Reflecting our story
Commentary
Object:
Imagine a family sitting down at the table around the Thanksgiving meal. With modern electronic devices, television, and busy schedules, this holiday meal may be one of few that the whole family actually sits down at one time to eat and have fellowship together. One theme that links all three of the texts together is that of telling our story. That is how we got here and why we are thankful on this day. Let us not be naive or strive to take a Pollyanna attitude here, because the texts also give latitude to share stories with brutal realities as well as hopeful promises.
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
This is a thanksgiving hymn to the God of deliverance from the land of Egypt. As it recalls the events of the Exodus, it omits the Sinai events. Why they are omitted remains contested among scholars. Suffice it to say that this is the story of the nation’s deliverance. It is also the rationale as to why God deserves the first fruits of all that the people produce in their growing of crops. Salvation is specifically defined as deliverance from an oppressive or binding power that does not allow the people to be the creative, growing persons of faith they are called to be by their God.
On Thanksgiving, this people recall the story of “a wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous” (v. 5). What sort of stories does any given family or group of people recall about their current life, and the reasons they left their previous location? Some examples might include “the company our mother/father worked at moved us and we are in this new location.” It might be “there was a natural disaster where we lived and we decided to move to an area with a differing climate condition.” In some families it might be “we are from a small town and rural area; however the employment and education prospects were dismal, so we felt God was calling us to relocate.”
Another direction a preacher might pursue in this text is that while people are grateful for their present deliverance, are they tempted to return to Egypt? Examples might include continuing the practices of assuming scarce resources, thereby micro-managing the produce and attempting to hoard at the expense of other people. That is, one can take the person out of Egypt, but can they take the habits of Egypt out of the person? One example might be that pure faith or trust in God might not be enough as a focus for worship. So do the delivered people need an object, golden calf, or material building to sustain their faith in God? [Sources: Walter Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy (Augsburg Fortress, 1997); Gerhard Von Rad, The Old Testament Library: Deuteronomy (Westminster Press, 1966)]
Philippians 4:4-9
This uncontested letter, written by Paul in 55 CE while in Ephesus, is addressed to one of the more harmonious congregations in his ministry. Regardless of whatever a person’s emotional state is, the apostle encourages them to offer it up to God. This is an upbeat letter written from prison. Some themes within the larger epistle include friendship, contentment, thanksgiving, joy, spiritual growth, unity, and perseverance, with the certainty of answered prayer. When he says to think about “whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise” (v. 8), he means to “keep reckoning with” (Krentz/Koenig/Juel, p. 174) or striving toward these directions. Philippians 4:4 could be used as one interpretative lens text to read the whole epistle on during a Thanksgiving season: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
For example, a person has come back from a very relaxing, uplifting, and spiritually fulfilling weekend retreat. It is now Monday morning and the person is on his or her way to work. The windshield wipers are rapidly swooshing the water off the front and rear windows; there are stop-and-go traffic problems on the way to work. There is a vibration felt from the cellphone of somebody at work attempting to get the day started earlier than arrival at work. However, during the retreat the leaders suggested that the words of Philippians 4:6-7 and following be printed on a card to place over the window visor: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” What great verses to memorize!
During the Thanksgiving meal, one can later recall how such texts do act as a message from God’s living word in the Bible, assuring believers that the God of peace is with all of us (v. 9). The promise of this text is that of peace that surpasses all tranquility. During Thanksgiving, this is good reason to give thanks to God. [Sources: Edgar Krentz, John Koenig, and Donald H. Juel, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, 1 Thessalonians (Augsburg Fortress, 1985); Mark Allan Powell, Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey (Baker Academic, 2009)]
John 6:25-35
On Thanksgiving Day, this text raises the question “Why are we here at this table?” That is, do we believe in the signs that Jesus has provided that he is indeed God in the flesh (John 1:14), and now we live as Christians in response to this message? Are we here simply to get our appetites filled, and then off to the next table? In a time when consumer religion continues to be a topic in many church growth circles, this text uplifts the nature of being fed in any situation, be it at a family meal or around the table of a church fellowship. Jesus’ unconditional love is spelled out in John 3:16-17. And Jesus does want us to have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). However, the end of the gospel is a charge to Peter and the disciples to feed my lambs and tend to my sheep (John 21:15-17).
This text is located in John’s “book of signs” (1:19--12:50). The next portion will be the “book of glory” (13:1--20:13). The theme of eternal life found earlier in John is located here in 6:27. Toward the end of the gospel, one stated reason for the narrative is “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). God had anticipated this since his writing of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).
The reference to the bread in Moses’ day and that of the bread that gives life to the world from Jesus need not be viewed as supersession, or against Moses. Rather, Moses provided the first fruit of the bread from heaven (6:32) and Jesus “fills full” that same promise in a fuller manner. In no way does this subtract value from the bread and gift that Moses provided from God. In this way, Christianity and Judaism may remain compatible on this Thanksgiving Day.
An example is one year a man finds himself unemployed and in a very difficult financial situation. He takes his family to a local church Thanksgiving meal which is offered for those who struggle during the holidays. The next year, the same man now has a job and is back on his feet financially. Now the family can buy their own turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings to celebrate their Thanksgiving meal. In no way does this diminish the value of the church meal they participated in the previous year. Rather, the recent dinner table banquet is a way to “fill full” what they experienced at the church community meal.
Another direction one may go in this text is to understand it as a reference to the eucharist or communion meal for the community of faith. The bread of life will be fulfilled in a more complete manner, possibly in the form of Jesus as the Passover lamb in John 18-19 (Brown, pp. 266-267). As this relates to Thanksgiving, one could recall how Israel was delivered from the Egyptian pharaoh after the Passover, where the firstborn of the Egyptian households died. Meanwhile, the people of faith in God were spared from such a tragedy. What tragedies have people sitting around the Thanksgiving table on this day been spared from? [Sources: George R. Beasley-Murray, Word Biblical Commentary: John (Word Books, 1987); Raymond Brown, The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to John 1-12 (Doubleday, 1966)]
Application
One obvious direction one might go is to suggest that these texts remind us of stewardship illustrations. As people of faith are asked to give back a portion of what God has provided them, one could ask when they were homeless and wandering like the “wandering Aramean” in Deuteronomy. Also, one way to thank God is to live the life of “whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable” (Philippians 4:8). Good works are a way to thank God, not earn salvation. This also includes financial giving to the fellowship of believers. From the John 6 text, the reminder is that people are part of the community of faith as a way to give back by thanking God for a more filling meal of life from Jesus, not a consumer commodity which constantly demands “What am I getting out of going to this church?”
Alternative Application
This text is located in John’s “book of signs” (1:19--12:50). The next portion will be the “book of glory” (13:1--20:13). The theme of eternal life found earlier in John is located here in 6:27. Toward the end of the gospel, one stated reason for the narrative is “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). What kind of quality of life does one seek and have if their false gods who promised delivery disappointed them? If one worships a sports team that seems to lose every Thanksgiving Day, is this a misplaced faith? That’s just one example of the ongoing concerns of humans that are meaningless in life. John 6 suggests that one does not have live with emptiness, as the one who promises life fulfills the promise not only before the grave but after the grave. [Sources: Robert Kysar, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: John (Augsburg Fortress, 1986); Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2 (University of Chicago Press, 1951)]
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
This is a thanksgiving hymn to the God of deliverance from the land of Egypt. As it recalls the events of the Exodus, it omits the Sinai events. Why they are omitted remains contested among scholars. Suffice it to say that this is the story of the nation’s deliverance. It is also the rationale as to why God deserves the first fruits of all that the people produce in their growing of crops. Salvation is specifically defined as deliverance from an oppressive or binding power that does not allow the people to be the creative, growing persons of faith they are called to be by their God.
On Thanksgiving, this people recall the story of “a wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous” (v. 5). What sort of stories does any given family or group of people recall about their current life, and the reasons they left their previous location? Some examples might include “the company our mother/father worked at moved us and we are in this new location.” It might be “there was a natural disaster where we lived and we decided to move to an area with a differing climate condition.” In some families it might be “we are from a small town and rural area; however the employment and education prospects were dismal, so we felt God was calling us to relocate.”
Another direction a preacher might pursue in this text is that while people are grateful for their present deliverance, are they tempted to return to Egypt? Examples might include continuing the practices of assuming scarce resources, thereby micro-managing the produce and attempting to hoard at the expense of other people. That is, one can take the person out of Egypt, but can they take the habits of Egypt out of the person? One example might be that pure faith or trust in God might not be enough as a focus for worship. So do the delivered people need an object, golden calf, or material building to sustain their faith in God? [Sources: Walter Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy (Augsburg Fortress, 1997); Gerhard Von Rad, The Old Testament Library: Deuteronomy (Westminster Press, 1966)]
Philippians 4:4-9
This uncontested letter, written by Paul in 55 CE while in Ephesus, is addressed to one of the more harmonious congregations in his ministry. Regardless of whatever a person’s emotional state is, the apostle encourages them to offer it up to God. This is an upbeat letter written from prison. Some themes within the larger epistle include friendship, contentment, thanksgiving, joy, spiritual growth, unity, and perseverance, with the certainty of answered prayer. When he says to think about “whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise” (v. 8), he means to “keep reckoning with” (Krentz/Koenig/Juel, p. 174) or striving toward these directions. Philippians 4:4 could be used as one interpretative lens text to read the whole epistle on during a Thanksgiving season: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
For example, a person has come back from a very relaxing, uplifting, and spiritually fulfilling weekend retreat. It is now Monday morning and the person is on his or her way to work. The windshield wipers are rapidly swooshing the water off the front and rear windows; there are stop-and-go traffic problems on the way to work. There is a vibration felt from the cellphone of somebody at work attempting to get the day started earlier than arrival at work. However, during the retreat the leaders suggested that the words of Philippians 4:6-7 and following be printed on a card to place over the window visor: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” What great verses to memorize!
During the Thanksgiving meal, one can later recall how such texts do act as a message from God’s living word in the Bible, assuring believers that the God of peace is with all of us (v. 9). The promise of this text is that of peace that surpasses all tranquility. During Thanksgiving, this is good reason to give thanks to God. [Sources: Edgar Krentz, John Koenig, and Donald H. Juel, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Galatians, Philippians, Philemon, 1 Thessalonians (Augsburg Fortress, 1985); Mark Allan Powell, Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey (Baker Academic, 2009)]
John 6:25-35
On Thanksgiving Day, this text raises the question “Why are we here at this table?” That is, do we believe in the signs that Jesus has provided that he is indeed God in the flesh (John 1:14), and now we live as Christians in response to this message? Are we here simply to get our appetites filled, and then off to the next table? In a time when consumer religion continues to be a topic in many church growth circles, this text uplifts the nature of being fed in any situation, be it at a family meal or around the table of a church fellowship. Jesus’ unconditional love is spelled out in John 3:16-17. And Jesus does want us to have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). However, the end of the gospel is a charge to Peter and the disciples to feed my lambs and tend to my sheep (John 21:15-17).
This text is located in John’s “book of signs” (1:19--12:50). The next portion will be the “book of glory” (13:1--20:13). The theme of eternal life found earlier in John is located here in 6:27. Toward the end of the gospel, one stated reason for the narrative is “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). God had anticipated this since his writing of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).
The reference to the bread in Moses’ day and that of the bread that gives life to the world from Jesus need not be viewed as supersession, or against Moses. Rather, Moses provided the first fruit of the bread from heaven (6:32) and Jesus “fills full” that same promise in a fuller manner. In no way does this subtract value from the bread and gift that Moses provided from God. In this way, Christianity and Judaism may remain compatible on this Thanksgiving Day.
An example is one year a man finds himself unemployed and in a very difficult financial situation. He takes his family to a local church Thanksgiving meal which is offered for those who struggle during the holidays. The next year, the same man now has a job and is back on his feet financially. Now the family can buy their own turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings to celebrate their Thanksgiving meal. In no way does this diminish the value of the church meal they participated in the previous year. Rather, the recent dinner table banquet is a way to “fill full” what they experienced at the church community meal.
Another direction one may go in this text is to understand it as a reference to the eucharist or communion meal for the community of faith. The bread of life will be fulfilled in a more complete manner, possibly in the form of Jesus as the Passover lamb in John 18-19 (Brown, pp. 266-267). As this relates to Thanksgiving, one could recall how Israel was delivered from the Egyptian pharaoh after the Passover, where the firstborn of the Egyptian households died. Meanwhile, the people of faith in God were spared from such a tragedy. What tragedies have people sitting around the Thanksgiving table on this day been spared from? [Sources: George R. Beasley-Murray, Word Biblical Commentary: John (Word Books, 1987); Raymond Brown, The Anchor Bible: The Gospel According to John 1-12 (Doubleday, 1966)]
Application
One obvious direction one might go is to suggest that these texts remind us of stewardship illustrations. As people of faith are asked to give back a portion of what God has provided them, one could ask when they were homeless and wandering like the “wandering Aramean” in Deuteronomy. Also, one way to thank God is to live the life of “whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable” (Philippians 4:8). Good works are a way to thank God, not earn salvation. This also includes financial giving to the fellowship of believers. From the John 6 text, the reminder is that people are part of the community of faith as a way to give back by thanking God for a more filling meal of life from Jesus, not a consumer commodity which constantly demands “What am I getting out of going to this church?”
Alternative Application
This text is located in John’s “book of signs” (1:19--12:50). The next portion will be the “book of glory” (13:1--20:13). The theme of eternal life found earlier in John is located here in 6:27. Toward the end of the gospel, one stated reason for the narrative is “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). What kind of quality of life does one seek and have if their false gods who promised delivery disappointed them? If one worships a sports team that seems to lose every Thanksgiving Day, is this a misplaced faith? That’s just one example of the ongoing concerns of humans that are meaningless in life. John 6 suggests that one does not have live with emptiness, as the one who promises life fulfills the promise not only before the grave but after the grave. [Sources: Robert Kysar, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: John (Augsburg Fortress, 1986); Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2 (University of Chicago Press, 1951)]
