Holy Textures

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."

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Even those who are accustomed to finding and trading fine things might still encounter a life-changing experience. Even those involved in the church all their lives might still be transformed in ways beyond their imagining.

Year A
Pentecost 6
July 24, 2011
Sunday Between July 24 and July 30 Inclusive
Proper 12, Ordinary Time 17

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, The Message   or   Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

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

The text gives us 5 ways to imagine the Kingdom of Heaven (more specifically: God's will being done on earth as it is in Heaven):

• like a mustard seed;
• like yeast (leaven) in flour;
• like treasure hidden in a field;
• like a priceless pearl;
• like a net that catches all kinds of fish.

That is probably 4 images too many for one sermon.

A key to interpreting Jesus' teachings about the Kingdom of Heaven is that there is almost always a reversal from our current social practices and customs:

• The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.
• Anyone who seeks to save their life must lose it.

are two good examples.

So how is a mustard seed like the Kingdom of Heaven?

Well for one thing it is small instead of mighty; and it is mostly considered a weed instead of a desirable crop.

Being a weed means it grows in places where it is not welcome, nor cultivated. And being a weed means it is characteristically outside of human control; weeds do not require our assistance or participation in their coming into being and growth.

And for another thing the mustard shrub is hardly up to the prevailing plant image for the Kingdom of Heaven - the mighty cedar trees of Lebanon.

So how is leaven hidden in three measures (50 pounds) of flour by a woman like the Kingdom of Heaven?

Well, for one thing, UNleavened bread is what is associated with Passover and the messianic hope. Leaven is associated with corruption and impurity; with ordinary everyday life.

And for another thing (or two), the amount of flour is extravagant, perhaps wasteful, since it would be difficult for a peasant to bake and consume such a large amount of bread before it would go bad (because of the yeast in it).

And the Kingdom is being compared to women's work, to domestic activity.

So how is a treasure hidden in a field like the Kingdom of Heaven?

Well, for one thing, just as the yeast was hidden in the flour, so the treasure is hidden in the field.

Those who found (by accident) treasure hidden in fields were field workers, i.e., peasants, and not the land owners. That a peasant would actually have enough possessions to sell to earn enough to buy the field is a moot point.

The "moral" of the story might be: the Kingdom of Heaven is so fabulous you would give everything you had for it. And it is that fabulous, isn't it?

So how is a pearl of great value like the Kingdom of Heaven?

Well for one thing, it means that even those who are accustomed to finding and trading fine things might still encounter a life-changing experience. Even those involved in the church all their lives might still be transformed in ways beyond their imagining.

So how is a net that catches all kinds of fish like the Kingdom of Heaven?

Well for one thing a net is something that works below the surface; hidden; out of sight.

And for another thing, it is not selective; it catches everything.

The separating of the fish into "good" and "bad" fish is stated in a flat-footed way not typical of Jesus. So one wonders how much this might have been a later elaboration.

For my take on this business of rewarding the good guys and killing the bad guys, see my earlier comments on the parable of the field with both weeds and wheat.

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 75-78.

* 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 13:31-33, 44-52 (NRSV)

   ³¹ He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; ³² it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

   ³³ He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."

   ⁴⁴ "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

   ⁴⁵ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; ⁴⁶ on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

   ⁴⁷ "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; ⁴⁸ when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

   ⁵¹ "Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." ⁵² And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old." 

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 13:31-33, 44-52 (The Message)

   ³¹ Another story. "God's kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. ³² It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it."

   ³³ Another story. "God's kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises."

   ⁴⁴ "God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidently found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.

   ⁴⁵ "Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. ⁴⁶ Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.

   ⁴⁷ "Or, God's kingdom is like a fishnet cast into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it is full, it is hauled onto the beach. The good fish are picked out and put in a tub; those unfit to eat are thrown away. ⁴⁹ That's how it will be when the curtain comes down on history. The angels will come and cull the bad fish ⁵⁰ and throw them in the garbage. There will be a lot of desperate complaining, but it won't do any good."

   ⁵¹ Jesus asked, "Are you starting to get a handle on all this?"

      They answered, "Yes."

   ⁵² He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it." 

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 13:24-30, 36-43

This is a parable about the FIELD - about the collective experience. At the end, the weeds ARE separated and burned. At the end, what is pleasing to God is taken in to God's care and keeping. But remember, think of yourself as the FIELD. At the harvest, the weeds in you are removed, and the wheat in you is gathered in.

Year A
Pentecost 5
July 17, 2011
Sunday Between July 17 and July 23 Inclusive
Proper 11, Ordinary Time 16

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, The Message   or   Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "The Rush To Judgment."

Matthew 13 is what might be called, "The Sermon on the Lake," a series of parables (short teaching stories) intended to help us learn about God's character / what is pleasing to God / what the Kingdom of Heaven is like / how to behave now in order to practice how to behave in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Just as the preceding parable of the Sower had an extravagantly generous (or wasteful?) God giving the Good News even to the hardened, the shallow, and the bristly; this parable now talks about the other reality: it is not just the soils that vary, there are also different kinds of "seeds."

The fact that an enemy would come in the night and sabotage one's livelihood was not unheard of - not a surprise - to Jesus' hearers. A widespread fact of life was generations of feuding between families or other groups.

And while we may no longer experience weeds being placed there by enemies, we still have the widespread experience of something keeping anything from being totally perfect.

No matter how good, pure and perfect to begin, something always happens that takes the bloom off the rose.

What to do?

First, notice that Jesus does NOT advise taking revenge of the enemy. He does not advise continuing the feud by getting back at the enemy.

Second, notice that Jesus does NOT advise that WE try and make the situation pure and perfect. He rightly points out that OUR trying to makes things perfect will only make things worse.

Third, notice that while the wheat and weed PLANTS can be separated, the ROOTS cannot. Pulling up weed plants will also unavoidably pull up wheat roots.

Fourth, notice that Jesus does NOT call the weeds "wild plants that also have an honoured place in the diversity of God's creation." The weeds will not be gathered into the barn at the harvest.

Fifth, notice that - unlike real life - these weeds do NOT harm the growth of the wheat. It would be a tragic mistake to interpret this parable as toleration of harmful behaviour.

Sixth, it would also be a tragic mistake to interpret this parable as applying to different individuals.

This is a parable about the FIELD - about the collective experience. It should be interpreted as a comment on the collective experience of the whole world; or a whole congregation; or a whole person - in all cases we find an unavoidable, inseparable mixture of good and bad, wheat and weeds together sown. According to this parable, we should expect that to be true; and we should not expect that God is going to come and take out all the bad things and make everything and everyone wholly good and pure. Darn.

Seventh, notice that is not lost; all is not left muddled and pointless. At the end, the weeds ARE separated and burned. At the end, what is pleasing to God is taken in to God's care and keeping. But remember, think of yourself as the FIELD. At the harvest, the weeds in you are removed, and the wheat in you is gathered in.

Personally, though the work of harvesting is arduous, this sounds like Good News to me.

David Ewart,
www.davidewart.ca

PS: Most scholars agree that Matthew 13:36-43 are NOT the words of Jesus, but an interpretation added by the early Christian community. If you think you can count yourself amongst the wheat, it is a great passage for beating up on those you consider to be amongst the weeds. But I'm not sure what the Good News of that is.

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 75-77.

* 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 13:24-30, 36-43 (NRSV)

   ²⁴ He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. ²⁷ And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' ²⁸ He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' ²⁹ But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

   ³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." ³⁷ He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; ³⁸ the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, ⁴² and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen! 

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 13:24-30, 36-43 (The Message)

   ²⁴ He told another story. "God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. ²⁵ That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. ²⁶ When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too.

   ²⁷ "The farmhands came to the farmer and said, 'Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?'

   ²⁸ "He answered, 'Some enemy did this.'

      "The farmhands asked, 'Should we weed out the thistles?'

   ²⁹ "He said, 'No, if you weed the thistles, you'll pull up the wheat, too. ³⁰ Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I'll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.' "

   ³⁶ Jesus dismissed the congregation and went into the house. His disciples came in and said, "Explain to us that story of the thistles in the field."

   ³⁷ So he explained. "The farmer who sows the pure seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, the pure seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, ³⁹ and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels.

   ⁴⁰ "The picture of thistles pulled up and burned is a scene from the final act. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, weed out the thistles from his kingdom, ⁴² pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. ⁴³ At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father. 

      "Are you listening to this? Really listening?"

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 13:1-9, 18-23

You and I might not waste our efforts on the down trodden, the thorny, and the hardened, but God does.

Year A
Pentecost 4
July 10, 2011
Sunday Between July 10 and July 16 Inclusive
Proper 10, Ordinary Time 15

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, The Message   or   Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "A Matter Of Perspective."

Matthew 13 might be called, "The Sermon on the Lake."

It begins with what is commonly called, "The Parable of the Sower," though I think it might more properly be called, "The Parable of the Soils."

But let's begin by focusing on the Sower.

For those listening to Jesus, the behaviour of the Sower is either extremely reckless or extremely generous. They would certainly not be so careless as to waste so much good seed.

Seed was sown by hand, and the farmer would be very careful to make sure that all of his seed landed carefully only on the soil where it could grow. So the shock of this parable is immediate: some seeds fell on the path! Gasp! And if that isn't enough, next some seeds fall on rocky ground! And then some are cast among some weeds! When will this waste end? Finally, some seed fall on good soil. Whew.

Surely such wastefulness will be punished in the end. But no. The yield is 100, 60, and even 30, when the normal yield at that time would have been 4 or 5.

Those who have two good ears had better listen up.

But what are we to make of this parable of such exaggerated waste and reward?

Even the disciples are confused and must ask Jesus for an explanation.

The explanation refers to the seed and soil, not to the Sower. But if we think about the Sower for a second, we hear a story about extravagant generosity. Extravagant even to the point of being wasteful. Or perhaps, extravagant even to the point of giving seed to all regardless of pre-conditions. You and I might not waste our efforts on the down trodden, the thorny, and the hardened, but God does.

As with all teaching stories, the options are exclusive, whereas in real life, all of us - at one time or another - are all 4 of the soils: worn down and down trodden; hard hearted and shallow; thorny and stunted by bad luck and bad influences. Have we not all had Good News snatched away; had an initial burst of enthusiasm fade at the first sign of trouble; had Good News get worn down by unrelenting cares and troubles?

The Good News is given even in the midst of various troubles and woes, faults and failings.

The calling of the community of faith is to have two good ears, and to be constantly open to having our worn down places ploughed up, turned over, loosened up; to having our rocky places named and removed, and our shallowness deepened and enriched; to having our thickets of cares and anxieties plucked out and space clear for new growth. Who knows, maybe instead of eking out the bare minimum to stay alive, we might be showered with God's extravagant wastefulness.

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 74.

* 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 13:1-9, 18-23 (NRSV)

   ¹ That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. ² Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³ And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ Let anyone with ears listen!"

   ¹⁸ "Hear then the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. ²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹ yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. ²² As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. ²³ But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." 

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 13:1-9, 18-23 (The Message)

   ¹ At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. ² In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. ³ Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories.

      "What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. ⁴ As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. ⁵ Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, ⁶ so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. ⁷ Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. ⁸ Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.

   ⁹ "Are you listening to this? Really listening?"

   ¹⁸ "Study this story of the farmer planting seed. ¹⁹ When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.

   ²⁰ "The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. ²¹ But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

   ²² "The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.

   ²³ "The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams." 

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 11:16-19, 25-30

A good way to open today's worship service might be to ask: Are there any here today who have never been weary? Never had to carry a heavy heart burden? Okay, you're free to go.

Year A
Pentecost 3
July 3, 2011
Sunday Between July 3 and July 9 Inclusive
Proper 9, Ordinary Time 14

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, The Message   or   Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

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

The link between these two passages from Matthew may be "children" and "wisdom."

Verses 16-19 come at the end of a section where Jesus has explained the relationship - and differences - between himself and John the Baptist. In these verses, he comments on the response of "this generation" to them both.

What has been the response of this generation? They are like children.

This would be heard as insult. As Malina comments (Page 67, see footnote below):

Children lack wisdom or know-how, and their untrained behavior is often inappropriate. They sometimes do not know enough to dance at a wedding or mourn at a funeral.

And so, whether John fasts or Jesus eats and drinks, both are condemned, for this generation does not know how to see what it is looking for.

But, as Jesus says, wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. That is to say, John and Jesus are vindicated by what has resulted from their teachings and actions.

One has fasted; the other has eaten and drunk. But both have garnered a following and been given honour by the crowds.

Now this is precisely what is raising the anxiety of the Jerusalem elites - the wise and the intelligent ones.

In their not so humble opinion, the crowds following John and Jesus are like children: ignorant and untrained. Unaware of the delicate power politics required to keep the Roman military occupation "peaceful." The popularity of backwoods hillbillies from Galilee is seen as a threat to social stability - and to the privileged positions for the elites. (And their fear is well-placed as Rome will attack Jerusalem and destroy the Temple 40 years later in response to a peasant-led revolt.)

Verses 25-26. The Jerusalem elite authorities would hear these words of Jesus as a direct challenge and threat.

Verse 27. This verse sounds like a direct quote from the Gospel of John - which makes it highly unusual. But the sentiment described here is exactly what was widely understood: Like father, like son.

Verses 28-30. A good way to open today's worship service might be to ask:

Are there any here today who have never been weary? Never had to carry a heavy heart burden? Okay, you're free to go. 'Cause today we're gonna rest. We're gonna learn from Jesus' heart a way of life that is gentle and humble. And we're gonna set down the heavy burdens that life has given us, and take up the easy one of Jesus.

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 75-77.

* 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 11:16-19, 25-30 (NRSV)

   ¹⁶ "But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 
        ¹⁷ 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; 
            we wailed, and you did not mourn.'
¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; ¹⁹ the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

   ²⁵ At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; ²⁶ yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

   ²⁸ "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 

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 11:16-19, 25-30 (The Message)

   ¹⁶ "How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ¹⁷ 'We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.' ¹⁸ John came fasting and they called him crazy. ¹⁹ I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riff-raff. Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating."

   ²⁵ Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. ²⁶ Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

   ²⁷ Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

   ²⁸ "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. ²⁹ Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. ³⁰ Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." 

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 10:40-42

Welcoming "in the name of" means welcoming in the honour of; in the reputation of. It means welcoming in a way that is true to the integrity and character and goals of the one being welcomed. In a way that is truly worthy of the one being welcomed.

Year A
Pentecost 2
June 26, 2011
Sunday Between June 26 and July 2 Inclusive
Proper 8, Ordinary Time 13

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 10:40-42, The Message   or   Matthew 10:40-42, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Matthew 10:40-42, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

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

This is the end of Jesus' instructions to the 12 disciples that began back in Matthew 10:5.

Again, we get an insight into the importance of hospitality, of welcoming.

Welcoming an individual just did not happen in Jesus' time.

One could only welcome all that individual stood for, and all those tied to them.

So, while "Whoever welcomes you, welcomes me," is a necessary corrective in an individualistic society, Jesus is here simply pointing out the obvious, known, taken-for-granted, social understanding of his time.

Welcoming "in the name of" means welcoming in the honour of; in the reputation of. It means welcoming in a way that is true to the integrity and character and goals of the one being welcomed. In a way that is truly worthy of the one being welcomed.

And since Jesus stood for, and was bonded with, "these little ones," if we want to welcome Jesus into our lives, we must also welcome these little ones in concrete ways that actually meet their real needs. And that could be a simple as (for those of us with access to clean water) giving a cup of cold water. 

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 66-67.

* 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 10:40-42 (NRSV)

   ⁴⁰ "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹ Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; ⁴² and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward." 

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 10:40-42 (The Message)

   ⁴⁰ "We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. ⁴¹ Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God's messenger. Accepting someone's help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. ⁴² Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing." 

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 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.

Luke 11:1-13

"Up till this point who has said anything about asking for the Holy Spirit? Up till now, it's all been about bread and forgiveness and not being tested and asking and seeking and knocking. But now all of a sudden it's about the Holy Spirit. What are we to make of this?"

Year C
Season of Pentecost
Sunday Between July 24 to July 30 Inclusive
Proper 12, Ordinary Time 17
July 25, 2010, Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

Read the lesson: Luke 11:1-13, The Message;   or   Luke 11:1-13, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Luke 11:1-13, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

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

At first glance, this seems like a straightforward teaching about prayer. But the concluding verses emphasize that God can be trusted to uphold God's honour - and therefore, we can trust God to give us what we truly need for life.

Verse 1. Isn't it interesting that even Jesus prays? Takes time to be with God.

His followers, however, seem more preoccupied with inter-group rivalry / status with John the Baptist. Sort of like, "The church down the street has ... What's wrong with you that we don't have ...? Why don't you ...?"

But as usual, Jesus patiently responds to his followers.

Verses 2 to 4. (And compare / contrast with Matthew 6:9-13 which is closer to the prayer we use.)

Bruce Malina comments (Page 272, see footnote below.) on "hallowed be your name:"

The English word "hallow" means to sanctify, make holy, make sacred, ... to set someone or something apart.
With the command here in the passive voice, God is commanded to "hallow" his person, his status as God (his "name," his reputation / honour), i.e. to act, and thus reveal himself to be the God he is, to make known his ... personage.
(Comments in parentheses are mine.)

Luke 10:38-42

"if we really do desire that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven, then we need to ask, 'Who is doing the chores in heaven?' And if the answer is, "No one," then the second best answer for here on earth would be, 'Everyone.'"

Year C
Season of Pentecost
Sunday Between July 17 to July 23 Inclusive
Proper 11, Ordinary Time 16
July 18, 2010, Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

Read the lesson: Luke 10:38-42, The Message;   or   Luke 10:38-42, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Luke 10:38-42, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

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

As a man, I must confess I feel a certain amount of trepidation each time this text occurs. I'm sure that there are "Mary's" and "Martha's" sitting in the congregation, and the last thing they need is a know-nothing like me naively throwing salt on old, unhealed, wounds. In a few short verses, this lesson opens up a family fight that touches almost every woman who has a sister.

It seems possible that the Mary and Martha we meet here are the same sisters mentioned in John, Chapters 11 and 12. Especially since we read of them playing similar roles:

There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served ...
Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair.
John 12:1-2

It is odd though that Luke makes no mention of their brother, Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. In John, it is this action that is the final straw which causes the authorities to begin actively seeking to have Jesus arrested and executed.

 

Luke 10:25-37

"Having created the impossible-possibility of a despised no-body doing what is needed to inherit eternal life, ... presents a double challenge. First. To be able to see someone we despise as being able to do what God desires. Second. To imagine ourselves lying left-for-dead in a ditch and being aided by such a one."

Year C
Season of Pentecost
Sunday Between July 10 to July 16 Inclusive
Proper 10, Ordinary Time 15
July 11, 2010, Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

Read the lesson: Luke 10:25-37, The Message;   or   Luke 10:25-37, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Click here, Luke 10:25-37, for an easy to print or email Adobe PDF version of this note.

Sermon by the Rev. Dr. George Hermanson, "A Surprising Answer." 

This lesson shows us Jesus' great skill as a debater and story-teller.

Verses 25 to 29 are the debate; Verses 30 to 37 are the great story.

Verses 25 to 29. At the time of Jesus, the honourable way for an elite person to put a lower-class upstart back into their proper place was to verbally challenge them; and cause them to lose face by making public the upstart's lack of real knowledge and true wisdom.

So when the lawyer stands up to test Jesus by asking, "What must I do to inherit eternal life;" this is not an honest question. It is a hostile question intended to expose Jesus' lack of knowledge about the answer that is already given in Scripture and tradition.

However. Because Jesus is acting with the authority given him from God - it would be DIShonourable for him to directly answer such a question. To do so would draw attention to himself; would be shameful boasting. He would be seen as trying to claim personal honour / merit, and a higher status based on his own authority.