Sunday, July 8, 2012
Lectionary 14
Proper 9
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
INTRODUCTION
Jesus does great deeds of power and gives his disciples authority over demons. Yet none of this power is unilateral; it all must be received by faith. Jesus asks his disciples to go out without money or supplies, so that they will be dependent on how others receive them. When we are sent from the assembly to witness and to heal, we are asked to be vulnerable, to be dependent on the reception of others. The Spirit always operates in the between: between Jesus and his Abba, between Jesus and us, between you and me, between us and those to whom we are sent.
| Prayer of the Day (ELW) |
God of the covenant, in our baptism you call us to proclaim the coming of your kingdom.
Give us the courage you gave the apostles, that we may faithfully witness to your love and peace in every circumstance of life, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
| First Reading | Ezekiel 2:1–5 |
In 597 B.C., the priest Ezekiel was removed into exile in Babylon. While there, he received a vision of God appearing majestically on a chariot throne. Today's reading recounts God's commissioning of Ezekiel during this vision. The prophet is to speak God's word to a people unwilling to hear.
He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. 2And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. 3He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. 4The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord GOD." 5Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.
| Psalm (ELW) | Psalm 123 |
Our eyes look to you, O God, until you show us your mercy. (Ps. 123:2)
1To you I lift | up my eyes,
to you enthroned | in the heavens.
2As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
and the eyes of a maid to the hand | of her mistress,
so our eyes look to you, O LORD our God,
until you show | us your mercy. R
3Have mercy upon us, O | LORD, have mercy,
for we have had more than enough | of contempt,
4too much of the scorn of the in- | dolent rich,
and of the derision | of the proud. R
| Second Reading | 2 Corinthians 12:2–10 |
Christians do not boast of their own accomplishments. Rather, Christian boasting focuses attention on how the power of Christ is present in our lives, especially in times of weakness and vulnerability. No matter what our circumstances in life, Christ’s grace is sufficient for us.
2I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. 3And I know that such a person — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows — 4was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. 5On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, 7even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. 8Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, 9but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
| Gospel | Mark 6:1–13 |
At home and abroad, Jesus and his disciples encounter resistance as they seek to proclaim God's word and relieve affliction.
He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." 5And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6And he was amazed at their unbelief.
Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
REFLECTION
The Gospel finds Jesus returning to Nazareth. He is going home again. However, his return does not go the way one might expect. After all, Jesus is something of a celebrity by this time. He has been going around the countryside preaching, teaching, healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead and controlling the forces of nature. He has proven that there is something very special and different about him. Of course, the last time Jesus was in Nazareth things didn’t go too well for him. He went to the synagogue and preached. In that service, Jesus proclaimed himself to be the Jewish Messiah. The people of Nazareth rejected his message and tried to kill him by throwing him over a cliff. He left Nazareth and preached in other places in Galilee. Now, a year later, he returns to the very place he was so cruelly rejected. He wants to give his family, his friends and his neighbors another chance to receive him and his message. Even though Jesus is rejected, he perseveres trying to give them one more chance to hear his message.
I am always amazed that God would give us one more chance. But He does. He gives us opportunity after opportunity to believe in Him and His Gospel! Thank God for His good grace!
LET US PRAY FOR:
For the home-less
Those who are unwilling to “go home”
For those who have been given opportunity after opportunity and have not listened
For those who have been given opportunity after opportunity and have begun to listen
For those who are rejected
QUOTE
“Those who know you best tend to respect you the least.” George Webber, character in the novel, You Can’t Go Home Again, by Thomas Wolfe.
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