THE COLLECT Proper 23 Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. THE COLLECT Proper 23 This week’s is a simple and direct prayer “that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works;….” The petition in this week’s collect is for God to give us the grace to do good works. This is a prayer for perspective that we do good works because of God’s faith in us. We do not prove our faith by good works. THE COLLECT Proper 23 The readings are a collection of good and bad examples. In Exodus in RCL A the incident of the golden calf illustrates a bad example of faith. In Amos in RCL B, the prophet calls on them to do good and not evil. Finally, in RCL C Psalm 111 a reminder that the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. Oct 15: Feast Day of Teresa of Avila (1515-82) St. Teresa of Avila (Spain) was famous in her day and canonized soon after her death. She was known for her dedication to prayer, and for her visions. In one vision an angel thrust a fiery lance into her heart, causing her to feel a great love for God. Gianlorenzo Bernini used this episode for his famous portrayal in a Roman church. Bernini designed the chapel, with a hidden light source on the figure of St. Teresa and the angel; he also included members of the patron family (the Cornaros) in relief on the sides, as if watching a play. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, 1647-52
Marble, height 350 cm
Cappella Cornaro, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome
(Note: photo with fisheye lens so you can see the side walls better) Job 23:1-9, 16-17 Then Job answered: "Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? Job 23:1-9, 16-17 No; but he would give heed to me. There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge.
"If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!" Job Job himself may have been the subject of an earlier folktale about a good man. There is a reference in Ezekiel, to Job along with Noah and Daniel that implies he is one of the archetypical good persons. Ezekiel 14: 12 The word of the LORD came to me: Mortal, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it human beings and animals, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job, these three, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, says the Lord GOD. The Play Job is one of the poetical books of the Bible in the form of a sort of play with a narrator, and as characters – God, Satan, Job and his three friends – Elphaz, Bildad and Zophar and finally Elihu. The dialogue with the friends seems to have three cycles, although one of the friends, Zophar, suddenly disappears. Elihu then appears to set the stage for Job’s final encounter with God. Job - Style There are two distinct parts of Job from the standpoint of style. The first is a prose introduction and ending. The second is the dialogue written in the form of poetry. With each of the three friends Eliphaz , Bildad, and Zophar, delivering a poetic charge or explanation and Job’s retort. The Lectionary The selections in the Lectionary skip the entire series of accusations and explanations of the three friends. Finally, Elihu appears to restate the position of orthodoxy in the book of Job. But alas the Lectionary omits Elihu and the three friends. The Orthodox View Orthodoxy: God punishes the wicked and rewards the good. The Pharisees of the New Testament or the middle age concept of trial by ordeal or combat. A New Testament example revolves around one of the final healings, a man born blind. John 9:1-34, the story of the healing of a blind man the reaction of the authorities is an example. The disciples first ask ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ The answer is ‘neither’ and the man is healed. The authorities after checking his past, finally refuse to listen to the man saying, ‘you were born entirely in sins, and yet you re trying to teach us?’ Today’s Reading The reading for today is Job’s response to Eliphaz who has just restated the Orthodox view that God punishes only the wicked, thus Job is wicked and must ‘repent.’ Job 22: 21. “Agree with God, and be at peace; in this way good will come to you. 22 Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart. 23 If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored, Remember We already know that Job is in fact a righteous and upright man. The three friends at various times insist that Job is not righteous. They assert that either he is concealing some sin, or That some sin was committed by an ancestor for which Job is punished. The reading In the text Job seems to take two different approaches. The first is that he says if I could confront God, we could straighten things out about Job’s guilt. In the second, Job simply wishes for nonexistence. He alternately wants to face and then be hidden from God! Giovanni Bellini,
San Giobbe Altarpiece
c. 1487
Oil on panel, 471 x 258 cm
Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice
Sts. Francis, John the Baptist and Job;
Dominic, Sebastian and Louis of Toulouse Albrecht Durer, The Jabach Altarpiece, c. 1504
Oil on panel, 94 x 51 cm (each)
Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt and Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne The central panel of the altarpiece is lost and only the wings survive The body of the elderly Job is covered with boils, which made it a particularly appropriate subject for an altarpiece commissioned to mark the end of the plague. Job sits on a dunghill, in a pose of weary contemplation, and is drenched with slops which his wife pours from a wooden tub. In the upper left corner, Job's house and crops are on fire and the tiny figure of the Devil flees the destruction. The right panel depicts the figures of a piper and a drummer, who bears Dürer's own features. In the distance, behind the drummer, Job's flock of animals has been stolen and is being led away. The altar, besides depicting Job as the patron saint of people suffering skin diseases, also points to his connection with music. The musicians are representatives of healing music. According to medieval melotherapy, Job, who was devoted to music when he was healthy, should recover upon hearing the melody. Psalm 22:1-15 Deus, Deus meus 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *
and are so far from my cry
and from the words of my distress? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; *
by night as well, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are the Holy One, *
enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; *
they trusted, and you delivered them. Psalm 22:1-15 Deus, Deus meus 5 They cried out to you and were delivered; *
they trusted in you and were not put to shame. 6 But as for me, I am a worm and no man, *
scorned by all and despised by the people. 7 All who see me laugh me to scorn; *
they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying, 8 "He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him; *
let him rescue him, if he delights in him." 9 Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, *
and kept me safe upon my mother's breast. 10 I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; * you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb. Psalm 22:1-15 Deus, Deus meus 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, *
and there is none to help. 12 Many young bulls encircle me; *
strong bulls of Bashan surround me. 13 They open wide their jaws at me, *
like a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water;
all my bones are out of joint; *
my heart within my breast is melting wax. 15 My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd;
my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; *
and you have laid me in the dust of the grave. Psalm 22 Amos 5:6-7,10-15 Seek the LORD and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it. Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground! They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but Amos 5:6-7,10-15 you shall not drink their wine. For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins-- you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate. Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. Introduction to Amos Amos was active from 760-750 BC during the long and peaceful reign of Jeroboam II (786 - 746 B.C.) when Israel attained a height of territorial expansion and national prosperity never again reached. The affluence was taken by many Israelites as signs of the Lord’s special favor because of their extravagant support of the official shrines. He was native of the small Judean village called from a shepherd’s task to the difficult mission of preaching harsh words in a smooth season. Amos denounced Israel for reliance on military might, injustice in social dealings, abhorrent immorality, and shallow, meaningless piety. This caused conflict with the authorities resulted in being expelled from the royal sanctuary at Bethel and commanded not to prophesy there again. Amos then wrote down the essence of his public preaching in substantially its present form. Context The edited version of the reading fairly summarizes the text of the chapter. The chapter ends with the V 25 “25 Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 You shall take up Sakkuth your king, and Kaiwan your star-god, your images, which you made for yourselves; 27 therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.” The Text The editing does leave a few important details out. The people until that time looked for the ‘day of Lord’ when they would be vindicated before their enemies. Amos turned this concept around to a day of regret. The plea is to turn from evil and live. At the end of the chapter the Amos points out that there were no elaborate sacrifices or shrines in the desert for the 40 years, as proof these are not needed. The reading is a warning So What’s it to us now! Since we aren’t in ancient Israel what’s this all mean to us. The question – What voice are we avoiding in these days of affluence? Psalm 90:12-17 Page 718, BCP
Domine, refugium 12 So teach us to number our days *
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. 13 Return, O LORD; how long will you tarry? *
be gracious to your servants. 14 Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; * so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life. Psalm 90:12-17 Page 718, BCP
Domine, refugium 15 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *
and the years in which we suffered adversity. 16 Show your servants your works *
and your splendor to their children. 17 May the graciousness of the LORD our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork. Psalm 90:12-17 Page 718, BCP
Domine, refugium Hebrews 4:12-16 The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Hebrews 4:12-16 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Introduction to the Letter to the Hebrews Hebrews is an anonymous treatise on the theological relationship of the nature of salvation via Christ as opposed to the Law and Prophets. Three main points are: The superiority of Jesus Christ to the prophets, angels, and to Moses. The superiority of Christ's priesthood to the Priests; and The superiority of Christ's sacrifice over those of the temple. Today we address the second point. Jesus as Our High Priest The theme of this section of Hebrews is Jesus as our High Priest. The two qualifications are: Appointment by God, and The ability to sympathize with our weaknesses. These qualifications were both possessed by the NT priests of the Temple. Jesus however was also without sin. Before or After 70 AD Some scholars conclude that the author's argument for the superiority of Christ's sacrifice over those offered by the levitical priests indicates that the recipients were in danger of returning to Jewish ritual practices. They conclude then that the letter must have been composed before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70 had brought sacrificial ritual to an end. Mark 10:17-31 As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'" He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Mark 10:17-31Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” Mark 10:17-31Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age--houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first." The Synoptic Gospels The point about Rich People The Disciples The point Heinrich Hofmann, Christ And The Rich Young Ruler, 1889
Original work was purchased by John D. Rockefeller for Riverside Church, New York, around 1930
Hofmann was famous for his images of Jesus, which were used for numerous illustrated Bibles and Sunday School leaflets The Thirty-Nine Articles XXXVIII. Of Christian Men's Goods, which are not common. The Riches and Goods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same; as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast. Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability.
