Endings and transitions
Commentary
Object:
As we approach the end of the year and the days get shorter and darker, many people have a difficult emotional time. That's why so many societies worldwide have celebrations during this season that feature light and put the emphasis on celebration. The secular world celebrates Halloween, while the Christian church celebrates the lives of those who have gone before us in the faith. In the United States this is followed by Thanksgiving and then the Christmas (shopping) season. But it is good to talk about those things that we are trying to avoid: darkness and our fear of change. Today's scriptures talk about the death of Moses, the separation of those who have been blood or spiritual family, and the end of things.
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
This passage opens with Moses atop a mountain, gazing across the Promised Land like a land owner looking over the property his children will inherit. He has been the spiritual leader of the Hebrews as they passed from slavery to a nomadic existence until this moment, when they will cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan, as God promised Abraham.
Mount Nebo and Mount Pisgah are both names for the same mountain. Pisgah derives from the Hebrew for "cleft" -- as in a cleft in a rock or mountain. The Nebo range is to the northeast of the Dead Sea in Jordan and rises to a height of about 2,800 feet, thus giving Moses a sweeping view of the Promised Land which he will not be allowed to enter. Instead he dies on the mountaintop, and though we are told that he was buried in Moab, no one knows where exactly his tomb is located. This gave rise to the belief that God himself buried Moses.
The fact that his burial plot is unmarked brings full circle the mystery that is deliberately maintained about the beginning and end of the story of the covenant. The location of Mount Sinai is also unknown, so that the people of God would not be making pilgrimages to it or seeking special knowledge in the place where the covenant was made, broken, and remade. Moses' grave is likewise a mystery for the same reason. The people of God are to walk with God, who is likewise invisible and the people are forbidden to attempt to make anything in the image and likeness of God -- or for that matter of any creature in earth or heaven to assist them in the worship of their God.
The people, of course, didn't keep that commandment very well (see, for example, the book of Ezekiel where it is disclosed that the temple was decorated with all kinds of art such as one might see in the temples of Egypt). But it is apparent that to the ancient writers, there was a danger in making pilgrimages to the tombs of the greatest of Israel's leaders. And Moses was, as the writer of Deuteronomy says, the greatest of the prophets or servants of God. Moses was no ordinary prophet either.
The prophets of the Old Testament all claimed that God had spoken to them and given them visions or dreams to guide them as they served the almighty. But Moses was different -- he spoke to God as a person might speak to a friend: face-to-face. This understanding of the unique relationship Moses had with God is repeatedly emphasized (e.g., Exodus 33:11 and Numbers 12) with this phrase. God does speak in this direct way with both Joshua and Gideon on one occasion each, but then they were the immediate successors to Moses. And in Moses' case, God spoke to him this way throughout his leadership.
Joshua is named here as the divinely chosen successor to Moses. Moses had laid his hands on Joshua (see Numbers 27:18-23 for the ordination or commissioning of Joshua), as God told him. Moses had asked God to provide a leader who could take up the leadership of the people so they would not be like sheep without a shepherd. In answer to this request, God had proclaimed that Joshua, the son of Nun, should take over some of the work of leadership at once, and when Moses was gone he would take Moses' place. In this way God provided for a smooth transition of leadership from Moses -- who had proved himself the servant of God, doing what God wanted him to do -- to Joshua, whom God has said has "the spirit dwelling in him."
There follows a brief eulogy for Moses: "Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses." High praise for one of the key figures of Judeo-Christian history. He had constantly performed "signs and wonders" as the Lord had sent him to perform. In Numbers 12:3, we are also told that "Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth." The Hebrew word compares to the Greek word that Jesus uses in Matthew 11:29, and that is sometimes translated as "meek" rather than "humble." The meaning of it is that the meek or humble person is devout, not strutting or demanding his/her own way, being a leader who submits entirely to God and God's will. This kind of leader would never demand "Do you know who I am!?" nor pull rank nor threaten retribution for dishonor. The humble person may complain to God, as Moses did when the people repeatedly complained loudly against him, but s/he will do so because s/he trusts that God will have a solution.
In this way, the story of Moses is "must reading" for anyone engaged in leadership, no matter what kind. We all become frustrated when group members lose focus and vision, falling into complaining about extraneous matters and squabbling or jockeying for position. Moses too was frustrated and cried out to God for a solution. "This people that you have given me," Moses would begin, trusting that God would provide exactly what was needed.
The other lesson to come away with here is that no matter how special we are to God, no matter how much good work we have done, no matter what we still want or need to do, there comes a day when we will be done. Eventually our leadership will come to an end. It will be time to leave. Someone else will have to pick up the work we have been doing and take the next steps. We may fret that they will "drop the ball." (Or worse, that they may succeed where we failed!) No matter, our work will be done. We may find another congregation or our supervising body may assign us to a different congregation a hundred miles or more away from friends and coworkers we have loved.
Of course, eventually even our time on earth will be over. No matter what kinder, gentler words we may use, our time is limited on this planet. No matter how good the work we may have done, everyone dies. That day may not be for many years in the future. Or it may be just around the corner. We may, like Moses, have a glimpse of what God will be doing next -- without us. We may want to say, "No fair! I gave my life to you, Lord! How can you take away my life or my child's life (or hopes or dreams) when I have dedicated myself to caring for your church?" Of course we may not say that aloud. God would understand, but would anyone else? Most of us are not so humble that we can surrender our lives without regret.
Even if we are humble servants, we still grieve at these losses. In the face of major change, it is good to have a God to whom we may talk, maybe even face-to-face.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
This passage builds on the same theme as the Old Testament lesson. Paul feels an intense bond with the Christians of Thessalonica. He had to leave them for some reason that is not quite clear, but the New Interpreter's Study Bible notes that this passage says there was apparently some sort of problem that made Paul and his companions leave the city, and the report back from Timothy on his follow-up visit was not altogether glowing. Therefore, Paul wants to go back but ends up writing this letter instead.
He addresses the Thessalonians in the language of family. This letter is written in a personal style to his "brothers and sisters" who have gathered to hear it read in the home of one of the Christians in that city. The New Interpreter's Study Bible says there were probably not more than forty people to hear this first reading of our text for today.
The letter begins with a greeting that is typical of personal correspondence among Hellenistic Jews and includes praise of those who are listening. They have become what Paul considers to be models of Christian living, especially since they, like Paul, have had to put up with strong opposition. He assures them that he is still thinking of them and praying that they may continue the good start they have had. Like a mother or father, he is concerned for their well-being and growth in the Lord and has no thought to gain from them in any way. This makes him different from a teacher, who may teach out of love but who also expects to be paid for his or her efforts.
Paul emphasizes that he expects no personal gain. He assures them that he intends not only to care for them for free, but he intends to share his very self, just as a parent cares for his child. Why? Because God entrusted him with the message of the good news about Jesus. Paul has a sense not only of obligation but of being honored by God when he was called to this work, and he wants to convey that sense of privilege with the Thessalonians.
Matthew 22:34-46
This passage comes at the point in Matthew's gospel where Jesus has staged an entrance into Jerusalem that cannot be misunderstood by those watching: He has followed Zechariah's description of the coming of the Messiah (Zechariah 9:9). He then goes on the attack in the temple precincts, challenging the right of the authorities to allow moneychangers and providers of sacrificial animals to carry on their trade. He cements his claim to authority by healing the blind and the lame, people who are excluded from the temple because their disabilities are considered to be signs that they have sinned. This prompts the children, who have been excited by the crowd and Jesus' display, to chant what the crowd was saying at his appearance: "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
The authorities are outraged and confront Jesus. "Do you hear what these are saying?"
Jesus responds by quoting Psalm 8:2, which seems to mean that even children can tell what God is about and praise God, thus saving the kingdom. In effect the gauntlet has been thrown, and the stage set for the final confrontation between Jesus and the elite of Judea.
The authorities come back at Jesus the next day. First, the Pharisees ask him about paying taxes to Rome, the hot-button issue of that day. Jesus' answer is that if they use the money of Rome and all that it buys, then they will have to pay taxes to the person to whom the money "belongs" -- the emperor of Rome.
Then the Sadducees pose him a riddle of sorts: "If there is a resurrection, what will happen to a woman who has been handed from brother to brother under the rules of Levirate marriage? To whom will she belong in the resurrection?"
Jesus tells them that Levirate marriage plays no part in heaven. Women are not chattel and earthly customs have no effect. Then, having reframed the discussion, he asks them, "If God says he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is he the God of the dead or are those ancestors all alive with God?"
The Sadducees are silent. So the Pharisees come again, this time with an expert in the law. This is our passage for today.
The question of the greatest commandment is actually a simple one, though it might be tricky for an unlettered Galilean. Galilee was a very cosmopolitan sort of place, compared with Jerusalem. In Galilee there were many cultures and languages, all mixed together. From the perspective of the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem, this put the Galileans under suspicion of not holding to the old customs. They evidently thought he would pull out one of the so-called Ten Commandments of Moses. But Jesus goes to the heart of the matter, to Moses' own summary in Deuteronomy 6:5.
Jesus then adds a second "great" commandment, actually one in a large group of laws, found in Leviticus 19:18, "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself...." Then he offers his own summary statement: "On these two law commandments hang all the law and the prophets." In this way, he demonstrates not only that he is educated in the law but that he is able to pull understandings from two disparate places in the scriptures and synthesize their meaning. Thus he is the equal of the expert in the law that the Pharisees have brought along.
Matthew does not say that the Pharisees and the lawyer are stunned at this answer, but they are quiet long enough that Jesus turns the tables on them. "Who is the Messiah? Whose son is he?" This is something of a trick question. The Jerusalem authorities expected Messiah to be born in the natural way, from a descendant of David in the halls of power. From there he would have a firm base of power to re-establish the kingdom of Israel. The people up in the Galilee, on the other hand, expected the Messiah to be a magical figure who would descend from heaven with an army of angels to establish the kingdom of God on earth.
These beliefs had caused Jesus difficulty in his hometown. When he went to the synagogue and read the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Messiah, he re-rolled the scroll and said to them, "Today this prophecy has been fulfilled in your hearing." The members of the synagogue were first puzzled: "Isn't this the son of Mary? Isn't his father Joseph? We know this young man. Who does he think he is? Is he mad?" And with growing indignation, they tried to throw him over a cliff.
But the expectations of the Judeans had also confounded him. They expected to know who is father was, where he was born, what kind of pedigree he had. But Jesus had simply appeared in Judea with a story about being the Son of God. They also were indignant that their expectations were not met. Nothing is known about Jesus' educational background either. Where does he get his obvious knowledge and ability to preach and teach?
Jesus' question is driving at exactly this point. Is Messiah sent from God or born of the line of David? Is he David's offspring or David's Lord? Is the title "Lord" referring to an earthly kingdom or recognition that he comes from God? They cannot answer. It is too dangerous to answer. But even more, this is a conundrum that requires argument and study in equal degree. So Matthew says no one could give him an answer and no one dared to ask him any more questions.
There is a certain satisfaction to answering the questions that people put to you in ways that not only silence your critics, but take away their desire to enter into debate with you again. But there is a danger here as well. The end of debate is not the end of the disagreement. In fact, if the debate is cut off, options are often limited as well. In my own denomination, the long (thirty years!) debate over the acceptance of homosexuals in our churches has worn out many of the debaters. Recently a proposal has been put forward to "amicably" split the denomination as a means to end the fight. But this will not end the disagreement. It will merely put the debate on different footing. Like a bickering couple, come to the point of not wanting to fight anymore, seizes on the idea of a divorce to "solve" the problems, all that happens is the fight takes place in different ways in different venues. Ask those of us who grew up in so-called "broken homes." There is no longer a home, and it is the relationships that remain broken, not to mention the children.
But this is exactly where this confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees ends. Jesus goes on teaching and healing, and the Pharisees withdraw to plot another way to end this.
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
This passage opens with Moses atop a mountain, gazing across the Promised Land like a land owner looking over the property his children will inherit. He has been the spiritual leader of the Hebrews as they passed from slavery to a nomadic existence until this moment, when they will cross the Jordan River and enter Canaan, as God promised Abraham.
Mount Nebo and Mount Pisgah are both names for the same mountain. Pisgah derives from the Hebrew for "cleft" -- as in a cleft in a rock or mountain. The Nebo range is to the northeast of the Dead Sea in Jordan and rises to a height of about 2,800 feet, thus giving Moses a sweeping view of the Promised Land which he will not be allowed to enter. Instead he dies on the mountaintop, and though we are told that he was buried in Moab, no one knows where exactly his tomb is located. This gave rise to the belief that God himself buried Moses.
The fact that his burial plot is unmarked brings full circle the mystery that is deliberately maintained about the beginning and end of the story of the covenant. The location of Mount Sinai is also unknown, so that the people of God would not be making pilgrimages to it or seeking special knowledge in the place where the covenant was made, broken, and remade. Moses' grave is likewise a mystery for the same reason. The people of God are to walk with God, who is likewise invisible and the people are forbidden to attempt to make anything in the image and likeness of God -- or for that matter of any creature in earth or heaven to assist them in the worship of their God.
The people, of course, didn't keep that commandment very well (see, for example, the book of Ezekiel where it is disclosed that the temple was decorated with all kinds of art such as one might see in the temples of Egypt). But it is apparent that to the ancient writers, there was a danger in making pilgrimages to the tombs of the greatest of Israel's leaders. And Moses was, as the writer of Deuteronomy says, the greatest of the prophets or servants of God. Moses was no ordinary prophet either.
The prophets of the Old Testament all claimed that God had spoken to them and given them visions or dreams to guide them as they served the almighty. But Moses was different -- he spoke to God as a person might speak to a friend: face-to-face. This understanding of the unique relationship Moses had with God is repeatedly emphasized (e.g., Exodus 33:11 and Numbers 12) with this phrase. God does speak in this direct way with both Joshua and Gideon on one occasion each, but then they were the immediate successors to Moses. And in Moses' case, God spoke to him this way throughout his leadership.
Joshua is named here as the divinely chosen successor to Moses. Moses had laid his hands on Joshua (see Numbers 27:18-23 for the ordination or commissioning of Joshua), as God told him. Moses had asked God to provide a leader who could take up the leadership of the people so they would not be like sheep without a shepherd. In answer to this request, God had proclaimed that Joshua, the son of Nun, should take over some of the work of leadership at once, and when Moses was gone he would take Moses' place. In this way God provided for a smooth transition of leadership from Moses -- who had proved himself the servant of God, doing what God wanted him to do -- to Joshua, whom God has said has "the spirit dwelling in him."
There follows a brief eulogy for Moses: "Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses." High praise for one of the key figures of Judeo-Christian history. He had constantly performed "signs and wonders" as the Lord had sent him to perform. In Numbers 12:3, we are also told that "Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth." The Hebrew word compares to the Greek word that Jesus uses in Matthew 11:29, and that is sometimes translated as "meek" rather than "humble." The meaning of it is that the meek or humble person is devout, not strutting or demanding his/her own way, being a leader who submits entirely to God and God's will. This kind of leader would never demand "Do you know who I am!?" nor pull rank nor threaten retribution for dishonor. The humble person may complain to God, as Moses did when the people repeatedly complained loudly against him, but s/he will do so because s/he trusts that God will have a solution.
In this way, the story of Moses is "must reading" for anyone engaged in leadership, no matter what kind. We all become frustrated when group members lose focus and vision, falling into complaining about extraneous matters and squabbling or jockeying for position. Moses too was frustrated and cried out to God for a solution. "This people that you have given me," Moses would begin, trusting that God would provide exactly what was needed.
The other lesson to come away with here is that no matter how special we are to God, no matter how much good work we have done, no matter what we still want or need to do, there comes a day when we will be done. Eventually our leadership will come to an end. It will be time to leave. Someone else will have to pick up the work we have been doing and take the next steps. We may fret that they will "drop the ball." (Or worse, that they may succeed where we failed!) No matter, our work will be done. We may find another congregation or our supervising body may assign us to a different congregation a hundred miles or more away from friends and coworkers we have loved.
Of course, eventually even our time on earth will be over. No matter what kinder, gentler words we may use, our time is limited on this planet. No matter how good the work we may have done, everyone dies. That day may not be for many years in the future. Or it may be just around the corner. We may, like Moses, have a glimpse of what God will be doing next -- without us. We may want to say, "No fair! I gave my life to you, Lord! How can you take away my life or my child's life (or hopes or dreams) when I have dedicated myself to caring for your church?" Of course we may not say that aloud. God would understand, but would anyone else? Most of us are not so humble that we can surrender our lives without regret.
Even if we are humble servants, we still grieve at these losses. In the face of major change, it is good to have a God to whom we may talk, maybe even face-to-face.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
This passage builds on the same theme as the Old Testament lesson. Paul feels an intense bond with the Christians of Thessalonica. He had to leave them for some reason that is not quite clear, but the New Interpreter's Study Bible notes that this passage says there was apparently some sort of problem that made Paul and his companions leave the city, and the report back from Timothy on his follow-up visit was not altogether glowing. Therefore, Paul wants to go back but ends up writing this letter instead.
He addresses the Thessalonians in the language of family. This letter is written in a personal style to his "brothers and sisters" who have gathered to hear it read in the home of one of the Christians in that city. The New Interpreter's Study Bible says there were probably not more than forty people to hear this first reading of our text for today.
The letter begins with a greeting that is typical of personal correspondence among Hellenistic Jews and includes praise of those who are listening. They have become what Paul considers to be models of Christian living, especially since they, like Paul, have had to put up with strong opposition. He assures them that he is still thinking of them and praying that they may continue the good start they have had. Like a mother or father, he is concerned for their well-being and growth in the Lord and has no thought to gain from them in any way. This makes him different from a teacher, who may teach out of love but who also expects to be paid for his or her efforts.
Paul emphasizes that he expects no personal gain. He assures them that he intends not only to care for them for free, but he intends to share his very self, just as a parent cares for his child. Why? Because God entrusted him with the message of the good news about Jesus. Paul has a sense not only of obligation but of being honored by God when he was called to this work, and he wants to convey that sense of privilege with the Thessalonians.
Matthew 22:34-46
This passage comes at the point in Matthew's gospel where Jesus has staged an entrance into Jerusalem that cannot be misunderstood by those watching: He has followed Zechariah's description of the coming of the Messiah (Zechariah 9:9). He then goes on the attack in the temple precincts, challenging the right of the authorities to allow moneychangers and providers of sacrificial animals to carry on their trade. He cements his claim to authority by healing the blind and the lame, people who are excluded from the temple because their disabilities are considered to be signs that they have sinned. This prompts the children, who have been excited by the crowd and Jesus' display, to chant what the crowd was saying at his appearance: "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
The authorities are outraged and confront Jesus. "Do you hear what these are saying?"
Jesus responds by quoting Psalm 8:2, which seems to mean that even children can tell what God is about and praise God, thus saving the kingdom. In effect the gauntlet has been thrown, and the stage set for the final confrontation between Jesus and the elite of Judea.
The authorities come back at Jesus the next day. First, the Pharisees ask him about paying taxes to Rome, the hot-button issue of that day. Jesus' answer is that if they use the money of Rome and all that it buys, then they will have to pay taxes to the person to whom the money "belongs" -- the emperor of Rome.
Then the Sadducees pose him a riddle of sorts: "If there is a resurrection, what will happen to a woman who has been handed from brother to brother under the rules of Levirate marriage? To whom will she belong in the resurrection?"
Jesus tells them that Levirate marriage plays no part in heaven. Women are not chattel and earthly customs have no effect. Then, having reframed the discussion, he asks them, "If God says he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is he the God of the dead or are those ancestors all alive with God?"
The Sadducees are silent. So the Pharisees come again, this time with an expert in the law. This is our passage for today.
The question of the greatest commandment is actually a simple one, though it might be tricky for an unlettered Galilean. Galilee was a very cosmopolitan sort of place, compared with Jerusalem. In Galilee there were many cultures and languages, all mixed together. From the perspective of the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem, this put the Galileans under suspicion of not holding to the old customs. They evidently thought he would pull out one of the so-called Ten Commandments of Moses. But Jesus goes to the heart of the matter, to Moses' own summary in Deuteronomy 6:5.
Jesus then adds a second "great" commandment, actually one in a large group of laws, found in Leviticus 19:18, "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself...." Then he offers his own summary statement: "On these two law commandments hang all the law and the prophets." In this way, he demonstrates not only that he is educated in the law but that he is able to pull understandings from two disparate places in the scriptures and synthesize their meaning. Thus he is the equal of the expert in the law that the Pharisees have brought along.
Matthew does not say that the Pharisees and the lawyer are stunned at this answer, but they are quiet long enough that Jesus turns the tables on them. "Who is the Messiah? Whose son is he?" This is something of a trick question. The Jerusalem authorities expected Messiah to be born in the natural way, from a descendant of David in the halls of power. From there he would have a firm base of power to re-establish the kingdom of Israel. The people up in the Galilee, on the other hand, expected the Messiah to be a magical figure who would descend from heaven with an army of angels to establish the kingdom of God on earth.
These beliefs had caused Jesus difficulty in his hometown. When he went to the synagogue and read the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Messiah, he re-rolled the scroll and said to them, "Today this prophecy has been fulfilled in your hearing." The members of the synagogue were first puzzled: "Isn't this the son of Mary? Isn't his father Joseph? We know this young man. Who does he think he is? Is he mad?" And with growing indignation, they tried to throw him over a cliff.
But the expectations of the Judeans had also confounded him. They expected to know who is father was, where he was born, what kind of pedigree he had. But Jesus had simply appeared in Judea with a story about being the Son of God. They also were indignant that their expectations were not met. Nothing is known about Jesus' educational background either. Where does he get his obvious knowledge and ability to preach and teach?
Jesus' question is driving at exactly this point. Is Messiah sent from God or born of the line of David? Is he David's offspring or David's Lord? Is the title "Lord" referring to an earthly kingdom or recognition that he comes from God? They cannot answer. It is too dangerous to answer. But even more, this is a conundrum that requires argument and study in equal degree. So Matthew says no one could give him an answer and no one dared to ask him any more questions.
There is a certain satisfaction to answering the questions that people put to you in ways that not only silence your critics, but take away their desire to enter into debate with you again. But there is a danger here as well. The end of debate is not the end of the disagreement. In fact, if the debate is cut off, options are often limited as well. In my own denomination, the long (thirty years!) debate over the acceptance of homosexuals in our churches has worn out many of the debaters. Recently a proposal has been put forward to "amicably" split the denomination as a means to end the fight. But this will not end the disagreement. It will merely put the debate on different footing. Like a bickering couple, come to the point of not wanting to fight anymore, seizes on the idea of a divorce to "solve" the problems, all that happens is the fight takes place in different ways in different venues. Ask those of us who grew up in so-called "broken homes." There is no longer a home, and it is the relationships that remain broken, not to mention the children.
But this is exactly where this confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees ends. Jesus goes on teaching and healing, and the Pharisees withdraw to plot another way to end this.
