Holy Textures: Year A

100 posts categorized "Year A"

Matthew 1:18-25

Joseph was indeed righteous. But more importantly, he was merciful, faithful, and courageous. He chose relationships instead of self-righteousness.

An angel appeared in a dream

Year A
Advent 4
December 18, 2022
Sunday Between December 18 and December 24 Inclusive

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 1:18-25, The Message or Matthew 1:18-25, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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."

Verse 18. "Engaged" is misleading. Mary and Joseph have been betrothed - that is, solemnly contracted by their families to be married at some later date.

"She was found to be with child" is a curious use of the passive voice. Who has done the finding? The text gives no indication.

The fact that Mary is pregnant before she and Joseph have married is shameful in the extreme - both for Mary and her family.

However, that the child is "from the Holy Spirit" confuses the situation since that is a great honour.

In hindsight, it is the honour that has won the day. But, at the time, and in the actual circumstance, it is Mary's shame that guides Joseph's initial response.

(Aside. It is somewhat curious that it is Joseph who is acting here and not his family. Normally, marriages are pre-arranged by the parents. And so, it would normally be the families that would end a betrothal. For whatever reasons, the duty to act has fallen to Joseph alone.)

Verse 19. This verse gives us a glimpse into the character of Joseph. Joseph is both righteous and merciful.

His righteousness is shown in that he gives up his right to marriage with Mary in order that the father of the child might claim it as his own by marrying her.

His mercy is shown in that he intends to do this "quietly," that is, with as little public gossip as possible.

Verse 20. "An angel of the Lord." Note that in Matthew's telling of the birth, humans learn of God's plans from angel messengers, comets (the moving star), visions and dreams. However,

When the public activity of Jesus begins ..., he becomes the source of information about what God wants of people.
Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, page 26."

"Conceived in her" is misleading. We now know that babies are conceived by the fertilization of an egg from the woman with sperm from the man.

However, at the time of Mary (and up until quite recently), it was understood that women played no role in conception.

The male - in this case the Holy Spirit - placed a human seed into the woman. And even this image is misleading since it was believed that the "seed" was actually a very small version of the later child - there was no understanding of foetal development within the womb. It is an anachronism to imagine that Jesus is half-human (from Mary's egg) and half-divine (from the Holy Spirit's sperm).

Verse 23. Is a reference to Isaiah 7:14

Verse 24. We've already been told that Joseph is righteous and acts with mercy. Now we see that Joseph is also faithful. When he awakes, he does what the angel of the Lord had commanded him. It should not be taken for granted that everyone always did what God commanded. (Consider how much the Ten Commandments are followed, even by professing Christians.)

Verse 25. Emphasizes that there is no way that Joseph could possibly be the father of Jesus.

Three things to note:

1. Matthew tells the story of the birth from Joseph's perspective; Luke from Mary's.

2. Matthew makes no mention of Nazareth until the family returns from exile in Egypt. (Verse 2:23) Thus, Matthew also makes no mention of traveling to Bethlehem. Without Luke's story, we would probably understand that Joseph and Mary lived in Bethlehem and that Jesus was born in their home there.

3. And so, Matthew makes no mention of an "inn" or a manger.

In this brief passage, we see how Joseph is required to step outside of his comfort zone. To move from being righteous and honourable in his own right, to embracing Mary with her child and all the shame and dishonour that would bring.

Joseph was indeed righteous. But more importantly - he was merciful, faithful, and courageous. He chose relationships instead of self-righteousness.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Note: Historical background information is primarily from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, pages 25-26; and the writings of Amy-Jill Levine, et. al. See below.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NRSV)

   ¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. ²⁰ But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." ²² All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
   ²³ "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
         and they shall name him Emmanuel,"
which means, "God is with us." ²⁴ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, ²⁵ but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

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.

Return to top of post.

Matthew 1:18-25 (The Message)

¹⁸ The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) ¹⁹ Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

²⁰ While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. ²¹ She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." ²² This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:

²³ Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Emmanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").

²⁴ Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. ²⁵ But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in Advent-Christmas, Year A | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew 2:1-12

That this comet is understood to be a sign of the birth of a "child who has been born King of the Jews" is particularly frightening to Herod since HE is King of the Jews and this unknown child is a threat to him and his heirs.

We have observed his star at its rising

Year A, B, C
Epiphany of the Lord
January 6 or First Sunday of January

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 2:1-12, The Message or Matthew 2:1-12, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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."

Verse 1 - "In the time of King Herod." This King Herod died in 4 BC.

- "Wise men from the East." They were astrologers, probably not kings. (Personal aside: I wonder if anyone has researched if there is remnant memory from the Babylonian exile that has informed these three "from the east?")

Verse 2 - "Observed his star at its rising" probably refers to a comet. "At its rising" could also be translated as "at the place of the rising of the sun, i.e., the east." Celestial events such as this were understood to be omens of the future. That this comet is understood to be a sign of the birth of a "child who has been born King of the Jews" is particularly frightening to Herod since HE is King of the Jews and this unknown child is a threat to him and his heirs.

Verse 3 - "(King Herod) was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him." That is, this news is not just about a change of who will be King. "All Jerusalem," that is, all the elites in Jerusalem, are also frightened because of the social turmoil that such a change in the status quo would bring. The occupying Roman armies would expect that THEY would be the ones to install any new King, and would not likely accept without a war this new baby King.

Verse 4 - "Calling together." Herod has no capacity to interpret this himself. Instead, he must call together (at great expense) the religious leaders of his time - priests and scribes - to tell him what this means.

Verse 6 - Is a reference to Micah 5:2. Although it was always a small village, Bethlehem was an auspicious place to be born because it was the birth place of the greatest King of Israel, David. It was to David that God promised a descendant of his would always be King of Israel. (See below for a discussion of the critical difference between "Judah" and "Israel.")

Verse 7 - "Secretly." Honourable business is always done openly. Therefore, when Herod meets "secretly with the wise men, they (and we, the readers) would know immediately that Herod's statements were deceitful and not to be trusted.

Verse 8 - "Stopped over the place." Assuming there really was a comet, and we can understand this story in reasonably natural terms, it might be better to read this as "Confirmed the place" or "Set below the horizon at the place." It is an anachronism to read this as a "magical" or "supernatural" event. At the time of Matthew, such events would have been understood to happen in purely "normal" and "natural" ways, because God was fully present - naturally and normally - in all events. And so special events or signs were just that: special but natural and NOT supernatural.

Verse 11 - "On entering the house." Note that Matthew has made no mention of Nazareth or of the need for a trip to Bethlehem. Without Luke, we would probably understand that Jesus was born at home in Joseph's house where they lived in Bethlehem.

- "Gold, frankincense and myrrh" are all expensive gifts "fit for a King."

A few things to note:

It is interesting that Matthew is the only Gospel to tell of the adoration of Jesus by foreigners. Matthew usually goes to great lengths to show how the life of Jesus "fulfills what is written" in the scriptures. But this event has no scriptural precedent. And so Epiphany opens us to unprecedented outside-the-box new events that reveal the presence of God.
It is pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if these "Wise Men from the East" are not a remnant from the time when the Judean elite were taken in captivity to Babylon?
It is difficult to place how soon after Jesus' birth that the wise men arrive. The following verses which tell of Herod killing all boys two years and younger suggests that they did not arrive close to the actual birth day. Tradition has placed their arrival 12 days after the birth.
Today, the arrival of the wise men is celebrated on January 6, twelve days after December 25. This day is called "Epiphany" because it is a celebration that Jesus was born "for all," and that on this day, a few of those "all" responded to Jesus' birth and worshiped him. Their leaving of their homes to seek Jesus is a precursor of Peter, James and the other disciples leaving their homes to follow Jesus.
The reference to "Jews" in all English translations is a mis-translation of the underlying Greek word for Judeans. Judeans are those from the southern-most province of Judah, where the capital city, Jerusalem, and the little town of Bethlehem are located.
At the time of Jesus, Judah was one of 3 provinces of the people of Israel. The northern province of Galilee was where Nazareth was located. Galilee was considered by Judeans to be a backwater populated by hillbillies.
Because the Roman occupiers dealt with the capital city Jerusalem, in Judah, they were not aware of the inner conflicts and status rankings, and referred to all the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the nation of Israel - as "Judeans," or as we now say in English - as "Jews." But notice that Jesus always refers to his people as "Israel."
Now, although the news of the birth of an unknown new king was frightening, it was to be expected that any King of Israel would be from Judah. But Matthew concludes his story of Jesus' birth (Matthew 2:23):
      (Joseph) made his home in a town called Nazareth,
      so that what had been spoken through the prophets
      might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."
And this is definitely a challenge and an insult for the elites in Jerusalem. ESPECIALLY when the Romans unknowingly kept referring to that local yokel hay-seed, Jesus, from that who's-ever-heard-of-back-water hamlet of Nazareth as THEIR King, "King of the Judeans." No way Hosea will Judeans accept a Galilean as their King.

Unfortunately, this mis-translation has a bloody history as subsequent followers of Jesus with no roots in Israel failed to see the conflict between Jerusalem elites and Galilean nobodies, and in the name of Jesus created and validated hatred, persecution, and murder of Jesus' own people.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Note: Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, pages 26-29; and the writings of Amy-Jill Levine, et. al. See below.

Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSV)

¹ In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." ³ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; ⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

   ⁶ 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
      are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
      for from you shall come a ruler
      who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"

⁷ Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. ⁸ Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." ⁹ When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹ On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Return to top of post.

Matthew 25:31-46 (The Message)

¹ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory—this was during Herod's kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. ² They asked around, "Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We're on pilgrimage to worship him."

³ When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. ⁴ Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?"

⁵ They told him, "Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:

⁶ It's you, Bethlehem, in Judah's land,
         no longer bringing up the rear.
      From you will come the leader
         who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel."

⁷ Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. ⁸ Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, "Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I'll join you at once in your worship."

⁹ Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. ¹⁰ They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!

¹¹ They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

¹² In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in Epiphany, Year A, Year B, Year C | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew 2:13-23

Matthew wants us to trust that ... God can and does protect, guide, warn, and keep alive from generation to generation the alternative Jesus-vision of what is really real: God is love and love is the only response that will ultimately end violence.

Year-A-Christmas-1-Guido-Reni-Massacre-of-the-Innocents

Herod killed all the boys under 2 years of age

Year A
Christmas 1
January 1, 2023
Sunday between December 26 and January 1 inclusive

And / Or

Year A, B, C
Holy Innocents
December 28

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 2:13-23, The Message or Matthew 2:13-23, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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."

It is difficult to be confident of the actual historicity of the events recorded in Matthew and Luke about the birth of Jesus.

Like our own family stories, they are recalled by second and third generations as a way of informing responses to questions of their identity: Who are we? How did we get to be here? Who were our ancestors and how were their lives formed? What events in their lives resulted in us being the people we have become? What honour and mandate have we inherited from our ancestors? What honour and mandate must we bestow on our descendants?

And so, whatever actually happened at the birth of Jesus is recalled and retold NOT to answer OUR questions about historical accuracy and scientific factuality. Memories of those events were intuitively and naively selected and recast into a story that will inform, shape, guide and warn the adopted descendants of Jesus (i.e., his followers) as they too seek to embody the love of God in a dangerous world.

Matthew first addresses these questions of identity and purpose by tracing the ancestry of Jesus as a descendant of King David - and therefore a rightful inheritor of God's promise that a descendant of David would reign on the throne of Israel forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

Secondly, Matthew reports how events were guided by messages, events, and interventions from the heavens:

the conceiving in Mary of a child of the Holy Spirit.
Joseph's 3 dreams:
Matthew 1:20 - not to divorce Mary;
Matthew 2:13 - the warning to flee to Egypt; and
Matthew 2:19 - the return to Nazareth.
the moving star (likely a comet) seen by the wise men from the East, Matthew 2:2.
the wise men's dream, Matthew 2:12 - warning not to return to Herod.

And thirdly, Matthew reports how events took place to fulfill what had been spoken in Scriptures:

Matthew 1:23 - a virgin shall conceive - in fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 2:6 - born in Bethlehem - in fulfillment of Micah 5:2
Matthew 2:15 - out of Egypt - in fulfillment of Hosea 11:1 and/or Exodus 4:22
Matthew 2:18 - the slaughter of boys age 2 and under - in fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:15
Matthew 2:23 - the return to Nazareth - In fulfillment of Isaiah 11:1

And so it is possible to come to this text and read it as all merely part of a divine plan; and fail to be stopped by the enormity of the human suffering and tragedy it reports.

Here we are - reading the story of the birth of the one named "Jesus," "for he will save his people from their sins" - and one of the first things that happens is that innocent children are slaughtered because of his birth.

Clearly then, the "fulfillment" of scripture in Matthew is NOT to be understood as a termination of the ways of the world. The birth of Jesus does not put an end to human tragedy.

Instead, Matthew wants us to trust that the birth of Jesus demonstrates:

that there really is a God;
that God can be trusted to fulfill promises made in the past;
that God is love;
that God has all the power that love has;
that God does NOT use coercion or violence to fulfill
God`s promises because violence means that love has failed;
that the rulers of this world can and do use coercion and violence;
that the most innocent and vulnerable are often
the victims of the rulers of this world;
that the rulers of this world die;
that God can and does heal and reconcile - in Paradise -
even the worst coercion and violence;
that God can and does protect, guide, warn,
and keep alive from generation to generation
this alternative Jesus-vision of what is really real:
that God is love and love is the only response that
will ultimately end violence.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Note: Historical background information is primarily from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, pages 29-31; and the writings of Amy-Jill Levine, et. al. See below.

Matthew 2:13-23 (NRSV)

¹³ Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." ¹⁴ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, ¹⁵ and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."

¹⁶ When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
¹⁸"A voice was heard in Ramah,
         wailing and loud lamentation,
      Rachel weeping for her children;
         she refused to be consoled,
         because they are no more."

¹⁹ When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ²⁰ "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." ²¹ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. ²³ There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."

Return to top of post.

Matthew 2:13-23 (The Message)

¹³ After the scholars were gone, God's angel showed up again in Joseph's dream and commanded, "Get up. Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt. Stay until further notice. Herod is on the hunt for this child, and wants to kill him."

¹⁴ Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother under cover of darkness. They were out of town and well on their way by daylight. ¹⁵ They lived in Egypt until Herod's death. This Egyptian exile fulfilled what Hosea had preached: "I called my son out of Egypt."

¹⁶ Herod, when he realized that the scholars had tricked him, flew into a rage. He commanded the murder of every little boy two years old and under who lived in Bethlehem and its surrounding hills. (He determined that age from information he'd gotten from the scholars.) ¹⁷ That's when Jeremiah's sermon was fulfilled:
¹⁸ A sound was heard in Ramah,
         weeping and much lament.
      Rachel weeping for her children,
         Rachel refusing all solace,
      Her children gone,
         dead and buried.

¹⁹ Later, when Herod died, God's angel appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt: ²⁰ "Up, take the child and his mother and return to Israel. All those out to murder the child are dead."

²¹ Joseph obeyed. He got up, took the child and his mother, and reentered Israel. ²² When he heard, though, that Archelaus had succeeded his father, Herod, as king in Judea, he was afraid to go there. But then Joseph was directed in a dream to go to the hills of Galilee. ²³ On arrival, he settled in the village of Nazareth. This move was a fulfillment of the prophetic words, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in Advent-Christmas, Year A | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew 3:1-12

When the Kingdom of Heaven comes near it is not paying a state visit with photo ops and fancy dinners. It is coming to change the world.

You brood of vipers

Year A
Advent 2
December 4, 2022
Sunday Between December 4 and December 10 Inclusive

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 3:1-12, The Message or Matthew 3:1-12, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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."

This text continues the Advent theme of preparing for the arrival of Jesus. And uses the preaching of John the Baptist to press home that preparation requires internal cleansing and not just straightening up around the house.

Verses 1 to 3. Matthew's phrase, "in those days," does not so much refer to a date in time - roughly 2,000 years ago now - as it does to a situation - "the Kingdom of Heaven has come near." John's proclamation in Verse 2:

Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.

is exactly how Matthew reports Jesus beginning his ministry in Chapter 4, Verse 17.

Verses 4 to 6. The wilderness is a dangerous place filled with bandits, wild animals, and wild spirits. It is a place that respectable people avoid except for respectable reasons such as travelling for business or religious festivals or visiting family.

But it is also a place of spiritual cleansing, testing, and renewal: The 40 years spent in the wilderness during the exodus from Egypt; the 40 days spent in the wilderness by Jesus.

That John is in the wilderness is fitting for a prophet. That people from Jerusalem, Judea, and along the Jordan were coming to meet John is a testament to the public acclaim that John has acquired - and to the heightened anticipation of big changes.

Notice that though Matthew reports that people were confessing their sins, unlike Mark and Luke report, John himself only says that he is baptizing "for repentance," (Verse 11) and not, "for repentance of sins."

The repentance John is seeking is individual change of attitudes and actions, but also of societal change of attitudes and actions. When the Kingdom of Heaven comes near it is not paying a state visit with photo ops and fancy dinners. It is coming to change the world. And the changes needed to go from the way things currently are to the way God desires them to be will require more than tweaking the prime lending rate, or promising more money for aid.

Verses 7 to 10. So when John sees among the crowd the leaders of the way things currently are, he reacts angrily and insults them:

You brood of vipers.

Contrary to Arthur Paul Boer's excellent advice, Never Call Them Jerks, I often have to resist adding as a personal aside while reading Verse 7, "You brood of vipers (and you know who you are) ..." But just as with Jonah and the Ninevites, it turns out that even vipers can heed warnings and repent.

However, as Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh (See footnote below.) helpfully point out, this phrase would also be understood as, "you offspring of vipers." And since all of one's social standing derived from one's parents - this is a huge insult indeed. An insult that would be strenuously challenged by those listening to John - and a challenge that John anticipates and cuts off by saying, "Don't say that Abraham is your ancestor ..."

Indeed by going further with his image of the axe cutting at the ROOTS of the tree - as compared with cutting at the trunk of the tree - John is deepening the meaning of repentance to be RE-ROOTING. The practice of baptism for the Christian community would very early on become not just a rite for repentance - but more crucially, a rite for re-rooting one's identity away from one's birth family into the community of followers of Christ's way. It is this baptism of RE-ROOTING as a child of God that Jesus undergoes.

My favourite verse in this whole passage is:

Bear fruits worthy of repentance.

And so, probably the best sermon title for this week is, "New Roots That Bear Fruits of Repentance."

That is, in Biblical terms, repentance is not so much about feeling sorry, or about forgiveness. It is about being in a right relationship with God. A relationship that cannot be inherited. Repentance is all about changing attitudes and behaviour to align with God's desires for us all.

Thinking through what might be the fruits of repentance for each of us - and for the congregation as a whole - might be all the work that needs to be done this Sunday.

Verses 11 to 12. Somewhere back in the mists of my memory, someone said to me that John is our model. Like John, we too point to Jesus and his ministry; we too proclaim the good news to the people.

I also am reminded of Mr. Rogers whenever I read a separating-the-wheat-from-the-chaff passage. As Mr. Rogers often pointed out even people who are bad most of the time will be good some of the time; and those who are good most of the time will be bad some of the time.

So the wheat-chaff separation is not separating into two groups of "bad" persons and "good" persons. It is separating the good that is within each person from the bad that is within each person. May it be so. (Especially you vipers out there. Just kidding. Sort of.)

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Note: Historical background information is primarily from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, pages 31-35; and the writings of Amy-Jill Levine, et. al. See below.

Matthew 3:1-12 (NRSV)

   ¹ In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ² "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." ³ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
   "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
    'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"

⁴ Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹ Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹ "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Return to top of post.

Matthew 3:1-12 (The Message)

   ¹ While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called "the Baptizer," was preaching in the desert country of Judea. ² His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here." ³ John and his message were authorized by Isaiah's prophecy:
   Thunder in the desert!
   Prepare for God's arrival!
   Make the road smooth and straight!

⁴ John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. ⁵ People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. ⁶ There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life.

⁷ When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? ⁸ It's your life that must change, not your skin! ⁹ And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. ¹⁰ What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire.

¹¹ "I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I'm a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. ¹² He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in Advent-Christmas, Year A | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew 3:13-17

Fulfilling of righteousness requires letting go of our personal sense of what is right and proper in order to let it be God's will that is fulfilled. For Jesus, as at the end, so too at the beginning: a deep and profound aligning of his heart and will with the will and Spirit of God.

Suddenly the heavens were opened to him

Year A
Baptism of the Lord
Epiphany 1
January 8, 2023
Sunday Between January 7 and January 13 Inclusive

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 3:13-17, The Message or Matthew 3:13-17, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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."

One of the few agreements between all 4 of the Gospels: Matthew Mark, Luke, and John, is that the public ministry of Jesus begins with the proclamations / testimony of John the Baptist about Jesus. While the exact wording of John's testimony varies between them, all point to Jesus as greater than John.

John, however, does not describe the baptism of Jesus. Instead, John the Baptist testifies:

I saw the Spirit descending on him like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.
John 1:32-34, New Revised Standard Version

In this description, the context in which John the Baptist sees the dove descending is not given. Was Jesus baptized? Did Jesus see the heavens open? Did Jesus hear a voice declaring, "This is my Son?" The Gospel of John is silent on all these points.

In Matthew, Mark and Luke, the sequence of events is: Jesus is baptized; the heavens open; the Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove; a voice says,

This is my son, the Beloved, with you (or, with whom) I am well pleased.

In Matthew and Mark, the heavens are opened "to him," and "he sees" the Spirit of God descending; suggesting that perhaps these experiences were private to Jesus alone.

It is unclear whether the voice from Heaven would have been heard by all those present, but such an affirmation of status and honour would make no sense unless it were heard publicly. Indeed, in some ways, it is possible to read the rest of the account of Jesus' life as being public confirmation of what is announced at Jesus' baptism.

Unlike Mark (Mark 1:4) and Luke (Luke 3:3), in Matthew John baptizes with water "for repentance" only, and not "repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

Only in Matthew does John protest baptizing Jesus (Verse 3:14). After all, since John is baptizing with water for repentance (Verse 13:11), what need does Jesus have for being baptized? This protest of John is similar to Peter's protest when Jesus first reveals that he will suffer and die (Verse 16:22).

And Jesus' response here:

Let it be so for now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.
Verse 3:15

foreshadows his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest and execution:

My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.
Verse 26:42

That is, just as the execution of Jesus on a cross confounds all Messianic expectations at the end of his life; so too, his public ministry begins with a confounding of social norms.

Fulfilling / completing of righteousness requires letting go of our personal sense of what is right and proper, of our own will, in order to let it be God's will that is fulfilled.

For Jesus, as at the end, so too at the beginning: a deep and profound abiding in / aligning of his heart and will with the will and Spirit of God.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Note: Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, pages 29-31; and the writings of Amy-Jill Levine, et. al. See below.

Matthew 3:13-17 (NRSV)

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Return to top of post.

Matthew 3:13-17 (The Message)

¹³ Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. ¹⁴ John objected, "I'm the one who needs to be baptized, not you!"

¹⁵ But Jesus insisted. "Do it. God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism." So John did it.

¹⁶ The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God's Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. ¹⁷ And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life."

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in Epiphany, Year A | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew 4:1-11

The first test is in that first little word Satan uses: IF. "If you are the Son of God ..." Because the unstated possibility behind the word, "IF," is, "And maybe you're not really." It takes us out of our hearts and into our heads. It breaks the bond of confident trust. This test is repeated when Jesus is crucified and the scornful crowds mock Jesus: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Matthew 27:40)

If you are the son of God ...

Year A
Lent 1
February 26, 2023

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 4:1-11, The Message or Matthew 4:1-11, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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 has made extraordinary claims for the unknown son of an unknown carpenter from a backwater unknown hamlet. If we are to believe Matthew, his claims about Jesus - "the Messiah, the Son of David," (Matthew 1:1); "This is my Son, the Beloved," (Matthew 3:17) - if they are to be believed, these high claims must pass the severest test.

In Job, Satan acts as a secret agent of God who tests the loyalty of Job through a series of tragic calamities. Indeed, the name "Satan," comes from the Persian for just such a person - a secret agent of the King who secretly tests subjects' loyalty to the King.

However, by the time of Jesus, Satan has become a rogue agent who not only tests loyalty but also recruits persons to join his circle of anti-God people.

Testing of loyalty through trial and temptation is not uncommon in the Bible - beginning in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3; the near-sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, Genesis 22; and the people of Israel in the wilderness:

This entire commandment that I command you today you must diligently observe, so that you may live and increase, and go in and occupy the land that the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember the long way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 8:1-3

The reference to the number forty is also significant - it rained for forty days and nights, Genesis 7; the forty years in the wilderness before entering the Holy Land; King David and his son, Solomon, the two greatest Kings of Israel, each reigned for forty years; and most significantly Moses' own fast:

He was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
Exodus 34:28

And finally, the resurrected Jesus remains with his followers for forty days before ascending into heaven.

While it is not wise to read too much into the numbers (I do not believe in numerology), it certainly is wise to pay attention when the Bible uses the number "forty." It signifies that something very extraordinarily Holy is about to happen - God will be particularly present and involved.

The three tests / temptations are intended to demonstrate that Jesus is indeed worthy of the most exalted position: Son of God. (Three is also a significant number.)

The first test - turning stones into bread - is not so much about Jesus possibly mis-using his special relationship with God for personal gain (though that IS a worthy sermon). The test is really in that first little word Satan uses: IF. "If you are the Son of God ..." Because the unstated possibility behind the word, "IF," is, "And maybe you're not really." It takes us out of hearts and into our heads. It breaks the bond of confident trust. This test is repeated when Jesus is crucified when the scornful crowds mock Jesus: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Matthew 27:40)

Well the whole of the New Testament exists precisely because of this point: Jesus IS the Son of God.

And in this passage we see this proclaimed not only by angels and voices from Heaven, but now by Jesus' own words and actions. Jesus begins to demonstrate that he is indeed worthy of the high honour ascribed to him.

Jesus meets the tempter's challenge NOT with his own skill, wisdom, power, or authority; but by doing the only honourable thing a worthy son would do: quote his father. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

The second test also involves that sneaky little word, "if," but now the Devil also uses scripture to tempt Jesus. Jesus used scripture to rebut the tempter for the first test; but as we all know from personal experience, even the Devil can quote scripture for their own purposes. (Psalm 91:11-12)

The thoroughness of Jesus' knowing of his father's character, aims, and purposes is now being deeply tested. Jesus again does the honourable thing by quoting his father (Deuteronomy 6:16) to rebut and correct how the tempter has mis-used his father's words.

Thirdly, the Devil tempts Jesus by claiming that actually he, the devil, can act as an agent of God, and bestow on Jesus what belongs to God (the nations of the world and their glory), if only Jesus will honour the Devil and show him the obeisance a loyal subject ought to (by bowing).

Again Jesus meets this challenge by quoting scripture (Deuteronomy 6:13) and remaining true to his loyalty to God.

Thus Jesus has passed the loyalty test in the court of the heavenly realm - now he will begin his earthly ministry and be severely tested there also.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Note: Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, pages 36-37; and the writings of Amy-Jill Levine, et. al. See below.

Matthew 4:1-11 (NRSV)

   ¹ Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. ³ The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." ⁴ But he answered,
   "It is written,
      'One does not live by bread alone,
         but by every word that comes from
            the mouth of God.'"

   ⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, ⁶ saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
      'He will command his angels concerning you,'
      and 'On their hands they will bear you up,
         so that you will not dash your foot
            against a stone.'"

⁷ Jesus said to him, "Again it is written,
'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

   8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; ⁹ and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
      'Worship the Lord your God,
         and serve only him.'"

¹¹ Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Return to top of post.

Matthew 4:1-11 (The Message)

¹ Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. ² Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, ³ which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread."

⁴ Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."

⁵ For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, ⁶ "Since you are God's Son, jump." The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone."

⁷ Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: "Don't you dare test the Lord your God."

⁸ For the third test, the Devil took him on the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. ⁹ Then he said, "They're yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours."

¹⁰ Jesus' refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan!" He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness."

¹¹ The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs.

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in Lent-Holy Week, Year A | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew 4:12-23

The command / invitation to Peter, Andrew, James and John to "Come, follow me," is not: "I wonder if you would consider the possibility of tagging along if you have the time, and it's not too inconvenient."

Come and follow

Year A
Epiphany 3
January 22, 2023
Sunday Between January 21 and January 27 Inclusive

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 4:12-23, The Message or Matthew 4:12-23, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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."

Having interrupted readings from Matthew for Epiphany and Baptism by skipping over to John last Sunday, we are back at Matthew this week. But the skipping has omitted the story of Jesus' testing / tempting (this will be told in a few more weeks on the first Sunday of Lent). Instead, we repeat the calling of the first disciples.

Matthew 4:12-17, establishes Jesus as the successor of John the Baptist. We learn that John has been arrested, and Jesus has "withdrawn" - or fled; probably to avoid being arrested himself. He returns to Galilee at first, and then moves to Capernaum - once again fulfilling a prophetic text, Isaiah 9:1-2.

Matthew 4:17 is a direct quote of John the Baptist's proclamation, 3:1

From this time, Jesus began to proclaim,
"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven
has come near (or, is at hand)."

The only problem with this is that in fact, from this point on, Matthew never reports Jesus as actually calling on people to repent! And "the Kingdom of heaven has come near" only occurs one more time when Jesus instructs the 12 to go out on their own (Matthew 10:7).

Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh (See footnote below.) dismiss modern interpretations of this passage as being about "final judgment," or "the end times."

Jesus, and his followers / hearers would have understood "has come near" as quite literally "what will happen next."

The fact that the Kingdom of heaven did not happen next was the first crisis of faith Jesus' followers experienced after his execution. Their re-interpretation of how "has come near" is true in the life, execution, death and resurrection of Jesus was a bold act of imagination and re-invention of the world.

The command / invitation to Peter, Andrew, James and John to "Come, follow me," is not:

I wonder if you would consider the possibility of tagging along if you have the time, and it's not too inconvenient.

The invitation / command to "follow" is to:

accompany,
learn from,
respond to,
imitate,
be loyal to,
bond with,
abide in

Leaving of fathers and fishing establishes a new set of kinship relationships: with Jesus and his other followers; and a new occupation: as recruiters of others to the Way of Jesus.

Verse 4:23 provides a summary of Jesus' ministry which Matthew will report in more detail in the following chapters:

teaching (Chapters 5-7, the "Sermon on the Mount")
healing (Chapters 8-9)
proclaiming (Chapter 10, as the 12 are sent out)

For modern hearers of this story (as it also was beginning with the second and third generation of followers) there are a number of challenges:

Jesus was single, and his followers left their families.
How do our relationships with friends and/or family compromise our undivided living the Way of Jesus?
Jesus was an itinerant (i.e., he traveled from place to place with no permanent residence of his own), and his followers left their homes.
How do the responsibilities of jobs and/or housing compromise our undivided living the Way of Jesus?

In other words, as people with jobs and mortgages and kids and aging parents and pets, just exactly how do we "Come, and follow?"

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Note: Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, pages 37-39; and the writings of Amy-Jill Levine, et. al. See below.

Matthew 4:12-23 (NRSV)

¹² Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³ He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴ so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

¹⁵ "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
         on the road by the sea, across the Jordan,
         Galilee of the Gentiles—
   ¹⁶ the people who sat in darkness
      have seen a great light,
      and for those who sat
         in the region and shadow of death
      light has dawned."

¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

¹⁸ As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. ²¹ As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Return to top of post.

Matthew 4:12-23 (The Message)

   ¹² When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. ¹³ He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. ¹⁴ This move completed Isaiah's sermon:
   ¹⁵ Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
         road to the sea, over Jordan,
         Galilee, crossroads for the nations.
   ¹⁶ People sitting out their lives in the dark
         saw a huge light;
      Sitting in that dark, dark country of death,
         they watched the sun come up.

¹⁷ This Isaiah-prophesied sermon came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here."

¹⁸ Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. ¹⁹ Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." ²⁰ They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.

²¹ A short distance down the beach they came upon another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee's sons. These two were sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their fishnets. Jesus made the same offer to them, ²² and they were just as quick to follow, abandoning boat and father.

²³ From there he went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's kingdom was his theme—that beginning right now they were under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives.

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in Epiphany, Year A | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew 5:1-12

The poor, the hungry, and the sorrowing will never confuse these things as being their salvation. And THAT is the blessing. They KNOW their need of God.

Year-A-Epiphany-04-Blessed-Word-Thingy-Square

Blessed are those who ...

Year A
Epiphany 4
January 29, 2023
Sunday Between January 28 and February 3 Inclusive
May be replaced by Transfiguration Sunday if the assigned date is the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 5:1-12, The Message or Matthew 5:1-12, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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 5:1-12 is the opening of Sermon on the Mount.

The sermon ends with a teaching from Jesus about a difference between those who are wise and those who are foolish:

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell--and great was its fall!
Matthew 7:24-27 (NRSV)

What is the crucial difference between the one who is wise and the one who is foolish?

It has nothing to do with what we usually associate with wisdom: knowledge, many years of experience, perspective, intelligence, insight, etc.

Nor does it have to do with HEARING what Jesus has said. Both cases begin - "Everyone who hears these words of mine ..."

The difference between being either wise or foolish is in ACTING or NOT acting.

It is not enough for us to hear these words of Jesus; to study them; to be inspired by them; to have hopes / aspirations / dreams based on them. We must ACT on them; practice them; live them in our everyday lives.

So whatever passage we read from the Sermon on the Mount, we must hear it with one question in mind:

What must I DO to make this the bedrock of how I live?

This passage is often referred to as "The Beatitudes," based on the original Latin word for "Blessed."

To begin, Malina and Rohrbaugh (see footnote below) suggest that the Greek word translated as "blessed" or "happy" would be better as "honourable."

Whatever the translation, Jesus completely reverses who society regards as blessed.

Who are the blessed / honourable? The poor. The sorrowing. The humble. The hungry. The merciful. The pure. The peacemakers. The hated, excluded, reviled, and defamed.

This is a tough list for those of us who are rich, or full, or laughing, or spoken well of. Aren't these good things to have and to aspire to?

So let's go back to the text for a second glance.

Notice the directness and immediacy of Jesus' language: YOU, you right here, who ARE, who are right NOW.

Jesus is speaking to real people who are right in front of him, and he is talking to them about their actual current circumstance.

And notice that he is NOT saying that being poor is a blessing. Or that being hungry is a blessing. Or that being sorrowful is a blessing. All of these will be reversed.

But being hated, being hated "on my account," now that IS a blessing. For that is a sign that you are among the company of God's true prophets.

So I wonder if Jesus is NOT saying that being rich, or full, or laughing is in itself wrong. These too will all be reversed.

But rather Jesus is condemning the all too human weakness to confuse our needs.

For example, as we are able to meet our needs to provide for our families, to be well fed and happy, we neglect our need for God. Instead, what is within our immediate grasp becomes our salvation.

But the poor, the hungry, and the sorrowing will never confuse poverty, starvation and grief as being their salvation. And THAT is the blessing. They KNOW their need of God.

So there are perhaps two sermons that need to be preached from this text.

The first is one of comfort and assurance to those who are right now: poor, mourning, humble, hungry, etc., etc. They are blessed now and their circumstances will not last.

The second is one of awakening and encouragement to those who are right now: satisfied, happy, accomplished, well fed, etc., etc. They too are blessed now - but not because of their circumstances - their circumstances will not last.

Rather, we are blessed when we bind ourselves to Jesus; when we are true and loyal to him; when our reputation is on account of him. Even in the face of persecution.

We are blessed when - whatever our circumstances - we know our need of God.

Because knowing our need of God allows us to enjoy the good things of this life without expecting them to be our salvation.

Because knowing our need of God allows us to endure the bad things of life knowing they cannot utterly destroy us.

Because knowing our need of God allows us to know the quality of life and relationships that God desires for us, and gives us guidance for aligning our personal, social, economic, environmental, and political relationships.

Thankfully, those who followed Jesus, then and now, have had some inkling of the blessing that comes from hearing these words and practicing them. Their lives inspire us to do the same.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Note: Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, pages 40-41; and the writings of Amy-Jill Levine, et. al. See below.

Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV)

¹ When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

⁵ "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

⁶ "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

⁷ "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

⁸ "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

⁹ "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

¹⁰ "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Return to top of post.

Matthew 5:1-12 (The Message)

³ "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

⁴ "You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

⁵ "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

⁶ "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

⁷ "You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'carefull,' you find yourselves cared for.

⁸ "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

⁹ "You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

¹⁰ "You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

¹¹ "Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. ¹² You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in Epiphany, Year A | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew 5:1-12 (Year A, All Saints)

Those we honour as saints have never been ALL good, ALL the time. But thankfully, those who followed Jesus, at some time, have had some inkling of hearing these words and practicing them. Their lives inspire us to do the same.

Blessde are ...

Year A
All Saints
November 1 or Sunday, November 5, 2023
All Saints is November 1, or may be celebrated as the first Sunday in November.

And

Year A
Epiphany 4
Sunday between January 28 and February 3 inclusive.
Click here to read Epiphany commentary.

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 5:1-12, The Message or Matthew 5:1-12, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

Matthew 5:1-12 is the opening of Sermon on the Mount. This passage is often referred to as "The Beatitudes," based on the original Latin word for "Blessed."

Presumably, this text is assigned for All Saints Day because "saints" are those who have been beatified.

But even if one is not part of a tradition that recognizes Saints, it is still worth pondering what are the attitudes and behaviours in this life that are pleasing to God, that are a cause for blessing.

Since All Saints Day is a day for remembering the dead, it is also a good day for pondering how it all ends? What are we to make of the mess that most living involves? Is God's grace sufficient for restoring our brokenness, our sinfulness? Is God's love sufficient for healing our hurts? Can we, and all of creation, ever be finally reconciled into relationships of harmony and peace?

As we ponder these questions, I think it is always a good thing to remember the words of the modern Saint Fred (also known as Mr. Rogers):

Even people who are good most of the time are bad some of the time.
And people who are bad most of the time are good some of the time.

Those we honour as saints have never been ALL good, ALL the time.

But thankfully, those who followed Jesus, at some time, have had some inkling of hearing these words and practicing them. Their lives inspire us to do the same.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, see below, page 41.

Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV)

   ¹ When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
   ³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   ⁴ "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
   ⁵ "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
   ⁶ "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
   ⁷ "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
   ⁸ "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
   ⁹ "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
  ¹⁰ "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  ¹¹ "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Return to top of post.

Matthew 5:1-12 (The Message)

   ¹ When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down ² and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
   ³ "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
   ⁴ "You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
   ⁵ "You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
   ⁶ "You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
   ⁷ "You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'carefull,' you find yourselves cared for.
   ⁸ "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
   ⁹ "You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.
  ¹⁰ "You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
  ¹¹ "Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. ¹² You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in November, Pentecost, Year A | Permalink | Comments (0)

Matthew 5:13-20

Don't think that my teachings replace or reduce the law and the prophets. And don't think you can skip the details. Details count. But something more than the details is also needed. You must align your whole self with what God desires - that is what those in Heaven are like.

Year-A-Epiphany-05-Jerusalem-City-on-a-Hill-Night-Time-Square

A city on a hill

Year A
Epiphany 5
February 5, 2023
Sunday Between February 4 and February 10 Inclusive
Not used if assigned date follows Ash Wednesday.
May be replaced by Transfiguration Sunday if the assigned date is the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

Read the passage at the bottom of this post: Matthew 5:13-20, The Message or Matthew 5:13-20, The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

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 5:13-20 is part of Sermon on the Mount.

The sermon ends with a teaching from Jesus about a difference between those who are wise and those who are foolish:

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell--and great was its fall!
Matthew 7:24-27 (NRSV)

What is the crucial difference between the one who is wise and the one who is foolish?

It has nothing to do with what we usually associate with wisdom: knowledge, many years of experience, perspective, intelligence, insight, etc.

Nor does it have to do with HEARING what Jesus has said. Both cases begin - "Everyone who hears these words of mine ..."

The difference between being either wise or foolish is in ACTING or NOT acting.

So whatever passage we read from the Sermon on the Mount, we must hear it with one question in mind:

What must I DO to make this the bedrock of how I live?

The first thing to notice about this passage is the directness of the language. Like the previous passage, Matthew 5:1-12, The Beatitudes, Jesus is speaking very directly to the people who are right there in front of him - YOU, you right here; you ARE, you are right now - you are now, already, with no extra qualifications or conditions to be met:

You are salt; you are light for the world.

Now stop and remember just who it is that Jesus is talking to. The movers and shakers? The people with power, money, education, good looks? No, no, no, and no.

Jesus is talking to the lowest and the least and telling them that THEY are the salt and light for the transformation of the world to reflect God's desires for the world. And since the poor made up about 80% of the population at the time of Jesus, and were the labour that produced all the wealth, seeing themselves as catalysts of production instead of pawns of the powerful would indeed change the world.

I wonder what the world would be like if the people with power, money, education, and good looks also would hear these as words addressed to them? To see themselves as blessed in order to be a blessing?

Matthew 5:13. You are the salt of the earth.

Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh (See footnote below.) provide this helpful background:

The "earth" is an outdoor earthen oven (see also Job 28:5 and Psalm 12:6) found near the home. ... 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.

Thus a good interpretation of this verse might be:

You are the catalyst to get things cooking ...

Matthew 5:14-16. Again, Malina and Rohrbaugh comment:

It is (a peasant's) one-room house that is envisioned in the parable here, since all who enter can see the light stand. The normal way to put out and oil lamp was to put it under a bushel basket so as not to fill the house with smoke and fumes before retiring.

Thus a good interpretation of these verses might be:

Set an example. Not to get fame and glory for yourself, but so that others will see God's goodness.

Matthew 5:17-20. "For truly I tell you" means "By my word of honour" - and Jesus can be trusted to be a person of honour, can't he?

When will heaven and earth pass away? Never, according to Ecclesiastes 1:4. And so neither will the law nor the teachings of the prophets.

Thus a good interpretation of these verses might be:

Don't think that my teachings replace or reduce the law and the prophets. And don't think you can skip the details. Details count. But something more than the details is also needed. You must align your whole self with what God desires - that is what those in Heaven are like.

Having blessed us Jesus now tells us who we are and what comes from being blessed:
      Okay. Get ready for what is to come.
      Here's what's at stake, and here's what is required of you.
      You are blessed, now go and be a blessing.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Note: Historical background information in this post is drawn primarily from Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels, pages 41-42; and the writings of Amy-Jill Levine, et. al. See below.

Matthew 5:13-20 (NRSV)

¹³ "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

¹⁴ "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

¹⁷ "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Return to top of post.

Matthew 5:13-20 (The Message)

¹³ "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

¹⁴ "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. ¹⁵ If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. ¹⁶ Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

¹⁷ "Don't suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures—either God's Law or the Prophets. I'm not here to demolish but to complete. I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama. ¹⁸ God's Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet. Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God's Law will be alive and working.

¹⁹ "Trivialize even the smallest item in God's Law and you will only have trivialized yourself. But take it seriously, show the way for others, and you will find honor in the kingdom. ²⁰ Unless you do far better than the Pharisees in the matters of right living, you won't know the first thing about entering the kingdom.

Return to top of post.

Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Posted at 12:00 PM in Epiphany, Year A | Permalink | Comments (0)

Holy Textures

Meeting Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Short, easy to use, faith-provoking insights.

100 posts categorized "Year A"

Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew 2:13-23

Matthew 3:1-12

Matthew 3:13-17

Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew 4:12-23

Matthew 5:1-12

Matthew 5:1-12 (Year A, All Saints)

Matthew 5:13-20

Year B

My Blogs

Books Used for Holy Textures

Email David

Meeting Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Short, easy to use, faith-provoking insights.

100 posts categorized "Year A"

Year B

My Blogs

Books Used for Holy Textures

Email David

Meeting Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Short, easy to use, faith-provoking insights.