THE COLLECT Proper 20 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. THE COLLECT Proper 20 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. Today’s Collect Nicely sums up the readings for the day! Proverbs 31:10-31 A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far away. Proverbs 31:10-31 She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. Proverbs 31:10-31 She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson. She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. Proverbs 31:10-31 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her: "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. " Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her a share in the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the city gates. Proverbs 31 The chapter contains two writings the first is entitled The Teaching of King Lemuel’s Mother. “The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:” about being a good king to speak for those in poverty who cannot speak. The second our reading is entitled: Ode to a Capable Wife The Text This is an acrostic poem about the capable wife. The "finding" of a wife is a common theme and so is the "finding" of wisdom Is there a relation between the two? Like wisdom, this woman is more precious than jewels The description seems to stem from a male point of view. There may be a play on "sophia" -Greek for "wisdom” in the Hebrew text of Proverbs 31.31, which reads "sophiyyah" - she looks well to. Sophia = Wisdom = Woman In Proverbs the female is used symbolically sometimes for good as in Wisdom, more precious than jewels and others such a Dame Folly. Biblical wisdom literature emphasizes the desirability and the elusiveness of true wisdom and the Hebrew word for this is a feminine noun. Wisdom is a counselor and teacher. Interestingly, she is not a child-bearer, although she is regularly described as a life-giver or life-preserver. Sophia = Wisdom = Woman The motif of ‘Wisdom the woman’ subsequently played a notable part in Jewish and Christian thought. She appears even in the non-biblical texts from Qumran. In Wisdom's speech in Proverbs 8.22-31 she stresses her presence at the beginning of creation. It is not impossible that Lady Wisdom represents an intrusion in the Bible of the persistent but biblically suppressed Israelite worship of a female counterpart to Yahweh. Virtues Pieter de Hooch,
A Woman with a Baby in Her Lap, and a Small Child,1658
Oil on panel, 60 x 47 cm, Private collection
Woman and Maid in a Courtyard, c. 1660
Oil on canvas, 73,7 x 62,6 cm, National Gallery, London Gabriel Metsu,
Lady Seated in a Window,
c. 1661
Oil on panel, 27 x 22 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The woman symbolizes virtue. She is about to peel an apple, an activity associated with food preparation, a quintessential task of women. Note as well the prayer book on the ledge, indicating piety, and also the grapevine and birdcage symbolizing love and fidelity. Jan Steen, The Effects of Intemperance, 1663-65
Oil on wood, 76 x 106 cm
National Gallery, London Even today a 'Jan Steen household' is what the Dutch call a boisterous and ramshackle family. The woman on the left is that most reprehensible creature, a Dutch housewife and mother who is not teaching her children virtue. She has slumped in drunken slumber, her clay pipe slipping from her hand. The little coal brazier by her side threatens to set fire to her gown, and her child is picking her pocket. Above her head hangs a basket in which the fate of those who grow up without parental guidance is foretold: it contains the crutch and clapper of the beggar and the birch of judicial punishment. Another child illustrates a Dutch proverb by throwing roses (we would say 'pearls') before swine, while the trio to the right waste a good meat pie by feeding it to a cat. The parrot, that mimic of human behavior, is drinking wine given to him by the maid, as luxuriously dressed as her mistress and almost as tipsy, while in the arbor beyond a man, perhaps the father, is dallying with a buxom girl - 'wine is a mocker', as the saying goes. Psalm 1 Page 585, BCP Beatus vir qui non abiit 1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful! 2 Their delight is in the law of the LORD, *
and they meditate on his law day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do shall prosper. Psalm 1 Page 585, BCP Beatus vir qui non abiit 4 It is not so with the wicked; *
they are like chaff which the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, * but the way of the wicked is doomed. Psalm 1 In the Oxford Annotated Bible this is entitled “The Two Ways.” We all know that on Earth the wicked often don’t blow away. And the righteous aren’t always happy. The Psalm isn’t addressing material wealth or health. It hints that there is more to existence than these things or that there is more to the universe than may appear to us in the here and now. Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22 The ungodly by their words and deeds summoned death; considering him a friend, they pined away and made a covenant with him, because they are fit to belong to his company. For they reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, "Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a life comes to its end, and no one has been known to return from Hades. Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22 [insert omitted] "Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training. He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord. He became to us a reproof of our thoughts; the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange. Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22 We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father. Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; for if the righteous man is God's child, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries. Let us test him with insult and torture, Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22 so that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected." Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hoped for the wages of holiness, nor discerned the prize for blameless souls. Omitted Section 2-11 2 For we were born by mere chance, and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been, for the breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our hearts; 3 when it is extinguished, the body will turn to ashes, and the spirit will dissolve like empty air. Omitted Section 2-11 4 Our name will be forgotten in time, and no one will remember our works; our life will pass away like the traces of a cloud, and be scattered like mist that is chased by the rays of the sun and overcome by its heat. 5 For our allotted time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no return from our death, because it is sealed up and no one turns back. Omitted Section 2-11 6 “Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that exist, and make use of the creation to the full as in youth. 7 Let us take our fill of costly wine and perfumes, and let no flower of spring pass us by. 8 Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither. Omitted Section 2-11 9 Let none of us fail to share in our revelry; everywhere let us leave signs of enjoyment, because this is our portion, and this our lot. 10 Let us oppress the righteous poor man; let us not spare the widow or regard the gray hairs of the aged. 11 But let our might be our law of right, for what is weak proves itself to be useless. Introduction of the Wisdom of Solomon This is attributed to Solomon even though his name is not included, but the prayer for wisdom from 1 Kings 3, in RCL B Proper 15. The author is thought to be a Hellenistic Jew from Alexandria in the latter part of the 1stcentury. This is a moralistic exhortation which would have been familiar in Hellenistic times. The Text This is a difficult argument without the missing middle and the end. The topic is that wisdom is a guide to happiness and immortality. The ‘materialist’ argues that life is pointless and short and thus one should live for today only. But why torture the good? What is about the mere presence of a good person that vexes the evil? The Answer is in the Context In Chapter 3 the text continues: The Destiny of the Righteous 3 But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. 2 In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, 3 and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. 4 For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Back to our question – Why? The difference between the good and the evil is that the good have hope and the evil have none. The evil attempt to avoid the pain of hopelessness by sensual pleasures. The good with hope force them to feel their own pain/ e.g. see their hopelessness. Hope is in the greater reality not just the material now but the greater reality – the good only seem dead. The evil resent the good because their very existence refutes the ‘materialist’s argument – that eases the pain of hopelessness. Why do drunks always want you to have a drink with them and are angry when you don’t? Jeremiah 11:18-20 It was the LORD who made it known to me, and I knew; then you showed me their evil deeds. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. And I did not know it was against me that they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered!" But you, O LORD of hosts, who judge righteously, who try the heart and the mind, let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Context The issue in Chapter 11 is the persistent violation of the covenant by Israel through the worship of idols. The omitted opening section is in prose and discusses the poetic passage that is the selected reading. The nation has turned its back and God instructed the prophet to tell them this and not to plea for them. The result is that there is plot on Jeremiah's life. The Text This is the first of six personal laments by Jeremiah, and it concerns a plot on his life. The reason is that he has identified certain citizens as ‘false prophets.’ The reading ends with the prophet’s prayer for retribution/protection. The chapter ends with God specifying the doom in store for the plotters – sheds a different light on the gentle lamb comment. Psalm 54 Page 659, BCP
Deus, in nomine 1 Save me, O God, by your Name; *
in your might, defend my cause. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; *
give ear to the words of my mouth. 3 For the arrogant have risen up against me,
and the ruthless have sought my life, *
those who have no regard for God. Psalm 54 Page 659, BCP
Deus, in nomine 4 Behold, God is my helper; *
it is the Lord who sustains my life. 5 Render evil to those who spy on me; *
in your faithfulness, destroy them. 6 I will offer you a freewill sacrifice *
and praise your Name, O LORD, for it is good. 7 For you have rescued me from every trouble, *
and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes. Psalm 54 This psalm is a lament seeking deliverance from personal enemies as a song two verses shown by a verse mark ‘selah’ not shown in the BCP. The superscription reads “To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “David is in hiding among us.” The music is indicated, and the event commemorated. The Ziphites betrayed David twice, the first time he escapes - 1 Samuel 23:19. The second time Saul goes in pursuit and David during the night sneaks into Saul’s camp but then spares Saul. James 3:13-4:3, 7-8aWho is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Introduction to the Letter of James Although it begins with an epistolary greeting it lacks any other letter like features. It is more akin to Wisdom Literature with three discourses and short sayings. The central section can also be seen as describing relationships within a community that is to embody the love-command. James ends with directives for living in a Christian Community. Although Jesus is mentioned only twice the conclusion of the letter suggests that James addresses a structured Christian community. Introduction to the Letter of James - 2 James speaks of tensions between rich and poor. The common social practice of favoring the wealthy and pushing aside the poor must be rejected . Wealthy merchants are warned against confidence that the future is assured. Many of the sayings in James seem to echo sayings of Jesus in the synoptic tradition, though without directly invoking Jesus' authority. But could James, the brother of the Lord have written it? James and Alternate point of view We have been looking at the comments in the Oxford Annotated Bible, but not all agree with them. Luke Timothy Johnson a modern scholar takes an alternate viewpoint concerning The Letter of James. James and Alternate point of view – L T Johnson The contrast between James and Paul is not warranted. Paul’s contrast is between faith and works meaning faith in Jesus as opposed to those who saw obedience to the Law of Moses as the only means of salvation. James’ contrast is between words and actions, a common Hellenistic moral exhortation. James and Alternate point of view – L T Johnson In Johnson’s point of view it is possible that this is the earliest of all Christian Compositions penned by the brother of Jesus. The letter represents a form of Christian self understanding that is neither Pauline or anti Pauline. The writer of James may then be one of the premier teachers of the NT concerning Christian principals of living. Now reconsider the passage Without the authorship / theological dispute reconsider the text. Evil comes from hatred and greed. These lead to envy – the reason you don’t have what you desire is that you pray for the wrong things or for the right things for the wrong reason. Mark 9:30-37 Jesus and his disciples went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again." But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Mark 9:30-37 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Mark 9:30-37 Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." Outline Harper Collins Bible Dictionary divides Mark into six sections: 1. The start 2. Mission to Galilee 3. Final trip to Jerusalem. 4. Predictions of the passion 5. The final week 6. Resurrection The reading comes from section four. It opens with the healing of a blind man. Then three predictions of the passion. Today’s reading is the second of the three. And ends with the healing of a blind man The Text This is the second statement about the coming Passion. The phrase concerning the children “In my Name” means ‘because of regard for who and what I am.’ An Echo of Job The reading contains two rather jarringly different concepts – Ranking among members of the disciples and children. Were the disciples following Jesus to achieve a higher rank in the life to come – be it a new administration if Jesus was a military Messiah or in heaven? Were they like the accusation against Job, faithful only because of their good fortune? Contrast / Contradiction This is a core Christian teaching on the nature of Christian leadership. Why? This saying is in all three of the Synoptic Gospels and is REPEATED in Mark. Mark’s summary nature makes the repeat seem even more interesting. Synoptic Comparison Matthew 20:26-28 “26 It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Luke 9:46-28 - 46 An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, 48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.” Mark 10:43-45 - 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Child Like The contrast is between an adult’s choice based on calculation of advancement or gain. And a child’s simple acceptance of love to or from parents – even when parents aren’t so lovable. A child does not love to get something, but simply because that is their nature – luckily for the survival of the species, we grow out of it? Nicolaes Maes,
Christ Blessing the Children, 1652-53
Oil on canvas, 206 x 154 cm
National Gallery, London Rembrandt,
The Little Children Being Brought to Jesus ("The 100 Guilder Print"), 1647-49
Etching and drypoint, 1st state, 278 x 388 mm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Free interpretation of Matthew 19
