The Collect Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. THE COLLECT Proper 20 The Collect for Proper 20 is a petition “Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly;.." The petition then is for help in keeping focused on Heavenly things and not be distracted by life around us. According to Saint Paul, we can draw strength in difficult times by redirecting our focus on to God. This will help place our present difficulty into the perspective of the great reality around us. No matter the present temporary outcome, in God's time all will be reconciled. In contrast to last week, the readings for all three years deal with the contrast of Heavenly and earthly perspective. Common Theme Each reading deals with the contrast of heavenly logic as opposed the earthly logic? Exodus 16:2-15 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. Exodus 16:2-15 In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.” Exodus 16:2-15 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’“ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’“ Exodus 16:2-15 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. The rest of the paragraph 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.’ ” 17 The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over until morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed; but when the sun grew hot, it melted. Context The nation having been saved from the Egyptian Army, marches into the Wilderness of Sin for 2 and ½ months. Ten weeks after the Red Sea is parted, again they complain and again God answers. The complaints are a dominant theme throughout the Exodus event. The text The wilderness of Sin mentioned several times was probably on the Sinaitic Peninsula. The name of the food, manna is explained by an expression meaning "What is it?" - Bread that the LORD has given. Manna Manna has been linked with natural phenomena in the Sinai region. The traditional identification has been with a granular type of sweet substance thought to be secreted in early summer by the tamarisk bush. Attempts to give a natural explanation for what the Bible describes as miraculous misses the point, that God cares for His people. According to the gospel of John, when Jesus was challenged to validate his ministry with a sign comparable to that of manna, he identified himself as the "true bread from heaven," come down to give life to the world see John 6.32-35. Bernardino Luini,
The Gathering of the Manna
1520-23
Fresco transferred to canvas, 198 x 182 cm
Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan Guido Reni,
The Gathering of the Manna
1614-15
Oil on canvas, 280 x 170 cm
Cathedral, Ravenna Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45
Confitemini Domino 1 Give thanks to the LORD and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples. 2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works. 3 Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 4 Search for the LORD and his strength; *
continually seek his face. 5 Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth, 6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen. Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45
Confitemini Domino 37 He led out his people with silver and gold; *
in all their tribes there was not one that stumbled. 38 Egypt was glad of their going, *
because they were afraid of them. 39 He spread out a cloud for a covering *
and a fire to give light in the night season. 40 They asked, and quails appeared, *
and he satisfied them with bread from heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and water flowed, *
so the river ran in the dry places. Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45
Confitemini Domino 42 For God remembered his holy word *
and Abraham his servant. 43 So he led forth his people with gladness, *
his chosen with shouts of joy. 44 He gave his people the lands of the nations, * and they took the fruit of others' toil, 45 That they might keep his statutes *
and observe his laws.
Hallelujah! Psalm 105 This Psalm which is 45 verses long tells the story of God’s great deeds on behalf of his people. It is part of a pair along with Psalm 106 and together they recite the basic events which created the nation of Israel. Psalm 105 deals with God’s faithfulness to his covenant with Israel’s ancestors The story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The story of Joseph The story of the Exodus – and today’s reading. Jonah 3:10-4:11 When God saw what the people of Nineveh did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, "O LORD! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and Jonah 3:10-4:11 merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." And the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city. Jonah 3:10-4:11 The LORD God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, "It is better for me to die than to live." Jonah 3:10-4:11 But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?" And he said, "Yes, angry enough to die." Then the LORD said, "You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?" Jonah The book is unique, rather than preach against the nation or foreigners, it uses the story of Jonah’s own life to make its points. Jonah, rather than obedient servant of the LORD, is a recalcitrant prophet who flees from his mission and sulks when his hearers repent. Jonah an obscure Galilean prophet, for Jeroboam II (786 - 746 B.C.) in a successful conflict with the Syrians. The actual author, however, probably lived in the post-exilic period because the writing exhibits influence from Second Isaiah . The book is a call to Israel for repentance while reminding Israel of its mission to preach to all the nations the wideness of God’s mercy and forgiveness . And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth The reading takes place after the famous lost at sea episode and after the prophet finally does deliver his message. The prophetic message is wildly successful and the people reform. His reaction is an ill tempered and childish display. Why didn’t success satisfy? Is it to explain why the many prophesies of doom hadn’t come through? The Value of repenting. Or, is this a satiric attack on Israelite [human nature in general] piety using Jonah whose sole concern was his reputation for accuracy of prediction. Keep in mind Jonah was not very faithful at all. Michelangelo, Jonah, 1511
Fresco, 400 x 380 cm
Cappella Sistina, Vatican Psalm 145:1-8 Page 801, BCP
Exaltabo te, Deus 1 I will exalt you, O God my King, *
and bless your Name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless you *
and praise your Name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; *
there is no end to his greatness. 4 One generation shall praise your works to another *
and shall declare your power. Psalm 145:1-8 Page 801, BCP
Exaltabo te, Deus 5 I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty *
and all your marvelous works. 6 They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, * and I will tell of your greatness. 7 They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; *
they shall sing of your righteous deeds. 8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, *
slow to anger and of great kindness. Psalm 145:1-8 Page 801, BCP
Exaltabo te, Deus This is a hymn epitomizing the character of the God of Israel. It is another acrostic which accounts for the organization. This an expression of God’s care for all of his creatures. It appears today likely because of Verse 8. Philippians 1:21-30 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. Philippians 1:21-30 Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God's doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well-- since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. Introduction to the Letter of Paul to the Philippians Philippi was the first church established by Paul on European soil. Paul seems to have had a close and happy relationship. Paul offers himself as an example of steadfast courage and of joy in the midst of harsh circumstances and possible death He turns attention away from preoccupation with one's own fate toward the proclamation of the gospel. Except that Paul was in prison at the time of writing and awaiting trial the time is uncertain could be early or as late as 63 AD in Rome. Context The lesson without context seems contrived – the part about preferring death. As noted Paul wrote this letter from prison, his reference to death is then based on his actual expectation. Immediately prior to this he has noted that his imprisonment has led to the spread of the Gospel among the soldier’s that imprison him And that others had been made bolder and enabled to speak out. Meaning In context the meaning is different. Paul mentions the ‘opposition’ that they face and speaks to them as fellow sufferers to encourage them whether he is or is not present. The exact nature of the challenge is not the important issue. The important issue is that a way to deal with suffering is to look beyond to God. Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, `You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, `Why are you standing here idle all day?' They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, `You also go into the vineyard.’ Matthew 20:1-16 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, `Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ Matthew 20:1-16 But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last." Perspective As you consider each of the features of this parable - What is the answer called for by our culture? What is the answer from your notion of God’s point of View? Cast of Characters Land Owner - _________________ Early Laborers - _______________ Late Laborers - ________________ Last Laborers - _________________ Action Is the action the work in vineyard? The expectation of greater pay? The generosity of the Employer? The grumbling against the Land Owner? The order of payment? The bargain with the first for the ‘usual’ wage The agreement of the later worker’s to work with only the expectation of a fair payment? The last workers being told to work and simply going to do it. The point Better to sleep late and get to work just before closing? The faith of those who worked only on the expectation of fairness. The fact that the early workers knew from the start what would be theirs at sun set.[ Israel aware of God’s promise] Salivation is God’s to give or withhold as he sees fit? That God’s notion of Justice is different than for humans - equal work for equal pay! Other parables to compare The Prodigal Son? The Rich Man and Lazarus? The Parable of the Talents The Parable of the Lost Sheep Another Thought The human part of us wants a logical order of things including justice. These three Lessons are perhaps an illustration of Love / Grace. The people in the desert needed food on those days. In Philippians, looking through the fog of Paul, knowing Paul would survive prison because the people needed to hear what Paul said for a while longer. The late laborer's languishing in the square, needed the wage and it was provided. The late laborers, Paul and the Israelite's needed mercy and Good provided it. The lesson may be that God loves creation and will sustain it. Marten I. van Valckenborch, Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (October),
c. 1580-90
Oil on Canvas,
86 x 123 cm
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien Rembrandt, Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, 1637 Hermitage
