The Love God Creates Makes Life Better
Commentary
All the lessons for this Sunday will lead to reflections on the love of God – in creation, human nature, overcoming evil, in dying for us, as well as in marriage.
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
This lesson and the story of Job as a whole is part of a book that is a folktale probing faith in the midst of suffering. The date of the work is uncertain, but it may have been composed around the time of The Babylonian Captivity in the 6th or 5th centuries BC. There are several parallel ancient Egyptian texts. The book is a challenge to conventional Hebraic Wisdom thinking, as it appears with the older vision of the divine order of life and God’s justice in maintaining that order. In its place we are exposed to a god who reveals himself personally and is profoundly involved in human life, a god who respects human independence and wishes service to him to be freely given.
Job is first introduced as a righteous, faithful man [literally, perfect (tam) and upright (yashar)] (1:1). Uz, where he resides, may be Edom. Ezekiel (14:14,20) associated Job with Noah and Daniel. Then follows an account of the sons of God [ben elohim] and Satan [literally “adversary” or “accuser”] discoursing with Yahweh who extols Job for having retained his faith despite earlier affliction (2:1-3). (Satan seems to have been a son of God or heavenly being whose assignment was to travel the earth to gain information on Yahweh’s creation [1:6-12; 2:2-3].) On a dare from Satan the Lord allows this heavenly being to afflict Job, while insisting that Job’s life be preserved (2:4-8). In the midst of his suffering from sores afflicted on him and the previous loss of his children and property (1:13-20), Job’s wife suggests that he curse God and as a result be struck down (a way of committing suicide) (2:9). Job’s response is that having received good from God he must accept all he sends (2:10).
When things go bad in life like they did for Job you can feel so alone. Americans do not seem to have a very good emotional safety network for ourselves. An online poll conducted by Ipsos found that 54% of Americans feel that no one knows them well; 43% of us feel isolated, even with all our online connections. The reference to Job’s wife suggesting suicide in the lesson reminds us of the 30% increase in suicides since 1999. The word of this lesson and of the Job story overall is that God never abandons us, despite appearances. This is why he told the accuser (Satan) to keep his eye on Job, making sure that no matter what, Job would not lose his life, and ultimately restored all he had lost (42:10). We will want to share with the flock that with God, we all have a companion like that, one who will overcome all the loneliness and trials of life we face. This assurance of never being abandoned is an especially timely and comforting word and reality for those of us facing the option of suicide and other trials.
The last verse (2:10) could be the focus of another sermon. When facing the worst life has to offer, even to the point of contemplating suicide as a live option (as per his wife’s advice [2:9]), Job would have remind us that a faithful response is to remember all the good things God has sent us. This is a wonderful outlook on life -- that when times are tough, not to forget all the good things God has given you. It’s just that sometimes God uses evil to give good things, like he gave us life through (Jesus’) death.
Psalm 26
This psalm 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 psalm is a prayer for deliverance from personal enemies, a lament attributed to David. Many scholars argue that references 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 the faithful are to pray for deliverance in difficult times.
The psalmist begins the lesson with a cry for vindication, claiming his integrity and faithfulness (vv.1-3,11). Reference is made to God’s lovingkindness. Further elaboration of his innocence is offered (vv.4-5). The protest of innocence is demonstrated in a liturgical ceremony, washing hands in innocence (vv.6-7; Deuteronomy 21:6-8). Prayers are offered for help, redemption [padah, being set free], and graciousness (vv.8-11). Contrasts are drawn between the ways of sinners and those of the righteous. A reference is made to “evil devices” (a plot, zaman) (v.10). This may refer to sexual immorality (Leviticus 18:17; 19:29 – 20:14; Job 31:11). The psalmist also speaks of “level ground” on which he stands and that we will bless the Lord in the great congregation (v.12).
All of us have enemies. Our nation has been fighting its longest war in Afghanistan against Muslim terrorists. Matters remain up in the air with North Korea and Russia. There are domestic enemies too: The school shooters, those complicit in pushing opioids, male sex abusers.
And then there are also the internal enemies, the sort that might drive some to suicide (see the statistics on the increase of suicide in America, cited above). This psalm calls us to praise. Seems strange that we would offer praise in the midst of such evil. And yet the reminder of God’s lovingkindness is precisely what prompts celebration. Bathed in God’s love, experiencing it in rituals, we gain the kind of confidence that our prayers will be answered and we will be set free. Sermons on the lesson should seek to convey this orientation, reminding hearers that God’s love will overcome all the enemies we face, and to recognize how worship and prayer enhance such confidence in the power of God’s love.
Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12
This reading is taken from an anonymous treatise which, given its argument for the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice to those of the Levitical priests, was likely written prior to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD. Remarks in 2:3-4 suggest it was written by a member of a generation of Christians after the Apostles. Modern scholars tend to regard the book as a sermon, perhaps modified after it was delivered to include travel plans, greetings, and a closing (13:20-25). The Christians addressed are thought to have been in danger of falling away from their confession (3:1; 4:14; 10:23). They had endured persecution (10:32-36). The lesson is taken from the Epistle’s Prologue, including a reflection on the superiority of Christ to all creatures (especially the angels), indeed affirming his divinity.
Noting that God has spoken to the Hebrews in many ways by the prophets, in the last days it is said that he has spoken by a Son through qhom he created the world (1:1-2). The text indicates the belief of early Christians that they were in the End Times. The Son is said to be the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of his very being [hypostaseus], sustaining all things by his powerful word (1:3a). After making purification for sins, the Son is glorified at the father’s right hand, having become much superior to the angels (1:3b-4).
Following further reflection on the glory of the Son, his superiority to the angels (1:5-14) and warnings against falling away from these beliefs (2:1-4), the lesson resumes with reference to God not subjecting the coming world to angels (2:5). Instead it is subject to human beings who are identified with a quotation from Psalms 8:4-6 referring to the awesomeness of God actually caring about them, making them a little lower than angels but subjecting all things under their feet (2:6-8a). Yet not everything is subjected to humans, but we do see Jesus now crowned with glory and honor because of his suffering and death. By God’s grace he tasted death for everyone (2:8b-9). The author claims it is fitting for God, from whom and through whom all things exist, should have made the pioneer/author of humanity salvation perfect through sufferings. The one who sanctifies and those sanctified have one father (2:10-11a). For this reason Jesus calls those whom he saved brothers and sisters (a point made city citing Psalm 22:22) (2:11b-12).
A 2015 Barna Research poll found that only 56% of Americans (46% of Millennials) believe that Jesus was divine. We need this lesson to counteract these trends. One way to proceed is to make the case that Jesus’ divinity is related to his saving work (2:8b-9). For as the one who made salvation happen for us on the cross and resurrection, and since a mere human could not work salvation, then Jesus must be God. If he were not divine, God would not be our savior! Of course he must be human too, since he calls us his brothers and sisters. Another avenue for a sermon is to try to sort out how Jesus can be divine and human at the same time and still be one. In addition to considering the analogy provided in the illustrations for this lesson, you might also consider using an idea offered by the famed 20th-century theologian Karl Barth. He contended, along the lines of ancient Hebraic thinking, that we are what we do (Church Dogmatics, Vol.IV/1, p.492). And so Christ can be regarded as human because he does all the things humans do and has a divine nature insofar as he does works that only God can do (Ibid., Vol.IV/3, pp.39ff). The divinity of Jesus makes a lot of sense!
Mark 10:2-16
The Gospel 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 provides accounts of Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees and a number of his teachings on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem. It deals first with Jesus’ teachings on marriage and divorce and then his blessings of children. Matthew (19:1-10) offers a slightly longer version of Jesus’ teachings on marriage and divorce, as in this account the Disciples ask a follow-up question after Jesus’ discourse. But in both accounts, the Pharisees first question Jesus on divorce [apoluo, literally “put away”] (v.2), presumably to place him in a compromising position since Deuteronomy 24:1-4, regulated divorce questions for Jews. Jesus asks what Moses commanded (v.3). Citing the Deuteronomy texts, the Pharisees note that a man is allowed to divorce his spouse (v.4). Jesus then claims that divorce was instituted due to human hard-heartedness (v.5). He recounts Genesis 7; 2:24 to describe God’s original intentions for male-female relationships. The two become one flesh (vv.6-8). In a discourse in private with the Disciples Jesus adds that what God has joined together none should separate (v.10). To marry another after divorce is said to be adultery (vv.11-12). (Exceptions are made to this teaching in Matthew 5:31; 19:7, but not in this Markan version. The idea that a woman could remarry after divorce was an unthinkable possibility to Jews, and so may be a later Hellenistic addition to the text.) Only in the Dead Sea Scrolls can we find strictures on divorce and remarriage like Jesus opts for here.
It is then reported that people began to bring little children to Jesus so he would touch them. The Disciples rebuke this practice (v.13). Unlike the parallel accounts (Matthew 19:13-15; Luke 18:15-17), Jesus is said to be indignant about their actions (showing his human side more than in the other Gospels) (v.14). Jesus urges that the children be brought to him, lays them in his arms, and blesses them, claiming that one who does not receive the Kingdom as a little child will not enter it (vv.14b-16).
We are all aware of the divorce epidemic in America and most Western nations. It is good news that the divorce rates have been dropping slightly since 1996. But when you consider that there were still more than 800,000 divorces in America in 2017 according to the U. S. Census Bureau, that 1.5 million children were involved in these actions, Jesus’ words are pertinent to a lot of lives. What are we to make of his comments?
Several distinct, though related directions suggest themselves with this text. One avenue is to interpret the exceptional character of the Markan version regarding strictures on remarriage after divorce. It may be that we could interpret Jesus’ critique as a warning against such remarriage, because statistics indicate that second marriages are more likely to fail than first marriages. If this seems too judgmental, another possibility is to note how this would be the right message for a Jewish / Christian audeince, but not necessarily for Gentiles, as the redaction of this text in its Matthean parallel suggests. Other suggested directions: Could Jesus’ condemnation of all divorce be a glimpse of his feminism? For in a context in which only men could remarry and divorced women were left bereft of options, by making divorce less attractive for men he seems to be protecting married women. Another possibility is opened by linking strictures on divorce to the welfare of children. We also should not overlook the positive things Jesus has to say about marriage -- two becoming one (v.8). It might be noted how neurobiological studies indicate that heterosexual sex is more pleasurable in long-term relationships for the long haul, as in long-term relationships a brain chemical, oxytocin, is secreted, which is calming and does not cease to provide pleasure due to immunity (Kerstin Uvnas-Moberg, The Oxytocin Factor: Tapping the Hormone of Calm, Love, and Feeling). Long-term marital intimacy feels good.
All the lessons remind us how the love of God or the love he creates makes life better, makes it easier to cope in the tough times.
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
This lesson and the story of Job as a whole is part of a book that is a folktale probing faith in the midst of suffering. The date of the work is uncertain, but it may have been composed around the time of The Babylonian Captivity in the 6th or 5th centuries BC. There are several parallel ancient Egyptian texts. The book is a challenge to conventional Hebraic Wisdom thinking, as it appears with the older vision of the divine order of life and God’s justice in maintaining that order. In its place we are exposed to a god who reveals himself personally and is profoundly involved in human life, a god who respects human independence and wishes service to him to be freely given.
Job is first introduced as a righteous, faithful man [literally, perfect (tam) and upright (yashar)] (1:1). Uz, where he resides, may be Edom. Ezekiel (14:14,20) associated Job with Noah and Daniel. Then follows an account of the sons of God [ben elohim] and Satan [literally “adversary” or “accuser”] discoursing with Yahweh who extols Job for having retained his faith despite earlier affliction (2:1-3). (Satan seems to have been a son of God or heavenly being whose assignment was to travel the earth to gain information on Yahweh’s creation [1:6-12; 2:2-3].) On a dare from Satan the Lord allows this heavenly being to afflict Job, while insisting that Job’s life be preserved (2:4-8). In the midst of his suffering from sores afflicted on him and the previous loss of his children and property (1:13-20), Job’s wife suggests that he curse God and as a result be struck down (a way of committing suicide) (2:9). Job’s response is that having received good from God he must accept all he sends (2:10).
When things go bad in life like they did for Job you can feel so alone. Americans do not seem to have a very good emotional safety network for ourselves. An online poll conducted by Ipsos found that 54% of Americans feel that no one knows them well; 43% of us feel isolated, even with all our online connections. The reference to Job’s wife suggesting suicide in the lesson reminds us of the 30% increase in suicides since 1999. The word of this lesson and of the Job story overall is that God never abandons us, despite appearances. This is why he told the accuser (Satan) to keep his eye on Job, making sure that no matter what, Job would not lose his life, and ultimately restored all he had lost (42:10). We will want to share with the flock that with God, we all have a companion like that, one who will overcome all the loneliness and trials of life we face. This assurance of never being abandoned is an especially timely and comforting word and reality for those of us facing the option of suicide and other trials.
The last verse (2:10) could be the focus of another sermon. When facing the worst life has to offer, even to the point of contemplating suicide as a live option (as per his wife’s advice [2:9]), Job would have remind us that a faithful response is to remember all the good things God has sent us. This is a wonderful outlook on life -- that when times are tough, not to forget all the good things God has given you. It’s just that sometimes God uses evil to give good things, like he gave us life through (Jesus’) death.
Psalm 26
This psalm 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 psalm is a prayer for deliverance from personal enemies, a lament attributed to David. Many scholars argue that references 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 the faithful are to pray for deliverance in difficult times.
The psalmist begins the lesson with a cry for vindication, claiming his integrity and faithfulness (vv.1-3,11). Reference is made to God’s lovingkindness. Further elaboration of his innocence is offered (vv.4-5). The protest of innocence is demonstrated in a liturgical ceremony, washing hands in innocence (vv.6-7; Deuteronomy 21:6-8). Prayers are offered for help, redemption [padah, being set free], and graciousness (vv.8-11). Contrasts are drawn between the ways of sinners and those of the righteous. A reference is made to “evil devices” (a plot, zaman) (v.10). This may refer to sexual immorality (Leviticus 18:17; 19:29 – 20:14; Job 31:11). The psalmist also speaks of “level ground” on which he stands and that we will bless the Lord in the great congregation (v.12).
All of us have enemies. Our nation has been fighting its longest war in Afghanistan against Muslim terrorists. Matters remain up in the air with North Korea and Russia. There are domestic enemies too: The school shooters, those complicit in pushing opioids, male sex abusers.
And then there are also the internal enemies, the sort that might drive some to suicide (see the statistics on the increase of suicide in America, cited above). This psalm calls us to praise. Seems strange that we would offer praise in the midst of such evil. And yet the reminder of God’s lovingkindness is precisely what prompts celebration. Bathed in God’s love, experiencing it in rituals, we gain the kind of confidence that our prayers will be answered and we will be set free. Sermons on the lesson should seek to convey this orientation, reminding hearers that God’s love will overcome all the enemies we face, and to recognize how worship and prayer enhance such confidence in the power of God’s love.
Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12
This reading is taken from an anonymous treatise which, given its argument for the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice to those of the Levitical priests, was likely written prior to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD. Remarks in 2:3-4 suggest it was written by a member of a generation of Christians after the Apostles. Modern scholars tend to regard the book as a sermon, perhaps modified after it was delivered to include travel plans, greetings, and a closing (13:20-25). The Christians addressed are thought to have been in danger of falling away from their confession (3:1; 4:14; 10:23). They had endured persecution (10:32-36). The lesson is taken from the Epistle’s Prologue, including a reflection on the superiority of Christ to all creatures (especially the angels), indeed affirming his divinity.
Noting that God has spoken to the Hebrews in many ways by the prophets, in the last days it is said that he has spoken by a Son through qhom he created the world (1:1-2). The text indicates the belief of early Christians that they were in the End Times. The Son is said to be the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of his very being [hypostaseus], sustaining all things by his powerful word (1:3a). After making purification for sins, the Son is glorified at the father’s right hand, having become much superior to the angels (1:3b-4).
Following further reflection on the glory of the Son, his superiority to the angels (1:5-14) and warnings against falling away from these beliefs (2:1-4), the lesson resumes with reference to God not subjecting the coming world to angels (2:5). Instead it is subject to human beings who are identified with a quotation from Psalms 8:4-6 referring to the awesomeness of God actually caring about them, making them a little lower than angels but subjecting all things under their feet (2:6-8a). Yet not everything is subjected to humans, but we do see Jesus now crowned with glory and honor because of his suffering and death. By God’s grace he tasted death for everyone (2:8b-9). The author claims it is fitting for God, from whom and through whom all things exist, should have made the pioneer/author of humanity salvation perfect through sufferings. The one who sanctifies and those sanctified have one father (2:10-11a). For this reason Jesus calls those whom he saved brothers and sisters (a point made city citing Psalm 22:22) (2:11b-12).
A 2015 Barna Research poll found that only 56% of Americans (46% of Millennials) believe that Jesus was divine. We need this lesson to counteract these trends. One way to proceed is to make the case that Jesus’ divinity is related to his saving work (2:8b-9). For as the one who made salvation happen for us on the cross and resurrection, and since a mere human could not work salvation, then Jesus must be God. If he were not divine, God would not be our savior! Of course he must be human too, since he calls us his brothers and sisters. Another avenue for a sermon is to try to sort out how Jesus can be divine and human at the same time and still be one. In addition to considering the analogy provided in the illustrations for this lesson, you might also consider using an idea offered by the famed 20th-century theologian Karl Barth. He contended, along the lines of ancient Hebraic thinking, that we are what we do (Church Dogmatics, Vol.IV/1, p.492). And so Christ can be regarded as human because he does all the things humans do and has a divine nature insofar as he does works that only God can do (Ibid., Vol.IV/3, pp.39ff). The divinity of Jesus makes a lot of sense!
Mark 10:2-16
The Gospel 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 provides accounts of Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees and a number of his teachings on the way from Galilee to Jerusalem. It deals first with Jesus’ teachings on marriage and divorce and then his blessings of children. Matthew (19:1-10) offers a slightly longer version of Jesus’ teachings on marriage and divorce, as in this account the Disciples ask a follow-up question after Jesus’ discourse. But in both accounts, the Pharisees first question Jesus on divorce [apoluo, literally “put away”] (v.2), presumably to place him in a compromising position since Deuteronomy 24:1-4, regulated divorce questions for Jews. Jesus asks what Moses commanded (v.3). Citing the Deuteronomy texts, the Pharisees note that a man is allowed to divorce his spouse (v.4). Jesus then claims that divorce was instituted due to human hard-heartedness (v.5). He recounts Genesis 7; 2:24 to describe God’s original intentions for male-female relationships. The two become one flesh (vv.6-8). In a discourse in private with the Disciples Jesus adds that what God has joined together none should separate (v.10). To marry another after divorce is said to be adultery (vv.11-12). (Exceptions are made to this teaching in Matthew 5:31; 19:7, but not in this Markan version. The idea that a woman could remarry after divorce was an unthinkable possibility to Jews, and so may be a later Hellenistic addition to the text.) Only in the Dead Sea Scrolls can we find strictures on divorce and remarriage like Jesus opts for here.
It is then reported that people began to bring little children to Jesus so he would touch them. The Disciples rebuke this practice (v.13). Unlike the parallel accounts (Matthew 19:13-15; Luke 18:15-17), Jesus is said to be indignant about their actions (showing his human side more than in the other Gospels) (v.14). Jesus urges that the children be brought to him, lays them in his arms, and blesses them, claiming that one who does not receive the Kingdom as a little child will not enter it (vv.14b-16).
We are all aware of the divorce epidemic in America and most Western nations. It is good news that the divorce rates have been dropping slightly since 1996. But when you consider that there were still more than 800,000 divorces in America in 2017 according to the U. S. Census Bureau, that 1.5 million children were involved in these actions, Jesus’ words are pertinent to a lot of lives. What are we to make of his comments?
Several distinct, though related directions suggest themselves with this text. One avenue is to interpret the exceptional character of the Markan version regarding strictures on remarriage after divorce. It may be that we could interpret Jesus’ critique as a warning against such remarriage, because statistics indicate that second marriages are more likely to fail than first marriages. If this seems too judgmental, another possibility is to note how this would be the right message for a Jewish / Christian audeince, but not necessarily for Gentiles, as the redaction of this text in its Matthean parallel suggests. Other suggested directions: Could Jesus’ condemnation of all divorce be a glimpse of his feminism? For in a context in which only men could remarry and divorced women were left bereft of options, by making divorce less attractive for men he seems to be protecting married women. Another possibility is opened by linking strictures on divorce to the welfare of children. We also should not overlook the positive things Jesus has to say about marriage -- two becoming one (v.8). It might be noted how neurobiological studies indicate that heterosexual sex is more pleasurable in long-term relationships for the long haul, as in long-term relationships a brain chemical, oxytocin, is secreted, which is calming and does not cease to provide pleasure due to immunity (Kerstin Uvnas-Moberg, The Oxytocin Factor: Tapping the Hormone of Calm, Love, and Feeling). Long-term marital intimacy feels good.
All the lessons remind us how the love of God or the love he creates makes life better, makes it easier to cope in the tough times.
