The Collect Proper 7 O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving kindness; 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 7 The collect is a little different in that the observation is second and the petition is first. Its action words are: “make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving kindness.” The readings from all three years have many examples of Divine help for the faithful or weak. In RCL A the reading from Genesis is the rescue of Ishmael, or the alternate from Jeremiah praising the Lord for deliverance of the needy from evil doers. In RCL B the story of David’s miraculous defeat of Goliath. In RCL C, Elijah flees Jezebel and an angel delivers food that allows him to survive a 40 day trek across the desert to Mt Horeb. The Collect Proper 7 The psalms, and because of alternates there are a number of them speak of rescue and deliverance. Some of the saved were great heroes of the faith and others were helpless innocents. And we should note that none was spared the inconvenience of the ordeal, but they were allowed to achieve a Divine purpose The power of resurrection in the Old and New Testaments! Genesis 21:8-21 The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac." The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, "Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. Genesis 21:8-21 As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring." So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Do not let me look on the death of the child.” Genesis 21:8-21 And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him." Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink. God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt. Isaac and Ishmael The jealous mother Sarah could not stand seeing the two boys as equal even at play. “God has heard” is a play on the name Ishmael which means "God hears.” Although Ishmael was not the heir of the promise in our tradition, God was with Ishmael, destining him to be the ancestor of Bedouin tribes of the southern wilderness Muslims trace their ancestry to Abraham through Ishmael. How old do you think Ishmael was at the time of this incident? Biblical Absolutes and ‘Certainty’ Think about the story we just read and then consider these other verses: Genesis 16:¹⁵ Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. Genesis 17:²⁴ Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. ²⁵ And his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Genesis 21:⁵ Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Ishmael was at least 13 years old and perhaps older considering the time for Isaac to be weaned. Ishmael Son of Abraham and Hagar. A generally positive attitude toward Ishmael, and thus toward his descendants, is found in the Genesis traditions. He is the recipient of a special divine blessing Like Jacob, Ishmael is the father of twelve sons, the ancestors of twelve tribes. There are hints of ethnic tension in the narratives as well. Ishmael is depicted as an outcast and prone to violence The Koran We gave him news of a gentle son. And when he reached the age when he could work with him his father said to him: `My son, I dreamt that I was sacrificing you. Tell me what you think.‘ He replied: `Father, do as you are bidden. Allah willing, you shall find me faithful.' And when they had both surrendered themselves to Allah's will, and Abraham had laid down his son prostrate upon his face, We called out to him, saying: `Abraham, you have fulfilled your vision.' Thus did We reward the righteous. That was indeed a bitter test. We ransomed his son… Who? The text has been the subject of disagreement since the ‘son’ is not named. [Isaac is not mentioned until later…] Early Muslim scholars disagreed as to whether the son, unnamed in the passage, is Isaac or Ishmael. Some of the earliest traditions declare him to be Isaac, but by the ninth or tenth century the consensus was Ishmael. Sacrifice Note that in this version - BOTH Abraham and his son consent to the sacrifice. Human Vs. Divine The wife / handmaiden switch was a human solution to a problem. The jealousy of the wife once her son was born is also a human solution. Abraham did not send them out until told by God. Hagar’s resignation to certain death is a human reaction. God adds resurrection and they are saved. Barent Fabritius,
Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael
1658
Oil on wood, 50 x 36 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Claude Lorrain, Landscape with Hagar and the Angel, 1646
Oil on canvas,
52.2 x 42.3 cm,
National Gallery, London
Owned by Sir George Beaumont and much admired by Turner and Constable. Giuseppe Bottani, Hagar and the Angel, c. 1776
Oil on canvas, 40 x 73 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 Inclina, Domine 1 Bow down your ear, O LORD, and answer me, *
for I am poor and in misery. 2 Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful; *
save your servant who puts his trust in you. 3 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for you are my God; *
I call upon you all the day long. 4 Gladden the soul of your servant, *
for to you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. 5 For you, O LORD, are good and forgiving, *
and great is your love toward all who call upon you. 6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer, *
and attend to the voice of my supplications. Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 Inclina, Domine7 In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, *
for you will answer me. 8 Among the gods there is none like you, O LORD, *
nor anything like your works. 9 All nations you have made will come and worship you, O LORD, * and glorify your Name. 10 for you are great; you do wondrous things; *
and you alone are God. 16 Turn to me and have mercy upon me; * give your strength to your servant; and save the child of your handmaid. 17 Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed; *
because you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me. Psalm 86 The Psalm is characterized as a “Prayer of David” The object is for deliverance from personal enemies The apparent reference to Hagar is a translational ambiguity. “Child of your serving girl” in V16 is synonymous with “your servant.” Jeremiah 20:7-13 O LORD, you have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I must cry out, I must shout, "Violence and destruction!" For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," then within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. For I hear many whispering: "Terror is all around! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!” Jeremiah 20:7-13 All my close friends are watching for me to stumble. "Perhaps he can be enticed, and we can prevail against him, and take our revenge on him." But the LORD is with me like a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble, and they will not prevail. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. O LORD of hosts, you test the righteous, you see the heart and the mind; let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers. Introduction to Jeremiah Jeremiah was active at about 627 B.C. and died sometime after 587 in Egypt. The book is a collection of oracles against Judah and Jerusalem. Baruch his aide wrote the sayings down. The sayings are not in order. The Hebrew text differs substantially from the Greek version. Context In the text immediately before the reading we are told that Jeremiah has just spent the night in the stocks. The reading is entitled “Jeremiah Denounces His Persecutors” The prophet states that he must speak the Lord’s words. Jeremiah – appearance vs. reality Jeremiah speaks out and is persecuted for it. Here he is delivered but not until he has been through an ordeal. God is with him even when it would appear that society is against him and has prevailed. Yet in reality his society’s failure to heed Jeremiah’s warning leads to the destruction of that society and not Jeremiah. Psalm 69:8-11, (12-17), 18-20 Page 679, BCP
Salvum me fac 8 Surely, for your sake have I suffered reproach, *
and shame has covered my face. 9 I have become a stranger to my own kindred, *
an alien to my mother's children. 10 Zeal for your house has eaten me up; *
the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me. 11 I humbled myself with fasting, *
but that was turned to my reproach. Psalm 69:8-11, (12-17), 18-20 Page 679, BCP
Salvum me fac [12 I put on sack-cloth also, *
and became a byword among them. 13 Those who sit at the gate murmur against me, *
and the drunkards make songs about me. 14 But as for me, this is my prayer to you, *
at the time you have set, O LORD: 15 "In your great mercy, O God, *
answer me with your unfailing help. Psalm 69:8-11, (12-17), 18-20 Page 679, BCP
Salvum me fac 16 Save me from the mire; do not let me sink; *
let me be rescued from those who hate me
and out of the deep waters. 17 Let not the torrent of waters wash over me,
neither let the deep swallow me up; *
do not let the Pit shut its mouth upon me.] 18 Answer me, O LORD, for your love is kind; *
in your great compassion, turn to me." Psalm 69:8-11, (12-17), 18-20 Page 679, BCP
Salvum me fac 19 "Hide not your face from your servant; *
be swift and answer me, for I am in distress. 20 Draw near to me and redeem me; *
because of my enemies deliver me." Psalm 69:8-11, (12-17), 18-20 Page 679, BCP
Salvum me fac Entitled: “To the leader; According to Lilies. Of David.” Likely an indication of the tune for the text. A prayer for deliverance from personal enemies, a lament. The most interesting part of the Psalm is omitted, V 21 is quoted in all of the Gospels. The editing for this lectionary placement, seems to be that the Psalmist is in a similar position to that of Jeremiah in the reading. The Gospel The Disciples, called by Jesus, to a life of strife, speaking out and persecution. Jeremiah apparently lives out this ideal. The Disciples on the other hand at least in the early going fell short of the mark. Duccio, Jeremiah, 1308-11
Tempera on wood, 42.5 x 16 cm
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena
The scene of the Slaughter of the Innocents is explained in the scroll of the prophet Jeremiah, where one can read: "Vox in Rama audita est, ploratus et ululatus multus: Rachel plorans filios suos" (Jeremiah 31:15: A cry is heard in Rama, a groaning and bitter lamentation: Rachel is weeping for her sons). Rembrandt, Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem, 1630
Oil on panel, 58.3 x 46.6 cm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam This is an early work by Rembrandt, still under the influence of his teacher Pieter Lastman. The painting shows Jeremiah who had prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, capital of Judah, by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah, chapters 32, 33), lamenting over the destruction of the city. In the distance on the left a man at the top of the steps holds clenched fists to his eyes: this is the last king of Judah, Zedekiah, who was blinded by Nebuchadnezzar. The prominent domed building in the background is probably Solomon's Temple. Jeremiah's pose, his head supported by his hand, is a traditional attitude of melancholy: his elbow rests on a large book which is inscribed 'Bibel' on the edge of the pages. The inscription is probably a later addition to the painting. The book is presumably meant to be the Book of Jeremiah or the Book of Lamentations. Romans 6:1b-11Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Romans 6:1b-11 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Painted into a Corner Paul as we have seen in the prior weeks insists that salvation is entirely a gracious and undeserved gift of God Leads to a charge of encouraging sin. Since this might lead to “fun”, Paul vigorously rejects the notion that Christians need not be concerned about sin. How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Why be good if we are to be forgiven all! Good Works . . .”do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith” The Thirty-nine Articles The 39 articles are part of the historic documents of the church that are included in the Book of Common Prayer in the last section. XI. Of the Justification of Man. We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by Faith only, is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of justification. XII. Of Good Works. Albeit that Good Works, which are the fruits of Faith, and follow after Justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God’s judgment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith; insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit. XIII. Of Works before Justification. Works done before the grace of Christ, and the Inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ; neither do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the School-authors say) deserve grace of congruity: yea rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin. Matthew 10:24-39 Jesus said to the twelve disciples, "A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! "So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:24-39 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:24-39 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. "For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's foes will be members of one's own household. Matthew 10:24-39 "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." Tough Reading The standard set for believers here seems impossibly high. And similar statements appear in the other Gospels. Footnote Notes are not much help. The directive to “proclaim from the housetops” was to distinguish them from the Essenes because Jesus was opposed to secret doctrines revealed only to initiates. Paradox: Jesus predicts that the acceptance of his message with its promise also brings seeming destruction Only those who in faith accept the threat of destruction will find life. Similar Statement in Luke Luke 12:51 51 Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 52 From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 14:25 The Cost of Discipleship 25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Disciple “Disciple” -the term occurs many times in the New Testament, but only in the Gospels and Acts. The Disciples are a vital feature of all the Gospel narratives, but the authors use the term to communicate different aspects of being a follower of Jesus. They are used to instruct the reader, but mostly through what they do wrong or fail to understand. The Matthew ‘Story’ line Matthew has three parallel stories: The story of Jesus The story of the Opponents The story of the Disciples Discouraged about your chances of meeting this ideal? Matthew and Discipleship Matthew seems to place more emphasis on the Disciple concept than the others. The harsh requirements for this position do seem to cross into all of the Gospels. However, we know that even Peter denied Jesus three times over the course of the crucifixion narrative. So, there must be some form of ‘slack’ in the absolute nature of these statements. Post Resurrection In the end even the Disciples failed these tests. But after the resurrection, Jesus called them back together forgave them and sent them back out. Thus even the Disciples, without forgiveness, fall short of the mark! So? If you feel that you have fallen short of the requirements of Discipleship. Don’t worry, you are in pretty good company. Perhaps the difference is grace? The following image shows Jesus and the twelve disciples, but in a way that suggests more peace and tranquility than the words of today’s gospel. The artist Poussin emphasized rationality and harmony in his works. This was originally part of a series about the sacraments. Nicolas Poussin, The Sacrament of Ordination
(Christ Presenting the Keys to Saint Peter), 1636-40
Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 47 7/8 in. Kimbell Art Museum
