upon. A crucial aspect of "convention" is that it is unspoken, and taken for granted. Indeed, so taken for granted that we are by and large completely unaware of how much these codes are embedded in our most deeply held sense of what is true, right, and just.

Social conventions are the standards by which we judge the correctness of someone's behaviour. And therefore, also their motives. Someone whose outward behaviour is bad must also have inner motives that are bad.

However, the problem with social conventions is that they are also, by definition, conservative, closed, static, and unimaginative; and not progressive, open, dynamic, or creative. And therefore, while they maintain the distilled wisdom from past experience, they will also inevitably collide with the on-going creativity of God. Or as Isaiah puts it, social conventions are human wisdom and not God's wisdom.

In Jesus' day, washing ones hands before eating was NOT for hygienic reasons (they had no knowledge of bacteria). Hand washing was part of the ritual preparation that outwardly expressed inner reverence and respect for the Creator of the Universe who provided the food about to be eaten.

So when the Pharisees publically challenge Jesus and question why his disciples are not washing their hands before eating (Verses 1-2), they are really saying, "You and your disciples cannot be holy men because you are not behaving in holy ways."

As usual, Jesus' response does not directly address their challenge. Instead of talking about hand-washing, he changes the topic to what goes into and comes out of our mouths. His response is about how what is in our hearts leads to what comes out of our mouths. And, without saying so directly, he implies that what has just come out of the mouths of the Pharisees has shown their inward evil thoughts.

If we hold onto this teaching that what comes out of our mouths is what truly makes us clean - what truly shows our reverence for God - then we can hear the story of the Canaanite woman in a new light.

Immediately following the teaching about ritual cleanliness, Jesus takes his followers into foreign - unclean - territory, near the cities of Tyre and Sidon. And in this unclean place a most unconventional thing happens. A foreign (gasp!) woman (horrors!) comes alone (unthinkable!) and speaks (outrageous!) to the disciples and won't obey (scandalous!) their instruction to stop following them (shocking!).

But this incident is a beautiful illustration of the teaching Jesus has just made. Outwardly, this woman has nothing about her that is "clean." But she has two things in her heart that make her right with God:

• her unwavering, nagging, persistent care for her daughter; and,
• her unwavering, nagging, persistent trust that Jesus can cure her daughter.

And these two things cause Jesus to undergo a change of heart himself.

Taken together, Verses 10-20 and 21-28, provide a wonderful illustration of the struggles we face as communities of faith. For we too have developed unspoken conventions for proper behaviour; and we too must be constantly be open to the unconventional and foreign that give us new insight into the wisdom of God.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com

Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, see link below, pages 83-84.

* Link to Amazon.com Bibliography for Bruce Malina, et. al., Social Science Commentary on ... The Synoptic Gospels; The Gospel of John; The Book of Acts; The Letters of Paul; The Book of Revelation; and others.

Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28 (NRSV)

   ¹⁰ Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: ¹¹ it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." ¹² Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" ¹³ He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit." ¹⁵ But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." ¹⁶ Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸ But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."

   ²¹ Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." ²³ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." ²⁴ He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." ²⁶ He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." ²⁷ She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. 

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28 (The Message)

   ¹⁰ He then called the crowd together and said, "Listen, and take this to heart. ¹¹ It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life, but what you vomit up."

   ¹² Later his disciples came and told him, "Did you know how upset the Pharisees were when they heard what you said?"

   ¹³ Jesus shrugged it off. "Every tree that wasn't planted by my Father in heaven will be pulled up by its roots. ¹⁴ Forget them. They are blind men leading blind men. When a blind man leads a blind man, they both end up in the ditch."

   ¹⁵ Peter said, "I don't get it. Put it in plain language."

   ¹⁶ Jesus replied, "You too? Are you being willfully stupid? ¹⁷ Don't you know that anything that is swallowed works its way through the intestines and is finally defecated? ¹⁸ But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. ¹⁹ It's from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. ²⁰ That's what pollutes. Eating or not eating certain foods, washing or not washing your hands—that's neither here nor there."

   ²¹ From there Jesus took a trip to Tyre and Sidon. ²² They had hardly arrived when a Canaanite woman came down from the hills and pleaded, "Mercy, Master, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly afflicted by an evil spirit."

   ²³ Jesus ignored her. The disciples came and complained, "Now she's bothering us. Would you please take care of her? She's driving us crazy."

   ²⁴ Jesus refused, telling them, "I've got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel."

   ²⁵ Then the woman came back to Jesus, went to her knees, and begged. "Master, help me."

   ²⁶ He said, "It's not right to take bread out of children's mouths and throw it to dogs."

   ²⁷ She was quick: "You're right, Master, but beggar dogs do get scraps from the master's table."

   ²⁸ Jesus gave in. "Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!" Right then her daughter became well. 

Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

Matthew 14:22-33

Walking on the sea is not an idle, capricious, magic trick. After spending time alone in prayer, Jesus has stepped out onto the back of a chaotic and dangerous spirit to go and be with his friends.

Year A
Pentecost 8
August 7, 2011
Sunday Between August 7 and August 13 Inclusive
Proper 14, Ordinary Time 19

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 14:22-33, The Message   or   Matthew 14:22-33, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 14:22-33, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "."

I love this story.

First, my usual warning NOT to get distracted by the special effects. Too often modern day preachers spend all their time trying to make the "miracle" seem scientifically plausible, and in effect explain away the significance of the story. Believing in God is already scientifically problematic, so instead of being plausible, invite your congregation to wonder.

Having said that, it is important to know that at the time of Jesus, what happens in this story is NOT that Jesus walks on water. Jesus walks on the sea. And the sea was understood to be a living, chaotic, potentially deadly spirit.

When the disciples see Jesus walking on the sea, they are not relieved, do not shout for joy expecting that Jesus has come to rescue them from the storm (also caused by spirits). Instead, they are terrified. The word used here for "terrified" can also be used to describe a sea that has been agitated and stirred up. In other words, the disciples' inner state is now a perfect reflection of their outer circumstances.

They are terrified because they would realize that they are seeing with their human eyes events that can only happen in the realm of the spirits - their first reaction is that they are seeing a ghost. They are terrified because while spirits are everywhere in the human realm, it is deadly for humans to be in the realm of the spirits.

When Jesus immediately says to them, "Take courage, do not be afraid," he is inviting them to have HIS inner state instead of theirs. Walking on the sea is not an idle, capricious, magic trick. After spending time alone in prayer, Jesus has stepped out onto the back of a chaotic and dangerous spirit to go and be with his friends.

What happens next is a poignant testimony of the reality of discipleship, of being a follower of Jesus.

Good old impetuous Peter responds, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you."

It is important to note that Peter does not act on his own impulse or authority. He asks to be commanded to come to Jesus. He gets out of the boat under the protection of the authority of Jesus. And Peter does not go for a stroll on the sea; he does only what he has been commanded, he comes toward Jesus.

And for a brief few steps, it works!

Peter too is able to walk on the back of the chaotic, dangerous spirit, the sea. But as we all know too well, there are many distractions in life that take our attention away from what we most cherish. And instead of keeping his focus on Jesus, Peter notices the wind, and his bond with Jesus is weakened.

Notice that Peter BEGINS to sink. That is, Peter is not walking on water. No one BEGINS to sink in water. Try standing on water yourself and see how much time you have to cry out while beginning to sink.

And notice too, that Peter does NOT cry out, "Lord, IF it is you, save me." There are no if's, and's, or but's. Now it is simply, "Lord, save me."

Jesus reaches out his hand and saves Peter. His comment and question to Peter, "You of little faith, why did you doubt," would be better translated as, "You of little trust, why did you hold back?"

The issue in this story is not intellectual faith / belief. The issue is loyalty / trust, and not getting distracted in times of trouble and testing.

When they get into the boat, the encounter between Jesus and the spirits of the sea and the wind end; things calm down.

The statement by the disciples, "Truly, you are the Son of God." is simply an affirmation by them of what they witnessed with their eyes: Jesus has shown authority over the spirits of the sea and wind - he is Son of God, since only one of that high a rank in the spirit realm could have authority over the sea and wind.

You and I will not likely go walking on the back of the sea any time soon. But we most certainly will - or already do - find ourselves in the midst of the storms of life. Jesus can and will walk toward us. Will we trust him enough to leave the security of the boats we have made for ourselves, and instead risk our lives into his command?

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com

Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, see link below, pages 81-82.

* Link to Amazon.com Bibliography for Bruce Malina, et. al., Social Science Commentary on ... The Synoptic Gospels; The Gospel of John; The Book of Acts; The Letters of Paul; The Book of Revelation; and others.

Matthew 14:22-33 (NRSV)

   ²² Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. ²⁵ And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."

   ²⁸ Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." ²⁹ He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" ³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God. 

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Matthew 14:22-33 (The Message)

   ²² As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. ²³ With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.

   ²⁴ Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. ²⁵ At about four o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. ²⁶ They were scared out of their wits. "A ghost!" they said, crying out in terror.

   ²⁷ But Jesus was quick to comfort them. "Courage, it's me. Don't be afraid."

   ²⁸ Peter, suddenly bold, said, "Master, if it's really you, call me to come to you on the water."

   ²⁹ He said, "Come ahead."

      Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, "Master, save me!"

   ³¹ Jesus didn't hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, "Faint-heart, what got into you?"

   ³² The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. ³³ The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, "This is it! You are God's Son for sure!" 

Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

Matthew 14:13-21

This lesson invites us to remember our own wildernesses, our own places of chaos, when our own insufficiencies may have been blessed, broken, and given away. And yet it was precisely in risking that impossible insufficiency that there was enough. Indeed, more than enough.

Year A
Pentecost 7
July 31, 2011
Sunday Between July 31 and August 6 Inclusive
Proper 13, Ordinary Time 18

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 14:13-21, The Message   or   Matthew 14:13-21, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 14:13-21, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "."

The real miracle today would be for the feeble scraps of our sermons on the text to truly feed and satisfy the hungry who have gathered.

As I have said before, the key thing with any "miracle" story is to NOT get distracted by the special effects. The text does not explain how these things happen; nor should the sermon. But the text does explain why these things happen and invites us to be open to mystery and wonder, the strange and the impossible possible.

I would suggest taking a day or two just to feel one's way into the full meaning of Verse 13:

When Jesus heard the news about John ...

"The news about John" is that he has been beheaded; killed as the result of jealousy and a foolish promise. And who is John to Jesus? Scholars suggest that John was Jesus' spiritual teacher / mentor. That before beginning his own public ministry, Jesus had been a follower of John.

According to Matthew, Jesus had just been rejected by his own town, Nazareth (Matthew 13:53-58); then John is executed (Matthew 14:1-12); and then

Jesus left and went in and went to a lonely place by himself.
Good News Bible

So we begin this passage with Jesus rejected and grieving.

But when his boat arrives at the lonely place, he finds a large crowd has followed him on the shore. Jesus' heart is filled with compassion, with pity for them.

It is important to note that the crowds behaviour is an act of trust and risk on their part. They too have left behind their homes and trekked out into the wilderness.

What follows invites us to remember other wildernesses, and another "miraculous" feeding: Moses and the manna (Exodus 16).

What follows invites us to remember our own wildernesses, our own places of chaos, when our own insufficiencies may have been blessed, broken, and given away. And yet it was precisely in risking that impossible insufficiency that there was enough. Indeed, more than enough.

How many is 5,000 men, plus women and children?

This is not a trick question.

Bruce Malina (Page 81, see footnote below.) comments that:

A crowd of five thousand males would have been larger than the entire population of all but a handful of the very largest urban settlements. Matthew's image is that of a whole city in Jesus' entourage, whom Jesus nourishes out of compassion.

Rejection, grief, compassion, risk, trust, impossible insufficiency, enough and more than enough.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com

Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, see link below, pages 80-81.

* Link to Amazon.com Bibliography for Bruce Malina, et. al., Social Science Commentary on ... The Synoptic Gospels; The Gospel of John; The Book of Acts; The Letters of Paul; The Book of Revelation; and others.

Matthew 14:13-21 (NRSV)

   ¹³ Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. ¹⁵ When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." ¹⁶ Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." ¹⁷ They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." ¹⁸ And he said, "Bring them here to me." ¹⁹ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. ²¹ And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. 

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Matthew 14:31-21 (The Message)

   ¹³ When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. ¹⁴ When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick.

   ¹⁵ Toward evening the disciples approached him. "We're out in the country and it's getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper."

   ¹⁶ But Jesus said, "There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper."

   ¹⁷ "All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish," they said.

   ¹⁸ Jesus said, "Bring them here." ¹⁹ Then he had the people sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples. The disciples then gave the food to the congregation. ²⁰ They all ate their fill. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. ²¹ About five thousand were fed. 

Scripture quotations from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

Luke 14:1, 7-14

"This is what Jesus is teaching / proclaiming here. What does it look like for those with higher status / honour / privilege to live the year of the Lord's favour?"

Year C
Season of Pentecost
Sunday Between August 28 to September 3 Inclusive
Proper 17, Ordinary Time 22
August 29, 2010, Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Read the lesson: Luke 14:1, 7-14, The Message;   or   Luke 14:1, 7-14, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Luke 14:1, 7-14, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?" 

As I noted in last week's commentary on Luke 13:10-17, Verses 2 to 6 which are omitted from this week's reading are the third and final healing on the Sabbath noted by Luke alone.

Bruce Malina (Page 284-286, see footnote below.) offers helpful background of "dropsy" and its connection with the following verses:

in ancient literature "dropsy" was often used as a metaphor for greed. It was understood to be a disease in which the victim became thirsty, but drinking to assuage thirst only increased the victim's thirst all the more. ... Thus a man thirsty for money or status is never satisfied with gain; the more he gets, the more he wants.

Thus Verses 2 to 6 serve not only as a heads up that Jesus will be confronting the lawyers and Pharisees about their rules for proper Sabbath behaviour, the upcoming meal will also serve as an opportunity for challenges about seeking after social status, and about concern for reciprocal hospitality - what I do for you now, you'll do for me later.

Personal aside. I had no idea what "dropsy" was - never heard of it except here. The term is a shortened form of "hydropsy" - "hydro" being the Greek for "water." Today it is called "edema" - swelling caused by excessive water retention. This can affect various parts of the body, but dropsy seems to be associated mostly with swollen legs.

Verse 1. It is important to remember, as Luke has observed for us back in Luke 13:22, that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. And so this, and all reported encounters with religious authorities, are going to clarify and sharpen the division between Jesus' vision of right now, right here, being the time and the place for the realization of God's Kingdom, and the authorities' anxiety to keep social peace as defined and enforced by the Roman occupiers.

Thus Jesus is not being watched closely to see what they might learn from him. He is being watched closely to assess just how much of a threat he really might be.

The ploy of inviting Jesus to dinner would draw him out of public view into the private space of the Pharisee's home and allow them to test Jesus away from the gathering, admiring crowds.

Verse 7. Notice that Luke here reports on Jesus' inner thoughts / observations. As a low-to-no status person, Jesus would have a well-trained eye for seeing how high status people jockey to maintain their place in the pecking order.

Luke says that Jesus is going to tell them a parable. But what actually follows is a series of teachings / instructions and is not a parable. The parable doesn't come until Verses 16 to 24.

Verses 8 to 11. How to seat guests with various degrees of honour is still an etiquette nightmare for hosts.

Notice that Jesus is not teaching that such honouring be done away with all together - that all be treated equally. Rather, in this case, he advises a strategy of deliberately and consciously living beneath one's presumed status in order to receive even greater honouring later.

Some scholars speculate that this teaching would particularly apply to Luke and his first readers as they were higher status Gentiles, and the mixed-status Christian communities would require them to live beneath their comfort zone.

The assurance in this teaching is that THE Host of hosts - God - would later recognize and honour their accepting of lower social standing.

Verses 12 to 14. Jesus then ups the ante with this "put your money where your mouth is" teaching.

That is, not only must higher class people temporarily accept lower status for themselves, they should also pay to extend higher class privileges to the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind - knowing full well that they will never receive reciprocal treatment in this lifetime!

Notice here that the listing: the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind - reflect those listed in Jesus' initial declaration for his ministry way back in Luke 4:18:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
  because he has anointed me
     to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release
     to the captives
  and recovery of sight to the blind,
      to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

That word, "proclaim," has lost its real impact in our modern ears. We kind of hear it as, "make an announcement," or "send out an email to everyone." It has been translated as "Gospel," and as "Good News."

But its fuller meaning is "royal decree." Jesus is not just announcing the year of the Lord's favour. He is declaring it; enacting it; making it real; bringing it into effect, into force.

Just as Caesar then, or a modern legislature today creates new realities simply by deciding and declaring (proclaiming) them, that is exactly what Jesus does. He proclaims the year of the Lord's favour and then sets out to live it and show what it means / looks like to others.

This is what Jesus is teaching / proclaiming here. What does it look like for those with higher status / honour / privilege to live the year of the Lord's favour?

There seems to be a spate of books and blogs and reality TV shows based on "My Year of Living ..."

I wonder what it would be like if we could get every single Christian congregation to spend a whole year following only these two small teachings?

David Ewart,
www.davidewart.ca

* Link to Amazon.com Bibliography for Bruce Malina, et. al., Social Science Commentary on ... The Synoptic Gospels; The Gospel of John; The Book of Acts; The Letters of Paul; The Book of Revelation; and others.

Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

Luke 13:10-17

"This lesson invites all of us who seek to follow Jesus today to ponder the ways in which our own rules, customs, and habits of what is right and proper have in fact become "Bad News" for the poor, the blind, and the oppressed - and to break those bonds so that we might ourselves be proclaimers of Good News of release, recovery, and freedom."

Year C
Season of Pentecost
Sunday Between August 21 to August 27 Inclusive
Proper 16, Ordinary Time 21
August 22, 2010, Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Read the lesson: Luke 13:10-17, The Message;   or   Luke 13:10-17, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Luke 13:10-17, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "to be added." 

This is the second of 3 healings on the Sabbath that only Luke reports:

1. Luke 6:6-11. Man with a withered hand.
      
2. Luke 13:10-17. Bent over woman.
      
3. Luke 14:1-6. Man with dropsy (swollen legs).

These stories may have caught Luke's attention and not Matthew, Mark, or John because Luke himself is a physician. Or it may also be because, it is Luke alone who presents Jesus proclaiming a Year of Jubilee - a year-long Sabbath, Luke 4:18:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
  because he has anointed me
     to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release
     to the captives
  and recovery of sight to the blind,
      to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

Questions about proper Sabbath observance will be a key source of conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities because Sabbath observance is the heart of Jewish practice - established by God in the very fabric of Creation; commanded directly by God to Moses in the Ten Commandments.

New teachings about the Sabbath could only come from God - or one authorized directly by God.

Nothing is more challenging to any religious community than changes to its Sabbath!

Luke 12:49-56

"It is difficult to over-emphasize how revolutionary Jesus is being in stressing loyalty to him - and kinship with those who are also loyal to him - over family."

Year C
Season of Pentecost
Sunday Between August 14 to August 20 Inclusive
Proper 15, Ordinary Time 20
August 15, 2010, Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost

Read the lesson: Luke 12:49-56, The Message;   or   Luke 12:49-56, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Luke 12:49-56, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "to be added." 

Rats! Just as I'm dusting off my fire and brimstone sermon Bruce Malina (See footnote below.) points out that "the earth" in Verse 49 refers to an outdoor oven:

"To bring fire to the earth" refers to lighting an outdoor oven, called "earth." It is an idiom for getting things started, or, as the USA idiom has it, "start things cooking."
Page 279.
And commenting on Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot," Malina adds:
The "earth" is an outdoor earthen oven (Job 28:5, "As for the earth, out of it comes bread;" Psalm 12:6, "silver refined in a furnace on the ground") found near the house. The ideal house had a house fronted by a walled courtyard that contained (1) an earthen oven with (2) a double stove, (3) a millstone for grinding, (4) a dung heap, along with (5) chickens and (6) cattle. ... The earthen oven used dung as fuel. The dung heap was salted, and salt plates were used as a catalyst to make the dung burn. Salt loses its saltiness when the exhausted plates no longer serve to facilitate burning. Unlike Matthew, Luke specifies that salt without saltiness is "fit neither for the earth nor the dunghill; men throw it away." (Luke 14:34-35)
Page 41.

So let's read this text as Jesus being eager for constructive cooking and not destructive conflagration.

Luke 12:32-40

"Wow. God, for no other reason than it simply pleases God - delights God - for this reason alone - God gives us the kingdom. No worries. So get over all your anxiety, guilt, shame, unworthiness, wretchedness, etc., etc. You don't deserve it, but God is giving it to you anyway"

Year C
Season of Pentecost
Sunday Between August 7 to August 13 Inclusive
Proper 14, Ordinary Time 19
August 8, 2010, Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost

Read the lesson: Luke 12:32-40, The Message;   or   Luke 12:32-40, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Luke 12:32-40, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "to be added." 

Every time I first look at this lesson, I do a double take to make sure I haven't mis-read the starting Verse number - shouldn't that be "22" and not "32?" Have the Lectionary planners really omitted Luke's telling of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field? Why yes, yes they actually have. No worries I guess. But personally I'm inclined to correct this oversight and change the reading back to Luke 12:22-34.

As it is, the Lectionary gives us about 6 different possible sermons in 9 verses. Oh well, no worries, right?

Luke 12:13-21

"While Jesus does not ALWAYS attack wealth, this parable is reflective a consistent theme of his teachings: Possessions distract us from true wealth; from what is rich in the eyes of God."

Year C
Season of Pentecost
Sunday Between July 31 to August 6 Inclusive
Proper 13, Ordinary Time 18
August 1, 2010, Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Read the lesson: Luke 12:13-21, The Message;   or   Luke 12:13-21, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Luke 12:13-21, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "to be added." 

Well for some reason, the creators of the Lectionary have skipped over most of Chapter 11 - going from last week's, Luke 11:1-13, lesson about prayer and hospitality to this text.

So we could be blithely traveling along with Jesus through August without being aware that back in Chapter 11, Jesus had so insulted the religious authorities (Luke 11:45) that:

When he went outside, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile toward him and to cross-examine him about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.
Luke 11:53-54

I believe it is crucial to know this so that we don't read this and the other teachings that follow as being similar in tone and context as Luke 11:1, "Lord, teach us to pray." We are now in the midst of serious conflict and challenge.