The Greatest and Truest Father
Commentary
All the lessons for this Sunday early in the Pentecost Season proclaim the good news that God finds a way out of what seems to be no way for the faithful.
1 Samuel 15:34--16:13
The First Lesson is taken from a book which has its origins as a distinct body of literature derived from the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures (the Septuagint), which divided the story of Israel’s monarchy into four sections (1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings). The book is probably the result of two or three sources: (1) Early traditions about Samuel and Saul; (2) Editor-molded materials brought together into a connected history, implying a critique of the events, deeming kingship as problematic, and so advocating that the nation should be set under the rule of God and Samuel, his prophet; and (3) Incorporating the previous strand into the more Deuteronomistic (D) oral tradition responsible for the Pentateuch. Recall that this latter strand was the result of sweeping religious reforms launched under King Josiah in 621 BC.
This lesson tells the story of Samuel’s anointing of David to succeed Saul as king. Having confronted Saul, Samuel is reported to have returned to his home in Ramah (not far from Jerusalem) and never saw the sitting king again. He is said to have been grieved over Saul’s plight (15:34-35). Yahweh challenges Samuel not to grieve indefinitely, but charges him to go to Jesse (of the tribe of Judah, a grandson of Ruth and Boaz) in Bethlehem, as the next king will be from among his sons (16:1). As Samuel fears consequences if Saul learns of these actions, the Lord responds to the prophet that he is to offer a sacrifice to him and invite Jesse. Further instructions are to be received (16:2-3). Samuel complies and invites all the elders to join him in the sacrifice after ceremoniously sanctifying themselves through ritual washing. Among them are Jesse and his sons (16:4-5).
Samuel then meets Jesse’s eldest son Eliab, who is said to have been tall and handsome. Samuel thinks that he must be the one the Lord has chosen, but Yahweh reveals that Eliab is not the one. For the Lord does not look on human beings as they appear outwardly, but considers the heart (16:6-7). Jesse’s second son Abinadab and the third son Shammah (elsewhere called Shimeah [2 Samuel 13:3,32] or Shimei [2 Samuel 21:21]) are summoned, and Samuel notes that they as well as the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sons of Jesse are not the chosen one (16:8-10). Samuel asks to see all of Jesse’s sons; only the youngest (David) who was tending sheep had not been seen. Samuel has him summoned, claiming he would not sit down (not eating the part of the sacrifice not reserved for God) until he sees David (16:11). Although David is the eighth son in this account, according to 1 Chronicles 2:13-15, he is the seventh son of a seventh son, a widespread Hebrew folklore. David is said to be ruddy and quite handsome. Yahweh directs that he be anointed, and his is given the Spirit [ruach] of the Lord (as Saul and other religious leaders had received) (16:12-13). The reference here to being anointed employs the Hebrew term mashiach which is linguistically related to the term for Messiah. Already, then, connections between the (Davidic) king of Israel and the Messiah were being drawn.
Americans seem as uptight about the present plight of our nation as many in ancient Israel like Samuel were in despair over the state of their kingdom. A late 2017 poll conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 59% of us believe that we are at the lowest point in U.S. history we can remember. A CNBC poll conducted at the same time found that only 24% of us think that the nation is heading in the right direction. We are looking for something. Our lesson reminds us that we need the right leader. Politics aside, reading our text prophetically as testifying to the anointment of Jesus as king in our lives, it seems that America would be better off with our heir of David (Jesus) in the lives of more Americans. We have previously noted that when our minds are focused on spiritual matters like Christ our brains are rewarded by a flow of good-feeling brain chemicals like dopamine (Dean Hamer, The God Gene: How Faith Is Hardwired into Our Genes). And when this brain chemical is flowing we are more inclined to do good (Robert Sapolsky, Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, pp.546ff.). This lesson affords preachers with the opportunity to proclaim that God has given us a way out of our bad situation, that with Christ in charge we will be more inclined to stop just “Waiting on the World To Change” (as John Mayer sang) and do something about things in America. For God does indeed find a way out of what seems to be no way for the faithful.
The assigned Psalm (20) is drawn from a collection of Hebraic hymns of praise, most of which were composed to accompany worship in the Temple of Jerusalem. Some were composed early in Israel’s history; others after The Babylonian Captivity. The tradition of ascribing Psalms to David like this one (or to claim he authored the entire book) does not historically substantiate his authorship. It is indicative of the great esteem in which David was held as a singer.
This particular Psalm is a prayer for the king’s victory in battle, purportedly by David. It was likely composed to accompany a sacrifice offered before a battle had begun (v.3). It is interesting to note here the conclusion of many Biblical scholars that reference to David in the Psalms like this one may have been a way of using him to represent the inner life of all his subjects and so of all the faithful (Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p.521). In that sense this song is about how all Christians do well to pray to God for victories in life.
God’s actual name [shem, also translated “renown”] is deemed a sanctuary (v.1). Prayers are offered that God would send help, remember all our offerings and grant our hearts’ desire (vv.2-5). The reference to Selah after v.3 is a liturgical direction instructing that there be a musical interlude at this point in the Psalm. The Psalmist calls for the Lord to help his anointed, answering him with mighty victories (v.6). We noted in describing the First Lesson that the term anointed [mashiach] implies “Messiah” for the Hebrews. Again we see how Messianic office is related to David. Rather than taking pride in armies, the Psalmist claims to take pride in the name of Yahweh (v.7). Those taking pride in their armies, it is said, will collapse and fall, but those taking pride in Yahweh will stand aright (v.8).
Polls indicate confusion among Americans regarding upon whom or what they can rely. A Pew Research Center 2016 poll found that 64% of Americans were confused about facts. We can only imagine that this figure might be higher today due to all the reports about “fake news” we hear. Even our priorities seem messed up. The title of a 2016 book about America by English writer Ruth Whippman says it all: America the Anxious: How Our Pursuit of Happiness is Creating of Nation of Nervous Wrecks. Our mad chase for happiness, our confusion about where to find truth, has us confused. The constant barrage of the internet and its numerous options confuses us more (see Nicholas Carr, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains). But our focus advocated in this Psalm on God and Christ, on spirituality, provides the remedy to our confusion. The data drawn from research cited by Dean Hamer noted in the exposition of the alternative First Lesson is relevant here. In spiritual exercises, focused on Christ, our brains are immersed in a neurochemcial, dopamine, which gives us happiness, overcomes confusion and doubt. This is why those taking pride in Yahweh and his anointed one (Christ) stand tall with confidence. Preachers are afforded opportunities in this Psalm to proclaim the Word of confidence, offering another example of how God never abandons us.
2 Corinthians 5:6-10 [11-13]14-17
The Second Lesson is drawn from one of the authentic letters of Paul. This one was to address strained relations with the church which had further deteriorated during the period after 1 Corinthians had been written. Chapters 10-13 are so different in style and tone from the first chapters as to lead many scholars to conclude that they may be the “severe letter” mentioned in 2:4. This lesson is Paul’s articulation of confidence when facing death. The middle three verses of the lesson (vv.11-13) launch the Apostle on a further defense of his ministry and its relation to the word of Christ.
Paul’s confidence seems to be a function of having experienced the burden of our earthly bodies and the longing for the heavenly dwelling through the Holy Spirit. Yet there is also an awareness that while at home in our bodies we are away from the Lord (vv.6,4-5). As a result the Apostle notes that we must walk by faith, not by sight (v.7). There is a preference in the faithful to be with the Lord away from the body (v.8). Whether at home with the Lord or away, it is the aim of Christians to please Him (v.9).
Reference is made that all will be judged by Christ for what they have done (v.10). It is useful at this point to remember Paul was a Jew, and for the ancient Hebrews the Hebrew term mishpat (judgment) refers both to punishment and also a sense of comfort for the faithful, and that this sense of comfort may be what Paul has in mind here. The Apostle speaks of knowing the fear [phobon, a concept which implied reverence for Biblical-era Hebrews] of the Lord and makes efforts to persuade the Corinthians, not by boasting about himself, but so that the Corinthians might be loyal to him in face of critics who proclaim themselves in their ministry (vv.11-12). As a number of Paul’s critics had claimed ecstatic experiences of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12), he seems to contend to be undergoing such an experience [erkestemen, besides ourselves] (v.13). The love of Christ controls/constrains us, he claims, for we are convinced that Christ died for all (vv.14-15a). As a result of Christ’s work, Paul adds, those who live no longer for themselves, but for Christ who did and was raised for them (v.15b). Consequently the Apostle adds that we regard no one from a human point of view, though Christ was once known from such a point of view (v.16). Judging from such a perspective involves merely noting the outward appearance of what people do. As a result, anyone who is in Christ is said to be a new creation, for all that is old has passed away and become new (v.17; cf. Isaiah 43:18-19; 65:22; Galatians 6:1-5; Ephesians 2:15).
Pew Research Center has found that the middle class is shrinking in most metropolitan areas. The New York Times has noted that the rich-poor gap is greater in American than in Russia or Iran. America badly needs a fresh start.
Fresh starts, overcoming what is past and all its bitterness, all the legacies of distrust and poverty, are badly needed in American life. We also need to be reminded that America and even its economic history have always been engaged in reinvention, of becoming new. Even our global economic system guarantees creative destruction (Brent Waters, Just Capitalism: A Christian Ethic of Economic Globalization, esp. p.50). This lesson reminds us that we are already new creatures. That awareness provides the confidence we need to venture into new realities, to take risks in finding new ways to cope with poverty and our own middle-class anxieties. God’s grace gives us hope that we can overcome (already have overcome) the challenges we face. Preachers considering this lesson have occasion to proclaim this assurance.
Mark 4:26-34
The Gospel Lesson is drawn from the first of the Gospels to be written, perhaps the source of the other Gospels. It is probably based on oral traditions of the Passion narrative and accounts of Jesus’ sayings (the so-called Q-source). Probably written prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, this anonymous work has been traditionally ascribed to John Mark, perhaps an associate of Paul (Acts 12:12-25; 15:37; Colossians 4:10) or Peter’s scribe (1 Peter 5:13). Some speculate that the original audience was the church in Rome (esp. Gentiles), as it presumes readers unfamiliar with Jewish customs and Palestinian geography (see 7:2-4,31), but it also could have been written for Palestinian Christians.
The lesson reports Jesus’ parables of The Seed Growing Secretly (vv.26-29) and of The Mustard Seed (vv.30-32). The first parable, with no parallels in the other Gospels, sends the message that the Kingdom of God grows and sprouts while we sleep, is produced by the earth, but when ripe is harvested. References to the use of the sickle and harvest in v.29 may suggest the Final Judgment, an eschatology orientation typical of Mark (see Joel 3:13; Revelation 14:14-20, for the eschatological use of these images). One’s life depends totally on God’s act, not on our own.
The Mustard Seed Parable has close parallels in the other Synoptic accounts (Matthew 13:31-33 and Luke 13:18-19), especially to the Matthean version. The parable reminds us that the Kingdom of God is like the smallest of seeds becoming the greatest of shrubs. It gives shelter to the birds. The reference to shelter for birds suggests Daniel 4:21 (or Ezekiel 31:6), entailing that the Kingdom includes all nations (also see 13:10). The lesson concludes with a description of Jesus teaching all things in parables, telling them only as much as the faithful could understand, though he did explain them privately to his disciples (a point not made in the parallel Matthean version [vv.33-34; cf. Matthew 13:34-35]). Only the presence of Jesus, it seems, can clarify such matters.
Expositions on the First Lesson provide data on American uptightness about our present plight. The parable that Jesus recounts in this lesson affirms that our plight is totally in God’s hands. Neurobiological research reported by neurologist Robert Sapolsky reveals that the anxiety caused by lack of control and predictability is addressed by religion’s explanation of why things happen, a conviction that there is a purpose. Performing repetitive religious rituals seems to have anxiety-reducing impacts on our brains (Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, p.62). Sermons on this gospel can develop these insights in order to reassure the community that God will overcome our uptightness and difficulties.
All the lessons invite sermons of comfort, opportunities to assure the flock of that and why God can and does get us through tough times. In this regard he is indeed our model for fatherhood, the greatest and truest Father.
1 Samuel 15:34--16:13
The First Lesson is taken from a book which has its origins as a distinct body of literature derived from the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures (the Septuagint), which divided the story of Israel’s monarchy into four sections (1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings). The book is probably the result of two or three sources: (1) Early traditions about Samuel and Saul; (2) Editor-molded materials brought together into a connected history, implying a critique of the events, deeming kingship as problematic, and so advocating that the nation should be set under the rule of God and Samuel, his prophet; and (3) Incorporating the previous strand into the more Deuteronomistic (D) oral tradition responsible for the Pentateuch. Recall that this latter strand was the result of sweeping religious reforms launched under King Josiah in 621 BC.
This lesson tells the story of Samuel’s anointing of David to succeed Saul as king. Having confronted Saul, Samuel is reported to have returned to his home in Ramah (not far from Jerusalem) and never saw the sitting king again. He is said to have been grieved over Saul’s plight (15:34-35). Yahweh challenges Samuel not to grieve indefinitely, but charges him to go to Jesse (of the tribe of Judah, a grandson of Ruth and Boaz) in Bethlehem, as the next king will be from among his sons (16:1). As Samuel fears consequences if Saul learns of these actions, the Lord responds to the prophet that he is to offer a sacrifice to him and invite Jesse. Further instructions are to be received (16:2-3). Samuel complies and invites all the elders to join him in the sacrifice after ceremoniously sanctifying themselves through ritual washing. Among them are Jesse and his sons (16:4-5).
Samuel then meets Jesse’s eldest son Eliab, who is said to have been tall and handsome. Samuel thinks that he must be the one the Lord has chosen, but Yahweh reveals that Eliab is not the one. For the Lord does not look on human beings as they appear outwardly, but considers the heart (16:6-7). Jesse’s second son Abinadab and the third son Shammah (elsewhere called Shimeah [2 Samuel 13:3,32] or Shimei [2 Samuel 21:21]) are summoned, and Samuel notes that they as well as the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh sons of Jesse are not the chosen one (16:8-10). Samuel asks to see all of Jesse’s sons; only the youngest (David) who was tending sheep had not been seen. Samuel has him summoned, claiming he would not sit down (not eating the part of the sacrifice not reserved for God) until he sees David (16:11). Although David is the eighth son in this account, according to 1 Chronicles 2:13-15, he is the seventh son of a seventh son, a widespread Hebrew folklore. David is said to be ruddy and quite handsome. Yahweh directs that he be anointed, and his is given the Spirit [ruach] of the Lord (as Saul and other religious leaders had received) (16:12-13). The reference here to being anointed employs the Hebrew term mashiach which is linguistically related to the term for Messiah. Already, then, connections between the (Davidic) king of Israel and the Messiah were being drawn.
Americans seem as uptight about the present plight of our nation as many in ancient Israel like Samuel were in despair over the state of their kingdom. A late 2017 poll conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 59% of us believe that we are at the lowest point in U.S. history we can remember. A CNBC poll conducted at the same time found that only 24% of us think that the nation is heading in the right direction. We are looking for something. Our lesson reminds us that we need the right leader. Politics aside, reading our text prophetically as testifying to the anointment of Jesus as king in our lives, it seems that America would be better off with our heir of David (Jesus) in the lives of more Americans. We have previously noted that when our minds are focused on spiritual matters like Christ our brains are rewarded by a flow of good-feeling brain chemicals like dopamine (Dean Hamer, The God Gene: How Faith Is Hardwired into Our Genes). And when this brain chemical is flowing we are more inclined to do good (Robert Sapolsky, Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, pp.546ff.). This lesson affords preachers with the opportunity to proclaim that God has given us a way out of our bad situation, that with Christ in charge we will be more inclined to stop just “Waiting on the World To Change” (as John Mayer sang) and do something about things in America. For God does indeed find a way out of what seems to be no way for the faithful.
The assigned Psalm (20) is drawn from a collection of Hebraic hymns of praise, most of which were composed to accompany worship in the Temple of Jerusalem. Some were composed early in Israel’s history; others after The Babylonian Captivity. The tradition of ascribing Psalms to David like this one (or to claim he authored the entire book) does not historically substantiate his authorship. It is indicative of the great esteem in which David was held as a singer.
This particular Psalm is a prayer for the king’s victory in battle, purportedly by David. It was likely composed to accompany a sacrifice offered before a battle had begun (v.3). It is interesting to note here the conclusion of many Biblical scholars that reference to David in the Psalms like this one may have been a way of using him to represent the inner life of all his subjects and so of all the faithful (Brevard Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, p.521). In that sense this song is about how all Christians do well to pray to God for victories in life.
God’s actual name [shem, also translated “renown”] is deemed a sanctuary (v.1). Prayers are offered that God would send help, remember all our offerings and grant our hearts’ desire (vv.2-5). The reference to Selah after v.3 is a liturgical direction instructing that there be a musical interlude at this point in the Psalm. The Psalmist calls for the Lord to help his anointed, answering him with mighty victories (v.6). We noted in describing the First Lesson that the term anointed [mashiach] implies “Messiah” for the Hebrews. Again we see how Messianic office is related to David. Rather than taking pride in armies, the Psalmist claims to take pride in the name of Yahweh (v.7). Those taking pride in their armies, it is said, will collapse and fall, but those taking pride in Yahweh will stand aright (v.8).
Polls indicate confusion among Americans regarding upon whom or what they can rely. A Pew Research Center 2016 poll found that 64% of Americans were confused about facts. We can only imagine that this figure might be higher today due to all the reports about “fake news” we hear. Even our priorities seem messed up. The title of a 2016 book about America by English writer Ruth Whippman says it all: America the Anxious: How Our Pursuit of Happiness is Creating of Nation of Nervous Wrecks. Our mad chase for happiness, our confusion about where to find truth, has us confused. The constant barrage of the internet and its numerous options confuses us more (see Nicholas Carr, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains). But our focus advocated in this Psalm on God and Christ, on spirituality, provides the remedy to our confusion. The data drawn from research cited by Dean Hamer noted in the exposition of the alternative First Lesson is relevant here. In spiritual exercises, focused on Christ, our brains are immersed in a neurochemcial, dopamine, which gives us happiness, overcomes confusion and doubt. This is why those taking pride in Yahweh and his anointed one (Christ) stand tall with confidence. Preachers are afforded opportunities in this Psalm to proclaim the Word of confidence, offering another example of how God never abandons us.
2 Corinthians 5:6-10 [11-13]14-17
The Second Lesson is drawn from one of the authentic letters of Paul. This one was to address strained relations with the church which had further deteriorated during the period after 1 Corinthians had been written. Chapters 10-13 are so different in style and tone from the first chapters as to lead many scholars to conclude that they may be the “severe letter” mentioned in 2:4. This lesson is Paul’s articulation of confidence when facing death. The middle three verses of the lesson (vv.11-13) launch the Apostle on a further defense of his ministry and its relation to the word of Christ.
Paul’s confidence seems to be a function of having experienced the burden of our earthly bodies and the longing for the heavenly dwelling through the Holy Spirit. Yet there is also an awareness that while at home in our bodies we are away from the Lord (vv.6,4-5). As a result the Apostle notes that we must walk by faith, not by sight (v.7). There is a preference in the faithful to be with the Lord away from the body (v.8). Whether at home with the Lord or away, it is the aim of Christians to please Him (v.9).
Reference is made that all will be judged by Christ for what they have done (v.10). It is useful at this point to remember Paul was a Jew, and for the ancient Hebrews the Hebrew term mishpat (judgment) refers both to punishment and also a sense of comfort for the faithful, and that this sense of comfort may be what Paul has in mind here. The Apostle speaks of knowing the fear [phobon, a concept which implied reverence for Biblical-era Hebrews] of the Lord and makes efforts to persuade the Corinthians, not by boasting about himself, but so that the Corinthians might be loyal to him in face of critics who proclaim themselves in their ministry (vv.11-12). As a number of Paul’s critics had claimed ecstatic experiences of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12), he seems to contend to be undergoing such an experience [erkestemen, besides ourselves] (v.13). The love of Christ controls/constrains us, he claims, for we are convinced that Christ died for all (vv.14-15a). As a result of Christ’s work, Paul adds, those who live no longer for themselves, but for Christ who did and was raised for them (v.15b). Consequently the Apostle adds that we regard no one from a human point of view, though Christ was once known from such a point of view (v.16). Judging from such a perspective involves merely noting the outward appearance of what people do. As a result, anyone who is in Christ is said to be a new creation, for all that is old has passed away and become new (v.17; cf. Isaiah 43:18-19; 65:22; Galatians 6:1-5; Ephesians 2:15).
Pew Research Center has found that the middle class is shrinking in most metropolitan areas. The New York Times has noted that the rich-poor gap is greater in American than in Russia or Iran. America badly needs a fresh start.
Fresh starts, overcoming what is past and all its bitterness, all the legacies of distrust and poverty, are badly needed in American life. We also need to be reminded that America and even its economic history have always been engaged in reinvention, of becoming new. Even our global economic system guarantees creative destruction (Brent Waters, Just Capitalism: A Christian Ethic of Economic Globalization, esp. p.50). This lesson reminds us that we are already new creatures. That awareness provides the confidence we need to venture into new realities, to take risks in finding new ways to cope with poverty and our own middle-class anxieties. God’s grace gives us hope that we can overcome (already have overcome) the challenges we face. Preachers considering this lesson have occasion to proclaim this assurance.
Mark 4:26-34
The Gospel Lesson is drawn from the first of the Gospels to be written, perhaps the source of the other Gospels. It is probably based on oral traditions of the Passion narrative and accounts of Jesus’ sayings (the so-called Q-source). Probably written prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, this anonymous work has been traditionally ascribed to John Mark, perhaps an associate of Paul (Acts 12:12-25; 15:37; Colossians 4:10) or Peter’s scribe (1 Peter 5:13). Some speculate that the original audience was the church in Rome (esp. Gentiles), as it presumes readers unfamiliar with Jewish customs and Palestinian geography (see 7:2-4,31), but it also could have been written for Palestinian Christians.
The lesson reports Jesus’ parables of The Seed Growing Secretly (vv.26-29) and of The Mustard Seed (vv.30-32). The first parable, with no parallels in the other Gospels, sends the message that the Kingdom of God grows and sprouts while we sleep, is produced by the earth, but when ripe is harvested. References to the use of the sickle and harvest in v.29 may suggest the Final Judgment, an eschatology orientation typical of Mark (see Joel 3:13; Revelation 14:14-20, for the eschatological use of these images). One’s life depends totally on God’s act, not on our own.
The Mustard Seed Parable has close parallels in the other Synoptic accounts (Matthew 13:31-33 and Luke 13:18-19), especially to the Matthean version. The parable reminds us that the Kingdom of God is like the smallest of seeds becoming the greatest of shrubs. It gives shelter to the birds. The reference to shelter for birds suggests Daniel 4:21 (or Ezekiel 31:6), entailing that the Kingdom includes all nations (also see 13:10). The lesson concludes with a description of Jesus teaching all things in parables, telling them only as much as the faithful could understand, though he did explain them privately to his disciples (a point not made in the parallel Matthean version [vv.33-34; cf. Matthew 13:34-35]). Only the presence of Jesus, it seems, can clarify such matters.
Expositions on the First Lesson provide data on American uptightness about our present plight. The parable that Jesus recounts in this lesson affirms that our plight is totally in God’s hands. Neurobiological research reported by neurologist Robert Sapolsky reveals that the anxiety caused by lack of control and predictability is addressed by religion’s explanation of why things happen, a conviction that there is a purpose. Performing repetitive religious rituals seems to have anxiety-reducing impacts on our brains (Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, p.62). Sermons on this gospel can develop these insights in order to reassure the community that God will overcome our uptightness and difficulties.
All the lessons invite sermons of comfort, opportunities to assure the flock of that and why God can and does get us through tough times. In this regard he is indeed our model for fatherhood, the greatest and truest Father.
