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An idle tale

Easter Sunday; 17 April 2022; Easter Day C (RCL); Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; Luke 24:1-12.

Over the past few years, I’ve preached on the passage from John’s Gospel assigned for Year C, with its themes of a new creation (in the garden), and the journey toward God. This year, it seems good instead to preach on the Luke passage.

The Passion reading last Sunday ended with the women resting on the Sabbath day, according to the commandment. This seems to me a reflection, or a mirror image, of God’s rest on the Sabbath after creation. God had seen everything and declared it good; the women have seen the worst humanity can do. And they rested on the Sabbath day.

Sabbath rest

Palm/Passion Sunday; 10 April 2022; Sunday of the Passion C (RCL); Luke 19:28-40; Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-6; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 22:14 – 23:56.

The readings for Palm/Passion Sunday always present the preacher with a challenge. Each of the Gospel writers’ Passion narrative has its own theological emphases, and there is too much reading to preach on it all. In fact, one is often tempted just to let the passion preach itself, and to add nothing. However, these readings always need some unpacking, and the unique circumstances of each year require interpretation.

Honor

Fifth Sunday in Lent; 3 April 2022; Lent 5C (RCL); Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8.

Deuteronomy 15:11 reads “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'” Origen (I think) took this to mean that the wealthy held their wealth in trust for the poor, who provided for the rich the opportunity of redemption.

Come to the party

Fourth Sunday in Lent; 27 March 2022; Lent 4C (RCL); Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32.

Reconciliation is hard work. All too often, when we think of the forgiveness of sin, we think that God has done this once and for all, and that’s all there is to that. However, Paul tells us that in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Godself, not holding their trespasses against them. Not hold their trespasses against them is just the first step of reconciliation. One has then to move past the consequences of those trespasses.

I have observed the misery

Third Sunday in Lent; 20 March 2022; Lent 3C (RCL); Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9.

I have always been puzzled (and remain so) by the first verses of this Gospel reading. The commentators point out the assumed connection between catastrophe and sin: sin brings down God’s judgment in the form of disaster. So, read the other way, disaster must imply God’s judgment; ergo a person must have sinned.

God’s risk

Second Sunday in Lent; 13 March 2022; Lent 2C (RCL); Genesis 15:1-12, 15-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17 – 4:1; Luke 13:31-35.

What a mish-mash of readings this week. I suppose that happens when you read books in-course. The Luke reading especially puzzles me; I’m not really sure how it fits into Luke’s overall narrative strategy, although I suppose it pushes forward the progress toward Jerusalem. But Jesus has not yet been to Jerusalem; how can he have desired to have protected her children? Unless perhaps he is speaking as Wisdom.

Misgotten glory

First Sunday in Lent; 6 March 2022; Lent 1C (RCL); Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13.

None of the things the devil tempts Jesus with is evil in itself, and in fact, in Luke’s telling, Jesus will in fact accomplish them. What makes them wrong is motivation and purpose. Looking at world events today, it is good to be reminded that we are not God.

Seeing and not seeing

Last Sunday after Epiphany; 27 February 2022; Last Epiphany C (RCL); Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3:12 – 4:2; Luke 9:28-43a.

Paul turns the story of Moses’ face on its head, and makes it into a condemnation of Israel, for its failure to see Jesus as the Christ. In its initial setting, the story of Moses’ face was meant to show him as a true ‘friend of God,’ who could gaze on God’s glory without fear. The rest of us poor mortals couldn’t even gaze at Moses.

Forgiveness?

Seventh Sunday after Epiphany; 20 February 2022; Epiphany 7C (RCL); Genesis 45:3-11, 15; Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38.

I suspect the designers of the lectionary linked the Genesis reading to the Gospel reading, figuring that Joseph was a good example of forgiving egregious wrongs. However, I find the figure of Joseph rather troubling, and I suspect the editors of the Pentateuch also found him troubling.

The two ways

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany; 13 February 2022; Epiphany 6C (RCL); Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26.

We are used to hearing the Beatitudes in Matthew’s version, and Luke’s version is a little shocking. Matthew’s Jesus addresses the Beatitudes to a third-person, plural group — blessed are those people. Luke’s Jesus addresses his to a second-person, plural audience — blessed are you all. Matthew’s Jesus spiritualizes the Beatitudes — blessed are the poor in spirit; blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Luke’s Jesus speaks directly to real situations — blessed are you poor; blessed are you hungry.