Musings for Epiphany 7

Sunday, February 20, 2011
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany / Lectionary 7

Musings by Gary Lazenby

INTRODUCTION
In today's first reading we hear, "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." Yet we know we cannot achieve perfection. Our attempts to love neighbors and even our enemies fall short of what God desires for us. Yet in Jesus we see one who loved even those who persecuted and killed him. We are made holy in baptism, and forgiven at the table of God's mercy. As a people made holy by God, we go in peace to love as we have been loved.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

Holy God of compassion, you invite us into your way of forgiveness and peace. Lead us to love our enemies, and transform our words and deeds to be like his through whom we pray, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Leviticus 19:1–2, 9–18

The Holiness Code in Leviticus urges people to be holy since God is holy. Holiness is lived out in partiality for and consideration of the poor and the weak. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves.

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
²Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. ⁹When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. ¹⁰You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God.
¹¹You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. ¹²And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the LORD.
¹³You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. ¹⁴You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.
¹⁵You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. ¹⁶You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.
¹⁷You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. ¹⁸You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 119:33–40

Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes. (Ps. 119:33)

³³Teach me, O LORD, the way ^| of your statutes,

and I shall keep it ^| to the end.

³⁴Give me understanding, and I shall ^| keep your teaching;

I shall keep it with ^| all my heart.

³⁵Lead me in the path of ^| your commandments,

for that is ^| my desire.

³⁶Incline my heart to ^| your decrees

and not to ^| unjust gain.

³⁷Turn my eyes from be- ^| holding falsehood;

give me life ^| in your way.

³⁸Fulfill your promise ^| to your servant,

which is for ^| those who fear you.

³⁹Turn away the reproach ^| that I dread,

because your judg- ^| ments are good.

⁴⁰Behold, I long for ^| your commandments;

by your righteousness en- ^| liven me.

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 3:10–11, 16–23

Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church and its ministry. We are God’s temple because God’s Spirit dwells in us, and we belong to Christ. Hence we are called to build wisely upon this sure foundation not for our own benefit but for others to experience Christ’s benefits.

¹⁰According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. ¹⁶Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
¹⁸Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,
"He catches the wise in their craftiness,"
²⁰and again,
"The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are futile."
²¹So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all belong to you, ²³and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Gospel

Matthew 5:38–48

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares an end to the law of vengeance. God’s people will respond to evil with love and forgiveness.

³⁸You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' ³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; ⁴⁰and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; ⁴¹and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. ⁴²Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
⁴³You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Musings

Over the past few weeks, the Gospel has focused on the Sermon on the Mount. In the Children’s Sermon last week, Pastor and I “discussed” the new rules highlighted by Jesus. Instead of legal requirements and traditional expectations, Jesus wants his followers to embrace standards of righteousness that exceed those legal and traditional expectations. When Jesus spoke about God’s law, he did something no one had done before. He gave a new standard based on the law of grace and love. He quoted from the oldest law in the world: If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe (Exodus 21:23-25). Such a law today seems cruel, but it was meant to limit vengeance as a first step towards mercy. Jesus transforms the law of mercy with grace and loving-kindness. Jesus also makes clear that there is no room for retaliation. We must not only avoid returning evil for evil, but we must seek the good of those who wish us ill. Do you accept insults, as Jesus did, with no resentment? When you are compelled by others to do more than you think you deserve, do you insist on your rights, or do you respond with grace and cheerfulness? Today, is the message of Jesus embraced by all? Do we turn the other cheek or do we retaliate in some manner. Society frequently emulates those who are the aggressor. “If someone hits you, hit them back!” - words frequently communicated from parent to child. Jesus teaches us to treat others, not as they deserve, but as God wishes them to be treated — with loving-kindness and mercy. Where do you demonstrate mercy and love? Can you return evil for good? It is not easy, but Jesus loves us for trying.

Let Us Pray

For all who engage in inflammatory rhetoric

For all to be able to disagree without being disagreeable

For those who gain freedom through non-violence

For all to treat others as they would like to be treated

Quote

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” by Mahatma Gandhi

Midweek Musings for Epiphany 6

Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany / Lectionary 6

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Debbie Johnson

INTRODUCTION
In today's reading from Deuteronomy we are called to choose life by loving and obeying God. Much of today's gospel reading echoes portions of the Ten Commandments. Jesus' instructions to the crowd reveal a pattern of behavior that honors both God and the neighbor, resulting in life and health for the whole community. We, too, are invited to embrace these commandments, not out of fear of retribution, but because God has promised that to do so means life for us.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

O God, the strength of all who hope in you, because we are weak mortals we accomplish nothing good without you. Help us to see and understand the things we ought to do, and give us grace and power to do them, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Deuteronomy 30:15–20

The Lord sets before the people of God a clear choice. Life and prosperity will come to the faithful; loss of the land will be the consequence of disobedience. Choosing life entails loving the Lord and holding fast to him. Life in God's presence presupposes the promise made to the ancestors.

¹⁵See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. ¹⁶If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. ¹⁷But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, ¹⁸I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. ¹⁹I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, ²⁰loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 119:1–8

Happy are they who follow the teaching of the LORD. (Ps. 119:1)

¹Happy are they whose ^| way is blameless,

who follow the teaching ^| of the LORD!

²Happy are they who observe ^| your decrees

and seek you with ^| all their hearts,

³who never do ^| any wrong,

but always walk ^| in your ways.

⁴You laid down ^| your commandments,

that we should ^| fully keep them.

⁵Oh, that my ways were made ^| so direct

that I might ^| keep your statutes!

⁶Then I should not be ^| put to shame,

when I regard all ^| your commandments.

⁷I will thank you with ^| a true heart,

when I have learned your ^| righteous judgments.

⁸I will ^| keep your statutes;

do not utter- ^| ly forsake me.

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 3:1–9

Human leaders in the church are not the ones who control ministry. Rather they are fellow workers who belong to God, the one who truly controls and continuously empowers the ministry of the church.

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. ²I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, ³for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? ⁴For when one says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely human?
⁵What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. ⁶I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. ⁹For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building.

Gospel

Matthew 5:21–37

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts his followers to embrace standards of righteousness that exceed legal requirements and traditional expectations.

²¹You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' ²²But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
²⁷You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' ²⁸But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
³¹It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' ³²But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
³³Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' ³⁴But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

MUSINGS

For those who are curious as to who gets what to write about each week, I think it is pretty random. Kristin asks if we are interested in continuing, we say yes or now, and she then sends us a schedule. Someone it seems that I get these to think on at the most opportune times. So this week, you get my musings! I am writing this while sitting in my parents living room on a trip to California having made the trek this week for the funeral of my Uncle, Uncle Bud. The second verse of the old Testament references observing the commandments and the one that comes to mind today is to "honor your mother and father". Yes, even as adults it is important to remember this commandments as they are still our parents! In the Gospel Jesus tells us that we are to make right with our brothers and sisters. Sometimes this too is difficult! Family is central to who we are and as we follow the command of God ... to LOVE one another then we will trive and grow. And knowing that FORGIVENESS if part of love. That we will mess up even when we love and we need to be forgiven. And the others will mess up and we need to FORGIVE.

LET US PRAY

For parents and children to love and forgive

For brothers and sisters to love and forgive

For those living in communities and countries where civil unrest is presnt

For warmth in the cold

For courage to step out in faith

" If we really want to love
we must learn how to forgive"
Mother Teresa