Holy Textures

Mark 12:28-34

Short, easy to use, thought provoking background commentary for your sermon, bible study lesson, or scripture reflection.
Listed on The Text This Week, www.textweek.com.

Year B, Season of Pentecost
Proper 26, Ordinary Time 31
Sunday Between October 30 and November 5 Inclusive
22nd Sunday After Pentecost 2009

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This week's text is the climax of a day of confrontation between Jesus and the religious authorities in Jerusalem. (See my comment, Jesus' Last Week - Tuesday.)

However, just in case we were writing off all religious elites as hard-hearted, unseeing opponents of Jesus, Mark ends the series of hostile questions with a scribe asking a genuine one.

It is the narrator, Mark, who tells us that the scribe had been positively impressed by Jesus - "seeing that (Jesus) answered them well." We, the readers, should not gloss over this remarkable assessment of Jesus' honour by one of his opponents.

Mark 10:46-52

Short, easy to use, thought provoking background commentary for your sermon, bible study lesson, or scripture reflection.
Listed on The Text This Week, www.textweek.com.

Year B, Season of Pentecost
Proper 25, Ordinary Time 30
Sunday Between October 23 and October 29 Inclusive
21st Sunday After Pentecost 2009

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

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In the Gospel of Mark, today's reading is the culmination of Jesus' ministry before the events of Holy Week begin.

Perhaps I am reading too much into the story, but I believe Mark is asking us, the readers, to ponder 4 questions:

• Who have you seen in what has been told so far? (Are you still blind? Are you willing to see now?)
• Will you seize the opportunity when hope walks by?
• What do you need Jesus to free you to do/be?
• How will you respond when what has been holding you back is finally removed? 

Matthew 6:25-33

Short, easy to use, thought provoking background commentary for your sermon, bible study lesson, or scripture reflection.
Listed on The Text This Week, www.textweek.com.

Year B, Season of Pentecost
Thanksgiving Sunday

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

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

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

These teachings are the basis for the "Therefore, do not worry" in Verse 25.

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

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

These teachings are the basis for the "Therefore, do not worry" in Verse 25.

Mark 10:35-45

Short, easy to use, thought provoking background commentary for your sermon, bible study lesson, or scripture reflection.
Listed on The Text This Week, www.textweek.com.

Year B, Season of Pentecost
Proper 24, Ordinary Time 29
Sunday Between October 16 and October 22 Inclusive
20th Sunday After Pentecost 2009

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

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Perhaps the authors of the Lectionary have gotten tired of hearing Jesus lecture us on the topic of his impending betrayal, arrest, degradation, brutal execution and rising again, but omitting Verses 32-34  completely removes the context for appreciating the shocking display of stupidity and arrogance by James and John. Jesus has just said, "The Romans are going to kill me in a way that they have perfected through practice to cause the maximum possible amount of shame and pain for the longest possible time." And James and John then ask, "Well, after that's all done with, could you give us the best seats in Paradise?"

Mark 10:17-31

Short, easy to use, thought provoking background commentary for your sermon, bible study lesson, or scripture reflection.
Listed on The Text This Week, www.textweek.com.

Year B, Season of Pentecost
Proper 23, Ordinary Time 28
Sunday Between October 9 and October 15 Inclusive
19th Sunday After Pentecost 2009

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

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Whereas last week I had to confess my conflict of interest in discerning the text was that I am divorced and re-married, this week I have to confess that I grew up relatively poor. Which of course means I am a completely neutral and impartial interpreter of Jesus' teachings about money (just kidding).

The text begins with a young man running up to Jesus, kneeling before him, and addressing him as "Good teacher." All 3 of these actions are done only by an inferior to a superior. And though they may not be meant as such, they are a challenge to Jesus' honour! How so?

Mark 10:2-16

Short, easy to use, thought provoking background commentary for your sermon, bible study lesson, or scripture reflection.
Listed on The Text This Week, www.textweek.com.

Year B, Season of Pentecost
Proper 22, Ordinary Time 27
Sunday Between October 2 and October 8 Inclusive 
18th Sunday After Pentecost 2009

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

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In the interests of full-disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, I will say right at the start that I am divorced and re-married. So I am not a disinterested discerner of this text.

Back in Chapter 8, Jesus began to lead his disciples south; away from their rural, country-bumpkin origins to the big leagues of the capital city Jerusalem. Today's text is the first of several challenges to Jesus by the elites from the city, in this case the Pharisees.

The public fame and honour that Jesus has been gaining is a major threat to the status quo. And the first line of defence against someone who was getting out of place was to put them back in place by successfully shaming them in public. And the preferred way to honourably shame someone was through trick questions. Catching an opponent out this way proved one's superior cleverness and deflated the upstart's standing in the eyes and ears of the watching crowd.

Mark 9:38-50

Short, easy to use, thought provoking background commentary for your sermon, bible study lesson, or scripture reflection.
Listed on The Text This Week, www.textweek.com.

Year B, Season of Pentecost
Proper 21, Ordinary Time 26
Sunday Between September 25 and October 1 Inclusive 
17th Sunday After Pentecost 2009

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

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Today's lesson has enough wisdom for a month of Sundays. What can be read in 5 minutes may take a life-time to ponder and practice before we have been inwardly formed by the voice of the text this day.

As someone once said:

You can divide the world into two groups of people.
Those who believe you can divide the world into two group of people,
and those who don't.

Jesus' disciples belong to the first group; Jesus belongs to the second.

Matthew 23:1-12

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Just in case you thought Jesus got himself killed for being meek and mild mannered, this week we have a text full of Jesus swearing, cursing and insulting.

Matthew 22:34-46

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Once again we have another story of a challenge and confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders and elites. In this case, the Pharisees.

We have skipped over the mocking, sarcastic question of the Sadducees concerning resurrection, Matthew 22:23-33.

Bruce Malina suggests that the two questions in this text parallel the last two of the four questions that are asked at the Passover meal:

1. The first son, the "wise son," asks the "Is it lawful" question. (Matthew 22:17 - Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor, or not?)
2. The second son, the "wicked son," asks the mocking question. (Matthew 22:24-28 - In the resurrection whose wife of the seven [brothers] will she be?)
3. The third son, the "perfect or well-rounded son," asks the question concerning general moral principles. (Matthew 22:36 - What is the greatest commandment?)
4. The fourth son, is a child too young to ask a question, and so the question concerning Israelite history is asked by the presiding father (in this case, Jesus). (Matthew 22:45 - If David thus calls him Lord, how can he [the Messiah] be his son?)
   Malina, pages 112-114.

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

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

Once again we have another story of a challenge and confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders and elites. In this case, the Pharisees.

We have skipped over the mocking, sarcastic question of the Sadducees concerning resurrection, Matthew 22:23-33.

Bruce Malina suggests that the two questions in this text parallel the last two of the four questions that are asked at the Passover meal:

1. The first son, the "wise son," asks the "Is it lawful" question. (Matthew 22:17 - Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor, or not?)
2. The second son, the "wicked son," asks the mocking question. (Matthew 22:24-28 - In the resurrection whose wife of the seven [brothers] will she be?)
3. The third son, the "perfect or well-rounded son," asks the question concerning general moral principles. (Matthew 22:36 - What is the greatest commandment?)
4. The fourth son, is a child too young to ask a question, and so the question concerning Israelite history is asked by the presiding father (in this case, Jesus). (Matthew 22:45 - If David thus calls him Lord, how can he [the Messiah] be his son?)
   Malina, pages 112-114.

Matthew 22:15-22

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Once again we have another story of a challenge and confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders and elites. In this case, the Pharisees and those who supported Herod as King (that is, as vassal King of the real rulers - the Romans).

Their opening remarks to Jesus are pure slime. They set Jesus up with exaggerated praise with the intention he will fall flat on his face from the high pedestal they have just placed him on.